Lessons from Geese

Posted on November 22, 2023 by jesustrek

It’s interesting to watch geese flying south for the winter. Someone pointed out that there are lessons we Christians can learn from the geese as we journey through life.

Did you ever wonder why geese fly in a “V” formation? It is because as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following it. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Christians who share a common direction and a sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling together. We are not on this journey alone. We would do well to pay careful attention to the many “one another” verses in the New Testament.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and it quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are going! The Bible warns us against forsaking the assembly (Heb.10:25) and exhorts us to maintain unity. Eph.4:3 urges us, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the formation and another goose flies point. Whether you are a goose on the wing or a Christian working in the church, it makes sense to take turns doing the hard jobs. Gal.6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Have you ever noticed how the geese honk as they fly along? It is thought that the ones flying behind honk to encourage the ones up front to keep up their speed. We all need encouragement. Just make sure that your “honking” is always positive and not negative! “…if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.” (Acts 13:15b).

Finally, when a goose gets sick or injured and cannot fly any longer, two geese fall out of formation and stay with him to help and protect him. They stay with him until he can fly, or until he dies. Then they may join another formation to help them catch up to their original group. We need to take care of each other when one of us falters. 1 Thess.5:14 says that we are to “…help the weak…”.

These are some simple lessons we can learn from the geese to implement some of the Bible’s principles for how to live and work together in the church.

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Giving Thanks

Posted on November 18, 2023 by jesustrek

We have much for which to give thanks this Thanksgiving season. Hunters are thankful that it’s deer season, but their wives might not share those feelings of gratitude. I heard about one unhappy wife who confronted her husband about his out-of-control enthusiasm for the sport. “Your obsession with deer hunting has gone way too far!”, she complained. “It has even begun to have a negative effect on our son!” The husband quickly responded, “You leave Buck out of this!”

Seriously, we Christians should be the most thankful people on the planet. The Bible continually exhorts us to be thankful. We see the word “thanks” in some form or another in the Scriptures about 150 times. The theme of thanksgiving is a thread that runs consistently through the Bible.

The opposite of being thankful is to grumble and complain. One of my Bible college professors once remarked about how inconsistent it was for students to dutifully bow their heads to give thanks for their food in the school cafeteria and then immediately after the prayer to complain about the food! When we grumble and complain we are implying that God has not taken care of us sufficiently.

But in fact, God has provided for all our needs. He gives us life, health, food, shelter, jobs, family and friends and other blessings too numerous to list. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Malachi 3:10 reminds us that God is willing to “…throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” 

And of course, there is the ultimate blessing of all—the gift of salvation that we have been offered through the crucified and resurrected Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! 2 Corinthians 9:15 is one of my favorite verses about giving thanks, and I think it is a wonderful verse to bridge the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It says, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

Of course, thanksgiving is not to be limited to special occasions. A spirit of gratitude should guide us through every day of our lives. When Jesus healed the ten leprous men in Luke 17, only one of them came back to give him thanks. The response Jesus gave lets us know without a doubt that Jesus expects us to be thankful for what he has done for us.

The ways that we can give thanks to God for what he has done for us in Jesus are many. Let’s name just a few: church attendance, singing (both private and corporate), praying, giving to the Lord’s work, being generous to the poor and being a witness to others about the goodness of God. What can you add to this list?

Let’s always strive to stop grumbling and complaining and instead live a lifestyle of giving thanks to God for all the ways that he has blessed us. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Making a Difference

Posted on November 11, 2023 by jesustrek

A friend of mine had a co-worker named “Jerry”. I met Jerry a couple of times. He was a personable fellow. Jerry spent a lot of time wandering around the office with a cup of coffee in his hands, chatting with any co-worker who would take time to listen.

