22

Jump Start # 3214

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

Jump Start # 3214

Acts 8:31 “And he said, ‘Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.”

In a couple of days many of us will gather with our friends and loved ones for Thanksgiving. That day is more than food, football and fun. It’s a time the nation pauses and reflects. For the child of God, we are thankful every day. Where would we be if it were not for Jesus.

This week, our Jump Starts are focusing upon the spirit of being thankful. We are looking at things that we often take for granted and even overlook. In our verse today, there was the Ethiopian and Philip. The Ethiopian was reading Isaiah but he was lost. He didn’t know who the prophet was talking about. And, it is here that the preacher Philip arrives. And, beginning with that passage, he preached Jesus to him. As they came upon some water, the Ethiopian wondered if he could be baptized. Preaching Jesus includes baptism. Preaching Jesus involves how a sinner can become washed and forgiven in the blood of Jesus. Talking about Jesus without revealing why Jesus came and how His death can save us, is to leave the story incomplete.

But layered here is something to be thankful for. All of us have had a Philip in our lives. It may have been a parent or grandparent who patiently taught us God’s word. It may have been a preacher that delivered a sermon that connected all the dots for us in our minds. He invited Philip to come up and sit with him. And, in our case, we’ve invited our Philip to come into our hearts and show us God’s amazing grace.

In this season of thankfulness, give some thought to:

  • The person who led you to Jesus. That person may be on the other side now, but have you thanked the Lord that your life intersected with this person and they took the time to answer your questions and explain the Word of God to you?

Have you told your children and grandchildren your spiritual story? Do they know who baptized you? Do they know how old you were? Do they know where all of this took place? Share these rich lessons with your family.

  • The Bible class teacher that opened your eyes to the amazing truths of God’s word. Many of us have had dozens of Bible class teachers through the years, but there was that one special teacher that really helped you come to understand God’s Word. Maybe it was a difficult book like Revelation or one of the prophets that they taught. Before this, you were always in a fog. You never understood. But after that rich and wonderful class, you felt confident about that book of the Bible. Have you thanked the Lord for such a teacher? What beautiful talents the Lord gave to that person.
  • The Christian friend who comforted you when you were in a deep valley spiritually. Maybe after a funeral this person came and just let you talk. This person allowed you to vent. But through a marvelous way, this person helped you stay on the right track with the Lord. He wouldn’t let you get derailed. His encouragement, his love, his presence made a huge difference and helped you get through one of the worst moments in your life. Have you thanked the Lord for this person? Had they not been there, you may have crashed spiritually. You are strong today, partially because of the effort of this person.
  • The Christian who cared enough to warn you about some poor choices you were making in your life. Maybe you were heading away from the Lord, hanging around those who had no interest in Jesus, and slipping spiritually. This person spoke the truth to you. It may have made you mad at first. It may have pushed you the other way at first, but deep inside you realized they were right. They cared. They didn’t have to say anything, but they did. They wanted to see you back with the Lord. And, their words did just that. It made you think. It made you see through the shallow friends who lived with no moral compass. You once again saw Jesus, who loves you so much. Because of that, you came back. Like the prodigal, you headed home where you belong. Have you thanked the Lord for having such a caring friend in your life? Without those words, you would have continued on in the wrong direction.

As we think about our spiritual journey, there has been dozen of people who have helped us. Maybe it was someone who helped you with your babies during worship. Maybe it was someone who brought food after you were sick. Wonderful people have sprinkled our lives for a long, long time.

While we are thanking God for these people, there are others who are saying your name to Heaven. You have been there and helped others. This is the way the beautiful kingdom works. We pass that spiritual baton  on from one person to the next. We have been helped and now we help others.

Take a moment, before you get too busy this day, and send the names up to Heaven with a thankful bow tied on top of those who have made a difference in your life. We stand upon the shoulders of so many others.

We are a blessed people.

Roger

21

Jump Start # 3213

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

Jump Start # 3213

Matthew 18:3 “and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.”

