21

Jump Start # 3705

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

Jump Start # 3705

Romans 16:1-2 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; 2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.”

As Paul concludes the Roman letter, he lists several names of those who had been useful in the kingdom. If I counted right, 27 specific names are listed. The majority are only found here in Romans and nowhere else in the Bible. The details of what they did are known but to Heaven. But, they played a major role in helping Paul be Paul.

Our verse today, begins that list with Phoebe. Phoebe, the servant of the church. Now, don’t get all excited and run pass Jerusalem with this. Some hoist the banner that she was a deacon in the church and we ought to have female deacons and maybe even elders. She was a servant. Not all servants would fit the description listed in 1 Timothy 3. Paul was a servant, but he wouldn’t fit those qualifiers. Jesus was a servant, but He wouldn’t fit those qualifiers. One can be a servant without having a title. Phoebe was a servant.

It is the end of these verses that really grabbed my attention, “a helper of many.” I’ve been on the road a ton this fall. My schedule has been every other week. Arkansas, then home for a week. Alabama, then home for a week. Texas, and home for a week. Back to Texas, and home. A lot of hotels. A lot of traveling. But, a lot of special brethren who have helped.

One of the beautiful things about traveling and preaching in various places is the joy and benefit of meeting so many incredible brethren. The people of God are the kindest, sweetest and most generous hearts on the face of the planet. In teaching about Job in many of these places, God said about Job, “there was no one like him on the earth.” We’d today say that Job was one of a kind. There was no one like Job. I can’t say that about our times. All over this wonderful world, I have met so many strong, faithful, godly men and women who love our Lord with all of their hearts. Some are young, and when I visit their homes, the children are jumping up and down in excitement and you see the weariness in the parents eyes. Some have been disciples for decades. What a history they share. The connections are strong. As our beloved Bowman often reminded us, “It’s not a small world, it’s a big family” that we are a part of.

Here are some thoughts:

First, we are not told what Phoebe did, but Paul remembered. Others may not know how you serve, but the lives that you touch will be encouraged and helped. I can’t say that Phoebe helped John or Thomas or any of the other apostles. I doubt she helped everyone in the kingdom. But there was Paul and she could do something for him and she did. Don’t try to rescue the whole kingdom. It’s too big and you can’t. But, like the days of Nehemiah, you repair the walls in front of your house. You do what you can in your part of the kingdom.

The reformer Martin Luther said, if everyone swept the porch in front of their own homes, the world would be cleaner. Make things good in your congregation. Be the bright spot that lifts weary hearts. Be the supporter of the shepherds and those that preach. Be a helper.

Second, one learns so much by meeting other brethren. I’ve been given pictures drawn by children. Their image of me is rather scary, but I love the tender hearts that took the time to draw those pictures. I’ve been given the history of congregations, talked about long ago preachers, ate some of the finest foods and have enjoyed the wonderful conversations. People love the Lord. It’s easy to see the troubles in the kingdom and concentrate upon the things that need to be fixed, but what beautiful hearts everywhere. In small country congregations and in large city churches. It’s not the locations. It’s not the size. It’s the love these  folks have for the Lord.

I’ve learned about books that I never heard about before. I have been taught things from the Scriptures that I did not know. I come home with ideas from congregations that are doing so well. We are not dying out. We are not being defeated. The kingdom is growing. The kingdom is strong.

Third, and through all of this, there is one central thread that ties  all of this together, and that is Jesus. Had it not been for Jesus, I would have never met so many wonderful people. The best people on the face of the earth. Had it not been for Jesus, I would not have been helped in so many wonderful ways. Jesus is what ties us all together. Jesus is what we have in common. A Yankee can feel so welcome and accepted by people in the South, because of Jesus. A republican can eat a meal with a democrat and not be disgusted with each other because we both love Jesus and we love each other.

Are you a helper in the kingdom? Do you step up and make a visiting preacher feel accepted?  Would you have helped Paul? Phoebe, a servant of the church, a helper of many. If that could be said of us, we are doing something right.

Roger

20

Jump Start # 3704

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

Jump Start # 3704

Ecclesiasts 8:10 “So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility.”

 

There is a truism and a reality connected to our verse today that we hate to acknowledge. We live in a moment of time. And, it is just a moment. We would like for it to last on and on, but it doesn’t. We live, work, connect, leave an impression and once that moment is passed, we are quickly forgotten. Students of history who love to dive deeply into the lives of those before us can pull out names and events that most of us never heard of.

