Jump Start # 2116

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

The news report yesterday brought the sad story of fashion designer Kate Spade’s death. At the age of 55, she took her life. Famous, rich, living in a place where most of us could not afford, she seemed to be living the dream that most folks are after. Deep depression ruined her life and now it is over. She is yet another in a long list of famous people that have taken their lives. Robin Williams immediately comes to our mind as another one. We wrote about mental illness at the time of Williams death. What about suicide?

It is commonly believed that suicide is a one-way ticket to Hell. “Self-murder,” as some describe it, has no hope because the person never repented of that sin. And, with that, we often leave the subject and feel satisfied that no one will ever consider it. But they have and they do. Within the body of Christ, families have had to deal with all that comes with suicide. There are so many unanswered questions and the problems are often shifted to the family to deal with. Dying of cancer happens. But suicide, that is something that seems shameful and people whisper about it for a long time.

In the pages of the Bible we remember King Saul falling on his sword during the Philistine battles. His armor bearer had to “finish him off,” as one might coldly say. Judas hung himself after betraying the Lord. The text states that he fell and burst open which leads us to conclude that he was left hanging until he rotted and burst. I expect no one wanted to deal with Judas. The disciples wouldn’t. The Jews wouldn’t. The Romans didn’t care. Elijah and Jonah both asked God to end their lives but they didn’t do anything to speed up that process. They left it in the hands of the Lord. Samson’s death wasn’t so much a suicide as it was dying in battle as he crushed the Philistines in the arena where he was. Paul told the Philippians that his desire was to go and be with the Lord, but he didn’t do anything to hurry that up.

One doesn’t find any positive words in the Scriptures about taking your own life. One doesn’t find God using a suicide as an example for us to follow. Suicide doesn’t seem to be an act of faith. In fact, the lack of faith may be one of the reasons a person ends their life. They are scared. They are tired. They are lonely. They are trying to escape trouble. They are not thinking right. The experts have all kinds of ideas why this is done. Netflix ran a series of shows entitled “Thirteen reasons.” It was about a teen who took her life. Reports have come in from all over the country about others taking their lives and this show being one of the reasons. They are now coming out with season two, which is reported to be a raunchy, godless continuation of the same characters who now deal with life without their friend.

Does a person go to Hell if he takes his own life? Let’s walk down that hallway for a moment.

First, it is not our prerogative to decide who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell. Yet, that doesn’t satisfy most people. They want to put a person in one place or the other. What we know, is what God has revealed to us. What He has revealed is what He has decided. It’s not so much the act of death, but the lack of faith that will destroy our souls. Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. He said, unless we repent we will perish. So, to start with, don’t be so judgmental to a hurting family that is ashamed, grieving and full of questions as to why a loved one took their life. Saying, “He’s in Hell,” isn’t nice, helpful and it may not be completely true. Remember the golden rule. What would you want someone to say to you if the roles were reversed. Likewise, back off with all the questions. “How did he do it?” is very personal. “Did he leave a note?” Even if he did, do you think the family ought to share it with you? Stop being so nosey and curious. Comfort the family that is about to collapse because of this tragic event and are ashamed because they feel responsible for not doing something to prevent this. Be a help and not more burdens that the family must carry. Be a face that welcomes them and not one that runs them off.

Second, if we conclude that a person goes to Hell because their final act on earth was sinful, and they did not repent, that sounds very close to salvation by works. That doesn’t allow any room for God’s grace. Thinking this out, then, we would have to conclude that if a person’s final thought was not good, he will not go to Heaven. If a person’s final words out of his mouth was a bad word, then he is not going to Heaven. Our final thought, word, and action has to be holy, or else the person will go to Hell. That’s where this leads us to. We are to be righteous, but John wrote, “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” So, we sin. What if we happen to sin in our final moment here? Gone. Toast. No hope. Is that the conclusion? Your last step better be right or you are a goner? Perfection or grace? This is not to be sloppy, careless or indifferent about sin. This is not to be casual about our walk with the Lord. But how could Paul conclude that there was a crown of righteousness awaiting him, if on the floor of execution, he had a final bad thought?

