30

Jump Start # 3566

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3566

Jonah 2:10 “Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.”

Jonah and the whale, as it is commonly pictured, makes for great VBS material and kids Bible class lessons. But this isn’t a story for kids. Stuck in the midst of the prophets crying for repentance for a wayward nation, we find this four chapter book that is more about the prophet than it is his message or his audience.

Our verse today is intriguing to us. By itself, it shows the commanding nature of our God. But placed along side other passages, and we find, as the hymn says so well, “This is my Father’s world.” God commanded and the fish obeyed. The fish was more obedient than Jonah was.

  • Mark 4:39 finds the Lord and the disciples in a fierce storm on the sea. Awakened by the frightened disciples, Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be still. And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.”
  • In Mark 5:8 Jesus is confronted with a man possessed with multiple demons. Jesus said, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.” A few verses later, “the unclean spirits entered the swine” (13).
  • In John 11:43 “Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth.’ The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings…”

Are you seeing a thread running through these passages? A fish. The wind and the sea. Demons. The dead. God can talk to those we cannot. God can control what we cannot. God can command and they obey Him.

Here are some lessons for us:

First, while we live in God’s world, we are limited in what we can do. The weather doesn’t pay attention to us. Plan an outdoor wedding, and I always tell young couples, have plan B in mind, just in case. This is truly God’s world and all that is in it are subject to Him.

Second, the world is a tool of God to be used to fulfill His will. God is not limited. God is not bound by the things that control us. In Jonah, God caused a storm that kept growing in intensity. Once Jonah was pitched overboard, the storm immediately stopped. God caused a bright light to shine on Saul in Acts 9. God caused the sun to stand still in Joshua 10.

All of these things remind us that God is larger than nature. God is all powerful and God is in control.

Third, we must wonder if nature is more obedient to the Lord than we are? God commanded the fish to spit Jonah out. What if the fish disobeyed? What if the fish decided that Jonah was going to be his lunch. I tend to think that fish, storms, demons and even the dead do not have free will. God commands and they obey. Lazarus likely enjoyed being on the other side of life. Being in Abraham’s bosom, paradise, away from diseases and trouble, he was in true comfort. But the Lord brought him back. He had to fight temptation once again. One more time, he’d have to die. Given the choice, I’d expect Lazarus would rather stay where he was. But he wasn’t given that choice. The Lord called, and Lazarus obeyed.

Are storms and trees and mountains and birds more obedient to God than I am? Do I fight the commands of God? Do I find myself looking for a reason and an excuse not to do what God says? Made in the image of God, am I less obedient than the fish that swallowed Jonah?

These things ought to remind us that God is gracious to us. God causes His sun to shine upon us. God blesses us every day with a new day. Thankful. Respectful. Blessed. Obedient. That ought to be our nature and our character.

God commanded a fish…and that fish obeyed Him.

Roger

29

Jump Start # 3565

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3565

James 1:3 “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

God provides lessons for us every day if we have open eyes to see them. In a recent lesson about Developing Deep Roots, I used the illustration of tree rings. We’ve all seen a log or tree cut down and maybe as kids even counted the rings to see how old the tree was. The rings are not the same width. Some are very narrow and others are very wide. And, right there is a great spiritual principle for us. That tree was always growing. In wet seasons, it grew a lot. In droughts, it grew, but not nearly as much. The rings were narrow. However, the tree grew.

And, before us is a lesson we need to take to heart. We must always be growing closer to the Lord. There are seasons when that is easy. Life is going well. Great preaching. Good fellowship. Lots of opportunities. Our spiritual rings ought to show a lot of growth. Yet, in the dry seasons of life, when there has been a lot of heartache and hardships, still our spiritual ring gives evidence of growth. We have grown when it was hard to grow.

Our verse today magnifies that idea. In testing, your faith still produces. It produces endurance. Your faith continues to grow, even when it is hard to grow. There has been a family crisis and tragedy, yet you have grown spiritually. Things down at the church house have not been pleasant, yet you grew. Fellowship has been strained and nearly broken, and still you grew. The preacher is fired. Elders resign. People leave. Things have been said that should never have been said. Through that you have still grown spiritually.

