23

Jump Start # 3642

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3642

Philippians 4:5 “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.”

I have come to really like this passage. I have known some gentle brethren. They are kind and thoughtful. The way they correct is a showcase of patience and love. Others word this expression, ‘let your gentle spirit be known to all men’ as:

  • Let your reasonableness be known to everyone (ESV)
  • Have a reputation for gentleness (Phillips)
  • Let your graciousness be known to everyone (CSB)

Now, just how does one accomplish this? How do you let your gentle spirit be known to all? How do others know this about us? One could tell everyone, but in doing so, he has just lost humility and many wouldn’t believe him. The best way, is simple to treat everyone gently. I guess the reason why I like this is that I want to be more like that. There are times when I’m ready to enter a conversation with guns blazing. I can get my point across that way, but I have also made a mess of things. Gentle spirit is the way to go.

Here are some things to consider:

First, be gentle in your words. This covers both the choice of your words and the tone of your words. Be thoughtful. James tells us to be slow to speak. In that slowness, we are thinking, listening, praying. I was watching the table tennis matches in the recent Olympics. I grew up calling that ping pong. It is amazing how fast that ball flies across the table. As soon as one serves, the other is ready to hit it back. That works great in that sport, but no so great in conversations. Firing words back rapidly, doesn’t allow much time for things to sink in, reflect and consider. Much too often we are more interested in defending our position, our selves than helping someone out. A gentle person listens. A gentle person is kind in his words and kind with his words.

There is a huge difference between sandpaper and a soft blanket. Make sure you don’t apply sandpaper to others. A gentle spirit comforts, encourages and helps. A gentle spirit allows for conversations and differences to be expressed. A gentle spirit is concerned about the outcome and consequences.

Second, one who is gentle will attract people. You want to talk to a gentle person. He’s kind. He’s helpful. Jesus was this way. This is why people couldn’t stay away from Him. Had He spoken harshly, people would have fled in fear. Shepherds and parents especially need to be gentle. Feelings are tender. Some have great ideas that just need to be channeled in a better direction. A quick “no,” shuts down communication and stifles ideas and suggestions. Gentle in how you treat others. Be the person that people want to go to. Let your gentle spirit be known. In time, others will tell others about you. You can talk to him, he’ll listen. You can take your question to him, he’ll be honest and fair. That’s how the gentle spirit becomes known.

Some folks are like hugging a porcupine. It’s going to hurt and sometimes it’s going to hurt a lot.

Being gentle doesn’t mean you are a push-over. It doesn’t mean being soft on doctrine. It doesn’t mean you can’t draw a line in the sand. One can be gentle and yet bold. It’s not a choice between the two. Correcting with gentleness is what Paul wanted the preacher Timothy to do. The Galatians were to restore with gentleness. Peter wrote that we are to be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks about our hope. But we are to do this in the spirit of gentleness.

Name-calling, insulting and getting ugly ought not to be in the arsenal of a Christian.

Third, we must remember that God has been gentle with us. His word. His grace. His patience. His love. It’s hard to be rough with someone else when we remember how gentle the Lord has been with us. It took some of us a long time to get with the Lord. Others have bounced in and out of the world, been back and forth, so many times, yet, there is the Lord, looking for us, waiting for us, being kind with us.

Some names bring the image of an athlete or a politician or an actor. Your name ought to bring the picture of a gentle person. That’s what the Lord wants you to be.

Roger

22

Jump Start # 3641

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3641

Matthew 6:9 “Pray, then in this way; ‘Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.’”

It is a simple question that is easy to answer but hard to practice. “What makes a good prayer,” is something that many wonder about. For nearly all of us, our prayer life is not where we’d like it to be. I’ve not met the person who is happy with the way he prays. We need to pray more. We need to pray deeper. We need to pray about things that we often forget or neglect. We need to pray about others.

Our verse comes from the Lord. This is how He wanted His disciples to pray. Pray this way, is what He says. And, what follows is commonly called the ‘Lord’s Prayer,’ but more accurately would be the ‘Model Prayer.’

And, it’s amazing what we find in this prayer. First, it’s short. There are less than 70 words in this prayer. Reading this, at a normal pace, took me just 18 seconds. An 18-second prayer is not what we’d expect from the Lord. Second, the words in this prayer are not difficult. One doesn’t need a dictionary to understand what Jesus is saying. Third, the prayer includes spiritual as well as physical things. Forgiveness and daily bread, side by side, in the same prayer. It’s not all or the other, but rather, both. Fourth, these few words understand the position of God and our relationship. Our daily bread comes from God. We acknowledge that. We need God’s forgiveness. We need God’s deliverance from evil. Fifth, this prayer is extremely personal. It’s about the bread I need. It’s about the temptations I face. It’s about the forgiveness that I need. Nothing about world powers. Nothing about kings and rulers. Elsewhere in the Bible, we find prayers about those things. But not here.

