14

Jump Start # 2182

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2182

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

It’s Friday. It’s been a long week. You probably have plans for the weekend. Sunday is coming. But as you look back over the week, how did you do spiritually? Did you pray like you wanted to? Did you attend worship? Did you open the Bible and read? Busy schedules, work loads, family demands, things to do around the house, and we find some weeks weren’t the best for us spiritually.

One of the most difficult aspects of our walk with the Lord is that day to day commitment. It’s not the big challenges, but the little ones, the simple ones, the everyday stuff that so often is easy to push aside for the moment. We notice the concept of “daily” living and “daily” walking among those early Christians.

Jesus told the disciples to pray, “give us this day our daily bread” (Mt 6:11)
Discipleship involved carrying your cross daily and following Jesus (Lk 9:23)
The Hebrews were told to encourage one another day after day (Heb 3:13)
Every day they were teaching and preaching Jesus (Acts 5:42)
The Bereans were searching the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11)

When we are not engaged spiritually every day, the problem of inconsistency arises. There are days when more of the world is in us than should be. There are days when our attitudes are not where they ought to be. There are times when we can seem very “unchristian” in our behavior.

It’s not a matter of knowing. Most know. We’ve sat through the sermons. We’ve read the Scriptures. It’s just living seems to squeeze and crowd the spiritual out of us. There just doesn’t seem to be enough day in the day. Meetings at work, running the kids everywhere, so many texts, watching some TV, and before you know it, we crash into bed at night exhausted, wiped out until the alarm startles us awake the next morning to start the process all over. We roll out of bed, with our minds filled with so much to do and we start the day in a hurried pace and it only gets faster and faster until we crash into bed again in the night. The only relief is a Saturday morning, and for many, the kids have a game, or practice and that keeps this pace going.

And on Sunday, the preacher asks how are we doing spiritually? We know the answer to that, not so hot. Were it not for a Sunday, and worship, we’d probably have that day filled as well with something. There is always something to do. We think, once the kids are older it will slow down. It doesn’t. We think, once the kids are out of the house, things will be better. What happens is that something else fills that place and that schedule remains busy. Retirement looks better and better. If we can just hang on a few more years we tell ourselves.

But then those “daily” verses haunt us. Every day those early Christians were walking, living, encouraging and teaching the Lord. Every single day. How? How did they do it? We conclude that they didn’t have work demands and busy kids like we do. It was different for them we conclude. That’s our pass. That’s how we live with all of this.

Worship becomes our weekly spiritual vitamin. It is in worship that we are receiving 100% of our daily spiritual nutrients that keeps us healthy. Without worship, we’d dry up and wither away. We really need worship. For many, without wanting to admit it, this is their life. Busy schedules have conquered them and they don’t know any way around it. And, all of this is taking a toll upon congregations. Men do not feel qualified to serve as elders. Everyone around them seems to believe that they would be great, but deep inside, the person knows, he is not where he ought to be. Congregations can’t find teachers for Bible classes. The reason, teaching takes time and commitment. Who has the time? When is a person supposed to study? Hospitality is basically dead. Maybe get with a family after services and go out to eat, but all the other days are filled for both us and them. The depth of knowledge begins to level off soon after the basics. Learning takes study and study takes time and again, who has the time.

All of this is one of the very reasons Jump Starts Daily came to be. We found that people just didn’t have time to open their Bibles and read. Just too busy. The idea of a simple daily devotion, based upon a Scripture would help. We never dreamed it would have become what it is today. We never thought that it would still be going this long.

Our verse today contains three actions words: be steadfast, be immovable, always abound in the Lord’s work. Hold your ground and keep going. Don’t waver. Don’t put your sword and shield down. Don’t stop. And, never quit.

Great thoughts, but with the situation as it is, how does a person live everyday for the Lord? How do I become a daily disciple? Three simple things will help. You don’t have to toss your schedule in the trash. You don’t have to quit your job and move to a monastery. You don’t have to pull the kids out of every activity. But you do have to take control of your spiritual wellbeing. It’s up to you, not the church, not the preacher and not the elders, to be steadfast, immovable and always abounding.

