Magnetic Cross

Posted on June 30, 2014 by jesustrek

crossesI’ve always appreciated the people who have erected crosses along the highways. Usually they are seen in threes, one for each of the robbers, the one in the middle for Jesus. The crosses always make me think of Jesus and how he died to save me. I’m sure that countless others have been blessed in a similar way. No doubt many lost people gaze at these crosses and feel an unexpected tug at their heart as they come face-to-face with the gospel message.

This should not surprise us. Jesus says, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:32). The next verse explains, “He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”

There is something very compelling about an innocent man dying to pay for our sins—especially when that man is the Son of God himself!

Let us continue to be drawn to Jesus, and let us always be lifting him up for others to see, so that they might come to him as well.

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Vicious Attack

Posted on June 27, 2014 by jesustrek

bengal-tigers-A crab fisherman was reportedly attacked by a Bengal tiger about 80 miles south of Calcutta, India. Sushil Manjhi was fishing in a stream with his son and daughter when the tiger jumped on the boat and clamped its jaws around the fisherman’s neck. Manjhi’s son, Jyotish, says that his father was dragged away by the huge cat, and he is presumed to be dead.

This horrifying incident lets us know that many poor people in the world struggle to earn a living as they face dangers that most of us can hardly imagine.

It also reminds us that the devil is seeking to destroy us spiritually. 1 Peter 5:8-9 warns, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

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Sign of Character

Posted on June 26, 2014 by jesustrek

BibleFor those who still hold to the quaint notion that character actually matters, there is a Bible verse that speaks to this issue. Acts 17:11 says, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

There seems to be a direct link between your character and your willingness to accept what the Scripture says and apply it to your life.

So, here are a couple of quick questions. Do you have the kind of character that leads you to be involved in a regular, on-going pursuit of Bible knowledge? Do you allow the Bible to further shape your character so that you can grow to be mature in your faith?

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Enforcer

Posted on June 25, 2014 by jesustrek

speed checked by radarI was recently driving in another state—North Carolina, I think—when I saw a sign that read “Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft”.

It’s good to know that authorities are trying to keep the highways safe, but I’m not so sure the threat of aircraft is a good deterrent to would-be speeders. It seems that they would be more concerned about patrolmen closer by—in cars on the highway.

In the same way, I think that many people disregard the warnings God gives against sinning because they see him as being far removed from the scene of the crime. God is so far up above that he surely doesn’t have the ability to see every act of disobedience, does he?

Don’t be so sure!

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”—Philippians 4:5.

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Torn in Two

Posted on June 24, 2014 by jesustrek

curtain tornMatthew’s gospel records the fact that the moment Jesus died “…the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom…” (27:51).

The purpose of the curtain in the temple was to keep people from coming into the presence of God. In their unholy state they could not stand in the presence of a perfectly holy God.

However, the death of Jesus changed that. He paid the price for the sins of all mankind, and therefore made it possible through his death for people to come into the presence of God.

Notice that the curtain was torn from top to bottom. This is significant because it shows that it was God’s work, not mankind’s. People cannot earn their way into God’s presence. God made it possible for us to have fellowship with him. And he did it through the death of his Son Jesus.

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Not Thinking Straight

Posted on June 23, 2014 by jesustrek

Michelle Wie

Michelle Wie

Michelle Wie held on to win the U.S. Women’s Open title. She had some ups and downs on the final few holes, but a 25-foot putt for birdie on 17 and a par on 18 gave her a 2-shot victory over Stacy Lewis. This was the first major win for Wie. The 24-year-old from Hawaii was so happy after the victory that she proclaimed, “Oh my God, I can’t even think straight.”

No one who uses God’s name as a swear word is thinking straight.

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”—Exodus 20:7.

When it comes to honoring the name of God, how is your thinking?

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What He Really Likes to Do

Posted on June 19, 2014 by jesustrek

horseA farmer once boasted to his neighbor that he had a horse that could tree squirrels. The neighbor had never heard of anything like that, and he said he wouldn’t believe it unless he saw it with his own eyes.

“Let’s go over to my place right now,” the farmer insisted, “and I’ll show you.”

So they got the horse out of the stable and let him loose in the nearby woods. He ran ahead of the two men, and by the time they caught up with him, sure enough, he had run a squirrel up a tree.

“How about that!” the neighbor remarked.

Then the farmer led the horse to a different part of the woods, up on top of a hill, and let the horse loose again. In just a short time, the horse had treed another squirrel.

“That beats all I’ve ever seen!” exclaimed the neighbor. “Let’s take him down by the lake. I’ll bet there’s all kinds of squirrels there.”

“He won’t do any good down by the lake.”

“Why not?”

“When he gets close to the water, all he wants to do is fish.”

Jesus calls us to be fishers of men. Are you passionate about that?

“…Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.”—Luke 5:10.

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Not Quite the Same

Posted on June 18, 2014 by jesustrek

fireworksThe fireworks business seems to be flourishing in the southern parts of the United States. Driving through the south you see a lot of advertisements for fireworks to suit your every need. From sparkers to the big boomers, you can get whatever you need to celebrate the next holiday or birthday. On a recent trip to South Carolina, we even saw a sign that said we could purchase fireworks on DVD!

Really!? Do people actually spend money to watch fireworks on television? That seems to fall terribly short of the real thing.

Sort of like staying home from church to watch religious programming.

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”—Hebrews 10:25.

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This Is Not Home

Posted on June 17, 2014 by jesustrek

Charles Dutton

Charles Dutton

When Charles Dutton was convicted of manslaughter, not many people thought that he would achieve much in life. However, he made a surprising turnaround. After spending many years in prison, he later became a successful Broadway star. When someone asked him how he could make such a remarkable transition, he replied, “Unlike the other prisoners, I never decorated my cell.”

Charles Dutton had vowed to never think of his cell as home.

We Christians can also achieve great things if we refuse to consider this world our home.

“But our citizenship is in heaven…”—Philippians 3:20.

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The Purpose of Tough Times

Posted on June 16, 2014 by jesustrek

Emporer Moth Cocoon poss 002A man once found a cocoon of an emperor moth and took it home to watch it emerge. One day a small opening appeared, and for several hours the moth struggled but couldn’t seem to force its body past a certain point.

The man assumed that something must be wrong, and he decided to speed up the process. Taking scissors, he carefully opened up the cocoon. The moth easily emerged. Its body was large and swollen, and its wings were tiny and shriveled.

He expected that the wings would soon spread out, but they never did. Instead of developing a body that could soar in the air, the moth spent its lifetime dragging itself around with its swollen body and small, withered wings.

What the man didn’t realize is that the constricting cocoon and the struggle to pass through its small opening is just what the moth needed to push the fluid from its body and into its wings. It’s God’s way of enabling the moth to mature into the creature he intended it to be. The man’s action was meant to be an act of mercy, but in fact it did the moth irreparable harm. The struggle was exactly what it needed.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”—James 1:2-4.

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