Jump Start # 3401

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment.”

The other day I watched a show that took a technical dive into the lyrics and music of Jim Croce’s song, Operator. What a great song that is. There are many things in that song that younger generations would not understand, such as, what is an operator? What is a matchbook? What does it mean for the operator to keep a dime? Great song. Great show explaining things.

Croce was a new and young musician. He had produced two albums and a greatest hit in just two years. Tragically, he was killed in a plane wreck. He was only thirty years old. This month marks the fiftieth year of his death. He has been dead longer than he was alive. One can only imagine what other wonderful songs he could have written had he not died so young.

This reflection makes us remember several important Biblical principles:

First, none of us are guaranteed a long life. This is true even among disciples. The church had barely started when Stephen was killed. One can only imagine what good he would have done had he lived longer. When we put all of our eggs in tomorrow’s basket, we might well be disappointed that we have not accomplished much. Now is all that we have. Today is the day of salvation, the apostle said.

We have a divine appointment, is what our verse today reminds us of. One can’t skip that appointment. One won’t miss that appointment. One can’t reschedule that appointment. Only the Lord knows when that appointment will be for us.

Second, our passing can come suddenly and when we least expect it. For Croce, he had just finished a show. He was heading to the next show. Plans were being made for the next step in his career. But death called. And, so it is a reminder to us that we can have full schedules, lots of things to do and all of that can come to a sudden halt. Death doesn’t wait for you to finish projects, get your papers in order, or even to have your children raised. Death doesn’t wait for us.

Third, what matters is where one is with the Lord. Having super hits may put money in the pocket and give you a household name, but that doesn’t mean anything in eternity when we are with the great and the small, as Revelation puts it. Faith in the Lord and His generous grace is our only hope. We must walk daily with the Lord.

One of Jim Croce’s best songs was “Time in a bottle.” It begins, “If I could put time in a bottle…” But you can’t. No one can. It’s a sweet thought, but it’s not reality. We must live today as if it could be our last day.

Make plans for tomorrow, but live with one foot already in Heaven.

Roger

Jump Start # 2775

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes the judgment.”

I was listening to my ‘60s radio station the other day and the announcer said the that day marked a significant period for the late Beatle John Lennon. On that particular day, he said, John Lennon had now been dead longer than he was alive. But that fact isn’t true only of John Lennon. Trace your family history, and you’ll find that just two or three generations before you, the same is true of them. They were dead longer than they were alive. Many, many cemeteries tell the same story. History tells the same story. Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln—all dead longer than they were alive. Open the pages of the Bible, and it’s even more true. Moses, Abraham, Joshua, Daniel, Paul, Peter—each dead longer than they were alive. And, the same will be said of us some day.

With this sobering reality, there ought to be some lessons that we learn from this:

First, there is the emphasis factor. If it is true that we’ll spend more time on the other side than this side, then we ought to put more emphasis upon the other side than this side. Only occasionally have a spiritual thought while we sit in a church building on Sunday really doesn’t do the job. All the sports stats, all the political problems, the weather, finances, can sure fill our days, minds and hearts. Do those things really matter years later? If we are going to spend more time on the eternal side of life, then we ought to make the right choices, build the character and follow the Lord as we ought to.

Second, there is the preparation factor. My kids were at Disney last week. They were planning and planning and packing and packing for this special trip. One doesn’t just show up at the gates of Disney and get in. You best have some money on you. In fact, you best have a lot of money. You need a place to spend the night. Preparation—that’s the key. We understand that for a Sunday morning worship. The song leader needs to have his songs ready. In many places, the songs are placed on the powerpoint screen. One doesn’t do that on the fly. The preacher doesn’t just stand behind the pulpit and wing his lessons. If he does, he won’t last long. Preparation. So, if we are going to spend more time on the other side than this side, we ought to be prepared. We need to be saved by the grace of God. We need to know what the other side is like. We need to understand what the Lord expects and what pleases the Lord.

Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you.” It’s been said that Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. One doesn’t just show up at the gates of Heaven and walk in. Ignoring God for a lifetime will bring sorrow for an eternity. Doing what you want, rather than what God wants, is a sure way to miss Heaven and to spend an eternity in torment.

Third, there is the anticipation factor. Paul talked about this in 2 Corinthians. We groan and we long, were the words used to describe the feelings of wanting to be with the Lord. Throughout the epistles we find statements showing the great desire to be on the other side. For the righteous, death wasn’t dreaded and feared. Death was merely the door that opened up to being with God. To depart and be with the Lord was far better, is what Paul told the Philippians. No one goes to Heaven kicking and screaming. Heaven is for those who have longed for it all of their lives. They have thought about it often. They have prayed about it. They have studied about it. They have put their hope and trust in the Lord of Heaven and earth. Rather be there than here is the thoughts of the righteous. Looking forward to it is a wonderful, wonderful way to make the right choices in life.

Fourth, there is the reality factor. That’s where we started. The truth be, all of us will spend more time on the other side than we ever spent on this side. Eternity has no end. Our lives here do. This earth will be destroyed one day. Whether one likes that reality or not, and whether one thinks about it or not, doesn’t change the truth that we will live on and on. There is no final page to our story. The book never closes with a “The End.” This life ends, but it’s short compared to what’s on the other side. There we will live, either in the comfort of God or in the punishment from the Lord.

And, all of this brings us to some of our wonderful hymns. Won’t it be wonderful there, echoes the hope and the joys that await the righteous on the other side. This world is not my home, is a wonderful reminder that we are just passing through this place and this time in life. Our home, our citizenship belongs in Heaven.

Dead longer than alive—not so shocking when one reads the pages of the Bible. This makes us realize how valuable each day we have here is. Don’t waste your days. Don’t spend your time doing nothing. Make a difference. Leave footprints that follow the Savior. Get up and get going. Time is short and we won’t be here very long.

Roger

Jump Start # 2579

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment.”

Sunday in worship, and one can be in worship and not in the church building, we were singing, “He leadeth me.” Great hymn. The third line begins, “And when my task on earth is done…” That’s a great line. It connects us to our verse today. There is a divine appointment God has made for us with death. Unless the Lord comes first, you won’t miss that appointment. You won’t be late for that one. You won’t get around that one. You won’t postpone that one. You won’t cancel that one. This is one appointment that we will keep.

This passage is talking about physical death. Biblically, we actually die twice. We died in sin spiritually and then we die physically. Spiritual death and physical death. But, we who believe, are born twice. We are born physically and we are born spiritually. Not everyone is born two times. Some remain dead spiritually.

Back to the hymn, and the line, “And when my task on earth is done.”

First, we are born for a purpose. We are made on purpose for a purpose. We are not just wandering around with nothing to do. There is a task. There is a task that we need to do. We need to be about it. Some never understand this. Some feel that their task in life is to make others miserable. They do a great job at that. Others feel like their task in life is simply to make themselves happy. They will do whatever it takes to get there. In Acts 13, Paul preaching, said, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation…” David got it. He understood his task on earth. His task was to serve the purpose of God in his own generation. David was a national war hero. There were songs about David. He was the king of the nation. Famous. Rich. Powerful. But he understood that his task was the purpose of God.

Generically, we all have the same task. That is to do the purpose of God. But, specifically, that task takes on different shapes and colors. We have those with five talents and those with two and one. The task for some may be encouraging and they do a great job of that. For others, it may be preaching. For some, it may be leading the people of God. Some tasks look grand and others may look rather simple. But they are all important. Raising those little ones at home to love the Lord and respect Him is very important. Sharing God’s word is important. Being a backbone of a congregation that is dependable, supportive, and helpful is very important. There is a task before us. More important than paying off your house, having a nice nest egg for retirement, is the purpose of God. Simple, common first century disciples, many of which never owned a home, were busy with the task of God.

