15

Jump Start # 1374

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1374

Luke 8:18 “So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be give; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

  One of the things we notice when reading the Gospels, is that Jesus didn’t hold back. He was bold. He was speaking eternal truths that were meant to cut to the heart and change lives. Our passage today is just one of several that could be used to prove this. Many today would not like how our verse ends. It is definitely not in vogue with the thinking of modern times. Taking away from some just doesn’t seem nice. Everyone must share and everyone must have. We must be nice in the neighborhood, Mr. Rogers taught a generation. In fact, modern thinking has so shaped the landscape of our minds that we tend to accept the notion that there are no losers. No one fails. No one comes in last. Everyone gets a ribbon. Everyone receives a party. This nice and fair society is thought to help the self esteem of children. It builds them up by hiding them from the realities of life. In sports, one team wins and the other loses. Pets die. Parents lose their jobs. Friends move away.

 

Jesus didn’t march to that tune. His lessons included the consequences of failing. The five foolish virgins pounded on the door of the wedding feast, wanting to be admitted. They were late, too late. The door was shut and it wasn’t going to be opened for them. The one talent man didn’t do what he should have and he was cast out and what he had was taken away from him. Jesus pulls the curtain back and allows us to see the harsh reality of failing God. The consequences are painful and eternal. These images were intended to turn stubborn hearts toward God. The Lord expects us to obey Him. Obedience isn’t something that many like to talk about these days.

 

There is another wonderful thought that comes from the front end of our verse today. It says, “So take care how you listen.” Earlier in this chapter, as Jesus told the parable of the sower, he ends that section with “He who has ears, let him hear.” That same expression is repeated seven times, to each of the seven churches, in Revelation 2-3. Take care how you listen.

 

Our listening ears have two valuable lessons that we must learn.

 

First, we must be careful what we listen to. This is a common discussion in homes, especially with teens. What shows are you watching? What music are you listening to? Some folks spend their life listening to the wrong stuff. We listen to  the advice from people at work, who may not have Heaven as an agenda. Their words may take us down the wrong path. Religious books, if not carefully investigated, may offer advice that does the same things. Be careful what you are listing to. Listen to the right things.

 

Secondly and just as important, we must be careful How we listen. This is what our verse says, How you listen. A person can listen to the right stuff, but still miss it because he was not careful in how he listened. He may listen just to hear what he wants to hear and the rest is tuned out. He may listen with a critical ear for the intention of trying to find an excuse for not doing what he ought to.

 

Be careful how you listen. This is very true when it comes to listening to God’s word. This may take place while we are reading the Bible at home or sitting in a church building, or, hearing someone else read it. Be careful how you listen. It is helpful to read the Bible slowly. Speed reading works when going through the newspaper, a magazine, emails, and other things. But when it comes to the Bible, take your foot off the accelerator and slow down. Notice words. Notice the order of words. Notice questions. Notice the answer to those questions. Notice why things are said the way they are. Chew on some of those thoughts. Meditate upon those words. Let them simmer a bit in your mind and heart.

 

It helps now and then to read the Bible out loud or to listen to the Bible being read. You pick up on things, when listening, that you may not when reading quietly to yourself. The first Christians did not have Bibles in their laps during worship. They had to hear. Revelation gives a blessing to both the one who reads and the one who hears. Take care how you listen.

 

Sometimes we hear a portion of things and think we know the rest, but we may not. How many times have I heard someone say, “It’s in the Bible somewhere,” but it really isn’t. They thought it was. They had heard something like it before. They couldn’t remember what it was exactly, nor where it was found exactly, so they proudly pronounce, “It’s in the Bible somewhere. “ Take care in how you listen.

 

Now listening does leads us to change. We do that all the time. In the middle of the night, you are awakened by a noise. Most don’t just roll over. We poke the bravest and send that person to go check it out. The sound of sirens draws our attention and leads to us pulling our car over to the side, so the emergency personal can go around us. The sound of the alarm clock tells us it’s time to get up. The sound of a baby crying sends a mother into warp speed. The sound of our National Anthem causes us to stand with pride and put our hands over our hearts.