First, invite the Lord into you life every day. You do this especially through prayer. You can pray a zillion times in a day. Little prayers. Pray before you enter work. Pray for opportunities. Pray for your attitude and your mouth. Pray for your purity. Pray for your kids and your mate. As things crosses your mind, little prayers. Say a prayer as you send a text. Say a prayer as you answer an email. Pray as you drive home. Start doing this, and more and more you’ll find yourself connecting with the Lord. You are reading Jump Starts, keep doing that. Think about the passage. Let those words roll around in your mind. What would you have written on this? How would you have addressed the issue of a busy lifestyle? See, without a lot of changes, you are moving your heart and mind into the spiritual realm.

Second, keep your priorities in line. Multitask. As you mow the yard, do the dishes, sweep the floor, pray, mediate, think spiritually. Think about what you can do to help the congregation. Think about where your family is spiritually. Think about what you need to do to grow deeper in the Lord. Learn to say “No.” You can’t be everywhere and you can’t do everything. It’s ok to say “No.” There are things that just must be done, such as eating together as a family, with the TV off and phones put away. Talk. Connect. Laugh. Share. Instruct. Keep Sunday always in your mind. Get to bed early Saturday. It will give you needed rest and it will make for a better Sunday. Find all the shoes, Bibles and things you need and lay them out on Saturday evening, so Sunday won’t be so crazy.

Third, every day use your faith. Look for people to help. Look for ways to invite. Look for good that you can do. Connect with the church family. Look around the work place or the neighborhood for ways to let your light shine. Be thinking.

And, in so doing these things, you are living everyday for the Lord. Everyday faith. Everyday discipleship. These things will make your faith richer and it will move you to new levels of commitment and growth. There is a song that is so haunting to us, “I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?” We don’t want to say a couple of hours on Sunday. We know that’s not a good answer. What have we given to Him? It should be our lives. Our hearts. Our all. And, all of this begins, when we live daily for Jesus.

Everyday faith…it starts today.

Roger

13

Jump Start # 2181

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2181

Joel 2:17 “Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the porch and the altar; and let them say, ‘Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”

The priests were to weep. This wasn’t crocodile tears, manufactured to make an appearance. God wanted these priests to pour their hearts and soul into their message. They were to be praying earnestly and passionately. They were pleading, both with God and with the people.

 

Jeremiah is often referred to as the “weeping prophet.” The coming doom upon the nation and the beloved city was something that he was trying to prevent. God was willing if the people would change. They wouldn’t. Begging, pleading and even weeping for what he knew was going to happen, would not move those indifferent hearts.

 

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a preacher cry during a sermon. We laugh. We tell stories. We feel good and we make the audience feel good. We reveal facts. We explain words. We point to practical applications and solutions. We make lovely speeches. But a crying preacher, just don’t see that too often.

 

The fact that so few cry these days doesn’t mean that the sermons are not effective, powerful and working. Tears alone is not the measurement of success. But the presence of tears moves the sermon from an intellectual lecture to a heart-felt compassionate and personal plea. The emotions as well as the mind are all into the message of changing people for Christ.

 

The weeping priests of Joel’s day brings us to an important look at emotions in worship and especially in preaching. Emotions are our reaction to something. When scared, we become frightened. When upset, we become angry. When sad, we cry. When joyful, we smile. Those are all common events that happen all the time.

 

Emotions in worship, especially preaching, ought to be genuine and not fake. Crying can make others cry. Laughing can make others laugh. But when it’s not real, only a show, then the person doing it is trying to force people to a certain place. It’s not natural. It’s not real. And, in this, our emotions can get the best of us. Our emotions can get us excited and saying and doing things without thinking them through. Our emotions can get ahead of our thoughts. We follow our hearts rather than our head. Now this sounds great in the movies and in songs, but it can lead to decisions that are made without reasons and choices made without considering the consequences. Our emotions can get the best of us. Peter tells the disciples to add self-control to their faith and knowledge. The control of self. The control of our passions and our emotions. Don’t let the cart get before the horse and don’t let your heart get before your mind and don’t let your emotions get the best of you.