So, immediately, when asked, “What makes a good prayer,” the answer is not a lot of words or even big words. It’s not long is better than short. It’s not about the big things in life, such as wars and calamities. It’s everyday things. The prayer begins with God, ‘Our Father,’ and it ends with God, ‘Thine is the kingdom, power and glory forever.’ And, within just about every line of the prayer, God is at the forefront. It’s a prayer to God. It’s a prayer praising God. It is a prayer seeking God.

Let’s now focus upon this opening statement, our verse today, “Our Father who art in Heaven.”

First, Jesus identifies the relationship with the divine and with each other. Calling God ‘Father,’ was very rare in the O.T. There He is seen as the Almighty, the Powerful. Words like Sovereign, Majesty, and Glory are often used of God. But here, Jesus wants us to call God, ’Father.’ If the Lord is the Father, then we are His children. There is a relationship. There is a connection. ‘Father,’ is the most common word Jesus used when talking to God.

But more than that, God is OUR Father. He is your Father and He is my Father. Notice, Jesus did not say, “My Father.” That would imply He is the Father of Jesus, but not us. He belongs to Jesus. But, neither did Jesus refer to God as “Your Father.” Your Father puts distance between us and Jesus. God is the Father of Jesus. God is our Father.

Wrapped around the idea of Father is love, care, devotion and tenderness. He is our Father. We are blessed to have the best Father, God.

Second, Jesus identifies where God is, “who art in Heaven.” He’s not here, but He’s there. He’s in Heaven. Multiple times in the Gospels you’ll find the expression who is in Heaven, attached to God. That is His world. That is His home. In John we find, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places,” or “mansions.” God’s house. It’s not our house. It is His house.

If asked, ‘Where is Heaven,’ most  would say, “up there, somewhere.” How do we know there is a Heaven? Because that’s where God is. If there is a God, then there is a Heaven. No Heaven, no God. No God, no Heaven.

Third, God’s name is special. It is ‘hallowed,’ or HOLY. It is something that one doesn’t say just because he doesn’t know what else to say. One doesn’t just blurt out that name when angry, or when excited. His name is holy. It is sacred. Through our travels, my wife has picked up some special vases, plates and bowls from different countries. They sit on shelves to be looked at. We don’t use them and we’d never, ever think about putting the cat food in one and letting our cat eat out of it. Why not? It’s just a bowl. No, it’s more than that. It’s special to us. God’s name is more than a word. It’s more than something one says without thinking. It’s holy. It’s special. It belongs up on a shelf in our hearts.

Now, none of this may have decently answered the question, “What makes a good prayer?” But, what we begin to see is that a good prayer is not necessarily long or using big words. A good prayer is God-centered and God-focused. A good prayer is not the best words, but words from the heart. A good prayer honors the Lord. A good prayer seeks the help and grace of the Lord.

I suppose one could answer this question in the opposite. What makes a bad prayer? Self-seeking; arrogance; not honoring the Lord; not praying according to His will; just mumbling some memorized words and not meaning any of them; not intending to be any different because of connecting with the Almighty. When one understands that, then it will help to find the answer to what makes a good prayer.

The worst prayer is one never prayed. Talk to God, that’s what prayer is. Remember who you are talking to. He wants to hear from you.

Roger

21

Jump Start # 3640

Posted on August 21, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3640

Psalms 118:24 “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Is there such a thing as a normal day? I thought about that recently. One of our shepherds, who had just stepped down from serving a few months ago, passed away. It was a journey with cancer. This past year was hard on him. In and out of hospitals, treatments, shots, pills, scans and on top of that, he just didn’t feel well. “I want a normal day,” he’d say.

And, as I write these words, I am just hours away from preaching his funeral. And, the thought of a “normal day,” is something that I want to consider.

I think for my brother and friend, a normal day would be a day spent at home and a day in which he felt well. That didn’t happen much this past year for him. But many of us long for a normal day.

  • The mom who is tired of picking up all the toys and separating fighting children, longs for just a normal day.
  • The person at work longs for a day when everyone is getting along with each other and no one is complaining or competing against others.
  • The elder in the church longs for a normal day in which there isn’t someone about to walk away from the Lord, or threatening to leave because they are unhappy.

