Jump Start # 2992

Psalms 73:1 “God certainly is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”

The year is nearly over. It’s been yet another tough year. Things have not snapped back to normal as many were hoping. The pandemic is still dominating the news. Restaurants are still understaffed. It’s hard to get some items such as appliances and certain cars. We may have thought that turning the calendar in January was going to turn things back to where they once were. Churches have gotten back to in-person Bible classes and worship but many places are still missing people. The numbers are not the same.

I was reading an article entitled, “A warring world’s biggest wish.” It was in an issue of Gospel Advocate in 1915. A.B. Lipscomb, the writer, was talking about the war in Europe and the spirit of many concerning the war. The war he was referring to was World War I. Here we are more than a hundred years later and the things we could tell that writer that was still to come. America didn’t get into World War I until 1917. That was still to come. There would be a massive depression after that. Food lines, banks closed, unemployment off the charts. There would be yet another World War. That one was more intense. Then there was a war in Korea. Then Vietnam. Then Iraq. A president would be assassinated. Another president would resign. A global Pandemic. Schools and churches closed. Travel postponed. If Lipscomb could look into a crystal ball and see what was yet to come, he may have given up.

And, here we are. Another year is about in the books. A new year, bright and fresh is about to begin. Will things be better? Will they be worse? We can’t see what’s coming. But there are some lessons for us.

First, God is still on the throne. He has never left the throne. Wars. Depressions. Pandemics. Things shut done. Things turned upside down. Yet, God is still believed, prayed to and our source of strength. God is greater than wars, diseases, and hardships. Jesus showed us that while he was on the earth. In a short section in Mark 4-5, Jesus demonstrates  that He is God on earth by doing four impossibles. First, He changed the weather and calmed the sea. Second, He cast out multiple demons. Third, He cured a disease. Fourth, He raised the dead. Powerful. Convincing. This same Jesus reigns from Heaven.

Second, God’s people still thrive. Congregations are larger and doing so much more than what they were doing in 1915. The Gospel is crisscrossing the planet daily. Simple blogs, like Jump Starts, podcasts and recorded sermons are now part of an international audience. It is not uncommon to find many congregations with 8,10, 12 or more shepherds. That was unheard of in 1915. Churches seem to be driven by a base of internal godly men rather than just from the preacher. A lot has happened in the past 100 years, but we are still here as the people of God.

Third, the assurance of these first two principles helps us to face yet another unknown year. What if things get worse? They did before. Yet, people continued to worship God, teach others and stay committed to the Lord. Through those hard times, the people of God prayed. Through those hard times, the people of God continued to trust the Lord. It was the Lord, not the politicians that got the people safely through. If there is yet another 100 years still left for this planet, folks may look back on our times, like we do for the people in 1915.

Even though there were wars, economic depression, and hardships to come, people in 1915 fell in love and got married. People were taught the Gospel and were baptized into Jesus. Some men took up the mantle of preaching the Gospel. Church buildings were built. New congregations were started. Trips were made to foreign lands with the intention of preaching the Gospel. Life went on and good was done. And, that example stands before us. No matter what is coming down the road, we must continue to do what the Lord wants. Good can and must be accomplished.

Those believers in 1915 are now on the other side. Their troubles are now over. Their faith in the Lord got them safely through. And, someday that will be said of us. We made it safely home because of the Lord. Wars, depressions, pandemics, troubles will all someday be completed. I tend to think that we will forget all those troubles once we are on the other side. It’s a lot like flying. I’ve had some real experiences flying. And, when I’m on the ground, at my destination, and people ask, “How was your flight?” It doesn’t matter. I’m where I’m supposed to be. Long journeys. Crowded flights. Bumpy. Scary moments. That’s all soon forgotten once one is where they are supposed to be. And, such it will be for us. I’d like to run into some of our brethren from 1915. There is no need for bragging or saying, “What you went through was nothing like what we went through.” No, none of that stuff. I’d like to thank them for their example. I’d expect they’d point to some who went through the Civil War and remained faithful to God. I’d expect that group would point back to those who first brought the N.T. way to America. There was a lot of resistance. They’d likely point back to the early Christians in Rome. They’d likely point back to God’s people in Babylon. And, collectively, all of us, all generations, would thank the Lord. Had it not been for the Lord, we would not have made it.

We welcome a coming new year. Bring it on. We pray for the best but will not be moved by the worst. To God be the glory and hope.

Roger

Jump Start # 2442

Psalms 73:1 “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!”

I guess it’s just a part of our nature. More than that, I suspect that it has something to do with the spiritual environment that one is surrounded with. But, have you noticed how people tend to see what’s wrong more than what’s right? They tend to complain more than they praise and compliment. They tend see the bad more than they see the good.

Our verse today, much like a hymn we sing, “God is so good,” sets before us that God is good. He is good all the time. He is good to you and He is good to me. He treats us better than we deserve. Indeed, we are a blessed people. Struggles in life, bad choices that we make, the sin of others do not erase the goodness of God. He is good. He remains good. He will always be good. God is good even when I do not realize it or acknowledge it. God is good even when I may not be happy at the moment. God was good when Job stood at the fresh graves of his children. God was good when he told Abraham to leave the home and city he lived in. God was good when He closed the door to the ark. And, God was good when the nails went into the hands of His Son, Jesus.

We have a funny definition of “good.” For us, good has to be something that I like, makes me happy and is something that I want to do. Using that definition, surgery is not good. It’s not good because it hurts and it disrupts my schedule and I have to do things that I don’t want to do. Yet, if that surgery removes cancer or gives me better movement, that is good, even though it came with pain. Getting pulled over by the police for speeding may not seem good to us. Now we have a ticket to pay for. I’m embarrassed because people saw me pulled over. However, reminding me to slow down may have saved me from having an accident or even killing myself or someone else. Rebuke and criticism certainly doesn’t seem good to us. Many lash back if they are criticized. However, if I listen and if I make changes, the criticisms will make me a better person.

God is good. Here’s a quick reminder list:

1. He gave us today. This is a gift.
2. He always hears us. There may be times when we forget to talk to Him. But He’s always there for us.
3. He has put great people in our lives to help us. They may be family. They may be the church. They may be brethren in other places. Quality people who encourage, strengthen and remind.
4. He blesses us all the time. Sunshine and rain, food, health, time, His word, grandchildren, colors, tastes, smells, sounds, hope, friendships, insights, His patience. Great blessings.
5. He is always trying to help us do what is good and right. He puts reminders before us all the time. He helps us through worship. He helps us through a working conscience. He helps us through the voice of wise brethren.
6. He forgives. He is quick to forgive. He is willing to forgive. He doesn’t have to forgive. He doesn’t owe us forgiveness. He wants to forgive us. He does so, because He loves us.
7. He remains on the throne and He continues to rule the universe. In these tense times of political unrest, uncertainty about the future, one thing remains, He is God. He never steps down. He never retires. He never quits. You can always count on God. You know that He is always there. He always will be.

God is good. And sticking with God and following God tends to make us become good. Goodness begins on the inside and has a way of working it’s way out. Opportunities arise all the time to do good deeds. Good words. Good attitudes. Good hearts. All of these follow one who is connected to a good God.

God is so good! He’s good to me!

Roger

Jump Start # 2252

Psalms 73:1 “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!”

NOTE: With the New Year’s Holiday, there will be no Jump Starts on Monday or Tuesday.

We’ve come to the end of the year. This is our last Jump Start for the year. Sunday will be the last worship of the year. Has it been a good year, or are you ready to put this year in the books and turn the page for better days? Have you learned anything this year?

So often, we measure how a year is and we view God based upon the blessings in our lives. God is good, we say, if things are good in our lives. We have health, we have money, and things are running smoothly, oh, God is good. However, if we are stuck in a dark valley and things are difficult and the blessings are few, then we tend to wonder about God. Why, we ask. Why won’t God answer our prayers, we wonder. When will the blessings return. This thinking is common, but it is also faulty.

God is good. God is holy. The Scriptures define and describe God this way. Our verse today states, “God is good to Israel.” God is good to me, we sing. However, are those thoughts qualified and limited to only the good times in our lives? For instance:

Is God good when you have the flu?
Is God good when there is a death in the family?
Is God good when you are unhappy?
Is God good when money is tight?

We tend to see God only through the lens of our lives. Our observation is limited and often slanted because of our perspective. And, because of this, there are times when we must admit that God is not good, because things are not good in our lives. This is why this thinking is faulty. God is good, period. God is good, even if my life isn’t good at the moment. God is good, even if I am currently in a valley of death. God is always good.

There may be times when we are facing a giant of a problem. There may be moments when we are suffering because of our faith. There may be seasons when all the hedges protecting us have been removed. God was good, even when Daniel was sitting in a lion’s den. God was good, even when Job lost everything around him. God was good, even when the apostle Paul was dragged out of a city and stoned nearly to death. God was good, when Antipas was killed. God was good, when Abel was killed. God was good, when Stephen and then James were killed.

God doesn’t change. Our lives have good moments, everyday moments and bad or tough moments. There are times when we are happy and other times when we are sad. There are moments where we are excited and moments where we are bored. There are moments we are upset and angry and moments when everything seems fine. Through all of those moods, moments and times in our lives, God has remained the same. God is good. God is good no matter what happens to me.

God is good even during the moments when we wonder if He heard our prayers. God is good even when the answer to our prayers has been “No.” God is good. This is a hard principle to grasp and most in the world do not see it this way. Their view of God is based solely upon what happens in their lives. This is why some are glad to worship God one day and another day, they are so angry with God that they are cursing Him. Why is it this way? Because they can not view God separate from their own lives. They become the definition of God.

So, as we close the books on this year, we realize and understand that God has been good. For some, this year may have been filled with pain, surgeries, disappointments and even death. The year seemed so long for some. Yet, God is good. For others, it’s been one of the best years in their lives. A wedding. A baby born. A graduation. A new job. Life has been good for them. God is good.

And, for us, the people of God, there are a few things to take away from this year:

First, there has been much to be thankful for. There has been blessings and joys and wonderful memories over this past year. There has been sermons that have helped us. There has been classes that taught us, reminded us, and helped us get closer to the Lord and be stronger in our faith. There has been new people in our lives. There has been some sad farewells. There has been many sins forgiven throughout the year. But through all of this, we must be thankful. Thankful for all that God has done.

Second, there has been some great lessons learned. Sometimes it is in hardships, trials and troubles that we learn the most. We learn about character. We see the importance of priorities. We have been helped and we have helped others. We look back and see mistakes and learn from them. We remember great discussions over the Bible. We remember visiting preachers and the wonderful lessons that they taught. We saw some obey the Gospel. We saw some coming back after being away for a long time. Today, we are better, stronger and closer to God than we were this time last year. We’ve had a year of Bible in our hearts and in our souls. We have learned much.

Third, faith and hope are what opens the door for the new year. Who would have known all the things that happened to us this past year, other than the Lord. Our travels. Our trials. Our ups and downs. We journey by faith, knowing that the Lord is in charge. This coming year is an unknown. Will we have surgery? Will there be a death in the family? Will there be tears? Will there be smiles and happiness? One thing we know, the Lord journeys with us. Through faith, we trust God. Through hope, we know that even the darkest days will pass and Heaven awaits us. How few in Judah really understood that a day came and they were overcome by the Babylonians and many were taken captive. How few understood that years later, the same city of Jerusalem, would be overcome by the Romans. What awaits our nation? We don’t know. Is this the year that the Lord will come? Faith and hope is what gets us through the unknown.

We’ve picked up several new readers to our Jump Starts this year. Thank you for taking time to be part of our Jump Start family. Thank you for your kindness and encouragement you give to me. May the Lord be with us and more so, may we be with the Lord, in this coming year.

God is good.

Roger

Jump Start # 1000

Psalms 73:1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!

