15

Jump Start # 2305

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2305

Ephesians 4:31 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

 

In our Jump Start yesterday we talked about being transformed rather than conforming to the world. In that Roman passage Paul reveals that the transformation takes place by the renewing of our minds. This I believe is the hardest aspect of putting distance between us and the sinfulness of the world. It’s one thing to stay away from the drinking parties and the evil influences that are found in the world. However, it is so hard to change the way one thinks. That renewing of the mind is a constant struggle and it is where the battle is won or lost.

 

Our verse today reminds us that there are attitudes and thoughts, that eventually become our behaviors, that must be put away. Paul identifies six evil thoughts that determines how we treat others. These all begin in our minds. Unchecked and unstopped, these lead to all kinds of trouble in the home and in every relationship one has.

 

The question from this, “How does one keep from becoming bitter?” Bitterness quickly turns into anger, which is manifested by clamor, slander, malice and wrath. Those all are directly related to anger which naturally follows bitterness. Stop the bitterness and you stop many of these things. But how? There are so many things to be bitter about.

 

Unfairness causes one to be bitter. The recent scandal about the rich and famous paying bribes to get their darlings into elite colleges, is enough to make those who worked hard, were honest and above board the entire process to be bitter. Someone may have been denied admittance because room was made for the bribed kid. Unfair. It sure is.

 

It is unfair how some take advantage of others in a crisis. A storm passes through and damages homes. Guys show up with the promises to clean up and repair things. Money is collected and then they skip town. Bitter.

 

Bullies in life are enough to make some bitter. When your child is bullied, you feel like following him to school and taking care of the bully. But those thoughts are leading us through anger and straight into wrath. See how quickly and easily that happens.

 

Ripped off by salesmen. Bitter. Something happens at work, or even down at the church house that you feel is not right, proper or good. Immediately you feel bitter. A man’s name is put out before the congregation to be an elder and before the day is over, wicked hearts attack him and his family and falsely accuse him to the point that he withdraws his name. Others know that all of this is a sham. A power play is unfolding and certain people are moving into position to have their way, even if it’s a false way. You nearly blow a fuse. This is so wrong. Good people have been hurt. It seems like nothing can be done. You are bitter and you begin to entertain ways to get even, and put an end to these wicked plans.

 

It’s easy to be bitter. It’s hard to keep the world’s way of thinking out. The culture we were raised in, the atmosphere that we work in, the attitudes we see on TV and in the movies, all pull us toward the bitter way. Think about the daytime commercials on TV. If you have been injured, they begin, call an attorney. No one thinks about forgiveness. It’s sue. Bitter, angry, now get revenge. That renewing of the mind is a struggle. It’s not what we naturally want. We find no examples of it around us. Everyone allows their feelings to run their lives.

 

And, when we think like the world, it’s no wonder that we often act like the world. The world defines life, death, success, happiness so differently than God does. The purpose of life is seen very differently from the world’s standpoint. What God values, the world doesn’t. What God wants from us, the world turns it’s back from and walks another way.

 

Renewing the mind. Tough to do, but something we must do if we expect to please the Lord, distance ourselves from bitterness and not follow the drum beat that the world listens to.

 

To renew the mind begins with a purpose and a plan. One must want to renew the mind. One must see that the world’s way doesn’t work. The world’s way certainly isn’t Biblical nor pleasing to God. The plan in all of this is the word of God. One must fill his heart and mind with the word of God. Let the word dwell in you, is what the Ephesians were told. Let your mind dwell upon the right things is what the Philippians were told. Have the mind of Christ in you. You do this by putting others first. You do this by forgiving. You do this by applying the golden rule. You do this by loving your neighbor as yourself.

 

To renew the mind we must think first, before we speak and capture our thoughts. We live among broken people. They will, as we sometimes still do, choose wrong rather than right. People will be mean. People will side with sin. People will hurt. I think it shocks some that people of the world do not act like Christians. We expect the world to be kind, it’s not. We expect the world to be fair. It’s not. We expect the world to be patient. It’s not. We expect the world to forgive. It won’t. So the thinking of the world is opposite of Christ. What we hear all around us each day is not what we must use. Our thoughts must be shaped by the Scriptures. When more and more of God’s word shapes our hearts then our minds become shaped and the outcome is transformation through a renewed mind. The mind thinks differently than what it once did. The mind thinks rather than reacts. The mind thinks rather than following the calls of the world. The mind is different than that of the world. The mind is renewed. The mind is transformed.

