In All Things

Posted on October 20, 2011 by jesustrek

I heard about a Bible college professor who was driving with his wife when their car was involved in a serious accident. When the professor regained consciousness, he was still at the scene of the accident. He saw rescue workers pull a covering over the still form of his wife, and he realized immediately that she had not survived. Not knowing whether he himself would live or die, the professor urgently called for someone to come to him. He did not ask for medical attention; he wanted to send a message. He said, “Tell my students that Romans 8:28 is still true!”

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Really? In all things?

God says it, so it must be true. Our heavenly Father can bring good out of the worst situation you could imagine. Somehow, God can take any injustice, accident, illness or death and make something good happen out of that tragedy.

Remember, no matter what happens to you or around you, God is ultimately in charge. Let us trust him to do what he does best—to turn evil into something good.

Posted in Christian Living, Communion Meditations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is That Your Final Answer?

Posted on October 19, 2011 by jesustrek

My friend Bob Iery invented a trivia game called Bluegrass Routes. The game is based on the players’ knowledge of bluegrass music.

My wife and I were telling some of our friends about this game. We pointed out that it was created for those who know something about bluegrass music, and that those who don’t know much about the subject would not do well at this game.

Karen interjected, “The only two answers I would know are Bill Monroe and Randy Skaggs.”

For those of you who listen to as much bluegrass music as my wife, what she meant to say was “Bill Monroe and Ricky Skaggs!

I don’t suppose anyone was ever harmed by their lack of knowledge about bluegrass music. However, the Bible says, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6).

Many people who believe in God suffer great harm because they don’t know God’s important teachings about life. They pay the price physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually because they simply don’t know God’s truth about how to live their lives.

The Bible is much more than a collection of trivia facts that are fun to know. It is our manual for living. Those who ignore it do so at their own risk.

Posted in Christian Living, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Helping to Find Them

Posted on October 18, 2011 by jesustrek

A family recently got lost in a seven-acre corn maze in Massachusetts. They decided to call 911, taking advantage of the local police department’s motto: “We Want to Be Bothered”.

A police officer soon showed up, and he entered the maze along with a farm manager to search for the disoriented father, mother and their two children. The family didn’t realize that they had almost found their way out. They were only 25 feet away from escaping the maze when they were found.

That’s the way it is with lost people sometimes. They know they are lost, and they cry out for help. Some of them aren’t that far away from accepting Christ as their Savior and escaping the maze of their sinful lives.

I guess the real question is—Do we want to be bothered?

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”—Mark 16:15-16.

Posted in Christian Living | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In Attendance

Posted on October 17, 2011 by jesustrek

Maybe you’ve heard about the church that began to have a problem with squirrels entering their church building. No one could figure out how the furry little varmints were getting in, and they were becoming quite a nuisance. The squirrels distracted the worshipers for two Sundays in a row before they called a pest control expert to deal with the problem.

The exterminator captured all the squirrels and drove them 10 miles away, where he released them into the woods. However, the squirrels were back in church the very next Sunday! Again the exterminator was called. Once again he rounded up all the squirrels. This time he drove them 20 miles away before releasing them. They were back again the next Sunday!

A wise old deacon came up with a solution to the problem. He called the exterminator again. But this time, when they caught all the squirrels, instead of taking them far away, they baptized them, recorded them as church members and released them right outside the building.

So far, the squirrels haven’t been back. No one really expects them until Christmas, or maybe Easter.

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”—Hebrews 10:25.

Posted in Christian Living, Church, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two-Faced

Posted on October 14, 2011 by jesustrek

 

Frank and Louie

Frank and Louie, one cat with two faces, has made it into the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records. The 12-year-old cat is now the longest-surviving member of a group known as Janus cats, named for a Roman god with two faces. Janus cats rarely survive, but Frank and Louie has beaten the odds and become the oldest two-faced cat on record.

Two-faced cats are harmless. Two-faced people, on the other hand, are a different story.

Jesus says, “Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37).

