23

Jump Start # 3117

Posted on June 23, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3117

Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue after peace with all men, and after the sanctification without which no one will see God.”

Our verse today is packed with three important principles. First, God wants us to be a people of peace. Peace, not just among us or within our fellowship, but with all. These words sound familiar to the Romans passage, “if possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Peace is to be pursued. Chase it. Find it. Embrace it. Second, we must strive for sanctification or holiness. God wants us to be a holy people. Peter tells us that we are to be holy like He is. Third, we can see the face of God. Revelation 22 makes that promise. But to do that, we must embrace peace and holiness. We must stop pushing each other’s buttons. We must not kick the hornet’s nest on social media. Stop looking for a dog fight and begin building bridges to unite people.

There are so many thoughts that we could explore from this one passage. But there is even a much larger picture for us to see. Our verse is one of a series of  absolutes found in Hebrews.

  • It is impossible to come to repentance if we crucify Christ to ourselves (Heb 6:4)
  • It is impossible for God to lie (Heb 6:18)
  • It is impossible for the blood of animals to take away sins (Heb 10:4)
  • It is impossible to please God if we do not have faith (Heb 11:6)
  • It is impossible to see God if we do not have peace and holiness (Heb 12:4)

There have been times in history where people have said things were impossible, only to find out that they were wrong. At one time it was thought  that is was impossible for humans to fly. Some even boasted, “If God wanted man to fly he would have put wings on his arms.” The Wright brothers and others proved the impossible was possible. It was believed for a long time that it was impossible to go to the moon. Neil Armstrong proved that was wrong. It was tragically thought that the Titanic was impossible to sink. Hundreds went to their death that cold April night, long ago.

But there is something special about these Hebrew absolutes.

First, it is God who says that it is impossible. God is always right. And, if God said it can’t be done, it can’t be done. These principles are Heaven based and from the perspective of God.

Second, these things involve the character of God and the nature of eternity. A person can live without faith and try to prove that it is possible to please God without faith, but that person will find out too late that he was wrong. Climbing mountains, sailing seas and rocketing towards the moon are one thing, but they are not eternal. Once we cross the doorway to death, there is no coming back. There is no changing our minds. There is no do overs.

Third, these divine absolutes establish a priority with God. These are important. If we mess these things up, we destroy our eternity. We ought to put an emphasis upon these things. These absolutes ought to be near the top of the list for us.

Fourth, the opposites of these absolutes bring great hope and promise to us. It is possible to repent and be forgiven if we come to Christ. Since God cannot lie, what He says remains true. Always. The blood of animals cannot take away our sins, but the blood of Jesus did. If we believe, we can please God. We can put a smile on the face of God. If we pursue peace and holiness, we can see God. We CAN. It’s possible.

There are things that we understand are physically impossible for many of us. I cannot swim the English Chanel. I know I can’t. I’d not make it. I know I can’t climb Mt. Everest. I wouldn’t try. I know I can’t. I can’t drive a golf ball 400 yards. Even with the wind at my back, I just can’t do that. Physical abilities limits us. Age limits us. Knowledge limits us. The amount of money we have can limit us. But these eternal principles are not bound by age, physical ability or finances. You can please God. You can see God’s face. You can do right once again. It is possible.

Divine Absolutes—they are there for a reason.

Roger

22

Jump Start # 3116

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start #3116

Psalms 34:15 “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.”

I was in a discussion with someone the other day about these Jump Starts. He was new to our readership and was amazed that there were over 3100 written and now archived. He didn’t think it was possible to sustain this writing pace of every day. He may be right. I told him that this has been going on for a dozen years now. Then he said, “Well, I doubt anyone has read every single one of these.” I guess that was supposed to make him feel good. It didn’t make me feel good. I said, “I only know of two people who have read every single one.” Those two people are me, since I wrote them, and God, since He sees all things.

And, with that, our verse comes to our mind. David wrote this after his brief asylum with the Philistines. King Saul was bearing down and getting close. David had with him Goliath’s sword. He flees to Gath, thinking he could fly under the radar and not be noticed. The sword was a give away. David was recognized. He faked mental illness. He pretended to be crazy. He scribbled things on the gates and then allowed his saliva to run down his face. The king of Gath was finished with David. There were plenty of unstable people in Gath. He didn’t need any foreign ones. So David was sent out. It is after this, that he writes this Psalm.

The chapter is filled with trust, hope and confidence in God. David says that the enemy encamped around him, but he wasn’t afraid. God had delivered him. Our verse today is found among those great blessings that are pointed towards the Lord. The eyes and the ears of the Lord notice the righteous.

Some thoughts for us:

First, some may not like that idea. There is no escaping God. You will never shock God. He sees. He ears. He knows. We may hide things from our family. We may fool our church. We can wear masks and tell people what they want to hear, but God is not mocked. God is not fooled. God sees. God hears. God knows. And, it is God who will judge us. There is no pretending about things. He knows.