This is Thanksgiving week. It’s nearly swept away because of all the hype around Christmas. Being thankful is in the DNA of a disciple. And, this week, we want to share several aspects of thankfulness in our Jump Starts. We hope these will propel you to be thankful and maybe even share these with others and use these as starting points for family discussions and devos.

In our verse today, Jesus tells the disciples that they need to be converted. That word  means to change. And, right there, something we take for granted, is what we need to be so thankful for. You and I can change. What a wonderful blessing that is. The old hardcore Calvinistic doctrine taught that only certain people could change. Only the ones that God chose could change. Unless you were one of the lucky ones, or elect, as they would formally call them, you couldn’t change. But thanks be to God that such isn’t the case. Whosoever, surely meanth me, as the hymn states.

You can change. Think about that.

First, some of us have not grown up in good homes. Maybe neglect and sin were as common as the morning breakfast cereal. Maybe angry words filled the air every day. Your home doesn’t have to be like that. You don’t have to keep the broken cycle going. You can have a home filled with Christ. You can have grace and forgiveness. Your marriage doesn’t have to be diseased and selfish. You don’t have to repeat the patterns that you have witnessed in the past. You can change.

Second, you can change your thinking. The old say, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” might be true, but you and I are not old dogs. We are made in the image of the living God. We can be kind. We can be thoughtful. We can swim against the current culture. We can be holy. We can be filled with Christ. We can be as strong spiritually as we want to be. There are no limits.

Third, we can drop old habits and create new ones. For some, lying as been a part of their life as long as they can remember. Others have been offensive and mean. Some have been lazy. Some have not had a spiritual thought in their head for a long, long time. It doesn’t have to stay that way. You can change. You can get down to the church house every time the doors are opened. You can memorize God’s word. You can get busy helping others. You can please the Lord. You don’t have to stay the way you are. You can change.

Fourth, you can change the way God sees you. This is most remarkable. We have sinned against Heaven. We have disappointed the Lord. We have let the Lord down. Every sin is a sin against God. We have chosen Satan over our Savior. We have chosen self over God. We have chosen the world over Heaven. We have chosen now over eternity. We have lived as if there was no God. But, we changed. We were converted. We can please the Lord. We can become like children who are trusting and believing.

A sad moment in our culture today is that people want to change anything and everything but their hearts. They want to change what gender they are. Before long, they’ll try to change their race. After, that, their species. Before long, someone will declare that he is a “trans-alien.” In all of this nonsense, what needs to be changed are our hearts. And, thankful to God, we can.

You can be as spiritual, positive, thoughtful and kind as you want to be. In a dark world, you can choose to be light. In a lost world, you can be saved. In a world that is confused, you can be certain. The freewill given to us by God allows all of that. We can reject the false things that we have been told. We can see ways that are not working towards Heaven and turn from them. Change, what a blessing that is. You don’t have to be wealthy to change. You don’t have to have an arm full of college degrees to change. Any of us can. All of us can.

This works not only in us, but in our families and in our congregations. Churches do not have to be lukewarm like Laodicea. They can change. Our families do not have to be negative. We can be a blessing to one another.

And, the best mechanism to change us is the word of God. Get that word deep in your heart, look at the example of Jesus and see what can take place. You’ll find yourself thinking, “I shouldn’t say that,” so you don’t. You’ll think, “I ought to pray for that person,” so, you do. And, the more and more you allow God’s word to actively work on your heart, the greater changes that will take place.

Be converted as children. I’m thankful we can do that. What a blessing!

Roger

18

Jump Start # 3212

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3212

2 Kings 17:25 “At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them which killed some of them.”

I have found that when we often zoom in real close to a verse, we sometimes forget the 32,000 foot view of things. There are great lessons that we can see when we take a step back and look at the big picture. Our verse today helps us with that today. Contextually, the Assyrians captured Israel’s Samaria. They brought people in to live there. They did not know the Lord nor respect His ways. The Lord sent lions to kill some of them. The new inhabitants appealed to the Assyrian king to send a prophet who would teach them the ways of the “god of the land,” as they called it.