 

I have three grown boys. Two of them are excellent song leaders. The youngest leads at Ferrari speed. They’re both really good. The middle one preaches. He’s my favorite preacher. I could just listen to him all day long. Sounds. Listening.

 

The Bible is full of sounds. The sound of God’s love toward us. The sound of coming judgment. The sound of nails being hammered into the hands of the Son of God. The sound of God saying, “Well, done.”

 

Take heed how you listen.

 

Roger

 

 

 

12

Jump Start # 1373

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1373

1 Corinthians 7:1 “Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.”

  The letter to the Corinthians is laid out in a very interesting fashion. The book opens with Paul dealing with what he has heard about them. It wasn’t good. There was division. So the first few chapters lay foundations and principles that addresses those things.

Starting with our verse, Chapter 7, Paul answers questions that the Corinthians had asked him. This continues for several chapters.

 

  • Now concerning the things about which you wrote (7:1)
  • Now concerning things sacrificed to idols (8:1)
  • Now concerning spiritual gifts (12:1)
  • Now concerning the collection for the saints (16:1)

 

What we find by looking at these questions are the things that were on the hearts and minds of those brethren. We see what was troubling them. We see what they didn’t understand. Questions to an apostle. Some time ago, I took a month and preached about those questions and Paul’s answers.

 

I’ve often wondered what a congregation would ask today? Are there questions that we have today? The Corinthian questions dealt with the practical application of how we are to live and what we are to do. Putting God’s principles into action often are the hardest things.

 

I pretty much expect if the shepherds from the congregation where I worship were to ask some questions, they’d be rather insightful, deep and not easy to answer. That’s the way my guys are. They are real thinkers. They don’t move along the surface, they are the kind that lower their nets into the deep.

 

There are a few interesting lessons we see from looking at the Corinthian questions.

 

  First, none of the questions asked deal with what Paul talked about in the first six chapters. There are no questions about division, church discipline, lawsuits. Those things are not found in the questions. This makes me wonder if sometimes we miss the obvious. We can spend our time thinking about theories and ideas and other things but miss the most important thing—living for Jesus. Our sermons can do that. Our Bible classes can do that. We can talk about all kinds of interesting things but not the most needful thing.

 

Second, the fact that they asked questions showed that they were thinking and wanting to do what is right. They could have just tried to figure things out for themselves. Instead, they sought an apostle. We do the same when we turn to the Bible. Asking for help is never wrong. Sometimes we might be embarrassed because the answers we need involve personal things. Maybe we need help with staying in our budget. Maybe we need help with our marriage. Maybe we need help in staying focused spiritually. Maybe we don’t know the books of the Bible and we are ashamed of that. Maybe we struggle with a reoccurring sin. Asking for help is never wrong. We ought to present an environment where anyone feels comfortable asking any question.

 

  Third, the answer the apostle provides may not be the answer that we were looking for nor hoping for. That happens. Then we are faced with what we should do. Will we do what the apostle says or what we wanted all along? It is at this moment that we either are walking with Christ or we are disagreeing with God. God’s word is always right. God’s word defines what is right.

 

  Fourth, there seems to be a spiritual tone and theme running through all of their questions. The first question about touching a woman involves the sexual relations in a marriage. Now that one was a Christian, did that change? Was that now wrong? What if one in the marriage wasn’t a Christian? Does that change things?

Their question about eating things sacrificed to idols raised the concern about compromising with things that are false. If one eats idol food, does that mean he endorses idols? Is it wrong to do that? Great question.

Their third question, about spiritual gifts, involved worship and what all was involved with these miraculous gifts.

Their final question was about the contribution gathered by the church.

None of these questions were silly. None of them were out of place. Great thoughts. They were thinking spiritually. They wanted to do right. A growing church will have questions. Relationships, fellowship and the best way to worship always brings ideas, thoughts, concerns and questions.

Fifth, they took their questions to Paul, an apostle. They didn’t convene a council. They didn’t vote on what they thought was right. They asked Paul. Paul, who was inspired. Paul, who had the authority of Christ. Paul, who wrote the commandments of Jesus. Sometimes great questions get the wrong answers because they were taken to the wrong source. Asking a friend at work about your sinking marriage, may give you the wrong answer. Looking on the internet for an answer may give you the wrong answer. Take your question to the Bible. Do some homework. Look carefully and do your research. Dr. Phil, Oprah, and those like that, all have an opinion. Their opinion may not be what God says.

