Buried Treasure

Posted on February 20, 2014 by jesustrek
That will probably buff right out.

That will probably buff right out.

On Wednesday, February 12, a sinkhole swallowed up eight cars that were on display at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Among those vehicles was a Corvette that was donated by Kevin and Linda Helmintoller of Tampa, Florida. The couple visited the museum a few days after the sinkhole occurred. Kevin said that their car appeared to be underneath the others at the bottom of the hole. He stated, “It definitely hurts, and I’ve cried. There’s no question I’m definitely upset, but there’s no way to conceive of anything like this.”

It was indeed an unlikely way to lose a valuable possession.

Jesus points out that we shouldn’t get too attached to earthly possessions because they are only temporary. Instead, he teaches, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”—Matthew 6:20.

Not to mention sinkholes.

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Singing Together

Posted on February 18, 2014 by jesustrek

Snoopy singingLast Sunday I suddenly found myself singing the wrong words of a song in the worship service. I started singing the chorus, while everyone else went to the second verse. If I had been paying attention to the worship leaders, I would have avoided that mistake. Instead, I was in my own little world, and it took me a couple of seconds to realize that I wasn’t with everybody else. My wife noticed that I had gotten off track, and she smiled at me as I found my place in the song again.

Sometimes we get off track spiritually because we aren’t following the lead of those who have the responsibility of guiding us along through life. Scripture often encourages us to model our actions after those who have gone ahead of us in the faith. In order to do that, we have to pay attention to our leaders so that we don’t start saying the wrong words or doing the wrong things. Church members should be on the same page, singing the same song—or, in my case, the same verse. Any time we diverge from this, it just doesn’t sound right.

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”—1 Corinthians 11:1.

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Don’t Test the Lord

Posted on February 17, 2014 by jesustrek
Jamie Coots

Jamie Coots

Jamie Coots was a snake-handling preacher in Middlesboro, Kentucky. Coots had appeared on an episode of Snake Salvation, a television series that aired on National Geographic last fall. Snake-handlers are a small group of churches who think that those who believe in Jesus are commanded to pick up snakes. This belief is based on Mark 16:18. However, that sentence is a statement of fact, not a commandment to obey. The Bible does not tell us to pick up snakes on purpose. In Acts 28, Paul, the apostle, accidentally picked up a poisonous snake while collecting firewood. People were sure that he would die when the snake bit him, but were surprised to see that he had no ill effects from the snakebite.

Coots, on the other hand, intentionally picked up snakes on a regular basis. This practice led to his undoing Saturday night when a rattlesnake he was handling bit him on the right hand. He died two hours later.

Some people will continue to believe that God wants us to intentionally pick up poisonous snakes.

I disagree.

“We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.”—1 Corinthians 10:9.

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Winner After All

Posted on February 15, 2014 by jesustrek
Yuzuru Hanyu

Yuzuru Hanyu

After falling twice during his performance in Friday’s free skate program, Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu thought that he had blown his chance at winning an Olympic gold medal in men’s figure skating. He later confided, “I thought the gold medal was not in my hands.”

However, it turned out that Hanyu’s effort was good enough for first place in the Sochi Olympics. Other competitors failed to take advantage of the opportunity to move up in the standings, and Hanyu became the first Japanese man to ever win the Olympic gold medal in this event.

Some people think that they are losers in God’s eyes because they have taken a bad fall or two. They worry that they have been disqualified from winning the prize of salvation. Good news! Our God is a God of second chances. The Bible is filled with people who messed up badly—Moses, Rahab, David, Peter, and Paul, to name a few—yet ended up being winners for God.

Don’t let your mistakes keep you down. Get back up and keep going. God’s mercies are new every day. And the award podium in heaven will be a much more rewarding experience than anyone has ever felt on Earth!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 15:57.

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Unbelievably Good Deal!

Posted on February 14, 2014 by jesustrek

cars lined upLast Sunday evening, an error at a Shell station in Woodstock, Illinois allowed customers to purchase gasoline at the pump for a penny a gallon. Word spread, and cars were soon lined up to get in on this unbelievably good deal. After about two hours, the gas station closed so it could reset the pumps to the proper prices. It’s not known how much gas was sold during those two hours.

