29

Jump Start # 4167

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4167

 

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

 

In the little prophetic book of Zephaniah, we find a fascinating statement about the Lord. As announcement of glorious days under the Messiah take place, shouts of joy and feasting celebrations happen. God is among His people. And, three declarations are made: He will rejoice over you; He will quiet you; He will exult over you. Gladness, love and loud singing are the way that the Lord will accomplish this.

 

And, right there, so easy to miss, is the statement that God will “exult over you with loud singing.” God singing! Happiness brings joy to our hearts and a song to our lips. And, here, the Lord is happily singing to His people.

 

We often focus upon we singing to God. We have singing workshops. We learn new hymns. We pour a lot of attention and effort into our singing. But, have you ever thought about the Lord singing to His people? God has used music in the sound of song birds and the sound of the wind blowing through trees, and the sound of a babbling creek. Nature has a song. But, in this setting, God is singing. Not the wind. Not the birds. But, the Lord Himself.

 

I wonder what the voice of the Lord in a song sounds like? I wonder what song He would sing? I expect it would be a song like we have never heard before. And, as in all things God does, it would be perfect.

 

Here are a few thoughts:

 

First, there are very few things that you and I can do that the Lord does. We can’t create. We can’t call the morning to come. We can’t count, let alone, name all the stars. Miracles are beyond us. Reading the minds of others is not something we can do. We can calm storms. But, we can sing. From the tiny ones to the great big ones, we can all sing and singing is something that God does.

 

More than once, I have seen the former Beatle Paul McCartney in concert. In some of his songs, he asks the audience to sing with him. Singing with one of the Beatles. Amazing. What would be more amazing would be to sing with the Lord.

 

Second, the background to God’s singing is the joy He has in His people. This is a good time. God is happy with His people. And, the emotion of singing is one of the great ways happiness is expressed. I feel that sometimes many view God with an eternal frown on His face. Never pleased. Never happy. Thinking His people ought to do more.

 

The parable of the talents reminds us that the Master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He was pleased with what He saw. Sometimes I wonder if we enjoy our faith. We may feel more like it’s a duty rather than a passion and a love. I hear some saying “I can’t…” or, “I have to…” and that sounds like the language of duty rather than joy. Joy says, “I get to,” or, “I want to.”

 

You can put a smile on the face of God. Amazing.

 

Third, of all the songs we may hear in our lives, the song of Heaven will be the best. It’s the best because it is sung by the best, our Lord. It is best because it was authored in Heaven. It is the best because it reflects the true concept of fellowship with the Lord.

 

There are several songs in the O.T. The song of Moses. Deborah had a song. There was a song of lament with the passing of kings. Jesus sang a song before He went to the garden and was arrested. Paul and Silas sang praises to God from a Philippian jail. The book of Revelation echoes the chorus of Holy, Holy, Holy. But, of all these songs, God’s song has to be the best.

 

God singing…what a marvelous thought!

 

Roger

 

29

Jump Start # 4167

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4167

 

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

 

In the little prophetic book of Zephaniah, we find a fascinating statement about the Lord. As announcement of glorious days under the Messiah take place, shouts of joy and feasting celebrations happen. God is among His people. And, three declarations are made: He will rejoice over you; He will quiet you; He will exult over you. Gladness, love and loud singing are the way that the Lord will accomplish this.

 

And, right there, so easy to miss, is the statement that God will “exult over you with loud singing.” God singing! Happiness brings joy to our hearts and a song to our lips. And, here, the Lord is happily singing to His people.

 

We often focus upon we singing to God. We have singing workshops. We learn new hymns. We pour a lot of attention and effort into our singing. But, have you ever thought about the Lord singing to His people? God has used music in the sound of song birds and the sound of the wind blowing through trees, and the sound of a babbling creek. Nature has a song. But, in this setting, God is singing. Not the wind. Not the birds. But, the Lord Himself.

 

I wonder what the voice of the Lord in a song sounds like? I wonder what song He would sing? I expect it would be a song like we have never heard before. And, as in all things God does, it would be perfect.

 

Here are a few thoughts:

 

First, there are very few things that you and I can do that the Lord does. We can’t create. We can’t call the morning to come. We can’t count, let alone, name all the stars. Miracles are beyond us. Reading the minds of others is not something we can do. We can calm storms. But, we can sing. From the tiny ones to the great big ones, we can all sing and singing is something that God does.

 

More than once, I have seen the former Beatle Paul McCartney in concert. In some of his songs, he asks the audience to sing with him. Singing with one of the Beatles. Amazing. What would be more amazing would be to sing with the Lord.