 

Questions? Do you have some? Are you trying to find the right answers in the right places?

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 1372

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1372

Luke 5:20 “And seeing their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’”

  I love this story. It shows the value of friendship. It illustrates courage and faith. It is a wonderful place to show determination and the spirit that simply will not give up.

Jesus is teaching in a house. This was not unusual. Remember the story of Mary and Martha? Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him teach, as Martha was busy in the kitchen cooking. Pharisees and lawyers, not attorneys, but experts in the Law of Moses, filled the house. They came, Luke tells us, from every village and as far as Jerusalem. Word must have spread rapidly that Jesus was in the house teaching.

 

Four faithful companions carried a friend on a stretcher. He was crippled. We are not told how long, nor how he was crippled. So often we are interested in those things, while overlooking the obvious. He could not do what others were doing. His life was limited to laying on the cot and looking at the ceiling. He was dependent upon others. This was in a time before wheelchairs, rehab, therapy, and disability pay. His life was bothering others to take care of him. He would have to beg for the pity of someone who might drop a few coins in a cup. Misery, discouraged and hopeless, this man was a prisoner in his own body. But on this day, Jesus has come to the village. His friends must have heard about Jesus. The compassionate one who cleansed lepers, cast out demons, made the blind to see. No one has done what Jesus has. On top of that, He didn’t charge.

 

Hope has come to the village. These four friends carry their crippled friend to where Jesus is. Surely, Jesus will see this man and have mercy on him. Surely, Jesus will heal him. I expect these four were walking lively this day. They carry their friend through the streets and to the house. What they find is a crowd, a huge crowd. It’s standing room only. Homes in those villages were small. It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine that some were standing outside, hovering around the door, trying to catch every word that Jesus spoke. Packed solid, these four friends have come to an obstacle. No one is willing to move to let them in. No one wants to give up their position. Even if they could get past the first line of people, there were so many more. Hope now begins to vanish. Many, including myself, would tell our crippled friend, ‘We tried. It’s just too crowded. Maybe, we can reach Jesus tomorrow.’ Tomorrow, the song of second place. Tomorrow, the consolation prize for those who didn’t get what they wanted. These four friends were not coming back tomorrow.

 

These friends do not bring up tomorrow. They are not finished. To the roof they go, carrying their crippled friend. There they begin tearing apart the tiles and the thatch that make up the roof. As they are busy working on the upside, on the downside, stuff starts falling on the crowd. Faces look upward, wandering what was going on. Soon a hole appears. The hole gets larger. Four faces peer downward. They see Jesus. The hole becomes huge. The cot is lowered by these four friends. I expect everyone now has their attention on what is going on. Jesus probably stopped teaching. The crippled man is lowered down, down and down, right before Jesus.

 

Jesus speaks first. They do not ask Jesus for a miracle. They don’t apologize for interrupting Him. Jesus speaks. This is our verse today. Seeing their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ Remarkable.

 

Four thoughts:

 

First, Jesus calls the crippled man “Friend.” I expect that was the first time they laid eyes upon one another. Friend, a term of love and endearment. Jesus wasn’t bothered by what they did. Jesus didn’t say, let me finish my lesson first. Jesus didn’t say, ‘Make an appointment.’ He said, ‘Friend.’  In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, the worker who had labored all day, complained at payday. He thought he ought to get more than the others. The Master referred to the worker as ‘Friend.’ Most masters would not consider common laborers to be their friend. They were instruments, tools, much like a shovel. Not with Jesus. It’s friend. I somehow expect when we get to Heaven, the Lord will call us by name, smile and tell us, “Friend, I’ve been waiting for you.” Friend.