 

  On the road recently, in a hotel, I caught a TV show about lost buried treasure. The episode took place in a Southern Indiana town about an hour from where I live. Back in the mid 1800s, a group of brothers robbed a series of trains. This is thought to have been the first train robberies in America. Caught and in jail, a group of vigilantes broke them out and hanged them. The loot from the train robberies was never found. It is thought to be buried, but no one knows for sure. I had never head this story before. It caught my attention because I knew the places where this happened. “They are soon forgotten,” is so true.

 

  You might be able to pull out the name of your great grandfather, but most couldn’t tell much about that person. What kind of music did he enjoy? What was his hobbies? What was his favorite food? We may know a name, a few dates, and even a burial place, but that’s about it.

 

  If time allows, the homes we live in now, will be occupied by someone else. The cars that we drive will be scrap metal. The treasures that we treasure will likely be trashed. We are here in a moment of time.

 

  Now, from this we ought  to see:

 

  First, a moment in time can seem depressing. That’s all, just a moment. Most of all I do will be forgotten? But, that’s what everyone has, a moment in time. It is God who is eternal. It is God who endures through the ages.

 

  Rather than being depressed, we  ought to sense the urgency of not wasting time and doing the most that we can. The reason being, we only have a moment in time. In a moment of time, a person can change their lives around for good. In a moment of time, the desire to follow Christ can change the legacy of a family.

 

  Second, although we are here for just a moment, and most of all that we do will be forgotten one day, Heaven will remember. The cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple will be remembered. I  was hungry and you fed Me, would not be forgotten. Grace extended would not be forgotten. The seeds of truth that was sown through classes  and sermons will sprout and although the sermons will be forgotten the roots that run deep in faith from those sermons will be enduring. It’s not the sermons and the classes that we want to be remembered, but, a faith that is deep in the Lord. The sermons and classes happen to be the bridges that allows faith to grow.

 

  Third, in a moment of time, the good that you can do is good. It  is not a waste of time because it is not remembered by others. How many cards you have sent through the years? How many meals have you served to others? How many classes have you taught? How many sermons have you preached? How many words of encouragement have you passed on to others? A waste of time? Absolutely not. Those things made a difference. They keep a soul going. They lifted a weary heart. They pointed the way to Jesus.

 

  Lasting memorials go to just a few. Eternal memorials go to those who in a moment of time, have used their opportunities wisely for the Lord. 

 

  Soon forgotten…that’s the vanity of life. Remembered by Heaven…that’s the grace of God.

 

  Roger

 

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Jump Start # 3703

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

Jump Start # 3703

2 Samuel 24:16 “When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, ‘It is enough! Now relax your hand.’”

Our passage today brings an interesting story and a fascinating expression to us. I like the words, “relax your hand.” I’ve had lab techs and nurses tell me to relax my arm before they put a needle in me. Here, the words are directed to an angel.

King David decided that he wanted to take a census of the people. We are not told why. Pride? Future plans? His own commander tried to talk him out of it, but David wouldn’t listen. And, God wasn’t happy. God gave David a choice: War, famine, or disease. Seven years…three months…three days. Which will it be. David, couldn’t or wouldn’t decide. It was his sin, but now others were going to suffer because of him. Some would die because of his foolish decision to number the  people. Since he wouldn’t decide, God made the decision for him. An angel bringing pestilence inflicted the nation. Seventy thousand died—does that number register with you? The angel wasn’t done. He turned his attention to Jerusalem. The capital, the city of David, was going to be destroyed. It is here that our verse is found. God said, enough. Relax your hand. The angel obeyed and the city was spared.

What great lessons are found here for us:

First, there is a time to relax our hand when it comes to punishment. Parents need to understand this. Shepherds in the kingdom need to understand this.  Biblical punishment is intended to turn our feet and hearts back to God. It is not intended to destroy, crush and ruin someone forever. Relax your hand and show compassion. Relax your hand and extend grace. Relax your hand and come running with open arms as the prodigal’s father did.

Our anger can cause us to cross the line. For some, punishment quickly becomes abuse. For others, punishment becomes estrangement and alienation. For some, punishment falls from a bitter and revengeful heart. And, out of that, more harm and damage is created.

There are times to relax the hand.

