Jump Start # 3505

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

In a series of classes that I am teaching on Expectations, I listed a dozen things that often shake the faith of a new Christian. Expectations and reality are often not the same. I called these, “What I wish someone told me.”

Among the dozen things I listed was, “Some brethren disappoint you.” Sometimes what you see out in the stores and at the ballgames is not the same character as you see in the church building. It can be so bad that I have had some declare, “Don’t ever do business with brethren!” On the surface, that’s very shocking. You’d think no one will treat me more fairly than a fellow disciple. You’d rather give your money to a brother, knowing that he won’t be out buying drugs or booze. But often it’s not that way. The brother does buy booze. Sometimes they expect you to give them a pass on paying or at least to greatly reduce the price. The difficulties dealing with one another in business has made some to conclude, “I won’t do business with brethren.” How sad that is.

Here are some lessons:

First, we must remember that we are all on a journey with the Lord. Some are doing really well. Some are struggling. Some are barely started. So, in theory, we’d expect everyone to be above board, honest and filled with integrity. That’s the theory. The truth is, it’s not that way. Some need to learn. Some are tempted and that area is their weakness. Some need to grow stronger.

Remember, none of us are perfect, including YOU.

Be careful of casting everyone in the same boat. While you may have had a bad experience with one, does not mean everyone is that way. I have personally seen it both ways. I have had some who weren’t honest with me and they hurt me financially. I’ve had others who were great and very, very helpful.

Some have had a bad experience with a congregation. Maybe you visited and it was very judgmental. Maybe the culture is very cold and unfriendly. Now, it’s easy to think every church is like that, but they are not. It’s like going out to eat. If I go some place and the food is bad, it’s overpriced and the service stinks, I may not go back to that specific place, but I still go out to eat. The bad experiences you have had comes from those who need to walk closer to our Lord. Don’t give up on everyone else.

As our verse today reminds us, we all need to be steadfast. We all need to be immovable. We all need to abound in the work of the Lord. We all do. But, there are times when some don’t. That’s discouraging. Some sell out their convictions for more money. Some walk with one foot still in the world. And, when that happens, we disappoint each other. We need to be thinking of others. What you do is more than just your business. It becomes the business of others because we are tide together. We are joined by Christ. We are a family of God. And, just like home, if one in the family becomes selfish, stubborn or indifferent, it will hurt everyone else in that family.

Second, sometimes it’s the leaders that disappoint us. Preachers let us down. Shepherds don’t do their jobs. We can feel neglected, abandoned and left wondering what do they do with all their time. Understand, first of all, they are not mind readers, nor do they have a big red phone sitting on their desk that rings into Heaven. They may not be aware of your situation. I knew a lady who was in and out of the hospital and she never told anyone and then she got upset because no one came to visit her in the hospital. Hard to do if you are not aware of it.

But, there are times when leaders do let us down. They have lives, jobs and sometimes things fall through the cracks. Be patient with them. Help them. Don’t throw them off the boat and then start a mutiny. Leaders must grow. Leaders are not perfect.

Then there are the occasions when some make a major moral sin in their lives. How they handle that says a lot about their character. Most times, they need to step away from leading and get their heart right with the Lord. Repentance, prayers and deeper faith is what is called for. Years of good preaching can be washed away from the ill choices that the preacher makes. Wesley said, Some preachers are so good that they should never step away from the pulpit. And, some, once they step away should never get back in because of the way they live. Leaders can disappoint us.

Third, we must remember that our faith is in the Lord, not our brethren. Our brethren help us. They encourage us. We need them to worship together. They are a big part of our lives, but it is Jesus who saves us. Brethren may and do disappoint, but Jesus won’t. Jesus won’t let you down. Jesus won’t give up on you.

When our faith runs through the church, then whatever happens down at the church determines our faith. If things are good, then our faith is good. If things are bad, so also will be our faith. So many these days want everything run through the church. Have you noticed that the majority of the N.T., though letters written to congregations, are about our individual walk with the Lord. My faith is independent of what is going on down at the church house. Brethren may be fighting, splitting and arguing about everything and anything, but my faith is tied directly to Jesus. While those things make me sad, it won’t stop or hinder my walk with the Lord.

