Hard to Say “I’m Sorry”

Posted on June 1, 2013 by jesustrek
Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong made his famous confession in January in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey. The world’s best-known cyclist admitted that he had cheated, lied about it and bullied other people over a period of several years. At that time, Armstrong said that he intended to personally apologize to many people that he had wronged. However, four months have passed since this promise was made, and many say that they are still waiting to be contacted by Armstrong.

“Sorry” seems to be one of the hardest words to say. It can be very difficult to tell God that we are sorry that we have sinned. Yet this is what he wants us to do.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”—1 John 1:8-10.

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Buckle Up!

Posted on May 31, 2013 by jesustrek

seat belt

The annual nation-wide Click It or Ticket campaign is going on this week. The program is designed to promote seat belt use. After over twenty years of this campaign, 86% of U.S. drivers now buckle up before they drive.

Only 86%!? You would think that more people would understand the grave risk they take every time they ride in a car without buckling their seat belt. It makes me sad to read of a fatality where the person who died was not wearing a seat belt. There is no excuse for such negligence.

It’s also tragic when someone leaves this world without ever having trusted Jesus as their Savior.

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…”—Ephesians 6:14.

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The Eyes Have It

Posted on May 30, 2013 by jesustrek
Dr. Doug Borchman

Dr. Doug Borchman

Dr. Doug Borchman is a scientist who has studied the human eye for many years. Though formerly an atheist, Dr. Borchman has come to believe in a God who created the world and wanted to have a relationship with him. Borchman says, “I believe God gave us science to show He exists. One hundred years ago, we didn’t have the tools to see all this. Science tells us there must be something else. It takes an intelligent designer to produce the level of complexity in our world. The cornea, lens, retina, nerves, connections are ridiculously complex. There is so much to know. For an eye to be able to see, all the basic components must be present at the same time and work together perfectly.”

Charles Darwin, the founder of evolutionary theory, understood how difficult it is to apply evolution to the eye. He said, “…that the eye…could have been formed by natural selection seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree.”

Dr. Borchman knows that the work of time, chance and the laws of physics can’t explain how such a fascinating thing as the human eye was formed. He knows that the best explanation is that God created us, and he often talks to church groups about creation. Borchman says, “Science is not a stumbling block to belief in a Creator. Rather, it tells us there must be something else. What’s incredible is this Creator God wants to have a relationship with us.”

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”—Romans 1:20.

(For this post, I relied heavily on an article written by Ruth Schenk in the May 16, 2013 issue of The Southeast Outlook, which is published by Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.)

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The Story Unfolds

Posted on May 29, 2013 by jesustrek

Star Trek

They did it with Star Wars, so we shouldn’t be surprised that Star Trek followed the same path. I’m talking about making prequels. The original stories were so popular, it was decided that we needed to know what happened before. How did the characters develop into the individuals we know and love? What events transpired that led up to the movies that were seen by so many people?

Other books and movies have turned to the prequel to give fans more of what they want. We can look for more of this trend in the field of entertainment.

Those of us who follow Christ know how the story of humanity ends. Jesus will return and bring judgment. Those who have rejected him will be doomed forever, while those who have trusted him will be ushered into his presence for a blissful eternity.

That’s the sequel. But what’s the prequel?

It’s whatever we decide it to be. We have the ability to write our own story. Oh, sure, many circumstances are out of our control. But we have a great deal to say in how we will live our lives. We can determine to live a life of faith, and we can decide the details of how we will live out that faith.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…”—Ephesians 5:15-16.

How is your script coming along?

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Caller ID

Posted on May 28, 2013 by jesustrek

rotary-phone

We recently added caller ID to our home phone. We were probably the last family in the civilized world to acquire this feature.

I’ve always thought that caller ID was an unnecessary luxury. However, as more and more people began to use this option, phone etiquette has changed. People don’t indentify themselves on the phone anymore. They assume that your phone has told you who they are, so they just start talking. My wife and I got tired of interrupting people to find out who they are, so we joined this part of the technology revolution.

I suppose caller ID has some positive aspects. Prank calls are much rarer these days. And you can screen calls to avoid having to talk to pesky sales people and in-laws. So I guess that caller ID is overall a good innovation.

All this caused me to be thankful that God knows exactly who we are whenever we call on him in prayer. Every time we pray, God knows who we are and what we need. And he never avoids our call. For all of this, we should be very grateful.