Second, for the righteous, this thought is very comforting. God knows. God sees. God hears. There have been some very cruel things said about us and to us. God knows. Often we don’t tell others. Often that pain is internal and we carry those things with us. God knows. And, there are things when we try to get others to understand what our journey is like, but they don’t get it. God does. God sees. We don’t do things for attention or shout outs, and there may be times when we wonder why do we do what we do, but God sees the good that we do. He sees a heart that has been encouraged because you took the time to send a card, shoot a text or call someone. God sees those sad eyes brighten up because of a gift that you shared with someone for no reason other than you care.

Jesus reminds us that a cup of cold water given to a disciple would not be forgotten by Heaven. God sees. God hears. God is there.

Third, there is not a heart that has been hurt that God does not see nor does God not understand why. Bullies, whether in school, work or the church operate on arrogance and intimidating others. They put others in fear. No one dares rise up less a bully puts them down. But God sees. God hears. God is aware. This is why prayer is so powerful. God understands. God sees. We may not fully understand why some people do what they do. God does. We rarely know the whole story behind a situation. God does.

God knew what David was going through. God helped David.

Every cemetery is filled with ideas, plan, poems, songs, and letters that were thought of but never left for others. God saw them. God knows. What a comfort it is to know that God knows.

Roger

21

Jump Start # 3115

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3115

John 6:66 “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him any more.”

She was a young Christian. Her spiritual journey started off like that of many of us. She was full of questions, excitement and couldn’t get enough. She was at every service, every class. She had a notebook that she filled with notes.

But something happened. I ran into her the other day. She told me that she no longer believed. I couldn’t believe that she didn’t believe. I asked her what she no longer believed? She said, “The stuff at church, the Bible.” She even confessed that she wasn’t sure about God anymore. I asked her about her notebooks. She said that she had thrown them away. I asked her when was the last time she attended worship services. She said it had been months and months. She no longer went. She no longer believed.

Our verse today tells the sad story of the disillusioned disciples who gave up on Jesus. The Lord was no longer giving them free meals. He wasn’t “meals on wheels.” He had something much more important and that was spiritual truth. They were interested in their bellies and Jesus was interested in their souls. Since Jesus wasn’t going to give them what they wanted, they left. “His disciples withdrew,” is what the passage states. That’s actually an inaccurate statement. Those that withdrew were no longer disciples. A disciple sticks with his master. A disciple is mentored by his teacher. To give up on the teacher is to lay down your discipleship. They were no longer disciples. And, when they left Jesus, what were they returning to? Their lifeless, hopeless and helpless lives that they had been living. Without Jesus, their sins were going to kill them spiritually. Without Jesus, Heaven wasn’t possible. Without Jesus, there was no bridge to the Father. They walked and they left the best friend they ever had.

How is it that someone who once believed to later claim, “I no longer believe?”

Is there new evidence that changed their mind? Has evolution been proven factual? Have they found reason to no longer accept the inspiration of the Scriptures? Have they proven that the Bible is the product of man? I no longer believe? Why?

Here is what I have found to be generally true:

First, “I no longer believe,” is not based upon facts, evidence or proofs. “I no longer believe” is a choice that closes one’s eyes to what they know is true. For some, the Bible restricts them from the freedom of selfish sin. One can’t be sexually immoral and stay in fellowship with God and have the Bible as the compass of his life. One cannot be a drunkard and walk with the Lord. It’s so much easier to say, “I no longer believe,” than it is to say “No” to the world and “No” to the people who are pulling us away from the Lord. “I no longer believe,” removes the shame and the guilt of a lifestyle that is not godly or holy. “I no longer believe,” allows one to dance with Satan without any regrets or remorse.

Second, for some, it’s the crushing storms of life that leads to the absence of faith. A child dies. A mate is crippled. A family member is the victim of violent crime. And, through that long, dark journey, one wonders, “Where is God when I need Him?” “Why did the Lord allow this?” The questions. The fears. The emptiness. All of that takes a toll on a faith that was not as strong as one thought. Not understanding trials and temptations, having misguided expectations, being weary of the pain that never seems to end, one comes to a corner in their life and declares, “I no longer believe.” They would like to believe, but the pain has been too great. They once believed, but the reality of where they are has changed all of that. They question the goodness of God. They wonder if everyone has been brainwashed. And, in sorrow and pain, they confess that they no longer believe.

What can be done? How do we keep faith alive? How do we keep one from sinking so low that they give up and throw in the towel?

First, the love of the world, and the call of the far country is all it takes for some. You’ll notice in our passage that Jesus didn’t chase after those who walked away. He didn’t water down His message. He didn’t change His mind and decide to feed them after all. He didn’t buy their allegiance. They walked and He let them go. That’s hard for us to grasp. That’s hard for us when the one who is walking away is a family member.

