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

 

23

Jump Start # 4163

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4163

 

James 3:10 “from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”

 

The famous Charles Spurgeon had a sermon titled, “How Saints Help the Devil.” And, that old sermon is being practiced every day by saints today who don’t know which side that they are on. In this James passage, blessings and cursing ought to come from two different sources and two different mouths. Yet, James knew that wasn’t the case. The same mouth that could bless God, could also curse God’s people. This wasn’t right. “These things ought not to be this way,” as the text tells us.

 

And, yet, we know and have seen and often have even been guilty of these very things. While sitting in worship we can sing, “Bless be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love,” or, “Love one another,” and that very afternoon we can be gossiping about the brethren we just worshipped with and sang about. These things ought not to be this way.

 

Here are some thoughts:

 

First, the devil doesn’t need any help from us. He is the enemy. His mission is to conquer and destroy us. He is powerful and has all the tools of today’s advance technology at his disposal.

 

Second, we need to understand what comes with God. Love God but don’t like God’s people doesn’t work. To love God is to love His people. To love God is to love His word. To love God is to love God’s way. One cannot separate the Lord from His word. Like Jesus, just don’t like the Bible won’t fly with God. It’s a package deal. You are either all in or you are not in at all. One cannot pick things off, like onions on a pizza. The religious community has forgotten this lesson light years ago. They will dance and play and eat in the name of Jesus, run the church like a corporation and ignore just about everything God says, yet loudly proclaim that they love Jesus. They will even claim to love the Lord more than we do.

 

One cannot be wrong with God’s people or God’s word and right with God. We must be right horizontally if we want to be right vertically.

 

Third, often, some of the best agents for the devil are God’s people. Disgruntled, discouraged, complaining members can do more harm to a congregation than a month of false teachers. They can take the air out of momentum, put a stop to the good that is being done, and lead others to join them in the parade of discontent. As harsh as it may sound, every church building I have been in had a door. Big churches. Little churches. Country churches. City churches. Every building had a door. If someone can’t be happy with the Lord’s way, then find the door and leave. But, they don’t. They stay and make others miserable. They gripe and fuss and are bitter and become a real pain to those who want to walk with the Lord. And, without every realizing it, these folks are helping the devil.  These things ought not to be this way.

 

We must realize that our walk with the Lord is a journey. And, just like driving down the highway, there is always someone ahead of us. They are more mature and have more knowledge than we do. We need to stay close to them. We need to learn from them. But, at the same time, there is someone beside me. We encourage one another. And, when I look to the back, there is always someone behind me. They are learning. They are growing. They are looking at you, as an example. And, such is our journey with the Lord. Some are ahead of us. Some are beside us. Some are behind us. We learn from others. We become the example for others. We help each other.

 

We need to kick Satan to the curb and run him out of our church. He’s not welcome there. And, the best way we do that is by becoming like Jesus. Our attitudes, our hearts, our desires, our ambitions, become wrapped around and defined by the Lord. When Satan can’t find a spot in our hearts and in our homes, he’ll have a tough time finding a place in our congregations.

 

Some things ought not to be. Saints helping the devil is high on that list. Saints helping the devil is a sign of a traitor. Don’t help the enemy.

 

Roger

 

22

Jump Start # 4162

Posted on September 22, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4162

 

Luke 18:40 “And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he had come near, He questioned Him.”

 

Some of the most profound lessons we learn from the Gospels are not the big moments such as calming storms, driving demons into pigs and walking on water, but little expressions that carry so much compassion and weight.

 

In the context of our verse today, Jesus is heading to Jerusalem. He has an appointment with the cross. As He makes His way to the city, He is not so focused that He fails to see opportunities to help all around Him. In the next chapter, nineteen, Jesus invites Himself to the home of a chief tax collector, Zacchaeus. But, here, as He is passing through Jericho, a blind man begs for Jesus to have mercy on him. The disciples were telling this blind man to hush and be quiet. But, Jesus stopped. He ordered the man to be brought to Him and his sight was restored.

 

We’ve read that story dozens of times. But, have you noticed the tiny expression, “And Jesus stopped”? On the other side of Jericho, where Zacchaeus is up in a tree, Jesus stopped and had a conversation with him. On the way to Jairus’ home, to save his dying daughter, a woman with an issue of blood touches Jesus and He stops and has a conversation with her.

 

And, Jesus stopped.

 

I wonder how many would want to have a conversation but I’m too much in a hurry to notice. I don’t stop. I wonder if someone is struggling with a heavy burden and I could help them carry that load, but I failed to stop. I wonder if I am so focused on me that I never stop. Could it be that I don’t notice the lilies of the field, or the birds of the air because I don’t stop.

 

And, Jesus stopped.

 

Here are some thoughts:

 

First, stop for one another. Would our fellowship be more meaningful and impactful if we stopped more and took the time to really get to know one another. Every one of us has a story. We all have a past. We all carry scars and baggage. Simon and Garfunkel had a song a long time ago that went, “Slow down, you move to fast…” Conversations and friendships take time to build and develop. Stop and get to know your church family. Stop for the young people and let them know that they have a friend in you. Stop for the elderly and let them know that they are loved and not forgotten. Stop for the young families who are trying so hard. Stop for your shepherds and let them know that you appreciate the roles that they fill. Jesus stopped.

