Jump Start # 2881

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”

As we continue with our journey on my reflections from a trip to Israel, our attention turns to the massive Dead Sea, sometimes called the Salt Sea. Surrounded by mountains, the Dead Sea stretches for miles and miles. One can see where the sea is shrinking. A hotel built years ago right on the edges of water now sits a long way off from where the water is. The Israeli government has found a way to use the water for irrigation by removing the high salt and mineral content. And, yes, one can float easily in that water. It is 30% salt and is called Dead because no plant life and no fish live in the water. One does not see any boats on that water, the mineral content would be harmful to boats. The area around the Dead Sea is remarkably different than around Galilee. The Dead Sea sits in a desert. It’s arid and hot. The day we were there the temperature reached 108.

The Dead Sea is a powerful contrast and lesson for us. It is beautiful to look at. Sunsets are great photo opportunities. However, the sea is lifeless. It’s dead. One would get sick if they drank the water. Our guides told us that if we wanted to float in the sea, to bring clothes that could be thrown away. And, what a living illustration and reminder for us of what is truly important in life.

There are so many who look great on the outside. They spend tons of money on clothing, fashion, makeup, hair products and even plastic surgery just to get that right image. They want to look good. Hollywood is built upon that fable. The covers of magazines are those who are so beautiful on the outside. But like that Dead Sea in Israel, so often, there is nothing on the inside. The beauty of the eyes cannot cover up a heart that is twisted with hatred, selfishness and indifference. The wrappings look great, but inside is nothing. No depth of spirituality. No love for the Lord. No longing for righteousness. Empty. Shallow. Dead.

Paul referred to some widows as being dead while they live. Jesus came to give life and give it abundantly (John 10:10). That life brings joy, hope, sunshine to the inside of the heart and a smile to the outside of the face. Heaven Bound, is a destination that God’s people long for. Being part of a God’s kingdom and among God’s family is a joy that the world does not understand nor appreciate.

Dead while alive. Looking good but lifeless on the inside. Let’s put some thoughts to that.

First, without Christ we become lifeless. It is the Lord that brings grace, joy and forgiveness before us and we learn to embrace those qualities and use those in our lives. Without Jesus, it’s just every man for himself. And, self becomes the new god. Devoted to self. Devoted to looks. Devoted to satisfying self. Devoted to doing whatever one feels like.

Sometimes it’s hard for righteous people to understand the choices of the unrighteous. Why drink to become drunk? Why purposely do something that is going to make you feel terrible afterwards? Why take drugs knowing that you are likely to become addicted and may never be free from it? But living without Christ, a person doesn’t think about consequences, influences, or what these choices might do to them. It’s all about the moment. It’s about now. It’s about self.

Second, the measure of success is not exterior but interior. Jesus summed it up with, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul. A large house. A fleet of expensive cars. Fine dinning. These thoughts soon take us to the rich man in Luke 16. He ate well. He dressed well. He lived in a fine place. None of those things could keep death away. He died. He went to torment. He now became a beggar like Lazarus once was. Some of the first Christians were slaves. Most were very poor. Even in early American history, so many lived in tiny log cabins. The measure of success is faith and walking with the Lord. Having blessings may make the journey smoother, but with blessings comes responsibilities and obligations. Help others. Share. Be generous. The world is attracted to the exterior of life. Our focus must be on the interior. Faith, character, direction and purpose—without these, one looks like the Dead Sea.

Third, through Jesus, the dead can become alive. We see this literally as Jesus raised the dead. But we experience this personally as Jesus changes our lives. Our attention turns to the spiritual side of life. We are more interested in Heaven than here. We understand the value of worship and long to be among the people of God. All of us at one time were dead, but through Christ we have risen to walk in a new life. It’s a better life. It’s life the way that God intended. While the world around us is impressed with stuff, what catches our attention is character, kindness and service. The dead can live through Jesus. It’s much more than adding church services to a busy schedule. It’s rewiring the house. It’s thinking differently. It’s inviting Jesus in and allowing the Lord to be the Lord of our lives. It’s confidence, hope and a longing to spend forever with the Lord. “I once was lost, but now I’m found,” are the words of that Amazing Grace. We who were dead once, can help others find life in Jesus Christ. Forgiveness, hope, peace and joy—what blessings those are when one is walking with Jesus.

