16

Jump Start # 1455

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1455

Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

  Put on Christ is a common expression used by the apostle Paul. It shouldn’t be viewed like we put on a jacket. This morning it’s cool here in Southern Indiana. It’s jacket time. By the afternoon it will warm up to the point that a person won’t need a jacket. Put on and take off are what we are doing these past few days. When on puts on Christ, there is no taking off. Church services end, we walk out the building, but Christ stays on. Christ becomes a part of us.

 

In the verse before, Paul reminds these Roman Christians to behave properly. He warns them not to get drunk, not to engage in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not to have strife or jealousy. Behave yourself. Like a parent telling a child, the apostle is telling brethren, reminding them of who they are. This thought extends to the end of our verse today where he says, “make no provisions for the flesh”.

 

A couple of thoughts for us:

 

Folks that know need to be reminded. You’d think if these people were Christians, then they ought to know not to get drunk, fuss with one another and be involved in inappropriate sexual sins. You’d think they’d know. Reminders are important. Folks forget. They get tempted and pulled away from Christ. Today’s preachers and shepherds need to see a lesson here. We need to continually return to the fundamentals and never assume that “they know.” Paul reminded them. If Paul did, we need to do the same. I was watching a ballgame the other night, on came some advertisements about upcoming new shows. Sex, sex, sex. About every third commercial was alcohol. Do you think we need Paul’s reminders today? Mentioning something in one sermon, one time, isn’t enough. Teach. Warn. Admonish.

 

Make no provisions for the flesh is an interesting expression. It’s borrowed from the Roman military. As the Empire moved into new lands and battles took place, officers placed at the back of the line would burn the bridges that they just crossed. The Empire was marching forward. There was no going back. It was fight or die. Retreating was not an option. From this concept, we get the expression, “not to burn bridges behind you.” We often say that when switching jobs. “Don’t burn your bridges,” in other words, don’t make enemies when you leave. Don’t trash the place and the people. Some time down the road, you may come back or may need a reference from them. If you leave a place in an ugly manner, it may come back and haunt you. Don’t burn your bridges means you may need to go back over those bridges again. The way Paul uses this concept is to burn the bridges, make no provisions for sin. Cut the ties to sin. Leave the people that mess you up and harm you spiritually. Do not leave a return path back to sin. It’s only onward and upward with the Lord. It’s one way. There is no going back.

 

That’s a concept that we may not have taught enough. It seems some keep one foot in the world. They still hang out with the drinking buddies, who are loose on their talk and their morals. Before long, the Christian is back drinking beer and telling offensive jokes. He never burned the bridges to his past. It doesn’t work to be a Christian on Sunday and a man of the world on Monday. Sooner or later, Christ will lose. Back to the world he goes. The very things Paul warns about, getting drunk, sexual sins, jealousy, strife will be back in his life again. Such a person will announce that Christianity is a joke and a sham. He will mock Christians. He will think that he knows everything there is about Christians when he never was serious himself. He never jumped in completely with the Lord. He never put on Christ. He is a pitiful spokesman for Christianity, because he never understood it from the beginning. He refused to burn his bridges to the past and he continued to cross those bridges over and over until one day he just stayed on the other side. His mistake was that Jesus was just a hobby to him. Jesus never became his life. He was never totally in. But now, he is totally out.

 

Make no provisions for the flesh in regards to its lusts. Don’t let lust and temptation take over the wheel of your life. You stay in control. You stay in the drivers seat with both of your hands on the wheel. God wants us to be serious about our faith and our souls. He wants us to be that new man as the Ephesians were told. We are to walk in newness of life as the Romans were told. Paul told the Galatians that he had crucified himself. He no longer lived. Christ was living in him. It’s that serious, dedicated, committed heart that will make it. Those who refused to burn the bridges to their past will find themselves going back over those bridges someday. They will return to the far country. They will make a mess of things.