 

Second, stop for the Lord. We are on the move so much that our Bible readings can be just a blur and by midday we’ve forgotten what we read. One of the most asked questions about these Jump Starts are “How do you see all these things in the Scriptures?” Your Bible reads the same as mine. Stop and look at the words. Look at the order of the words. Jesus stopped—I saw that. I wondered if He ever stopped before this. I started seeing a pattern. Jesus took time for others. He was always stopping.

 

In your prayers, stop for the Lord. Don’t just throw names to Heaven. Pray about people, their situations and what they are going through. Be thankful to the Lord. Notice clouds. Look at stars. These are reflections of our Lord. All around us are reminders of our Lord. Stop for Jesus.

 

Third, stop for yourself. Our times is full speed. From the moment we are up until we collapse in bed at night, it’s 100 MPH for many of us. So much to do. So many errands. So many things we need to do to the house. Our schedules are packed. And, it doesn’t take much of that to make us a tired and weary people. Stress levels are high. The majority of prescriptions filled these days are for anxiety medication.  Is there a connection? Maybe instead of pills, we need to turn off the electronics, go sit on the back porch and just listen to the wind and the birds for a while. It’s ok if your house doesn’t look like the cover of a magazine. It’s ok if not all the toys got picked up at the end of the night. Stop and be thankful you have a house. Stop and be thankful that you have a family. One day you will have no more days here. Will it matter that your garage was organized, the yard fertilized and the oil in the car was changed on a regular basis? What will matter will be you and Jesus.

 

He stops for you. Will you stop for Him?

 

And Jesus stopped.

 

Roger

 

21

Jump Start # 4161

Posted on September 21, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4161

 

John 12:3 “Mary therefore took a pound of very costly, genuine spikenard-ointment, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.”

 

Our verse today shows the beautiful gift that Mary gave to Jesus. This wasn’t the everyday splash some cologne on before one heads out the door. A few verses later Judas openly rebukes her for not selling this for three hundred denarii and giving it to the poor. Three hundred denarii would be a year’s income. This stuff was saved for one of two reasons, a wedding or a funeral. This is something that would have been saved and kept high up on a shelf. Mary knew how important this was to share with the Lord. Her gift, expensive as it was, was enjoyed by all because it filled the room with that fragrance.

 

Once again, we find Mary at the  feet of Jesus. In Luke 10:39, she sat at Jesus’ feet to learn. In John 11:32, she is at the feet of Jesus in her grief. And, now, in John 12:3, Mary is at the feet of Jesus in giving her best.

 

There are some lessons we ought to see from this:

 

First, at the feet of Jesus shows our place in humility. Many would like to stand, toe to toe with Jesus. Many would like to have a word with Jesus. Many would like to tell the Lord what He ought to be doing. Mary bows at the feet of Jesus. She sees Him as the Lord. She understands who He is.

 

Those that want to boldly tear into the word of God and change God’s way of doing things would do well to fall to the feet of Jesus. At the feet of Jesus shows the respect for His position and authority.

 

Second, at the feet of Jesus shows the faith that we have in the Lord. Mary believed. Even in the grief over the death of Lazarus, when she had questions, she falls to the feet of Jesus. Only Jesus can help. Only Jesus knows.

 

Third, at the feet of Jesus shows the honor that the Lord deserves. He is our friend. He is our brother in faith, but He is so much more than that. He’s not a good ole’ boy, like some would want to make Him. He’s not one to wink at wrong, do questionable things and always good for a laugh. Slap Him on the back, kick off your shoes and have a good ole’ time is how many want to paint the picture of Jesus. Not Mary. She fell at His feet. She bought the most expensive gift she had and she gave it to the Lord. She gave something that she had been saving for a long time.

 

Our honor to the Lord comes from worshipping Him through our hearts and minds. Our honor to Him comes from realizing who He is and what He has done. Respectful hearts. Opinions that are silenced. Trusting His ways. Following His steps. Bringing our best to Him.

 

Rushing through worship so we can get back to doing what we want to do is not falling at His feet. Offering a worship from bored and tried hearts is not falling at His feet. Bringing our best, like Mary, comes from hearts that believe.

 

This becomes a culture that starts in our hearts, expands to our homes and becomes the norm in our congregations. Sloppy dress. Sloppy worship. Sloppy preaching. Sloppy singing. Those things quickly become the way out and are no longer accepted nor tolerated. We need to give the Lord our best.

 

So, we work at it. We practice. We pray about it. We arrive early. We double and triple check the details. The sound booth guys are putting new batteries in the mics before worship begins. The deacons are making sure there are no burned out lights and that the air and heat are in proper working order. The Lord’s Supper is ready.  Moms make the little ones go to the bathroom before services begin. All the little things are done and done with excellence, because we want to bring our best to the Lord.

 

A culture of excellence. Mary brought her best.

 

Roger