The Dead Sea—beautiful to look at—but lifeless and dead. Make sure your life is not a mirror of that.

Roger

Jump Start # 2821

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Our verse today identifies an intense battle. It’s not a ballgame. It’s not a board game. It’s not a video game. It’s life and it’s very real. The battle is spiritual. The thief and Jesus. One came to give and the other came to take away. One makes things better and the other makes things worse. One is good and the other is bad. The thief is Satan. He has never accomplished anything worthwhile. He has never helped a soul. He has never brought a ray of sunshine. Instead, misery, pain, death and destruction follow him. He lies. He cheats. He offers the world, which is not his to give. He takes what is good and ruins it.

The motive of the thief is to destroy what Christ has established. Revelation tells us that Satan is at war with the people of God. He tried to entomb Christ, but the Lord was resurrected. Now, Satan tries to entomb us in addictions, fears and fighting.

There are three areas that Satan is interested in. He wants these three areas. He’ll try to break in at night and steal them. He’ll try to crush them right before your eyes. And, much too often, we do not see the workings of this snake. He is a coward. James tells us to resist and he’ll flee. Say “no,” to him and watch him run. Since he is a coward, he’ll hide behind issues, conflicts and other things that steal our attention and takes our focus off of the Lord. We don’t’ see him. We see the issues and conflicts. We are drawn to differences and never realize that behind these things is Satan. So, Satan will hide behind money issues, racial differences, building stress, worry and fear, to cloud our vision and to make us lose focus with the Lord. Satan will pull us apart. He will divide us. He’ll make us turn on each other. And, all through this, we never realize it’s Satan. Something as insignificant as wearing a mask has divided this country and God’s people. We’ve left congregations, some have split, some no longer are in fellowship with others, because of a mask. But, it’s not a mask. It’s Satan. He has accomplished what he was after, to steal, kill and destroy. He didn’t have to use error. That’s too obvious. He didn’t have to bring in false prophets. All it took was a simple little mask. Something made of paper. Something made of cloth. And, with that, he was able to do what progressive theology couldn’t do. With that he accomplished what atheistic professors could not do. He did not have to deny the Christ. He did not have to use intellectual textbooks to deceive people. No. It was just a mask. And, that little mask has become a reason for some to get angry with the very brethren that they have worshipped with and fellowshipped with for year. That little mask was all it took for Satan to accomplish his purpose.

Satan is after our congregations. He doesn’t want them walking near the Lord. He doesn’t care about the size of the group. It’s the closeness to the word of God that concerns Satan. A house full of people that are playing church only makes him smile. But a handful of serious, dedicated and committed disciples are enough to make a major difference in a community for decades. He knows that. How to stop solid Biblical preaching and teaching is the concern of Satan. How to keep people from growing spiritually is the concern of Satan. False teaching doesn’t stand a chance in a room full of people that know the Bible. That attack won’t work. Compliancy, apathy, indifference will only reach those who are not serious in their walk with the Lord. Congregations will survive because of the seriousness of disciples. A pandemic. Social distancing. Masks. How innocent. How deceptive. How easily to hide his motive behind those things. And, with that the people of God who prayed for each other, loved each other, now turn on each other. Attitudes flair. Anger rises. Rebellion surfaces. And, the congregation suffers. The work stops. People turn on each other. We become our own enemy. And, no one notices that Satan was behind all of this.

