24

Jump Start # 1919

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1919

Job 1:5 “When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, ‘Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.”

Job is an amazing person. A spiritual giant and an enormous example for all of us. The very name Job brings to our minds suffering. Folks will say, “Well, at least what I’m going through is not as bad as what Job went through.” We understand. No one wants to walk where Job did. His sufferings, his debates with his friends, the challenging questions from God—it’s all a journey of faith and trust in God.

What we often do not think about with Job is his example of a spiritual father. Our verse today illustrates the great love Job had for his children and his God. Notice several things:

Job understood his children. He said, “perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God.” He knew that this was a possibility. Maybe he knew from his own past. But what an honest evaluation. He didn’t think, as too many parents do, “My kids would never do that.” Yeah, they might have. It’s possible. It’s disturbing to watch on the news about some young person being arrested for murder. And there stands his mother, in tears, declaring, “He’s a good boy.” Really? Good people do not kill others. Maybe that parent is in denial. Maybe that parent doesn’t really know their child.

Job understood the seriousness of what might have been done. He didn’t excuse it by saying, “they were celebrating and kids will be kids.” He recognized that they may have sinned. They may have even cursed God’s name. All of that was wrong.

Job was concerned about the spiritual wellbeing of his children. Job says nothing about the fun times the celebrations brought. He didn’t say that he was glad that his kids did things together. His concern was about their relationship with the Lord. Job offered burnt offerings for each of them. This was a form of a sin offering. If the sons sinned, Job wanted to make it right with the Lord. He wanted his sons to be right with God. What a thought for all of us dads today. We want our sons to go to college, throw ball, get a great job, marry well, have kids, get off our payroll. How about finding a good congregation in all of that? How about growing spiritually in all of that? How about being active with both a congregation and the Lord? Do we excuse things by saying, “Well, their in college now.” SO? We say, “It’s important that they get a good degree,” so off we send them to a place where there is no congregation or one that is helpful and in four years their faith is dead and they no longer have time for God. Not Job. Not this dad. He was concerned about his grown children. They all had houses of their own. They were on their own. Yet, the prayers, concerns and intervention by Job did not cease.

All of this makes us ask, “How are your kids doing spiritually?” With you out of the picture, would they want to continue worshipping God? Would they know how to make the right moral choices? Do you know?

4. Job went to great length and expense to help his children spiritually. The passage says that he offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. He had seven sons and three daughters. That’s a lot of burnt offerings. That’s a lot of slaughter, blood and sacrifices. That’s a lot of trouble. Job didn’t just drop the kids off at the local VBS and go on his way. Do you see the effort he put into his children’s spiritual lives? Knowing Job, as we now know him, one would expect that Job said prayers, had devotions and praised God with his children as they were growing up. God was a regular part of their lives. This is expected of one who fears God, is upright and turns away from evil, as Job is described to us.

Dads, have you sat down with your child and showed him how the Bible all fits together as a unit of God’s message? Have you explained, with their Bible in hand, what the books of the Bible are about? Have you practiced memorizing the names of the books of the Bible with your children? Have you invested your self helping your child spiritually?

5. Job did these things continually. This wasn’t a one time thing. He didn’t feel pressure from the preacher’s sermon and for one week did things, but then stopped. Job did this continually. This was his practice. He was involved in the spiritual lives of his grown children. This is a thought for us. How is your grown child doing spiritually? Do they worship the Lord weekly? Do they remember the death of Jesus? Are they walking with the Lord? Do you know? Do you ask? Do you have spiritual conversations about the Bible, church and growth? Are your sons working on being deacons and future elders? Is that a conversation that you have had? Continually, Job was offering sacrifices for his sons. How did Job get anything else done, when he was continually offering sacrifices for his children. Maybe, his priorities were different than ours. Maybe he put God and his children before other things. Maybe he just made the time for these things by seeing the great value in this. Continually, are you offering prayers for your sons?