Second, there is a time to relax the hand and open your ears. Listen. Understand. Allow a person to explain. Some will lie. Some will hide behind excuses. Some will be humble, honest and sorrowful. Each has to be dealt with in what you know. Getting caught up in emotion can allow a person to only hear one side of the story. Off we go, ready to battle, when we need to sit down and first have a conversation.

Third, there is a lesson of relaxing our hand and resting. The weary worker becomes tired. This is especially true of us preachers. Sunday ends, and immediately there begins the thought, “What will I preach on next Sunday.” Another article to write. Another blog. Another podcast. Another class. Ideas. Ideas. Ideas. Sometimes the well runs dry. Leaders who are on the ball recognize this. They realize letting the preacher have some breaks only helps the church. A tired, worn out preacher is just a block away from becoming a burned out preacher. So many of us when we leave our jobs on Friday, we don’t pick it up again until Monday. Doesn’t work that way for the preacher. More than just a vacation now and then, give your preacher a rest from teaching all the time. Allow others to fill in, even when he is there. And, send him away with a few books to read. He’ll come back relaxed, sharp, and ready to hop on the horse and ride it.

Relax your hand. Holding something tight for a long time, can hurt the hand. The same is true of our hearts. The same is true of our work ethics.

We also see in this that God is a just God. Don’t play with breaking God’s commands. Don’t be so shallow to think that because God loves you, He’ll never get upset with you. That may work with your grandma, but grandma isn’t the Lord. David found out.

I wonder, late in David’s life, if he had more tears than joy. It was because of his sin that Bathsheba’s baby died. It was because of his lack of involvement that his son killed another son. It was because of his sin that 70,000 in Israel died. These things  happened because of him. Our choices, our attitudes, our pride may leave a trail of destruction, like a tornado path. While we continue on, there are those around us who have been hurt because of us. It was too late for David to undo what he had done. It’s not too late for you.

Do you need to apologize? Relax your hand and do it.  Do you need to forgive someone? Relax your hand and extend grace. Do you need to have a deep conversation with someone? Relax your hand and make it happen.

It is enough, God said. Relax your  hand. Great lessons for us.

Roger

18

Jump Start # 3702

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3702

Luke 10:36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?”

Our verse today comes from the parable of the good Samaritan. Jesus told this story to answer the question, “Who is my neighbor?” This parable answers that. The ones that we would expect to step up and help, a priest and a Levite, ignored this man and went on their way. The most unlikely person, a Samaritan, not only helped out, but he went above and beyond what most would do.

And, nicely layered in the lessons we learn from this teaching, is the fact that sometimes people of the world act more Christian than the Christians do. That is a cold reality that is hard for some to deal with. With all the N.T. teachings and the wonderful example of our Lord, some still walk on the other side of the road when it comes to helping others. And, those closed hearts do more damage to a congregation than just about anything else.

There has been a death. And, very few if any in the congregation show up, bring food or show any kindness. But, co-workers and neighbors of the family shower  the grieving ones with all kinds of compassion.

A baby is born to a family in the congregation. Hardly anything is done. Yet, co-workers, who are not Christians, put together a baby shower.

Time and time again examples like this could be given. The priest and the Levite walked on the other side of the road, ignoring the wounded man. The Samaritan showed more compassion than the religious leaders. This has caused some to leave a congregation. This is all it takes to extinguish a weak faith that was flickering.

What should we learn from this:

First, we must admit that there are times we have failed. There are times I have failed. Too busy. Didn’t know the people very well. Lots of reasons or excuses we could stand upon, but the truth is, we failed. And, when that happens, learn from that. Do better. Apologize.

In a large congregation this is easy to happen. There are so many things going on and it can be too much for one person to do it all.

Second, good and strong communication within a congregation will help meet the needs that come up. Coordinate with others the taking of food. Communicate through texts and phone calls the needs so people know. Sometimes it’s not a closed heart or lack of compassion that has caused needs to go unmet, but some simply didn’t know anything about it. It’s easy these days to set up various forms of mass communication where everyone gets an email, text or phone call. Keeping people informed is important.

Third, we must realize that Christians do not have the corner on kindness and generosity. Many who have no commitment to the Lord are kind and generous. It should not surprise us that people of the world also help others. This should not be viewed as a contest, nor who reached out first. Sometimes a hurting family may mistakenly present it that way. It’s not who has done the most. The goal is to help someone who is hurting.