Posted in Christian Living, Current Events | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honesty is the Best Policy

Posted on October 13, 2011 by jesustrek
Emma Talley

Emma Talley has dominated Kentucky high school girls’ golf for the past 4 years. Last Saturday, the Caldwell County senior won the state tournament for the third time in the past four years. Talley would have won 4 in a row if not for signing an incorrect scorecard in 2009 after finishing first by 6 shots. She pointed out the error herself, and was disqualified.

It’s easy to tell the truth when it doesn’t cost us anything. However, if being honest requires us to give up a prize, an honor or our pride and self-esteem, then the truth can be hard to come by.

God wants us to be completely truthful. It’s right there in the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:16).

Honesty is the best policy for a thriving church. Ephesians 4:15-16 says, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Posted in Christian Living, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Saving People from the Fire

Posted on October 11, 2011 by jesustrek

Dale Longanecker recently turned 57, the mandatory retirement age for firefighters employed by the U.S. Forest Service. He spent his last day on the job jumping from an airplane.

Longanecker was a smoke jumper for 38 years. He has parachuted into fires in remote places in the western United States ever since he was 19. The Forest Service says that his 896 jumps is a record that might never be broken.

Jesus was sort of a smoke jumper. He left his home in heaven and came down here to save us from the fires of hell.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”—John 3:16.

Posted in Christian Living, Communion Meditations, Current Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is It a Cult?

Posted on October 10, 2011 by jesustrek
Mitt Romney

There has been some talk lately about whether the Mormon religion is a part of Christianity or is, in fact, a cult. This discussion has been fueled by Mitt Romney’s candidacy for president. Romney and other Mormons insist that they are indeed Christians. Many of the Christian faith disagree. They say that there are some important differences in their beliefs that exclude Mormons from being considered Christians.

Who is right, and why does it matter?

Many scholars have written extensively on this subject. You can find their books in practically any Christian bookstore. Go to the section on cults and pick from an assortment of books about Mormonism.

That should tell you something right there. Almost every Christian bookstore—whether it’s owned by Baptists or Methodists or whatever denomination you can name—has a section of books about cults. And in every single cult section you will find books warning against the Mormon religion. Christian scholars are in agreement. Mormonism is not a part of Christianity. It is a cult.

Why does it matter? Of course it matters to anyone who wants to be a Christian, but has been caught up in the false teaching of Mormonism. They need to understand the real truth about Jesus so they can become believers.

And for those of us who like to vote for people who believe in Jesus, it means that we won’t be able to do that if it comes down to an election between Romney and President Obama. We will have to decide which of these men—neither of whom are followers of Jesus Christ—will best reflect the values we hold.

Posted in Christian Living, Church, Culture, Current Events | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Name That Tune

Posted on October 7, 2011 by jesustrek

A group of scientists recently decided that We Are the Champions by Queen is the catchiest tune of all time.

Then there are songs that aren’t quite so popular. A recent poll conducted by Rolling Stone listed some of the worst songs of the 1980s. At the top (bottom?) of that list is We Built This City by Starship.

People have their own preferences when it comes to music. What pleases you might annoy me, and vice versa.

The Bible encourages us to employ various types of music in our worship of God. Ephesians 5:19-20 says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let’s try to remember that it’s not so important whether or not we like a certain song that we sing in church. The important thing is that we honor God.

Posted in Christian Living, Culture, Current Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No Errors

Posted on October 6, 2011 by jesustrek

Former major league baseball player Danny Litwhiler recently died at the age of 95. He played from 1940-51, was an All-Star in 1942 with the Phillies and a member of the Cardinals’ 1944 championship team.

Mr. Litwhiler had a solid career as a baseball player. He had good offensive statistics, but he was renowned for his defensive abilities. The two-time Gold Glove winner was the first major league player to play an entire season without committing an error. Litwhiler played in 151 games in 1942 and did not make any errors.

This is a remarkable statistic for me. I can rarely make it past my morning coffee without doing something wrong!

The Bible says that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We are all sinners in desperate need of a Savior. So God, in his wonderful love and mercy, sent his Son Jesus into the world to save us. Unlike the rest of us, Jesus was perfect. He never committed a sin of any kind. And then he willingly laid down his sinless life as the atonement for our sinful lives.

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”—1 John 2:2.

Posted in Christian Living, Communion Meditations, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment