04

Jump Start # 3713

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3713

James 1:26 “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”

I was up in the attic the other day and ran across a box of frames that had some restoration pictures in them. I pulled the pictures out and took the picture frames to Goodwill. Didn’t need them anymore and didn’t want them anymore. They may hold some value to others, but not to me.

We hear of worthless investments. There are lists on social media sites reminding us that a majority of our cherished collectibles are of very little value any more. No one wants them and no one will pay what we bought them for. These things may have put a smile on our faces, but as for investment purposes, they are worthless.

That made me think of our verse today, a worthless religion. Have you ever thought about what makes a religion worthless? People pour time and effort into a religion. How would it be worthless? Places to assemble are built. Publications are printed. Typically, someone is hired to speak and lead.

There are two major factors that make a religion worthless.

First, if it is false. A false religion will not save you. Something that is wrong, can not be helpful. Wild ideas, wonderful speculations and dreams that many hold dear, all become empty smoke if they are not true. The standard must always be the Word of God. What God says matters, first and foremost.

Second, where our verse is driving at, a religion can be worthless if it does not change us. The principles of that religion may be right and true, but if it does not move us to a more righteous lifestyle, what’s the point? As in our verse today, here is a man whose religion has not changed the way he talks nor the way he thinks. Corrupt. Ungodly. Selfish. Immoral. Hurtful. Gross. He may sit in a church pew on a Sunday, but the way he thinks and the way he talks, you’d never know it.

Why would such a person even put the effort into a religion if does nothing for him? Why would someone pour money into an investment that will bring no positive returns? It may well be, that there is just enough religion to satisfy his conscience but not enough to accomplish any good in his life. Remaining unmoved and unchanged, he has deceived himself, as our passage states, into believing that he’ll go to Heaven because “he has religion.” He compares himself to those who have no religion. Although there are little noticeable differences, he is convinced that sitting in a pew on a Sunday scores points with God. His mind wanders. He is bored. He plays with his phone. He spends more time talking to others than looking into the Bible. A wonderful Christian is how others see him and it is how he sees himself. But is it the way that the Lord sees him?

Third, our tongue is a window into our hearts. The unbridled tongue is likely to say anything, and it usually does. The sins of the tongue, such as gossip, backbiting, slander, evil speaking, lying, boasting reveal a sick and diseased heart. The unbridled tongue, a sure sign of a worthless religion, is problematic of a much deeper and more serious issue, a heart that does not believe. Oh, one can go through the motions. One can “play church” with the best of them, but that empty and vain heart, that refuses to forgive and crushes those that disagrees, is part of a worthless religion.

Many miners, years ago,  were tripped up by what was called “fool’s gold.” The nuggets sparkled like real gold and looked like real gold, only it wasn’t. It was not gold. Some lost their life’s savings buying stakes in nothing but worthless rocks.

Paul warned Timothy about some who were always learning but never able to come to knowledge of the truth (2 Tim 3:7). He continues to describe them as opposing the truth and depraved in mind. They won’t make any progress, the apostle says, because their folly will be obvious to all. Maybe he had in mind tongues that remained unbridled and unchanged.

The opposite of a worthless or useless religion is one that is worthy. One that is worthy will honor and please the Lord by following His will. One that is worthy will keep you strong during the storms of life. One that is worthy will produce the fruit of righteousness. One that is worthy will change your insides and outsides. And, one of the easy ways to tell, is if your tongue has become bridled. Oh, you could say things, but you won’t. You could give someone a piece of your mind, but you know better. You know better and you do better, because of a faith that is worth something.

It is not only worth dying for, but it is worth living for.

Roger

03

Jump Start # 3712

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3712

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I was out and about driving the other day. I noticed a pickup with a message spread across the back of the tailgate. It read, “We clean trash cans.” The trash can is the final destination of things in our homes that are broken, smelly, no longer wanted, and what we generically call junk or trash. Trash goes into the trash can. About the only time I ever clean out my trash can is if it smells. I’ll spray it down with the hose and leave the lid open so the sun can dry it out. Is my trash can clean? It’s a trash can. Is it supposed to be clean? The only things that go in it are things we are getting rid of.

Somehow the guy driving the pickup thought of a business niche that would be profitable. I definitely believe he probably has a corner on that market. There won’t be a lot of competitors bidding for the cleaning of your trash cans. I wonder if the guy also does dumpsters? I can’t imagine what prompted him to start such a business. Maybe his wife told him to clean their trash can and a neighbor asked him if he would do his? Nor, can I imagine what stinky and filthy trash cans he goes through in a day.

Trash cans ought to be somewhat dirty because it’s where we put our trash. Our verse today, written by David, after his heart had gotten dirty with lust, shame, coverup and multiple sins, shows his desire to have a clean heart.

Our hearts are not trash cans. Filth and dirt do not belong in our hearts.

There are some lessons for us:

First, we cannot pay someone to clean our hearts. We got our hearts messy and it’s up to us to do what we should to clean them up. Sometimes, parents forget this. They want the church to straighten up their child. They want someone else to be the tough guy and lay down the law to them. The responsibility lies with the parent. No one can clean up a trashy heart for you.

Second, our verse is a plea and a prayer. David recognized that on his own, he could not clean the stains off of his heart. He needed God. He needed God’s mercy and God’s grace. That would bring forgiveness. But there is more. David needed God’s guidance to keep his heart from getting dirty again.

That’s the difference between our hearts and a trash can. You can pay someone to clean your trash can, but you’ll continue to put more trash back into that can. This will just create another need to clean it out another time. Trash cans are not cleaned and remain clean. They are holders of trash. As long as we put trash in them, they will be dirty. The same is true of our hearts. Our souls can be forgiven by God, but as long as we continue to fill our hearts with more garbage and trash, our hearts will continue to be unclean.

Once we have received the forgiveness of God, we need to take the steps to stop putting more trash back into our hearts. Sunday worship isn’t a divine car wash that automatically cleanses the soul each week. Get that soul cleaned and go back out into the filth of the world and come back next week for another spiritual bath. That’s abusing God’s grace and that shows no gratitude nor growth towards a changed life.

Third, we can make a real mess of our hearts and souls. Anger, bitterness, worldliness and lust can stain our thinking and our souls so deeply that we get used to those things. They no longer bother us. I knew a guy years ago who had railroad tracks very close to his backyard. I was there one day when a trail roared by. The whole house shook. We couldn’t hear each other. It was so loud. After it passed by, I asked him how can you stand that noise. He was so accustomed to it that he hardly noticed. Boy, I did. I think my teeth were rattling as the train went by. Sin can do the same to us. Heard curse words so much that we don’t even notice anymore. Dwelled in negativity and the land of complaints so long, joy seems out of place and odd.

You can go to Heaven with a dirty trash can. Don’t think you’ll make it with a dirty heart. Most don’t expect their trash can to be clean. We ought to expect clean hearts, especially among the people of God.

Roger

02

Jump Start # 3711

Posted on December 2, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3711

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

These triplets of verses are listed without explanation, instructions or reasons. By this time, the Thessalonian brethren, though young in faith, ought to know. The profession of our faith is not a Sunday morning thing. It’s an everyday, all the time, lifestyle. It is who we are. It’s in our DNA. It’s our new culture and climate.

Those that don’t get it, simply don’t show it, nor experience it. They might sit in a pew on Sunday morning, but the rest of the week, they are acting like every dog in town. It’s a dog eat dog world we are told, and they are right in the midst of the dog fight. Not the disciple of Jesus. Rejoicing, praying and thanking, that’s his mode of operation.

Have you noticed the continuation words attached to these concepts. It’s not just rejoice, but rejoice always. Always never ends. Always is in the morning when you get up. Always is what you do throughout the day. Always is when you tuck yourself into bed at night, tired and weary, yet still rejoicing. It’s an on going rejoice. Always Rejoicing.

And, the prayers are just like that. The apostle said more than just pray. Pray without ceasing. The rejoicing is always and now the praying is ceaseless. Multiple prayers shot Heavenward every day. Too many to count. Too many to remember. Praying about this person. Thanking the Lord for this blessing. Seeking mercy from above. The prayers never stop.

And, the thankfulness is for everything. The good things. The nice things. The obvious things. The unseen things. Rejoicing that never stops. Praying that never stops. And, now thanking the Lord for everything.

Here are some thoughts:

First, if we really dug into these three simple statements, our outlook, words and hope would be so different. Some pray only when they have to. And, even then, it’s hard and difficult. They are simply not used to doing that much. Going to many homes as I do as a visiting preacher, you recognize which families are accustomed to waiting to thank the Lord in prayer before they eat. Sometimes one will start to eat and then that person has to be reminded, “We haven’t said the prayer yet.”

Always rejoicing—even in the rain. Always praying—even when nothing bad is happening. Always being thankful—even when you have already said “Thank You.”

Second, starting and stopping is hard in life. Momentum is like that. It’s often hard to get things rolling, but once they are rolling, it’s hard to stop them. The Ethiopian on his way back home, having already worshipped, was riding in his chariot reading Isaiah. Church was over, we’d say, and he’s still reading the Bible. Why? He didn’t have to. He had a faith that wouldn’t stop.

Don’t flip your faith off, like a light switch, when you leave the church building on a Sunday. Keep that faith going. Talk about the wonderful things you saw in worship over the noon meal. Take out your sermon notes and run your eyes over them again. Be thankful for who you saw. Pray for those who are struggling.

Third, from these words of Paul, you’d expect to find those Thessalonians doing those things on a Monday as much as on a Sunday. Rejoicing. Praying. Thanking. Doing it so often and all the time, it just becomes natural to them.

And, there is something about those three words: rejoicing, praying and thanking. All three words have a way of connecting us closer to the Lord. There are some who seem to know the Lord so well. The reason is always they are rejoicing. They never stop praying. They are thankful for everything. Spiritual. Close. Hopeful.

It’s hard to find these three qualities, of rejoicing, praying and thanking residing in a sour heart. One that is bent on complaining won’t be rejoicing, praying and thanking very much. And, that just might be the very thing that we need to look in the mirror about. Everyone around us is mad, complaining and grumpy. Are you like that? Or, have you chosen to be rejoicing, praying and thanking? And, it’s not just once in a while, but it’s always, never ceasing, and for everything.

How are you doing with these things? Give it a try. You’ll be better if you do.

Roger