15

Jump Start # 3450

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3450

Luke 18:9 “And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt.”

Luke 18 is a chapter about prayer. It begins with our Lord “telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.” And, what follows are two immediate parables about prayer.

Prayer is an interesting topic. As we head towards the holiday of being thankful, prayer is on our minds. Just about everyone can pray. Some need a little teaching to understand that we pray to God and not to Mary or a dead saint. But even our little ones can pray. They might pray for kitty cats and dandelions in the yard, but they get the idea. Among disciples, one of the most common dissatisfaction is our prayer life. We don’t pray enough and we don’t pray deep enough. Most feel that way. Most recognize that they could do better and many want to do better.

Author Philip Yancey wrote this in his book about prayer: “I wonder what I would do if seated at a banquet next to say, Albert Einstein, or Mozart. Would I chitchat? Would I make a fool of myself? In prayer I am approaching the Creator of all that is. Someone who makes me feel immeasurably small. How can I do anything but fall silent in such presence? More, how can I believe that whatever I say matters to God?”

I understand what Yancey is saying. I have attended baseball games with a former National League all-star player. I never played college baseball. I think I understand the game until he was sitting next to me. I feel this way when I attend the orchestra with my wife. She studied music in college and has a great knowledge of classical music. I’m trying to figure out why they don’t wear colorful socks.

There is war in Israel. There is a war in Ukraine. There is a lot of moving and shaking taking place on the global level. There are governors, mayors and every important people who are making decisions that will impact the lives of many, many people. Why should what I say even matter to God? What I think doesn’t matter to the governor. What I think doesn’t matter to the boss. And, for many, what I think doesn’t even matter at home. No one listens. No one cares. I’m nobody. So, why should God even pay attention to anything I have to say? Great question. Many feel that way, but hate to admit it.

And, that’s a starting point for us. For the next several Jump Starts, we want to open the lid on the box of prayer. I hope these thoughts help you and I hope they open our eyes to the wonderful and powerful blessing of prayer. One of the hymns is called, “Sweet hour of prayer.” And, that’s the spirit that we need to have. It’s not the tedious hour of prayer. It’s not the enduring pain of prayer. It’s not boring hour of prayer. It’s sweet, the sweet hour of prayer.

Let’s begin with a few fundamentals:

First, God wants us to pray. That’s the direction we must understand. Heaven wants to hear from you. It’s not that we are trying to grab a minute from a busy God and we are waiting patiently for Him to give us some time. It’s not that way. It is God who is asking us to pray to Him. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “But you, when you pray…” God expects you to pray. God is wanting you to pray. God is telling us to pray.

You are not bothering God when you pray.

Second, God cares. In the Yancey quote above, I don’t know if Einstein would care about what I had to say. I doubt, from what I’ve read about Mozart, that he would even look my way, if I was talking to him. God is not like that. Peter tells us to cast all of our anxiety upon Him because He cares. That’s why we pray. God cares.

He cares when you are discouraged. He cares when you are beat down. He cares when you feel like you can’t go on. He cares when stress is greater than you can handle. He cares when you cry. He cares when you open the door to temptation. God cares.

Third, God is moved by our prayers. James says the prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. It accomplishes much not because it makes us feel better to talk about things. It accomplishes much not because we are getting things off of our chest. It accomplishes much because we have invited the God of Heaven into our lives. God can do what no one else can. God can open doors that are closed. When everyone else says, ‘no way,’ God has a way.

Prayer is not talking to the air. Prayer is not just hearing my self. Prayer is talking to the God of Heaven and Earth who loves you and can do things. The Ephesians were told, “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus”.

At all times, Jesus says, we ought to pray and not lose heart. Sweet hour of prayer.

Roger

14

Jump Start # 3449

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3449

Nehemiah 3:28 “Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each in front of his house.”

I’m teaching a class on how the Old Testament finishes. It’s a look at three books, Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi. We are walking through one book a month. This month we are in Nehemiah. What a great, great study of leadership, staying with things, overcoming opposition and prayer.

