23

Jump Start # 2829

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2829

Matthew 27:39 “And those who were passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads”.

Our verse today is a scene from Calvary. The Lord is dying for sins, as the crowd below are adding more and more sins to their souls. Jesus is dying and the crowd is verbally assaulting Him. Two expressive words are used to describe the atmosphere: “hurling” and “wagging.”

KJV: reviled and wagging their heads

ESV: derided and wagging heads

NIV: hurled and shaking heads

CEB: insulted and shaking heads

We don’t use the word “wagging” very much in reference to ourselves. We talk about a dog wagging his tail. I doubt your doctor has ever asked you, “Have you been wagging your head lately?” In our verse it was a sign of disapproval. The crowds were shaking their heads “No.” They disagreed with Jesus. They did not approve of Jesus. Their heads illustrated what was in their hearts.

Now, some lessons from wagging heads:

First, these Jews gave both verbal and visible signs of where they stood with Jesus. They didn’t like Him. They wanted nothing to do with Him. If we were there, we could hear what they said and we could see by their shaking heads, that they were not fans of Jesus. I shake my head often during the sermon. It’s not shaking no, but rather, it’s the up and down “yes,” that I do. Preachers like to see such things. It shows that you are not only listening, but you agree and they are connecting with you. Now, I don’t do this head shake while I’m preaching, but while our other preacher, Jason, is. I think that is important to do. The preacher wonders sometimes if the audience is with him or not. The Jews verbalized it and they showed it by the shaking of their heads that they were not with Jesus.

Second, just because someone shakes their head back and forth does not means that you are wrong. These head shaking Jews were wrong, not Jesus. Just because someone disagrees does not mean that they are right and you are wrong. Look into things. Listen. Investigate. It may be that you are both on the same page, but using different words. It may be that they were mistaken and a careful study will show that. And, it may mean that you are in the wrong and you can make some changes. Wagging a head is one person’s perspective and it might not always be correct.

Third, sometimes keeping our head still is silently being a coward. Bow your head when you pray. Not just in the church building but other places. People will notice. A woman spoke out to me the other day because I bowed and prayed before I ate. She noticed. She said that was nice to see. We had a short conversation about God and prayer. It all began because a head was bowed. These days of wearing masks, it’s hard to see facial expressions. Shaking our heads let’s people know. When I was in India, the people there in everyday conversation, shake their heads back and forth. I tried to follow but got dizzy.

Fourth, hurling abuse and shaking heads is what the Lord received in his dying moments. There was no one to hold His hand. There was no one wiping his brow with a soft cloth. There was no one talking kindly to Him. There was no one reminding Him of Heaven. No hymns were being played. The text doesn’t reveal that anyone was praying. Those are the things we do when a loved one passes. But for the Lord, it was abuse, insults and wagging heads. There was no comfort in His final moments. No one to tell Him “thank you.” No one to say, “We love you.” Abuse and wagging heads. It would have been better had Jesus just died all alone. Instead, as He was offering Himself, the people who needed Him, were turning their backs on Him.

Jesus did not hurl abuse back. He didn’t shout ugly things in His final breaths. His focus was upon His Father. There are seven statements Jesus makes while on the cross. Most of them were prayers. Sometimes that’s a good lesson for us. When others are hurling insults, abuse and criticism our way and wagging their heads in disrespect, say nothing, only pray. Things can get tense and even ugly when one tries to engage someone in conversation who has the mindset to hurl abuse and insults. That is the time to be silent and pray.

Wagging heads—sounds like it could have been a rock group from the ‘60s but it was the way some treated Jesus. Disciples are more like bobble heads, our heads affirm the truthfulness and goodness of our Lord. The crowd expressed their thoughts about Jesus– both verbally and visually.