 

Cutting ties to our past isn’t easy. Facebook makes it hard. All those folks from the past who now want to be your friend. Be careful. There is a reason some are in the past. Reconnecting with people you once dated may be Satan’s attempt to rebuild those bridges that you tore down along time ago. Connecting with people that are a painful and sinful part of your life opens the bridge to a life you thought you left. Be careful.

 

Replace those people in the past with new people. Surround yourself with quality people who are interested in Heaven. Get around those who are winning spiritually. Learn from those who know the Lord and love His ways. Bring those people into your home and into your lives. Let your children grow up seeing godly men and women in their lives. Let them hear you talk about spiritual heroes. Former NBA stars who are found passed out in brothels and are nearly dead from drug overdose is not the heroes our kids need. The rich and famous today are often the dumb and godless today. There is more to life than making the big bucks. Character, heart, Christ, being a servant are all important. They learn those things not from godless TV but from the people of God.

 

Burn those bridges to the past! Forge ahead with the people of God. It’s said that all of us will be exactly the way we are in five years except for the books we read and the people we associate with. Influencers. We don’t like putting junk into our bellies. Let’s stop putting junk into our souls. Fill your heart and your soul with great people and great material.

 

Make no provisions…

 

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 1454

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

Jump Start # 1454

Mark 10:22 “But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.”

 

Our verse today is found at the end of the encounter of a rich young ruler who chased Jesus down and asked Him what he had to do to inherit eternal life. There were many commendable things about this young man. His question was amazing. He was spiritual, concerned and took his question to the right source. He was obedient to God’s law. What a great catch he would make for some young lady. However, Jesus saw something in him that was a problem. Within his heart there was a defect. It wasn’t physical, it was spiritual. His stuff, his riches, came between him and God. Get rid of them. Simple solution. Follow Christ. He couldn’t do it. Given the choice between what he owed and Jesus, he chose his stuff.

 

He walked away. He ran to Jesus, but now he walked away. He came excited, now he left disappointed. The passage states, “he was saddened and he went away grieving…” He was disappointed in what Jesus said. It wasn’t the outcome that he expected. He surely thought Jesus would love to have a rising superstar on His team. Young. Talented. Wealthy. Move over, Peter. Get out of the way, John. We’ve added a new player to the team. But that’s not what Jesus said. You can follow Me, but first, get rid of your stuff. Your stuff is choking you. Your stuff is killing you. Your stuff is too much. It’s become you. It’s become your god. He couldn’t do it. He left. He was disappointed.

 

Disappointments are a part of life. They come in many fashions. You have a day off and plan to spend it outside but it rains that day. Disappointed. Tonight, I’m pulling for my Dodgers. If they lose, they are done for the year. If they lose, I will be disappointed. People can disappoint us. They can let us down. They can not live up to the promises that they made. There is a sadness, even a grieving when disappointments occur.

 

Our passage reveals two disappointments.

 

First, the young man was disappointed with God. Some still are. They want to tell God what to do. They expect God to find them a job while they spend the day playing video games. When Jesus told the disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread…” inherit in that thought is the idea of a farmer who grows the grain and the disciple who goes to work, earns a living and then goes to the market and buys the bread. The bread doesn’t fall from the sky like manna. Our cupboards do not magically get filled over night. Some are disappointed that God will not allow them to do what they want in worship. Some would rather howl at the moon than follow the Bible. They want change. They are always interested in changing things. Never content. Never settled with God, they want to introduce their wild ideas. God won’t have it. They get disappointed. Some are disappointed that God expects things out of them. They want to be forgiven but they don’t to have to go to church on Sundays. They’d rather spend the day doing what they want. Some are disappointed that God has allowed death in their families. A child dies. A parent dies. How disappointed they are in God. Like the man in our story, when disappointed with God, they walk away. They are done with God. If God won’t do what I want, then I have no need for Him.