Just give me a normal day!

I’ve had people ask, “What does a normal day look like for you?” Normal? Here it’s a Wednesday and I’m getting ready for a funeral. Normal? No. Have you ever seen on the evening news, a broadcast in which the anchors say, “There is nothing to report today. No news. It was a normal day.” Never. That never happens.

But what about Jesus? Did He ever have a normal day? There were storms on the seas, demons screaming at Him, sick to be healed, people needing His attention, and multitudes to teach. One never reads in the Gospels, “Nothing happened today. It was just a normal day.”

I concluded that the only places one finds normal is a setting on their dryer or a town in Illinois. Every day is fresh and new. Every day is sprinkled with blessings, adventures, challenges, choices and conflicts. There are moments of tears and moments of happiness. Every day is special. Every day is a gift of the Lord.

Our walk with the Lord can make these days and these choices easier for us. Our walk with the Lord helps us through the storms and trials of the day. We can walk in kindness or bitterness. We can walk in hope or in fear. We can walk with the Lord or away from the Lord. We can help others or we can ignore others.

I tend to think that nothing is normal here. It’s hard to find normal, when the world is broken by sin. It’s hard to find normal when people have closed their eyes to the Lord. It’s hard to find normal when Satan roams through the hearts of so many. Since Eden, has there ever been a normal day?

I think the only place we’ll find normal is when we are at home with God in Heaven. There, everything will be as it should be. There we will be where we belong. No more struggles. No more conflicts. Safe in the arms of Jesus.

The N.T. paints a picture of anticipation and excitement of being with the Lord. There was no dread or fear of death. In the Corinthian letter, Paul said, “…we prefer to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” The Philippians were told, I have the “desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.”

You want a normal day? Keep walking with Jesus. He’ll lead you home and that’s just the way things are supposed to be.

Roger

20

Jump Start # 3639

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3639

Matthew 14:6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.”

Today is my birthday. I am out of town preaching on this day. I guess other than being with my family, my next favorite choice of what to do would be to preach. There are a couple of birthday parties found in the Bible. One is our verse today, which led to the beheading of John. Another is found in Genesis, when Pharaoh threw a feast for his servants on his birthday. That led to the hanging of the baker. In both of those birthday bashes, someone was executed.

Another year older, that’s what birthdays mean. There are certain milestones that are important. Being old enough to drive is a big one. Being old enough to vote. Maybe hitting that age when your parents said, “When you are older you’ll understand.” And, now you do. Old enough to retire, which more accurately is, ‘saved enough to retire.’

The more numbers that one puts to their name, the less excited one becomes about getting older. And, the reality is, the sand is running out of the hour glass and one realizes that more years are behind him than there are ahead of him. Some just ignore that fact and plow ahead as if they’ll live on eternally on this planet. But others reflect. They realize that some dreams will not come true now. It’s too late. Some regret that there are items on that bucket list that will not be crossed off. It’s too late.

But it’s not sadness that fills the eyes of the believer. He realizes that he is one day closer to seeing the Lord. In Philippians, the apostle said, “having the desire to depart and be with Christ for that is very much better.” And, in Corinthians, “we prefer to be absent from the body and to abe at home with the Lord.” Being with the Lord excited them. Being with the Lord was a grand anticipation. There was no dread in facing death.

But as another birthday rolls around, here are some thoughts.

First, I have been blessed to live here another year. Each year is filled with ups and downs. Things we never want to forget and things we hope to never remember again. It has been another year to thank the Lord for His grace and mercy. It has been another year to encourage the friends of God. It has been another year to grow in faith.

As some get older, they tend to become grumpy, mean and complaining about everything. But others, seem to get kinder and sweeter as the years go by. Why is it that way? Some get better and some become more sour? It has to do with the direction one is traveling. It has to do with following the Lord.

Second, as a believer, when one gets closer to the end, they become more excited about the next place they are going to. Concepts such as: eternal; raised; new bodies; new heavens become much more fascinating. Our story doesn’t end. It never ends. Death doesn’t have the final word. There is no “The end,” to our lives. We live on and on as the hymn states. Anticipating, like a child awaiting a trip, so is the believer excited about what He is about to see.

Third, after a certain point in life, age becomes just a number. There are some old people who are not yet forty years old. They look old. They act old. Then there are some in their 70’s who seem very young. Age is a number and with what talents God has given us and what open doors are before us, we continue to serve the Lord and help others. Spiritual maturity is something that God wants in all of us. Growth is how we get that way.

Through the years a person will see a lot of changes—some good and helpful and some not so good. A person will also see that the Lord has been good and blessings are too many to count. Joy is not being in a certain place. It’s not being a certain age. It’s not doing just fun things. Joy comes from within. It’s knowing who you are and who you belong to. It’s knowing that the future is only going to get better and better.

If the Lord allows, all of us will enjoy yet another birthday this year. Make the most of it. Be thankful. Use the opportunity to do good.

Roger

19

Jump Start # 3638

Posted on August 19, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3638

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And those who love it will eat its fruit.”

It started out as a wonderful Saturday. I was home and we had no company. The weather was nice. So, it was a day to spend outside working on the yard. I mowed, pulled weeds and then got the weed eater out. I was nearly done. The place looked great. Behind our house is a massive woods. We have every kind of bug, spider, cricket known to mankind. As I was weed eating something bit me. I thought it was a horsefly. They can do that. But this hurt, really hurt. I’ve been stung by wasps, bees of all kind before. Then, there was a sharp pain above my elbow. Then another one on the back of my knee. I had hit a nest of yellow jackets. They were swarming out of the ground and I was the target. I dropped the weed eater and ran to the house. I don’t know how many times I got stung, but man they hurt. They really hurt. I called for my wife who is a nurse. She put stuff on it and I had just a little wasp spray left and I went back and used up all I had. I then went to the store and got a two can pack of hornet spray. I used one whole can spraying into the hole where they came out of. I finished weed eating and then took some charcoal fluid and sprayed that heavily on the ground and tossed a match. For a moment I thought I might start a forest fire. About four hours later, I sat down for dinner. I was still hurting bad. When I went to bed that night, it had been eight hours and I still was in intense pain. My sweet wife was putting all kinds of stuff on the stings. I last looked at the clock around 2 A.M., twelve hours later and I was still hurting. I prayed, a lot. How could something so little hurt so bad? And, why was it still hurting so many hours later?

The Bible talks about stings. Death stings. It hurts. It can make us cry. And, the pain doesn’t go away quickly. But another sting that happens so often are words. Our verse today reminds us that death and life and in the power of the tongue. Words like gossip, lying, insults, character assassinations, name calling all sting. We were told that sticks and stones break bones and words never hurt us. But that’s really not true. Long after the broken bones have healed, we remember the mean things that people have said. For some, they remember for a lifetime. Growing up, you may have been told that you couldn’t do anything right. You may have been compared to an older brother or sister, which only created resentment. You may have had a spouse say the cruel words, “I no longer love you.” You may have been stung by the mean words of a brother or sister in Christ. They ought to know better, but acting out of selfishness, they have said things that have made it hard for you to return to that congregation.

Stung…stung by the words that come from cruel hearts. Now, for me, I nuked those yellow jackets. Smoked them out with fire and the spray of death. But you can’t do that to someone who has said unkind things to you. What are we to do when someone has stung us by words?

Consider these thoughts and I hope they help:

First, it doesn’t accomplish much to get into a verbal argument with someone who is mean and intent on hurting you emotionally. Like a couple of three-year-olds, you can jump into the “no I’m not” and the “yes you are” exchanges. But that never turns out well. Some are not interested in the truth, the facts or what really happened. They just don’t like you and want to sting you.

Second, God knows the truth. You know the truth. Much of the insults and complaints are not factual. They are said to turn people away from you. True friends will find the right answer. True friends will stick with you. And, as long as God knows, that’s really all that matters.

Third, by dwelling upon the stings, you continue to hurt yourself. Things were said. It hurt you. If they are true, then make the changes that you need to make. If they are not true, which happens most times, don’t allow that to set your course of action or direction in life. The righteous of God have been mocked, ridiculed, insulted and persecuted. Why should it be any different for us? Some of the worst things said comes from our own family. People who should love us the most, actually hate us the most. Put those hurts in an unmarked grave and do not leave flowers there. Do not go back and visit that grave again. Surround yourself with people that love you, support you, and have the heart of Jesus.

Stings hurt. They can really upset your plans and your day. One good thing about my encounter with the yellow jackets is that I was to teach a group of teens the next evening. I was looking for something to talk about. Boy, the Lord gave me a lesson—stings in life. I only wish the Lord gave me just one good lesson, instead of so many.

Stings—they hurt but they don’t define us nor destroy us.

Roger