Roger

22

Jump Start # 2828

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2828

1 Timothy 5:1 “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers.”

Life has a wonderful way of opening your eyes to God’s amazing word. For years and years I have looked at this verse from the standpoint of Timothy, a younger man. There were many older brethren in my life and I saw the value of what the apostle told Timothy. There are times when age doesn’t give one a pass on right or wrong. Someone said something wrong. Someone did something wrong. Paul’s words are directed towards the manner in which one is corrected.

But, now, I stand in line with that older man in our passage. I’m no longer considered a young man. And, with that there are some things for us to see.

First, we should want all of us to do what is right. Consistency is hard. Some get stuck in their ways and do not want to change. Some have thought a lie was actually true. Eve did. So, what we pull from this passage is that Timothy wasn’t the in-house church policeman who corrected everything that was wrong. That leads to a condemning and judgmental spirit. Rather, Timothy saw an older brother doing something wrong. He could look the other way, but that wouldn’t help this older person. He would only remain in his sin. Timothy could think it wasn’t his place because of his age. But, he loved this person so much that he felt compelled to help him.

Second, Paul presents both a negative and a positive in this passage. The negative is, “Do not sharply rebuke.” The “sharply” is left out of most translations. “Sharply” carries the idea of daggers. It’s pointed, possibly harsh and maybe lacking kindness. Throughout the N.T. the idea of correcting with gentleness are often found together. Paul did not say, “leave it alone.” He did not intend for Timothy to walk away. He was supposed to approach this older Christian, but not with guns blazing.

The positive is appeal to him as a father. Rebuke contrasted with appeal. Older man contrasted with father. The positive instruction sounds like a conversation that is filled with love. The direction is to help this older person, not get on his back.

Third, this is something that is certainly missing in our culture today. No one pays attention to age. If someone disagrees with you or thinks that you are wrong, you’ll get a blast from the car horn, a chewing out in public, and a confrontation that most times will leave the older person shaking and scared. It shouldn’t be this way. We’ve lost respect for age and experience. A younger society doesn’t have much patience or room for an older generation. And, that may define the times we live in, however, it must be different in the church. Our times and our culture doesn’t have much place in the kingdom of God. There needs to be a respect for the differences in generations. Some are no longer able to do what they once did, but their experience, wisdom and miles and miles of service ought to bring some kindness, patience and love from our hearts. Where would we be today without what these dear brethren have done for us and the kingdom.

Fourth, those of us that now fall in that category of “older” brethren, need to understand that we are not beyond poor judgment, a lack of patience, being grumpy and just against all things different and new. Modern technology moves fast. It allows us to send God’s word worldwide. Things are done differently today and that does not mean that things are wrong. The two are not necessarily the same. What was done decades ago may not be the best or most efficient way today. Our passage implies more than a dislike of technology, but something that was done that was wrong. The wrong was done by the older brother. A rebuke is necessary. It will be given as an appeal. Don’t ever think, we older folks cannot do wrong anymore. We certainly can. And, when someone younger wants to point that out to us, don’t chew them out and make matters worse by having an uppity attitude. Listen. Consider. Thank the young Timothy for loving you so much that they want you to do what is right. We ought to welcome the a warm and wonderful relationship between the different generations in the congregation.

Finally, this passage reminds us that we need all of us in the kingdom. Together we help each other. Together we are in this for the long haul. Together we will make it. The younger helping the older and the older helping the younger. What a powerful team work this makes. Helping each other. Looking out for each other. Supporting each other. Encouraging each other. This is a spirit that truly makes a church a family. The young are not waiting to bust out and start their own congregation. The older do not feel that they are overlooked, unwanted and cast out. Not at all. Energy and experience. Passion and wisdom. Love and love. Younger and older—that’s the way it ought to be. And, when one fumbles, the other helps him pick the ball back up. Appealing to a father, not sharply destroying.

Sure wish our culture understood this. It won’t. At least, God’s people will.