I’ve known people who buried a spouse on a Friday and on Sunday they were sitting in the church house worshipping God. Growing through trials and troubles.

Some lessons for us:

First, our growth is dependent upon us. Some have simply stopped growing. Some have a stunted growth. They got through the basics, but decades later, they don’t know nor act much beyond the basics. Preachers need to continue to grow. Shepherds need to continue to grow. All of this begins with the attitude and spirit of learning. I have learned so much from younger preachers in recent years. I am amazed at their insights into the Scriptures. Now, I could use my age and years of experience and try to intimidate them, but why would I do that? They are helping me grow and I’m thankful for that.

Why have some stopped growing? They just did. Busy lifestyles. Dysfunctional churches. Poor leadership. Lots of ways we could pin this on others, but the truth is, through all of those things, some have continued to grow. The dry seasons, wet seasons, fires, diseases, that ole’ tree kept growing and growing. And, so must we.

Second, some will use a difficult season for a reason to stop growing. I just can’t right now, because mama died. And, they hang their hat on that nail for years and years. Some of the greatest lessons come from challenges, trials and even troubles. We see things in the darkness that we never see in the sunlight. If we only grow when things are going well, then large sections of our lives will have no growth. We would have learned nothing through adversity. The trials that come upon us will have no positive impact. Endurance will not be part of our character simply because we refused to see lessons and grow during difficult times.

Our culture doesn’t do well with hard times. We need pills to deal with anxiety and animals to give us support. Sometimes those things are necessary, but only sometimes. A good ole’ dose of hardship, hard times and trials and troubles can really help our character more than any animal or medicine can provide. The ole’ tree grows through storms, droughts, fires and hard times. And, so much our faith.

Third, those dark valleys of the shadow of death can certainly frighten us. But knowing that the Lord is with us and that we are passing through, and not staying there ought to provide hope and strength. The story of David in 1 Samuel 30:6 is a powerful reminder about spiritual growth. David had been chased around the countryside by Saul. His life was constantly in danger. He and his men finally make it home only to find their homes burned and their families kidnapped. David’s men were so distraught that they considered stoning David. In this passage, we learn, “David strengthened himself in the Lord.”

There are times when you need to do that. Don’t count on Saul helping you. He’ll try to discourage you. Don’t count on those around you to help you. They have rocks in their hands, ready to throw at you. But David strengthened himself. There may be times when brethren let you down. The shepherds don’t call. The preacher doesn’t come and see you. Deeper and deeper you get discouraged. You can let yourself fall to the bottom, or you can strengthen yourself. You pray. You get to worship. You open that Bible. You know what the Lord has promised. You pull yourself up and you get going again. And, oh, the lessons you will learn. You can be a stronger and better person because of that. You can, if you allow yourself. Or, you can become bitter towards every one and use that experience to hurt people.

Tree rings—the sign of growth. What do your spiritual rings show? Are you always growing?

Roger

26

Jump Start # 3564

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3564

Luke 15:28 “But he became angry, and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began entreating him.”

That brother of the prodigal son thought he was so different than his wild and wayward brother, but he wasn’t. He thought he was hand-in-hand with the father, but he wasn’t. He thought he was better than the prodigal because he hadn’t wasted all the inheritance, but he wasn’t.

The father goes out to the older brother, very similar as he ran out to the prodigal. But there are two major differences that take place. When the prodigal began his remorseful apology, the father interrupted him. He called for the sandals, robe and ring. He ordered the best beef to be slaughtered and cooked.

When the older brother speaks to the father, it’s a different tone. He verbally assaults and insults the father. And, the father lets this son say his piece. He doesn’t interrupt him. Sorrow fills the prodigal’s heart. Anger fills the heart of the older brother. Both are loved by their father. Both are lost. Both need the father. One learned that lesson the hard way. One never learned that lesson.