But in this 32,000 foot view, we see just another lesson that shows our God is indeed the God of Heaven and Earth and He has all nature at His disposal. He doesn’t need to bring some divine or angelic being from Heaven to accomplish His will. God has all nature to use. All around Him are the items He needs to establish His will. Here in our verse, it’s lions. In the wilderness, it was serpents. In Egypt, it was locusts. In Jonah, it was a storm. At the cross, it was darkness. For Elijah, it was birds that fed him. For Herod, it was worms in his belly. For Naaman’s servant, Gehazi, it was leprosy. For Gideon, it was dew. For Hezekiah, it was a shadow that moved background. In Elisha’s day, it was bears.

God used these natural items to accomplish what He needed. Often, these things were used in miraculous ways.

I was putting something together for one of our grandkids the other day. I needed a screwdriver. I went to the garage where I have dozens of screwdrivers. Different sizes. Different kinds. I looked them over and picked just the one I needed. When my wife cooks, she’ll use different measuring spoons just for what she needs. And, I see God doing that with nature. He has animals, weather, the solar system all at His disposal. Just as I pick out which screwdriver I need, so God looks over what He has and sends storms, famines, lions, bears, serpents to do the work that He needs done. God also uses nations. He moves kings and kingdoms, like we would move pieces on a chess board. Move this piece in position, so on my next move, I can use it to take that my opponents piece. God moved Babylon. God moved Assyria. God moved Greeks. God moved Romans.

Now, some lessons for us:

First, connecting the Biblical dots, like this, opens our eyes to how powerful our God is. It reminds us that this is His world. There is nothing that He cannot do. While we are subject to the weather, God uses the weather. While we cannot control certain animals, God uses them. While we can’t stop nations, God moves them. It’s important to remember these things. It is beyond our understanding how powerful our God is.

Second, God uses these things, not as a game, but to fulfill His divine will. We often do not see that. God wants us to seek Him and follow Him. And, as we live in a natural world, the fingers of God are upon that nature. It is God who sends the rain and the sunshine. It is God who realizes when a bird falls. As I write this, snow has fallen here in Indiana. Snow in November doesn’t happen often. It’s beautiful outside. So clean and white. What a reminder that our sins can be forgiven and made white as snow. Reminders from Heaven. When it rains, what a reminder of the showers of blessings that fall every day. When it’s sunny, what a great lesson about the Word of God that allows us to see Jesus. Reminders. It’s more than nature, it’s connections to the eternal.

Third, what incredible knowledge, strength and power our God has. Imagine going out to your garage and there is everything in nature at your finger tips. You can send snow. You can move animals. You can move the stars. Everything there, just like our tools on a shelf. Should it be lions or bears? Should it be a storm or a famine? Should it be shadows going backwards or leprosy? I do believe we’ve be overwhelmed with the choices. We cannot fathom the impossible. Move the sun backwards, no problem. Part seas, no problem. Open the earth up, just watch. Cause an earthquake so prison doors open, easy. There is nothing that God cannot do.

He can even change your life. He can forgive your sins. He can give you hope.

Fourth, when God promises something, we now understand, He will keep His word. Nothing can stand in the way. Got a king who is mean, God can make him eat grass like a cow. Got a ruler who is standing in the way, God can cause the parted waters to collapse upon him and his army. God can keep fire from hurting His people. God can shut the mouths of lions or use lions as He wants them. All of this ought to assure us that, as Paul stated, “it will turn out exactly as I have been told.” Nothing will stop God. If He promised, it will be.

Indeed, He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got it. He can do anything. All of creation is but a tool in His workbench to be used as He sees fit.

God sent lions…but more than that, God sent His Son. Nothing in creation could do what Jesus did. No bear, bird, lion or sheep could accomplish what Jesus did. God sent His only beloved, the greatest friend in Heaven to accomplish what nothing else could do. God sent the best.