Second, someday our tasks will be done. It will be done because we will be done. We are here for a period of time and that’s it. We have to get busy with the task of God. We spin too much time trying to get through school, get established, get things going, and by the time everything is lined up, we are about done. So, this tells us that the task of God can be worked on and fulfilled as we journey through life. It’s not a matter of waiting until I am finished with college. All around you are opportunities to teach, encourage and shed you light. Get about this task now. Then starting off in your career, there are so many things to learn. So much to do. The task of God is before you. Get about that. A young family, so much to do. Remember the task of God.

Years ago I was walking through a cemetery looking at the headstones, something I still like to do. On one it read, “He did it his way.” That made me think of a Sinatra song. It made me wonder if the guy was selfish and stubborn. All kinds of thoughts come to your mind, but one that wasn’t there was God’s way. It didn’t say, “He did it God’s way.” When our task on earth is done, will people be saying, “He did it his way”? When our task on earth is done, what will we have accomplished? All the stuff we’ve gathered remains for others. What matters is whether we walked by faith and if we were about our Father’s business. Someday our task here will be over. Will it be said that you did it well? Will it be said that you used your time wisely? Will it be said that you made a difference?

Finally, we still have today. We may not have tomorrow. What remains to be done? What tasks have you not tackled? Is there a conversation that you need to have with someone? When are you going to do it? Is there someone you need to apologize to? When are you going to do it? Is there someone that you need to forgive? When? What remains to be done? What’s on the spiritual bucket list?

When our tasks on earth is over, God will judge us. He will not ask us if we changed the oil in our cars every 3,000 miles. He will not care if you cleaned out your garage and have everything nicely organized. He will not care if you edged your yard or not. He will care about what bothered you so much. He will care about how serious you were about your faith. He will care about what tasks you pursued in life. How large was your heart? How much did you care? How often did you take things to God? How much did you read His word and follow it?

When our task on earth is done, we will realize what really mattered. We will know what was really important. We will understand what was important to God. The rich man in Luke 16 was a wealthy business man. He lived behind gates. He wore purple, the color of luxury. He ate well every day. When he died, none of those things mattered. He wanted to send word back to his five brothers. He knew that they were just like he was. The word he wanted to send wasn’t about business, finance or acquiring things. It was about their souls. There were headed to torment just like he did. They were engaged in the wrong tasks. It wasn’t about wealth, self or making a name. The business of life is to be engaged in God’s business. That is the task before us. The rich man missed it. His five brothers were on the path to missing it.

I wonder if we miss it, too. When our task here on earth is over…

Sure is something to think about.

Roger

Jump Start # 2491

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment”

It’s a very odd question, but a fair question. We usually are asked the opposite side of this question, and either side is hard to understand and harder still to explain. A person wonders why are they still here. After multiple health issues, they continue on. Why doesn’t God allow that person to die? I’ve been asked this by folks who are in their 90’s. They ask, “Why am I still here?”

Often, we deal with the other side of this question, “Why did God allow someone I love to die?” This side is asking, “Why doesn’t God take this person?” Any answer we give is pretty much a guess. Outside of certain passages we cannot try to think like God, because it is just beyond us. We see things from our perspective, not Heaven’s. We see things from our little spot in the universe and as the song goes, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

Let me throw out a few suggestions, and, that’s all they are. I cannot say for sure. I’m not good at standing in the shoes of God. These ideas may be totally off. But here we go:

First, God has an appointed time. That’s what our verse today says. It may simply not that person’s time. We may see someone suffering and wonder why do they linger? I thought that with my mother. We even prayed that the Lord would take her. There are times when there is no quality of life. There are times when a person is in a vegetative state, or a comma. Yet, they linger. It is hard on the family. It gets to a point where one realizes that a person will never be back to their normal state again. Why? Simply put, it’s just not the right time.

Second, possibly, the continuation of someone’s life may be the patience of God hoping that person will obey the Lord and become a disciple. This concept and idea is tied into the final coming of Jesus. Peter says consider the patience of the Lord to be salvation. He also said in that setting that God doesn’t want any to perish. Maybe the nearness of death opens one’s eyes to what the Scriptures teach and even to give thought about eternity and Heaven and Hell. Once a person has passed through the doorway of death, nothing more can be done.