Then, are we saying, suicide doesn’t necessarily send one to Hell? It’s not the act of suicide, but it’s giving up on God, not having faith, and not working through problems as God wants us to. What makes suicide wrong is that our problems seems greater than God. We succumb to our problems and give up on any help from the Lord. This is what makes suicide wrong. It is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Problems come and go. Few of us can remember the things we were bothered about five years ago. They are no longer there. Taking your life is permanent. There is no coming back. There are no options after death.

Getting help, talking to the right people and holding on to a Biblical faith are the keys to dealing with our problems. Walking through the Bible shows that we are not the only ones with issues. Building a strong support system of fellowship in the Lord helps us think the way we ought to. Getting medical help when it is necessary. . Changing your environment. Getting away from negative people. Stop listening to dark music. Letting your mind dwell upon the Lord. Understanding and seeking forgiveness and God’s grace to deal with our past. All of these are keys to help one who is struggling with dark thoughts.

There are two dark secrets that have been hidden for generations in the church. You don’t hear many sermons on these. You don’t hear people talking about these. They are there and most know about it. Those twin tunnels of darkness are sexual addictions and suicide. Most congregations have a history with these two. Both are evidence of faith issues.

Maybe turning on the lights and talking about these things, even in the home, will help. They certainly do not go away because we have kept silent about them. Maybe healthy, Biblical discussions about handling problems in life will do more good than an off handed comment, “Suicides all go to Hell.”

The troubled mind is hard to understand. There are folks who are plagued with mental issues for a long time. Some are passed from one generation to the next. Be patient. Be helpful. Be Biblical.

Roger

Jump Start # 2040

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

I was asked a question recently. I have been asked this before. The situation is generally the same. It’s an older Christian who has walked with the Lord for decades. They long for Heaven. In their sweet way, they ask, “I don’t know why I am still here? Why doesn’t the Lord take me?” The ones that ask this are not depressed, despondent or fixated upon death. They have lived a full life. They have lived a faithful life. They are ready, but here they remain.

Age hinders them from teaching as they once did. Their memory isn’t strong and the energy it takes to teach simply isn’t there. Entertaining others is hard. They have done this for years and years, but now, it’s just too hard on them. These folks are not walking around with a sad face. They smile, connect and offer advice to others, but still, they wonder, “Why am I still here?”

Modern medicine has made it possible for us to live much longer. Cancer is no longer a death sentence. Medicines, surgeries and various forms of rehab has made living into the 90’s not only a possibility but a reality for many folks. We live longer these days.

Our passage has something to do with this question. Why am I still here? The simple answer is, “It’s just not your time.” God has a divine appointment and He’ll call us home when it’s our time. But for some, they feel as if they are more of a burden to brethren and their families. They feel like they are not helping out as they would like. Unable to do much, they become dependent upon others for their care and wellbeing. And, so, the question is asked, “Why am I still here?”

Here are a few thoughts:

First, you are setting an example for your family. Your continual devotion to the Lord, your attendance at worship services, your character, your kindness are leaving footsteps for others. Instead of being a grumpy old person, who bring charm, sweetness and the spirit of Jesus into a room. You remind your grown children how they need to think about others. Your decades of commitment encourages those who are younger. Your family will long remember that you made a promise to the Lord and you stuck with it. Even when it wasn’t easy. Even when you didn’t feel the best. Your very example does more good than a month of sermons.