 

To renew the mind is a constant reflection upon our part. Things happen. Often anger and bitterness rises to the surface in an instant. The transformed person realizes this. He catches this. He stops this before any words or actions are formed. He changes his thinking. Right then and there he is reminded of Scriptures. He is reminded of what the Lord would do and what the Lord would want from him. Something happens and the child of God is hurt. Those around encourage him to do something back. That sure sounds good until Scriptures remind him of the way the Lord acted at the cross. The child of God pulls back. He won’t pursue striking back. He is not interested in getting even. He is thinking differently than ever before. He is thinking better than he ever has before. He has no regrets. There are no words that he later has to apologize for. There are no actions that got him in trouble.

 

Our verse today is followed by: “And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you” (Eph 4:32). Each of those are choices. Instead of being bitter, he is kind. Instead of being angry and full of wrath, he is tender hearted. Instead of slander and malice, he forgives. He does that, because God has already done that to him. He does that because he is now thinking differently.

 

Renewing the mind—it’s tough to do, but you can do it, if you want.

 

Roger

 

14

Jump Start # 2304

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2304

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

 

Don’t follow the world. Don’t do what the world is doing. The world is going to end up in a different place than where we want to be. Have you noticed a mini theme this week? Do not please the world (Tues). Do not be afraid of the world (yesterday). Do not follow the world (today).

 

Conformity means to go along. It is to flow with the flow. Back in the 60’s, many of the hippies were anti-establishment. They were against war, government, rules and about everything but drugs and free love. Paul’s words were are not political, but spiritual. There are Biblical reasons why we don’t do everything the world does.

 

Happiness, fun, and self are the themes that the world follows. These themes takes the world down the road to immodesty, indecent language, materialism, greed and a life without Christ, and all that comes when one isn’t following the Lord. The measurement is always shallow external things. Look how big my house is, someone declares. Look what car I’m driving. I must be doing something right, because I have all these toys surrounding me.

 

That thinking appeals to young people. Stuff is where it’s at, we are told. The more stuff you have the better. So, you have to have the latest phone. You have to have the latest tablet. You have to have the newest and largest TV. You have to have, never seems to end. And, you have to have never seems to satisfy. You never see an ad on TV that announces, ‘this is the last phone you will ever need.’ Nope. That won’t happen. And, the reason is that the world needs stuff. And, with stuff comes prestige, and popularity. Who wants to be the dumb kid at school who doesn’t have the latest phone? Who wants to be the guy at work who doesn’t watch Netflix at home? To be somebody, who have to have the latest stuff. The more stuff, the greater you are. So, stuff and status are linked together. More stuff, more status. If you want to be somebody, you better have the stuff. The latest gadgets. The newest outfits. The coolest house. The new car. And, with this status, the world bows and thinks, “I wish I had what you do.” The ultimate status is the rock star athlete, movie star, or CEO who can have it all.

 

I was picking a friend up at the airport the other day. While waiting I noticed two massive digital signs. They were opposite of each other and you couldn’t miss them. They were beautiful in color and massive in size. One had three bottles of tequila and the other was a large bottle of bourbon. I looked at those and thought, “welcome to our city, let’s drink.” Of all the things for people to first see, why booze? Why? Because the world believes you can’t get through a day without one little drink. The world is looking for happiness and they believe alcohol is a fast way to get there.

 

Be not conformed to the world. Here’s why:

 

First, all the stuff that the world wraps itself around neither satisfies nor does it last. Christ is coming. The world will be destroyed. All the stuff, will be no more. If it takes stuff to define me, describe me and make me happy, then I am a shallow, empty person. For the child of God, His walk with the Savior makes all the difference. It doesn’t matter where he is. It doesn’t matter what he’s going through. It doesn’t matter how tough things are, Heaven awaits him. Forgiveness, love, hope and joy—there are no price tags for that. You cannot equal those values with stuff. And, because of Jesus, worry, fear and death are nothing. The world can’t handle death. The world is obsessed with fear and worry. All the stuff that the world surrounds itself with cannot properly deal with fear, worry and death. Only through Christ do we find our way out of those things.