Yes, brethren disappoint. When you first realize this, it sets you back a little bit. But then you see that there are a bunch of brethren who do not disappoint. Do all you can so that you will encourage and not disappoint others. How you conduct yourself outside the church building matters. People notice. Impressions are drawn. Don’t let that light flicker and don’t let it go out.

Roger

Jump Start # 2465

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be stedfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toils is not in vain in the Lord.”

Our verse today are the stirring words from the apostle that almost sounds like an army officer inspiring his troops before battle, or a coach firing up his team before the big game. Be stedfast. Be immovable. Always abounding. Hold your ground. Move forward. Keep going. But this was not a game, nor a military battle. This was about the kingdom, God’s kingdom. The work never ends. We must not lose ground. And, yes, there is an enemy, and it is Satan.

I want to focus upon how this verse ends. “Knowing that your toil, or labor, is not in vain in the Lord.” You are not wasting your time, when you are engaged in the work of the kingdom. This is not busy work. What you do is of value. It is not in vain.

I sure needed this verse a while back. It was a Sunday night. I worked hard on a lesson that I thought would be very practical and helpful. But it was a tough night. I didn’t preach it well. I wasn’t connecting with the audience. The crowd seemed tired. Preachers can tell that. The kids were fussy and noisy. Everyone seemed to be somewhere else but with me. I went home and sat in my chair and just thought. Maybe I spent too much time working that lesson up. Maybe I was expecting too much. I felt like I was wasting their time. After all these years of preaching, somehow I still wasn’t doing something right. The clouds of discouragement were gathering around me.

I had a tough time sleeping that night. Running through my mind was this expression, “your work is not in vain in the Lord.” I was arguing with that within myself. It sure seemed like a waste to me. I liked the sermon on paper. It was a great idea. But to me, it flopped. Was it me? Was it the audience? Was it the circumstances?

Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Here are some things I learned:

First, the measure of success is not often seen. If we preachers are shooting for compliments, spiritual “high-fives” we will soon be tickling the ears of the audience. We’ll put ourselves before the message and before the Lord, and that is always dangerous. Must we have verbal communication to accredit whether we did well or not? What if no one says a thing? What if no one mentions the sermon? Does that mean it was a flop? Does that mean no one was helped? Had I learned anything? Had I been drawn closer to the Lord? Did I not do what the Lord wanted me to do? In the context of 2 Timothy, the young preacher was told that the congregation would not endure sound doctrine. Yet, he was told to preach the word. They may not want it, but he was to continue delivering it. Was this going to be a waste of time? Was this all to be in vain? No.

Second, like a meal we ate months ago, or the falling rain last spring, we may forget and not realize the good that has been done. Sometimes a person may be bothered by the sermon and that “bother” moves them to a better place with the Lord. That person may not leave the building with smiles and “great sermon,” but they may be thinking. And, over the course of the next few days, or even months, that seed that was planted in their hearts starts to spring up to a deeper faith in the Lord. You may never see that, but it’s happening.

Third, kind acts, words of encouragement, cards sent, texts and emails and phone calls made, do a world of good that we may never understand. It tells a person that someone was thinking about them. It tells a person that someone cared enough to reach out to them. Was it worth the effort? We send a card and sometimes we wonder, did it do any good? We visit the funeral home. Was it worth the effort? We drop by the hospital and spend a few minutes chit-chatting with someone. Those are all rays of sunshine that do make a difference. They touch hearts. They build people up. They connect with others. They make people realize that they are not forgotten. They are loved.

There are many things we do that we can wonder if it’s doing any good. We teach a Bible class to kids and we can wonder, is this doing any good? We invite a friend to services and we wonder is that just a waste of time? We send a card. We take a meal. We invite a family over. Hundreds and hundreds of things we do all the time. Is it a waste of time? Is it in vain? Does it do any good?

The answer is always “Yes.” Well, someone says, no one came when I invited them. That’s between them and God. Your job is to sow the seed. Your job is to invite. The measure of the good you do is not in the response but in doing your part. If not careful, we’d have to conclude that Noah was terrible at preaching and it was all a waste of time. No one outside of his family responded. But God didn’t see it that way. Noah warned. Noah preached. That’s what God wanted him to do. His work was not in vain. Success is not measured in numbers. If it were, then God would be a failure. Jesus said the broad way to destruction is wide and many are on that path. The way to God is narrow and only a few are on that. Was the Gospel a failure? Was it preached in vain because so few responded? No. Never.