When I heard that Jerry had recently retired, I asked my friend, “Have they hired anyone yet to take Jerry’s place?” “Well,” came the hesitant reply, “When Jerry retired, he didn’t exactly leave a vacancy.” It seems that Jerry wasn’t a productive worker. He simply put in his time during the work week without accomplishing much of anything. This might seem like a dream job for some people, but I think that most of us want more than that from life. We want to be productive at whatever it is that we do. We want to make a difference in life. That certainly is true of those who truly understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t call us to simply cruise along in life without having any influence on other people. He says in Matt.5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

In the ancient world, salt was primarily used to preserve food by keeping it from spoiling. Here Jesus is saying that we need to make a difference in a world that is tainted by sin. Rather than retreat and try to stay out of the messiness, we need to be engaged. We can’t expect that every law that is passed will line up perfectly with the Bible, but we should always be telling the world what God says about the issues of the day, even to the point of being a nuisance to those who don’t want to hear the truth. The church must be a force that will not be silenced when it comes to matters of morality. We won’t save everybody, but we will prevent many from being spoiled by the sins that the world has to offer.

Light is a common symbol of good, while darkness represents what is evil. There is much darkness in our society today, but the proper response to this is not to be so dismayed that we fail to respond to the wickedness around us. Instead, Jesus says that we need to shine our light. He himself is the light of the world, but his followers reflect his light. As we pattern our lives after the example that Jesus set, we allow people to see the difference between right and wrong; to discern between good and evil.

Note that it doesn’t take a lot of salt to preserve some food. Nor does it take a great deal of light to illuminate a dark room. In the same way, a little faith goes a long way if it is seen in the life of a person who is following Jesus Christ. So, let’s be what Jesus says we are—the salt of the earth and the light of the world. A lifetime of living for Jesus will make more of a difference in the world than we can ever imagine!

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Grace and Peace

Posted on November 2, 2023 by jesustrek

The authors of the New Testament books often wish their readers “grace and peace” in the opening remarks of their letters. This term was a blessing that became a common greeting among the early Christians. It is a blessing that has a deeper meaning than what might appear on the surface.

“Grace” refers to the salvation that God offers to all humanity through the sacrificial death of his Son Jesus. This salvation cannot be earned; it is a gift from God, which is what “grace” means. Eph.2:8-9 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.” By dying on the cross, Jesus paid the debt of sin. It was not a debt he owed. But it was a debt that we owed that we could not possibly pay. How amazing, indeed, is the grace that God has shown us in Jesus!

Now about that second part of the greeting. “Peace” refers to much more than an inner sense of well-being, although that is part of the package. In this case, “peace” is referring to being in a right relationship with God. Many people outside of Christ feel at peace, but they are sadly mistaken. Before we accepted Christ, we were enemies of God. This is a concept that many people do not comprehend but is clearly spelled out in Scripture. Rom.5:10 says, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” God is the One who sets the terms for peace, and until we accept God’s terms, we can never experience the peace that he offers us through Jesus.

Notice as you read the term “grace and peace” in the New Testament that it always comes in that order. I don’t think that you ever see the terms reversed. Why is that? It is because grace must come first. To have peace with God, you must have accepted the grace that God offers. Without grace there can be no true peace. Those outside of Christ might feel at peace with themselves and with others, but they cannot have peace with God until they accept Christ as their savior. Those who think that they can experience peace with God without having submitted themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ have been deceived.

So, there you have it. My prayer for those of you who are following Christ is that you will enjoy the grace and peace that are ours through Jesus. And my prayer for those of you who are not following Jesus is that you will accept him as your savior and thus experience the life of grace and peace that God offers you.

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Vote Pro-Life

Posted on October 28, 2023 by jesustrek

As many Christians, especially ministers, are pointing out, there are some distinct differences in the candidates for governor of Kentucky in the up-coming election. Daniel Cameron consistently displays biblical virtues in his positions, while Andy Beshear regularly takes the wrong side on moral issues.

I would like to focus on just one of those issues—the right to life. I have been preaching the gospel for over thirty years, and I have always used the pulpit to urge Christians to vote pro-life in statewide and national elections. In my opinion, this is the single most important issue to consider in choosing between candidates. For one thing, pro-life candidates usually also have the right position when it comes to other important issues, such as: taxation, spending, law and order, national defense, border security, the definition of marriage, family values, health care and promoting capitalism over socialism. Secondly, there is the character issue. Any person who does not have enough character to stand up and protect innocent babies in the womb does not have enough character to earn my vote.