Roger

21

Jump Start # 2827

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2827

Luke 12:15  “Then He said to them, ‘Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

Possessions are a funny thing. We work hard to acquire them and in time our possessions can possess us. As most of our readers know, my father passed away in January. The funeral has taken place. Now, comes the task of going through all his stuff and selling the house. When the last parent passes, there are so many things to do and so many decisions. A common experience that so many I know are going through, is that when a parent has lived late into their 80’s or 90’s, as my dad had, there is so much that has accumulated through the years. Papers and papers. Newspaper clippings. Old funeral cards. Books. And, mountains of things that someone, in our case, us, must sort through and make a decision on.

Here are some things I see:

First, what was important to one person is not so important to others. This is especially true as we go from one generation to the next. Most young people are not interested in their grandparents things. They don’t have the room and it doesn’t mean that much to them. We save things to remind us of vacations, special events and what was important to us. But time passes. Another generation looks at those things and they don’t know the story behind them and they don’t understand why those things were saved.

But, it’s really no different for most of us. I spent a good hour yesterday filing pages I copied from some religious paper printed in the 1800’s. The pages were about long ago Indiana preachers. Interesting to me. Love that stuff. But, that’s all it is, stuff. There will come a day when someone will have to go through all of that and those old names of those old preachers just may not mean much to them.

Second, what we remember the most about a person is not the things in their house, but what we treasure in our hearts. Lamps, furniture, whatnots fill our homes, but what fills our hearts are the love, the talks, the laughter, the good times, the smiles, the tears. This is what pulls us to the funeral home. It’s not what they owned, but what that person meant to us. And, the same is true about us. We surround ourselves with all kinds of things that we have purchased and accumulated through the years, but what our children, friends, and brethren will remember about us will be love, encouragement, kindness and walk with the Lord. Those things can never be taken away from us.

Third, purging his hard for some. Much of that task fell to me. I can do it quickly and I rifled through dad’s massive desk in a very short time. I have already purged a house that belonged to a relative that also lived into her 90’s. So, I learned to give something a two-second look. Save it. Give it away. Trash. Bags and bags were filled.

And, this is a great lesson for us. Not so much purging the things in our homes, which isn’t a bad idea to do now and then, but more so, to purge the things that we store in our minds. Get rid of bad feelings about others. Pitch the reminders of how others have hurt you. Move on from the good that you have done. Purging our minds is harder for some than cleaning out a house. Some just can’t get over how they were treated. Years later, even decades, they are still talking about those things. Church splits that happened forty years ago come up in current conversations with some. It’s time to get a mental trash bag and do some cleaning out. You’ll feel better after you do that. Sometimes we just need to raise the windows of our minds and air out. Things can get stuffy, moldy and old in our heads. You’ll also find yourself being able to sleep better and being more calm once you’ve dumped the junk from your minds.

Fourth, the time is getting close when it will be the last time that I walk through dad’s old house. He lived there nearly fifty years. I still remember when he bought that house. I was the first to sleep in that house before my family moved down there. I never lived there. I was in college and quickly out on my own. I’ve spent a few nights there through the years, but for me, it was where dad was. The house needs a ton of updating. And, I know the new owners will make some dramatic changes to it. And, they should, it will be their home.

And, all of this reminds me that there is a day coming when I will walk through this old world for the last time. This is the only place I have know. No more sunrises. No more moons at night. No more rain falling gently through the trees. No more birds singing in the morning. Cool air. Hot days. I wonder if there will be a sadness to know that I won’t see this place any more? But where we are headed is so wonderful we may not even think about this old world anymore. We sing, “This world is not my home,” but for a lifetime it has been. It’s all that we’ve known. It has been a blessing from God to live in such a wonderful, wonderful place.

Life does not consist of possessions. That a good reminder.

Roger

20

Jump Start # 2826

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2826

Matthew 25:15 “And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.”

