17

Jump Start # 519

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 519 

Luke 15:1-2 “Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming hear Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eat with them.’”

  Our verse today sets the stage for three great parables of Jesus. Instead of simply answering these charges, Jesus told three parables—which in many ways could be seen as one parable with three points. The lost sheep…the lost coin…and the lost boys—we know the last one as the parable of the prodigal son. Those three lessons were Jesus’ answer to those complaints from the Pharisees.

  The Pharisees typically get a bum rap from most folks today. Sure they were narrow, but they were careful. They would rather be safe than sorry. They were conservative and they loved God. They made more rules than God did just to keep folks on the safe side of things. It was those rule, man-made as they were, that caused them to trip and stumble. Today, we’d look at those things as being opinions, but they were much stronger than opinions. To violate one of their rules, was to violate God’s law, in their way of thinking.

  Most of us would never see ourselves in the same hemisphere of thinking as those early Pharisees, but in fact, many of us can be when it comes to certain subjects. We all have opinions. Years ago I read an article where the author said “opinions are like noses—everyone has one and everyone thinks theirs is the best.” Well said.

  Opinions typically take us two places. First, we use our opinions to gauge other people. Our opinions become measuring rod as to how serious, how faithful, how close of a Christian someone might be. Our opinions are used to judge others. This is what happened in our Luke passage. Jesus didn’t measure up. As a result, they could not view Jesus as the Messiah. The Holy One of Israel, in their minds, would not even get close to sinners. Their opinions did two things to them. First, it led to ridiculous conclusions. Opinions, especially the lopsided ones, tend to do that. They felt that Jesus should not eat with sinners. Simon had that problem when Jesus came to his home. A woman anointed the feet of Jesus with her tears. Simon fumed because if Jesus was indeed a prophet, He would have known what kind of person she was. Jesus did. Simon, and the rest of the Pharisees would rather Jesus avoid “those kind of people.” Where their conclusion took them was really ridiculous. They never viewed themselves as sinners, but they were. If Jesus refused to eat with sinners, then He would have to eat every meal by Himself. He’d be like the kid at the school cafeteria who sits by Himself. They never got that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. It was the sick who need a physician. Opinions will do that. They will lead to crazy ideas, and the reason is that often we don’t think out where our opinions lead us to. I’ve heard some whoppers before and the folks that stated them were adamant and unbending about them. Opinions tend to do that to us. We have a hard time letting them go or worse, associating with those who have a different opinion. That’s hard for most folks.

  The second place opinions take us to is to make us seem better than we are. Opinions do that. We use them to judge others and since they don’t do what we do, they are wrong and we are right. That’s the natural place opinions take us. That’s what happened with the Pharisees. Jesus should not eat with sinners and since He was, He was wrong and they were right. Opinions can sometimes, often times, trip us and stand in the way of God’s word.

  We all have opinions– they become the steering wheel of our lives. Simply things such as which translation of the Bible I like, where I sit in the building, which songs the song leader ought to lead, how quickly mamas ought to take out crying babies, how dressed up we ought to be for services, how long prayers ought to be, where the elders ought to stand at the end of services, how warm or cool the temperature should be, how often someone ought to come and visit me and on and on we can go. And opinions generally flow into a conversation very innocently. Usually something like this, “You know, here’s how I think they ought to do things…” and off we go telling others our opinions. My opinions are the best opinions, just ask me and I’ll tell you. Isn’t that just what happens?

  Now, we all have opinions. Our past, our understanding of Scriptures, our influences, even the baggage we carry through life all shape and mold our opinions. So how can we get along? Strong opinions will butt heads and drive folks away. The Pharisees were good at that.

  Here are a few of Roger’s suggestions (boy, that sounds like opinions doesn’t it):

  • Know the difference between what the Bible teaches and what is your opinion. Those two are not always the same. Some versions of the Bible are better than others, but God doesn’t “AUTHORIZE” which one.

 

  • Understand that other people will have different opinions than I do. Again, we must stand upon God’s word. There is no opinion about that. Saying something is white when God calls it black, isn’t an opinion, it’s wrong. That’s plain and simple. Everyone has favorites and they are not the same. That’s why there are so many options on the menu at the restaurant. Everyone has different tastes. Knowing this, and knowing the word of God, I must grasp that my thoughts help me steer my life, but they may not work for someone else. Their opinion fits them.