The weary servant of God often wonders if he is doing any good. He is. He must remember that. Doing what God wants you to do is never a waste of time or effort.

Finally, when discouraged, pray more, pick up your bucket of seed and head back out to the fields to do some more sowing. God will give the increase, not you. God

Your labor is not in vain in the Lord…come on weary servant. There are more fields to be sown. There are more things to be done. The seeds you plant today may grow to be mighty leaders in the kingdom some day. You may never see the good you have done, but God will. Our labor is in the Lord and for the Lord.

Some sermons flop. It’s not the end of the world. Keep going. Keep preaching. Keep plowing ahead. What you do may make all the difference to someone. There is a story of a guy walking along the beach that was covered with star fish. He’d pick one up and toss it back into the water. This went on for a long time. Someone said, “You’ll never get all of these in the water. Do you really think you are making a difference?” The man bent over, picked up another star fish and tossed it into the water. He turned and said, “I did to that one.”

Roger

Jump Start # 2182

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

It’s Friday. It’s been a long week. You probably have plans for the weekend. Sunday is coming. But as you look back over the week, how did you do spiritually? Did you pray like you wanted to? Did you attend worship? Did you open the Bible and read? Busy schedules, work loads, family demands, things to do around the house, and we find some weeks weren’t the best for us spiritually.

One of the most difficult aspects of our walk with the Lord is that day to day commitment. It’s not the big challenges, but the little ones, the simple ones, the everyday stuff that so often is easy to push aside for the moment. We notice the concept of “daily” living and “daily” walking among those early Christians.

Jesus told the disciples to pray, “give us this day our daily bread” (Mt 6:11)
Discipleship involved carrying your cross daily and following Jesus (Lk 9:23)
The Hebrews were told to encourage one another day after day (Heb 3:13)
Every day they were teaching and preaching Jesus (Acts 5:42)
The Bereans were searching the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11)

When we are not engaged spiritually every day, the problem of inconsistency arises. There are days when more of the world is in us than should be. There are days when our attitudes are not where they ought to be. There are times when we can seem very “unchristian” in our behavior.

It’s not a matter of knowing. Most know. We’ve sat through the sermons. We’ve read the Scriptures. It’s just living seems to squeeze and crowd the spiritual out of us. There just doesn’t seem to be enough day in the day. Meetings at work, running the kids everywhere, so many texts, watching some TV, and before you know it, we crash into bed at night exhausted, wiped out until the alarm startles us awake the next morning to start the process all over. We roll out of bed, with our minds filled with so much to do and we start the day in a hurried pace and it only gets faster and faster until we crash into bed again in the night. The only relief is a Saturday morning, and for many, the kids have a game, or practice and that keeps this pace going.

And on Sunday, the preacher asks how are we doing spiritually? We know the answer to that, not so hot. Were it not for a Sunday, and worship, we’d probably have that day filled as well with something. There is always something to do. We think, once the kids are older it will slow down. It doesn’t. We think, once the kids are out of the house, things will be better. What happens is that something else fills that place and that schedule remains busy. Retirement looks better and better. If we can just hang on a few more years we tell ourselves.

But then those “daily” verses haunt us. Every day those early Christians were walking, living, encouraging and teaching the Lord. Every single day. How? How did they do it? We conclude that they didn’t have work demands and busy kids like we do. It was different for them we conclude. That’s our pass. That’s how we live with all of this.

Worship becomes our weekly spiritual vitamin. It is in worship that we are receiving 100% of our daily spiritual nutrients that keeps us healthy. Without worship, we’d dry up and wither away. We really need worship. For many, without wanting to admit it, this is their life. Busy schedules have conquered them and they don’t know any way around it. And, all of this is taking a toll upon congregations. Men do not feel qualified to serve as elders. Everyone around them seems to believe that they would be great, but deep inside, the person knows, he is not where he ought to be. Congregations can’t find teachers for Bible classes. The reason, teaching takes time and commitment. Who has the time? When is a person supposed to study? Hospitality is basically dead. Maybe get with a family after services and go out to eat, but all the other days are filled for both us and them. The depth of knowledge begins to level off soon after the basics. Learning takes study and study takes time and again, who has the time.