 

Second, the background to God’s singing is the joy He has in His people. This is a good time. God is happy with His people. And, the emotion of singing is one of the great ways happiness is expressed. I feel that sometimes many view God with an eternal frown on His face. Never pleased. Never happy. Thinking His people ought to do more.

 

The parable of the talents reminds us that the Master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He was pleased with what He saw. Sometimes I wonder if we enjoy our faith. We may feel more like it’s a duty rather than a passion and a love. I hear some saying “I can’t…” or, “I have to…” and that sounds like the language of duty rather than joy. Joy says, “I get to,” or, “I want to.”

 

You can put a smile on the face of God. Amazing.

 

Third, of all the songs we may hear in our lives, the song of Heaven will be the best. It’s the best because it is sung by the best, our Lord. It is best because it was authored in Heaven. It is the best because it reflects the true concept of fellowship with the Lord.

 

There are several songs in the O.T. The song of Moses. Deborah had a song. There was a song of lament with the passing of kings. Jesus sang a song before He went to the garden and was arrested. Paul and Silas sang praises to God from a Philippian jail. The book of Revelation echoes the chorus of Holy, Holy, Holy. But, of all these songs, God’s song has to be the best.

 

God singing…what a marvelous thought!

 

Roger

 

28

Jump Start # 4166

Posted on September 28, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4166

 

 Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

 

When I’m on the road I don’t watch much TV. When I’m home, especially in college football season, I watch sports. Love college football. Watch some NFL. Try to always catch my Dodgers when they are on. In recent years the world of sports has changed because of technology. Rather than just taking the word of the ump, close calls are challenged. Camera angles are studied in detail. And, many times, a call is overturned because of what was seen on the camera.

 

Faith does the same thing for us spiritually. What is often challenging, difficult and hard to see clearly, faith will bring the correct answer as to what we should do.

 

Here are three absolutes:

 

First, with faith we can live with questions. Oh, we want the answers. And, we want the answers to our satisfaction. And, when we don’t get the right answers, higher up the ladder of authority we go. But, there are some things in life that we won’t have the answer to. The “why’s” are a huge part of those questions. “Why do I have cancer?” “Why do I have a child that is handicapped?” “Why did my husband die so young?” Why? Questions have a way of looking backward and faith has us looking forward. Don’t you think those young mothers in Bethlehem asked “Why,” when Herod’s goons slaughtered the baby boys. The disciples may have asked that when the apostle James was executed. Why?

 

As we study God’s word, we find questions coming to our minds. Did Jonah ever get it? Why did God make so many stars? Did Paul and Barnabas ever get back together? Why is adultery the only cause for divorce?

 

So many questions, yet, with faith, we can live with these questions. We know God is good. We know God has all things in control. We know His plan will be accomplished. I may not ever know the answer to some of my questions, but I don’t have to. God’s got this. Just trust in the Lord.

 

Second, with hope we can live with difficulties. The troubles and problems that plague us here will remain here. Hope in God brings us to the point that things will only get better. This world is not Heaven and it will never be. But, beyond the sunset, even a lifetime of misery finds joy and peace in the Lord.

 

Third, with the promises of God we can live with unhappiness. The pursuit of happiness is written into the fabric of this country. It is what most strive for and want. And, to get that, some will break every rule and sell their soul to find a moment of happiness. For some, it’s through a bottle of alcohol. For others, it’s the addictions: pills, drugs, gambling, porn, materialism. Chasing happiness becomes the occupation of so many. God has promised beautiful things to His people. Patience allows us to wait upon the Lord. In His time all things will be made right. In His time, the promises will come true.

 

Faith, hope and promises. It’s these three that keep us going. It’s these three that will drive us past any challenges, inconveniences or difficulties that come our way. Faith, hope and promises are the spiritual ingredients that get us up in the morning and continue to push us through any storm we face.

 

In sports, the calls are often challenged. In Christ, there is no need to challenge what the Lord has said. We know. We trust. We believe.

 

Faith, hope, promises—they can climb over any mountain that is before us.

 

Roger

 

25

Jump Start # 4165

Posted on September 25, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4165

 

Mark 15:38 “And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

 

I heard this verse recently used in a Lord’s Supper talk. And, for the first time, the direction of the tear really stood out to me. The idea of the temple curtain being torn in two meant those priests in the temple could for the first time in their lives look behind the curtain and see what was in there. Only the high priest, once a year, was allowed to go beyond the veil to the holy of holies. But, now the curtain was torn. I expect the Jewish leaders hurriedly got busy trying to mend that curtain back together. No one was to go beyond that curtain unless he was the high priest and that was only once a year. But, symbolically and Biblically, the tearing of the curtain meant that all people had access to God. No one needed a priest to stand between him and God any longer.

 

But, the direction of the tear, from top to bottom, not bottom to top, is interesting to me.