 

  • For us to get along, we have to give up some of our opinions. We love the game Monopoly in the Shouse house. We have modified a few of the rules and call them “Shouse rules.” When we play, we play by Shouse rules. Sometimes we have someone who doesn’t know those rules or they don’t like those rules. They’ve never played it that way. So, we often drop the Shouse rules so we can play the game. Some of our opinions have to go out the window when we are working with others. It’s called cooperation. The Bible word is unity. What kills unity more than anything else is opinions. Everyone wants it their way. Have you ever noticed how many church buildings have little locked cases around the thermostats? It’s not about theft—it’s about the cold people making it warmer and the hot people making it cooler. The conclusion, was to lock the thermostat. That’s a sad commentary on getting along. But it’s worse when folks leave and break fellowship with a congregation because of opinions. They didn’t get their way and so off they go.

 

  • Most do not see themselves as opinionated. I know I don’t. But I also know I have some rather powerful views of how things ought to be. Those in leadership have to especially watch their opinions because they influence so many. I had to chew some of my opinions recently. I’m a gadget guy and love technology, but a while back someone asked me what the Scripture reading was going to be on a Sunday morning. I noticed he didn’t have a Bible. He looked it up on his cell phone. I’m a Bible guy. I like the book in my hand and I like to see the book. He took a phone. It bothered me. I had to get over it. What he read was word for word what my printed book said. There was no difference. It was a matter of technology and someone having a certain opinion. We are faced with things like that all the time. How we handle them says a lot about us. 

  We all have opinions. We must realize other people do to. We must realize what works for me may not work for others. Let’s not be accusing folks of doing wrong, when they are doing right—they just happen to be doing things differently than my opinion allows.

  Important thoughts for us to chew upon, I hope they help.

Roger

16

Jump Start # 518

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 518 

Acts 9:36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.

  Dorcas finds her place in our Bibles for one main reason—she died and Peter resurrected her.  She made an impression upon the Christians where she lived. Her death caused them to send for Peter. When Peter arrived, they showed the apostle the tunics that Dorcas had made.

  I used this passage recently in a class I was teaching on love. One of the definitions of love, as given in 1 Corinthians 13, is that ‘love is kind.’ Kind hearts are the fountain of kind words, kind thoughts and kind deeds. Such was Dorcas. I don’t know of any Bible classes that she taught. She may have, the Bible doesn’t say. I don’t know that she fed any of the apostles. Might have, but the Bible doesn’t say. I don’t know if she ever met the Lord—I rather doubt it. What she could do was sew. She made tunics and garments and she gave them to others. Now that’s nice, but in the big picture of things we often put little value in such things. God didn’t. He allowed Peter to go and raise her from the dead. The disciples didn’t. They sent for Peter to come.

  Dorcas is a classic example that kind deeds do not have to be big, involve many people or even be known by many. She made tunics and shared them with others. Inspiration tells us that she “abounded in deeds of kinds.”

  There are two great lessons here. First, what she did made a difference to the lives of others.  She helped. Her gifts encouraged. She was thinking of others as she made those tunics. Abound in kindness by making a difference to others. I know some modern Dorcas’ today. They don’t make tunics, they make other things. They are always eager to share. Sometimes it’s a gift, sometimes it’s food. It may be inviting someone to a college basketball game. It may be giving books to a young preacher. It may be a check to help with a preacher’s trip overseas. It may be groceries brought over to someone who is new to the neighborhood. It may be loaning someone a car when their car is in the shop. Kindness. Thinking of others. Generous. Helpful. Encouraging. That’s this Dorcas.

  The other thought here is that Dorcas had died. The disciples still had her tunics. Her work outlasted her. After she was gone, people were remembering what she had done. In Revelation we read, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord…for their works follow them (14:13). What they did outlasted them.

  Someday you and I will be gone. Some will remember us. Our families will. Our dear friends will. Others might. What will they remember? What outlasts us? What will follow us? Will it be deeds of kindness? Will it be a generous and thoughtful heart that we are remembered for? Will it be compassion and love or will it be a cranky, mean spirit that always fussed and had to have his way?

  Dorcas was loved because she touched the lives of others. What a different story this would be had Dorcas made tunics but kept them all. Trunks and trunks full of tunics all over her house. Dozens and dozens of them. Many never worn. All folded and put away but never used, never shared, never benefiting anyone. Some are like that. Dorcas wasn’t. She gave away her tunics. She shared. Others benefited by her labor. They had her tunics to show Peter.

  Do you see a lesson for us in all of this? We can be busy with making our tunics, but what do we do with them? Sell them to make a profit? Store them away? Keep them to ourselves or share them with others. I expect all of us have our own form of tunics, something we are good at. It may be cooking. It may be in wood working. It may be playing an instrument. It may be sewing like Dorcas. It may be in lifting spirits. What do we do with those tunics?