6. All of this helped Job stay with the Lord. It’s hard to be busy doing spiritual things for others and it not help you as well. Job’s sacrifices must have drawn him closer to the Lord. It would make him thankful for grace and forgiveness. It would make him look at his own heart. Job’s love for the Lord and his love for his children intersected and at the center of these two loves was a man who cared deeply for what is right. The Lord was right. Job wanted his children to be right.

7. These burnt offerings and prayers that Job offered for his children did not spare their lives. A violent storm crushed all of them. They all died. Ten fresh graves on the hillside. No more burnt offerings for them. No more prayers for their well being. It’s easy to think, ‘what’s the point?’ Job did all these things, and God didn’t protect those kids. Why worship, if your kids are not going to be safe in God’s hands? Why all those burnt offerings if God wasn’t there for them? Why? The answer is that it is appointed unto man once to die. The answer is that this is not Heaven. The answer is that Satan was testing Job. The answer is that God doesn’t owe us a long life, a good life, nor an easy life. The answer is that what Job did was right. Were those ten grown children saved? Will they be in Heaven? That is known only to God. Doing what is right spiritually will not keep pain, trials nor trouble from your doorstep. We don’t worship God so we can get what we want. That’s the way Satan saw thing. From what he saw, the only reason Job had anything to do with God was because of the blessings God sent to Job. We worship God because He is God. We don’t worship to get a better life. We don’t follow the Lord so we will have a smile on our faces. With ten new graves, Job still worshipped God. That is a tribute to his character and his faith. Many would have walked away from God at that point. Not Job. Many would have shaken a fist at God in anger. Not Job. God had blessed him with that family. Now that they were gone, Job was still with God.

Job the father. I wonder if our families and our churches would be better if more dads were connected and engaged with their children spiritually as Job was. Something for all of us to think about and something for all of us to work on.

Roger

23

Jump Start # 1918

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1918

Luke 21:9 “When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.”

 

Our verse is difficult for many to fit into their happy theology that they want to believe Jesus lived and taught. In warning the disciples about the coming destruction upon Jerusalem, Jesus paints a bleak picture. Jerusalem will be surrounded. Many will be captured. Many will be killed. The words of Jesus would spare the disciples from the same fate. They would know to escape. They would pay attention to the words of Jesus.

 

There are lessons for us in these words.

 

Trust and faith are easy with things are going well. It’s when the world is falling apart and we don’t know what to do that we must trust the words of God. The words throughout this section of Luke are serious. Jesus says, “Be on guard,” and, “keep on the alert,” and, “Pray.” Those are not the words one might expect, especially, the way some have distorted Jesus these days. We’d think He ought to say, “It’ll be ok.” Or, “the sun will come back out.” That’s not what we find here. Pray for strength to flee. Woe to those who are nursing babies. It won’t be easy.

 

Wars and disturbances, as our verse states, are nothing new. Back then, it was Rome who was making noise about war. Today, it’s North Korea. Wars and disturbances have always been. They are nothing new. We wonder, why can’t people get along? Why does there have to be racism? Why does hatred exist? Why can’t North Korea and America be friends? Imagine the good both countries could do for each other. Instead, threats are made. Why? The quick and easy answer is sin and hearts that do not want to do what is right. Put some little kids in a room and before long, one is crying because the other has the toy that he wants. Some never change. They have never learned to get along, share or apologize. They become adults and they continue to act like little children. Selfishness, fear and ignorance also adds to the reasons why people cannot get along.

 

People are wanting a Heaven on earth without God. That will never happen. Heaven will never be down here. Heaven will never exist without God. As long as God remains out of our lives, there will be wars and disturbances. The wars may not be international. They may be wars at home. They may be disturbances with the neighbors. People want everyone to get along. The sixties promoted love. The songs were about love and peace. What the sixties left out was God. The love and peace turned into a drug fest and a sexual revolution that was simply more fornication. Without God, forgiveness, grace and the spirit of serving will not be found. Heaven will never be here.

