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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Keeping Your Promise

Posted on February 6, 2014 by jesustrek

Caribbean vendorWhile on a cruise in the Caribbean, we stopped at a port in Curacao, where my wife got off the ship to do some shopping and sightseeing. She found some small items that she liked, but she didn’t want to buy them and then have to carry them around as she explored the town. The vendor was sad that Karen didn’t make the purchase immediately, and feared that she would not come back. My wife looked directly into the vendor’s eyes and said, “I promise you, I will be back!”

On her way back to the ship, Karen did indeed stop at the same vendor’s booth and bought the items that she had looked at. The lady was profoundly grateful that she had returned to do business with her. This time it was her turn to look into my wife’s eyes—“Thank you so much for keeping your promise!”

We Christians have made a promise to follow Jesus. One of the ways we can keep that promise is to remember him in communion. The next time you participate in the Lord’s Supper, imagine Jesus looking down from heaven and saying, “Thank you for keeping your promise!”

“…Do this in remembrance of me.”—Luke 22:19.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”—John 14:15.

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Let His Blood Be on Us

Posted on February 4, 2014 by jesustrek

Christ on the crossThe chief priests and elders had decided that Jesus should be put to death, so they bound him and took him to Pilate, the governor. Pilate could find no fault with Jesus, so he tried to have him released. But the religious leaders persuaded the crowd to demand that Jesus be crucified. So, Pilate gave in to the pressure of public opinion. Famously, he washed his hands in front of the crowd. “…I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:24-25).

These people had no idea that they were speaking prophetically. By playing a role in the crucifixion of Jesus, they were indeed guilty—his blood was on their hands. However, they would later have the opportunity to believe in the resurrected Jesus, repent of their sins and give their lives to him in Christian baptism. Then, his blood would be upon them in a much different way—it would cover their sins!

Is the blood of Jesus on you…in a good way?

“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”—Romans 5:9.

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Soft Heart

Posted on February 3, 2014 by jesustrek

crying little girlSeveral years ago I preached a sermon from Matthew 6:25-34, where Jesus exhorts us not to worry. I reasoned that worry is a sin, since Jesus tells us not to do it. He says that trusting God in everything is the cure for worry.

While I was preaching, I noticed a young girl who was sitting next to her grandmother. The girl was obviously upset, wiping away tears throughout the entire sermon. I didn’t think too much of it; sometimes little girls get upset over minor things.

After church, the lady told me why her granddaughter was crying. It was because she worried a lot, and she didn’t want to disobey Jesus!

Isn’t it refreshing to know that some people have such a great desire to obey the Lord? Oh, that we all would have such tender hearts!

“…Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”—Psalm 95:7-8.

 

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