The other day was really tough on me. No, there wasn’t another death. No one hollered at me. The checks didn’t bounce. I wasn’t worn out from doing things. My self-esteem took a hit. It was tough on the insides for me. And, all of this was to my doings. A new friend invited me over. He showed me his house and how he had taken down walls, moved windows and redid the whole place. It was beautiful. He took me to his garage where a shell of a car sat. It was down to bare sheet metal. No hood. No engine. No tires. He was going to rebuild the car from the bare bones up. I went home thinking, I don’t know how to do any of those things. I don’t know construction. I couldn’t begin to tell you about the mechanics of a car. I sat in the basement, with these thoughts rolling through my mind, wondering what I was good at and what I have accomplished in my life. As I was sinking deeper into the blues, my wife was upstairs playing her grand piano. She’s good. She’s really good. Had she stuck with it in college and with a few breaks, she may have made a professional orchestra. I like listening to her play. But on this night, it was just another log in the fire of my pity party. I can’t play. I don’t understand music. We will hear someone on TV sing, and my wife will say, “Do you hear that? She’s not on pitch.” It sounded fine to me.

Can’t remodel a house. Can’t rebuild a car. Can’t play music. Boy, that “Can’t” song can really get a person down. It makes one feel worthless and useless. And, that takes us to our verse today, the parable of the talents. A talent was a type of currency, not ability. But, we use this passage to talk about our abilities. Each person in this parable was given a certain amount based upon his ability. So, the five talent man had the most ability. The two talent man, next. The one talent man had the least ability. He’s like the last guy chosen in a game of pick up basketball. “You can have him,” which really means, “he’s not very good.”

One has to wonder if the one talent man felt jealous of the five talent man. Did the one talent man feel low because he wasn’t trusted with more? Was he thinking, “the master doesn’t think much of me,” or, “I can’t do anything.” There are some lessons to be learned here:

First, no comparison were made. The master never rebuked the two talent man for not doing as much as the five talent man did. You and I love to compare. We do that all the time. We compare how we look to the way others look. We compare lifestyles. “Look,” we say, “at the size of house that family lives in.” Comparisons usually do not turn out well. Either, we look at someone who can’t do what we do and that elevates our ego, or, we look at what we can’t do and that makes us feel worthless. Comparing doesn’t turn out well.

Second, the one talent man was blessed and used by the master. I don’t see what the master was doing as a pity or a charity case. I don’t think he felt obligated to have to give the one talent man something. He expected him to do what the others were doing, put the talent in the bank and have a positive return. And, what happens in life is that we see how blessed others are and we fail to see our own blessings. We take inventory of what we cannot do, but we fail to see what we can do. The Lord invites us into his kingdom and allows us to engage in the great work of saving souls. Teaching, encouraging, supporting are all things that we can do. Each person in that parable received talent, as each of us have. We are all blessed by the Lord.

Third, there is good that we all can do. The Lord uses the same words of honor for both the five talent man and the two talent man. This wasn’t like the Olympics in which one received a gold medal, then silver and then bronze. We look at it that way, but that’s not the way it is supposed to be. The five and two talent men were equal in the blessings of their master. The Lord’s parable of the laborers in the vineyard shows that the man who worked at the eleventh hour received the same as the one who worked all day. The Lord is generous. The Lord makes us equal with the apostles even though we will never do what they did. But in this passage about the talents, the one talent man was rebuked because he did nothing. There is something we all can do. The Lord expects that. Even in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, the eleventh hour man worked one hour. He did not get paid for standing idle. He went to the fields and he worked. You might not be able to preach. Maybe teaching isn’t your thing. You can cook, make food for someone. You can pull weeds, get down to the church building and make it look nice. You can drive, so offer to pick someone up and take them to services. There is something that you can do.

Now, back to my story. Emails started coming in. One from a preacher in another state who said that he loved a recent Jump Start that I wrote and shared it with the entire church. It was helpful he said. Then one came in from yet another state, asking if I would be willing to talk on their podcast. Then came one from a newspaper editor, wanting permission to use my Jump Starts in the local paper.