 

So, our emotions ought to be genuine. Don’t put on a show. Don’t do things to gather sympathy and support of others. It’s not about you. Get out of the spotlight and put the attention upon the Lord where it needs to be.

 

Having said that, how can one read about the crucifixion of Jesus and not be moved? He suffered for us. He went through that for us. How can one read what the prophets went through and not be a bit angry at the heartless nation that ignored them? It’s hard not to feel as Moses did, when he came down that mountain and saw the people dancing around the golden calf. If we had tablets of stone in our hands, we’d likely throw them down as well. The Bible stirs our emotions. We ought to feel loved by God. We ought to sense the obligation put before us to be His people and His hands and feet today.

 

Genuine emotions fit into our worship and they do belong there. Lifeless singing makes one wonder, do they really believe what they are singing? Robust, energetic and enthused voices praising the God that has forgiven them ought to be characteristic of our worship. Who needs instruments, when we’ve become the instruments of God with our voices and our hearts.

 

Genuine emotions fits in our prayers as we passionately plead with God for help and salvation. Prayers are more than a check list, like a pilot goes through before take off. Prayers are our hearts connecting with His heart. Thoughtful. Thankful. Earnest. Prayers don’t have to be long to be good. They don’t have to contain large words to be good. They must come from the heart. If they don’t, what are they? If they don’t, are we merely going through the motions. Motions without emotions, doesn’t accomplish much.

 

Genuine emotions are fitting for sermons. Now, they must not ruin the message nor distract from the message. The expression, hide yourself behind the cross, fits here, and especially here. A blubbering preacher may get the audience in tears, but has that drawn the crowd to the cross or has it sought sympathy for the preacher? An angry preacher might scare people into obedience, but that typically won’t last long. A self-pitying, woe-is-me, preacher might make people feel sorry and even open up their wallets for him, but it won’t bring lasting change. It’s the word of God that must be preached. The attention must be upon the word. The preacher is only a voice. He brings the Bible alive, but it’s the Bible that people must see. They must come because of God. They must be converted because of God. They must obey because of God. Paul showed this to the Corinthians. The “I am of Paul, and I am of Cephas,” section is directly connected to all of this. It’s not the preacher, but God who saves us and changes us.

 

Genuine emotions are fitting when one responds to the Gospel. A person wants to be baptized. Our hearts ought to swell with joy. Happiness for both the person and each of us should fill our hearts. Congregations don’t know what to do when a person is baptized. Should we clap? Should we spontaneously say, “Amen”? Should we burst into a song? Often we sit, wanting to express joy, but no one knows what to do. It’s an awkward moment. When some clap, others are offended and a joyous moment now has become tainted and ruined. I suggest singing a hymn. Sing a joyous song. What a great time that is.

 

God told the priests to weep. It seems odd that He had to tell them that. Why weren’t they weeping already? Why wasn’t the situation enough for them to weep? Had they lost their own hearts? Were they lukewarm? Did they not care? Was it just a job for them? The fact that God had to tell them to weep is more troubling than anything else.

 

Genuine emotions become natural and a part of our worship when our hearts are touched and when we have compassion and love for the Lord and others. “What about saying, ‘Amen,’ during a sermon,” someone asks. That fits with all the things we have said. If it is genuine and not drawing attention to yourself, it’s fine. I personally like it when I preach. It lets me know that someone is with me. Now, calling out for an Amen, “Do I have an AMEN” on that, doesn’t sound very genuine.

 

Weeping priests, passionate prayers, energetic singing, and heart felt preaching—they all fit together when one is in tune with God and wants the attention to be upon the Lord.

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 2180

Posted on September 12, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2180

1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”

As I write this a massive hurricane is moving toward the Carolina coast. Warnings have been issued. People have been told to evacuate. The forecasters are predicting massive flooding and damage. I’ve never been near hurricanes. I have friends and family in both Florida and Texas, but here in Indiana that has never been a concern. We have tornados. Modern science can tell you when and where they will hit and within a few short minutes they are gone. Hurricanes are different. Our thoughts and prayers are with those in harms way.