Second, your years of experience helps the church. You have hung in during good times and hard times. There were the battles. There were the days when things were small and money was tight. There were issues that came. There were days without leaders. You’ve seen it. You’ve been there. Our culture today is stuck on self. It’s easy to bail when things are not the way we like it. Your example has helped hold a congregation together. You have kept our eyes upon what is really important, and that is the Lord and His word. You may feel that no one listens to you any more, or, worse, no one today cares, but that’s not the case. It’s time for others to pick up the sword and the banner for Christ. You have made it possible for a congregation to continue. Throughout the land, many congregations have folded. Young people have moved away. Few new people came. Leaders left. The church dwindled down until it was necessary to close the doors. That’s happened in many places. But, there are other places where that small band of disciples hung in there, worked hard and made a strong and powerful congregation. People like you, who stayed, not just in the same location, but you stayed with the Word of God, made it possible for a congregation to exist today. Why won’t the Lord take you? Possibly because more needs to hear your story, a story of faith.

Third, God simply isn’t done with you yet. That’s the best answer I have. Maybe you can’t teach anymore. Maybe you can’t preach. Maybe you get tired very easily these days. Maybe you get things jumbled up in your mind. John Newton, the author of the hymn Amazing Grace, was interviewed late in life. He said that he was old and forgot nearly everything. However, there were two things that he’d never forget. He said, “I am a great sinner and Jesus is a great Savior.” There are two spectrums of faith that brings so much to a congregation. First, it’s the young. It’s the teenager and the college student. Sharp. Energetic. Full of questions. Curious. Passionate. Second, it’s the senior citizen. Aged. Experienced. Dedicated. Faithful. Both make a church. Both are necessary. Sometimes the two groups do not understand each other. Sometimes the aged fear the young in faith. Sometimes the young think the aged are stuck in their ways. But when they connect and when they work as one, what a wonderful blessing they add to a congregation.

In many ways, it would be wonderful to just go from the baptistery to Heaven. Just bypass this messy and crazy world we live in. But that’s not God’s way. He needs us to be His hands and feet and eyes. We must be busy doing good works so others will glorify God. We must let our lights shine. We must invite. We must show. We must serve.

So, with each day that we have, we must find something worthwhile to do to help others and to honor God. Rather than focusing upon what we cannot do, let’s find what we can do. I was talking with a 90 year old Christian recently. She needed some get-well cards. When asked why, “to send them to the folks in the church you are not feeling well.” Now, that’s the spirit. Keep working, doing what you can, until the Lord calls us. Some of us get the honor of serving in the kingdom for multiple decades. What a privilege that is. I recently took a picture of three preachers who were all in their 80’s. Heroes! They looked fail and old. But they were still preaching and doing whatever they could for the Lord. I wondered how many thousands of sermons those three had preached. How many hundreds and hundreds of lives they helped. They were not sitting in rocking chairs doing nothing, they were still teaching and preaching and encouraging others. They were going to keep on working until the Lord stopped them.

What we do changes with age. Find what you can do, and get at it. Someday, the call will come. Our time here will be completed. We will leave a legacy of good. We will leave impressions of what really matters in life. We will leave footprints for others to follow. Hopefully, we leave, making things better than we found them.

Why doesn’t God take me? He will. Just be patient. In the meantime, keep busy doing what you can in the kingdom.

Roger

Jump Start # 1970

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

 

Another shooting has taken place in our country. This time, on a Sunday morning and in a church building. Many killed. Many wounded. Details will come out about the cause and motive. But you and I know the cause. It’s a world that no longer respects life, follows God nor cares about one another. The troubles of a broken world keep mounting. These mass killings are happening too much, nearly every month. It’s not guns. There was a truck in NYC that mowed down several. It’s sick and twisted hearts and souls that are lost and have no regard for life.

 

There are a few places that we still think ought to be off limits to wrong, and one is a house of worship. People minding their own business, peaceably worshipping God and terror strikes. Immediately our verse comes to mind. We’d like to think that when it is our time to leave this place, we will be surrounded by family, it will be a loving and memorable moment. That’s movies. It may happen as the result of violence, or a car accident. It may happen not as we thought it would be.

 

There are several lessons that come from this latest shooting.

 

First, one must live each day ready to see God. We need to be living thankfully and obediently towards God. Our lives ought to reflect that they have been touched by God’s grace. I hate what this world is turning into. I hate that my generation is handing a world to my grandchildren that is going to be fearful and not trusting of others. Life is precious. Life is a gift from God. We need to stop putting off what needs to be done. We need to say, “I love you,” more. We need to be serious about our walk with God. We must get about doing what needs to be done in our homes and in our congregations.

 

Second, death isn’t the end nor something to be fear as a child of God. Death is the doorway that allows us into the next room. For the believer, death is welcomed. It means that he is through with this place and all of it’s problems. He is welcomed into the arms of Jesus. We get so fixated with death that we forget that there is something beyond death. Death is merely a process, like birth, that takes us from one room to the next. Death isn’t the end of the story. This deranged shooter in Texas that died, either by his own hands or in a shoot out, found out immediately that it wasn’t over. It’s never over. There is no ‘the end’ to our story. We live on. Connecting to our first point, those that are walking with Jesus, death is welcomed and seen as a way to be with the Lord. Those who don’t know God, death is to be feared. It’s not the death, but the eternity that is found afterwards. A person doesn’t go to Heaven because they were a victim of crime. A person doesn’t go to Heaven because they died trying to help others. Heaven is for those who have chosen to walk with God. They have put God at the top of their lists and the top of their hearts. Their lives illustrate that. They are forgiving. They are kind. They are helpful. Death is never the end.

 

Third, our country continues to be shocked by senseless brutality. Folks do not see that this is where evolutionary and atheistic thinking leads to. Life without God isn’t pretty, fair nor kind. Life, with no accountability except to self, ends up doing whatever a person feels like. No standards. No rules. No guidelines. No examples. Without foundations under us, storms will cause us to collapse. The only real foundation is God. Congress will be pressured to pass some laws to prevent more killings. It won’t work. TV talk shows will analyze what needs to be fixed, but no one will mention God. That’s the problem. Lives without God are without any direction, purpose or restraints. A person will do whatever they feel like.

 

Fourth, it is time for congregations to get serious about security. We do not live in Mayberry anymore. Little churches in little towns, like what happened yesterday in Texas, reminds us that this could happen anywhere. Leaders in congregations need to get past the 1950’s thinking. The weekly contribution should not be taken right back up to the front where people can see all the money just sitting there. Immediately, put it in a secure place. Someone ought to be in the lobby to watch the doors. Front doors may need to be locked after services begin, which means some families need to begin getting there on time. Discussions need to take place about what should be done in case of an emergency. Get the head out of the sand and realize our world is ugly, dangerous and we need to take steps to help our people be safe.

 

Finally, because of these shootings, we can live in fear, or we can walk by faith. If we are living righteously and walking with God, the worst thing that can happen is someone takes my life. Jesus said do not fear the one who can take your life and do no more. Events like the Texas shooting can make us mean and hateful toward others. We can’t let that happen. It can make us want to keep all outsiders out. We can’t let that happen. We must continue to reach the lost. We must continue to let Christ live in our hearts. We must continue to be kind, forgiving and helpful. We let the enemy win when they cause us to be changed or to live in fear. Be smart. Take precautions. Let’s continue to live righteously and joyously, knowing that some day we are out of this place and in a place that will forever be secure and good.

 

Sinful people making wrong choices too often touches the lives of innocent and good people. When will this stop? When the Lord comes and this world ends. Until then, we continue on. We will meet Sunday. We will worship. Fear will not stop us. Bad people will not prevent us. And we live, knowing it won’t be long and all of this will be over. This certainly isn’t Heaven.

 

Our prayers are for the families that have lost loved ones. May their hearts not turn to anger. May they find comfort in the Lord.

 

Come, Lord Jesus!

 

Roger

 

Jump Start # 1716

 

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

 

Whispers of eternity—we continue with those thoughts today. Our verse is a solemn reminder not only of our coming death, but a reminder of eternity. The divine appointment involving death is clearly seen all around us. People die. Young people, old people. People who are ready to die and people who are not ready to die. This verse not only tells us that we die, but there is that one word that whispers eternity for us, “AFTER.”

 

Death isn’t the end. There is something AFTER death. After death comes judgment. We exist. We are accountable. God isn’t through with us. Death is not the end of us, it’s also not the worst thing that can happen to us. Death is just a process. It is the opposite of birth. Birth takes us from one realm or room to another. Death simply is a doorway from this realm or room to the next. You can’t get to the next room without going through the door called death. Death is the opposite of birth. It’s a doorway, or an entrance. It’s a process. It’s not a place you go to, but what you go through.

 

Many get so fixed upon that door. They worry about that door. They think about that door. They are afraid of that door. They put so much energy trying to avoid that door that they forget that there is something AFTER. The door isn’t it. The door isn’t the end of our story. We live on. There is more to come. There is that AFTER. This is why we use expressions such as “AFTERlife” or “life after death.” There is more.

 

This is how we are made in the image of God. This is the dual nature of man. The body dies but the soul doesn’t. Luke records Jesus saying do not fear the one who can kill the body and do no more. One can take your life, yet, you still live. Not here, but in the next realm or room. No man can kill the soul. We are everlasting.

 

This being true, then it seems that we ought to be more emphasis upon the AFTER than the BEFORE. Before death is where we are now. After death is the eternal. We will spend more time in the AFTER than we do the BEFORE. Much of what occupies us in the BEFORE really won’t matter in the AFTER.

 

Here’s a few for instances:

 

I really doubt in the AFTER that God will be concerned whether we changed the oil in our cars every 3,000 miles.

I doubt that God will care whether we fertilized our yards every spring.

I doubt that God will care whether we updated our houses.

I doubt that God will care whether we flossed our teeth or not.

I doubt that God will care how clean and up to date our resumes looked

I doubt that God will care how many apps where on our phone

I doubt that God will care if we could remember who won the past Super Bowls.

I doubt that God will care if we maxed our 401’s.

I doubt that God will care how often we took our pets to the vet.

I doubt that God will care what we served at Thanksgiving.

 

These are the things that make up our world BEFORE death. Most of these things are unique to our times. The early Christians would not have known about most of these. Yet, here we are, worrying, fretting and getting bothered about these things.

 

It’s the AFTER death things that really matter. That list would include:

 

Our character

Whether we worshipped God as He wanted to be worshipped

The difference we made in the lives of others

Whether or not we walked with the Lord

Did we pray?

Did we know His will?

Were we forgiving?

How hard did we try?

Did we believe?

BEFORE and AFTER—that’s more than just photos we notice on Facebook. It really expresses the whispers of eternity. If you want a nice AFTER, then you must make the right choices BEFORE. You can’t live like a sinner and die like a saint. Your BEFORE death, determines you AFTER death.

 

There is a coming appointment. We won’t miss it nor be late for it. The appointment is made by God. It is appointed unto man to die once, AFTER that…

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jump Start # 1525

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

  This morning awakened with the news of the passing of a Christian that I knew. He was a legend. Strong, faithful and devoted as a preacher and teacher of God’s word. Well do I remember some of his amazing lessons. I have an outline taped in the back of my Bible of a lesson that he preached from Philemon. It was great.

 

His death is the third Christian that I have heard about this week. A neighbor of where my grandparents once lived, another Christian, passed away yesterday. He was within a few months of being 100 years old. Then, earlier this week, I heard of a man who was but 27 years old, married and a new father, who lost his battle to cancer. He, too, was a Christian.

 

Three Christians, one almost 100, one in his early nineties and one not yet 30, all passed within a few days of each other. I doubt that these three every knew each other. But just this week, all three were gathered by the angels to rest until the Lord comes.

 

Our verse today reminds us of that divine appointment with death. Jesus, Revelation tells us, holds the keys to death and Hades. We can understand Biblically, why people die. We can understand Biblically where people go after death. We can understand Biblically the basis and concept of the final judgment. Those truths are sprinkled throughout the Bible.

