24

Jump Start # 3434

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3434

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you; with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

We are in the midst of a special singing workshop this week in our congregation. We have brought in one of the best to help both our song leaders and the whole congregation step it up a few notches in our singing to the Lord.

I’m glad we are doing this because this puts a major reminder before our eyes of how important singing is.  The modern church has given up on congregational singing. They don’t want to hear it. Instead, rock bands are hired to perform before the audience. Rather than singing praises to God, a concert to entertain the crowd is where many are today. And, once again, trying to please the masses rather than the Master, they have failed to see the value and importance of singing.

Outside of worship, just think about how important songs are. Before ballgames begin, the crowd stands, and our country’s national anthem is played. Hand goes on hearts, and hats come off of heads, as respect is shown. Every high school and college has their own fight song. The first few beats of those songs and the crowd shouts in joy. Music plays a major role in movies. Without the music, the movies would not be as exciting. And, for many of us, we learn our ABC’s, the books of the Bible, the names of the apostles all through singing.

And, whenever this topic comes up, some always has to ask, “What’s wrong with using an instrument,” or, “God never said we couldn’t.” And, those that keep pushing that button do not know history or Biblical authority. I have looked through countless books about the history of music and there is a consistent understanding that the early church did not use instrumental music. These are books used in colleges to teach music majors. Running through the N.T., one will find nine verses about music and the church and each time, every time, it’s singing. Then when one understands the parallels to the O.T. it makes even more sense. In the O.T., there was physical temple. Today, the church is the temple. In the O.T. there were physical sacrifices. Today, we are living sacrifices. In the O.T. physical instruments were used to praise God. Today, we are the instruments. We are what praises God.

Now, some other thoughts:

First, singing is something we all can do in worship. Not everyone can preach. Not all can lead a prayer. But all of us can sing. Little ones and big ones can sing. Old ones and new ones can sing. Those hymns remind us, teach us, encourage us and help us.

Second, one doesn’t have to have good quality to sing. One doesn’t have to understand notes or music to sing. And, just about all of us have a favorite hymn or two that we really like. That hymn may remind us of something long ago. That hymn may have been sung at a funeral of a loved one.

Third, hymns is something that one can take with him and one really does not need anything else to help. If you want to listen to a sermon, you need to get to a website, YouTube, have a phone, tablet or a computer. But it’s not that way with singing. You can sing by yourself. You can sing in your car. You can sing quietly. You can have some people over and sing. Anywhere you go, you can sing.

Fourth, singing in worship illustrates unity. We are singing together. We are singing the same song. Together we are praising the Lord. The booming voices and the quiet voices, all blended together. All lifting up the Lord.

And, singing is something that God likes. This is not something that we came up with. We are following His plan and His blueprint and that included singing. Think about the music of nature. The sound of a creek rushing over rocks. The sound of a waterfall. The sound of rain coming down. The different song birds. A rooster in the morning. A cow calling out. The sound of a dog. The purr of a cat. We may call this the sounds of nature, but it’s truly God’s own orchestra. It is His music.

And, think how many times the words of a hymn have helped you.  Safe in the arms of Jesus. Does Jesus care? Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Farther alone we’ll know all about it. Because He lives I can face tomorrow. It is well with my soul. We’re marching to Zion. This world is not my home. Thank you, Lord.

We can sing these hymns in our car on the way to worship. We can silently sing these songs as we have treatments. We can be encouraged by these hymns. They can bolster our faith and keep us going when the storm clouds build on the horizon. These hymns remind us. These hymns ask probing questions. These hymns honor God.

Singing to the Lord. What a wonderful way to express our faith and teach others the beauty of God.

Thanks to Tim Stevens for reminding us of the joy of singing.

Roger

23

Jump Start # 3433

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3433

  1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of an overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

Our verse today launches into what is commonly called the qualifications of an elder or bishop. These are more the qualities and characteristics of a godly leader than simply “qualifications.” It seems that a lot of attention is placed upon the word “aspires.” We’d simply say, “does he want it?” If a person has too much desire, it’s not looked upon kindly. Ego and attitude may be out of alignment. However, if a person doesn’t want it, then he won’t do it. There seems to be a balance here. Not too much and not too little.

But another expression from our passage that isn’t talked about much is the phrase, “a fine work.” The work of shepherding people is just that, a work. It’s people work. It’s kingdom work. It’s not a title or an upward movement in kingdom. It doesn’t mean being the boss.

It is a work that a man is signing up to do. And, the work is long. It is hard. It often gets little praise and only noticed if something isn’t hitting on all cylinders.