Even though there has been warnings and this hurricane has been in the news for days, there will be some who ignore the warnings. They will stay in their homes when it is not safe. There will be some who try to go down to the beaches and will remain until the police have to threaten them with arrest before they leave. The warnings are posted, but many will ignore them. And, we see the same spiritually.

All throughout the Bible there are warnings.

Proverbs tells us not to associate with an angry person, lest we learn his ways. Not only is this ignored, but there are those who will marry an angry person and spend the majority of their life living with an angry person.

Matthew and Peter warns about being prepared for the return of Jesus. Jesus is coming. The world will end. What sort of people ought we to be, Peter asks. This will be ignored.

The Bible tells us not to look upon the wine when it sparkles in a cup. That’s ignored.

Paul warned Timothy about foolish controversies. That’s ignored.

Titus was warned about factious people who cause trouble.

Our verse today, the false security of thinking that I will never fall, is ignored. People dangerously flirt with those they are not married to. They play around with Satan thinking it’s cute and nothing bad will happen.

Throughout the Bible there are warnings that if we pay attention to them, will keep us safe, alive and spiritual. Life would be so much easier if people paid attention to the warnings. We would not find ourselves in so much trouble if we only listened to the warnings. I remember the tragic story of several people who were killed years ago in a tornado. The sirens were blowing, the tornado was spotted. But rather than seek shelter, several stood in a store front window watching the coming tornado. The window shattered and they were killed, mostly by the glass. It didn’t have to happen, but they ignored the warnings.

Power equipment has warning labels on them. There are all kinds of warnings lights and sounds in our cars. Even simple things like hair dyers have warning labels on them. Some seem ridiculous, but probably something happened in the past and to avoid lawsuits, the label tries to cover all bases. “Do not attempt to sharpen the chain saw while it is running.” Really? A warning label on a wheel barrel, “Not intended for highway use.” A warning label on a dishwasher, “Do not allow children to play in dishwasher.”

Here is the thing about warnings.

First, some do not want to be inconvenienced. It takes time to turn things off, to store things properly, to evacuate your home. And, for some, it’s just too much trouble. So, they look for shortcuts. They ignore the warnings.

Second, there is a false sense of arrogance that assumes that nothing bad will happen. I can do this, usually proceeds a mad dash to the hospital because you couldn’t do that. This arrogance thinks that they know better than the manufactures and when we talk about spiritual issues, we know more than the Bible. Others need to pay attention, but I don’t have to. It won’t happen to me. I know what I’m doing. I know my limits. Those are usually the words before a spiritual crash. You don’t know more than God and you don’t know the power of temptation.

Third, there is an assumption that I am different than you. You need the warnings, I don’t. The truth be, we are both just about the same. Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun. The Corinthians were told that there is no temptation that is not common to man. We are all wired pretty much the same.

Fourth, there is the idea that the warnings are unnecessary because nothing is going to happen. I see this in my area. The storm clouds build up, weather men see rotation on the radar and a tornado warning is issued. Often, it’s issued for an entire county. We had a tornado hit a community just a few miles from my home. There was some damage there, but nothing where I live. When that happens enough times people do not get too excited about the warnings. And, we start thinking that way spiritually. Jesus is coming. There will be a final judgment. The world will end. And, some think, probably won’t happen.

Biblical warnings are different than product warnings. Biblical warnings are based upon God’s word and God’s promises and they are always true. There is no getting around them. Ignore them if you want, but they won’t go away. Act like nothing will happen, and yet, it will happen. This is why we find Biblical expressions such as be on the alert or beware or watch. God knows. God knows what will trip you. God knows what will keep you safe. Pay attention to His warnings and you’ll be fine. Ignore them and you’ll be caught in a storm.