This is a milestone Jump Start– number 1000!!! That’s hard to believe. That’s a lot of articles. I want to write a few things about this. At every 100 mark that we hit, I have said a few things. This one is huge in my book. We now have more readers than we ever had. There is no way of knowing exactly how many are receiving these. Many of you are sending them to your own lists of people. I do not think it is stretching to say that nearly 2,000 people are receiving these. That’s amazing. I have a file folder full of emails that I have received from readers. Nearly every day I get an email regarding something that I wrote. So many of you have refreshed my spirit and encouraged me in these writings.

We started Jump Starts in 2010 as a little exercise for the congregation I worship with. I never thought that I would still be writing these now that they would have spread as far and wide as they have. The most common question I am asked about the Jump Starts is, “How do you write these every day?” I just do. I start my morning writing these. It takes about 20 minutes and then I get about doing other things. Others have started their own version of this and I am happy for them. I hope they do well. We have printed 9 different booklets on specific themes from these Jump Starts.

Our Jump Starts were never intended to be a deep doctrinal study. That’s not the format here. There are other places for that. This was simply my insights into a passage that would help encourage you, remind you and get your day going spiritually. They have helped me and I have found that others have been helped as well. I have always felt that the way a day begins often determines how the day will end. Our busy schedules often take us away from a study of God’s word. The Jump Starts were simply a means to help “Jump Start” your day.

There are a few “thank yous” that I need to send out here:

• Thank you to the shepherds at Charlestown Road who believed in this idea and encouraged me to do this. We have gone through different formats in sending these out and they have spared no expense in doing this. When I wanted to publish some of the Jump Starts in a booklet form, they gave me a green light to do that. One of our deacons has built a Jump Start station where we display all 9 of the Jump Start books. Their support has been constant and amazing. Thank you for believing in this and opening the door for me to do this. The shepherds of this church are remarkable!

• Thank you to you my readers. I honestly thought after a few of these that the number of readers would drop off and we would have to quietly end this. Just the opposite has happened. I hear about my Jump Starts being used in classes, sermons and invitations. I have seen them reprinted in bulletins and I know many of you have forwarded them on to others. Who would have thought? I have tried to emphasize our relationship with the Lord more than anything else. I believe that is so important. Living for Jesus every day is where it is at. God is good to us. Our hearts ought to be thankful and praising to God because of that. You have read about personal things in my life, such as the birth of grandchildren, moving to a new house, my daughter’s wedding and many of the things that are important to me. Many of you have expressed that you feel you are part of my family because of these writings. I really like the comment, “I can just see you saying that.” I hope so.

• Thank you to the Lord. Other than myself, no one else has seen all 1,000 of these Jump Starts other than the Lord. I’m glad salvation is not based upon proper grammar, else I’d be in big trouble. I do hope that God has been pleased and blessed through these writings. I hope it has brought some back home to Him. I hope it has given something for some to hang on to when they were about to give up. I hope this has been one simple tool to help at least one person get a step closer to Heaven. If that has been done, it has been worth it. I realize that God has given me a special gift. Many preachers have told me that there is no way they could do this every day.  I didn’t know I could do this until I started. I am thankful to God for giving me a way to see things in His word. I am truly blessed, as we are all.

Some of these Jump Starts were very easy to write. The words just flowed. Others were a real struggle and I put out some that I felt were not very well written. Keeping the obligation of sending one out every day has not always been easy to do. I never wanted Jump Starts to take away from the rest of my work. To me, Jump Starts served as only one small aspect of all that I am trying to do.

Finally, where do we go from here? More writing of course. I still am wanting to publish two more Jump Start books—one on parenting and one on comfort. I’m getting close.

Will there be another 1,000 Jump Starts? I really don’t think so. I just can’t see that. I expect the well will run dry before then. We’ll keep this going for a while and see. I’ve learned never to say “never.” On our Jump Start website, www.jumpstartsdaily.com, you can search by word or specific verse and various Jump Starts will come up for you to read. There are nine Jump Start books that have been written. These are free. If you want one email me.

1,000—WOW! 1,000– Thank you!

Surely God is good!!!

Roger

Email me at: Rogshouse@aol.com