14

Jump Start # 199

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 199

Nehemiah 13:31b “…Remember me, O my God, for good.”

  This passage ends the book of Nehemiah. Four times in this chapter and once earlier in the book, Nehemiah states this expression, “Remember me, O my God…” This is a great statement and is due our attention. He wanted God to remember him.

  That is an interesting twist. Generally, we think, and rightly so, that we are the ones who ought to remember God. We have a way of forgetting. The weekly assembling of the saints and the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper are God’s ways to keep us from forgetting. I hate to think how many days, or weeks, would pass without a thought of God, if we didn’t have these reminders.

  But Nehemiah is not saying, I need to remember God. Rather, God, remember me. For anyone to remember someone else, there has to be a history there. You can’t remember going to visit a place, if you have never been there. A history must be there. God had a history with Nehemiah. Throughout this book Nehemiah prays and prays to God. He calls upon the people to follow God. He encourages the reading of the Law of God. Nehemiah led the nation to a spiritual revival with God. There was much to remember.

  Nehemiah wasn’t perfect, none of us are. He had mistakes, failures and sins. We all do. He would do things differently, if he was allowed to. We understand this. But his prayer is that God would remember him for good, meaning, for the good that he has done.

  This prayer ought to be our prayer. We ought to say, “Remember me, O my God, for good.” To do this, we first must have a history with God. Would the Lord respond, “Remember what?” Or, “I don’t really know you, you were always too busy for me.”  Following Nehemiah’s example we need to talk to God often. Pray before the busy day starts. As you eat, be thankful. Pray for others. Pray that your attitude will be right. Build a history with God.

  Then, too, Nehemiah had been busy doing good. Remember me, O my God, for good is the thought. God’s people are “do gooders.” Not in the negative sense, but true to the expression, we do good. We help others. We make time for others. We find ways to shed some sunshine into the lives of others. This is done not to boast or draw attention, but rather, because it is just the right thing to do. Besides, this is the way Jesus was, and we tend to do what Jesus did. Doing good builds a history in which things can be remembered.

  How will people remember you? The person who owned a bunch of stuff? The person who worked and worked all the time? The grump? The kind neighbor? More so, how will God remember you? We hope that it is for the good that you are doing.

  Great prayer…great admonition for all of us.

Roger

13

Jump Start # 198

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 198

Revelation 1:17  “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades.”

  Revelation is a visionary book. It is not intended to be confusing nor scary, but comforting. It shows that those who remain steadfast with Jesus will win. We win!

  As the book opens, John hears a voice. He turns to see who is speaking. Without saying it is Jesus, we know it is Jesus. Four verses are used to describe the one who was speaking. His eyes were like fire. His feet were like bronze. His hair was white. His face was shinning like the sun. A sword came out of his mouth. There is no one in history that fits this description other than Jesus. Our verses confirm this.

  I am interested in two thoughts from our verses. First, when John saw Jesus, he fell at the feet of Jesus like a dead man. He dropped. John had seen Jesus before. He was one of the apostles. He was one of the witnesses to the transfiguration of Jesus. He was in the room when the resurrected Jesus was present. John had a long history with Jesus. But here he falls. There is something of reverence and devotion implied in those words. Too many lack that today. The way you hear some talk, they’d high five Jesus and say, “what’s up, Dude?” They don’t know what they are talking about. They don’t know Jesus. He became like one of us but He is not one of us. He is God. Bowing is the proper position before Jesus. John knew that he was standing before the Holy One of Heaven and earth. Reverence is an attitude that is demonstrated in the way we talk, the way we worship and the way we view the Bible. Holy is God. Be done with taking the name of God in vain, saying the name “God” as an emotional outburst of joy or anger. God deserves better than that. Hallowed be His name is what Jesus said. Reverence is displayed by taking God’s word seriously and obeying what God says.

  John fell as a dead man. I’m glad that’s in the Bible. Sometimes I forget. Sometimes we treat God so much like a friend that we forget that He is God. John fell.

  The second thought: Jesus touched John with His right hand. Jesus was always touching. Have you noticed that? Lepers, he touched. Blind people, He touched. Dead, He touched. There is something about a touch or a hug. It invites acceptance and love. It shows what the other person thinks. In so many of the miracles, Jesus could have said, “Be healed” from a distance, but instead, He reached out and touched. John was sacred. What do kids do when they are scared? They run to Mom & Dad’s bed and climb in. Why? It’s the presence that assures. The storm may still be howling outside, but the presence of Mom and Dad makes the storm easier to tolerate. Jesus touched. He wanted John to know that everything was fine. He was there.

  Reverence and assurance. They are found together in this passage and they are found together in faith. Without reverence there can not be assurance. But when they are together what a wonderful relationship they make. They both help us. Reverence keeps us God focused. Assurance keeps us going. We need both.