This powerful parable was used to answer the charge that Jesus was keeping company with sinners. He was. He came for that reason, to save the lost. The Pharisees have no mercy for the likes of prodigals. Their sins are so obvious. They are so far from God. But in this, the Pharisees cannot see that they are like the prodigal’s brother. Nor can they see that they too are so far from God. And, one thing that they would never want to hear is that they are very much like the prodigal. The two sons in Luke 15 were very much alike. Both were lost. One in the far county and one at home. One was lost in rebellion and one was lost in self-righteousness.

It’s easy to view these two sons as being so different, but they weren’t. They were both lost, just in different ways. Rather than rejoicing that his brother was home, the older son, refused to acknowledge the relationship, the fellowship and extend any forgiveness towards the prodigal. He wanted nothing to do with him. And, in so doing, he revealed that he was so unlike his Father. And, that’s what Jesus wanted the Pharisees to see. You think you have it all together, by following the law, but they had no mercy for others. They had no concern for those who had made terrible choices in their lives. And, they had no patience for those who were not like them.

I have preached and preached this parable. I have written dozens of Jump Starts on this parable. And, every time I hear some preach on this, as I did the other day, my eyes are opened to new aspects that I have never seen before.

Let’s look at the father in this story, from the perspective of a father. He represents God. He is the gracious, merciful God who is quick to forgive. That’s the point of the parable. But pull back a moment and look at this from the standpoint of a dad. Two boys. Two boys who really do not like each other, at least one doesn’t. Two boys who took different paths in life. One went off and was wild. Maybe drugs. Maybe sexually immoral. Flunked out of college that you were paying for. Totaled many cars through the years. Irresponsible. No direction. Living as if there was no God.

The other stayed nearby. Hard working. Paying his bills. Goes to church. The picture of a good son, but he has an attitude. He is quick to judge those who different. He’d rather cut people out of his life than help them. Without saying it, he feels that he is better than most people.

Some lessons:

First, as a dad, as a parent, your work doesn’t stop when they graduate from high school. Your role changes but you are always guiding, influencing and trying to point them to Jesus. It may feel like it was easier when they were eight-years-old and you could send them to their rooms, but now you reason with them as adults and you reason with them through Scriptures.

The father in Luke 15 was active in both of the lives of those two sons. The father runs to the prodigal. He knows it’s not the time for a lecture, but a moment for grace. He hugs and kisses that wayward boy. He then leaves the party for the prodigal to go talk to the other son. This time he realizes it is time for patience and sound reasoning. He extends that. His work with his sons wasn’t over.

Second, I wonder if the father felt like he had failed some how. How did one son become so worldly and the other son so judgmental. The father wasn’t like either one of those. What could he had done differently? Yet, putting this story back into the context, what more could God had done for those Pharisees? They had the law. They had the prophets. They used them to build a neat little safe religion that made them feel they were better than others. The story of Rahab. The story of David seating Saul’s grandson at his table. The story of the servant girl and Naaman. All of those ought to have touched the heart of the Pharisees but it didn’t.

Third, I expect it was much harder trying to work with the older son than it was the prodigal. The prodigal came to his senses. He realized he messed up big time. He came home broken and sorrowful. The older brother wasn’t there yet in his heart. He didn’t see that he had done anything wrong. He didn’t see that he too, needed to repent and needed mercy. He didn’t see that he was wrong. Not at all. It would be much harder and longer working through those attitudes of the older son.

And, through all of this, we ought to see ourselves. There are days we are with the prodigal in the pig pen. May we ever learn from those sins. There are days that we stand with the older brother, arms crossed, snug look on our faces, and a cold and closed heart to others. May God forgive us for that. There are days when we hate to admit that we are like everyone else. Then there are opportunities for us to be like the Father, gracious, merciful and helpful. May we strive to always be like that.

Powerful, powerful, story. May God help us to be more like Him.

Roger

25

Jump Start # 3563

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3563

Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”

I am currently teaching aspects of the book of Leviticus. One might ask, “Why? Is this the elder’s form of timeout, or punishment?” No, actually, it was my choice. It was by design. Our theme this year is “Bringing the Best.” And, what better place to show that than the sacrifices found in Leviticus. They brought the best of the herds and flocks. They gave to God.