As Nehemiah inspires the people to get building the walls around the city, two fun facts jump out. First, as chapter three begins, we find the high priest with his hands in the dirt, building the wall. Then sprinkled all throughout the chapter are various officials. Everyone got involved. No one was too good for this. And, it started with the leader, the high priest. Had he been sitting in a chair, in the shade, watching everyone else working hard, resentment and ill feelings would have risen up. Instead, when someone paused to wipe his sweaty forehead, he could see the high priest over there working hard. On a work day, I’ve seen elders and preachers, pulling weeds, cleaning bathrooms, and setting a great example.

The other fun fact is taken from our verse today. Nehemiah stationed people in front of their own homes.

In front of his house, is how our verse states it. That expression is used again in this chapter. There is something about making the wall stand straight and tall and being very secure, when I realize my house is on the other side. Had someone been working on the other part of the wall far from his house, he may not have the same dedication and detail as it is in front of his house. At the end of the day, when he went home, his family may have talked about seeing him outside their door, working hard. When his wife asked, “Do you feel that we are safe?” He could assure her, yes, because I made it very strong there. It’s in front of our home.

Have you ever thought about that expression spiritually? Building in front of your house?

First, in many ways the congregation you attend is in front of your house. Not physically, but symbolically and especially spiritually. The kingdom of God is large. It’s everywhere. I may not be overly concerned how things are going in middle Africa, but I am in my home congregation. There is where I attend. There is where I am a member. There is where I worship. There is where I am fed, led and encourage. So, more than any other place, I am going to make it strong in front of my house. I am praying more for my congregation than any other place. I am connected to the people in my congregation more than any other place. I am invested in them. My heart is with them.

Don’t dare try to slip something by that isn’t true or helpful. It’s in front of my house. I’ll be watching. Don’t be hurting these people. They are in front of my house. I’ll come running. Don’t be talking trash about the things in front of my house. If you do you’ll get a response. This is in front of my house and I’m going to make sure it’s secure and right.

Second, the Bible classes my children are in, are right in front of my house. Like public school, I’m going to meet the teachers and talk with them. I’m asking them once in a while how my child is doing. Is he goofing off? Is he making it hard to teach? Is he participating? I want to know. It’s in front of my house. I wonder if we put more focus upon the elementary public schools than we do our Bible classes.

Third, all the wall around Jerusalem is important. If the wall was only built in front of my house, and that was it, the enemy could walk around that part and still attack. I’m helping, encouraging, and doing what I can to get all the wall built. All the wall is necessary, but I’m particularly interested in what happens in front of my house. All the kingdom is important, but I especially am interested in what happens in my congregation. It’s in my own congregation that fellowship and accountability take place.

Sadly, I feel that some do not know what is going on right in front of their house. They don’t have a clue what is going on in the congregation, and worse, they don’t really care. They come for self and leave after they have had enough. Storms could be brewing and they would never know. The poison of error could be spreading and they would not even recognize it. A wolf in sheep’s clothing is welcomed and greeted like anyone else. They do not know what is going on in front of their houses.

Nehemiah was brilliant. He understood that each builder was taking ownership of what was being done, because it was in front of his house. It was more than just a job. They were making things safe for home.

When we embrace that idea, things start stepping up in the ole’ congregation.

Roger

13

Jump Start # 3448

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3448

James 1:20 “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

There is a lot of anger in the air these days. The war in Israel has brought out the worst in people. Protests are becoming mobs filled with angry people. Hatred toward Jews has escalated more than 400% in the past few weeks.  Politicians are snapping at one another. Blame and finger pointing seem to be the norm these days. You don’t see many people walking around with smiles on their faces.

And, that brings us to our verse today. The Bible has a lot to say about anger, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. And, throughout the Bible we find many angry people. King Saul was throwing spears at young David. Moses left Pharaoh in “hot anger” Exodus tells us. Naaman walked away fuming when things didn’t go the way he expected. Jonah was angry that Nineveh was given a second chance. And, the prodigal’s brother was angry and unwilling to welcome his lost brother back.

There is two immediate problems with anger:

First, what anger does to us. Our verse shows us the bottom line. Anger doesn’t help us in our walk with the Lord. We don’t become our best when we are thinking the worst. It’s hard to be around someone that you are angry with. And, when we are angry it’s hard to move off that island. We keep rewinding the pain and that keeps the wounds open.

Second, what anger leads us to doing to others. Not only does anger destroy our insides, but it has a masterful way of wrecking our outsides, especially our relationships with others. When we are angry, we feel compelled to tell someone else. We lash out with words that often should never be said. When angry we quickly turn to the revenge mode and start thinking, saying and planning ways to get back at the other person.

Anger doesn’t achieve the righteousness of God. Anger doesn’t make us stand tall.

Here are three quick reminders that can help:

First, try not to speak when angry. That’s hard. We want to snap back. We want to set the record straight. We increase the volume and speed of our talking. We stop listening and default to the attack mode. Bite your tongue. Try to refrain from talking because most often we don’t talk, we explode. And, it is very hard to recover after that. You can apologize, but the damage has been done. Your reputation has taken a hit and you lost value with the person you are angry with.

Second, don’t stay in a heated situation, it will only make you boil on the inside. Sometimes you just have to walk away from things. Sometimes it is best to talk about the subject when both parties are calm and can reason. Be a thermostat in life. When things are too hot, try to cool things down. When things are too icy, try to warm the atmosphere up. It takes two to argue and if you are not engaging in that, the argument soon ends.

Third, don’t make a quick decision when mad. Most times those decisions are not thought out. We react based upon emotion and not logic. We let our heart and not our head lead us. I’ve seen people walk out of a church building in the middle of a sermon. I’ve heard of brethren getting in fist fights. The Corinthians were taking each other to court. Anger will push us to doing things that we may long regret later on.

The Ephesians were told, “be angry and do not sin.” James says to be slow to anger. Build a long, long fuse to your heart.

Achieving the righteousness of God ought to be important to us. Anger isn’t the road that will get us there. So, find the exit and get off that road as quickly as you can. Turn around and follow the Lord.

Roger

10

Jump Start # 3447

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3447

Psalms 23:6 ”Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

I have been doing quite a bit of teaching about shepherding or leadership lately. It’s one of my favorite topics. It is wonderful to see the light bulbs come on in the thinking of others and see their eyes light up with excitement about how they can do things. Ideas and concepts begin to flow and these things just energize a congregation and it’s the first steps towards generational changes that are healthy and Biblical.

Psalms 23 is one of the key passages that I focus upon. The Shepherd led. The Shepherd knew where to go. The Shepherd was actively involved. The Shepherd understood when the sheep needed to lie down. And, even in those dark canyons that they had to travel through, the Shepherd was right there. He never left them. Powerful lessons can be drawn from all of this.

But, I haven’t given much attention to how this chapter ends, our verse today. Goodness and lovingkindness follow the one who follows the Shepherd. It’s like going on a walk and your dog is just steps behind you. Now, for a lot of people, it trouble, heartache and bad news that seems to follow them. Some simply go from one crisis to the next. Some are always in a mess. They are just one dollar from collapsing financially. They are just one step from getting arrested. They are just one more warning from losing their jobs. And, when they look back over their shoulders, trouble is right there. Trouble follows them.

It’s this way because of who they are following. When you follow others, you’ll be in trouble. When you listen to Satan, you are certain to have sorrows. When you follow your own nose, you’ll not get very far. Maybe this is why the Hebrew writer tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Following the Shepherd will invite goodness and lovingkindness to tag along with you.

There are three words as this verse and chapter ends that I want to look at with you.

First, is Dwell. I will Dwell. For the shepherd and sheep that moved about from pasture to pasture, the idea of dwelling must have brought a rich, warm feeling to their hearts. No more moving about. No more looking for water. Dwell. That carries the idea of residence. The Colossians were told to let the word of Christ richly dwell within our hearts. There comes a time when what we highlight in our Bibles becomes written on our hearts. Dwelling. Staying put. Home. Finished. Completed.

There is nothing like home. I love traveling but nothing is like sitting in my own chair, sleeping on my own pillow and drinking from my own cup.

Second, in the house of the Lord. This is where the dwelling takes place. It’s not in my house. It’s not in your house. It’s in God’s house. Again, for a shepherd and sheep who spent most nights outdoors, facing cold nights, rain and wind, dwelling in a house is something they could hardly believe. And, it’s God’s house. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions…”

I’ve been to all kinds of homes. It doesn’t take very long to look around and you can tell what the residents are interested in. I’ve seen quilts hanging from the walls. I’ve seen collections of autographed baseballs. I’ve seen old hammers on a wall. I’ve seen photos of family and vacations. All of these decorations were reflections of the owners. It’s what was important to them. Have you wondered what God’s house would look like? It’ll be clean. It’s pure. It’s holy. Those are the qualities of God. I wouldn’t be surprised to find names written on the walls. Names of His people. Names we have read from our Bibles. Names of people we have worshipped with. Even our names, wouldn’t that be something!

Third, forever. Dwell in God’s house forever. Put those three words together. Eternity in Heaven. For David, who wrote this, he may have had more of a tabernacle/temple concept. But for us, we see Heaven. It won’t be a walk through like you are on a tour. It’s not a weekend get-a-way. It’s home. It’s our home. It’s where we live. And, it’s forever. No other place to be. No pressing demands elsewhere.

Dwelling in God’s house forever. What a wonderful way to end that chapter. What a wonderful way to end one’s life, not in the cemetery, but dwelling in God’s house forever.

Roger

09

Jump Start # 3446

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3446

Psalms 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.”

The fall in Indiana is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. The leaves turn a vibrant collection of reds, yellows and oranges. People travel from other places just to see the beautiful leaves in Indiana. With a massive woods behind my house, I get a personal portrait from the Lord every fall.

But the changing of the leaves illustrates a powerful Biblical lesson for us. Our leaves are not these colors all year long. In the spring and summer, our trees are filled with different shades of green. It’s in the fall that the leaves turn. And, they continue to turn colors until they become brown and fall off the trees. The great fall colors come from leaves that are dying. And, that is the Biblical lesson, that there is beauty in death.

The world sees nothing good from death. The world cannot see beyond death. And the words used by the world to describe death illustrate this attitude. Words such as: gone, over, finished, kicked the bucket, tragedy. And, the dead are referred to in past tense. Heaven doesn’t use that language. Words such as: gain, blessing, precious, rest, hope, with the Lord are found in the Bible. The Bible doesn’t see death as the end.

And, as a leaf becomes beautiful as it dies, so does a disciple of the Lord. In what way is the death of a godly one “precious?”

First, because it means that someone has become what God wanted them to be. It is precious because someone chose to walk with the Lord. Some sought the grace of God and molded their life to be like Jesus. They worshipped the Lord as He desired. They became lights into the world. They used their talents to honor the Lord and build the kingdom. Out of darkness and into the light they walked. Forgiven by God and tasting the grace that the Lord offers, these people became disciples, followers of Christ. Their lives and their deaths are precious.

Second, because it means someone has finished what God wanted them to do. There is no reward for one who quits. There is no praise from Heaven for the selfish, the proud, or the ungodly. But building a life around the Lord is something that God recognizes. Even the little things, like a cup of cold water given to another is something that Heaven recognizes. The years of encouragement. The mountain of help offered. The time to teach others. Being a backbone to a congregation. Serving the Lord in whatever way possible. There was a faith, and they kept it. There was a fight, and they fought it. There was a course and they finished it. Through sunshine and storms, when it was easy and when it was hard, they remained close to the Lord. They finished.

Third, it means that they will enjoy what God wants them to enjoy. It began first here on earth. A life of walking with the Lord has obstacles, opposition and hardships, but it is filled with the joy of fellowship, the peace that comes from filling your heart with the Lord and the confidence to move onward towards Heaven. Worry, stress, fear, discouragement and even conversations about death do not hinder the child of God. He has the Lord and the Lord has him.

The disciple realizes that death is merely a door. It swings one way, but it is just a door. It is necessary to go through that door to get into the next room. And, it is in that room where the disciple wants to be. Free from the troubles that plague us here. Free from the temptations of Satan. Free from the pain and sorrow of this life. And, to be in the presence of the Lord, that’s what the disciple longs for. And, it’s not just a moment, a weekend, or a short while. This is it. That’s the end of the journey. Home, where we belong, with the Lord.

Indeed, there is a beauty in death. The leaves are the prettiest as they die and fall off the tree. And, it is the same for us. A life well lived. An example for others to follow. A fight that has been fought. A journey completed. A course finished and a faith kept. And, awaiting that disciple is a crown, a victory.

The superficial joys of this life could not turn the head of a disciple. The compromises of Satan did not move this disciple. He was heaven bound and nothing was stopping him.

A beauty in leaves and a beauty in death.

Thanks, Shannon for sharing this great idea.

Roger