 

Second, there was another disappointment in this text that lies under the surface. Jesus was disappointed in Him. Jesus wasn’t making demands so he would quit. When he walked away from Jesus, the Lord didn’t say, “Good.” No, He wanted him to follow. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. He was heading to Jerusalem for the last time. He had an appointment with the cross. He knew that. What a tragic turn of events. Jesus knowing that in a week or so, He would be crushed, tortured and executed on the cross for this very young man that He was talking to. Jesus was giving His life up for that young man. Yet, that young man couldn’t give up his stuff for Jesus. Jesus was willing to give all, and he couldn’t even give up stuff that doesn’t matter. He walked away from Jesus. The text doesn’t tell us, but knowing Jesus, I wouldn’t be surprised to know that a tear was rolling down his cheek. He didn’t want it to turn out this way.

 

We must realize that when we sin we disappoint God. The Lord wants us to do well. The Lord wants us to walk in righteousness. When we don’t, we disappoint Him. We let Him down.

 

It is interesting also, that Jesus continued His journey to Jerusalem. He could have thought, if this young man represents how most are feeling, why even go through with this? Why die for them when they don’t even care? Why do this? Yet, Jesus went on to Jerusalem. Jesus went to the cross. He was walking to obedience of His Father’s will as the young man was walking away from God. What a contrast.

 

Here in lies the greater lesson. When we are disappointed, are we going to walk away and quit, or as Jesus did, continue to do what we know is right? A mate disappoints you, walk away from the marriage or continue to do what God expects you to do in that marriage? A friend in Christ disappoints you—quit, or continue to walk with God? This young man didn’t hear what he wanted. So he went back home. He came asking about eternal life. He went back home empty. He didn’t get what he wanted. Dejected, saddened, and unless he changed, he was heading to a death without Christ. He walked away from forgiveness. He walked away from truth. He walked away from Heaven. He walked away from eternal life. He walked away because he was disappointed.

 

What are you going to do when you are disappointed? What are you going to do when things do not turn out as you wanted them to? Are you going to stay on the path to Jerusalem or are you going back home, sad? Are you going to stay with God or are you going to quit?

 

The character of Jesus and this young man come to the forefront as we see how they handled the disappointment. It also shows in the way you and I handle our disappointments.

 

On to Jerusalem or go back home? What will it be for you?

 

Roger

 

14

Jump Start # 1453

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1453

Joshua 1:1-2 “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, ‘Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to the, to the sons of Israel.”

 

Change and transitions are often uncomfortable and difficult in life. We are a people that gets accustomed to things. New traffic patterns, new looks on our computer screens, new faces in the neighborhood, a new boss, a new school—all of these bring a certain amount of uncertainty and uneasiness to us. Sometimes we simply do not like the change and would rather go back to the old ways, but in some situations, there is no going back.

 

Israel experienced that in our passage today. Moses was dead. What a shocking revelation that was. His death was very unusual. He died upon the mountain in the presence of the Lord. The Lord took his life. There doesn’t seem to have been anyone else around. After his death, the book of Jude tells us that there was a dispute about his body between Satan and Michael, the angel. In probably the shortest funeral address ever given, the Lord declared, “Moses, My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan.” Moses is dead, get on with what you are supposed to do. It wasn’t Moses who their faith was in. It wasn’t Moses who fought the battles for them. The Lord was the one. The Lord was still with Israel.

 

One wonders what Joshua felt that day he learned of Moses’ death. He was being groomed to replace Moses, but it seems now he is thrust to the front and must take charge. For forty years, Israel woke up every morning knowing that Moses was the leader. He stood before Pharaoh. He parted the Red Sea. He climbed the mountain to talk to God. He brought back the commandments. He led them through the wilderness. He was always at the helm. For forty years it was Moses. Now, Moses was dead. Would Joshua be like Moses? Would Joshua know what to do? Would Joshua be as brave as Moses? Would folks make comparisons? Would they say, “Moses always did this”?  Would the people wish that Moses was still around? Joshua was his own man. He wasn’t Moses II, he was Joshua.