 

Second, being transformed means being changed. It’s allowing Christ to be the Lord of your life. It’s letting the Lord dwell in you. You now live with a purpose and a plan. You have definition, not by the labels you wear, but by the Lord who is in your heart. You have crucified self and now you carry the role of a servant. You’d rather give than receive. You’d rather help than be helped. You’d rather put a smile on someone else’s face than on your own face. There is an energy, a passion and a love that comes from Christ and His word that the world cannot understand. How boring sitting through church services, the world thinks. How dull must sermons be, the world thinks. Too many rules. Too many demands. Too little of self. And, off the world goes, like a three-year-old, merrily thinking that they are the best. Don’t be like that. Don’t follow that. Don’t be conformed to that thinking. You and I were once there. We left. We left by choice. We don’t ever want to go back again. What a difference Christ has made in our lives. And, there is a hope that is only found in Christ. A hope that is real. A hope that lasts. A hope that endures.

 

Third, not only are we not doing what the world does, we are not interested in the world liking us, agreeing with us, or what they say about us. We belong to the Kingdom of Christ. Our eyes are looking towards Him. We live as if we have one foot already in Heaven. So, there will be movies that everyone is talking about, but you. When co-workers find out that you have never seen that movie, they will think you live in a cave. That’s ok. When everyone is talking about going to a certain event, and you are not, they will think you are odd, boring and have no life. When they talk about their wild weekends and the drinking and the partying and the loose living, and you show no interests in that, they will conclude that you are just one step away from being a monk. Let them think that. You don’t have to find a way to fit in, because you can’t. You don’t have to find a way to make your faith seem “cool,” because it never will be to the world. Jesus, as the world wants Him to be, cusses just a little. He plays around and flirts with the girls. He’s cool with drinking. He bends the rules now and then. He’s just like everyone else. That’s what the world wants. But, if that be the case, why did He even come?

 

He’s not like us. He’s holy. He’s pure. He’s God. We don’t want a Jesus like us. We are in a mess. We have trouble here. Jesus is not a more improved version of us. He’s the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God. Rather than trying to make Jesus like us, that’s conformity, we need to become like Jesus. That’s transformation. That’s re-wiring the house. That’s seeing things differently. That’s denying self, taking up the cross and following Him. That’s discipleship. And, that is exactly what’s missing in the modern churches and in the world today. It’s not a hip-hop Jesus that we need. It’s a world that will bow to the Savior and confess that He is both Lord and Christ. Drop the rock ‘n roll in church. Don’t try to be “religious” rock stars. Be followers of Jesus. Christians have never fit in the world. They didn’t back then and they won’t today.

 

This concept is hard for young people. It’s also hard for us older people. The world is loud, flashy and in your face. Money talks. Stuff is impressive. But in the end, it’s all superficial, fake and meaningless. What matters in not what’s in the showroom, but what’s in the storehouse. What matters is what’s in our hearts.

 

The world shouts. You don’t have to jump. The world demands. You don’t have to follow. The world says you have to, but you don’t. You follow Christ. And, if you stay at it, you’ll end up where Christ is, in Heaven.

 

Not pleasing the world. Not afraid of the world. Not following the world. Not impressed by the world. We are not of this world, we are just a passing through.

 

Roger

 

13

Jump Start # 2303

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2303

Luke 12:4 “And I say to you my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.”

 

Our verse today is encouraging. It shows that there are limits to what can happen to us. The death of the outside does not mean the end of the inside. Although it is not written this way, one can nearly read a spirit of taunting in this passage. The heavy hand of oppression and oppression can seem to cripple the righteous. In ways, it seems that the enemy wins. Righteous ones die. The righteous are removed from the earth. The wicked rejoices. They dance in celebration. They mock, ridicule and believe that they are triumphant. But they are not. All they have been able to do is kill the body. They can do no more than that. You can almost hear the righteous declaring, “Is that all you got?” “Is that your best shot?” “I’m still around.” “You’ve killed the body, but you haven’t killed me.”

 

Consider what the enemy cannot do:

 

First, they cannot stop faith. Even though the righteous are killed, their example, their influence and their voice remains in the land. Hebrews tells us that Abel, though he is dead, still speaks. That is true of the example of the righteous. The fires of persecution did not destroy the kingdom. In many ways, those very fires encouraged others to stand and remain true to the Lord.

 

Second, faith, hope and love cannot be touched by death. Paul asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” He listed tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword. None of those things can touch, stop or destroy faith, hope and love. The inside is stronger than the outside. The inside will endure through eternity. Where ought we to pour our efforts and our attention? Obviously, into our faith, our heart and our soul.