 

There will be trouble in the world because there is trouble in the hearts of people. Not knowing how to deal with issues in life, causes many to make the wrong choices. These choices lead to more trouble and more turmoil. Jesus begs us to come to Him. All you who are weary and heavy laden are offered rest in Jesus Christ. Weary of trouble. Weary of failing. Weary of things not working out. The rest is internal. The rest is spiritual. The rest is salvation. The world is looking for what God is offering, but they don’t want God. As a result, there has always been unrest, wars and trouble. This will continue. It doesn’t matter how many conferences are held. How many speeches are delivered. How many statues are taken down. How many colored ribbons appear on Facebook. Things will never be as they should be without God.

 

One of the hymns begins, “Troublesome times are hear, filling men’s hearts with fear.” This is where we are. So, as followers of Christ, what are we to do?

 

First, keep listening to God. Turn off the talk shows. They get you fired up, excited and agitated. Put your nose into God’s book. Read about those days of Egyptian turmoil. Read about the days of Babylon. See what the people of God did. That’s what we need to do. Pray more and worry less. Trust God more and trust the promises of man less.

 

Second, tell others about Jesus. People do not have to live the way that they are. There is an answer. There is a better way. Show them through your life, peace and hope that is only found in Christ. Lace your answers with Biblical truths.

 

Third, don’t let the world pull you down. Take a spiritual vacation from the planet. Set your mind on things above. Pray. Praise. Reflect upon the goodness of God. Think about Heaven. Think about who will be there. Think about what won’t be there. Think about all the problems that will never make it to Heaven. Think about some of our hymns about Heaven, there’s a bunch. Some day we are out of here.

 

Fourth, don’t live in denial. Jesus didn’t sugar coat things. Jerusalem was going to fall. It was going to be ugly. Many would die. That would happen and it did. The disciples listened, learned and escaped. We live in tough times. The drug problem today is as bad as it was in the 60’s. There is a lot of unrest in the nation and internationally. Liberal thinking has moved past homosexual marriages to the transgender issue. Once they get what they want, then they will move on to multiple marriages at the same time. Once that is accomplished, people will be marrying their pets. The door is open. There is no stopping dumb. I suppose if a guy can marry his goldfish, then the goldfish can file for divorce. I wonder who will get the house? Removing standards, authority and God from society, leaves us in serious troublesome times.

 

Fifth, God’s people will continue to shine as a people who are content, happy and hopeful. It is important that are marriages are good and solid. It is important that we keep close to the cross. The differences are becoming more and more obvious. Contemporary religion is shallow and not making any difference. People feel good for a moment, but there is no substance and no foundation. A happy verse here and there doesn’t deal with sin and the moral life that God demands. The people of God are in a great position to pull people out of the drowning waters of lifeless living. What’s the purpose? God’s people know. What’s the point of all this? God’s people know. We know. We live it. We show it.

 

Wars and disturbances…nothing new. Nothing we can’t handle as long as God is with us, and more importantly, as long as we are with God.

 

Roger

 

22

Jump Start # 1917

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1917

Psalms 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.”

 

Last Sunday I had a birthday. It was one of those big milestone ones. My family threw me a party and the entire weekend was shuffling me here and there to honor me, and do things that I like to do. It was a lot of fun. All the grandkids were here and we played hard. It wore me out!

 

This birthday has bothered me more than any other. Many fear turning 40. Fifty gets to some. For me, it’s 60. There are just some reflective things you see looking back and looking forward that you know are facing you whether you want to admit it or not. I don’t know what “old” meant to the Psalmist who wrote our passage today. Our society is shifting in age. There was a time, not too long ago, that few, very few, made it to 90. Now, thanks to better conditions, health and medicines, lots of folks are well past 90. That causes financial planners to map out better savings plans for families and it has given the need for more and more assisted living places. So, 60 isn’t really old, but it’s still a long time. A 60 year old car is a classic. I don’t know anyone who is wearing clothes that are 60 years old. A 60 year old house is old and most likely needing some fixing up.

 

So, here are a few reflections on hitting the big one, as I have been told several times this weekend.