It is a work keeping everyone going in the right direction and everyone connected. We tend to push each other’s buttons. We tend to step on one another’s toes. We tend to bump and bruise one another. And, when there is friction in the flock, the sheep do not do well. This is true in real flocks and this is true in God’s kingdom. Throw in just enough jealousy, and sprinkle some gossip on top and you’ll have all the things you need for a one way trip through nightmares. Some are babes and some are out right babies. Some are not happy unless they are miserable. And, when some talk, it’s only to complain. One guy said, “The church would be great if it wasn’t for all the people.” Well, that’s what church is, people. A mixture. Jew and Gentile. Master and slave. Male and female. Some with a long history of knowing the Lord and others you are first generation.

Here are some thoughts:

First, while it is a WORK, it is a work that can be done. This isn’t an impossibility. This is not a suicide mission. Working with God’s word as a basis, and teaching hearts that love the Lord, growth, change, equipping can take place. This is a work in which the shepherd needs to build trust. This is something that the shepherd needs to know God’s word.

Second, this isn’t a work that one does alone. When God’s organization is described, it’s always in the plurality. So, with other men, who are trained, talented, gifted and God-fearing, the shepherd has a team to help him. Others will bring in perspectives that he may not have thought about. Others will remind him of passages that he forgot about. With each other, all after the same goal, holding up each other’s hands, the work gets done.

Third, this is the greatest work that this man will ever do. It’s a work which he likely will not get paid for. It’s a work that often gets little attention or praise. Most will never know about the prayers the shepherd prays for the people he is working with. Most won’t know of the conversations, Bible studies, and numerous times he has reached out to help a family get stronger in the Lord. The church sees this man on Sunday and they may wonder what he does. He knows. The Lord knows. And, truly that’s all that matters.

This work is the greatest because the shepherd is changing lives for eternity. He is reminding people of a commitment that they forgot to keep. He finds the ways to pull a marriage together that was nearly falling apart. He helps others grow and develop and become useful in the kingdom. He sees a congregation that is getting stronger and closer to the Lord. While many point their praise to the preacher, it’s truly the shepherds that have been the backbone of the congregation. He knows. The Lord knows.

The work of leading God’s people should not be taken lightly. There are so many who are doing a marvelous job in different parts of the kingdom. They are a blessing to those who are guided by them. Yet, there are still some who carry the title “Bishop,” or, “elder,” and it’s viewed upon as a promotion in the kingdom. Double standards, indifference and a lack of Biblical leadership, have made many to question such leaders.

He leadeth me, is what the Psalmist said in the great Shepherd Psalm (23).

Roger

20

Jump Start # 3432

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3432

Ephesians 4:13 “Take up  the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

The on going war in Israel is something we’ve not seen in a long time. Israel is our little brother and the ties to our country run deep and strong. And, when someone picks on your little brother, your temperature rises and you feel like busting that bully in the nose. Unlike many wars in recent times, the horrific and torturous abuse upon women and children are unheard of. This is not soldiers fighting soldiers. This is terrorism at its worse. Blood will spill for a long time.

But times like these, remind us of great Bible principles that help us in our spiritual walk. Our verse today, comes from that section we know as “The armor of God.” And, as soldiers are called to the front lines, the apostle sounds forth the Gospel message:

  • Be strong (10)
  • Put one (11)
  • Take up (13)
  • Stand firm (14)

Within this call to action, we find the confidence in the results:

  • You will be able to stand firm against the devil (11)
  • You will be able to resist the devil (13)
  • You will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (16)

The enemy we fight is Satan. And, Satan will try to discourage you. Satan will try to distract you. Satan will try to deceive you. And, Satan will try to defeat you. And, Satan will attack all things dear to our hearts. He will attack the congregation you attend. He will attack your children. He will attack your marriage. And, he will attack you.

Our enemy is powerful, deceptive and evil. He will use people that are close to us, to discourage, distract, deceive and defeat you. He will put things before your eyes to get you to take your eyes off of Jesus. He will busy you with good things so that you do not have time for the best things. Satan promises the best and delivers the worst. Satan promises honor and delivers disgrace. Satan promises pleasures and delivers pain. Satan promises joy and delivers sorrow. Satan promises freedom and delivers captivity. Satan promises life and delivers death.

And, for so many, it will not be until eternity that they realize that they have been fooled. They chased the glitter of the superficial and insignificant, and never found the lasting treasure in the Lord. While so many think that they have a hold on the good life, they never understand what the abundant life is all about.