Remember the wise man and the foolish man who built their houses? The foolish man never anticipated a storm. Remember the prodigal? He never anticipated a famine and being broke. Warnings ignored, eyes closed to consequences, disaster struck. This happens every time when warnings are ignored.

There has been enough talk about this hurricane that not a single person ought to be killed. But, sadly, some probably will be. This happens when warnings are ignored. Likewise, there are enough warnings in the Bible, that not a single person ought to be lost. But we know, many will. They will be because they ignored warnings.

Storms are developing…are you paying attention.

Roger

11

Jump Start # 2179

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2179

Galatians 5:15 “But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another.”

I was flipping through a hymn book the other day and stopped at the song, “The World’s Bible.” That song is based upon a passage from 2 Corinthians where Paul declared that the Corinthian brethren are “our letter…known and read by all men.” There is a lot of truth to that song. The only thing many people know today about the Lord is what they see in others. We have become the only Bible the world will ever know.

 

In that hymn, there are two penetrating questions, “What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?” What if our impression of Jesus, our example, our influence, our light-shinning, isn’t so bright? The answer is obvious. We leave the wrong impression. Our faith can be a joke and many will wonder why do I need that? We can stand with one foot in the world and one foot in Christ and that certainly seems inconsistent, convenient and compromising. Why the call to leave sin, when you Mr. Christian embrace the sin of your choice?

 

Blurred print and crooked type. I have some old books in which the print is blurred and the type is crooked. It is very hard to read, and it doesn’t take too much to get a headache. It’s hard on the eyes. And, when that’s the impression of our influence, we are really doing more harm than good.

 

Here are some thoughts:

 

First, there are times when Christians can act very unchristian. Our verse today is a sad reminder of that. Instead of standing together. Rather than being united, they were destroying each other. They were biting and devouring one another. They had turned on each other. They were shooting each other, not the enemy. It wouldn’t take too long until they would destroy each other. You may have seen this repeated in our times. Ugly business meetings. Brethren leaving angry and slamming doors. Finger pointing. Shouting. Gossip. Trying to gather support against the other side. Tears. And, finally, some quitting and never coming back. Those are dark days. Hard to get excited about bringing someone into such a mess like that. Jesus had to deal with similar attitudes among His disciples. On one occasion some wanted to destroy a town with fire. Jesus would not have any part with that. Other occasions, they tried to stop some from doing good. Blurred and crooked can leave the wrong impressions.

 

Second, we are not the perfect example, Jesus is. Jesus has always been. Each of us is a work in progress. Some areas we may be doing very well in, others we tend to look a bit crooked and blurry. It’s not the church that saves, but Jesus. It’s not the church that is perfect, but Jesus is. The church may let us down, Jesus never will. The church may neglect you, the Lord won’t. The church may even hurt your feelings, God won’t. Too often we place the credibility of Christianity upon the people and not upon the Lord. Someone will say, “I know someone who goes to your church, and he sure cusses at work.” Blurred print. Crooked type. Those statements used to silence me. I didn’t know what to say. Any more, I respond by saying, “I can tell you more horror stories, but you’ll never see Jesus cussing in the Bible. In fact, one of His apostles did, Peter. So, it doesn’t surprise me that today, some still do it.” Then, I add, “Because he cussed, do you think it’s alright for you to cuss?” “Well, no,” he’ll say. “But, he’s not being a very good member.” And from that, we can get into a discussion of perfection. The perfect dad. The perfect husband. The perfect worker. The perfect citizen. And, before long we both realize that we blurred print and crooked type, yet Jesus loves us and invites us. Everyone needs Jesus.

 

It is important to draw the attention away from the church to the Bible and to Christ. Guilty church leaders who have been arrested and made the news is all a carnal world needs to say that Christianity is a sham. It’s not. Many are not serious about their walk. Many are hiding rather than confessing their sins. Many are following a counterfeit form of Christianity that is blurred and crooked to start with.