Satan is after our marriages. He will use work and the stress of pandemics to make couples angry with each other. He’ll use the close of schools and social events to make families weary of each other. Hours upon hours of mindless TV watching fills the days and the nights. Our souls suffer. Our spirits suffer. All we see is how abnormal life has become. We never see Satan. We never see that all of this is just one of his ways to chip away at our families. Divorce seems like an acceptable option. Why live this way? Happiness has gone. Nothing seems right. And, Satan smiles. He smiles because no one notices him. It’s pandemics. It’s how things just are not normal any more. That’s all people see. That’s all they talk about. No one points a finger at the evil one. The thief has entered the house and no one saw him. And, what he stole was the love, the bond, the trust, and the commitment between a couple.

Satan is after you. Too tired to watch the videos put out by the church. Too busy to listen to podcasts put out by the church. Too much to do to keep up with Bible readings and Bible classes. And, Satan smiles. Our rhythms have been disrupted. It’s hard to get back into the groove again. Ropes and masks at church just doesn’t seem right. And, in all of this our intensity with the Lord has slowed down. We are no longer as engaged, excited or involved as we once were. It’s the pandemic we tell ourselves. But Satan knows. He smiles. They’ll never catch him, he believes. They’ll never know it’s him. The thief has robbed our peace of mind and our hope and confidence. We are not the way we once were. The fox has gotten into the chicken house and no one did anything.

Yet, for many, this is not the way the story will be written. For many congregations, families and individuals, this pandemic was nothing more than a speed bump that they passed over. Masks have been no big deal for many. Inconvenient and not to their liking, but not something to get upset over and certainly not something to destroy what is good and right over. These folks recognize that Satan is behind all of this. He’s used something innocent to get his hands where they do not belong. He’s reached in to steal our congregations, our families and our souls. The wise recognize this. Our fellowship will not be disturbed over something as silly as a mask. Our marriages are greater than a pandemic. And, our souls are much more valuable than all of this. Through this, some congregations, some families and some individuals have grown stronger, closer together and are better on this side of things than they were before. The thief tried, but it didn’t work for these people. He couldn’t get in.

There has been a battle going on. It continues to go on. Don’t lose sight of what is really happening. Don’t allow something simple to destroy what is great in the eyes of the Lord. Masks have done more than cover our mouths, they have covered the schemes of the devil. Our enemy is not each other. Our enemy is Satan.

Don’t let that thief into your heart. He’ll hide behind just about anything to get his way in. And, once he is in, all trouble breaks out.

Roger

Jump Start # 2744

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”

Life– more than existence, but truly living. Jesus came to give that. That life was not free from trials, troubles or temptations. That life wasn’t about zip lining among trees, or skiing down a mountain or traveling to exotic places in the world. That’s how others define life. There are those who do not travel much. There are those who are content to be home. There are those who live a simple life. Many would scream, “Boring.” But, what many have found is life in Jesus Christ. They have found meaning, purpose and relationship. And, what they found cannot be equaled by any external or material experience.

Raphael Samuel went to court in 2019. He brought suit against his parents. He claimed that they brought him into the world without his consent. “Life,” he declared, “was imposed upon me.” And, in the lawsuit, which was tossed out, he demanded compensation from his parents because they didn’t ask him if he wanted to be born, which would be rather impossible to do. Basically, what he was saying, “I was given life and I didn’t want it,” which is really a troublesome thought. In some ways, he sounds like Job who wished he had died at birth. Job felt that way because of all the suffering he was enduring. The rich man in Luke 16 would love to have had one more day on earth after he saw where he was going. In the parable of the rich farmer, the barn builder would have loved to have one more day after he learned what was awaiting him.

Life is a wonderful gift. There is nothing like that. But eternal life is even better. Life here can be crippled and riddled with troubles, sorrows and pain. Life can have many disappointments and frustrations. But eternal life, real life, is free from all of those things. And, what Jesus offers isn’t just a taste. He doesn’t give us just a thimble full. He awards it abundantly. Our cup overflows.