 

What is hard to understand and what is not clear in the Bible is the appointed time. Why is it that some get to live to be 99 and others only 27? I know another family that has a son that is nearing death. It won’t be long. Why so young? For others, why so old? Certainly lifestyle has a play into this. Genetics has a role in this as well. But some of this may come down to that divine appointment. I read recently of a person who was 100 years old and claimed drinking THREE Dr. Pepper’s a day was the trick. I really doubt that. I believe if most of us drank three Dr. Pepper’s every day, we’d be so big we couldn’t get out the door and we’d have all kinds of health issue. No, I think it has something to do with the divine appointment.

 

Folks long ago used to talk about “your time is up.” I think they had in mind that divine appointment with God. When I think about the three deaths this week, two in their nineties and one 27, the only sense I can make of it is that God determines these things. We know well the expression from James that life is “just a vapor.” It’s here and then it’s gone. That makes sense when you think about 27 years. It’s hard to understand that when you match 27 with one who was 99.

 

From our side of Heaven, it’s easy to think that the 99 year old was blessed and the 27 year old was cheated. Maybe from God’s side of Heaven, it is just the opposite. Getting out of this place and being with God isn’t a curse, it’s what we are after.

 

So here are a few observations from three deaths this week:

 

First, we do not know when our divine appointment is. That is a good thing. If some of us knew that we were going to live to be 99, we’d probably put things off. We’d justify the lazy bones by saying, “there’s plenty of time.” The truth is, we don’t know how much time we have. We must walk with the Lord, engage in good deeds and try to leave this place better than we found it. If we knew exactly when we were going to die, we’d become so fixated upon that date that we couldn’t function as we do. Live as if today is your last day. Prepare as if you have more days to come.

 

Second, use your time wisely. That is a thought taught in Ephesians. Make the most of your time. The Galatians were told, “as you have opportunity…” The 99 year old that I knew, lived a quiet life on a farm near a small little town in Indiana. He served a long time as one of the elders in the congregation he worshipped with. The 27 year, just starting in life, touched many lives with his kindness and willingness to be a helping hand. Do what you can today. Don’t be so fixed upon the future that you forget to live today. We can live thinking, if I only get out of this apartment and get my own place, then I will have some folks over and do this and that. What if you never get out of that apartment? Why can’t you do something now, on a smaller scale? If you can’t do hospitality with hotdogs, I doubt that you’ll do it later with steaks. It’s not the food, it’s the heart and the time. Make a difference now.

 

Third, we must stop trying to figure out why God does what He does. At every funeral, someone insists on saying something that is usually dumb and most times not even Biblical. Saying, “God needed him in Heaven more than you need Him,” isn’t true, nice or kind. Saying, “God needed another angel,” isn’t Biblical. Why does one pass away at 27 and another at 99? Only God knows. We must stop trying to figure out things that are beyond us. Some how we got the idea that we can know why everything happens. Wrong. Why did D.C. get dumbed with two feet of snow last week and I got five inches? We can look at weather maps and explain systems, moisture and so forth. But why then, why there? Only God knows. That’s hard for some of us to accept. We must have an answer. We postulate theories and ideas and speculations, trying our best to come up with the answers. Often, our answers lead to us judging others. Simply put, God has a divine appointment for death. You and I do not know when it is.

 

So, there will be three funerals taking place very soon. Families will gather and remember a dad, husband, grandfather. Preachers will talk about life and God. Folks will hug. Tears will be shed. Graves will be opened and filled. Three souls that walked with the Lord are now finished with their journey here. How they died won’t be the talk of the day. What they owned won’t be the discussion. No, what folks will remember, is how they lived. Their faith. Their goodness. Their trust in the Lord. Those are the very things that brighten a dark and sad day.

 

You and I have a coming appointment. We need to be walking with the Lord and trying to make a difference, even today.

 

Three Christians…three deaths…three souls resting on the other side. I wonder if they now know each other. I wonder if they are uniting with other faithful family members. I expect they are so glad to be where they are. Someday, we will join them.

 

Roger