 

Second, the text tells us that Jesus saw their faith. What a helpful lesson that is for us. Faith isn’t a thought, but a conviction that moves us. They believed that Jesus could heal and they were not stopping at anything. Faith is demonstrated. Hebrews 11, the hall of fame chapter, states that by faith Noah built, Abraham journey, Joshua marched. Faith is a doing thing. Faith is action. If one believes, it will show. He will behave as God wants him to. He will worship with God’s people. He will shine the light as God expects. Jesus saw their faith. He saw them tearing up a roof and lowering a friend. That was faith. What does Jesus see when He looks at you?

 

Third, Jesus told the crippled man, “your sins are forgiven.” Some have thought, common to the day, such as in John 9 and the blind man, or Job’s friends, that physical ailments and diseases were connected to sin. Remove the sin and the body gets better. The book of Job teaches otherwise. Jesus said, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Jesus knew that the crippled man had sins. His handicap didn’t override his sins. That doesn’t happen. A hard life doesn’t change our relationship with the Lord. Living miserably doesn’t excuse nor remove sins. Only Jesus can remove sins. This also tells us that Jesus saw what the crowd didn’t. They saw a crippled man. Jesus saw a crippled soul. Had Jesus made his legs well and that was all that He did, the man would have walked out of that house still crippled on the inside. A person can live with crippled legs. A crippled heart will keep us from Heaven. Jesus shows us what is most important. So often we pray in our congregations about folks who are sick and in the hospital. We ought to do that and we need to do that. However, have you noticed how few prayers are offered for spiritual sickness. It can appear that we are more interested in living longer here than we are with having a right heart with the Lord. Jesus forgave his sins.

 

Fourth, the text doesn’t tell us what happened after the man left the house, carrying his cot, working his way through that massive crowd. I expect as he got outside, there were four friends who had just come down from the roof. I would think that together they embraced, smiled and praised the Lord. Prayers were ascending as their hearts were rejoicing. Those that were looking on might have thought, I too have a friend that is crippled. I should have brought him. I didn’t think about that. I didn’t think Jesus could or would.

 

The heroes of this story? First and always, Jesus. But without those four friends, Jesus and the crippled would have never intersected. That’s the remarkable part. Carried by four friends. Do you have someone that you would carry? Do you have someone that you would allow to carry you? Their love for each other is a tribute to fellowship.

 

Four friends…four friends and Jesus. There are those that we need to take to Jesus. They may not be crippled in body, but they may be crippled in attitudes or in their soul. What they need is Jesus. Maybe they are waiting for someone to carry them there. That could be you.

 

Roger

 

 

 

10

Jump Start # 1372

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

JumpStart # 1371

Acts 20:24 “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the Gospel of the grace of God.”

 Our passage today is a private meeting the apostle Paul had with the elders of Ephesus. God allows us to listen in on what was said. Paul was heading to Jerusalem. He had been warned by prophets that harsh persecution awaited him there. He was determined. He felt that he needed to go there. As it turns out, from Jerusalem Paul would be sent as a prisoner to Rome. He preaches wherever he is. Even some in Caesar’s family become obedient to the Gospel.

 

With the Ephesian elders, Paul was warning them about trouble that would come from among them. He also reminded them of his work and dedication. This meeting would end with tears and hugs. Those elders knew that they would never see Paul’s face again. Parting is hard. It is especially hard when one recognizes that someone will soon pass away. I’ve been there many times. It is never easy. I have walked out of hospital rooms, and looked back one final time, realizing that I’d never see that person alive again, at least not on this planet. It breaks the heart. This is one of the pulls for Heaven. No tears, no death, no mourning and we’d add, no separations. Home with God and His people, what an amazing thought.

 

Our verse shows Paul’s determination. He would not back down, even when faced with coming dangers. Backing away was never in Paul’s play book. Once he was stoned and dragged out of town. The persecutors thought that he was dead. He wasn’t. He got up. And what did he do? He returned right back to that same town. Amazing.

 

There is a wonderful expression found in the King James Version. Our verse begins, “But none of these things move me…” The ‘these things’ was the coming trouble and rumors about persecution. It didn’t even move Paul’s needle. He had a mission to complete and he was going to do it. The text states that he had a course to finish. That thought takes us to 2 Timothy 4, where Paul says, “I have finished the course.” He kept it. He kept it until the very end.

