Perseverance, Anyone?

Posted on December 27, 2011 by jesustrek
Jacob Raleigh

In 2009, Jacob Raleigh made it to the Kentucky state tennis tournament playing for Letcher County Central High School. He was a left-handed player with a power game. Jacob made it back to the state tournament again as a senior in 2011, but this time he was a right-handed player who relied more on finesse than power.

Why the change? In between those two trips to the state tournament, Jacob contracted a rare form of cancer and had to have his left arm amputated. Not to be deterred, he learned to play the game right-handed. Amazingly, he played well enough to compete at a high level. This is truly a remarkable story of perseverance.

It makes most of our excuses look trivial, doesn’t it?

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”—James 1:2-4

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Why He Came

Posted on December 24, 2011 by jesustrek

Just a few verses after Luke’s beloved historical account of Jesus’ birth comes a stark reminder of the reason why he came to earth. Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus to Jerusalem to fulfill the requirement of the Jewish Law. There they were met by an old prophet named Simeon. Luke 2:34-35 says, “Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Years after this prophecy was uttered, Mary would find herself at the cross where her precious son Jesus was dying. We can hardly imagine how it must have felt to have her soul pierced in such a painful way. Only later would she come to understand that Jesus had to die so that we could live. The pain of the cross, and the pain in Mary’s heart, was necessary in order for mankind to be saved.

After all, that’s why he came.

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We are Not Alone

Posted on December 23, 2011 by jesustrek

Scientists hailed the recent discovery of two planets that are roughly the size of Earth. Even though these planets are far too hot to sustain life as we know it, many people are excited about this find.

This discovery adds to the hope of those who have for some time been seeking evidence of life on other planets. It seems that there is a deeply ingrained longing in the hearts of many people to be assured that we are not alone in this universe.

Here’s some good news—we are not alone!

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”—Matthew 1:22-23.

God be with you this Christmas season!

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Hidden Emotions

Posted on December 22, 2011 by jesustrek

“Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.”—Proverbs 14:13.

I made yet another trip to the funeral home today. I have lost track of how many times I have gone to be with bereaved families in the past few weeks. It is particularly sad to lose a loved one during the holiday season, when you normally think of celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with friends and family.

Many will gather with mixed emotions as they honor Jesus this Christmas. They may find it possible to share some laughs at church and family get-togethers, but when the festivities are over, the thought of missing someone becomes a stark reality.

Don’t forget those who are in mourning. They may seem to be doing all right, but many of us are quite adept at hiding our emotions. Remember them with a note, a phone call, a prayer, a kind word or a special touch. Try to add to their laughter and joy this holiday season.

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Rough Treatment

Posted on December 21, 2011 by jesustrek

I visited a newborn baby in the hospital yesterday. The family and I watched from behind a window as the little fellow endured his first hour outside the womb. He was stuck, poked, prodded, wiped, wrestled, monitored and tested. He had solution put in his eyes and water run over his head. All the while he was protesting vociferously, perhaps wondering what he had done to deserve such a rough welcome into this world.

No doubt that is how we sometimes feel as our heavenly Father allows us to be tried and tested. We helplessly endure what seems like an endless barrage of discomforting situations, wondering what purpose is served by each trial that comes our way.

But like the medical personnel in a maternity ward, God knows what he is doing. He wants the best for his children, and he won’t coddle us when we need to be poked and prodded in order for us to grow strong and healthy.

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Which Mark?

Posted on December 20, 2011 by jesustrek

Many people like to have their Christmas cards sent from a town whose name has something to do with Christmas. Post offices in the towns of Snow, Oklahoma, Antler, North Dakota, Chestnut, Illinois and North Pole, Alaska get extra business in December each year, as people come from all over to get a special postmark.

There are two popular destinations in Indiana for people who want their cards to have a distinct Christmas theme: Bethlehem and Santa Claus. The post offices in these small towns receive a lot of additional mail this time of year.

Perhaps this is symbolic of the two different directions one can take this time of year. There is nothing inherently wrong with Santa (Yes, I know about the anagram thing). However, it is possible to focus so much on gifts and material things that we lose sight of what happened at Bethlehem.

If someone marked your Christmas this year, would it look more like Santa Claus, or Bethlehem?

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Secret Santa

Posted on December 19, 2011 by jesustrek

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”—Matthew 6:3-4.

Anonymous donors all across the country are paying off layaway accounts at Kmart stores for people they don’t even know. These secret Santas are buying Christmas gifts that impoverished parents have set aside, hoping to somehow give them to their children. Now, thanks to these generous benefactors, many families will be especially blessed this Christmas.

Most of us know people who could use some financial assistance. If you can help someone to have a better Christmas, that’s wonderful. If you can do it anonymously, that’s even better!

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Brief Battle

Posted on December 16, 2011 by jesustrek

On this day in 1918, Jack Dempsey knocked out Carl Morris in a heavyweight bout in New Orleans. The fight lasted all of 14 seconds! Surely this was one of the shortest major sporting events in history. I imagine that many of the spectators felt short-changed because the fight was over so quickly.

Some people think that when Jesus returns, there will be a long drawn out battle between Good and Evil. I don’t see it happening that way. I think that when Jesus comes again he will overpower Satan and his cohorts in an instant and will be immediately recognized as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords! I think that Satan will be on the canvas quickly, put out of commission for all of eternity!

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”—Philippians 2:10-11.

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Glory

Posted on December 15, 2011 by jesustrek

“Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”—Psalm 105:3.

We often think of “glory” as an adjective used to describe God. Only in recent years has it occurred to me that the Bible sometimes uses the word “glory” as a verb, an action word. Glory is not only something that we are to observe about God; glory is something that we are to do.

So how does one go about the business of glorying? How do we know glorying when we see it?

I suppose there is a bit of speculation about how we might glory in the Lord. Perhaps it would vary from one culture to another. Maybe it differs from one personality to the next.

I think I might have seen some people glorying in the Lord at the National Missionary Convention a few years ago. During one of the worship services, some attendees started dancing through the aisles, smiling radiantly as they praised God. They were worshiping with their whole bodies, and it was evident that they were taking delight in their God. “Glory” would be a good way to describe what they were doing.

What is your most vivid memory of people glorying in the Lord?

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Producing a Crop

Posted on December 14, 2011 by jesustrek

“Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.”—Hebrews 6:7-8.

Having been raised on a farm, it pains me to see land that has been neglected. It’s sad to drive by a farm where the fences are down, the fields are not being used, weeds are taking over and the buildings are in a horrible state of disrepair.

I suppose there is always a reason for the land being unproductive. Maybe the owner lives far away and cannot find anyone to take care of the farm. In any case, a neglected farm is always a sad sight. You can’t help but think of the unrealized potential.

It is the same way with the lives of many people. We drink in the rain of God’s blessings. We benefit from the Bible, the salvation we have in Jesus, the fellowship we have with other believers, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and many other spiritual blessings. We have countless opportunities to pour out blessings we have received into the lives of other people. We have the chance to live a life of bountiful production.

But too many people have little to show for the abundance of rain that has fallen in their lives. They are like the neglected farm, full of thorns and thistles, never producing a crop, never benefitting anyone.

Let’s make sure that we don’t waste God’s blessings; let’s share them.

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