Dead Skunk In the Middle of the Road

Posted on February 8, 2017 by jesustrek

skunkFor years I have noticed that there seem to be more dead skunks on the road this time of year. I had a suspicion that it had something to do with mating season. So I looked it up and, sure enough, February and March is the mating season for skunks. It appears that their desire to mate leads many skunks to their downfall. Their haste to find a companion causes them to venture into dangerous territory, resulting in a loss of life.

Unlike skunks, there is no mating season for humans. The desires that drive us to find a companion are a factor in our lives year round.

However, these desires—if not channeled properly—can lead to spiritual death. God has plainly spelled out his requirements for purity, but many people allow their sexual appetite to lead them into danger. Their frenetic chase for fulfillment knows no boundaries, and they pay the ultimate price.

“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”—Hebrews 13:4.

 

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Eluding Rescue

Posted on February 7, 2017 by jesustrek

stolen-car-chaseIn 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief.

On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner had intended to use the crackers as rat bait. Now the police and the owner of the VW Bug were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car.

So often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape his punishment. But what we are actually doing is eluding his rescue.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”—Matthew 23:37.

 

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Sounds Encouraging

Posted on February 4, 2017 by jesustrek
Sandhill cranes in flight

Sandhill cranes in flight

In his book Wind and Fire, Bruce Larson points out some interesting facts about sandhill cranes:

These large birds, who fly great distances across continents, have three remarkable qualities. First, they rotate leadership. No one bird stays out in front all the time. Second, they choose leaders who can handle the turbulence. And then, all during the time one bird is leading, the rest are honking their affirmation. That’s not a bad model for the church. Certainly we need leaders who can handle turbulence and who are aware that leadership ought to be shared. But most of all, we need a church where we are all honking encouragement.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”—1 Thessalonians 5:11.

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Trading Places

Posted on February 2, 2017 by jesustrek

super-bowl-2017My cousin paid $3,000 for Super Bowl tickets several months ago, not realizing that his planned trip to the big game would conflict with his wedding day. Now he is scrambling to find someone to take his place. If anyone is interested, go to the First Baptist Church this Sunday evening at 6:30pm. She will be the one wearing white.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine…”—Proverbs 17:22.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”—Ephesians 5:25.

 

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Central Message

Posted on February 1, 2017 by jesustrek

bibleSomeone once noted that Psalm 118:8 is the verse that is located in the exact middle of the Bible. If this is indeed correct, perhaps it is important to examine this verse for the important message it contains—“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.”

How true! Our politicians are flawed human beings who, no matter how well-intentioned they might be, will make mistakes. No matter how much your family and friends love you, they are not perfect; they will sometimes disappoint you and will occasionally let you down. The only One you can trust completely and perfectly is the Lord.

This theme is found throughout the Bible. It is little wonder that a central message of Scripture is that we are to trust in the Lord.

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”—Psalm 20:7.

 

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Turn Around

Posted on January 31, 2017 by jesustrek

man-on-a-bicycleA man in China wanted to make it back home in time for the Chinese New Year. He didn’t have any money, so he started off on his bicycle to make the long journey home. He couldn’t read a map, so he relied on directions someone gave him.

The man was stopped by police for being on a highway that was off-limits to bicycles. When they asked him where he was from and where he was going, they told him that he had travelled 310 miles in the wrong direction!

Kind police officers pooled their money and paid the man’s way home.

Sometimes we find ourselves far from our desired destination in life and headed in the wrong direction. God does whatever it takes to get our attention and send us in the right direction. And the best thing is this—He paid our way home through the sacrificial death of his Son Jesus!

“…But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”—Luke 13:5.

 

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Trying to Identify

Posted on January 30, 2017 by jesustrek

preacherMany preachers intentionally dress a certain way when they preach in order to enhance the message they are trying to get across. Some preachers make different decisions than others.

Some preachers change their mind over time about how they should dress on Sunday. For example, one of my favorite preachers used to wear a suit and tie every time he preached. A few years later, I saw him preach wearing black jeans and a black shirt that was not tucked in. That was quite a change! A few years after that, he was somewhere in between those two extremes—dressed in a nice pair of slacks with his shirt tucked in.

No matter how you dress, you always have to be thinking about how people will receive your message. You need to try to relate to the greatest number of people you are trying to impact.

“…I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”—1 Cor.9:22.

 

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Fruit Someday

Posted on January 27, 2017 by jesustrek
Raspberries

Raspberries

As I look out my back window, the snow flurries that have been coming down for most of the day are swirling around in the cold wind. On this dreary January afternoon, it seems like such a long time ago that I picked raspberries along the edge of the woods just 200 yards from my back door.

The raspberries come on in late May. I hustled last spring to pick as many as I could before they got too ripe or were eaten by birds. What we didn’t eat right away we put in the freezer for later use.

The Bible says that we are to produce spiritual fruit. Some days, or some seasons, don’t seem to be very productive. We pray, read the Bible, worship and serve, and it doesn’t seem like we have much to show for our efforts.

However, we know that God is faithful and that he will produce a harvest in his own timing.

So if you feel like it’s a cold snowy day spiritually, just remember that God promises to make everything new. Springtime may be closer than you expect!

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”—Psalm 1:3.

 

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March for Life

Posted on January 27, 2017 by jesustrek

march-for-life-2017The March for Life is taking place today in Washington, D.C. Throngs of pro-life people have gathered near the Washington Monument to celebrate life and speak up for tiny human beings who cannot yet speak for themselves.

Vice President Mike Pence was one of the speakers. Pence, the highest ranking elected official to ever speak at this event, pledged his support of the pro-life cause.

As always, it is interesting to watch the media cover such events and pretend to do so without bias. The terms that they typically use betray their allegiance to the wrong side of this important moral issue.

Rather than use the term “pro-life”, the media insist on saying that these people are “anti-abortion” or “abortion foes”. While technically true, these terms portray pro-lifers in a negative light.

Compare this with how the media describe those on the other side of the issue. Instead of saying that they are “pro-abortion”, they insist on calling them “pro-choice”. That sounds like a good thing, right? Unless, of course, you understand that the choice they are talking about involves ending the life of a baby in the womb.

Be sure that you see through the liberal media’s attempts to sway public opinion on this, and other, important moral issues. Think for yourself and decide which side you want to be on. And for goodness sake, don’t join them in using terms that muddy the waters of moral discussions!

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”—Isaiah 5:20.

 

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Your Own Definition

Posted on January 26, 2017 by jesustrek
Robert Fulghum

Robert Fulghum

“If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success!”—Robert Fulghum.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about a man who attempted to redefine success.

The story begins with a master giving three of his servants a substantial amount of money to invest. Each was given a different sum, but they each had the responsibility to be good stewards of the master’s resources. Each was expected to show a profit for his efforts.

After a while, the master came back to see how well each servant had done. The first two had doubled their master’s money and were praised and rewarded for their efforts. However, the third one simply hid the money so that he wouldn’t lose it. He gave it back to the master, thinking that he had not failed. However, his attempt to redefine success did not please the master. This servant was chastised and severely punished for his failure.

We have to be careful that we don’t redefine success in God’s kingdom. Unless we faithfully invest the resources that God has given us—time, talent, money and opportunities, for example—we will not succeed; we will fail miserably.

To do nothing for God is to fail. Let us not set our own standards, but accept God’s definition for success.

 

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