Fessing Up

Posted on January 18, 2013 by jesustrek
Lance Armstrong and Oprah Winfrey

Lance Armstrong and Oprah Winfrey

Lance Armstrong finally admitted that he used performance enhancing drugs to help him become one of the most famous cycling champions of all time. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong, who had for years vehemently denied any wrong-doing, confessed that he had engaged in several different illegal practices to help him win all 7 of his Tour de France victories.

Armstrong didn’t fess up until the evidence stacked up against him was so great that he had no other choice. For this reason, many question the sincerity of his repentance.

The Bible says, “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.”—1 John 1:8-9.

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Remembering Important Things

Posted on January 18, 2013 by jesustrek

communion1

Husbands have been known to get into trouble with their wives for not remembering the date of their wedding. There are few marital sins greater than forgetting an anniversary!

Cheryl Bennett and Steven DeLong have come up with an almost foolproof way to remember their wedding date. Cheryl and Steven, longtime residents of Amesbury, Massachusetts, were married on a date that corresponds with the town’s ZIP code: 01913.

This plan might unravel if the couple should ever decide to move.

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he gave us a beautiful way to remember his sacrificial death. Every Sunday, Christians in every ZIP code gather together and celebrate communion, honoring the Savior who gave his life for his precious bride, the Church.

“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread…”—Acts 20:7.

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Properly Equipped

Posted on January 16, 2013 by jesustrek

Baseball-Catcher

While no one was voted into the baseball Hall of Fame this year, 3 men who died more than 70 years ago will be inducted into the Hall. These men were chosen by a 16-member panel considering individuals from the era before integration in 1947.

One of these 3 men is Deacon White. I know nothing about Mr. White except that he is described as a “barehanded catcher”.

What!? I can’t conceive of anyone attempting to play any position in baseball without a glove, especially the position of catcher! I wouldn’t last one batter! Imagine the physical toll it would take on a person’s body to be a baseball catcher without any protective equipment.

Now, imagine the spiritual toll it takes on a person who does not “put on the full armor of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-18). Without the protective gear provided by God (prayer, truth, righteousness, etc.), we would indeed take a spiritual beating!

Make sure you put on your protective equipment every day.

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Sin that Entangles

Posted on January 14, 2013 by jesustrek

Many years ago, as a doctor was preparing to go to a medical conference in a distant city, his wife sat down with him to have a serious talk. She said, “I know that you will face temptations while you are gone. I just hope that you don’t do anything that we can’t talk about when you get home.”

More recently, the same doctor was once again getting ready to go to an out of town meeting. Once again, his wife sat down with him to have a serious talk. She said, “I know that you will face temptations while you are gone. I just hope that you don’t eat anything that will upset your stomach.”

The things that tempt us might change over the years, but we still have to be on guard against sin. Hebrews 12:1 says, “…Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…”

How have your temptations changed over time?

What precautions are you taking to keep from getting tangled up in sin?

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ThinkHoly

Posted on January 12, 2013 by jesustrek
Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio

Evangelical preacher Louie Giglio was asked to give the benediction at President Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony on January 21. However, Giglio will not participate in the event after a controversy arose over comments he made in the 1990s about homosexual behavior. The liberal website ThinkProgress posted excerpts of a sermon where Giglio criticizes homosexuality as unacceptable behavior in Christianity.

While liberals are shouting their tired and misleading refrain of “Homophobia!”, Giglio’s position is nothing new. Both Old and New Testaments consistently forbid homosexual behavior. Recent attempts to explain away these Scriptures have failed miserably.

(By the way, I understand that President Obama, who came out in favor of “gay marriage” during his re-election campaign, is planning to place his hand on a Bible as he is sworn in for his second term. What irony!)

I have not heard any recent comments from Mr. Giglio on his views, but I hope that he continues to stand firm on the truth.

Will you?

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Legible

Posted on January 11, 2013 by jesustrek

jacob lew

President Obama has nominated Jacob “Jack” Lew to become the next treasury secretary of the United States. The treasury secretary’s signature appears on the dollar bill, which is interesting, since Mr. Lew’s signature is completely illegible.