 

First, had the curtain been torn from bottom to top and was still attached by the rod at the top, there might be some portions of the holy room that was blocked off. Full access became possible when torn from top to bottom.

 

Second, the tear was from top to bottom, not bottom to top. Why does that matter? Could it be representative that this is what God intended. Rather from earth upward, the tear was from Heaven downward. The tear wasn’t caused by man but rather by God. This was intentional, planned and purposed by the Lord. The sacrifice of Jesus touched all lives, not just Jewish.

 

Third, the report of the temple veil being torn likely was not witnessed by any of the Gospel writers. They were in hiding at this moment. The Jewish priesthood would not have been happy about this and likely would have tried to keep this hush-hush. Outside of the Jewish priests, no other Jews would have been allowed that close to witness the tearing of the curtain. So, how do we know it was done? Like many things, God tells us. He was there. Like creation. Like Jesus’ temptation. Like the devil’s conversation with God in the book of Job. There were no human witnesses, but God wanted us to know these things. The tearing of the temple curtain was an event that was so symbolic and so important that God wanted us to know.

 

But, this was so much more than just a historical event. It was more than the walls of Jericho tumbling down. It was more than the Red Sea parting. Behind this was an understanding that we all have access to God. Anywhere and anytime I can talk to Heaven. I can talk to Heaven when I’m in a crowded room and it is very loud. I can talk to Heaven when I am in bed and it is very still. I can talk to God when the world seems to be in chaos. I can talk to Heaven when things are as calm as an Indiana farm pond.

 

And, it’s not just talking. I have access to God. The curtains are opened. God is not a God just of the Jews. He is not there only for the elite. He is not there only for those who wear priestly outfits. Prodigals can come home. Diseased and crippled in heart and soul can come to the Lord. The plea of Christ is come unto Me all you who are weary and heavy laden. It’s not just for those who make the varsity team, but for those who never made the team. It’s not just for those who are honor roll, but for those who struggle to pass. It’s not for those who never messed up, but for those who have sinned against Heaven.

 

The torn curtain means God is there for you. You have God on your side. You are never alone. You are never without help. God wants you to come before Him with confidence. Understand, He is the Holy God of Heaven and our sins need the blood of Jesus, but what a rich, faith building hope to know that He is always there for you.

 

Catholic nun, Mother Theresa, called loneliness the “modern leprosy.” Yet, for the believer, that is something he never experiences. The curtain has been torn. It’s been torn from top to bottom. God is not behind the curtain. God is not confined to a church building. The cattle on a thousand hills belongs to the Lord. This is “My Father’s World,” more than a lovely song, but a powerful truth to the curtain being torn in two.

 

What a scary moment for the priests in the temple when the curtain was torn. What a beautiful moment for us, because God is welcoming us to Him. Right before Jesus fed the five thousand, Luke tells us that Jesus was welcoming the crowd and began speaking to them about the kingdom.

 

The door is open. The lights are on. Come on in. Welcome. The curtain has been torn from top to bottom.

 

Roger

 

24

Jump Start # 4164

Posted on September 24, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4164

 

Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.

 

Throwback Thursday: an article written from the past

 

Lessons from an Old Cemetery

 

The countryside is full of many old and forgotten cemeteries. Sitting atop of hills and hidden away in woods, these old cemeteries teach us many valuable lessons.

 

  • Every person is important to God. Some graves, covered with weeds and briars, long ignored by the present generation, are not forgotten by God. Jesus died for every one. Every person is made in the image of God and is of great importance to God. The Lord has not forgotten any one.

 

  • Every person was dead longer than they were alive. It seems therefore that we should put more attention into where we are going, since we will be spending more time there.  We tend to think that life is long, but a walk through an old cemetery shows other wise.

 

  • Most of what a person considers important is forgotten. A walk through an old cemetery, will not tell you what kind of home the people lived in. It will not tell you whether or not they wore the latest fashions and had the newest gadgets, or even what they looked like. The obsession with riches, pleasures and worries of this life is what chokes the word of God out of our hearts (Lk 8:13). Farmers worried about the weather. Mothers fussed over mending patches in the knees of pants. These are all long forgotten worries that are no longer important.

 

  • Every persons lives on in eternity. Every grave contains a body that once housed a soul. Each and every one is alive in eternity awaiting the second coming of Jesus. The graves will open, the dead will rise and all will be judged. Every person will spend eternity with the Lord in Heaven or away from Him in hell.

 

  • Every stone has a birth date, a death date, and a dash in between. God determines our birth and our death. The dash belongs to us. It is our life. We make of it what we will. Some dashes represent long lives, others are very short. Life is not measured in how long you live, but rather in how you live!

 

Imitating the Lord is the most important choice a person can make!

 

Roger

August, 2000