An Extraordinary Christmas

Posted on December 16, 2023 by jesustrek

Christmas is a special time of year when we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus. There is nothing ordinary about any Christmas, but the first Christmas was extraordinary. Here’s why.

First, extraordinary promises were kept. People often break their promises, but God never does. The Old Testament is filled with promises that God would someday send someone special to offer salvation to the entire human race.

There are over 300 prophecies about Jesus in Scripture. It foretells where Jesus would be born, in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). It predicts how Jesus would die 1,000 years before it happened and 800 years before crucifixion was even invented (Psalm 22:16). Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Isaiah describes him, and he also refers to his sacrificial death on the cross.

These and other predictions of the Messiah make it difficult to deny that God kept some extraordinary promises when he sent Jesus to be born. Some mathematicians and statisticians who didn’t previously believe in Jesus now agree that it is scientifically impossible to deny that Jesus is the Christ.  

Secondly, an extraordinary Person came to earth. Jesus was conceived supernaturally. Even as a youth, he greatly impressed grownups with his wisdom and maturity. He never sinned—not once! Jesus amazed people with his teaching and astounded them with his miracles. He called for people to follow him, and, even though he died at an early age, he founded a movement that has profoundly shaped the world.

And, oh, yes…After he died, he came back to life! And he promises eternal life to anyone who puts their trust in him! He is an extraordinary person indeed!

Finally, the first Christmas was special because people responded in extraordinary ways. Herod was extraordinarily evil, with his decree to have all the baby boys in the area killed. The priests and teachers of the law were remarkably indifferent to the birth of Jesus. If anyone would have been expecting this newborn king, it should have been them! Mary and Joseph were outstanding in their trust and obedience to God. They readily accepted their assignment to be the earthly parents of the Christ. The shepherds reacted to the good news by hurrying to see Jesus, and then by praising God and spreading the word to others. The Magi made a great effort to find Jesus, and when they did, they worshiped him with gifts that were fit for royalty.

All of these people responded to Jesus in extraordinary ways. The question remains—“How will you respond?”

The word “extraordinary” is “ordinary” with something “extra” added to it. God did his part in making Christmas special by sending Jesus to us. We can respond with indifference. Or we could react in a special way. Perhaps our extraordinary obedience, generosity, enthusiasm and worship can make this a truly extraordinary Christmas.

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Perspective

Posted on December 13, 2023 by jesustrek

I think the old coach has a good point, not only about athletes, but also about Americans in general. It’s not so much, “What can I do for my country?” anymore. It’s more, “What can the government do for me?”

Sadly, that selfish perspective on life has creeped into the church. Too many members of congregations are “takers” rather than “givers”. Many professing Christians ought to give themselves a close examination and see if their priorities need to be re-aligned.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”—Matt.6:33.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”—Phil.2:3-4.

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Bless the Children

Posted on December 8, 2023 by jesustrek

Our church is planning a day where we will recognize and bless the newborn babies and other small children in our congregation. From all that we read in Scripture about the importance of children, it seems to be fitting that we have such a ceremony.

Jesus saw the significance of children when others failed to do so. In Luke 18:15-17, we read, “People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’”

Other verses in the Bible inform us about how precious children are. Psalm 139:13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” This verse, one of many Scriptures that are used to build a pro-life worldview, tells us that every single baby in its mother’s womb is the handiwork of God. Therefore, those precious little lives are worthy of our love and protection. It is a shameful tragedy that one of the most dangerous places for a human being to live in our society today is in their own mother’s womb.

Not only does God create us in the womb, but he also has plans for us before we are ever born. Jer.1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” Think about all the little children in your family, or church, or neighborhood, and consider what God might have in store for their lives. The possibilities are exciting!

Because children mean so much to God, and since he has such great plans for them, they need direction. Prov.22:6 teaches us, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” From a young age, children need to be taught the ways of the Lord. They need to be saturated in Scripture and carefully brought up learning how to live their lives according to the principles set forth in the Bible. The world will not teach them anything about God; such instruction must come from the parents and Sunday school teachers.

Many Scriptures reinforce the truth that children are a blessing from God. Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” It is especially important to remember this verse whenever a child in your care is misbehaving in some way! Just keep repeating to yourself, “They are a blessing from God! They are a blessing from God!”

The priestly prayer from Num.6:24-27 was meant to be a blessing for all the Israelites, but it is a good prayer to offer up for children today: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Another good prayer for children is found in a verse of the popular Christmas song, “Away in a Manger”—“Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care, and fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.”

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Denying Ourselves

Posted on November 30, 2023 by jesustrek

One of the most difficult of Jesus’ teachings is that his followers must practice self-denial. This goes completely against our human nature. We tend to be quite selfish from a very young age. One of a toddler’s very first words is “Mine!” It is difficult for most youngsters to learn to share and to wait for their turn.

As we grow older, the tendency to be overly devoted to ourselves remains a problem for many of us.  Even if we understand that the Bible says to put others ahead of ourselves, the temptation to look out for number one is always there. The fact that most of you readily understood what I meant by that slang term “number one” is a testimony to the truth that self-denial is a difficult task.

Yet that is what Jesus commands us to do. In Matt.16:24-27 we read: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.’”

Jesus’ teaching on self-denial contradicts the “prosperity gospel”—also called the “health and wealth gospel” –that has been put forth by some preachers. The Bible never promises that followers of Jesus will always be rich and healthy. As a matter of fact, Scripture says over and over that Christians will have a hard time of it. Jesus himself says, “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

Jesus says that we must take up our cross and follow him. The cross represents a death sentence. To follow Jesus, we must die to ourselves and live for him. This death takes place in the waters of baptism where we are buried with Jesus and raised to live a new life (Rom.6:4). We must die to ourselves to live for God and for others. This begins a lifestyle of self-denial. We give up our own vision for our life and exchange it for the life that God has planned for us—a life of self-sacrifice. We walk that extra mile that no one would expect us to walk. We forgive wrongs that others might deem unforgiveable. We perform good deeds for those who would be perceived to be our enemies. These are just a few of the many ways we deny ourselves so that we can live for Jesus and for others.

It is a hard life, this life of self-denial. No one should ever think that following Jesus is an easy thing to do. If living the Christian life never seems to place any demands on you, you are not doing it right! Perhaps we all should make a careful check every day to see if there is indeed a cross on our back!

Jesus would never ask us to do something that he wouldn’t do himself. He set the example of self-denial for us when he gave up his place in heaven to come to earth and die on a cross! (Phil.2:5-8). If we want to show that we are truly thankful for the salvation he granted us with his sacrifice, we too will live a life of sacrifice and self-denial.

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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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