“…Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”—Matthew 6:8.

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Blossoming

Posted on May 24, 2013 by jesustrek

roses

Last year my wife and I decided to get rid of a small rose bush in front of our house. The bush had not produced a single rose in the two years we had lived here, so we decided to remove it. I cut it back to a stub, thinking if it didn’t die, I would come back later and dig it up.

This spring the bush made a remarkable comeback. Before we knew it, the plant was as big as it was last year. As it continued to grow, we decided to leave it alone and see what would happen.

What happened was the rose bush not only continued to grow, it thrived! It actually produced several red roses! The plant we had given up on has become a thing of beauty.

Jesus says that if we remain in him, God will prune us in order to make us more fruitful. Sometimes the pruning process is painful. As he guides us through certain life changes, God might trim us down to where we think we can’t come back—the fruitful part of our life seems to be over.

Then something marvelous happens. We not only come back from the pruning, we grow stronger and more productive than ever.

So let’s be patient and see what God has in store for our lives. It might be something incredibly beautiful.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”—John 15:1-2.

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Compassion that Comforts

Posted on May 23, 2013 by jesustrek
Moore after the tornado

Moore after the tornado

The devastating tornado that recently hit Moore, Oklahoma, destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people. Many families found only empty lots where their houses once were.

Many people came to the area to assist in the search and rescue efforts and the cleanup that will follow. Among those who arrived to offer their help were about a dozen public safety employees from Joplin, Missouri.

You may remember that Joplin was hit by a terrible tornado on May 22, 2011. The people of that city know what it’s like to lose lives to a deadly storm (158 were killed) and to have to rebuild from the rubble. It is natural that they would sympathize with the citizens of Moore and help them in any way possible.

The Bible says that we should try to comfort others, just as we have received comfort. This cycle of showing love and compassion brings healing and hope to a world filled with pain and despair. Let’s all try to find our place in this process of comforting others.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”—2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

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Fearful Leader

Posted on May 21, 2013 by jesustrek

When King Saul disobeyed the clear instructions of God, he was confronted by the prophet Samuel. Saul finally admitted that he had indeed done wrong. The reason he gave was this—“…I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.” (1 Samuel 15:24).

Saul should have feared God more than he feared his fellow man. For his cowardly lack of leadership, the Lord rejected him as king of Israel (v.26).

This should be a lesson to all who would aspire to leadership in God’s kingdom. Many people—including some leaders—think that church leaders are put into those positions to represent the people, when in fact they are supposed to be representing God.

Churches need leaders who fear God, not people.

“…We must obey God rather than men!”—Acts 5:29.

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Judging Correctly

Posted on May 20, 2013 by jesustrek
Judge Raymond Voet

Judge Raymond Voet

Judge Raymond Voet, of Ionia County, Michigan, has a posted policy in his courtroom stating that electronic devices that cause disturbances during court sessions will result in the owner being cited with contempt.

Recently, Judge Voet’s own phone interrupted a prosecutor’s closing argument. Voet dutifully held himself in contempt and fined himself $25. He said, “I broke the rule and I have to live by it.”

Judge Voet’s action is admirable. He would have appeared to be a hypocrite if he had ignored his own rules.

Jesus warns against hypocritical judging in Matthew 7:1-5. Many people mistakenly believe that Jesus forbids us to ever try to correct anyone who is sinning. However, he plainly teaches that those who are not walking around with a 2×4 in their own eye have the ability—and perhaps the duty—to help others get a speck out of their eye.

The lesson is: Make sure you take a good, long look in the mirror before you try to get someone else’s life straightened out.

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Meaningful Death

Posted on May 17, 2013 by jesustrek
Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., my wife and I visited Arlington National Cemetery. As we moved through the grounds, we took notice of the distinctive grave markers. The symmetry of their color, shape, size and alignment is quite impressive.

What impressed us even more was the sheer number of men and women buried there after putting their lives on the line to protect our freedom. The hillsides and valleys were lined with the graves of those who had the courage and love for mankind to risk everything for the benefit of others.

Glancing at my wife, I saw that she was experiencing the same wave of emotion that I felt. It was truly a moving moment.

We followers of Jesus sometimes feel the same kind of emotion when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. To reflect on what Jesus did for us with his loving, sacrificial death is indeed a moving experience.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8.

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