Jump Start # 3138

Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from Heaven, saying, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.’”

Recently, I was in the British Isles. Wonderful places like Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Liverpool. I stood in the ruins of castles, flew over glaciers and even ate reindeer and moose. At the ruins of an old Catholic church, that later was taken over by the Protestants, during the Reformation, I stood at the grave of Kenneth MacKenzie. He died in 1491, that’s before Columbus sailed the ocean blue. MacKenzie died more than 530 years ago! The history in Europe takes our breath away. We think of something in the 1800’s as being old.

There I stood at his grave, taking a picture of it, something MacKenzie would have never understood. As I was looking, thinking and reflecting, our verse came to my mind. There hasn’t been anyone on this planet for a long, long time that knew Kenneth MacKenzie. Yet, Heaven knows him.

Some thoughts for us:

First, what we do here is not forgotten by Heaven. A cup of cold water is recognized by Heaven, Jesus tells us. Everyday you and I send forth rays of sunshine to others. A little note. A kind text. A thank you. A had you on my mind call. A gift. An act of goodness. We don’t keep track of those things. To do that would take away the good that we do. To do that would be bragging or expecting someone to pay us back for what we’ve done. We just keep doing good everywhere we can. Zealous for good deeds is what Titus was told to instruct his people. That’s us. Eager to help. Quick to lend hand. And, who notices? And, what good does it accomplish? Maybe very little. But it’s the right thing to do.

Second, our passage reminds us that deeds follow those who die in the Lord. Although those beloved have passed through that doorway of death, they have left footprints that we all notice. Humble service. Faithful to God’s word. Focused. Dedicated. Committed. Loyal. That’s the steps and characteristics of those persecuted saints in Revelation. We sing, “Faith of our fathers,” and how true those words are. You and I are leaving footprints for our children and grandchildren to follow. A cherished example is one of the greatest things that we can give our family. Always in worship. Always willing to jump in and help out where needed. Always there with a listening ear. Our deeds follow us. We will be remembered by those deeds.

Third, the rest always follows the labor. That’s the way the Sabbath was designed. We don’t start off with a rest and then work. The work comes first. Work six days and then rest the seventh. The labors here in our passage is not a lifetime in the factory or at an office job. The labors surround the work in the Lord. The labors were enduring the suffering that they went through. They worked for the Lord and now they rest. They were challenged, beaten and wounded for the Lord. Now they rest. This wasn’t a lifetime of working and earning a living. This was a lifetime of service in the kingdom. There can be no rest without labor. The still waters is what the Shepherd leads us to. Jesus’ invitation was for the weary to find rest in Him. These all have a spiritual tone and application to them. Many a person wears themselves out after a lifetime of work, but they have done little for the kingdom. Our verse is kingdom based. The labor was the faithfulness to God and the kingdom work that means so much to the Lord.

This must remind us of what our true job is. It’s not insurance, nursing, real estate, mechanics, or construction. Our true job is kingdom work. Saving souls, encouraging others, helping out where we can. Teaching. Building faith. Stronger homes. Better marriages. That’s our work.

Fourth, there would be others that must take up the torch and carry on this work. Our Revelation passage tells of those who die in the Lord. Once they crossed through that doorway of death, their labors and work here ended. Now, who would do it? Revelation was not written to the dead, but the living saints in those seven churches. They would have to labor where the others once were. This is the idea of a legacy. Who will carry on after us? Are we training those who follow? Are we putting in place the next shepherds and preachers? Are we leaving this place better than we found it? Is the church in a better way because of us? Is it stronger and doing more?

I don’t know much about Kenneth MacKenzie. He sure died a long, long time ago. Someone thought he was special to be buried in the church building. There are no longer any church services in that building. In fact, there wasn’t a roof, only walls. No glass in the windows. But there remained MacKenzie. The world has moved on since his time, as it will do for us when we are no longer here.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. What a special place they hold in the Lord’s heart. The Lord has not forgotten, even though we might.

Roger

Jump Start # 1425

Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from Heaven, saying, ‘Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ “Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.’”

Recently, I took a trip to London. One of the highlights of that trip was visiting Westminster Abbey.   Westminster is the Queen’s church. It is the place of generations of coronations and the final resting place of many English monarchy. It started as a Catholic church but flipped over to Anglican or the Church of England, after Henry VIII. What a huge and historic building with more than 3,000 people, many of them very famous, buried within the building. One of the first prominent graves that one see, is that of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist. His grave is in the floor that visitors walk across. Darwin was the son of a minister but his scientific leanings moved him away from affirming creation. His classic book on Origins became the foundation block for generations of evolutionists. Today, most scientists have moved beyond Darwin, but he is still viewed as one of the founding fathers of natural selection and evolutionary thought. It seems strange that Darwin is buried in a church building. It is a bit ironic that everyday hundreds of people walk across his grave.

But Darwin’s grave in a church building is no more strange than it is for a couple to want to get married in a church building who do not believe in God nor have any desire to do what God says after they are married. There doesn’t seem to be much difference to me. Maybe some think that the setting will give the occasion a special blessing, but it doesn’t. Getting married in a barn, outdoors, a rented hall, or a church building doesn’t make the marriage more sacred nor give it a blessing from Heaven.

Our passage today, one that we have written often about, emphasizes, dying in the Lord. They died in the Lord because they first lived in the Lord. They walked in the Lord. They had obeyed the Lord. Their lives were defined and centered around the Lord. The passage is stressing the relationship that those early saints had with the Lord. They stayed with the Lord till the very end. Their lives were taken because they loved the Lord. They would not deny the Lord, even when faced with death. Their deaths did not take place in hospital rooms, but in the arenas of Rome where they were publicly executed. Their lives were stamped out, but not their hope, their voices, nor their faith. They continued on with Lord. They lived after death. They were now resting from their labors.

These thoughts remind us that it is not what is said at our funeral nor where we are finally buried that matters, but how we have chosen to walk with the Lord during our life. I expect many of the early Christians, poor and common as they were, had very simple funerals and today are buried in unmarked graves. Their names, their lives and what they did are all forgotten by us, but not God. He knows. He remembers. Our legacy therefore, is not in a stone monument that sits still in a cemetery. Rather, our legacy is in the lives of those that follow us. We each leave footprints that are visible to those dear to us. Our choices, our attitudes, what was important to us, become living monuments to our family and friends. This is what we will be remembered by.

Years ago I read a biography about Charles Darwin. He had a sweet daughter named Annie. At the age of ten, she became ill and died. Darwin adored his daughter. His biographer made the statement that her death was the end of any faith Darwin had in God. Unable to cope with why she had to die, unable to grasp why there is suffering in the world, unable to deal with grief, instead of becoming closer to God, Darwin, like thousands before him and after him, blamed God and walked away from God. For some, faith is only good as long as things are good with them. When life turns, when the dark clouds roll in, when they must journey through those dark valleys, for some, they think that should never happen. If God is, then sunshine ought to always prevail. If God is, then everything ought to turn out fine. Yet our passage reminds us that God’s people die. Some of them die violently. Some of them were executed for their faith. Sometimes the child dies. Sometimes things do not get better. Sometimes the journey is long and tearful. Where is God? Right where He has always been, upon His throne. He was there when the planes flew into the twin towers on 9-11. He was there when the bombs fell at Pearl Harbor. He was there when the rocks hit Stephen. He was there when the sword came down and took off the head of John the Baptist. He was there when the nails were driven into the hands of His own Son. The presence of pain, agony and disappointments is not an indication that God ceases to exist nor that He no longer cares nor loves us.

One of the great challenges of our faith is to remain loyal and true to God when the way is uphill and difficult. It’s easy to be a Sunday Christian when things are going well. We are given godly examples of those who walked by faith, such as in our passage today, even when that walk was hard.

Do you believe? Will you continue with the Lord,  even when it is hard? Those choices, not the location of your grave, is what makes all the difference.

Blessed are those who die in the Lord…there awaits for them a sweet rest and an amazing new home. God’s home, Heaven.

Won’t it be wonderful there?

Roger

Jump Start # 1388

Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from Heaven, saying, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”

  His name was Richard, but I always knew him simply as Dick. He was a friend and a good man. He passed from this life last Sunday morning. He was born on a Sunday and he died on a Sunday. I really like that. He died on the one year anniversary of another dear friend’s death, Billy.

I had only known Dick for about seven years, but the time was stacked full of memories. We had golfed together. I cooked steaks on his charcoal grill in his back porch and then enjoyed a wonderful meal with him and his sweet wife, Billie. He had eaten in my home more than once. We loved to talk about N.B. Hardeman, one of his teachers in college. But more than all of those things, Dick was a preacher. He loved to tell folks that he taught school to support his preaching habit. The places he preached were small. The work that he did was grand. There is a special bond among preachers. We tend to understand each other, and although there was a generation difference, we had that bond. He taught the Gospel of John that was very rich and thorough. When we met, we both shared a common expression, “How ya’ doin’, preacher?” He was witty, sharp, and loved music. He was gifted in that area. We had some plans that just didn’t pan out. He was going to write some class material and more than that, we were working on having Dick read some of our Jump Starts so folks could listen to them as well as read them. He had a rich and easy listening voice. But sickness took over and finally took his life.