  I like to think when we are all done with this life that we will fall at the feet of Jesus. I expect that Jesus will put His right hand upon our shoulder and even have a smile on His face.  He tends to do things like that, doesn’t He?

Roger

12

Jump Start # 197

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 197

1 Thessalonians 2:14 “For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews.”

  Follow the leader is a principle that God loves. God wants us to do what Jesus did. God wants us to follow the examples and pattern of the apostles and early Christians. Paul showed this concept when teaching about the Lord’s Supper. He said, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you…” (1 Cor 11:23). Paul also taught, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil 4:9).

  Follow the leader. That’s exactly what the Thessalonians were doing. They were imitating the churches of Judea. Specifically, as the first Christians endured persecution so were the Thessalonians. And more than that, they imitated the faith and dedication to Christ that the first Christians manifested.

  Imitating the original. Backward looking. That is so opposite of our times. Most want to be innovative, forward thinking, cutting edge, blazing new trails, adopting new ideas and new practices. This thinking moved us from the old dial telephones to our do-it-all cell phones. Technology has made it possible for me to write this Jump Start on my laptop and send it to you via email. Advances in medicine are keeping us alive longer. Business is always looking for new ways and new ideas. We love new gadgets, more channels on TV and the latest whatever. But when it comes to our faith, our worship, the church, we must put on the brakes. It is backward we look not forward. We practice what was done in the New Testament. We are interested in going back to the Bible pattern and not going forward in innovations. What would we notice by copying the churches in Judea? We see that the disciples met on Sunday. There they sang, preached, prayed and took the Lord’s Supper. We would see that as a church their mission was spiritual. We would have also noticed that faith and baptism were taught as the means of getting into Christ. Singing in those early churches was without instruments. Each congregation was independent and overseen by shepherds or elders.

  In too many places, the modern church has given up on copying what was done originally. Instead, the modern church mimics big business. The language is more like business than it is Biblical. The concepts and practices are straight from leadership books instead of the Bible. Fund raiser experts and growth gurus are hired to manage the church. The modern church has simply outgrown the ancient ways and the ancient gospel. How sad. Have we gotten smarter than God? Do we really think we know how to do things better than God does? It is not uncommon to wonder, “Is it a school, a business, or a church?” Who knows?

  The problem is not the modern church, it’s us. Too many of us have out grown the ancient ways and the ancient gospel. God seems too strict and too narrow for many of us. So we simply side step those areas. We still like talking about love, because love is still in. We like talking about helping others because that’s still in. But holiness, righteousness, obedience to Christ? Not in these times. When folks don’t have the Bible as the core of their faith, something else has to hold them together. What works today is having a good time and feeling good about things. Isn’t that the flavor of the week in so many churches today? Preachers are comedians, even dressing the part. The music is to please us, like a concert. Food, games and good times are the drawing card. I know. I see it. I hear all about it. It wouldn’t take much to be a part of it.

  But I’m drawn to those Thessalonians who simply wanted to imitate the churches of Judea. I’m interested in pleasing God. I want to hear that Bible preached and preached. I want to know. I want to connect. I want God at the core of my heart. I want to imitate those early churches. I want that primitive religion that is interested in simply putting God and His ways first. How about you?

  Is the church you attend imitating what was done in the Bible? Do you know? Does it matter to you? Are you following the leader? It’s a matter of back to the Bible or forward to who knows where or what.

Roger

11

Jump Start # 196

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 196

1 Corinthians 12:15 “If the foot says, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.”

  Our passage for today is taken from a section of Corinthians in which Paul is describing “body parts.” The context has to do with spiritual gifts. Through the Holy Spirit some of the early Christians were able to prophesy, others could speak in tongues, some had a special knowledge. This was essential for survival of these young churches. The New Testament was in the process of being written. They needed to know the message of Jesus Christ. We can easily turn to Galatians, James, or Hebrews to study. They couldn’t. Those books were in the process of being written and were not widely available at that time. The messages were crucial. God allowed certain Christians to have knowledge to teach, others had prophecy to teach and others had the gift of tongues to help spread the word. The Corinthian church made a bigger deal out of the people having the gifts than they did the message these gifts delivered. They especially loved the gift of tongues. To the Corinthians that was the greatest.

  Paul’s message in this chapter tries to show that every part is necessary. He lists the foot, the ear, the eye, the nose and the hand. Essential parts, every one of them. They represent our senses. To lose any one of these in our society today, a person would be considered handicapped. Paul does name things like ear lobes, toe nails or hair. I’m sure those are all important but nothing like ears, eyes, nose and feet.

  Each part has it’s own function. Feet do not do what hands do. Ears do not do what nose does. Does that mean then, that one is more important than the other? Our face gets more attention than our feet do. Often our feet are covered up with socks and shoes. We shave our faces, put on make up, comb our hair, brush our teeth and put a lot of attention to our face. Is our face more important than our feet? Try walking without feet?