Another unbelievably good deal is the free gift of salvation God offers us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

People should be lined up for miles to get in on that deal, right?

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Observation Deck

Posted on February 13, 2014 by jesustrek

ship deckWhen my wife and I go on a cruise, we like to spend a lot of time on the deck of the ship. We find a couple of chairs where we can read and relax. Occasionally, we will observe some interesting things from our vantage point on the deck.

Once we noticed that the spray from the wake of the ship was causing numerous mini-rainbows in the sunlight. Every few seconds, another flash of colorful light would catch our eye. As we watched the fascinating display below us, I was reminded of the fact that we followers of Jesus are the light of the world. We not only light the way in this dark world, we bless others by bringing out the color in life. We help people see the beauty of God as we shine for him.

Another time, the ocean spray was coming up on the deck in such volume that it made it impossible for us to stay there and read. Before we left, however, we felt the mist in our faces and tasted the salt on our lips. This made me think of how we are the salt of the earth. Christians permeate the culture and bring seasoning and flavor to lives that are hungry for God.

Salt and light—let’s keep on making a difference!

“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world…”—Matthew 5:13-16.

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The Look of Love (Part 2)

Posted on February 11, 2014 by jesustrek

Jesus once had an encounter with a rich young man who had come to him for advice (Mark 10:17-22). During the course of the conversation, verse 21 says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.”

look of loveEven though Jesus knew that this young man was struggling with pride and greed, he loved him. Even though Jesus knew that the young man would soon ignore his advice and walk away from him, he showed great compassion for him.

We are to follow the example of Jesus. We must strive to love those who make it difficult for us to do so. Some people in our lives are struggling with ugly sins. Others will continue to disappoint us and frustrate us with their poor decisions. These people have a lot of needs: guidance, advice, or perhaps even a word of correction. But what they need most of all is our continuing love.

Let’s always be practicing our look of love.

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The Look of Love

Posted on February 10, 2014 by jesustrek

JesusMark 10:17-22 records an interesting encounter Jesus had with a rich young man. The man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep God’s commandments. When he responded that he had done that, Jesus then told him that all he needed to do was to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. The young man sadly walked away from Jesus; he would not give up his great wealth, not even for eternal life.

There is a fascinating sentence in verse 21 of this passage of Scripture. It says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” Even though this young man had an inflated opinion of himself, Jesus loved him. In spite of the fact that the fellow was greedy, Jesus looked at him with compassion. Even though he would soon turn and walk away from Jesus, the Lord viewed him with loving eyes.

That’s how Jesus sees us too. In spite of our sins and shortcomings, Jesus looks at us and loves us. That’s amazing!

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Important Arrival

Posted on February 8, 2014 by jesustrek

BeatlesYesterday was the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in the United States. On February 7, 1964, the sensational musical group landed in New York and took America by storm. Reactions to the Beatles were quite varied. Throngs of young girls shrieked and swooned at the sights and sounds of the young British quartet, thinking the group was the best thing ever. Others saw the band as a fad that would quickly disappear. The Beatles have indeed had a lasting impact on our culture. Popular music would never be the same.

About 2,000 years ago, the Son of God arrived in flesh on the Earth. He caused quite a stir and drew large crowds. Opinions of Jesus were mixed. Some confessed him as Lord and Savior. Others dismissed him as unimportant. Whether you accept him or reject him, Jesus Christ has had a lasting impact on the world. Humanity will never be the same.

“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”—John 1:11-12.

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On Alert

Posted on February 7, 2014 by jesustrek

airport securityRecently I was standing in line to go through airport security. It seemed to be taking an exceptionally long time to complete the process. Sure enough, airport security personnel informed us that they were under a heightened security alert. Some perceived threat–I still don’t know what–had prompted officials to order that every safety precaution be taken.

This is understandable. Ever since September 11, 2001, people everywhere are aware of the devastation that a terrorist attack could bring on unsuspecting victims. We know that we must take certain measures to try to ensure our safety.

We also know that Satan wants to do great harm to individuals, families and churches. He will stop at nothing to bring about pain and destruction. Therefore, we must constantly be on alert. We cannot afford to let down our guard. The consequences are too serious. Much too serious.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”—Ephesians 6:11.

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