Often there are tell-tell signs that indicate someone is heading to the far country. Look at their circle of friends. How many are followers of Jesus? That says something. Listen to what they are saying. Pay attention to the music and movies they are interested in. The jump back into the world isn’t like a belly flop in a swimming pool. Usually it’s slow and gradual. What’s their spiritual life like outside the church building? When you start seeing these things, that’s the time to move into action and move quickly. It’s time for a talk. It’s time for the shepherds to know. It’s time to readjust priorities. Don’t sit back and then later declare, “I saw it coming.” Ezekiel tells us of the watchman on the wall who saw the enemy approaching but failed to blow the trumpet. The blood of the city is upon his hands because he did nothing. Now, had he blown the trumpet and no one paid attention, that’s their fault.

Second, when someone is going through storms, help them stay put upon the rock of Jesus. Those winds can blow us right off of what we once believed. Help them by talking and praying with them. Help them by reminding them that they are not the only one who has experienced trials and troubles. Encourage. Help. Reach out. When we are vulnerable, we are really vulnerable. Satan knows that. Alone, our troubles seem much worse than what they really are. Alone, we feel out numbered and overwhelmed. This is why a fellowship of support and love is essential. Reach out. Be there.

“I know longer believe.” Sometimes that comes from a heart that doesn’t want to believe. They don’t want everything that comes with being a disciple. They don’t want to be responsible. They don’t want to support others. They don’t want to be pure.

And, when a disciple quits, the world gets a bit darker. God loses yet another worker. Our fellowship gets smaller. And, Satan smiles. He smiles only for the moment, because the Lord has plans for him.

When a disciple quits…

Roger

20

Jump Start # 3114

Posted on June 20, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3114

1 Timothy 2:12 “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”

Our verse today comes from the King James Version. It accents the roles God has designated within His kingdom. Not everyone can be a king. God is. Not everyone leads. Some are to follow. Different roles, different responsibilities. This has nothing to do with who is better, smarter, more talented, or special than others. It’s simply about serving where the Lord wants us to be.

The King James uses a word here that we don’t hear much any more. It’s the word, “usurp.” Here is how other translations express this:

  • NASV: exercise
  • NIV: assume
  • CSB: have authority
  • CEB: control

We get the idea. To usurp is to take something that doesn’t belong to us. It’s to assume a position that hasn’t been given to us. If the police were to pull me over for driving too fast and in my defense I said, “The speed limit has changed. They just haven’t put the new signs up.” And when the cop rightly asks me, “Who changed the speed limit law?” I said, “I did.” He would give me a ticket. I can’t change the speed limit law. One person does not have that right or authority. It has to go through the legislature, be passed, and signed as a law. To say that I changed the speed limit is to usurp authority. I don’t have that authority. I don’t have that right.

The principle of usurping plays a major, major role in our cultural war about morality. In all the arguments, debating and mountains of articles being written, it seems that everyone is beginning with a major assumption that has not been established, proven or shown. Here are a few examples:

  • Marriage: who has the right to establish who can get married? Most would say the courts and the government. So any two consenting adults can get married, even of the same sex. What is keeping an adult from marrying a child? Or, what keeps a person from marrying his dog? The laws. If the laws were to change, those things would be allowed. But all of this is based upon the assumption that we, or the government, or the courts have the authority to say who can get married. Where has that right been given to us? Have we just taken or usurped that right from God? Until it can be proven that we have the right to define marriage, we cannot change what God has established in Genesis. God made marriage not us. Marriage is God’s idea, not ours. God invited us to marriage, not the other way around. The right to define who can get married belongs to God.
  • Gender changing: A man wants to be a woman and a woman wants to be a man. Our culture not only allows that, but encourages that. Be what you feel like being is the flavor of the our times. If a person can change their gender, why can’t they change their species? Why couldn’t a person declare that he is a bear and hibernate all winter? All of this is based upon the idea that a person has the right to change his gender. The courts say a person can, but who gave the courts that permission? Has God not established our gender upon conception? Has the Lord given us the permission to alter or change what He established? Is this nothing more than usurping or taking something that belongs to the Lord? Where are we given the right to change what God has established?
  • Abortion: This topic has fueled a lot of anger recently. Since the 1973 Roe verse Wade decision, there have been 63 million abortions in America. 63 MILLION. It is viewed by many as nothing more than an elective surgery. A tummy tuck. A removal of a tattoo. An aborting of a baby. All viewed the same. The difference is that the baby is not the same as the mother. The baby may be a different sex, blood type, eye color and have it’s own unique fingerprint. Who has the right to end life? God gave the government the permission to execute the guilty. But the killing of the unborn, the innocent, who has that right? Is this something that we have assumed belongs to us? Have we usurped that authority?
  • Changes in worship: Contemporary worship is more like a comedy club. Laser lights flash through the stadiums, with fog machines pumping out clouds of smoke and a full rock band blasts their music loudly through the air. Little thought is given to who preaches or what is preached. Fill the seats and make the people happy seems to the direction of the modern churches today. What we see is nothing like the reverent and Biblical worship of the New Testament. But people love the modern style. They don’t want doctrine. They don’t want rules. They want to laugh. They want to eat. They want to enjoy church. What’s wrong with the modern look? Why can’t that be the norm? It comes down to this word, usurp. Do we have the right to change what God has established? Do we make the assumption that we can do what we want in worship?