To those who might accuse me of preaching politics, I would reply that I am simply preaching righteousness. Righteous living includes exercising your right to vote for the candidate that best represents biblical values.

I consider voting for the morally superior candidate for office to be an act of worship. My candidates do not always win, but I am always a winner in the eyes of God when I vote pro-life. That is why Daniel Cameron has my vote in the upcoming election for the office of governor of Kentucky.

So, I urge every Christian to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that Jesus declares you to be! Go to the polls and let your voice be heard! Vote pro-life in this election and in future elections.

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Treasures in Heaven

Posted on October 21, 2023 by jesustrek

A story is told about a church that needed to make some repairs to their building. The situation had become so desperate that the congregation called a special meeting to address the problem.

During the meeting, one gentleman stood up and said, “I pledge $100 toward the project to repair the church building.” No sooner had the man sat down when a huge section of plaster fell from the ceiling and hit him squarely on the top of his head. Fortunately, he was not hurt badly. He stood up and declared, “I am raising my pledge to $1,000!” Immediately a voice from the back cried out, “Hit him again, Lord! Hit him again!”

We shouldn’t need to be hit over the head to want to give to the Lord’s work. The desire to honor God with our material possessions should be a characteristic of all followers of Jesus Christ.

Jesus teaches a lot about our attitude toward money. Scholars have pointed out that Jesus has more to say about money than he does heaven and hell put together. It is plain to see that Jesus is greatly concerned about how his disciples handle their money. Matt.6:19-24 contain some of Jesus’ core teaching about finances: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Here Jesus contrasts the temporary nature of earthly treasures with the eternal nature of treasures that are heavenly. Riches on earth are fleeting; they can disappear very quickly. But the treasures we build up in heaven through our work for the Lord will last forever. Therefore, Jesus implores us to store up treasures that are heavenly rather than earthly. Eternal wealth can be built up through holy living, obedience to God’s commands, winning people to Jesus, building other disciples up in their faith and, of course, giving money to the work of the Lord.

A second principle that Jesus teaches here is that the things we treasure determine where our affections reside, whether with worldly riches or with the Lord. Wherever your treasure is, that is where your heart will be also. The way you spend your money shows what you really love. Show me your spending records and I’ll show you what is most important to you. A church member reportedly once confided to his preacher that he didn’t have much interest in the local church. The preacher told him to increase his giving to the church by $10 each week until he reached the point where he truly cared about the church!

A third principle we see in Jesus’ teaching here is that we cannot have divided loyalties. It is not possible to serve both God and money. A person can have two employers, but you cannot have two owners. If we truly belong to God, we cannot live as though our allegiance was to money. As someone once said, “It’s all right to have money, but your money cannot have you.” If your finances have a stranglehold on your life, it is impossible to live for God. We must each decide which master we will serve—God or money.

We must not take lightly what Jesus teaches about money. We cannot ignore what he says about our finances and live a powerful Christian life. Indeed, to disobey Jesus in this matter might cost us our life entirely!

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What Jesus Says About Love

Posted on October 14, 2023 by jesustrek

Someone once collected some advice from young children about love and romance. Here are some of the bits of “wisdom” that were gleaned.

When asked how people in love typically behave, 8-year-old Wendy responded, “When a person gets kissed for the first time, they fall down and don’t get up for at least an hour.”

In answer to the question, “Why do people in love hold hands?” Gavin, age 8, said, “They want to make sure their rings don’t fall off because they paid good money for them.” Nine-year-old Johnny said, “They are just practicing for when they might have to walk down the aisle someday and do the holy matchimony thing.”

Other opinions on love from children include: “Love is foolish…but I still might try it sometime.” “Love will find you even if you’re trying to hide from it. I’ve been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me.” “I’m not rushing into love. Fourth grade is hard enough.”