  Paul’s point is that our bodies have different parts that do different things and they receive different amount of attention, but all of parts are important. Every one of them. The lesson he is making is about the church. The church has different members and they receive different amounts of attention, but all of the members are important. Let me explain. The preacher is very visible. Everyone knows the preacher’s name. Often on a sign board the name of the preacher is listed. His name appears on the official stationary and on the bulletin. There is a lot of attention, often too much, placed upon the preacher. The elders are just as visible. But I think about some of the wonderful members where I preach. They don’t seem visible. Their names will only be found in a directory or picture board. They are steady, reliable and dependable. It is their support that helps pay the preacher. Without them there wouldn’t be an audience to teach classes or to have an assembly to worship. They are the back bone of the church. They come. They invite. They can be counted upon. Now, who is more important? The preacher who preaches? Or the audience who is preached to? Both need each other. Both depend upon each other. Both do different things. Both are essential. When we forget this, trouble, zealously and problems are soon to follow.

  We see the same concept in sports. Who is the most important player in a football game? The quarterback? Or the receiver who catches the ball? Or, the linemen who blocks? Or, the coach who calls the play? Or, field goal kicker? Or, the fans in the stand whose attendance supports the team? Most important? Can’t say. Some get more attention. Each has a different function, but all are important. It’s that true of a company? Without the CEO the company couldn’t make it. But without workers in the factory the CEO wouldn’t have a job. Different functions, different roles. All important.

  I think we would all be much better off just forgetting this, “whose the most important” stuff. It only leads to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. It also helps us to realize just how valuable everyone is.

  In God’s kingdom, you have a role. You are needed and you are important. You may see yourself only as a foot, but without those feet, the church can’t move. You may be hands, so serve well. You may be a voice, praise and teach all. You may be eyes, look for opportunity. This also tells us that no one of us can do it all. Paul had Timothy, Silas, Barnabas, and Apollos. He couldn’t be Paul without them. Eyes can’t listen. Ears can’t see. To be the church that God wants us to be, every part, every member must be functioning.

  See how God sees you! Without you, we just couldn’t be what we are.

 Roger

08

Jump Start # 195

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 195

1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”

  Often the apostle Paul draws illustrations from sports, especially the Roman games. Later in this chapter, Paul refers to boxing. I wonder if Paul would have been an ESPN guy if he were around today. Running the race, that is Paul’s analogy. The race would have been a distance race. Those short sprints are fun to watch in the summer Olympics, but they are not the illustration of life. Nothing seems short. Raising kids involves at least 18 years and most often more than that. Work takes years and years before a person can retire. I don’t know anyone who had cancer for just one day and then they were cancer free. It doesn’t happen that way. And this analogy works for the Christian journey as well. If all we had to do was just live one day for Jesus, that wouldn’t be too hard. But it’s a lifetime. We can become weary, sidetracked, discouraged and distracted. This is why you will find passages telling us to be “diligent” or to, “press on,” or to, “always abound.”

  Paul tells the Corinthians that they needed to run with the goal of winning. Not all do that. I know many who have run marathons and their goal was just to finish. They knew they wouldn’t win. But here, we are to run with the mind to win. And what is winning for the Christian, it’s Heaven. It is being awarded the crown of life.

  There are obviously certain ways to run. We see this in our neighborhoods. A guy who is running in leather dress shoes doesn’t have a chance. His poor feet are going to get blisters and be in terrible shape. He’s not serious about winning. You don’t see a guy running with a soft drink in one hand and a donut in the other. He’ll never finish. It’s so easy to see the negative in this. The same is true spiritually.

  The guy who rarely shows up at church services, isn’t serious about his journey with Christ. A guy who rarely prays or almost never opens his Bible doesn’t have a chance. His faith isn’t going to be fed and he will wither away very quickly.

  The early Christians did as much outside of church services as they did within. Daily they were praying. Daily they were searching the Scriptures. Daily they were connecting with each other. Daily—not just once in a while…not just on Sunday. Why? Did the apostles give them a guilt trip if they didn’t? No. They wanted to win. They weren’t just in the race, they were running to win.

  A world class athlete has to say no to many things. When friends want to go and stay out late, he says, “No,” because he is in training. When they want to eat a bunch of junk, again, he says, “No.” But he also must say “yes.” When others are sleeping in on a cold Saturday morning, he must say “Yes” to getting up and running. When he is tired and just wants to crash in front of the TV set, his inner drive screams, “Yes to more training.” He pushes. He drives. He’s focused. He wants to win.

  For us, it is the same. We must say, “No” to the things that will keep us from winning. And when we don’t feel like doing things, we have to say “Yes” because we know that we must keep going, because we want to win.

  Some days are easier than others. Some days you really have to work at it. The goal must stay before us, or else we’ll stop. Do you want to win? Run that way! It starts today!

Roger