  Dorcas abounded in deeds of kindness. People remembered. We, having never met Dorcas, are told her story all these years later. I have no idea what Dorcas looked like. I tend to think of her as a sweet grandmother type, but couldn’t prove that. I do know one thing, I expect if I lived near her, she would have made me a tunic. That’s just the way Dorcas is. Sweet, kind and generous. She may have always been that way, but much of it came from being a disciple of Jesus. Jesus was just that—kind, generous and thoughtful. It’s hard not becoming that way when you spend time reading the Gospels. The goodness of Jesus tends to rub off the pages and into our lives. Folks that are bitter and sour in spirit simply do not know Jesus. Some are so engaged in fighting that they run out of real battles and start fighting imaginary ones—with anyone.  Often it’s family members, or church members, but after awhile it’s with just about anyone that will give them an ear. How sad. When they are gone, what will they be remembered for? Causing heartache and pain in the lives of other?

  I like Dorcas. I want to be like her. I want to share with others and try to make a difference in their lives. I want to abound in kindness. Maybe these Jump Starts are my tunics, I don’t know. I expect you have some tunics that you could share with others.

  Abound in kindness…that has a neat expression. The world would be a better place if everyone abounded in kindness—it starts with us. It starts with me. It starts with my tunics.  It starts today.

  Roger

13

Jump Start # 517

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 517

1 Thessalonians 4:1 “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”

    Paul puts before us a wonderful concept—walking and pleasing God. The way we walk ought to please God. These brethren were given instructions on how to do that very thing. You and I have those same instructions.

  This concept brings before us the importance of thinking spiritually every day and every where. It’s not just a Sunday thing. In the dog eat dog world of business, one must walk and please his God. It can be done. In sports, walk and please God. No breaking the rules. At school, walk and please God. No cheating on tests. No trashing the feelings of others.

  It seems to me that the more we walk and please God, the better our walk becomes. Our walk tends to be joyful when we are pleasing God. There is a certain spring in our step. Nothing beats pleasing God. The day can be a disaster, we’ve all had them, yet we can still please God. Even preachers get bad days. Computers don’t feel like computing, copiers quit copying, the mind is empty and blank with dead lines approaching. Every phone call is a salesman who is annoying. The clock keeps ticking, the pressure mounts, nothing seems to fall into place. We wish we could rewind, go back and start the day over. But you can’t. There are days in which it seems that you get nothing done. Even in all of this, if one ends the day, pleasing God, it’s been a good day.

  You don’t have to do great things to please God. You can if you want, but generally, it’s the everyday things that really matter. First, it begins by just thinking of Him. It’s hard to please Him if you don’t think of Him. How can we do that? The day gets busy. Computers, texts, emails, phone calls, interruptions, paper work, people to talk to…the day can be filled and crazy. Remember God? Some might think, “I can hardly remember my self.” On my desk, I have a picture of my wife, Debbie. It’s not that I forget what she looks like or I don’t remember that I’m married, but it’s simply a reminder. My desk is often cluttered with books, paperwork, phones and sometimes even lunch. In the busyness of the day, I see that picture and it makes me think of her. Maybe a Bible on your desk would do the same for you. Not a big monster size Bible, but just a simple one. You see it and you remember Him. You remember how much He loves you. You remember that in your busy day, He’s not forgotten you. It helps you to please Him. It helps you to walk with Him.

  Maybe a CD of some hymns to play in the car ride home. That sure beats whatever is on the radio. Hymns have a way of calming us down, getting our order in order and they bring us to Him. You remember Him. That adjusts your walk. That fixes your attitude. That puts you in the position to please Him.

  Maybe at dinner, everyone holds hands and you say a real prayer. You thank the Lord for all that you were able to do. Again you connect to Him. That makes you think of your walk. That leads you to please Him.

  Walking and pleasing…it’s almost like, right foot, left foot. The more you walk with God, the more you please Him. The more you please Him, the more you walk with Him. Right foot, left foot.

  Now in doing this, you’ll find that you are thinking about God every day. Soon, you’ll discover that you think about God all the time. Then you find out that you hardly ever turn off the “God button” in your heart and mind. Your speech starts reflecting that. You attitude shows it. Others will notice that you seem at peace, joyful and confident. And why not, you are pleasing God and walking with Him. Nothing could be better.

  All of this is connected to be able to think about God throughout the day. Without thinking about Him, I will not think much of my walk and then I will not think any of pleasing Him. What happens is that God is stuffed in a box called Sunday and that’s about the only time I open it up.