In response to the question, “How do you get someone to fall in love with you?” one little boy said, “Tell them that you own a bunch of candy stores.”

When asked about kissing, one child said, “You learn it right on the spot when the gooshy feelings get the best of you.” Another said, “If it’s your mom, you can kiss her anytime. But if it’s a new person, you better ask for permission.”

We might laugh at some of the children’s thoughts about love, but the sad thing is that many adults don’t know much about love either. Someone once said, “We must dare to love in a world that doesn’t know how to love.

If we want to learn about love, we need to listen to Jesus. One of the best-known stories ever told is the parable of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10. Here we find what love is truly all about.

To summarize the story, Jesus said that a traveler was attacked by robbers and left half dead along the side of the road. Two religious men passed by without stopping to help. However, a Samaritan, a religious outsider, stopped to help the man, expending much of his time, effort and money to do so.

Here are some important principles about love that we can learn from this story. First, love is not defined by a feeling that you have in your heart; it is defined by our actions. The Samaritan had no special fondness for the beaten traveler, but he did have a desire to help someone who was in need.

Second, love may cost us something. We might have to get involved in someone’s life in such a way that it costs us time, effort and money.

Third, love sometimes comes from unexpected places. It wasn’t the religious people in the story who showed love; love came from the most unlikely character in the story!

Finally, love is not reserved for those who are closest to us. It may be that our loving actions are needed by someone we don’t even know.

There are many people who will offer their advice about love, but so many of them don’t have a clue what they are talking about. Don’t listen to the voices of confusion. Listen to what Jesus says about love.

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How You Should Pray

Posted on September 28, 2023 by jesustrek

A lady had worked frantically to get ready for a dinner party that she was hosting. When the guests had arrived and were seated at the table, she asked her young daughter to say a prayer before the meal. “But I don’t know how to pray!” the girl protested. “Nobody ever taught me!”

“Nonsense,” the mother replied. “Just pray like you have heard me pray.” The little girl sighed, bowed her head and said, “Dear Lord, as busy as I am, why did I invite all these people over!”

I guess we do need someone to teach us how to pray! Thankfully, Jesus does just that. In Matt.7:9-15, we find a model prayer that has long been a pattern for Christians to follow when we talk to God.

It starts out by saying that we can address God as our Father in heaven. Only Christians have this privilege. No other people on the face of the earth can truly refer to God as their Father. When we were baptized into Christ we became part of God’s family, therefore we have benefits that no one outside of Christ can claim. What a blessing it is to address our prayers to such a loving and powerful Father!

Then we should pray for God’s name to be hallowed, that is holy, or set apart. In a world where God’s name is often used as a swear word, we must be careful not to stoop to the behaviors we see all around us. Rather, we should stand out as those who treat the name of God with reverential, awesome respect.

Next, we should ask for God’s kingdom to come, and his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We should not view this part of the prayer to be entirely futuristic. Jesus ushered in the kingdom of God during his time on earth, and he and his apostles spent much time teaching believers how to live as citizens of that kingdom. However, the kingdom will not arrive in its fullness until Christ returns to restore all things. In the meantime, we must pray that his kingdom continues to advance now, and that we would be blessed in our efforts to see that God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

As we continue through the prayer, we find that we are to pray for our daily bread. Living in a land of relative plenty, we could possibly take our everyday blessings for granted. May it never be so! We must continually trust God for our provisions, and while giving thanks is not specifically referred to here, it might be implied, and thanksgiving is consistently taught throughout Scripture.

Then comes the request to be forgiven of our debts, which of course means our sins. Attached to this request is the statement that we have already forgiven those who have sinned against us. To withhold forgiveness from those who have done us wrong and then expect God to forgive us is an inconsistent position to hold. God will not allow us to take such a hypocritical stance.

Finally, we are to pray for deliverance from temptation and from the influence of the evil one. God does not tempt us, but he might allow us to experience a time of testing. We should not desire this but should ask for relief from those situations that cause us to be tested.