 

Third, in the greatest of ironies, the wicked, by killing the righteous, are putting them right where they want to be. We go to the Lord when we die. We long for that. We groan for that. That is the best thing that can happen to us. So, rather than crushing and defeating the Christian, the wicked has helped fulfill a hope that the Christian has long awaited. He wants to be with the Lord. The killing of his body puts him there. Rather than renouncing the Lord, he has propelled the Christian into the presence of the Lord. The wicked has helped the righteous gain his victory in the Lord.

 

Fourth, those that want to kill the body are doing nothing more than what we already know is going to happen anyway. God said it is appointed unto man once to die. The death of a Christian is nothing new. It’s not shocking to him. He knew it all along. Death will come. The body will die.

 

Fifth, the Christian doesn’t fear death. It’s simply a door that he passes through to get to the other side. Death isn’t the end. Death isn’t the worse than that can happen to a person. The Christian, loaded with knowledge from God’s word, understands. He is prepared. Just as birth is a door that takes us from one room to the next, so is death. The door swings one way. But there is no need to get fixated about that door. There is no need to spend so much time concentrating upon that door. It’s the other side that matters. To get there, the Christian must go through the door of death. The wicked, as does Satan, thinks that death is the worst thing that can happen. They believe that a person will deny all, renounce all, and curse God to his face, just to safe his skin. They may believe that, but the Christian doesn’t. What’s there to fear?

 

There is a story that comes out of the late second century of a noble girl and her servant who were arrested for being Christians. They were taken to the arena to be executed with others. The servant girl was thrust with a sword and died. But when it came to the noble girl, the soldier had second thoughts. His hand was trembling. He was begging the noble girl to renounce Jesus so he wouldn’t have to go through with the orders to kill her. The brave noble girl held the soldiers hand up to her neck, so she could be executed. There was no fear. She knew by faith where she was going. She knew by Scriptures that a resurrection awaited her.

 

Now, put a twist to this for you and I. It’s not the enemy that may kill our body, but disease. You have cancer. It’s bad. Do not fear the disease that can kill your body and do no more. Do not fear the lingering illness which can kill your body. In many ways, all it will do is release the doors to allow your soul to go to the Lord. Rather than being a prisoner to this world and the pain and sorrow of this world, your death frees it to go and be with the Lord. Away from troubles. Away from those who take life. Away from those who hate the Lord. Away from Satan.

 

Kill the body! Is that all you can do? You can’t touch our soul. You can’t invade our spiritual heart. You cannot separate us from Christ. You are pitiful in what you can do. We shall live on and on because of Jesus.

 

Therefore, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid of the one who can kill the body and do no more. Do not be afraid of persecution. Do not be afraid of cancer. Do not be afraid of death. It’s not the end. It’s never the end.

 

The best is yet to come!

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 2302

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2302

Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”

 

This great declaration by Paul is something that we need to remind ourselves about, especially those that preach. Sunday morning in the pulpit is not “the show.” Preachers are not performers. The success of what we do isn’t based upon the compliments and praises of the Sunday audience. We are not rock stars. We are preachers of the Gospel of Jesus.

 

As Paul was reminding the Galatians of his commitment to Christ, he left behind the ladder-climbing, ambition of pleasing people. If he was after all that, he certainly wouldn’t be doing what he was. Christianity wasn’t popular. It wasn’t then and it’s not now. At least not in the purest form, as Christ wants us to follow. Sin has always been in. Sin is always popular. Selfishness follows at a close second. And, neither one of these has any place in the heart of a Christian.

 

Christianity isn’t popular because the demands are exclusive, not inclusive. It’s a narrow path that we follow in Christ. He is the Lord and there is no room for any of us to share that with Him. The commands and doctrines of Christ are not subject to discussion, changes or adjustments that culture may want to see. Simply put, Christianity doesn’t fit our world. Look at how many commercials on TV are about drinking. The modern church has tried to find a merger between popular culture and Christianity. This is why moderns are convinced that they can party and flirt with the world during the week, as long as they get one dose of Jesus on Sunday morning. It’s the best of both worlds. Just a little faith and just a little sin. Not too much of either one. And as these folks happily dance through life, convinced that they can be popular with both the world and Jesus, they have been fooled by Satan and are making a complete mistake in their lives. It’s Christ or the world. The two are going different directions. The two do not fit together. We are strangers here, as Peter put it. This world is not our home, as we sing. We do not fit in here. We are different. We dress differently. We talk differently. We have different motives. We have different ambitions. We have different standards. Your kids will be different in school. You will be different in the work place. If we don’t get this, we don’t get Christianity.

 

Paul’s words simply remind us that we are not trying to be popular here. We are not trying to please others here. We are not trying to fit in. We are not even trying to be like here. We are looking the other direction. We are pleasing Christ.

 

In Corinthians, Paul refers to his life as the “scum of the world.” The KJV uses the expression, “the filth of the world.” When I think of scum I think about a small Indiana pond that is green with scum. You’d wouldn’t want to drink any of that. It’s not inviting to you. On a hot summer day, you wouldn’t want to jump in there. And, filth, we know that. You ever walk through a college dorm as the students are moving out at the end of the year? Pizza boxes that should have been tossed months ago, stacked everywhere. Dust bunnies as large as cars. It’s a mothers nightmare. It’s a wonder the students didn’t get some disease living in such filth. And, Paul is say, “that’s what we are.”

 

Paul’s point is clear. If I wanted to be famous. If I wanted to have the best seats in the theatre, have folks buying my dinner, having people begging for my autograph, I wouldn’t be preaching. Paul wasn’t a rock star. His crowds didn’t scream in uncontrolled adoration, as crowds did with the Beatles. People didn’t name buildings, or, cities after the apostles. Not back then, they didn’t. They were viewed as idiots. They were considered fools. They were thought to be misguided, misinformed and delusional. People made fun of them. The political powers tried to destroy them. They were mocked. They were misquoted. No one wanted to be with them. What Paul was doing wasn’t winning any favors with the people.

 

If he was selfish. If he was only interested in his career and his future, he certainly wouldn’t be preaching. So, then, why preach? Why put yourself through all of that. He wasn’t getting rich. He wasn’t doing himself any professional favors by following this path. He was murdering his career. He was lining up with the wrong people. Those odd people called Christians.

 

There was one answer. Jesus. Paul was all in with Jesus. He’d pay any costs. He suffer any trials. He’d give up fame and fortune. He would put himself on the wanted list. He would become filth to most people. He did all of that because of Jesus. He so believed and so trusted and so loved the Lord, that this was nothing to what the Lord had already done on the cross.

 

And, here we are. We must stop trying to make our faith pleasant to the world. It’s not. It’s shocking. It’s demanding. It’s challenging. It’s revolting. We must end this courtship with the world. The two do not go together. We must stop trying to find a happy way to be in the world and in Christ. It won’t work.

 

We are different. If we can’t accept that, we truly cannot accept Christianity. Modern churches have lost this. They are voting on abortion, gay marriage and transgender rights. They are trying to be in the world and in Christ and they are failing miserable. The audiences are huge, and why not. They have convinced the audiences that you can fit in the world and still please the Lord. No change is necessary. Just show up once in a while on Sunday and all is good. No accountability. No holiness. No sacrifices. They have shelved the idea that we are different than the world. Holiness has been replaced with happiness. And the audiences love that. The message allows them to stay in the world and it’s just enough to ease any guilt that they have. Wear what’s popular. See all the new shows. Fit in and do what the world is doing. That’s the modern message. Christianity Today quoted a millennial as defining herself as a Jesus girl. “I am a Jesus girl and I like to go out with my friends on Friday night for drinks.” Jesus girl. How cute! How modern! How about being a disciple of Jesus? How about being all in with Jesus? How about teaching your friends about the Lord?

 

It’s all in with Christ and all that comes with that, or it’s not. If I was trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

 

Thanks to my friend Kevin Clark for such a powerful reminder and a powerful sermon. All in with Christ. The Lord put it this way, the greatest command is to love the Lord with ALL your heart, mind and soul.

 

We are marching to Zion…let’s never forget.

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 2301

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2301

Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

I like this verse. It sure is needed these days. So many seem to be walking around with a chip on their shoulders and if you look differently at a person, you’re sure to get an earful. This is especially true in the culture of politics. It appears that both sides are always mad at each other. It’s wearisome to most of us. We are busy with life. We have jobs, family and our journey with the Lord to focus upon. All the fussing out of Washington and on talk shows is enough to give one a headache.

 

Our verse today reminds us that you and I can change the temperature of a discussion. The choice of words and the way we say them can really calm things down or it can lead to a real dog fight. It takes two to argue. The righteous wise person recognizes the strength in a gentle answer.

 

Consider a few thoughts:

 

First, to be one who speaks gently, you must think first. That’s the problem many of us have. We are talking faster than we are thinking. We say things without running those words through any filters and without considering how they will be received. Like two armies engaged in a battle, one fires a shot and the other side returns. Back and forth this goes. Then as things get worse, volume is added. Shouting takes place. Then anger is added. Then body language such as pointing fingers, slamming doors, pounding on a table, is added. And, at that point the discussion falls apart. Both sides leave mad at each other. And, the problem only deepens.