  Thinking about God…that’s the key. That’s the first step of this walk. Don’t have time? Sure you do. Too busy? Never for God. Need help? It’s there, just look for it.

  Walking and pleasing…what two great concepts that are really joined together.

Roger

12

Jump Start # 516

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 516 

Matthew 4:4 “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” 

  Words—that powerful, ancient and wonderful way of communication is the avenue God chose to reveal His will and open His heart to us. Words. The Bible begins with, “In the beginning God SAID…” The Gospel of John opens with, “In the beginning was the Word…”

  It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but God didn’t think so. He chose words. He could have sent a picture of the crucifixion, but instead He sent words about it. He could have shown one image of Heaven, but instead He chose a postcard of words.

  There is something up front about words. Art and music are subject to interpretation. The use of color, and other impressions all tell a story in an artist’s painting. I never did understand that. I’ve stood in an art museum and listened to someone explain what the painting I was looking at meant. She talked about the anger of a broken childhood, the influence of war and a bunch of things that I never saw in that painting. Classical music is the same way. I hear it getting louder and softer but those are intended to be moods which stand for something. Words aren’t like that. They have definitions. They can be translated, copied, memorized, repeated over and over.

  Our passage comes from the temptation of Jesus. Satan was trying to trick the Lord. Jesus had fasted for forty days. He was hungry. Satan told Jesus to turn the rocks into bread. Jesus didn’t do it. He never did what Satan wanted. Instead He responded with our verse.

  Notice Jesus didn’t say, don’t eat bread at all. He understood that we need bread. Bread fills the body and is the energy to keep us going. But there’s something that bread can’t feed and that is the soul. A person needs bread and the word of God. We need them both. Every word that proceeds from God’s mouth is important. Timothy was told that “All Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable…” All Scripture…Every word. God didn’t ramble on with useless things. He didn’t put filler in just to lengthen the book.

  God’s word is to our soul what bread is to our bodies. It nourishes, strengthens, energizes and keeps us going. Without it we become weak, sickly and will die. That’s the value of the Word of God.

  Words are vehicles that move our minds, hearts and behavior. When driving and we come to an intersection and we see the word STOP—we do that. A professor in British Columbia a few years ago was ticketed for “rolling through” a stop sign. Instead of paying the fine, he took it to court. Eventually it went to the highest court. His argument that he stuck with was, ‘what does stop mean?’ The scary thing is that this guy was teaching college. It wasn’t the word “Stop” that needed to be defined, it was his behavior. The same is taking place when some read God’s word today. It’s amazing to hear what folks say about the Bible. You’ll hear people proudly declare that “No where does the Bible condemn homosexuality?” Really? Guess that person never read the Bible. It’s there. Others will say, “God doesn’t care about divorce.” Really? That’s not what the Bible says. “You don’t have to be baptized to be saved.” Really? You didn’t come to that conclusion from reading the Bible, because it says just the opposite. Or this one, “Jesus doesn’t care what you do, just love Him.” Really? He said that? No, He didn’t. What He did say was, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”

  We need to let God speak for God. We need to see how God uses words. We need to understand God’s words. But what a powerful avenue God chose to declare His will and purpose—words. Words have meaning. Words teach. Words warn. Words comfort. Words answers questions. Words reveal the heart. God’s words—how privileged we are to have them, to know them, and to live by them.

  There is an old Bee Gee’s song that I had stuck in my head recently. It was a love song and one of the main expressions that is repeated in the song is the line, “…it’s only words…” In our context today, talking about God’s word, it’s more than words. At the wedding we want God’s word read. At the funeral, it’s not the sports page, it’s not the comics, nor the financial page that we want. We want God’s word. When folks are scared, it’s God’s word they turn to. My dad served in WW II. He still has his metal plated New Testament that the Marines gave him. A Bible and bullets and off to battle. We understand that there is something special about those words—His words.

  These words are living and active. They are sharper than a sword. They have a way of getting through thick heads, and hard hearts. They have a way of changing attitudes, and straightening out crooked behavior. They are the means in which we come to know and love  our Savior. He not only gave His blood for us, but He also gave His words.

  We need those words. They are substance to our souls. We live on every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth. How blessed we are that He cared enough to speak and then to have those words recorded, preserved and available.

  Do you have a favorite verse? Most of us do. Have you tackled reading the entire Bible cover to cover? It’s a great story. It’s His story. It’s your story as well. Get to know it. Believe it. Tell others about it. Memorize it. Repeat it. Preach it. Live it.