The reason that we should pray in the way that Jesus prescribes in because it is God’s kingdom and power and glory that we must always lift up, both now and forevermore!

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The Blessings of Generosity

Posted on September 21, 2023 by jesustrek

Rita Price wrote the following in a 1995 issue of the Columbus Dispatch:

Katie Fisher, 17, pulled her unruly lamb into the arena of the Madison County Junior Livestock Sale last July. With luck the lamb would fetch some spending money—and she wouldn’t collapse as she had during another livestock show the day before.

Fisher had been battling Burkitt’s lymphoma, a fast-growing malignancy, since February. She had endured many hospitalizations and months of chemotherapy. “Sometimes, in the beginning, it hurt so bad all she could do was pace,” said her 12-year-old sister Jessica.

Selling the lamb did raise pin money for Fisher.

“We sort of let folks know that Katie had a situation that wasn’t too pleasant,” said auctioneer Roger Wilson, who hoped his introduction would push the price-per-pound above the average of $2. It did—and then some.

The lamb sold for $11.50 per pound. Then the buyer gave it back. That started a chain reaction. Families bought it and gave it back; businesses bought it and gave it back.

“The first sale is the only one I remember. After that, I was crying too hard,” said Katies’s mother, Jayne Fisher. “Everyone kept saying, ‘Re-sell! Re-sell!’”

“We sold that lamb 36 times,” said Wilson. And the last buyer gave back the lamb for good. The effort raised more than $16,000, which went into a fund to help pay Katie’s medical expenses.

The story Price tells in her article is a story of the amazing blessings that transpire when people decide to be generous. Jesus says, “…It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35). As we can see, in some situations the blessings are experienced by everyone involved. Buyers, sellers and spectators all received a blessing they will never forget!

Let’s always be looking for opportunities to spread the blessings around!

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Faith that Saves

Posted on September 9, 2023 by jesustrek

Luke 7:36-50 records an interesting event in the ministry of Jesus. This story conveys the ability, and willingness, of Jesus to offer salvation to anyone who will humbly come to him in faith and repentance.

Jesus had been invited to dinner at the house of a Pharisee named Simon. A woman who had lived a sinful life heard that Jesus was at Simon’s house, so she came there. It seems odd to us that she would come uninvited, but it was customary for people to show up uninvited for such gatherings. They would normally sit around the walls of the room and observe what was going on. Sometimes they would ask for leftovers after the dinner was over.

The fact that this woman had lived a sinful life no doubt made her an unwanted guest in the home of this self-righteous religious leader. She displayed a lot of courage simply by showing up, but she showed greater courage by refusing to blend into the background. She boldly anointed the feet of Jesus, first with her tears, then with expensive perfume.

At this, Simon thought to himself that Jesus could not be a prophet, or he would know that this woman was a sinner. Jesus proved him wrong by knowing what he was thinking! Then Jesus proceeded to tell a story about two men who owed money to the same moneylender. One of them had been forgiven a huge debt; the other had been forgiven a smaller debt. Then Jesus asked Simon which one of these men will love the moneylender more. Simon grudgingly gave the obvious answer—the one who had the bigger debt forgiven would love him more.

Jesus told Simon that he had given the correct answer. Then he proceeded to give the parable an application. Jesus compared the love that the woman had shown for him with the lack of love that Simon had shown him. The woman had gone to great trouble and expense to honor Jesus with her actions. However, Simon had not even offered Jesus the basic hospitality that the customs of the day called for.

Summing it all up, Jesus said that the woman had shown great love because she had been forgiven much. The implication was that Simon had not shown much love because he had been forgiven little.

Jesus then turned to the woman and told her, “Your sins are forgiven.” This caused a stir among the guests, who naturally questioned the ability of anyone to forgive sins. But Jesus routinely claimed this ability to grant forgiveness to anyone who comes to him in faith, repentance and obedience. Then he assured the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Only those who come to Jesus for forgiveness can truly experience the peace that Jesus offers. Have you experienced that peace for yourself? And are you telling others of the peace that Jesus promises to them if they will put their trust in him?

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