 

Third, crooked type and blurred print doesn’t change what the Bible says. So, there are some who are hypocrites. So, there are some who are not very serious. So, there are some who are not committed. So, there are some who have never left the world, nor crucified the old man. Does any of that change what the Bible says? Because atheism thrives on college campuses, does that change what the Bible says? Because same-sex marriages are now accepted by the law, does that change what the Bible says? Too many are crowd followers rather than disciples of Jesus. So nobody cares. What’s your excuse? You know what the Bible says. You are to do what God expects. God doesn’t give you a pass because others are not with you. There at Sardis, a church that Jesus declared dead, there were a few that were doing what was right. The ole’ Popeye cartoon, had Popeye saying, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” That may work for Popeye in a cartoon, but it’s not Biblical. You are to do what is right, even if you must walk alone. Joshua declared, “As for me and my house, we will follow the Lord.” He said this after telling the nation, serve whom you may. Serve the gods in this land, or serve the gods where we came from. My mind is made up. We are serving the Lord.

 

Follow the Lord, not the crowd. This may mean that no one is practicing hospitality, you can. You can invite folks over to your home, even though no one will invite you to their home. No one volunteers to teach. You can. No one will help clean the place up. You can. No one ever invites anyone to come to worship. You can. No one studies their Bible class lesson and comes prepared. You can. All around you may be crooked and blurred type. You can either throw up your hands and become that as well, or you can do what the Bible tells you to do.

 

I have found that often that’s all it takes. Someone takes the lead. Someone takes charge. And, soon, others are there as well. They have been waiting for someone to come along who cares. They have allowed themselves to become blurred and crooked. And, now, seeing you, they step up. There is a spirit that begins to run through the air. It’s like opening the windows and allowing the fresh air to come in. What a difference. Song leaders put more time, effort and energy into what they are doing. The Bible class teachers spend more time preparing their lessons. The whole place seems to take on a new attitude. Why? Because some refused to follow the blurred print society. Some decided, no matter what, they were going to do what the Bible says. God deserves the best and they were going to give Him their best.

 

To some degree, all of us have a bit of blurred print within us. It’s helpful when we recognize this and admit that we are a work in progress. It helps to point folks to the Lord and His word and not to us. We need to be examples. We need to let our lights shine, but ultimately, we must point folks to the Lord.

 

What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred? Even still, people can find the Lord, obey Him and through His grace, have the hope of Heaven.

 

Roger

 

10

Jump Start # 2178

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2178

John 4:34-35 “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.”

In these marvelous words of Jesus, there is a obvious difference in calculations. The disciples were thinking that there were four more months until the harvest. For the farmer, the harvest season is a busy time. One must work hard and get the crops in as weather permits. Before the harvest, there is the time of preparation but the demands are not so intense. Opportunity was coming, but it wasn’t now. That’s how the disciples saw things. We have four months until harvest.

Jesus saw things differently. Now is the harvest. His proof was open your eyes. Look on the fields. They are white for harvest. In agriculture, a farmer couldn’t delay a harvest for four months. If the crops were ready now, in four months the opportunity would be lost. Another four months and the crops would rot. The opportunity doesn’t fit the farmer’s time table. The famer has to be ready when the crops are ready.

This wonderful lesson reminds of the value of opportunity. The Galatians were told, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially those of the household of faith.” Opportunities.

Here are four lessons about opportunities.

First, Some opportunities when they are missed are gone forever. Think about Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip reached him while he was reading Isaiah in his chariot. Had Philip delayed, he may not have found the eunuch. Opportunities do not wait until our schedules clear, the weekend, or we have a day off. They come at work. They come at school. They are there as we shop. They are there as we take a walk in the neighborhood. Chance meetings. A certain question is asked. A specific situation arises. A week later, the person may not be asking that question. A week later they may have moved on to something else.

We can’t go back to high school, it’s too late. Those opportunities are gone. For many of us, we kept silent and still instead of let our lights shine. We were too shy, too afraid, too uncomfortable about letting others know that we were Christians. Moments passed. We’ve moved on. Most connections are no longer there.