  I’ve heard it said, that a worn and tattered Bible belongs to a person whose life isn’t that way.  We need God’s words…we need them, even today!

Roger

11

Jump Start # 515

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 515 

Proverbs 26:10 “Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.”

  This passage identifies the importance of connection and more so of presence. Written long before telecommunication and all the tools we have today to keep us informed and in touch with each other, the means back then was to be there. A brother was someone who was blood related to you. You grew up with your brother and have many stories and fond memories. Yet he lives away. A neighbor is the one that comes quickly. A neighbor is the one who is available to help. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.

  Nothing beats presence. My day yesterday was filled with the presence of others. I had three or four in my office. I went to the hospital and visited with a couple families. Last evening I was in someone’s home just to visit and connect and encourage. I didn’t get everything done that I wanted to yesterday but the presence of all those people made a difference. I love cell phones and emails, but there is something special about a smile, a handshake and looking into the eyes of someone else. The warmth of affection of a Jim and Dorothy, the smile of a Paul, the friendliness of a Larry, the sweetness of Sarah—nothing beats that. You can’t get that off your computer.

  I’ve seen studies where our society is moving away from that. We hide behind a computer screen and that is our form of communicating and connecting. This has an impact upon how we relate to others. It’s not necessarily a good thing.

  This is one of the valuable things about the church. We are together. We connect. We hug, we blend our voices, we smile, we open our Bibles, we ask questions, we weave our lives and souls together. It becomes a fellowship. The more a person comes, the more they are woven into that fabric. The more open we are, the more we connect with others the more we understand the value of that neighbor who is nearby.

  Most of us have had a variety of neighbors. Some we barely knew. Some we hated to move away from. Some neighbors keep to themselves and you hardly know them. Some quickly become dear friends. There is a role we play in all of that. It isn’t always “just the neighbors,” it is how endearing, open and friendly we are on our part. To be a neighbor, one must be neighborly. Our passage reminds us why we need to connect with neighbors. There comes a time when we will need them. Family may be too far way. If we haven’t built a relationship with the neighbors, then they won’t come. Mr. Rogers used to welcome everyone to his neighborhood. He was friendly and inviting, even in those odd sweaters he always wore. Welcome! What an inviting term.

  When Jesus told the disciples to go into all the world to preach the gospel, it would start with the neighborhood. Some would rather go across the sea than across the street. The difficulty in talking to neighbors about Jesus is that we don’t know them. Our times have changed. We see cars pulling in and out and we might wave if we pass each other, but neighborly is nearly an expression that has passed.

  Connections—that’s the key. Get to know your neighbors. Go out when they are out. Take walks in the neighborhood. Make time. Stop and visit a while. You might find things in common with them. You might in time find a way to invite them to services. You might make a new friend. You might be needing to call them late one night because you are having an emergency.

  What is happening in many of our neighborhoods is also what is happening in many congregations today. People are around others but they don’t connect. My favorite poet, Robert Frost, once wrote a poem about fences. He talked about building fences between neighbors. We warned poetically about being careful of what you are fencing out. Many build imaginary fences—emotionally, spiritually and mostly barriers to being connected. We only get close to certain people. We become masters at walking right past someone, eyes never locking on, head down, and completely ignoring them. We do this shopping. We do this in movie theatres. We do this in the neighborhood. We do this in the church building. We miss the value of this passage when that happens. When more of our friends are facebook friends who live in different places and we have no real friends here, something isn’t right. We need presence. We need smiles, slaps on the back, laughter, eye to eye contact, and pouring out our hearts to one another. When God told Adam it isn’t good for man to be alone, He made another person, Eve. He didn’t give Adam a computer, wi-fi and a list of buddies to facebook. Presence. Visit the hospitals. Go to the funeral homes. Turn off the computer, cell phone and connect face to face with others. That’s what this is all about.

  When our kids were growing up and they misbehaved, we sometimes disciplined them by telling them we were going to be Amish for a day. If it plugged in, turned on, used batteries or  electricity, they couldn’t do it. They fumed and fussed. “What are we going to do?” they’d protest. We said, go outside and play. It might be good advice for us—go Amish for a day. Connect face to face with someone. Building relationships in the family, in the neighborhood, and in the church is best done by presence.

  Have you noticed the presence of Jesus in the gospels. So often, He went. Someone needed Him and He went. He touched lepers. He allowed children to be in his lap. He connected.

  Do not forsake your friend…he needs you. Be there for him. The next time, you may need him to be there for you! That’s how friends do things.

Roger