 

None of these things move me. Great line. Great thought. Great motto to live by. None of these things move me. Don’t you wish we could say that? Sometimes things do move us. They shouldn’t, but they do.

 

Worry can move us. We stay up at night, thinking and thinking about problems. We see the problems more than we see the Savior. Like Peter walking on the water, we look at the waves of trouble and our faith starts to slip and sink. We are not as strong as we ought to be. Our attendance suffers. Our prayer life takes a dive. We’ve been moved by worry.

 

Discouragement, the ugly sister of worry, does the same thing. We get discouraged and we feel like throwing in the towel. Like ole’ Elijah, hiding in his cave, we feel that we are the only ones doing right. No one else cares, we declare. No one else is doing anything, we proclaim. It’s always our family who has to do things. That old song gets sung over and over until we’ve memorized it and soon we find ourselves moved. We’ve been moved by discouragement.

 

Error will move us. Some error is so subtle that it’s hard to recognize. That’s why Jesus warned about wolves in sheep clothing. It is not so obvious. A twist here, a turn there, a new definition, a new idea and before long, we’ve been moved and we didn’t even know it. Parents will warn their children about evil companions and bad influences, but those same parents become gullible to what’s written in books and found on blogs. Friends are trusted more than Scriptures. Error leads to changes in worship that are not improvements, just radical. Different is in. New is in. The old is out. Jeremiah pleaded with his people to seek the ancient paths. They’d have nothing to do with that. Error will move us. It has in the past. It continues to do so. We must keep both eyes open and put a stake in the ground and stand where God stands.

 

What’s the answer? How do I keep from being moved? Stay close to Jesus, the Shepherd. Stand beside Him. Pray for wisdom as James tells us. Study diligently as Timothy was told. Become absorbed in the word of God. Develop that keen eye and sharp nose that can sniff out things that do not seem right. The mature, Hebrews tells us, can discern right and wrong. That takes time, experience and work.

 

None of these things move me. In 1899, David Lipscomb, writing in the Gospel Advocate about the digression that was taking place throughout the country said, “Nothing in life has given me more pain in heart that the separation from those I have worked with and loved.” He continued, “The majority seem to be going away and leaving those who stand firm for the old ways. I love to be with the majority and would certainly go with them if I were not afraid of offending God in so doing.” He was not moved by those things.

 

How about you? Are you where you ought to be? Has your position on moral subjects stayed with God or have you found yourself disagreeing with God? Are you looser than what you once were on principles such as modesty, divorce, purity and holiness? Have you moved? Have you allowed worry, discouragement or error to take you places where you shouldn’t be?

 

Isn’t it time to get back to God as the Bible teaches? Isn’t it time to put your own stake in the ground and declare with certainty, “None of these things move me!”

 

Roger

 

09

Jump Start # 1370

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1370

Hebrews 2:3 “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard”

The Pew Research Center reports that 1 in 5 Americans who say they grew up as Christians have abandoned the faith. They are not claiming to be a Christian today. They have moved on and moved away from the faith of their fathers. This report isn’t shocking to us. We have seen our country becoming more and more secular and defined by good feelings and happiness rather than conviction in the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are some things we need to note here:

First, just sitting in a pew on Sunday doesn’t make one a Christian. I have sat in a race car before. That didn’t make me a race car driver. I have held the bat of a professional baseball player. That didn’t make me a professional. Could it be that many who claimed that they “grew up as Christians” really mean that their parents took them to church services, but their hearts were never there. That’s something to consider.

 

Second, there is a growing disconnect between what happens on Sunday and the rest of the week. Many do not see worship, the sermon or prayer as being relevant to their world. It may be the fault of the church. It may be that there has been too many theories knocked down and questions answered that no one asks any more. The struggling family today is not burdened with the “isms” that some feel are the threat to doctrine and the church. Finding time, balancing the budget, raising the family, remaining pure, growing deeper in the Lord, dealing with stress, worry, fear and doubt—these are the things that keep moms and dads up at night. Congregations need to structure classes that are both practical and helpful to young families.

