Questionable Advice

Posted on February 6, 2012 by jesustrek

A man having car trouble pulled his vehicle to the side of an isolated country road. After several minutes of trying in vain to figure out the problem, he heard a voice behind him. “I think your fuel filter is clogged.”

He was startled, because he had thought he was all alone. He quickly turned to see who had spoken, but he saw no one, only an old cow chewing her cud. Sure that the voice had been his imagination, he turned his attention back to the stalled vehicle.

A few minutes later, he heard the same voice say, “I think your fuel filter is clogged.”

He did an abrupt about-face and demanded of the cow, “Did you just say something?!”

“Yes”, she replied. “I said that I think your fuel filter is clogged.”

Terrified, the man ran toward the farm house in the distance. Finding an old man out in the barnyard, he frantically told him what had just happened.

The old man just smiled, shook his head and stated, “I wouldn’t put too much stock in what you heard. Why, Ole Bessie don’t know a thing about cars!”

Be careful where you get your advice!

“The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.”—Proverbs 15:7.

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Symbol of Fellowship

Posted on February 3, 2012 by jesustrek

It has been said that the shape of the cross is a good reminder of the fellowship that we have in Christ.

The vertical post can symbolize the fellowship we have with God. Since the blood of Jesus has taken away our sins, there is no longer anything to separate us from God. We are now able to enter into his glorious presence.

The horizontal beam can remind us of the fellowship that we have with one another. We are not in this journey alone. We have fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and we can enjoy close relationships with one another in a way that people outside the family of God can never experience.

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.”—1 John 1:3-4.

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Still Chasing

Posted on February 2, 2012 by jesustrek

A young man who had recently become a Christian was concerned because he knew of many people who had fallen away from the faith. He didn’t want to be like them, so he paid a visit to a man who was still passionate about his faith in Jesus decades after he first accepted Christ. The young man asked the older one why he was able to remain so devoted to Christ while others had grown cold in their faith.

The mature Christian told this story. “One day my dog started chasing after a rabbit. Some other dogs saw my dog running, so they started running with him. After a while however, the other dogs gave up the chase. Only my dog kept running after the rabbit.”

The young man answered, “I don’t understand how this story relates to living for Christ.”

The older man explained, “My dog was the only one who had actually seen the rabbit. The other dogs didn’t really know what they were chasing after.”

So it is with some people who think they are following Christ. They have never actually experienced him; they are simply following after other people, and they soon drop out of the race.

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”—1 John 1:3.

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The Truth About Harry

Posted on January 31, 2012 by jesustrek

The Bible describes Jesus as being “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). That’s a difficult balance to keep. Sometimes we tell the truth, but aren’t very graceful about it. At other times, we may shade the truth in our attempts to show grace.

I heard about one family that was having difficulty writing a proper obituary for their Uncle Harry, who had just been executed in prison for crimes he had committed. They didn’t want to lie, but they didn’t want to bring shame on the family name either. Here is what they came up with. “He held a position in the chair of applied electronics in a prominent government institution.”

Let us never give up trying to speak the truth in a loving way.

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”—Ephesians 4:15.

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First Things First

Posted on January 30, 2012 by jesustrek

Former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden used to play college baseball. He had never hit a home run, but one game he hit a ball down the right field line, into the corner. He rounded the bases and saw that the third base coach was waving him in. He crossed home plate and was very excited as he received the congratulations of his teammates. Then the pitcher tossed the ball to the first baseman, and the umpire called him out. Bowden had missed first base.

Bowden says, “If you don’t take care of first base, it doesn’t matter what you do. If you don’t honor the Lord first, it doesn’t matter what else you do.”

Jesus says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33).

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Choices, Good and Bad

Posted on January 28, 2012 by jesustrek
Cynthia Nixon

Actress Cynthia Nixon has caused quite a stir in the homosexual community by saying that she made a conscious choice to be a homosexual. Nixon has been in a relationship with a woman for eight years. Before that, she spent 15 years with a man with whom she had two children.

Nixon says, “A certain section of our community is very concerned that it not be seen as a choice, because if it’s a choice, then we could opt out.”

She has pinned down the truth here. It is important to many people who practice this type of immoral behavior to believe that they had no choice in the matter—that they were born that way. Then they take no responsibility for their actions, and—at least in their own minds—they will face no consequences from the God who supposedly “made them that way”.

It is interesting to note that the word “choice” takes on such a negative connation regarding this particular moral issue, while that same word is a rallying cry for those on the wrong side of another great moral issue of our times.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”—Joshua 24:15.   

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Longing for You

Posted on January 27, 2012 by jesustrek

Someone once asked a fellow what the secret was for his apparently happy marriage. He responded, “We take time to go to restaurants twice a week. We enjoy dinner by candlelight, soft music and then a slow walk home. She goes on Tuesdays, and I go on Fridays.”

Obviously, that is not the formula for an ideal marriage. The key to any successful relationship is the desire to spend quality time together.

So it is with our relationship with God. Our attitude should be the same as David when he says, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1).

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More Than a Flesh Wound

Posted on January 26, 2012 by jesustrek
Dante Autullo’s x-ray

Dante Autullo was building a shed when he held a nail gun above his head and fired it. He thought that he had gotten a harmless cut from the gun, so he cleaned the wound with peroxide. Later, he went to the doctor to get checked out. He thought the doctors were joking when they showed him an x-ray of his head that revealed a 3-inch nail lodged in the middle of his brain. Autullo was rushed by ambulance to another hospital where surgery was performed to remove the nail.

Sometimes we don’t want to admit that our spiritual wounds are as serious as they really are. We tend to gloss over our sins and try to convince ourselves that we are all right when we really aren’t.

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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Custom Made

Posted on January 25, 2012 by jesustrek

 

Many people will agree that they were created by God. Fewer people understand that the reason they were created by God was so that they could worship him.

Colossians 1:16 says, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”

 

Notice the last part of that verse. It says that we were not only created by him, we were actually created for him. The purpose for our existence is to give God pleasure. Therefore, we should continually be striving to learn what pleases him, and then make every effort to put a smile on God’s face.

 

I heard about a young lady who had not been a Christian very long. She was late for church one Sunday. By the time she arrived, the people were already standing and singing, pouring out their hearts in worship. As she stood for a moment at the back of the church, just drinking in the atmosphere, someone heard her think out loud, “I was made for this!”

 

She was right. We all were made for this.

 

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Legacy

Posted on January 24, 2012 by jesustrek
Joe Paterno

“Every man is entitled to be valued by his best moments.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Joe Paterno certainly had his share of good moments as head football coach at Penn State. In addition to that, Paterno will be remembered by many as a generous man who donated a fortune to good causes. He was also a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. He mentored many young men, equipping them to succeed in life as well as on the football field.

However, many people will remember Joe Paterno for a serious mistake that he made late in life. While it would be nice to be remembered by our best moments, the damage we can cause with our worst moments can be quite harmful to our legacy. This underscores the importance of keeping our focus to the very end.

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”—Colossians 1:28-29.

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