Leviticus has a horrible reputation. It’s commonly thought to be the most boring book of the Bible. It’s only read, because one has to read it. And, with such a sorry mindset, most do not see any value in this book. And, oh, the wonderful and powerful lessons they miss. The images pointing to our Savior are all over Leviticus.

The book of Leviticus opens immediately with burnt offering sacrifices. Cattle. Lambs. Specific birds. From that flows grain offerings, then peace offerings and guilt or sin offerings. So many offerings. When Solomon dedicated the temple, thousands of animals were sacrificed.

These sacrifices involved much more than just killing an animal. The image is like a slaughter house. Parts were taken out of the animal. The animal was cut up. Blood was collected. Parts were burned. Parts were to be cooked and eaten. Blood was to be sprinkled around the altar.

As I was working my way through those sacrifices, it quickly occurred to me that the priests had to have a strong stomach to do what they were doing. I’ve gone hunting and fishing before. I like it when someone else cleans and skins the animals. I’m not a fan of doing that. And, the older I get, a lesser fan that becomes.

There are details and specifics that we are not told. It’s not the point of the Scriptures, but I’d sure like to know. Did anyone wash down the altar after all the blood was sprinkled upon it? If not, the altar would have been stained with the reddish-brown tint of old blood. Sacrifice after sacrifice. Every morning and every evening there were sacrifices. Did they ever bring in a new altar? And, why blood? Our verse tells us. Life is in the blood. The sacrifice involved death. It was a one way street. The animal sacrificed was not coming back. It was more than killed, it was cut to pieces and burned. Only ashes remained.

Today, progressives would scream at the abuse of animals used in the sacrifices. Yet, this was the design of God. And, in this there are some lessons:

First, the value of a human made in the image of God is far greater than any animal. Atheistic evolution has scrambled up that value system in the minds of many today. Jesus did not die for animals. The blood of animals was spilled to appease the God who had been sinned against.

Second, the cost of an animal was a constant reminder of the cost of sin. Even back then, a lamb, a goat or a cow cost. And, these were not old animals that had lived beyond their usefulness. They were young, a year old. They were perfect, without defect. Prime animals to breed. Prime animals to make a profit. God was requiring the best. Sin costs. I wonder if we had to pay $100 every week for our sins, if that would slow us down some. I wonder if that would make us gossip less and sit on that hatred that rises up within us.

What I found in a little searching is that typically to buy a cow today costs about $3,000. It all depends upon the type of cow, age of the cow and so forth. That does not factor into taking care of the cow, the feed, the vet, the other factors.

Now, what if you had to pay $3000 every week because of your sin? If we had to do that every week, we’d be paying around $156,000 a year. That would destroy most of us. And, since we don’t have to pay that or really any amount, we have taken the sting out of sin and cheapened grace. We tell a lie. We shouldn’t, but no big deal. Really? Go buy a cow and then say that. A lustful thought? Probably shouldn’t, but no one got hurt. Go tell that to the cow. Some greed. Some selfishness. Some angry moments. Keep going and soon, we will need a whole herd of cattle.

Third, it was messy trying to deal with sin. It wasn’t simply going and apologizing. It wasn’t just saying, “I’ll not do it again.” An animal had to be taken to the tabernacle. You had to slay it and allow the priest to cut it up. That took time. A good chance you’d get animal blood on you. The sounds of a gasping animal dying because it’s throat was slit fills the air. The smell of burning animals and blood saturate your skin and nose. And, this wasn’t a once in a lifetime process. You’d be doing this over and over and over. Would one ever get used to this?

And, what would your children think, when you took a cute one-year-old lamb away from the house and you did not come back with it. How would you explain what happened to that little lamb? When they asked why you sinned and caused this, what would you say?

As powerful and wonderful and liberating as the complete sacrifice of Jesus is, I wonder if there is just a big disconnect between our sins and what it took to bring forgiveness. The death of a person. The bleeding Jesus died for us. We know that by faith. We read that in our Bibles. But, we don’t see it. We don’t walk down a road with a lamb or cow tied to a rope that we are leading.

Sacrifices…Leviticus…how dare anyone say ‘that book’ is boring? One needs to drive out to the county and take a look at some cows. That may change your thinking just a bit.

