No Fear!

Posted on April 20, 2017 by jesustrek

In 100 Meditations on Hope Wayne A. Lamb writes:

In the midst of a storm, a little bird was clinging to the limb of a tree, seemingly calm and unafraid. As the wind tore at the limbs of the tree, the bird continued to look the storm in the face, as if to say, “Shake me off; I still have wings.”

Because of Christ’s resurrection, each Christian can look the experience of death in the face and confidently say, “Shake me off; I still have wings. I’ll live anyway.”

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”—John 3:16.

Posted in Christian Living, Communion Meditations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Try a Little Kindness

Posted on April 18, 2017 by jesustrek

Have you noticed how nice the employees of Chick-fil-A are? Analysts have said that customer service is a key to Chick-fil-A’s success. The fast food chain invests more than other companies in training their employees. Part of their training includes simply being nice. A recent study showed that Chick-fil-A employees were more likely to say “please” and “thank you” than workers at other fast food restaurants.

It sounds too simplistic. Could it be that the lessons we learned in kindergarten are far more important than we ever realized? It seems that even small pleasantries can make a huge difference.

Kindness also makes a difference when we are trying to influence people for Jesus. Maybe we should be more intentional about being pleasant in our conversations with others. In a world that is filled with harsh and coarse interactions, a little kindness sure does stand out!

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”—Colossians 4:5-6.

 

Posted in Christian Living, Leadership | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Doubting Thomas

Posted on April 17, 2017 by jesustrek

Every time I read about the doubts of the apostle Thomas in the twentieth chapter of John’s gospel I am reminded of the fact that people named “Thomas” seem to get a raw deal. Think about it. Remember the nursery rhyme about Tom, Tom the piper’s son? You know what he did. He stole a pig and away he run. And what do you call someone who is caught sneaking a peek into your window after dark? Peeping George? Peeping Fred? No! He’s a peeping Tom. Then there’s doubting Thomas. It’s like everyone named Thomas is a pig-stealing pervert who doesn’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead!

But he did raise from the dead. The eyewitness reports and the testimony of Scripture are proof enough to the honest seeker of the truth.

What Jesus said to Thomas he would say to anyone—“…Stop doubting and believe.”—John 20:27.

 

Posted in Christian Living, Communion Meditations, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Magnitude of Christ’s Suffering

Posted on April 13, 2017 by jesustrek

Tim Keller

In Leadership, pastor and author Tim Keller writes:

“Unless we come to grips with the terrible doctrine of hell, we will never even begin to understand the depths of what Jesus did for us on the cross. His body was being destroyed in the worst possible way, but that was a flea bite compared to what was happening to his soul. When he cried out that his God had forsaken him, he was experiencing hell itself.

If an acquaintance denounces you and rejects you—that hurts. If a good friend does the same—the hurt’s far worse. However, if your spouse walks out on you, saying, “I never want to see you again,” that is far more devastating still. The longer, deeper, and more intimate the relationship, the more torturous is any separation.

But the Son’s relationship with the Father was beginningless and infinitely greater than the most intimate and passionate human relationship. When Jesus was cut off from God, he went into the deepest pit and most powerful furnace, beyond all imagining. And he did it voluntarily, for us.”

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’—which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”—Mark 15:34.

Posted in Christian Living, Communion Meditations | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Cumulative Effect

Posted on April 12, 2017 by jesustrek

In 1984, a Saint Louis woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home. Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them. Over the summer the bees continued to fly in and out of the attic vent while the woman remained unconcerned, unaware of the growing city of bees.

The whole attic became a hive, and the ceiling of the second floor bedroom finally caved in under the weight of hundreds of pounds of honey. While the woman escaped serious injury, she was unable to repair the damage of her accumulated neglect.

We often fail to consider the gradual, cumulative effect of sin in our lives, and the subsequent price we have to pay.

“…Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…”—Hebrews 12:1.

 

Posted in Christian Living, Communion Meditations | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What a Picture Is Worth

Posted on April 8, 2017 by jesustrek

One of the tiny victims of the Syrian gas attack is carried away

U.S. missile strikes disabled a Syrian airfield Thursday night. This action was in direct response to the Syrians having used chemicals to kill some of their own people, including small, innocent children. The U.S. has sent a clear message to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad that such actions will not be tolerated.

Assad has committed atrocities against his own people for years. What was different this time? It was the pictures of dead children that were released and broadcast all over the world. These terrible images moved President Trump to take action. Trump said, “When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, babies, little babies with a chemical gas that is so lethal…that crosses many, many lines…”

Both Republicans and Democrats are praising the military action. Support is being voiced from all over the world.

I wonder what it will take for the world to unite against the atrocity of abortion? Maybe pictures of the carnage would cause people to have a change of heart.

“Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”—Psalm 82:4.

 

Posted in Christian Living, Culture, Current Events | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trivial Pursuits

Posted on April 6, 2017 by jesustrek

A familiar Mother Goose rhyme goes:

“Pussy cat, Pussy cat, where have you been?

I’ve been to London to visit the queen.

Pussy cat, Pussy cat what did you there?

I frightened a little mouse under the chair.”

Like that cat, Christians sometimes settle for petty involvements, trivial pursuits—chasing mice—when we have the opportunity to spend time with royalty, with the King of kings! Why waste our time on petty activities when we can enjoy being in the presence of God?

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”—Colossians 3:1-2.

 

Posted in Christian Living, Leadership, Prayer | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fixing Things

Posted on April 3, 2017 by jesustrek

I learned a long time ago that I am not very good at fixing things. I don’t have the natural ability to repair things that are broken, nor do I have the desire to learn how to do such things.

So when my car needs even the most minor repair work, I take it to a mechanic. When something in the house is broken, I call for a handyman.

More recently, I have discovered that I can’t fix people. I used to try. I would sit and listen to their problems and offer some advice—whether they asked for it or not!

But I can’t fix people. And you know what? That’s not my job. It’s the Lord’s job to fix people. What I need to do is bring broken people to Jesus.

“Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.”—Mark 2:3.

 

Posted in Christian Living, Leadership, Prayer | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Surrender

Posted on March 30, 2017 by jesustrek

Charles Stanley

In The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life, Charles Stanley writes:

“In water-safety courses a cardinal rule is never swim out to a drowning man and try to help him as long as he is thrashing about. To do so is to commit suicide. As long as a drowning man thinks he can help himself, he is dangerous to anyone who tries to help him. His tendency is to grab the one trying to aid him and take them both down in the process. The correct procedure is to stay just far enough away so that he can’t grab you. Then you wait. And when he finally gives up, you make your move. At that point the one drowning is pliable. He won’t work against you. He will let you help.”

The same principle holds true in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Until we give up, we aren’t really in a position to be helped. We will work against him rather than with him.

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”—Ephesians 5:18.

Posted in Christian Living, Communion Meditations, Prayer | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Taking It to the Streets

Posted on March 29, 2017 by jesustrek

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”—James 1:22.

We do the right thing when we go to church on Sunday and hear the word of God preached in worship and taught in the classroom. That’s what God wants us to do.

However, we haven’t fulfilled our duty if we merely listen to the word. God expects more from us than that. If we do no more than listen to the word, we are deceiving ourselves into thinking that we have accomplished all that we need to do.

We haven’t completed our assignment until we actually do what the Bible says. As one preacher put it, we need to take the sermon from the pew to the streets.

Challenge accepted!

 

Posted in Christian Living, Leadership | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment