Be Strong and Courageous

Posted on May 2, 2026 by jesustrek

The world in which we live can be downright scary if you think about it. There are many dangerous things that could bring harm, or even death, to a person. We must be concerned about illnesses, accidents, and natural disasters which could bring devastation to a person’s life. There is also the possibility of having your life drastically altered by financial woes or significant upheaval in the family or workplace. Add to that the smaller daily concerns of life and you have quite a list of things that might keep you up at night!

However, God doesn’t want us to live our lives in fear. When he walked the earth, Jesus said many times to those around him, “Don’t be afraid.” Sometimes in the New Testament angels would echo the message of Jesus— “Fear not!”

The Old Testament book of Joshua begins with an exhortation from the Lord to Joshua that he should not be afraid. It was a scary time for Joshua and the Israelite nation. They were about to occupy the land that God had promised them. However, it wasn’t going to be an easy task. The people occupying that land were not going to give it up without a fight. There was going to be war. Add to that the fact that Israel’s longtime leader, Moses, had just died. For forty years Moses had been there to lead the way. His presence would be with them no more. There was a lot to give Joshua and the Israelites great concern.

Yet the Lord tells Joshua three times in Joshua 1:1-9 to “be strong and courageous”. In v.9 the Lord expresses it in the negative— “…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” How could Joshua and the people remain brave in the face of such frightening circumstances? The text gives us a couple of reasons.

First, we can be strong and courageous because of the Word of God. V.8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Constant attention to the Word of God reminds us of his mighty ability to fulfill his promises and bless and keep his people, thus bolstering our courage.

A second reason we can be brave is to remember the Lord’s presence with his people. Just as Jesus promised his on-going presence with us in the final words of Matthew’s gospel, the Lord promises the same to Joshua in this Scripture. In v.5 the Lord says, “…As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And in v.9 the Lord says it again– “…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

So, even in this scary world in which we live, we don’t have to cower in fear. We can be strong and courageous by reading and obeying the Word of God and by focusing on his constant presence in our lives.

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Like a Fruitful Tree

Posted on April 25, 2026 by jesustrek

No one wants to live an unproductive life. We all want to live a life of meaning, making a difference in the lives of those around us. The Bible is filled with exhortations for us to do just that. Jesus tells us that we, his followers, are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Briefly put, that means that we have an impact on the people around us. We have a positive influence on those who come into contact with us.

The first chapter of Psalms expounds on this theme. The first Psalm introduces the book and sets the agenda for its content. Here we read of the two ways that are set before mankind—the way of the Lord versus the way of the world. We all must choose one path or the other, and these very different paths result in very different outcomes. The way we choose determines the fruit of our lives and the eternal destination of our souls.

The chapter opens with the admonition to refuse to walk with the wicked, stand with sinners or sit in the company of mockers. We are not to allow ourselves to be influenced by people who have chosen to oppose God. While we cannot completely evade their presence, we can resist their attempts to lead us down the wrong path in life. “Bad company corrupts good character” (1Cor.15:33), and we must avoid this at all costs. Someone once said, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” If our future is to include a fruitful life and a blissful eternity, we must not allow ourselves to become compromised in our beliefs and our actions.

Instead, we must delight ourselves in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night (v.2). God’s ways should give us joy and pleasure. Reading the Bible and thinking deeply about its principles should never be burdensome. Rather, our attention to the Scriptures should delight us as it helps us to avoid the ways of the world and points us in the right direction. There is really no way to live a productive life without devoting ourselves to the book that informs us of how to do just that—the Bible.

V.3 informs us that the one who lives according to Scripture is like a fruitful tree—everything they do prospers. If you want to live a productive life, your life must be deeply influenced by the word of God. As we obey his commands and put his principles for living into practice, those around us cannot help but be blessed by our presence in their lives.  

The wicked, however, have a quite different fate in store for them. By ignoring God’s word, they set themselves on a different path. Rather than being productive, their lives are ultimately useless. They end up being blown away like the chaff in the wind (v.4). Therefore, they cannot stand in the judgment nor be a part of the righteous assembly (v.5).

V.6 concludes the Psalm— “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.” The devil makes the way of the wicked seem like an attractive choice, but he is a liar and a deceiver. The way of the wicked leads to eternal destruction. However, the Lord watches over the way of the righteous. This is not passive, distant watching. The word conveys the thought of watching with compassion and includes the idea that the Lord intervenes in the lives of those who follow his ways.

This Scripture, like many others, lays out two pathways before us and gives us a choice to make. We can go God’s way and live a fruitful life and be blessed forever. Or we can go the way of the wicked and amount to nothing and be forever punished. The choice is ours to make. Choose wisely!

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Repentance

Posted on April 17, 2026 by jesustrek

Repentance is a word that you don’t hear a lot of these days. One preacher referred to repentance as “the vanishing essential”. The word might be vanishing from our vocabulary, but it is still a major, essential theme in the Bible.

The prophets of the Old Testament often called upon the people to repent. When John the baptizer came along to prepare the way for Jesus his preaching was heavy on repentance. In Matthew’s gospel, the very first word Jesus uttered after he began to preach was, you guessed it, “Repent” (Matt.4:17).

The ministry of Jesus had many occasions when he called for people to change their ways and repent of their sins. He told the rich young ruler that he must abandon his greed and replace it with generosity. He implored the woman caught in adultery to go and leave her life of sin. When his disciples lobbied for high positions in Jesus’ kingdom he exhorted them to give up their pride and humble themselves like little children.

In the early part of Luke 13, Jesus drives home the necessity of repentance. Twice he says in verses 3-5, “unless you repent, you too will all perish”. The following verses say, “Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” (vv.6-9).

The plain teaching in this and many other Scriptures makes it plain that repentance is not some quaint, outdated notion. Far from it! Repentance is an essential doctrinal truth that is consistently found throughout the Bible. Repentance is a godly sorrow that leads to a change of heart and a change of direction, and Jesus expects to see the fruit of repentance in the lives of his followers.

Why then do so many churches fail to give repentance the proper emphasis, if they choose to mention it at all? Part of the answer is that many Christians and churches have fallen into the trap of desiring to please people rather than please God. They would rather scratch the itching ears of their attenders than make disciples by proclaiming the truth. And the truth is, repentance is necessary.

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Open Doors and Hardships

Posted on March 27, 2026 by jesustrek

The apostle Paul makes an interesting statement in 1 Cor.16:8-9— “But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”

In assessing the situation, Paul seems to take a very different approach from most people who talk about open doors that the Lord has set before them. Usually, we consider an open door to be a case where all difficulties have been removed. We think that the easiest path forward must be the way that God wants us to take. However, that is not always the case.

Paul doesn’t clue us in on exactly what kind of opportunity was made available to him. Nor does he elaborate on the nature of the opposition that he was facing. But he does set forth a biblical principle that seems to go against popular thought—sometimes the door that God opens for us is not the path of least resistance. In fact, the way God wants us to go might be the most difficult of the choices that lie before us.

I heard a story about a family who relocated because of a career change. They were Christians, so of course they immediately began to search for a Bible-believing congregation in their area where they could worship and serve the Lord. They planned to visit four churches before choosing one to be their new home congregation.

The first church they visited stood out because of its clear presentation of the Bible. The sermon was interesting and relevant and solidly based on Scripture. The Sunday School lesson was well-prepared, and the discussion remained focused on the Word of God. The children were able to discuss what they learned on the ride home. The parents were quite impressed with this church.

The next Sunday the family attended a church that had a wonderful music program. The songs were inspiring, easy to sing along with and based on biblical truth. They could tell that the singers and musicians had spent a lot of time in preparation for the worship service. This church, like the first one, seemed to be a good candidate for their new church home.

The third church that they visited had a wonderful youth program, with full-time ministers for both the young children and the teenagers. There were plenty of volunteers who led different programs that provided opportunities for fun and learning for children of all ages. This congregation also appeared to be a good choice for their new church family.

The fourth and final congregation that the family attended was an interesting experience, to say the least. The worship service was poorly planned, the preacher seemed to struggle through his sermon, and the Sunday School program did not appear to be well-organized. The people were friendly enough, but church life there seemed to be a bit chaotic.

When the parents got home that afternoon, it was time to make their decision. The husband and wife talked about the pros and cons of each congregation and made their decision. They decided that the fourth congregation needed their help more than the others did! They did not choose the easy path, but rather the more difficult one.

Sometimes the door that God opens will not lead you to an easier life, but a harder one. Always keep that in mind as you make decisions along the way in your journey with Jesus.

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The Importance of Truth

Posted on March 20, 2026 by jesustrek

In Discipleship Journal author Mack Stiles told the story of how he led a young man from Sweden named Andreas to Christ. One part of their conversation is especially instructive: Andreas said, “I’ve been told if I decide to follow Jesus, he will meet my needs, and my life will get very good.”

This seemed to Andreas to be a point in Christianity’s favor. But I faced a temptation—to make it sound better than it is.

“No, Andreas, no!” I said.

Andreas blinked his surprise.

Actually, Andreas, you may accept Jesus and find that life goes very badly for you.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well, you may find that your friends reject you, you could lose your job, your family might oppose your decision—there are a lot of bad things that may happen to you if you decide to follow Jesus. Andreas, when Jesus calls you, he calls you to go the way of the cross.”

Andreas stared at me and asked the obvious: “Then why would I want to follow Jesus?”

Sadly, this is the question that stumps many Christians. For some reason we feel that if we are not meeting people’s needs they won’t follow Christ. Yet this is not the gospel.