Finally, there is a level of help that only the Christian can bring. That is the spiritual side of things. The people of the world will talk about babies who died now becoming angels. They’ll talk about the deceased having time now to fish in Heaven. All kinds of ideas that are not founded upon the Scriptures. The help you give comes from God’s word. The Thessalonians were told to “comfort one another with these words,” as Paul addressed the death of Christians. Your knowledge in the word of God will help guide and answer questions. Your faith will encourage. Anyone can bring rolls and chicken soup. But you can bring food for the heart and soul that can make a lasting difference.

Proving to be a neighbor…it’s something that people who know us ought to know.

Roger

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Jump Start # 3701

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3701

Proverbs 19:17 “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.”

The mid-section of Proverbs, where our verse comes from today, can be viewed as a hodge-podge of unrelated topics put together like grandma’s vegetable soup. One might find anything in there. Wisdom from above is how these ought to be viewed. This is not a couple of old guys sitting on a bench at the local courthouse, just shooting the breeze. These are Heaven’s words.

It’s hard to teach Proverbs, especially, verse by verse. The topics flip back and forth and repeat each other often. I have found it useful to string together by theme the various Proverbial passages. Study wisdom in Proverbs. Study what the book teaches about money. Study the subject of the fool.

Here, in the nineteenth chapter we find this wonderful passage about helping the poor. Be gracious to the poor. The poor man can’t repay you, but the Lord will. Now, the incentive ought not be doing this so we get something good from the Lord. The purpose is to help a poor man. Be gracious to him.

But interestingly, helping the poor man is viewed as lending to the Lord. The CSB words this, “kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord”. Lending to the Lord, can you imagine? If the Lord were to ask us, “Can I borrow this from you?” We’d immediately say, “Certainly, Lord. You can have it.” The kindness and compassion shown to a poor man is viewed as if you were helping the Lord Himself.

That thought is repeated multiple times in the N.T. The story of the good Samaritan is wrapped around this. The judgment section of Matthew 25, where the Lord said, “I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat,” stands upon this principle. Both James and John warn brethren of telling the needy to take care of themselves while doing nothing to help them.

Some thoughts for us:

First, compassion is the key to being gracious and helping the poor. The poor man is unable to improve his situation. The poor man is likely not going to be able to repay you. The poor man cannot do anything for you. And, in a selfish culture, the generosity of a compassionate heart will open more doors than all the preaching about baptism and the one true church.

As this is written, in Proverbs, the church as we know it was not in existence. The “one who is gracious” is not a company, the government, a church, a school, or some organization. It’s me. It’s you. Being gracious costs. Being gracious involves a sacrifice. And, hasn’t the Lord already been gracious to us? The cost of salvation. We were poor, yet, through Jesus we have been made rich.

Second, the opportunities to be gracious to the poor is all around us. Jesus reminded the disciples, “the poor you always have with you.” There will always be ways to help others. We hear things at work. We listen to reports at church about brethren overseas. We see posts on Facebook. Folks struggling because of storms. People who are having a hard time with the price of things today.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus could well be our story. The rich man was in position to do something. He was rich. One poor man can not do much for another poor man. The rich man ate well. He dressed well. He lived in a fine place. The rich man also had opportunity right before him. Lazarus was not on the other side of the planet. Lazarus was not in an unsafe part of town. He was the rich man’s gate. One couldn’t get any closer without being inside. Means and opportunity. The one thing the rich man did not have was a heart.

All about us are opportunities if we will but look. The poor doesn’t always have to be someone lacking food and money. There are those who go an entire day without hearing an encouraging word. You can be gracious. Some just need a person to talk to and listen to. You can be gracious. Some need to know about Jesus, that there is a better way. You can be gracious. So many ways to show kinds and spread sunshine to those who dwell in darkness.

Third, our passage reminds us that the Lord recognizes what you do. The Lord saw that you were gracious to a poor person. Heaven noticed. Like the Lord’s words in the Gospel about giving a cup of cold water to a little one, God noticed. The Lord will repay, our passage says. Don’t expect a check in the mail. Don’t expect a doubling of what you did. The repayment may be the crown in Heaven. The repayment may not be now or even here. That shouldn’t matter. It doesn’t matter.

Helping someone, even if it is just a little thing that gets them through the day, is what we do.

Gracious to a poor man. Can you do that?

Roger