As news comes in from the warfront of Israel, we must be reminded:

First, that we face daily the greatest enemy the world has ever known. He is everywhere. He’s at work before you get there. He’s at home before you get there. On vacation, he’s beat you there. He’s in the church house. He’s in your house. Tempted and tried is how he tries to beat us down. He’s an old, old enemy. Adam dealt with him. Job felt his ugly breath. Abraham, Noah, David, the prophets, the apostles and even our Lord, all encountered this terrible enemy. And, he’s hung around your life for a long, long time. He won’t leave you alone. He was there when you were a teen. He was there when you were dating. He was there when you got your first job. He was there when you were disappointed. He was there when you hurt. He was there when you were alone. As you have aged, he has never given up on trying to trip you, hurt you and defeat you.

Second, as long as Satan has been around us, so has the Lord. And, we have found time and time again, resisting that enemy, and putting on the armor of God works. Those flaming arrows have been put out. When upset, words came to our minds, but we didn’t say them. When gossip came to us, we never repeated it. When temptation crossed our eyes, we looked away and turned away. We have looked and found the way of escape that the Lord has promised us. Yes, Satan has been in our lives for a long, long time, but we have the battle scars that show God works.

Third, we know the outcome for the Devil. His future is Hell. He will not be in charge of that place, God is. He won’t be sticking people with his pitch fork, if he even has one. He will be tormented day and night. He will receive what he deserves. His way is heartless, godless and will receive no mercy from our Lord. Crushed and destroyed will that ole’ serpent become.

It was said long ago that the old men make the wars and the young men die in them. As terrible as the war is in Israel, there is a worse war going on right now and right here in our hearts. It’s the war we are engaged in with the darkness and spiritual forces that oppose our Lord.

Jesus wins. The Bible stresses that. The Bible shows that. The question is, will you and I win? We will if we stay with the Lord.

Roger

19

Jump Start # 3431

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3431

Psalms 139:14 “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.”

I spent most of the day in the hospital recently. It wasn’t about me. My sweet daughter was having a baby, a little girl. This becomes the twelfth grandchild in our family and there is still one to be born early next year. Indeed our quiver is full.

As I held that tiny little baby, shortly after she was born, so small, so soft, so adorable, my mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts. What kind of person will she become? Will she one day teach children in Bible classes as her mother does? Will she some day have her only little baby?

She was born as the war drums are beating loudly in the Middle East. I wish we could have presented a better world for her, but I am so thankful that she will grow in a home where her parents, and two older sisters love the Lord and make God a priority in their lives. What an advantage she will have. She will be in worship services before she can even talk. She will hear the saints of God praising His holy name. She will hear God’s divine word preached. Little as she is, she won’t understand or know these things, but it is an environment that she is being placed in that is good, righteous and helpful.

The Psalmist in our verse today was expressing great joy and thankfulness for the very way he was made. And, that itself is a wonderful thought for us.

First, beyond male and female, God has gifted us with talents, abilities, opportunities and wired us just the way He desired. The apostle said that God has “determined  their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17). Why are we in this generation? Why not a hundred years ago? Why not back in the first century? God determined that. And, more than that, God has placed within each of us different talents and gifts. Throughout our lives we can build upon those, develop those and grow those gifts.

Some have an artistic touch. They look at a blank canvas and see a picture before they ever pick up a paint brush. The rest of us struggle to draw a straight line across a piece of paper. Some can enter a room and move furniture around, add a few touches here and there and totally give that room a new and beautiful look. Others wouldn’t know where to start. Some can take a piece a paper and write a few sentences upon that paper, and it becomes a great story or a moving sermon. Others would be staring at that blank paper all day trying to think of what to write. Some have an ear for music. Some are tone deaf. Some have a gift to fix things. Some are all thumbs. Why is it that way? Much has to do with what God has gifted us with and then recognizing our strengths we build upon that.

Second, early in life it is hard to know what your gifts are. Often a person has to try things and even fail at things before he knows what he is good at. We all have a natural bent or leaning, and finding that can lead to what one will do in life. Taking that chance, risk, letting the little boat sail from the dock, allows a person to know whether or not he is good at something. I have always thought that it is good to introduce children to music and sports. In time, typically, one will excel and shine in one area more than another. But you don’t know, until you try. And, often, it takes more than just one try.

When we look at people who are really good at what they are doing, be it a singer, an artist, an athlete, a salesman, a doctor, a mechanic, you will find a person who has poured hours upon hours into learning, fine tuning and developing his talent.