There are two special things I will always remember about Dick. He was always so kind to me and saw things that few others did. He would take me aside and ask me, “How is it that you can pull so much out of a verse?” Or, “How do you see all those things in a passage?” I even shared a few books with him that had helped me open my eyes and to look deeper. In his eighties, Dick wanted to learn to see and pull from Scriptures what I had learned. He was a student at heart. I hope I can be like that until God is finished with me.

The other thing I will always remember about Dick is that he was a true fan of our Jump Starts. He read them diligently and talked about them often. He was interested in how many readers we had and how far they were spreading. I shared some of your emails that have been written to me with Dick. I wish you could have seen the twinkle in his eyes as he read them. Being the teacher that Dick always was, he’d call me and say, “You didn’t study English in college did you?” I knew where he was going. I’d say, “No, I was a science major, mostly Biology. What did I do today in the Jump Start?” Then in his kind way, he’d instruct me, ‘you can’t go from past tense to future tense to present tense in the same sentence. Also, you mix the singular with the plural.” There would be a long pause. I’d say, “did I do that?” He’d laugh and say, “Boy, did you.”

I learned from this sweet man that a person needs to be kind when they correct others. He was that way with me. I saw in him the joy of the Scriptures. He loved to talk about passages. It came so easy to him. Dick probably didn’t realize it, but he was laboring and helping me, even to the end. And now, according to our passage, there is a sweet rest awaiting him.

Recently, someone asked, “Why are all the good ones leaving us?” I believe the technical answer would be that they have finished the journey that God had planned for them. But it may just be that they were ready. Maybe God is giving the rest of us more time. More time to be ready. More time to help others.

It is only fitting that I pull a famous passage of our Lord from the Gospel of John, the book that Dick cherished and understood so well. At the death of Lazarus, the Lord’s friend, Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” He will live even if he dies. That’s Dick. That’s the Lord’s promise. That awaits all of us who believe. Death isn’t the end. There is no “The End” to our story. The journey ends with God, not the cemetery. He lives even if he dies.

We can get so caught up being busy with things that simply do not matter. Our time here is precious. We can fuss and get folks all upset about things that really do not matter. Holding to faith, walking with the Lord, loving God’s people, and doing whatever we can to make things better, especially spiritually, are the labors that we ought to pursue and be engaged in. How tragic for a person to be given decades of life, only to say that he went to work, had a family and that’s about it. That’s it? We have before us each day the opportunity to shed light, be kind, show Jesus and improve the hope we have in Christ. I fear that when this time here is over and the Lord asks us what we have done, the only answer some will have is that they went to church. That’s it. That’s all. Isn’t there more that we can all do to help others? Remember the section, “I was hungry and you fed me…naked and you clothed me…” We could stretch this to, I was discouraged and you helped me, I didn’t understand and you taught me, I was afraid and you comforted me, I was mourning and you came to be with me, I was new and you included me, I was old and you helped me, I was young and you didn’t over look me. I was a preacher and you were kind to me.

The resting from our labors that our passage mentions, has nothing to do with working at an office for forty years. It does, however, have everything to do with our walk with the Lord. Those early brethren labored to keep the faith. They were chased, hunted down, abused and killed in the name of Christ. Yet their voices were not stilled nor quiet. The kingdom grew. The kingdom became strong. It was hard. They labored. This is the rest that they will enjoy. This is the work that we must do. Our jobs are not going to the office each day, our jobs is the kingdom work. Like my friend, Dick, we work to support our habit of building the kingdom.

Even this morning, I can see Dick saying to me, “Hello, my friend.” My friend. What a special, special person he was. My last words to him were, “I love you,” of which, he quickly fired back, in a soft, weakened voice,  “I love you, too.”

We are marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. Let us be busy in the kingdom, until the Lord stops us. I am blessed to have known so well this sweet, sweet man. I am thankful that the Lord allowed our paths to cross. The memories are rich. The stories are many. The time was much too short. However, his memory will not be forgotten.

Thank you, Dick Dewhirst. You were and remain a friend.

Thank you, Lord.

Do you believe?

Roger

Jump Start # 1137

Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from Heaven, saying, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.’”