Roger

24

Jump Start # 3562

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3562

1 Corinthians 4:11 “To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless”

One of the powerful lessons we see in the lives of the early disciples is that they had a kingdom focus. They viewed themselves as simply a part of that picture and as tools to be used to enhance and grow the kingdom of God.

Our verse today is a classic example of that mindset. Five descriptive terms are used. All five of them would cause most to complain. All five would be enough for some to declare this isn’t fair and for many, they would quit. Those five expressions: hungry; thirsty; poorly clothed; roughly treated; homeless. The apostles were not the grand ambassadors of the kingdom that some would like to see. We don’t see people buying their meals, giving them expensive clothing, praising them and naming their children after them. Homeless. Roughly treated. Poorly clothed. Thirsty. Hungry. And, why? Because they were engaged in the work of the kingdom. The kingdom was greater than they were. They were second to the kingdom.

With this background, this same apostle wrote a young preacher and told him to endure hardships. Not the words of encouragement that someone would like to receive. Why would a young preacher like Timothy stay with it? Because he had a kingdom picture in his heart and mind. The kingdom was larger than he was. He was second to the kingdom.

That spirit is sprinkled through the stories of the early restoration preachers in this country. Many riding on horse back, crossed rivers and got completely wet, only to go to the next place to preach wearing those wet clothes. There is a story of a group of wicked men who placed dynamite inside a pulpit with the attempts to blow a preacher up. I know a preacher who personally told me that he was shoved in a classroom and a knife was pulled out to stab him because that person didn’t agree with what was being preached.

And, yet, those preachers continued on. Paid pennies. Most struggling to make ends meet, they poured their hearts into preaching and teaching God’s word. They had a Kingdom focus about them.

We are rapidly heading into a season in which there are fewer and fewer preachers. The number of churches that are looking for a preacher right now is massive. I’ve have been asked so many times recently, “Where are all the preachers?” And, “Why are there so few preachers these days?” And, more concerning, what’s the future going to look like?

Here are some thoughts:

First, as to the why there are fewer preachers these day. As generations change, older preachers retire or die. The men that were my mentors, heroes as I began preaching are all mostly gone now. Another reason for fewer preachers is that many congregations are now using two or more preachers. The work is big and the load demands that many. So, that cuts into the pool of preachers. A third reason, is that many have quit. There are all kinds of reasons why, but after a dozen years of preaching, many look elsewhere to do things. Some may not have the stomach to endure hardships. Some run from hardships. And, a fourth reason, is that there isn’t many younger men coming on to be preachers. Maybe they have seen too many horrifying stories about how preachers were treated. Maybe the pressure is too much. Maybe the money elsewhere is too good. But, maybe, we have not done a good enough job of presenting serving in the kingdom as an honorable work to do. In the home and in the congregation, our attitudes about preaching and preachers is heard by little ears and when it’s mostly negative and complaining, why would one want to do that?

We had a lot of preachers in our home when my children were small. They would have visiting preachers sign their Bibles. We looked upon preachers as heroes. They grew up knowing their names and loving them. My preaching friends became their friends. It doesn’t surprise me that one of my sons chose to preach. All of my children have a strong love for preachers. It’s the atmosphere one creates that can make a difference.

Second, with fewer preachers, congregations may have to make some visionary adjustments in the future. Some may have to merge. I know for some, they’d rather kiss the devil than sell the building and form a larger and healthier congregation with another one in town. Or, congregations may have to share a preacher. Adjustments of times of services may have to change for one preacher to work with two congregations. Every congregation having their own preacher may soon be a thing of the past. It just may not work.

Third, more and more men in the congregation will need to step up. Working through the week at a secular job and preaching on Sundays is hard and that may be the future for some congregations. The kingdom will continue on. God promises that. Things change and sometimes we may not like those changes and those changes may require more on our part, but we can do it. Helping one another out will be beneficial as experienced preachers encourage and help newer preachers.

It could actually be good that there are fewer preachers. It may just require more of us to get off the sidelines and get into the game. Everyone doing their part is how the kingdom grows.

Kingdom focused—that’s the key.

Roger