No, I can’t play the piano. And, I can’t rebuild a car. And, I can’t remodel a house. But, I can write and I can preach. And, maybe you can’t write and you can’t preach, but there is something that you can do. Words on a page do not seem like much to rebuilding a car, but those words on a page may lift a weary soul, give someone hope and help someone find the Lord.

There is something that we all can do. Find what you are good at. Develop that. Learn more about that. Talk to others who do the same thing. Grow that talent and then use it.

And, what we can do is enjoy the way others use their talents. I can’t play the piano, but I can sure enjoy having a home concert any time. I can praise the ability of others, enjoy the great work they are doing and be the best cheerleader in their corner. One can be jealous and envious, or one can enjoy the good work of others.

Every person in the Lord’s parable was given a talent. And, you too, were given a talent. Find it. Use it. Lift your eyes heavenward. God has chosen you, blessed you and gifted you just the way you are. The master is away. But, he’s coming back. What are you doing with what He gave you?

Roger

19

Jump Start # 2825

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2825

Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”

Recently, my wife and I visited the Creation Museum near Cincinnati. It’s been nearly ten years since I’ve been there. If you are ever traveling in the that area, going to the Creation Museum and the Ark exhibit are well worth it. Sure, a few liberties were taken and those who are very picky will notice a few things here and there, but all in all, it’s amazing. It’s amazing to have a state of the art museum that honors God. There’s a lot to see and a lot to read, but the powerful world views of either naturalism or creation truly define where people are in their thinking. It’s scientific and there are serious answers to the false claims of evolution.

There were many changes to the museum since we were last there. It starts with a movie showing the six days of creation. And, yes, someone could say, “I don’t think it was like that.” The only one that was there was God. But it’s great to give it a consideration and to see what it might have been like. The power, colors, and incredible plan of God coming to shape in the world that we live in.

Our verse today reminds us of that. The visible was not made by the visible. In other words, the invisible made the visible. God, being a spirit, made all things. More than that, they came to be by God’s word. He spoke and it was. There was no heavenly lab or workshop where discarded on the floor were ideas that didn’t make it. No, God’s word was the power to bring all of this about. No divine jumper cables. No flipping switches. No chemicals being mixed. Only the Word—that powerful, powerful Word.

Consider this:

First, that powerful word could bring about things that we still have a hard time understanding. The theories of evolution are full of inconsistencies, holes and error. How does life come from non-life? And, “big bang,” who and what caused those forces to “bang?” No photograph, no panting can equal what the Lord does in nature.

Second, that same powerful Word that created everything, also introduces us to God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Without the Word, we would not know God. Without the Word we would not know what God expects from us. Without the Word, Jesus is unknown to us. Our faith stands upon the Word. Those that want to jump and dance for the Lord, are running on emotions and feelings, and without the Word, His Word, they are just as likely to shame God as to praise God.

Third, that same powerful Word is what brings us the hope of salvation and eternity with Jesus. The apostles were sent into all the world to preach that Word. Faith was built upon hearing that Word preached. Lives changed because of that Word. Comfort was extended because of that Word. Hope became real because of that Word.

Fourth, the direction of the church is set by that Word. What are we to do as a church? Organize a 5k run? Gather cans for food shelters? Run a school? Provide housing for the poor? All of these things are being done today. What sets the parameters and boundaries is that powerful Word of God. The mission of the church is displayed in the Word of God. The organizational structure of the church comes from the Word. Encouragement, discipline, teaching, warnings, are all found within God’s Word.

We know that God loves because of the Word. We know that God forgives because of the Word. We know that He will never leave us because of the Word. His promises are found in the Word. His plans are wrapped in the Word.

And, most amazing of all, is that you and I have God’s word. We have it in our Bibles. We can hold it, treasure it, love it, read it, know it and follow it. No, it’s not just the Bible, it is God’s word. And, it was His word that started the creation.

We truly are blessed…

Roger