Third, the words of parents can help or hurt the development of talents. My four children all have the gift of music. That came from their mother. I’ve told people that every band has a bus driver, and that’s me. Encouraging your child to flower in her own talents is important. Your child may go down roads you never have. Your child may have an interest in things you do not. You don’t want your child to be you, because he can’t. Only you can be you. So, you may have to learn the rules of soccer or hockey. You may, as I have, lean over to my wife, as ask her what language my son is singing in? Is that Italian, I have asked her. The talents of your child may be unlike yours. I am the first in my family to preach. I am thankful for the encouragement that my parents gave to me to chase this dream. When one of my sons wanted to pursue preaching, it was so much easier, because he has grown up seeing the ins and the outs of preaching.

But shutting the door, even before your child has a chance to try, is discouraging. As a parent, there are practices and games to attend. There are performances that you’ll sit in an auditorium watching. There are costs. There’s a huge time commitment. And, running through all of this, is the importance of putting the Lord first. That creates some challenges. Games on Sundays. Practices on Wednesday nights. Conversations with coaches, teachers and others often has to take place. Your child may fight you on some of these things, but you are showing a conviction that you want your child to appreciate and develop as well.

Welcome, sweet little, Kaylee Joy. You are a gift from Heaven and a bundle of joy. Our wishes and prayers are with you and your wonderful family.

Much love,

Roger (PJ)

18

Jump Start # 3430

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3430

Mark 1:35 “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there.”

Early in the morning, is a great Biblical expression. Have you ever just chased that phrase throughout the Bible? When Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac, he rose, early in the morning and the two of them headed to the place. Moses was instructed to rise early in the morning and present himself before Pharaoh. Jeremiah tells us that God would send the prophets daily,  “rising early and sending them.” And, the women gathered at the tomb of Jesus, early in the morning.

Here in our passage today, we find the Lord rising early, while it is still dark. He goes to a secluded place to pray. Lots of thoughts enter our minds. Why didn’t Jesus just pray in bed? One can pray silently, why did He have to go outside?

The text doesn’t tell us the “whys” but there are some things we learn from this:

First, Jesus practiced what He taught. He had told the disciples to go into the closet and shut the door and there pray. Just you and God. There you can be frank, honest, open and pour your heart out to God. You can say things in the closet that you would never say in a public prayer on a Sunday morning. In a lonely place, you can pray about your sins. You can name names. You can pray about what bothers you.

Jesus taught His disciples to do that, and here, He lived by what He taught. One of the first attributes of leadership is to lead yourself. Telling others, while you do not do that yourself makes it seem like you do not believe what you said. Jesus was not like this. He departed to a lonely place. Quiet. Dark. No one to disturb Him.

Second, a lonely place, the inner room, blocks distractions. They help one stay focused. It’s hard to pray with the TV on. It’s hard to pray when your phone is beeping because of texts, emails and calls coming in. Distractions. Noise. People. Jesus departed to a lonely place. That lonely place could be your back deck. That lonely place could be the walk you take in the neighborhood. That lonely place can be in the car as you drive. Jesus found it and we need to do the same. Deep prayers. Personal prayers. Prayers about those we love. Prayers about the congregation. Prayers about the nation. Prayers about the people we know who are not walking with Christ. So much to pray about. And, around the house, there are too many things that need our attention, too much going on. Jesus departed to a lonely place.

The following verses from our passage today reveal that Peter and the others were out looking for Jesus. When they found Him, they say, “Everyone is looking for you.” I wonder if the Lord had just been talking to His Father about Peter.

Third, Jesus saw the need to pray. What He said in that secluded place is not recorded. No one knows. It was between Jesus and His Father, and that ought to be a great reminder for us. First, we need to pray. Second, there are things between me and the Father that no one else needs to know. There are things we can say that others may not understand or even appreciate. There are people in our lives who many never know that we have thanked the Lord for them. These people have helped us and encouraged us. There are people who are struggling and fighting great battles in their lives. They may not know how many times we say their name to Heaven.

Relationships are built upon two major foundations, trust and communication. Both are needed. The communication aspect is what keeps relationships going. We talk to friends. We connect in fellowship. We share, listen and include things about our lives with others. In our walk with God, it is not enough to just read His word. We need to pray. We need to express our love and thankfulness to God. We need to talk because that strengthens our bond and our relationship with Him.

Jesus departed to a lonely place to pray. Jesus was not alone. He was with His Father in heart and words. And, when you find your lonely place, you are not alone. You, too, are with your Father in heart and words.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer.

Roger