NOTE: Tomorrow is a holiday and there will be no Jump Starts published.

The death of the righteous is precious to the Lord. The angels are summoned from Heaven to whisk the soul into the comforts of paradise. God is with the person all the way. A dear friend is at the doorway of death. His journey here is just about over. It saddens our congregation. He is a giant in his own way. He never preached. He never led a song. That wasn’t him. He served in other ways. He was the smile that greeted you when you entered the building. He was waiting with a hug just for you. Generous. Kind. Giving. Helpful. Sweet. Special. His kind set the temperature in the church. It was warm and friendly because of him.  Any day now, the phone will ring and word will spread that he is gone. I have already been shaping my words for his funeral. We are waiting. It’s time. He is already missed. What remains is not him. Seeing him grow weaker and weaker is not the vibrant, joyful person that we know.

Death is ugly. Death is painful. But thanks be to God, death is not the end. Our verse, one of many, reminds us that beyond death, there is something else. Death isn’t the end. Our journey doesn’t stop at the cemetery. My friend is moments away from feeling the best he has felt in years. Gone will be the torturous cancer that has taken his life. Gone are doctors, pills, shots, procedures, and feeling lousy. Gone forever. I believe his smile will return and joy will fill his heart again. He will be missed by hundreds, but especially by his dear family. But what joy awaits him and what a legacy he leaves us.

Our verse states that the deeds of the righteous follow them. It is the walk of faith that assures their place in Heaven as God promises. But those deeds. Those big and little things that were part of their lives, follow them. This is not to say that it is because of deeds that they are saved. We are not saved by works. But rather, our deeds are known by God and they are left as footprints, for others to follow. It is those deeds, done by the righteous, that have helped us. Those patient teachers of God’s word that shared the gospel with us and answered our questions. Those loving hearts that opened up their homes and invited us over for a meal and wonderful fellowship and joy. Those tender hearts that taught the children’s classes. Those big hearts that sat with us in the surgery waiting room, or held our hands at the funeral homes, or kindly kicked us in the pants and got us going when we wanted to quit. We remember. We are better because of those things. It’s those deeds, those wonderful, wonderful deeds, that follow.

It is those deeds that we remember later in life. We can never forget. It’s those deeds that we try to repeat and show to others. We became better because of those deeds. Those wonderful, wonderful deeds remind us  that he was a person who was selfless and had the heart of a servant. They came when we needed them. They didn’t give up on us. They lived Christ. They believed. We are better because of them.

It is those deeds that we need to be about doing. Those deeds are our true jobs and occupation. It is being there for others. It is taking the time and going out of the way. It is helping. It is teaching. It is hugs and smiles. It is being generous. It is being forgiving. It is complementing. It is encouraging. That is our task. That is what we need to be about. It is those deeds that build churches, strengthen families and give hope to  fainting hearts. The deeds of the righteous. They follow them. They are remembered. They are treasured.

My friend excelled in such deeds. The gifts, the kindness, the love he showed was felt by many, but especially me. Now it’s time for him to leave this room. God has another room awaiting him. He will love it. Now who will fill his place? Now who will pick up where he left off? My heart wants to hold his hand and go with him. We have talked about this so many times. I have talked about this subject with him more than any other person. We have studied it. We have asked questions. We have wondered about it. We have explored it as best as we could. I know he knows. I know he believes. He is ready. The door will open and he will enter the next room. What confidence, faith and hope he has. For him, I am so glad. We send him off with the best hope and prayers. The door will shut until it’s our time to enter the next room. I expect he’ll be near the door, arms opened, ready to give each of us a hug. That’s just the way he is.

I’m thankful at this Independence time that God gives us freedom from the toils of this life. I’m thankful for other rooms that we do not see. I’m thankful for good and righteous people, like Billy, who chose to make a difference. His deeds follow. His deeds will not be forgotten. His deeds have helped. His deeds have made a difference.

And now, the rest of us must return to life. Our deeds? What are we doing? Are we too obsessed with self to notice others? Are we too busy with jobs to be about our real jobs—the deeds of the righteous? Are we failing to do what is most important and what makes the greatest impact? What will follow you? What will the righteous remember about you?

Thank you, Lord. Thank you for sharing Billy with us.

Roger

Jump Start # 823

Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from Heaven saying, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so  that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.’”