 

Third, the survey didn’t tell us what these 1 in 5 turned to. They left Christianity. They left it for what? Nothing? Materialism? Atheism? There are some core fundamental principles that were lacking. Jesus isn’t for Sunday only. Jesus is as important on Tuesday in the conference call, the little league practice, the grocery store as He is in the church house on Sunday. Our faith is not like the pie that is sliced up into pieces. At work, it’s work. At home, it’s home. On Sunday morning, it’s Jesus’ time. That thinking is crooked and wrong. Jesus is the pie pan. Everything and every where is affected by Jesus. Who I am is going to determine what I do and how I act. I cannot turn my faith on and off. I am to be the same person in the pew as I am in the stands as I am on my couch. I am a follower of Jesus. That core belief is not based upon a church but the Bible. It shapes me and molds me. It changes me. Leaving Christianity for what? What happens when we must journey through valleys? What happens when it’s time to face death?

 

Fourth, for too long, many have lived their faith through the church and not through Christ. This is illustrated this way. When things are well down at the church house, one feels strong and close to the Lord. When things are stinkin’ down at the church house, then the faith seems to be slipping. Brethren encourage, warn, teach and help us, but my faith must be personal and in the Lord directly. My faith doesn’t rely upon another person, especially the preacher. My faith is real, genuine and living. It must be fed, guarded and protected, like all living things. It must be exercised and used, like all living things.

 

Our passage today is a great place to remind ourselves of this principle. The Hebrews were throwing in the towel on their faith. Things had become difficult. Persecution started. Many had quit. Things were easier when they were Jews. Stop Christ and return to being Jewish, that thought was crossing many of their minds. This book was written to show the error of such thinking. Going back wasn’t an equal swap. They were giving up their salvation, their hope and Heaven by doing that. Forgiveness was in Christ, not in cows. The blood of Jesus, the covenant of Jesus, the priesthood of Jesus, the role of Jesus was far superior to anything that they would find anywhere else. So the passage asks, “How can you neglect so great a salvation?” How can you?

 

We understand that word neglect. It’s not a nice word. Someone tells you that you have neglected things, that is not a compliment. A neglected child, a neglected assignment, a neglected marriage—like a neglected house, falls to ruins. Our salvation needs our attention. It’s not one of those things that you can put off. It’s not one of those, “when I get a round ‘to it,” kind of things. Don’t neglect it.

 

Got some questions? Find the answers. Got a sore spot in your soul? Do some forgiving. Worry seems to be creeping in? Strengthen your faith. Feel lonely? Go to the Savior. Been a while since you worshipped? Get to the church house. Got dust on the Bible? Open it up and read. Been too long since you really prayed? Get started today. Neglecting your soul will not make it stronger. It will not put you in a better position.

 

Those that quit, I expect even those in that statistic, started drifting away long before they gave up. Few have a blow out in their faith. It’s that slow leak that we neglect that leads to a flat heart and dead faith. Why did the marriage end? Too busy to pay attention to it. Why did worry win? Didn’t deal with it when it first surfaced.

 

No one knows our situation and our faith as well as we do. Deceiving ourselves we allow our faith to fall apart. We may still come to church services, but our hearts and our minds are somewhere else. Long before the prodigal ever asked his father for the inheritance, his heart was already in the far country. That could be us as well. By the time people see the action, the moving out of the house and the ending of a marriage, the dropping out of services, things have been happening. Neglect, pride and other factors will keep us from dealing with them. Much too often, a person is about to go over the waterfalls of trouble before he begins to pray to God for some oars. Sometimes it’s too late. The marriage ends. The prodigal leaves. The hope dies.

 

Don’t neglect your salvation. Feed your soul. Watch your soul. Protect your soul.

 

One in five…that also means 4 in 5 didn’t throw in the towel. I wonder why the results were not presented that way? Was the statistics used to open the door for others to quit? Was it wishful thinking that America no longer believes? It’s like the weather in Indiana. The forecasters will tell us that there is a 20% chance of rain. To me, that says there is an 80% chance that it won’t rain. Time to grab the golf clubs or mow the yard. It’s probably not going to rain. Four out of five are finding something in Christ. Four out of five have chosen to stay with things. Four out of five have not let their faith die.

 

Now, that’s something to report about!

 

Roger