Third, maybe, just maybe, God is trying to teach the family who is caring for the dying patient some lessons. We tend to think less of ourselves and more about others in those settings. Maybe it’s a time for family members to come together and be one. Seeing someone so close to death often makes us wonder about our own life. What matters and what is important often gets jumbled up when we are on the run and have full health. But watching someone so close to death, has a way of making us look inward. Character, heart, faith, love—those are the things that seem to matter.

Fourth, most assuredly, we simply do not know. We want to know. We can even think that God needs to tell us. We may shout to Heaven, “Why?” But God doesn’t answer to us. He doesn’t work for us. He is God. What He does is not accountable to us. He is holy. He is always right. And, it’s in those dark, unknown times of life, often traveling through the valley of death, as Psalms 23 talks about, that we must simply trust God. We want to know, but we don’t. God has a way of working things for His good. Even out of tragedies and sorrows, God has a way of helping people and molding lives for Him. The Psalmist in that 23rd Psalms, knew that he was not alone. Even in those dark valleys God was with him. But, understand, he had been following God before the valleys. God had led him. God had cared for him. There was a long relationship of trust in the Lord. This didn’t all begin in the valley of the shadow of death. If this is where our faith begins, it will begin with darkness, doubt and fear. The shepherd had taken this one to green pastures and quiet waters. There was reasons to trust God. There was a history with God. Too many want to live as if God doesn’t exist. Then, when there is a crisis, they are crying out “Where are you, God?” He’s always been there. He’s been wanting us to follow Him, trust Him and obey Him. But those dark valleys have a way of really grabbing our attention. Now, nothing else matters. Now, no one else can help. Now, we are in real need. God is there. But, will we trust Him? Will we trust Him now, when we haven’t really trusted Him before?

Let God lead you through the Scriptures to green pastures, quiet waters and even tables with your enemies. Building a life of trust in God, allows you to see the goodness, kindness and mercy of God.

It is a mystery of life why some die young and some die old. It’s a mystery why some die quickly and others die slowly. There are things that you and I just are not in the position to understand.

There is a hymn we sing, “Hold to God’s unchanging hand…”

That always helps!

Roger

Jump Start # 2117

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for me to die once and after this comes judgment.”

Our Jump Start yesterday dealt with the topic of suicide. That prompted one of our readers to ask me about cremation. That’s not typically a “devotional” topic, but it is of interest to many folks, so I thought I would say something about it. Before I do, let me add, I am receiving many questions from our readers. I love that. Because I do not address your question in a Jump Start does not mean the question was not important. I have to be in the mood to write about what I do. Some questions fit better in a Bible class than this format. So, don’t feel bad if I do not address what you ask me about. Some questions are saved for a dry spell in my writing.

What about cremation? The question folks have about this is not about finances, or personal preferences, but Biblically. Is it wrong to be cremated? I have a son in the funeral industry. He tells me that last year cremations out paced traditional funerals. We understand the popularity of something doesn’t determine it’s rightness with the Lord.

I recently watched a video of a preacher explaining why cremation was wrong. Our bodies are the temple of God and what we do matters.

So, here are some thoughts:

First, we are to return to dust. God told Adam, and I believe all the creation following him, you will return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you shall return. That is talking about our bodies. Our bodies are destined to return to dust. What will be resurrected, will be a glorified state.   Here where I live, in the Ohio Valley, there once were thousands of native Americans, or Indians. What happened to that Indian, a thousand years ago that fell and died in the woods and was never buried. He returned to dust. If we knew exactly where the spot was and dug, I doubt there would be anything. He’s returned to the earth.