• The abundant life is joyous
• The abundant life is busy with purpose and helping others
• The abundant life is God focused
• The abundant life is prayerful, considerate and thankful
• The abundant life brings happiness to others
• The abundant life holds on tightly to God’s hand

To give us this life, Jesus had to die. And, in dying, He raised us from the sewer of life and gave us dignity, hope and love. When we come to the end of our journey here, and an obituary is written to describe our life, many achievements and accomplishments will be listed. But the greatest of all is to know that we have truly lived in Jesus Christ. We have not lived in fear. We have not lived in worry. We have not lived in the past. We have not lived defeated. We have not sat on the sidelines of life. Life abundantly was offered and we took hold of it with both hands. It changed us from the inside out and it’s something that we have never regretted. If we could do it all over again, we’d do it again.

As this year wraps up, there will be many, many thoughts shared on social media about how terrible this year has been. There will be so many who have nothing good to say about 2020. The list of complaints will be long. But for those who have really lived, what a year it has been. It has shown us the value of true worship. It has reminded us of the power of fellowship. It has illustrated for us that life is more than vacations, sports and going out places. And, in all of this, there has been our wonderful God, sitting upon His throne. His love continues. His promises remain untouched and unchanged. His hope is strong.

We have life and we have it abundantly. It’s not something that begins in Heaven. It begins in Jesus. It begins when one commits their life to the Lord and follows Him. It begins now, if you want it. The sorrow of the world makes us hang our heads. But the joy of the Lord lifts our eyes.

Abundant life—no one can take that away from you. It’s the wonderful, wonderful life found in Jesus Christ.

Roger

Jump Start # 2120

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

He has cancer. There was a surgery. It was declared a success. A series of complications followed. But all in all, he was getting stronger and the outlook was good. Recent tests showed that the cancer returned. It returned with a vengeance. Aggressive and spreading rapidly, doctors declared that there were only weeks left to live. He claimed that his fight is over. The person I refer to is Charles Krauthammer, the national commentator that is often seen on Fox News. He wrote a piece, letting his friends and the world know of his condition. His final sentence written in the letter that has been published in many newspapers stated, “I am sad to leave, but I leave with the knowledge that I lived the life that I intended.”

I have lived the life that I intended. That is a remarkable statement. Life is full of choices, opportunities and turns. Few people can admit to what dying Krauthammer wrote. Most have not lived the life that they intended. Sitting in a jail cell, or, sitting in divorce court, or feeling useless and miserable, is not the way folks planned out their lives.

Our verse today, reminds us that the Lord came to give His followers an abundant life. There are two aspects connected to that abundant life.

First, it is life eternal that begins now. The good life in the Lord doesn’t start once we are in Heaven. I feel that’s the concept that many have. Just hang on long enough until we are out of here. Tough, miserable, awful is this life, but once we get to Heaven, all will be fine. The abundant life is found in Christ and it is found now. Joyous, thankful, living with a purpose, making a difference, following the Lord, this is what God had in mind.

Second, the abundant life is found in making the right spiritual choices that keeps us close to the Lord. More important than living the life that I intended, as the dying TV commentator claimed, is to live a life that God intended. Even following God, life will have twists and turns and we even find ourselves in places and opportunities that we never dreamed of. Many of us started off in college with grand dreams and high hopes that quickly changed by our junior year as we switched majors and switched directions that we intended to follow. Yet, we have chosen to still follow God. Some of us are single parents now, something that we never intended. Yet, we have chosen to still follow God. Some of us are living in locations that we never intended. Yet, we still follow God. Some of us have taken in aging parents or have had to bury a child. Yet, we still follow God. There are things we never intended, or even saw ourselves doing, but here we are, and through it all, we still follow God. That is the life that God intends.

I have lived the life that I intended. Is that even possible? What does that life even look like?

We have just finished the season of high school and college graduations. The question always asked at those occasions are, “What do you plan to do next?” What do you intend to do with your life now? Living without Jesus, certainly makes life long, lonesome and hard. “Out of sight, out of mind,” is how many deal with God. They don’t think about Him, so maybe He’ll just go away. He never does.

Dreams change because of changing circumstances. Things around us change. We even change. But because we do not follow those dreams any longer does not mean we are not living the life that God intended. God expects us to be righteous, holy and pure. He wants us to worship Him. He wants us to talk to Him. He wants us to know His word and use that as a foundation of our lives. Now, we can do that whether or not we ever went to college like we planned to. We can do that whether or not we ever started a business like we planned to. We can do that whether of not we retire early like we planned to. Many of our plans are based upon opportunities, health, finances, and other people. Those things are always changing. Companies go out of business. You are transferred to another state. Open doors of opportunities close. That’s life. If you asked me when I was a college freshman, do you plan to get up every morning and write something that people all over the world will read? No, would be the answer. As a college freshman, do you plan to preach every Sunday for the rest of your life? No. But, ask that college freshman long ago, do you plan to follow Christ and go to Heaven? The answer was Yes. And the choices that came and the choices that were made reflected that.

Don’t worry if you don’t mark off everything on your bucket list. Many folks, myself included, have never made a bucket list. Pursuing what I want to do is not nearly as important as pursuing what God wants me to do. Bucket lists have a sense of selfishness it seems to me. Here’s what I want to do and I am going to do it, just doesn’t appeal to those whose life intentions are to walk with the Lord.

Now, the greater question is, “Am I living the life that God intended?” This is not about what career I have chosen, or where I live, or how large my family is, or what hangs on the walls of my office. It’s about my walk with the Lord. Daily choices. Life choices. Through the mountain tops and through the valleys. Not for a moment, now and then, but forever. Following the Lord. Becoming a person of integrity and character. Reflecting the Lord by goodness and good deeds. Knowing that when our final breath is taken here, we will be swept by the angels of Heaven into Paradise, where a lifetime of choices have pointed us.

Rich, famous, powerful, remembered—so many chase those things. A few find them, but they find that something still is missing. It’s a vain world that is empty, meaningless and selfish. It’s artificial and fake. But there are those who have found the Lord. They have followed the Lord all of their lives. They are common people. Few know them or recognize them. But they are known in Heaven. God’s people. They have walked and walked with the Lord for decades. And for these wise people, they have lived a life that God has intended. No regrets. No looking back. And realizing that the best is yet to come.

Are you living as God intended? Why not?

Roger

Jump Start # 1914

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”

This summer we have been having a special series on Wednesday nights at the congregation I attend. We’ve invited a different preacher to come each Wednesday and have given them a specific topic that we wanted them to preach about. The overall theme is “A beautiful life.” That idea came from one of our hymns but also from this passage. What Jesus gives us is not just eternity in Heaven after we die, but a beautiful life now.

I want to focus upon the front part of this passage, the work of the thief. In the context Jesus has been talking about hirelings, sheep and shepherds. He describes Himself as the good shepherd. Those that came before Jesus are described as “thieves and robbers.” The sheep did not hear them. But now, in our verse, Jesus refers to “the thief.” Who is He talking about? The analogy of sheep and shepherds has shifted quickly from a real setting of animals to the work that Christ came to do. The thief is killing the sheep. The thief is doing the very opposite of what Jesus came to do. Our first thoughts might be of the Pharisees who opposed Jesus, but sooner or later, all fingers point to Satan. He is the ultimate thief. We do not belong to him. He has done nothing good for us. He is trying to steal people away from Christ.

He comes to steal, and kill, and destroy. There are multiple ways Satan does this.

First, he steals our peace of mind and hope. He generates fear. He causes people to mistrust. He creates doubt. He generates worry and suspicion. Just look at our nation this week. Hatred, anger and finger pointing. People are really upset. This anger has led to violence, name calling and wild accusations. Prejudice, racism, hatred are tools of Satan. This hasn’t been a good week for many people.

Second, he steals and kills our relationships with others. He does that through sin. Sin always kills. Sin never does anything worthwhile. The sin of selfishness ruins marriages. The sin of lying destroys the trust between friends or families. The sin of pride pushes people away. Satan doesn’t make anyone sin. It’s always our choice. But he paints a pretty picture and hides the consequences. Sin can seem so attractive and irresistible. All we think about is the fun and thrill of sin. The path of destruction that it leaves is always kept from our eyes.

Third, he destroys our minds by filling them with error, junk and violence. If a person goes looking for a fight, he will probably find one somewhere. I’ve seen folks lose their cool at ballgames. They are usually escorted out by security and they miss the end of the game. The books, the movies, the TV shows—thrive on sinful content. Sexual encounters that are nothing more than fornication. People taking the law into their own hands. Meanness. Ugliness. Nothing good. Nothing positive. Nothing uplifting. Like a sewer, that stuff flows into our minds and hearts. Profanity is common. A lack of respect is common. Where has all of this come from? Satan who has been destroying minds.

Fourth, he makes life miserable. Look at these three words from our passage: steal, kill, destroy. Those are not the words that you’d find cross stitched on grandma’s pillows. The work of Satan is to make life ugly. Unhappy people. Miserable people. Hopeless people. Angry people. Fighting people. Look around. Satan’s having a day with many people. Complaining rather than being thankful. Seeing what’s wrong rather than seeing what’s right. Demanding rather than being helpful. Hearts that are not at rest. Hearts that are not content.

Fifth, he destroys the soul. That’s where all of this leads to. Satan wants to kill our souls with sin, rebellion and ignoring God. He wants us to blaspheme God’s name. He wants us to ridicule righteousness. He wants us to champion wrong. Mock the athlete who bows and prays. Belittle the college student who believes. Chain the soul to an eternity in Hell by feeding temptation after temptation. Remove God from the heart and people will turn on each other. They will fight each other. They will accuse each other. Addicted to sin they will die that way and forever live in a Hell that was meant only for Satan.

Satan has gotten society so drunk on his plan that they truly believe all the dumb things that they are saying. They believe they are living the best life. They have fooled themselves into thinking that they are happy when they are really miserable. Their marriages stink. They do as they please. They are selfish to the core. And when this world is done, they will have wasted a lifetime dancing with the devil and will spend forever with him in a place so terrible that everyone ought to be afraid to even mention it. That’s what the thief does. We do not belong to him. He has stolen us from Christ. And, rather than make things better, he’s kidnapped our hope, future and heart.

Why doesn’t God do something? Why doesn’t God stop Satan? God sent Jesus. That’s the answer. Jesus came to give life and give it abundantly. Real hope. Real forgiveness. Real purpose. Real outlook. What Jesus does changes us. It makes us thankful and helpful. It turns us into servants that lifts our fellow man. We don’t have to figure everything out, God’s on the throne and that’s enough for us. God will take care of us.

Life. Just the opposite of what Satan is doing. Instead of misery, Christ gives us real joy. Instead of taking away peace and hope, Christ fills our hearts with real peace and joy. Instead of killing relationships, Christ makes our relationships stronger and richer. Through Christ we become kind and gentle. Through Christ we forgive others. Through Christ we find real life, the abundant life. A beautiful life.

Satan is dangling trinklets before your eyes. He is trying to get you to take your eyes off of Christ. He is singing a song that he thinks you will want to dance with him. He is trying to steal you, kill you and destroy you. Will you let him? Will you walk blindly into his enticing arms and allow him to drag you to Hell? Or, will you be different and follow Christ? Will you believe the Gospel message? Will you make Jesus the Lord of your life? Will you say no to Satan? Will you refuse to open the door when temptation comes knocking?

He came…I came…they both want you. Who will you follow?

Roger Continue reading →