How blessed we are. How safe we are. “Our Father, who art in Heaven…”

Roger

17

Jump Start # 3211

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

Jump Start # 3211

Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Solomon Stoddard was an early New England preacher who died in 1729. He preached for sixty years. Mostly forgotten these days, Stoddard is best known for training his grandson, the great Jonathan Edwards. Stoddard said about preachers, “We are not sent into the pulpit to shew our wit and eloquences, but to set the consciences of men on fire.” In our times, the wonderful Dee Bowman said of preachers, “We are to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”

God’s word is powerful, as our verse reveals. It is active. It works on our conscience. It has a way of bothering us and disturbing us. It has a way of staying with us. And, that is the thrust and the key of preaching. Paul told the Corinthians that “we persuade men.” Preaching is not a “feel good” moment. It’s not a college lecture, full of facts and information. It’s not a comedy skit as moderns like to make it. Preaching is thrusting that sharp sword of God’s word deep into our hearts. It ought to set our conscience on fire as Stoddard said many, many years ago.

Some things we must remember:

First, we preachers must preach. Dull, lifeless sermons won’t awaken a sleeping mouse in the church house, let alone the hearts of men. Sermons that don’t lead to any conclusions, changes, or actions on our part, will do just that, nothing. When Peter preached that first Gospel sermon the audience was pierced. When Stephen preached the audience was cut. We don’t need tricks, side show antics, cutting edge videos from the world to accomplish this. What we need is preaching that comes from the heart. We preachers need to pour our hearts onto the pulpit. Passionless preaching is like pumpkin pie without whip cream, it’s ok, but it’s sure missing something.

Second, we listeners need to encourage our preachers to bring the fire. Our toes need to be stepped on. We need to see how to live better and more holy lives. Tickling ears is not for us. We need to be told the truth and only the truth can save us. There will be Sundays when you leave realizing that there needs to be some changes in your life. There will be some Sundays when you feel convicted but that feeling will propel the changes that will lead to a more righteous life.

Third, our verse reminds us of how specific the Word of God can be within our hearts. It can judge our thoughts and our intentions. No one really knows our thoughts unless we share them. We can stand there smiling in a conversation with someone, all the while wishing we could get away from that person. How hurt that person would be if they knew our thoughts. God’s Word works right into those thoughts. This is why Jesus said it wasn’t just adultery and murder that were wrong, but the thoughts behind them. The lust and the hatred are also wrong.

Our intentions imply motives. Motives are the reason why we do things. In Matthew six, Jesus revealed the false and phony motives of those who gave alms, prayed and fasted, all to be seen by men. Their purpose in all of that was to draw attention to themselves. In Corinthians, Paul said that if love was not the basis of our deeds, then the good we did was not really good. Intentions. Purpose. Motive. Why do we attend worship? Why do we help others out? The Word of God gets behind the act and looks at the motive. And, through the preaching of God’s Word, our motives are examined and looked at. There are times we need adjustments because we are not aligned correctly with God. All we do ought to point to God. It’s the glory of God, not our glory, that we ought to seek.

Set the conscience of men on fire, is what Stoddard said years ago. That burning fire within us will lead to revival, change, compassion, and zeal for the Lord. We need to be awakened spiritually. We need to come alive spiritually.

What a treasure it is to have God’s word. It’s not kept in a museum. It’s not locked in some ancient church building. It’s stored deep within our hearts. It’s what governs us, drives us, directs us and leads us. Through that wonderful Word of God we have come to know Jesus. It shapes our character and has led us to ask for forgiveness and has allowed us to forgive those who have hurt us.