The president jokingly says that Lew promises to do a better job signing his name “in order not to debase our currency.”

Our lifestyle says more about who we are than our handwriting does. I suppose we could say that our lives are our “signature”.

Jesus says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:16.

Make sure people can read your signature.

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Nearby Threat

Posted on January 10, 2013 by jesustrek

FBI_New_agent_training

The FBI has recently made some changes in the way they train their agents to handle firearms. The agency once focused on long-range marksmanship training. However, studies have shown that 75% of shootings involving FBI agents consisted of suspects who were within 3 yards of agents when shots were exchanged. Therefore, the new training regimen will now focus more on threats from a short distance away.

Church leaders are aware of outside threats to the Lord’s work. However, the Bible also warns us about dangers that are nearby. David writes, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.” (Psalm 55:12-14).

In my 20 years in fulltime ministry, I have endured my share of “friendly fire”. Just to name a few–a Sunday School teacher who planned her lessons to contradict my sermons, a deacon who angrily rebelled against the church leaders in a public meeting and an elder who tried to turn the other elders against me.

We shouldn’t be paranoid, but we have to be realistic. Sometimes Satan gains influence over people in the church. We should be ready to respond, biblically and decisively, against any such threat to the Lord’s work.

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One of Us

Posted on January 9, 2013 by jesustrek
Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall

When Jane Goodall was in her 20s, she travelled to Africa to observe chimpanzees in Tanzania. Things didn’t go so well at first. As soon as the chimps saw her, they ran away.

Not to be deterred, Goodall decided to imitate the chimps’ behavior. She ate what she saw them eating. She spent hours sitting in trees. In time, the chimps began to see her as one of their own. After she had been with them for two years, they no longer showed any fear of her.

God decided that, in order not to frighten us, he would come to earth as a human. By living the way we lived, he identified with us, and we are able to identify with him. If he had done it any other way, it would have been too scary for us.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”—John 1:14.

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Loving Sacrifice

Posted on January 8, 2013 by jesustrek
Beth Warren & Ben Pratt

Beth Warren & Ben Pratt

3-year-old Ben Pratt received an early Christmas present last year when the nurse who had cared for him since he was born gave him one of her kidneys. Beth Warren was Ben’s primary nurse while he was at Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington, and she grew close to Ben and the rest of the Pratt family.

Family members had volunteered to donate a kidney for Ben, but none were found to be suitable donors. Warren said that the decision to give Ben a kidney was not a difficult one for her. She said, “I knew this was God’s plan for us.”

Ben is doing fine since the surgery. He feels better than ever, and will be able to live a much more normal life thanks to this loving sacrifice.

Ben’s mother, Shayla Pratt, says that what Warren did for her son was amazing. “We’ll be eternally grateful for that.”

We Christians will be eternally grateful for the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross, when he gave his life to save us. We know that this was God’s plan for us.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”—1 John 3:16.

Maybe you will never have the opportunity to donate a kidney, but we all have many chances in life to show sacrificial love to those who need it. As followers of Christ, this is what we are called to do.

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Crime and Punishment

Posted on January 7, 2013 by jesustrek

capital punishment

Carl Rollins, a Democratic State Representative from Midway, Kentucky, will introduce legislation that would abolish the death penalty in Kentucky. His bill calls for the term “capital punishment” to be stricken altogether from state law.

Such legislation has been proposed from time to time in Kentucky in the past several years, but it has never gained enough support to pass.

Taking the opposing view, Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders points out that most Kentuckians favor the death penalty for some cases, and he argues that a sad truth is that capital punishment is a necessary punishment for society’s most evil criminals.

This is an issue that is being discussed all around the world, and even Christians are divided about what stance to take.

A careful reading of Romans 13:1-5 seems to justify the use of the death penalty. This passage of Scripture not only seems to allow the governing officials to put certain criminals to death, it perhaps mandates that they do so.

I’m open to listen to other opinions on this issue. What’s your take on it?

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