I cocked my head and answered, “Andreas, because Jesus is true.”

Those on the side of the truth come to Jesus.

Jesus continually talked about the truth in the gospels. He claimed to be the truth (John 14:6) and promised that we can know the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:32). As we speak the truth in love the church will grow and become everything the Lord wants it to be (Eph.4:15).

The truth is that life isn’t always easy for those who decide to follow Jesus. Those who committed their lives to Christ in the New Testament often faced great hardships because of their decision. It is no different for Christians today. We must understand this for ourselves, and we must teach this truth to others.

Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”—John 16:33.

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Fruitfulness

Posted on March 12, 2026 by jesustrek

Several years ago, many owners of small farms in America began to reduce their crop production to a mere sideline and instead started using their property for another purpose: entertainment farming. Other terms for this new way to make a living on the farm are agritainment and agritourism.

Entertainment farmers attract paying customers to their property with country music bands, hay bale mazes, petting corrals, and tricycle courses. City-dwelling families eager for a feel of life on the farm were willing to pay a good price for admission, food and amusements. Extra options were also available. For instance, for an additional dollar a child could frolic in a pile of straw or pick a real live flower. Some farmers cut mazes into their cornfields that might take a person 45 minutes to navigate.

These ventures proved to be quite profitable for many entrepreneurs. One farmer reportedly made up to $15,000 on a good weekend.

In 1994 Alaska and Oklahoma introduced agritourism as official parts of their state tourism policies.

The primary reason for farmers to branch out into agritourism was the economic pressures they were facing. They were having a difficult time making a profit with traditional farming practices. This new way of making money seemed promising, and the risk was minimal.

Sometimes there is a danger of a church resembling an entertainment farmer. It could be easy to fall into the trap of trying to entertain people rather than focus on the central purpose of producing a crop. Jesus didn’t tell us to go out and entertain people. He said that we were supposed to make disciples. While there is nothing inherently wrong with being interesting, fruitfulness is God’s will for every Christian and every church. Let’s make sure that we don’t get involved in too many sideline activities at the risk of neglecting our mission.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”—Gal.6:9.

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Three Important Hours in Your Week

Posted on March 6, 2026 by jesustrek

Many people claim to be pressed for time, but the truth is that we all have the same amount of time –168 hours in a week. Some of what we do with that time is determined by others, but some of it is left to our own discretion. I want to suggest that there are three important hours in your week that should be spent doing very important activities.

First, we should prioritize one hour a week for corporate worship on Sunday. The early Christians met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) and Acts 2:42 says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Why should we be any less devoted to worship than they were? Let’s never forget what Jesus says in John 4:23, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” We must live a lifestyle of worship because God has created us for this and that is what he is looking for in us. A lifestyle of daily turning our attention to God in worship will lead us to want to worship together with other believers on Sunday. It is perhaps the most important hour of your week.

A second important hour in your week is the time you spend serving the Lord. I know that some of you do much more kingdom work than that, but let’s say that an hour should be the minimum time you spend serving the Lord. After all, he is called our Master, and we are referred to as his servants. The least we can do is to try to serve him an hour each week. Eph.2:8-10 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Just as we were created to worship, we were also created to serve. God has prepared good works for us to do to enhance his kingdom. The possibilities for service are widely varied: helping the poor, ministering to the sick, encouraging the discouraged, participating in the work of the local congregation, witnessing, inviting people to church and doing chores for the elderly are just some of the ways we can serve the Lord. If you are looking for a way to get more involved in serving the Lord, ask a mature Christian for some suggestions.

A third important hour in your week is participating in Bible study with others. This could be a Sunday school class, a Sunday evening Bible study, a mid-week study, a group that meets in someone’s home or your family devotional time. We need more than our daily personal Bible reading. When we study together in a group, we share insights and discover biblical truths that we might have otherwise missed. If you are not currently in a Bible study group, I suggest that you find one, or maybe even start one yourself!

These are three important hours in your week, and, of course, all of this should be bathed in prayer. 1 Thess.5:17 says, “Pray continually.” Col.4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

Let’s spend our time wisely this week and every week.

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An Attitude that Attracts

Posted on February 20, 2026 by jesustrek

An executive for Southwest Airlines once pointed out that their company hired attitudes. He explained that they could train people to do the rest. It was the attitude that they looked for first and foremost. Perhaps we should take some time to examine our own attitudes. The Bible has a lot to say about the outlook we should have on life. Let’s look at some of this teaching.

First, we should have an attitude of humble service. Jesus set the example for this when he washed his disciples’ feet in the upper room (John 13). He did this to teach us that we should not be too proud to serve but should look for humble deeds to perform for others.

I heard about an airline pilot who scrubbed communion stains out of the pews in his church. I also read about a doctor whose job in his congregation was to clean the bathrooms. These successful people did not think it was beneath them to do menial jobs in the kingdom. So, the next time you have a chance to do something simple, yet meaningful, don’t hesitate to jump right in and help. After all, Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve. Let’s follow the Lord’s example with our humble service.

Second, we should have an attitude of gracious acceptance of other believers. Romans 14:4 says, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

One of Jesus’ greatest desires was for unity in the church (John 17). Yet the church has a long history of division and strife. Ironically, the group of churches that I have long been affiliated with started out as a unity movement but has since split into 3 different groups!

Don’t get me wrong! We must stand against false doctrine. However, we need to understand that someone doesn’t have to be our twin to be a brother or sister in Christ. Non-believers are much more likely to be drawn to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ if they see a group of believers that are united in their faith. So, let’s try to develop an attitude of acceptance toward other Christians.

Third, we should have an attitude of love toward our enemies. This is becoming increasingly important as our culture continues its downward slide. As society becomes more evil, people are becoming bolder in their rejection of God and Christianity. As many church leaders have pointed out in the past few years, the church no longer enjoys home field advantage. The church in the United States has more enemies in their own community than ever before.

So, how will we treat these enemies? Jesus says to love them (Matthew 5:43-48). This does not mean that we agree with them. It means that we express our disagreement as kindly and as lovingly as we can. We may never win some of them over, but we won’t win them over with hatred—that’s for sure.

Finally, we need an attitude of decisive allegiance to Jesus Christ. The Bible contains no promises for those who once followed Jesus but have now fallen away (Matthew 13:21). The promise of salvation is reserved for those who are faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10).

I hope you understand that your attitude is very important. It always has been. It always will be.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 2:5.

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The Cup

Posted on January 30, 2026 by jesustrek

Shortly before his death on the cross, Jesus met with his disciples in the upper room where he instituted the Lord’s Supper. Luke 22:19-20 says, “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’”

Soon after that, when he was praying on the Mount of Olives, Jesus mentioned a cup again. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) This time the cup to which Jesus referred had to do with God’s wrath. It had to do with suffering. Jesus was about to suffer the unimaginable pain that was due to each human being because of their sins. The wrath of God was about to be poured out on mankind, and Jesus was to take the full force of that wrath.

Jesus asked if there might be any other way, but this was the plan God had put in place before the foundation of the world. The only sacrifice that would suffice to take away the sins of the world would be if God became flesh and gave his own life to pay for our sins. Atonement was only possible through the blood of Jesus. Jesus submitted to the Father’s will and accepted the role that he had been given. He willingly went to the cross to die in our place.

Today Christians around the world gather every Sunday in obedience to Jesus and celebrate communion. We participate in the supper that Jesus gave us to remember him. We eat the bread that represents his broken body. We drink from the cup that represents the blood that he shed for us.

As we drink from this cup, let us remember that we were spared the cup of God’s wrath only because of the great sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. He paid a price that he did not owe to give us a salvation that we could not earn. And for that we are eternally grateful!

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The Prayer of Moses

Posted on January 24, 2026 by jesustrek

Some people see the book of Psalms as a prayer book. Others consider it a book of songs. I believe that they are both correct. The Psalms is a collection of prayers that were often put to music and sung in corporate worship. Today’s worshipers can sing and pray their way through the chapters of this book in corporate or private worship.

Let’s consider Psalm 90, which is attributed to Moses. The translation that I am looking at now, the NIV, has a heading— “A prayer of Moses the man of God.” If you consider yourself a man or woman of God, this Psalm would be an excellent outline for prayer.

It begins by addressing the God who is eternal. He is immortal. He has been there “from everlasting to everlasting.” (v.2). There has never been a time when God did not exist. Keeping this in mind helps us maintain a deep reverence in our prayers.

Then the Psalm reflects on the mortal nature of mankind. (vv.3-6) Unlike the eternal God, people don’t live forever, at least in this life. Someone once said that the mortality rate of human beings is still right at 100%! Our lives are brief, which should add some humility to our prayers.

The Psalm then talks about our sinful nature, and the fact that this puts us under the wrath of God and is directly related to our struggles and our ultimate demise. It’s a sad truth that many people do not see the correlation between our sin and our struggles. When Adam and Eve sinned, they brought death and hardship into play where it had not previously existed.

We Christians understand that the only way out of this predicament is through Jesus Christ. God sent his Son to die on a cross to pay for our sins and give us the opportunity to be spared from his wrath. Only through Jesus can we escape the curse of sin and death and receive forgiveness and eternal life. This gospel message gives us purpose in life.

The rest of Psalm 90 addresses this purpose. V.12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” The last phrase in the psalm prays, “…establish the work of our hands.” We should be mindful of the brevity of life as we pray. And our prayers should include a request for God’s wisdom to do the work that he has set before us, work that will have significance not only in this life, but for all of eternity.

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