 

First, I have been blessed. God must be thanked. Living to 60 years isn’t a right but a privilege. Each day is a gift from God. There have been thousands of those daily gifts. Looking back one sees the multiple times God has helped a person. There has been doors of opportunity opened because of God. There has been prayers answered and sins forgiven. To live this long without recognizing this is to be nothing more than an old fool.

 

Second, fewer things in life are better than family. The love, connections, stories and history with family beats any trip or any gift. Just being together with the people you like is amazing. This too is a huge blessing from the Lord. Not all families get along. Not all families like each other. Some families hurt each other. Some talk bad about each other. Such a shame and such a loss. The joy of your own children and then to spend time with their children, your grandchildren, is such a wonderful experience and blessing. We can be so busy these days that we fail to appreciate these wonderful blessings. For some, especially those who are spread out all over the country, it takes a funeral to get everyone together.

 

Third, looking back one remembers great people in their life. There have been wonderful people that has loved you, helped you and been there for you. As you age, many of those people are no longer on this side of life. They touched your heart and made you better. That wonderful impression has led you to be like that for someone else. There has been teachers, coaches, preachers, friends all through our lives. Some were like a comet that came in and out of our lives very quickly and were not there long, but they left a wonderful impression. Others have been there for us for decades. They were at our wedding. There watched our kids grow up. Dear, dear friends. We all have those. What a blessing that is. To live to be old without that is such a sad state.

 

Fourth, one begins to look back over their life and wonders what good he has done. When one is 60, as I now am, you look back to a working career of about 40 years. The first 20 some years of our life is spent growing up and getting an education. But after that, we hit it hard working, earning a living and building a career. We look back and see jobs that we didn’t like so well. We remember different people that helped us when we first started. We remember those early mentors in our lives. Many hours at the desk, on the phone and traveling. For me, it’s been preaching. Nearly 40 years of preaching, writing, teaching and talking to people. There has been a lot of weddings that I preformed. There has been too many funerals that I spoke at. Preaching overseas. Preaching in prisons. Preaching in little country church buildings and preaching in big city churches. Preached and preached and preached. One looks back and wonders what good was done. One sees things that should have been done differently. Those lessons are shared with younger ones to try to help them along the way. We think of what was said of David, that he served the purpose of God in his generation. That’s what we do.

 

Fifth, one realizes that there are some dreams that will not be fulfilled. Time, money and where you are in life makes you realize that some dreams just aren’t going to happen. That can make one sad, or one can realize that there have been other dreams and other goals that have been met. Life isn’t a constant. Things change. People change. Many are doing things now that they never planned to when they were in college. Choices and what life presents to us often reshapes our dreams. I think about those citizens of Judah long ago who were taken away to Babylon for 70 years. Some probably died in Babylon. This was not how they figured things would be in their lives, but, it’s what happened. Some of us are living in places that we never expected long ago when we were younger. As dreams change, one thing doesn’t, and that is walking with the Lord. You may have dreamed of being a world traveler and that never happened. Or, you may have dreamed of having a small farm and here you are in the suburbs of a major city. I once had hoped to preach for a small country church that had a white building set before a beautiful countryside. Instead, I have spent the majority of my life preaching for large city congregations. Dreams change.

 

Sixth, one realizes as they get older that the next twenty years will be a lot harder than the last twenty years. When you are 30, you don’t wonder if you will still have your mind in the next 20 years. That is a thought that you do have when you are 60. The health issues of a 30 year old are losing weight, sprained ankles from playing ball and things like that. When one looks past 60 he wonders about hip replacements, heart issues and other lovely thoughts.

 

Seventh, if one has been walking with the Lord, one will realize that it’s been a good life. No matter how much time is left, decades or days, it doesn’t matter because the Lord has been good to me. I find myself being much more thankful in my prayers than when I was younger. I find myself asking the Lord less and just happy that He still loves me and hears me.