All of this is one of the very reasons Jump Starts Daily came to be. We found that people just didn’t have time to open their Bibles and read. Just too busy. The idea of a simple daily devotion, based upon a Scripture would help. We never dreamed it would have become what it is today. We never thought that it would still be going this long.

Our verse today contains three actions words: be steadfast, be immovable, always abound in the Lord’s work. Hold your ground and keep going. Don’t waver. Don’t put your sword and shield down. Don’t stop. And, never quit.

Great thoughts, but with the situation as it is, how does a person live everyday for the Lord? How do I become a daily disciple? Three simple things will help. You don’t have to toss your schedule in the trash. You don’t have to quit your job and move to a monastery. You don’t have to pull the kids out of every activity. But you do have to take control of your spiritual wellbeing. It’s up to you, not the church, not the preacher and not the elders, to be steadfast, immovable and always abounding.

First, invite the Lord into you life every day. You do this especially through prayer. You can pray a zillion times in a day. Little prayers. Pray before you enter work. Pray for opportunities. Pray for your attitude and your mouth. Pray for your purity. Pray for your kids and your mate. As things crosses your mind, little prayers. Say a prayer as you send a text. Say a prayer as you answer an email. Pray as you drive home. Start doing this, and more and more you’ll find yourself connecting with the Lord. You are reading Jump Starts, keep doing that. Think about the passage. Let those words roll around in your mind. What would you have written on this? How would you have addressed the issue of a busy lifestyle? See, without a lot of changes, you are moving your heart and mind into the spiritual realm.

Second, keep your priorities in line. Multitask. As you mow the yard, do the dishes, sweep the floor, pray, mediate, think spiritually. Think about what you can do to help the congregation. Think about where your family is spiritually. Think about what you need to do to grow deeper in the Lord. Learn to say “No.” You can’t be everywhere and you can’t do everything. It’s ok to say “No.” There are things that just must be done, such as eating together as a family, with the TV off and phones put away. Talk. Connect. Laugh. Share. Instruct. Keep Sunday always in your mind. Get to bed early Saturday. It will give you needed rest and it will make for a better Sunday. Find all the shoes, Bibles and things you need and lay them out on Saturday evening, so Sunday won’t be so crazy.

Third, every day use your faith. Look for people to help. Look for ways to invite. Look for good that you can do. Connect with the church family. Look around the work place or the neighborhood for ways to let your light shine. Be thinking.

And, in so doing these things, you are living everyday for the Lord. Everyday faith. Everyday discipleship. These things will make your faith richer and it will move you to new levels of commitment and growth. There is a song that is so haunting to us, “I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?” We don’t want to say a couple of hours on Sunday. We know that’s not a good answer. What have we given to Him? It should be our lives. Our hearts. Our all. And, all of this begins, when we live daily for Jesus.

Everyday faith…it starts today.

Roger

Jump Start # 1658

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

  Our verse today ends Paul’s powerful chapter about the resurrection of Christ. He has proven the resurrection, both by Scripture and evidence of witnesses. He has detailed the implications of life without the resurrection. He has answered some of their questions about the resurrection. Now, as this section ends, he pleads with them to continue on. Paul uses a series of great expressions:

• Be steadfast
• Be immovable
• Always abounding in the work

These are expressions of dedication and commitment. Watching the Olympics, we see examples of those who have been dedicated to their sport. They are champions. They have poured hours and hours into training, competing and preforming. They are at the top of their game. We see the finished product. What we don’t see are the tired, sore athletes collapsing into bed after long hours of training. We don’t see them practicing over and over with their coaches to get a specific move perfected. We don’t see the hours in the weight room. We don’t see the strict diet. We don’t see the years of mom and dad driving them to practices when they were young. The Olympian stands triumphant because of dedication and commitment. He is the best.

The apostle Paul draws analogies from  the ancient Greek games in many of his writings. Dedication. Staying with it. Put in the time. Don’t quit. See the big picture. Those are the attitudes and the attributes of being steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work.

We can’t quit. We can’t quit because it’s hard. We can’t quit because someone is jealous. We can’t quit because someone is talking about us. We can’t quit because it’s easier to do something else. We can’t quit because we don’t feel like it. We can’t quit.