 

Being gentle when the other person is ready to explode like a volcano is hard to do. But the gentle approach will cool things down and it will address the issue rather than attacking the person. In a heated discussion, there are words that you shouldn’t say. There is a volume that you shouldn’t reach. Remain seated. Stick to the topic. Be kind. Be gentle.

 

Second, to be gentle, stick with the topic of disagreement. So often, when one is upset, they will jump from topic to topic, without fully coming to a conclusion on any of them. The more doors that are opened the harder it is to close them. If necessary, write down all the other things that are problems and promise to discuss those another day, but for today, let’s stay on this subject. Some do not want closure. They just want to rant and air their complaints. They are not looking for solutions. They need the problem to stick around so they have a reason to be upset, mad and complaining.

 

Third, to be gentle does not mean you cave in, surrender your views or do not draw a line in the sand. You can stand firm, and yet, remain gentle. You can be bold and direct without being ugly. You can have convictions and still be gentle. This is a sign of meekness. To be meek does not mean to be weak. It’s strength under control. Jesus was meek. Jesus also had the power to call down legions of angels. He could have opened up the earth and swallowed his critics. But he didn’t. He was under control. He never had to come back the next day and apologize for something he said. He never was over the top. Jesus called himself “gentle in heart.”

 

Fourth, often to avoid wrath is to avoid more sin. Paul told the disciples to put away all wrath. Wrath, slander, anger, all seem to hang around each other. Where you find one, you’ll usually find the others. Some people know just what buttons to push to get you upset. Some, especially teens, like to do this on purpose. Some are looking for a fight. There are some disagreements that are simply not our business. You do not have to attend every argument that you are invited to. I wonder if some of the obnoxious comments people write on social media are there just to engage in a verbal fight. They say things just to get others upset.

 

Fifth, the gentle answer can open one’s heart to the Lord. There are some who have their minds made up. There are some who are as hard as concrete. There are some who are so stubborn, nothing will change their minds. However, there are those few who listen. They may actually give thought to what you say and noticing how you conduct yourself in these discussions, be swayed to hear more. A lot of angry stuff being said these days lacks evidence, logic and common sense. Some think if they huff and puff long enough, it will blow down the houses of faith. The gentle answer can clear the smoke and it allows others to see how ridiculous error is. Error is not consistent. Error doesn’t make sense. Error is not logical. Error is not factual. But if enough people repeat it, long enough and loud enough, some will accept that error is really true.

 

Sixth, the gentle answer must be presented in kindness to be gentle. Name calling, falsely accusing, attacking the character of a person is all the tools that error uses. Don’t go there. Don’t generalize. Don’t stoop to hatred, racism, or abusive speech. Don’t do what the others are doing. I remember a discussion I had with a guy about the origin of the Bible. I presented reasons for inspiration from God. He couldn’t accept that. There was no way. The Bible, he loudly informed me, was nothing more than a collection of fables, myths and legends that a group of men put together. I asked him where’s the proof for that? He shouted. I asked what fables? Where did they come from? He didn’t know. I asked him what group of men put this together? He didn’t know. I asked him when they did this? He didn’t know. I asked him what was their motive? He didn’t know. I asked him where was this done? He didn’t know. I asked him why there wasn’t any evidence or proof for what he claimed? He didn’t know. All he knew was that God didn’t inspire the Bible. I asked him if it was possible that a divine God existed. He said it was possible. I asked if that divine God could have the power to create the world. He guessed it could be possible. I asked if that divine God could communicate to the world He made. He said he guessed so. I asked if that divine God could communicate with words. He agreed. I asked if that divine God could have those words written in a book. It was here that he said, The Bible is not inspired by God. Tired, frustrated and feeling like I accomplished nothing, that’s how some discussions end. But even then, you must be kind and gentle. You’ll walk away from some discussions realizing that the person wasn’t logical. The arguments didn’t make sense. There was no proof. Yet, the person wasn’t moving away from them.

 

The golden rule demands that we treat others the way we’d like to be treated. Rather than reacting to the tone and spirit of the person talking to us, you set the tone by being kind and gentle. This works in marriage. This works with the kids. This works at work. This works in Biblical discussions.

 

The gentle answer is the way to go…

 

Roger