This Jump Start is dedicated to my friend and fellow preacher Marty Pickup

Yesterday morning I was teaching our passage to a group. It was a good study. About the same time I was teaching, my friend, Marty, was playing tennis in Florida. He loved to play tennis. He collapsed during a game and passed away. His death shocked and stunned so many of us. Marty was only 53. He was a brilliant gospel preacher. His studies in ancient Judaism and the formation of the Bible was incredible. Marty was so smart. But more than that, he was so kind and so helpful. I have many fond memories of him. He called a while back about something that was very important to him and we had nearly an hour conversation. He sent me one of his articles that he was working on and wanted my advice. I was flattered that he wanted my thoughts.

Marty’s sudden death brought back a flood of memories of his sister’s sudden death several years ago. She was a member of the congregation I was preaching at then in Kansas City. I remember Marty speaking so kindly to me before I preached her funeral. That was difficult. She was a dear friend.

The suddenness of Marty’s death takes one’s breath away but that itself is not all that uncommon. Car accidents, disasters, and other mishaps takes a life nearly every day. I think what has shaken me so much was that Marty was so good. He was so needed. He was a major influence in God’s kingdom. His articles, his preaching and his love for the Lord gave us a depth and a freshness that was helpful to so many of us. Just last night I read a series of Marty’s articles about the formation of the books of the Bible. It was thorough, researched and very readable to a common mind like mine. Why is it that the good ones go? We could use decades more of Marty’s love and teaching. Why is it that those who don’t care remain? My good wife reminded me of what I knew. Marty was ready. The Lord is being patient with the others, giving them opportunity to change.

My mind was unsettled last night. I kept thinking of Marty’s dear family. I remember what it was like for his sister’s family. I was there. It was hard, tearful, but thankful for a life well lived. I kept thinking about Marty. I wonder what he was seeing. I wonder if he and his sister met. I thought about our passage today. Although written specifically to encourage those who daily were facing execution because of their faith, there is a lasting and broader truth to what is said. There is a blessing for those who die in the Lord.

First, they are finished with all the troubles of this life. Our country is quickly throwing God overboard. Same sex marriage will be a reality before long. Folks don’t see that there is a line connecting evolution, atheism, violence, homosexuality and a selfish spirit that is dominating our times. People want to do what they want. There are consequences to such arrogance. The worst is a life without God leads to an eternity without God. My friend, Marty is finished with this fight. He leaves this mess. He finished what God wanted. He is home safe. Never to be tempted again. Never to sin again. Never to hear bad news again. There is a tug on the hearts of the righteous to want to join him. He is so blessed.

Second, they are experiencing the reality of their faith. How many sermons, how many songs, how many prayers do the righteous experience before they see with their own eyes the beauty and splendor of the Lord. The Bible is true. God is right. God is upon the throne. Those noble truths come to a reality when those in the Lord die.

Third, even though they leave us, their footprints remain. Our passage tells us that “their deeds follow them.” Much like Abel, in Hebrews 11, that though he is dead, he still speaks. All of us leave footprints in the sands of time as the great poet once wrote. Our children’s first impression of marriage comes from what they see at home. The greatest sermons our families witness are the ones lived out day after day at home. Some day you will leave this place. Your family and friends will remember your attitudes, choices, spirit, devotion and love. Some talk a good game, others live it. The articles, sermons, spirit and devotion of my friend Marty, will long help others, including me. All of us connect and influence others. You leave an impression upon others. People see you for what you do and how you conduct yourself. Some of us carry sorry and negative attitudes all our lives. We feel that we are victims. Others, such as my friend, Marty, grasped the heart of a servant. Helping others. Being there for others. Mentoring others. Teaching others. Giving. Sharing. What a legacy. What footprints. What are you leaving for others to follow?

Finally, the death of God’s children puts a seriousness upon us. Life is short. Time is precious. Although I have a deep sense of wanting to be on the other side, I remain here. There is a work that continues on. There is a fight and a struggle for God that we must be engaged in. It is so easy to be caught up in the shallow, superficial things that do not matter. The death of the righteous reminds us that God is good to us. It reminds us that we must be about God’s work. It reminds us that we are on a destination.

How thankful we are that the story of our lives does not end with the cemetery. How thankful we are that Jesus conquered death and Satan. How thankful we are that God has made us in His image. How thankful we are that God wants us to spend forever with Him.

Do you know someone who doesn’t know Jesus? It’s time to tell them. Do you know someone who is stuck in the shallowness and sinfulness of this world? It’s time to tell them. How about us? How serious are we? How dedicated are we? How faithful are we?

Someday will be our last day…are you ready?

Thanks, Marty. Rest sweet, brother. I already miss you. God will take care of you!

Roger