Bring the fire…

Roger

16

Jump Start # 3210

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3210

Hebrews 2:17 “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

I have been watching the first couple of seasons of “The Chosen,” to get ready for season three which is to be launched very soon. I admit that I went dragging my feet to watch these. I am not a fan of religious movies. Too cheesy. Too inaccurate. Subpar acting. So, I began watching these, convinced that I would not stay with it and I would not like it. To my surprise, the characters grow on you and the films are amazing. I’m going through the series for a second time. Love the character of Peter. And dorky Matthew just grows on you. And, then there is Jesus. He seems so real. And, one of the fascinating ways they capture him in the films are the twinkle in his eyes and the smile on his face. As he heals and as he cures, you see great joy upon the face of the Lord. It is that aspect that most films have missed. It is that aspect that many of us have missed in reading about the compassion of Jesus. Certainly He helped others and made their lives better, but what was the expression on His face?

Our verse today reminds us that Jesus was made like His brethren. That was necessary to accomplish the will of God. That was necessary to defeat Satan. That was necessary to be the perfect sacrifice and the living example for us. But in that, should we not see a smiling Jesus? If He was made like us, we are not without emotions. The other night I was preaching where a couple of my kids attend. Little four year old Titus, one of my grandsons, saw me, and came running down the isle with the biggest smile on his face. That put a bigger smile on my face. He laughs at things that are funny. We enjoy good times.

From this, we ought to see some things:

First, our Lord is not a robot who is without feelings. If the angels in Heaven rejoice when a sinner returns home, what do you think Jesus does? This time of year we notice the beautiful fall leaves. We see the splendor of a vibrant sunset. A couple of weeks ago I saw a bald eagle sitting on top of a pine tree. I pulled my car over just to look. Things that thrill our hearts, grab our attention and makes us say, “Aww.” If the Lord notices how many hairs are on our heads and when a sparrow falls, one has to think that He smiles when we smile at the wonderful things He has made.

Second, reminders such as the parable of the talents tell us that the Lord can be pleased. I’ve known brethren through the years that wouldn’t smile even if you paid them. Those stern frowns scare kids and makes the rest of us nervous to be around them. We ought to be happy to worship. I believe the Lord enjoys our worship. We are a people who are Heaven bound. We have a Savior, a hope and a future. Why are we walking through life as if we’ve been drinking sour pickle juice. UGH!! There is an attraction to smiling. I’ve been in foreign airports where I could not speak the language. However, smiles are understood. Smiles are international. The smile of a child. The smiles of a family greeting a loved one flying home for the holidays.

Much, much too often, worship services can model the funerals of days gone by. People would dress up. They’d enter the funeral home. There was a lot of whispering and quiet talking. Everyone looked somber. But smiles and laughter were out of place. Today’s funerals are so much different. No one wants to cry. No one wants to be serious.

God can be pleased. The well done of the five talent man echoes through the N.T. to Paul’s confident statement that a crown was awaiting him. And, when a person has done right, it brings a great feeling deep inside.

Third, a theme running through the Bible is that of God’s people rejoicing and the goodness of doing what is right. As an artist, steps back and looks at his completed work on a canvas, God must have taken a step back and looked at Eden. Perfect. Complete. Just the way He wanted it. Everything in place. The rejoicing Christian is a powerful statement. These days, the prices, the weather, the politics, the work place, the empty shelves, the turbulent times, it is enough for gloom and doom for all of us. However, shinning through all this bleakness is the radiant and joyful heart of a Christian. He’s living as if one foot is already planted in Heaven. He’s almost there. He’s forgiven, blessed and assured. He belongs to the Lord and that makes all the difference. No longer is he afraid every time something bad rises up. No longer does he have to try to figure out everything nor fix every person. God’s got it, and that’s all that matters. The weather, the elections, the prices, those are the very things that gets everyone else in a grumpy mood. Not the child of God. He’s headed to Heaven. He’s got his eyes set upon the Savior. Because of that, he rejoices. He rejoices when the world sees nothing good going on. He rejoices when he’s told he ought to be complaining. He rejoices when others believe he ought to be crying.

The smiling Jesus. Don’t you think, He’ll be smiling when He sees you enter into Heaven?

Roger