The Heart of the Matter

Posted on November 19, 2012 by jesustrek

 

“If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area of his life.”—Billy Graham

 

A lot of people who have difficulties in life can trace their problems to their outlook toward money. Some don’t understand the importance of managing their finances well, so they end up at the mercy of the poor decisions they make. Others squander their lives chasing the almighty dollar, and suffer the consequences of their misdirected desires.

 

Jesus cuts right to the heart of the matter: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21).

 

A story is told about a man who confessed to his minister that he just didn’t care a lot about the church. The minister suggested that the man should increase his giving by $10 week until he got to the point where he started caring about the church!

 

There are two little books that show where your priorities are: your appointment book and your checkbook.

 

That is the heart of the matter.

 

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Refreshing Generosity

Posted on November 17, 2012 by jesustrek

 

Kenny Perry

 

There was a time when it looked like Kenny Perry was never going to succeed on the PGA Tour. He was 26 years old, with two children in diapers and no money to pay to qualify for the tour.

 

Then Ronnie Ferguson, an elder at the Church of Christ in Franklin, Kentucky, made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Ferguson would give Perry the $5000 he needed to try to qualify, but there was one string attached.

 

If he failed, Perry didn’t owe him anything. However, if he did make it as a professional golfer, Perry would give 5% of his earnings to David Lipscomb University, a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

Over the next 22 years, Perry won 11 PGA tournaments and earned $25 million. Many young people have been trained for Christian ministry because of one man’s generosity.

 

Maybe you don’t have an extra $5000 lying around, but most of us have some money that we can invest in the life of someone who shows promise. Let’s be generous with what we have. Maybe in doing so, we can give someone a chance to do something great.

 

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An Ounce of Prevention

Posted on November 15, 2012 by jesustrek

I recently heard someone make the observation that when we speak of health care, what we are usually referring to is actually illness management. How true! When we talk about health care, we are usually talking about treating some type of illness.

In this view, true health care would consist of those actions we take to preserve the good health that we already possess. This would include proper nutrition, sensible exercise, taking preventative medical measures and making wise choices to limit risks to our well-being.

If we fail to take care of our health, we complicate matters when illness management becomes necessary.

The same principle holds true when we consider our spiritual health. Individuals and churches that do not practice health care for the soul find themselves with the more difficult task of managing spiritual illnesses.

Christians who practice the spiritual disciplines—such as prayer, fasting, solitude, Bible study, meditation, etc.—stand a better chance of maintaining their spiritual health. Congregations that promote unity and properly discipline unruly individuals (Titus 3:10) enjoy a level of spiritual health that makes growth possible.

Like the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

What will you do today to help keep your soul healthy?

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Deceitful

Posted on November 14, 2012 by jesustrek

 

A group of college professors and administrators held a luncheon meeting in a restaurant. One professor brought along her young son, who amused himself by quietly playing video games.

 

One of the topics for discussion was the teaching of ethics in the classroom. It was suggested that there might be a need for an entire class on ethics. One lady was totally against that idea, saying that it wasn’t necessary to devote a whole class to this topic.

 

Ironically, the same lady who spoke against the need for an ethics class later suggested that the mother charge her son’s lunch to the college!

 

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

 

There is a constant battle going on within. The sinful nature battles against the part of us that wants to do the right thing. We humans have a tremendous capacity to rationalize our actions. Therefore, we must never let down our guard! Instead, we must be diligent and not fall prey to self-deception.

 

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Watch Out for Imitations

Posted on November 12, 2012 by jesustrek

A man once purchased some property that included a house and a barn. Looking through the barn, he found an old chest that contained a violin. Upon closer inspection, he found the word “Stradivarius” inscribed on the instrument. Knowing that a genuine Stradivarius could be worth millions of dollars, the man had high hopes as he took it to be appraised.

However, an expert told the owner of the instrument that it was not a genuine Stradivarius. It was in fact a cheap imitation that was made in the 1900’s, and was worth about $500. The appraiser told the disappointed owner, “Just because something has a label doesn’t mean it’s real.”

Jesus often warned against hypocrisy. Just because people claim to follow him doesn’t mean that they really do.

“Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say?”—Luke 6:46.

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Deserving of Our Honor

Posted on November 9, 2012 by jesustrek

 

Today I attended a program conducted by our local high school to honor our veterans. Many people from the community attended the ceremony.  We listened as the band played patriotic songs. We stood and pledged allegiance to the flag. Some students read essays that they had written about the U.S. constitution. Several state and local officials were on hand for the program.

 

However, the main focus was on our veterans. There was a slide show featuring local men and women who had served in the armed forces. It was very moving to see their pictures displayed on the screen as patriotic music played in the background.

 

At one point, all the veterans in attendance were asked to stand so that we could recognize them. We were glad to give them a warm round of applause to show them our appreciation for their service.

 

We should always be thankful for those who are willing to sacrifice everything so that we could live in freedom. It is good that we honor them. The Bible says, “Give everyone what you owe him…if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” (Romans 13:7).

 

Let us also remember to honor Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his life so that we could be freed from our sins and live forever in his kingdom.

 

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Eleven Words

Posted on November 7, 2012 by jesustrek

I recently received a card that was signed by a young married couple. I have had the pleasure of being able to minister to them and their young child for the past couple of years, and they wanted to thank me for that. In addition to their signature, they wrote just a few words—11 to be exact—of encouragement.

When I read their kind message, I wept for joy. In a world filled with so much discouragement, everyone occasionally needs to be lifted up by an encouraging word.

Is there someone who could use some encouragement from you today? It won’t take much. Just eleven words can do wonders!

“…Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”—Acts 13:15.

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Which Direction?

Posted on November 5, 2012 by jesustrek

“The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.”—Ecclesiastes 10:2.

Now you know how to vote in the upcoming election.

All right, I know that the Scripture verse quoted above was written long before the United States developed its current left/right political spectrum. However, we do have some choices to make on moral (not “social”) issues that reflect either the wisdom or the foolishness of the human heart.

If you look to the left, you will see those who claim we should proceed down the path that offers abortion on demand, a rejection of God’s definition of marriage and restrictions on religious freedoms. How foolish!

However, if you look to the right, you will find people who defend human life in the womb, uphold the sanctity of marriage and want everyone to be able to express their faith in God freely. This would obviously be a wise path to take.

Billy Graham has taken out full-page ads in USA Today, reminding us of the serious nature of the election this year. He urges us to vote correctly on matters that are directly related to godliness and righteousness.

I, too, urge you to vote for godly men and women who will make decisions that will help our nation get on the right path. Don’t be foolish. Show a heart of wisdom when you vote in this election.

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True Colors

Posted on November 2, 2012 by jesustrek

A Massachusetts fisherman recently caught a rare lobster that is half orange and half black, with the colors split down the middle. Such coloration is estimated to occur only once in every 50 million lobsters.

Far more common are people who seem to be of two different colors. They try to keep one foot in the kingdom of God and the other foot in the world. Their thoughts and actions often conflict with their professed beliefs.

The Bible says that such a person is easily tossed back and forth by the wind; that “He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” (James 1:6-8).

This certainly doesn’t seem to be how God wants us to live. We are challenged to make consistent decisions about important matters. Joshua 24:15 says, “…Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

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Our Daily Candy

Posted on November 1, 2012 by jesustrek

I enjoyed handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters who came to our door last evening. Some are quick to tell me why they have come. Others simply stand there and hold out their bag for me to put candy in.

I decided that I would have a little fun by waiting until they asked me for candy. If they said nothing, I would stand there as if I had no idea about the purpose of their visit. I might even ask how I could help them. Sometimes they would receive a little coaching from an accompanying adult or older sibling. Others would figure it out for themselves that I was waiting for them to say the magic words—“Trick or treat!”

Jesus teaches that God knows what we need before we ask him (Matthew 6:32), yet we are still exhorted, “Ask and it will be given to you…” (Matthew 7:7). We are told to pray, “Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11).

Even though God knows our wants and needs, he still wants us to express them to him. He wants to hear the voice of his children. He desires for us to humble ourselves and admit our need for our heavenly Father.

Let’s not disappoint him.

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