Most congregations have a few names that have been steady at the helm for many, many years. Folks have moved in and moved out of that congregation, but those few have kept things going. They have poured hours into teaching, finding preachers, cleaning the building, talking to neighbors and simply doing all that they could to make it successful. They have given up Saturday mornings. They have left their favorite TV shows to go out and visit people in the evenings. They have stayed up late at night studying and preparing lessons so they could teach classes. They have literally been steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. The congregation I grew up in as a kid had such names. One was a man named Dick Hoggatt. I always like that man. He and his dear wife did all that they could to make the congregation a success. He preached. She taught lessons. They served. They had families in their home. They never, ever threw in the towel. When I was first thinking about preaching, it was this couple that just didn’t give me a name of a place to go preach one Sunday, they took me. What a wonderful conversation we had on the way there and back. Dick has finished his journey here, but he has left amazing footprints of a life that was dedicated to the Lord. He was a champion in the kingdom of God. The lives he touched were made better.

Across the landscape of our lives are hundreds who lacked this special quality. There are those who were like a meteor flashing across the sky. They were there for a moment, and then gone. Some preachers have been that way. They have moved too quickly and too often to have had any real impact. Get a group of folks together and have them rattle off the names of the men who once preached there. They struggle remembering some, because they simply were not “steadfast, immovable, always abounding.” They came and left even before they folks really knew them. But then there are the others. What a memory we have of them. They were there. They taught. They held the line with the Lord. They married the young and buried the old. Through the years those dedicated soldiers had become dear to us. We will never forget them. They  worked and worked and did what they could for the Lord.

I believe this is what Paul was driving at with the Corinthians. Hang in there. Don’t quit when it gets tough. Don’t cry because you have sore muscles and want to go home. Stay at it. Stay at it. Stay at it. Be that backbone of a congregation. Be the one that everyone can count upon.

Have you ever looked at the opposite of Paul’s words:

• Instead of “be steadfast” – it’s UNSTEADY. Unsteady means not dependable. Unsteady in faith. Unsteady in attendance. Unsteady in the work. Are you with us or not? Why is that question even being asked?

• Instead of “immovable” – it’s MOVING. It’s not stationary. It’s not anchored. It’s not anchored to Christ. It’s not anchored to Biblical doctrine. One might move into any of the latest spiritual fads. One might jump on the bandwagon of “what’s happening now” church. Who knows what he believes or what he might be doing next? Who knows? He is not constant. He is not immovable. Can’t use him to teach because everyone fears what he might say. Will he be with us in six months? Who knows?

• Instead of “ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD,” he’s not DOING MUCH. He’s stopped. The work of the Lord has not become his main interest. He is into himself. He is much more interested in abounding financially or abounding in his career. He has little time for kingdom work. He is not interested in the success of the congregation. He’ll leave as soon as he feels that he has gotten all the good he can from it. He does not feel any loyalty or dedication to the saints there. He is using them to get whatever he wants. When he has gone as far as they can take him, off he will go.

The spirit of the Olympians can remind us and illustrate for us the hard work and discipline that God wants from His people. The couch potato, with his hands in a bag of chips, watching the Olympics can be a cruel critic of talent, when the same guy gets winded just walking to the mailbox. It’s easy to toss darts at others. Be the one who teaches, not just once in your life, but all the time. Be the one who helps out, not just one Saturday a year, but all the time. Dedicated. Committed. Dependable. Trusted. Faithful. Those are the components of winners spiritually.

Be—is what Paul said. Be steadfast. Be immovable. Be abounding in the work. Be means, getting off the couch and getting at it. Be means long hours, sore muscles and hard work. Be means, lowering your head as the Lord places a crown of righteousness upon you.

Be…

Roger

Jump Start # 1403

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

  Our verse today is that familiar passage that ends Paul’s powerful discourse about the resurrection. Paul gives proof that Jesus was raised. He was seen. He was seen, not by just a handful, but hundreds saw Him. Paul identifies the ugly conclusion of a faith that does not include a resurrection. Paul answers the practical questions such as, “what will we be like?” Great stuff. Things we need to know and believe.

The chapter ends with our verse today. The verse seems to have two conflicting movements within it.

First, Paul wanted the Corinthians to be steadfast, immovable. Parents would say to their children, “Stand still.” This is not about standing in line without fidgeting but rather remaining true to the principles of the resurrected Christ. Stand upon those things. Don’t drift off of those things. Don’t be moved. Don’t be moved by fancy words. Don’t be moved by slick authors in new books. Don’t be moved by friends who have other ideas. Even among the brethren in Corinth, there were some who denied the resurrection. Don’t lean that way. Don’t be curious about those things. Don’t give up what you know is true.

Second, Paul wanted these folks to abound in the work of the Lord. Abounding is movement. It’s the idea of going forward, progressing, doing yet more. The work wasn’t done. There was more awaiting them. More to be taught. More to be encouraged. Abound in the work.

So, there you have it. On one hand don’t move, yet on the other, being moving. The context teaches us what the difference is. Stand and don’t move on doctrine and yet be working more and more in kingdom activities. Moving but not moving.

It seems that some folks get these two ideas  flip flopped. They are not moving in areas where they ought to be moving and they are moving in areas where they ought to stand.

For instance, both in individual lives and in what is going on in a congregation, some are content just to be content. Nothing changes. Stuck is a way of describing the condition. Stale seems to be the tone of things. Dry, dull, and stuck. Not much abounding taking place. Not much moving in Kingdom work. Just doing about the best we can seems to be the most popular statement. But are they? Are they really doing the best that they can? This is true of families and this is true of congregations. We are talking about engaging in the work of the Lord. We are talking about letting our light shine. We are talking about letting others know that Jesus died for them. Maybe it’s time to kick stale to the sidewalk and try pumping some energy into our efforts. Maybe a home devotion with another family. Maybe a detailed study of things that challenges us to think and do. Maybe putting real goals in front of us, such as each person inviting five people this month to come to services. Maybe starting a church bulletin. Maybe using social media to spread the message.

When we get Paul’s words mixed up, we become immovable in the areas where we are supposed to be abounding. The lazy bones are easy to set in and we become comfortable just maintaining. Abounding takes energy, planning and effort. It takes some brainstorming. Abounding leads to new faces showing up. New people that we don’t know. New people that may not be like us. Abounding may mean giving up a Saturday morning or missing my favorite show in the evening. I’m not the cook in our house. It’s a bad day if I cook. But sometimes in the fall my wife will make chili. If we are having folks over, she’s often busy doing thirty things at once. She’ll ask me to come and stir the chili. If it doesn’t get stirred, it sticks and then it burns. That’s not good when it comes to chili. It’s not good when it comes to churches either. Stir things not by being controversial, unusual, out there, but stir things by being busy in the kingdom. Clean the place up. Be the encourager. Be the hospitable one. Be the one who greets with a smile and a hug. Be the one who is always on time and ready to go. Be the teacher. Be the one who invites. Always abounding. Don’t be content with being content. What more can we do? What more should we do?

The other aspect of Paul’s words that we can get mixed up is the immovable part. We are to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered is what we read in Jude. Timothy was told to teach faithful men who would in turn teach others the same thing. In describing the Lord’s Supper, Paul tells us that he received instructions from the Lord and then gave those same instructions to the Corinthians. He passed the baton on. The teachings about the resurrection are immovable. They are to be steadfast in our hearts and in our faith. Not just the resurrection stuff, but all of the New Testament teachings. Stand upon those teachings. Don’t wander away from them. Don’t go chasing wild ideas. Don’t, as the Ephesians were warned, be tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine. Put a stake in the ground. Draw a line in the sand. Here is where we stand, and here is where you will find us.

This is hard for some. They like new. They like different. They like the strange sound. They like thinking and teaching things that no one else does. They like chasing rabbits that lead them far away from home. The blogs are full of such ideas. New books come out with new ideas. A new way at looking at a passage and some will run past Jerusalem to embrace those ideas. What’s so wrong with the old way of looking at a passage? Some of the new stuff is just speculations. Some of the new things are being floated by men who don’t have an anchor placed in the faith. They are goofy on salvation, organization, moral issues, worship, life after death, Heaven and Hell. But they have a new way of looking at things, and folks line up and buy into those new ways. They bow down to those new thinkers and they go back home and teach those unproven ideas and spread discord among the righteous of God.

What’s the problem? Some are abounding where they ought to be immovable. Some are going on from where they ought to be standing. They’ve gotten Paul’s words mixed up.

Stand and move—we just need to figure out where these apply. We need to know where we are to stand and we need to know where we are to be moving.

Roger