Now, here is a thought about cremation. The process of cremation takes us to dust faster than anything else. The traditional burial process today, involves pumping embalming fluid into the body, which is placed in an airtight casket and buried in a waterproof vault. It will take a long, long time for that body to return to dust. Case in point, is the body of President Abraham Lincoln. In 1901, 36 years after his burial, his casket was moved and secured. A small hole was cut in the casket. Twenty-three people looked and saw the body of the President. They were amazed at how well the body looked. His eyebrows were gone, but his face, the wart on his face, his beard, it was all very recognizable. So, if we are supposed to return to dust, it seems cremation gets us there faster.

Second, the N.T. doesn’t really say much about how to be buried. Stephen was buried. How and where we do not know. James, Antipas, Ananias, Sapphira, deaths we read about in the N.T., we are not told how they were buried. Jesus was buried in what we would consider a cave today. His body was wrapped in cloths. He was not embalmed. He was buried immediately after He died. Joseph was embalmed. Hundreds of years later, his bones were buried in the promise land. The American Indian put their dead on platforms raised above the ground. The Navy buries their dead at sea. Am I to be embalmed? Do I have to have a vault for the casket to be placed in? Many of those things are dictated by state laws and the rules of the cemetery. Can I be buried in a mausoleum building above the ground or do I have to be buried in the earth? Is it better to have a wood casket than a metal casket, since I am to return to dust? I know some are bothered that pagans burned their dead. Doing the same does not mean I have left the Lord and have embraced what pagans do. I do other things that pagans do, such as eating meat, but that does not mean I have given up on the Lord, nor am I endorsing paganism.

Third, if cremation is wrong, who is it that sins and when does that sin take place? Is it the person who wishes for that? Is it the family that allowed that? Is it the funeral director who arranged for it? Is it the guy working at the funeral home who pushes the buttons and actually cremates the body? Who sinned? Now, there is another thought. Let’s say I tell my family that I want to be cremated. It’s my choice. Have I sinned even though the action hasn’t taken place? Now, at my death, lets say my family carries out my wishes and I am cremated. If cremation is wrong, when did the sin take place? After my death! So, is it possible, once the soul has left the body to sin? Can I sin after my death? These are thoughts that most of us haven’t put much time into. The emphasis of the N.T. is doing what we are doing here and now, and living righteously while we are alive.

Fourth, often cremation is thought to disrespect the body that God has given to us. Corinthians is sited as glorifying God in your body. It seems once I am dead, I no longer have control of that. Goliath’s head was cut off. Was that wrong for David to do that? Jonathan was hung up on a wall by the Philistines. The Corinthian passage is written in the context of sexual sins. The glorifying of the body was made by righteous choices of the person living. It seems a stretch to apply this to a body that is dead and the soul has departed.

So, bottom line, is cremation wrong? Wrong, meaning sinful. I would say no, it’s not sinful. That’s my thinking. You may not conclude the same with me. Prayer and study ought to precede this decision. Do not be critical of others who disagree with your decision. This is one thing that a person cannot change. Once the body has been cremated, there is no going back. A person can’t “repent” and do differently.

Finally, our bodies have served us to house our souls. Our bodies wear out with age. The outer man decays, Paul says. Our bodies are not eternal. We will not be raised needing glasses, hearing aides, artificial hips and false teeth. We will be raised in a glorious state. The focus of our attention is not our funeral and burial but our resurrection and eternity with the Lord. If one is convinced that traditional, in the ground, burials are the only way that is right, then they should follow their convictions and conscience. One should not make this decision simply because one way is cheaper than another way.

And, our readers might ask, what will happen to me? I’ve told several that I want to be stuffed and placed at the doorway of the church building with Jump Start books in my hand. That won’t happen. These decisions are private and personal and if a person has a choice, they need to be told to the family and even written out.

I don’t know if this answers any questions. If it generates discussions, especially within the family, that is a good thing. Remember, something is only sinful if it is wrong according to God. My dislike of something does not mean that it is sinful. Our bodies are a marvelous creation of God. We come in all sizes and colors. We are made by God. We need to be thankful and count the blessings of health, mind and strength.

Roger