Usurping. Taking what isn’t ours. Assuming we have the right, when we don’t. Our in the countryside we see signs, “No Trespassing.” You don’t have a right to walk around on that property. It’s not yours. It belongs to someone else. It sure seems to me that so many of these cultural hot buttons are starting with an assumption that isn’t their right to assume. What gives you the right to do these things is a question no one seems to ask these days.

Some things are the prerogative of God and no one else. Some things belong only to God. The things of God we must keep our hands off of.

Usurp—maybe it’d be good to start using that word more often.

Roger

17

Jump Start # 3113

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3113

1 Kings 10:8 “How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom.”

Our verse today are the exuberant compliments from the queen of Sheba. She came to see Solomon. She had heard things. She seems to be reluctant and some what doubting to all the claims she had heard. Being a queen, she knows palaces, wealth, and power. She came to see for herself. She came to test Solomon’s wisdom. She thought it was all smoke and she’d be able to knock down his house of cards. The queen came. She came with a large entourage. She came with lots of expensive gifts. She gave Solomon 4.5 tons of gold. Solomon passed the test. He answered all her riddles and all her questions. She had never seen such wisdom and wealth.

Our verse, from the CSB version, states that Solomon’s servants were happy. A majority of the translations, from KJV, ESV, CEB, NIV all use the expression, “Happy.” Happy servants. Now, that’s a thought! Many serve, because they have to. Some may stand and even hear the wisdom, but are none the better for it. The Queen thought how rich, blessed and happy are these servants to stand and hear such words all day long.

Some thoughts on Happy Servants:

First, the duty and the tasks we must do can take away the joy of serving the Lord. It’s one thing to do your job well. It’s one thing to give it your all. But is all of this viewed as toil, hardship or a labor of love. You get to teach a Bible class. How do you say that? “I have to go teach a Bible class,” or, “I get to teach a Bible class”? I have to preach or I get to preach? Duty or honor? Happy servants.

Second, the expression upon our faces, the sighs and groans we utter, the complaints we proclaim are seen and heard by others. Could that be a reason why some do not want to teach. They do not see happy servants. They see slaves heading to the salt mine for another day of toil. Another sermon to write. Another class to teach. Another article to write. To hear some, it’s like a prisoner counting down the days until he can get out. It’s like a guy in the army who doesn’t want to be in the army. He can’t wait until his time is up so he can get out. That spirit makes a terrible preacher or Bible class teacher. Happy servants.

Third, when we see who we serve, that ought to bring joy and blessings to us. For Solomon’s servants, they were not mistreated, abused and neglected. Earlier the Queen viewed the servants’ residence, the attire of the cupbearers, things most wouldn’t show a guest. She saw. She marveled. When we realize that we carry God’s holy word into the pulpit or classroom, that word that is so sacred, that changed lives and introduced people to Jesus Christ, what an honor and what a privilege it is to do that. Imagine being one who helped carry the ark of the covenant. What a special opportunity that was. Look beyond the job that you have to do and look at the Lord that you are trying to honor.

Fourth, happy servants set the tone and the atmosphere surrounding the king. Do we engage in worship with long faces as if we are headed to some serious surgery? The joy of worship is one of wonderful aspects we read in Psalms. I was glad when they said let us go to the house of the Lord, is found in Psalms 122. Happy servants. Happy to lead singing. Happy to preach. Happy to open doors for others. Happy to greet others.

Imagine as the Queen was walking towards the throne, and she saw servants smiling, in a pleasant mood. She looks to the king and he extends his hand with a smile upon his face. What a warm and welcoming scene that is. Imagine that takes place Sunday in the church house. Smiling, hands extended, joy expressed. Imagine that takes place in Heaven. A crowd around the throne of God, happy and smiling, Our eyes focus upon the throne and there is the Lord, arms extended to us, a big smile on His face. So glad to see us. So happy we made it.

Happy servants. Happy to serve. Happy to do the work of the King. Happy to stand in the King’s presence. Happy to hear what the King says each day.

You serve the Lord. You serve the Lord with all your heart. But, are you happy about it? Would the Lord point to you and say, “There is one of my happy servants?”

Roger