Second, some opportunities are disguised as great challenges. There is a lot of effort involved. There is going to be a lot of time involved. Complicated situations. Messy lives. Complex questions. No easy solutions. No fast lanes here. No simple answers. Many Bible studies are like this. A person comes with so many ideas that must be worked through. Many are not Biblical. Many are false. This will take time. Sometimes we might pass on some opportunities simply because of the challenges. A person is dealing with addictive behaviors. That’s going to take time. A person has anger issues. That’s going to take time. A person has relationship issues. That will take time. A person has emotional issues. That will take time. Our fast paced times often won’t work on some opportunities. It may take months and months of working with a person to get him untangled from all his issues and to have a heart that is open to Jesus. We may pass on some opportunities simply because they are so involved.

Third, some opportunities bear immediate fruit. We see results quickly. That’s a great feeling. That makes you think that your time was well spent. It was this way for Philip. One conversation with the eunuch and there was water and the eunuch was wanting to be baptized. How easy that was. How quick that was. Some opportunities are like that.

But then there are other opportunities that we may never see the good that was done. It may happen, but not before our eyes. Sometimes, years later, a person will reach back to their past and remember what a parent or even a grandparent taught them. They see stability in the lives of their parents and grandparents. They saw that their grandparents were simple people. They didn’t have much, but they were happy and content. They were good people. They were God’s people. Worship was a large part of their lives and God was the center piece of their lives. Now, years later, after chasing many carrots and crashing here and there throughout life, they look back are realize that those simple people had what we were looking for all along. One Sunday, a family shows up at the church house. They feel awkward and unsure of what to do or where to go. But they come looking. They come hoping that finally they will find an anchor for their souls and in this somewhere, happiness and contentment, just like their grandparents had, can be found. For some, you may never see the good that you do. The reformer, Martin Luther was asked, “If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?” His reply, “Plant a tree.” Plant a tree that will grow and help others later on. Plant a tree that will do good long after you are gone. You may never enjoy the shade of the tree, but others will.

Finally, opportunities come in many shapes and flavors.

There are opportunities to do good. Spread some sunshine around. Send a card. Give someone a call. Send an email. Just let someone know that you were thinking of them and you thanked the Lord for them. Help someone out. There are so many ways this can be done. It doesn’t have to be expensive. The good that comes from an hour conversation, is hard to measure. Help someone load a truck. Help a mom with her kids as she leaves the church building. Help pick up around the house, the church building, the neighborhood. Lift up your eyes and see. All around you can do good. Use your imagination. Use your talents. One of our former elders has been a bit sickly recently. He was a school principal years ago. The various children’s Bible classes all drew some pictures and made some cards. Those were mailed to him. What a joy it brought his heart to see what all the children had done for him. Simple things can do so much good.

There are opportunities to let your light shine. We live in a dark world. People too often chose the wrong words, the wrong attitudes, and the wrong choices in life. You spread some light by making the right choices, having the right attitudes and using the right words. Smile more. Thank more. Help out more. Being different in a positive way is something that is rare these days. Stick around and help someone out. Be kind. Be a listener. A gentle answer turns away wrath, Proverbs tells us. You can change the tone of a meeting by your words and your attitude. You can lift weary spirits by encouragement. You can, by your influence, show people what grace and forgiveness looks like. Everyone knows what getting even is all about. But to see forgiveness, kindness and appreciation, without expecting anything in return, that’s unusual. That’s light shining.

There are opportunities to teach. Sharing the Gospel doesn’t have to be a formal Bible study, with the books opened. In everyday conversation, things come up. Questions are asked. Opinions are shared. Listen. Teach. Pull God into the conversations. It’s not a comparison of my church verses your church, but rather, what does the Bible say. People often do not know. Some do not care. Some don’t want to know. But there you are, defending, expressing, and teaching as you can. And, you’ll be surprised who listens. And, you’ll be amazed when someone comes up to you in private wanting to know more. Opportunities around the family. Opportunities at work. Opportunities with friends.

Lift up your eyes, Jesus said. Look around. The fields are ready for harvest. Opportunities abound. You’ll find them today, if you are looking.

Roger