 

This lesson reminds us that life is full of changes and transitions. Our favorite teacher retires. The great boss that everyone loves turns the keys over to his son, who is young and nothing like his dad. Star athletes hang it up. Preachers move. Our pets die. The kids grow up and move out. The neighborhood changes. Stores stop carrying our favorite item. The Moses in our life dies. We are just around the corner from some holidays. I know several families this year that will have to deal with an empty chair for the first time. A loved one has passed away. They are still grieving and the holidays are painful reminders that things will never be the same again.

 

First, as much as we want to fight the changes in life, they happen. Some of them give us new opportunities that we would not know about. Eighteen years ago our family moved from Indiana to Kansas City. Our entire family was in Indiana. We knew no one in Kansas City. We spent a decade there. The move was good for us spiritually and it opened new doors for the kids that probably would have never happened had we stayed where we were. That first Christmas in Kansas City was tough. All four kids wanted the same thing for Christmas, move back to Indiana. Some changes are good. Some are not. The new school, the new boss, the new neighbor, the new preacher, may not be as good as the last one. A mistake we make is comparing the new with the old. Each is different. Comparing Joshua with Moses would not be helpful nor beneficial to Israel. Moses was gone. He was not coming back. Joshua was their leader. He was the one that God wanted.

 

Second, God wants us to continue on with Him. That’s the thrust of Joshua 1. Obey Joshua as you did Moses. Keep the commands of the Lord. When we do not like the change, we often feel like quitting. The empty house seems so large and quiet when the kids have moved away or a mate has passed on. Loneliness  is hard to deal with. It’s like a cancer that simply will not go away. What helps is surrounding yourself with people, even when you do not feel like it. What helps is to continue on with the Lord, even when you do not feel like it. Quitting is never a good option. Get back up on your feet and move forward with the Lord. That’s the call for Israel. God had a land for them to take possession of. They needed to be busy. That same thought helps us when we deal with transitions and changes.

 

Third, with Moses gone, Joshua really shines. He leads the nation around Jericho. He gives us the famous, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” statement. Out of the shadows, Joshua showed his own leadership skills. Changes do that. It gives others the opportunity to shine. Talent can lay buried and unused as long as there was a Moses around. But now, Joshua was his own man. Often in changes and transitions, new ideas, new methods, new ways of doing things are explored. In the end, things can be better. Give them a chance.

 

God didn’t give Israel much time to be in the dumps about Moses’ death. It was time to gather up things, put on the marching boots and cross that Jordan to a new land. That helped them deal with Moses’ loss. They didn’t just sit around looking at pictures of Moses all day long. They got busy. That thought helps us when we deal with changes in our lives. A new family shows up in the neighborhood. That’s a great opportunity to make some cookies and go meet them. Welcome them. Get to know them. A new boss shows up at work. He’s nervous. Extend some kindness to him. I have been that new preacher in a congregation. Boy, that’s scary. For a month all you hear about is the last preacher. Some wanted the last preacher to still be there. That’s awkward. But then there is that wonderful family that takes you in and makes you feel loved, welcomed and wanted. In time, things get much better.

 

Change is hard. We all go through it all the time. Few things stay the same. How we handle change and what it does for us really shows our character and what we are made of.

 

I hope these thoughts help you who are experiencing some real changes in your life. Remember, to be patient and be helpful to others who are going through some changes for the first time. Your experience can make all the difference to them.

 

Roger

 

13

Jump Start # 1452

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1452

Proverbs 15:26 “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”

  Proverbs, the book of contrasts, helps us so much with learning how to make the right choices. The words are simple, true and extremely practical. Our verse today deals with talking to someone, and especially, responding to what someone has said to us. Conversations. The day begins with conversations before we leave the house. Getting everyone on the same schedule and who is going where after school. Then it’s off to work we go, where there are more conversations. Most of these surround work but there is the occasional chit-chat about what are you doing this weekend. Phone calls. Emails. Texts. Back home and how was your day? Our world is filled with conversations. Some are meaningful and some are very shallow and some are simply sharing information.

 

Our verse today reminds us of the importance of putting thought into what we are saying. Think first. The book of James would say, ‘be quick to hear and slow to speak.’ The righteous ponders how to answer. There is some stewing going on in the mind and the heart of the righteous. He’s careful. He chooses his words wisely. In contrast, the wicked pours out any and every thing that is in his mind. Some of it is inappropriate. Some of it will cause harm. Some will hurt the feelings of others. Some will do damage to the image of the work place or the church. The wicked will spread secrets. The wicked will say mean things. The wicked has no filter and no regard for what is said. He justifies his ways by saying, “I just call it the way I see it,” as if that excuses his rudeness and offensiveness. The wicked has made some cry by what he said. The wicked has made some mad by what he has said. He could have said things better, but he doesn’t take the time to ponder. He just pours out whatever comes to mind. He ignores Solomon’s Ecclesiastical wisdom, “There is a time to speak and a time to be silent.” Not for the wicked. If he feels like it, he’ll just say it. Most of us have felt the daggers from such a mouth. It hurts.

 

Our attention is upon the pondering righteous. He’s thinking before he speaks. He is searching for the best way to say what ought to be said. He is considering the person he is talking to and considering how best to help him by what he says. The righteous understands nagging doesn’t work. He knows yelling isn’t productive. He knows name calling usually just insults a person. He ponders. He thinks. He runs this thoughts through all kinds of filters before his mouth opens.

 

Most understand this application when asked a Bible question. We give it some thought. We are careful to be accurate and helpful. The difficulty with our passage is when we are in a heated conversation, when there are disagreements, when it feels that we are losing the argument, then we open the flood gates, stop the pondering and out comes anything and everything that is on our minds. Couples may say things that they shouldn’t, all because they were upset with each other. Brethren say things that hurt and do a lot of damage, just because they are heated and are not thinking.

 

Pondering takes time. That’s the trouble. We want to microwave our words and get them out as fast as we can. Pondering involves not only word selection, but considering the person who is going to receive those words. Pondering also involves the tone in which those words are sent. The volume of our voice, how rapid we speak, how little we hear the other person. This is really hard for parents. Teenagers like to push buttons and the limits with their parents. They sometimes will say things without thinking. Pondering doesn’t work with most teenagers. It takes time and maturity to develop pondering. So, your teenager comes home and declares that he is going to quit school, join a band, dye his hair pink and travel across the country with his freeloading friends. That’ll get your blood pressure going! Your sensitivity meter will redline quickly. Out goes the pondering. Out comes screams and declarations that he is an idiot and lacking all sense. You’re probably right, but your words, without pondering probably will not help the situation. Take a breath. Say little. Let him tell you his little scheme. Flip on the pondering in your head. Get to thinking what ought to be said first. Be careful. Be wise in what you say.

 

I expect most of the trouble we get into with our mouths is because we fail to ponder what to say. We just say whatever we feel like saying. The same goes for posting things on Facebook and other media sources. Venting your frustrations to the world can cost you your job if you openly complain about the company. It lessens your influence on others when you complain about fellow Christians. Ponder who might see what you post. Ponder if that is the best thing for you to do.

 

I have written letters that were never mailed. I needed to get some things off my chest. I pounded those keys on the computer, vented and vented my feelings and then tossed or deleted what I wrote. Some things simply should not be shared with others. Some things do not help. It’s hard to get into a dog fight, when the other will not fight. Elsewhere in Proverbs we learn about the soft answer turning away wrath, and a word fitly spoken. In the N.T., multiple times we find answering with gentleness or kindness. There are times when difficult things need to be said. Jesus did that to the Pharisees. Parents do that. Shepherds have to do that. Pondering doesn’t mean looking the other way. Pondering doesn’t mean never having to be the bad guy. Pondering isn’t excusing wrong or justifying bad behavior. Not at all. Pondering means you have given thought to what you say before you say it. What is said may be hard, tough and pointed, but it was given thought and careful consideration.

 

So, give it a try today. Before you say something, hold the thought, think about it first and then, if it is fitting and right, say it. If you catch yourself thinking, “I probably shouldn’t say this,” then DON’T. That’s the pondering part. It’s trying to help you be helpful. The more you ponder, the less you will explode. The more you ponder, the better will be what you say.

 

Try pondering today…it may make for a better day!

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 1451

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

Jump Start # 1451

Luke 12:1 “Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, ‘Beware of the leaven of Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.’”

 

What an interesting insight Luke gives us here about the enormous crowds that gathered to hear Jesus. The Lord was at the peak of His popularity. People came because He healed their sick. Jesus was a friend. It wouldn’t be too much longer that the Pharisees would turn the crowds and Jesus would die alone.

 

Some came because Jesus was something new. He was different than the rest of the dry and dull rabbis. Others came because on some occasions Jesus fed them. Some wanted to see a miracle. Some hoped that Jesus would heal them or a family member.

 

“So many thousands of people…that they were stepping on one another.” Can you imagine? Some probably wanted to get closer. Some wanted a better view. I expect stepping on someone would make them a bit testy and even angry. Most don’t like large crowds. A crowded movie theatre is often hard to find a seat. A crowded day at the amusement park means long lines. Crowded highways often means slow traffic and delays. Crowded airplanes means even the middle seat is taken. Most of us are not huge fans of crowds.

 

Sometimes crowds can leave the impression that something is right. A full parking lot at a church and someone will say, “They are doing something right.” No, not necessarily. It just means a large crowd is there. Don’t let the crowd fool you. Don’t let a crowd be the basis of what is right.

 

Remember Noah’s day—the crowd was outside the boat. It was those inside the boat that were right. Often God’s people were outnumbered against foreign armies. The size of the armies did not determine who was right.

 

Jesus warned that the road to destruction was wide and crowded. Many would be on that path of doom. The choice of right was narrow and few were on it. Our parents taught us this lesson when we were growing up. Don’t always do what the crowd was doing. Don’t follow the crowd. Doing what is right often makes you stand alone.

 

Rightness is determined by a standard, not the size of the crowd. Rightness is determined by God’s word and not by how I feel. Many can feel “right,” and still be wrong. Salvation is not based upon feelings but faith in Christ. God’s word is our standard. Check things by the Bible. Be Bible right. Do what the Bible says. Those catchy expressions remind us that I can’t be right with God and wrong with the Bible. To know God and to please God is to do the very things He says in His word.

 

I’ve often wondered from our verse today, how so many thousands could have heard Jesus. He did not have a PA system, wide screen video so those in the back could see Him. I don’t know how they heard. It is also interesting that so many thousands turned out and there wasn’t an ad on TV, flyers stuck in a mailbox, Facebook reminders or all the other slick things we do today to gather a crowd. It was word of mouth. One person told another. Jesus is coming. That news spread. Excitement swelled. And in our advanced world of technology today, that is still the best method of evangelism. One person simply telling another person. Face to face. Friend to friend. Come hear Jesus.

 

Not only did the crowd gather without any marketing tools, they gathered and sat outside. This wasn’t in a church building. No air conditioning. No padded pews. No ceiling fans running. No water fountains. Heat. Sun. Bugs. Hard ground. They came. They sat. They listened. They came for Jesus.

 

Most in that large crowd would not walk with Jesus very long. When they didn’t get what they wanted from Him, they went back to their ways. I wonder what it would have been like to sit in that crowd, looking around and seeing all those people. I wonder if I too, would have given up on Jesus as most of the others did. I wonder if I would have seen Jesus as a passing marvel or a means to get something personal. How few saw Him as God on earth. How few were willing to bend their hearts to Him.

 

It makes a person wonder why they follow Jesus? Is it because I meet nice people at church? Is it because it’s a nice religion? Is it because of what it does for me personally? Is it because He is the Lord and it is to Him that I owe everything? One wonders…

 

Roger