 

Eighth, one doesn’t stop until the Lord stops him. A person may retire from their work and they may end their career, but they never stop walking with the Lord. There gets to be a time to step out of the way and allow the younger ones to take over. That’s understandable. But in doing that, one still has lots of good that he can do for the kingdom. Your years of learning, experience and understanding the Lord can help others. You can be that sound voice when others are jumping to extremes. You can be the go-to person when others have questions. Get that family close to the Lord. Use your influence to help others. Years and years will either give you a good reputation or a sorry one. Your choices. The good that you have done, and the way that you have treated others, will either make others respect you or despise you.

 

Those are a few of my thoughts as I round 60 and head on.

 

Roger

 

21

Jump Start # 1916

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1916

Matthew 27:54 “Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.”

Our verse today comes from Jerusalem. Jesus is dying upon the cross. The sky became dark. The “sixth’ hour” is noon. The “ninth hour” is 3 PM. From noon until 3, the prime time for the brightest part of the day, the sky became dark.

 

Today is eclipse day. Everyone is buzzing about that. I have an eclipse t-shirt and my special eclipse glasses. Where I live is a pretty good spot for the eclipse, nearly total. I’ve heard that song birds will sing like it’s evening, while the eclipse is taking place. The temperature will drop about ten degrees during the eclipse. People are traveling to special places so they can get a great glimpse. There hasn’t been anything like this in nearly 100 years.

 

All of this hype about our eclipse made me think about those few dark hours at Calvary. Not only was the sun obscured, as Luke states it, but there was a massive earthquake. The curtain in the Temple was torn in two, and the graves of the righteous were opened and the dead were resurrected. This was much more than an eclipse. It had God’s finger prints all over it. Miraculous events took place.

 

Our eclipse today reminds us of three important Biblical truths. Even in natural events, such as today, there are things we can see spiritually that will help us in our journey with Christ.

 

First, the sky will darken. It will darken for us about the same time it darkened at the death of Jesus. Without Christ, how dark our world can quickly become. There are strong moments today to remove Christianity from society. No church buildings. No Bibles. No prayers. No references to God. Many folks would like that. They think life would be better that way. They do not realize how dark things would really become. Racism, prejudice, violence, hatred can only be conquered by love, forgiveness and the principles that are in the Bible. Remove Christ, and the world gets really dark. Christ brings hope, joy and forgiveness. Christ brings peace. Christ builds bridges that connects people rather than separates them. Our music, art, literature are all influenced by the goodness of Jesus Christ. Remove Jesus and the world becomes a dreadful place.

 

Second, lights shine the brightest in dark places. As the sky darkens today, some car headlights might come on. Some street lights might come on. We are the light of the world, Jesus tells His disciples. We shine the brightest in dark places. Think about that for a moment. You may be the only N.T. Christian where you work. Sure there may be some good people, some may even go to church services once in a while, but to be a devoted, dedicated follower of Christ, you might be the only one. Your light shines. Honesty is something people will know you for. Kindness is found in your words. People will recognize that you are a straight shooter. You don’t play favorites or use people to your advantage. In time, people will even come to you for help, advice and insights. Why? Because you stand out. You are a light.

 

Also, consider your family. You may be the only Christian in your family. When the family all gets together, you shine. You are helpful. You are thoughtful. You don’t talk about other people in a negative or hurtful way. You praise God and His people. They may not all agree with you and they may even mock you for being “so religious,” but there is something in your character that they notice. There is a goodness about you that is missing in their lives.

 

Third, after the eclipse this afternoon, the sun will come back out. Tomorrow all the eclipse glasses will be tossed in a box or the trash can. Life will go on, and in time people will not think much about it. The sun came back out in Jerusalem when Jesus died. But His death changed things. Things were never the same after that. Satan thought he won. The dead Jesus brought a smile to Satan’s face. But three days later, “up from the grave He arose.” That huge stone that sealed the tomb of Jesus was rolled away. Christ walked out of that grave, crushing Satan and filling the world with hope and salvation.

 

We ought to be a different people because of what happened that dark day in Jerusalem. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are never the same. Who wants to return to the darkness, when we can live in the bright light of the Gospel? Who wants their soul to remain dark and spoiled when they can be washed in the blood of Jesus?

 

Eclipses are fascinating. The death and resurrection of Jesus is more than that. It’s life changing.

 

We are of the day, Paul told the Thessalonians. Darkness, referring to sin and evil, has been removed from our hearts and we prefer the day to the night.

 

Roger

 

18

Jump Start for Dad

Posted on August 18, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Jump Start for Dad

For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

Today’s jumpstart has been hacked. Don’t be alarmed. This is Roger’s son Jordan. Dad’s 60th birthday is on Sunday (August 20 th ). Dad, you’re always writing such kind words for others, and so I thought for your upcoming birthday, I’d write a few words for you.

Let’s just start with some numbers. You’re turning 60 years old. You and mom have been married for 37 years. You have four children, each of whom is married, 7 grandchildren (with one on the way). You have been preaching for over 37 years. That means you’ve preached over 3,700 sermons, written nearly 2,000 bulletin articles, taught countless Bible classes and personal studies, and as of today you have written 1914 jumpstarts. Looking at all those numbers – that’s impressive! I know it must bring a smile to God’s face.

A common question I get about you is, “Is he the jumpstart guy?” After saying yes, they always follow up by saying, “How does he do it?” Usually I say, “I have no idea.” But I see it. God has given you a gift. You have such an incredible eye for the Scripture – to take something that would seem so simple to all of us, and yet you pull out such depth from each verse. That comes from all that hard work, all those years of studying the Bible. You have such a way with words. You’re a gifted writer, an incredible preacher, and a wonderful example of what it means to be a servant of God.

Without fail, whenever I’m traveling and introduce myself to someone new, they’ll ask, “Are you Roger Shouse’s son?” I’m always so proud to say yes. Your reputation is far reaching. Your preaching, writings, and example have touched the lives of so many people. Because of you, people have come to know Jesus. Because of your teaching, churches are stronger. You’ve stood for the truth, and proclaimed the gospel. You’ve helped thousands of people start their day with Christ. What a difference you’ve made in this world! You’ve always been my favorite preacher.

I can speak with confidence about the lives of 4 you’ve forever changed: Nathan, Sarah, Jordan, and Joel; your children. None of us would be where we are, or who we are were it not for you, Dad. Because of you we all have a love for music, especially the Beatles. The love of reading, the competitive drive in sports, the love of chocolate and popcorn, even down to a love for color (and crazy socks), it came from you!

I think of the passage in 1 Thessalonians 2 about Paul’s preaching, and I think of you. You preach with such passion and love – like a father towards his children. That’s something we have seen firsthand, not just your preaching from the pulpit, but the sermon’s you’ve preached through your love and instruction as a father.

Nothing we could give you could compare to the gift you’ve given your children. You taught us Christ. You modeled grace. You instilled in us a love for God and His Word. You taught us to live for Jesus every day and everywhere. You showed us what it meant to be a husband, a loving spouse. You formed in us a servant’s heart through encouraging us to have open eyes toward the needs of others. You taught us to love the church, and to be active in whatever local congregation we are a part of. You taught me how to preach (for which I’ll forever be thankful). You pointed us to God. You charged us to walk in a manner worthy of His glory.

And here we are – grown up, married to godly spouses, active in the Lord’s church, raising our own children to love and serve the Lord. That’s because of you and mom. We are your sermon! We are your “epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;” (2Cor 3:2). Thank you for showing us the way. Thank you for lovingly and patiently lead us to Christ.

We see you now and smile. We see you as a grandfather to 7 grandkids who adore you. Because of you and mom, there’s a whole new generation that will come to know and love the Lord. I speak on behalf of your family in saying that we love you so much, and that we are so proud of who you are and what you’ve done in the Lord’s kingdom, and in our lives.

I know you’ll receive lots of gifts for your birthday, and for certain that you’ll have a chocolate cake, but the best gift I have to offer you is to let you know how much I love you, and how honored and blessed I am to be your son. You’re my source of wisdom and inspiration. You’re my mentor, my hero; I’m so proud to call you my dad. I am who I am today because of you. When I grow up, I want to be like you.

I love you Dad. Happy birthday.
Jordan