Spectacular View

Posted on August 16, 2011 by jesustrek

Several years ago, my wife and I attended the North American Christian Convention in Denver. Wanting to spend some time in the mountains, we scheduled a week of vacation time right after the convention. We rented a car and planned to take a tour of Colorado.

When we arrived at the hotel for the convention, I went to the fitness room for a workout. There was a great view of the mountains from where I was perched on an exercise bike. I was amazed by the view, and I looked forward to actually being in those mountains in just a few days.

The next day, I went back to the fitness room and got on the bike. The sky was much clearer than it had been the day before, and when I looked toward the mountains, I could hardly believe my eyes! Beyond what I had seen the previous day, I could see even taller mountains! The view was awesome! I thought that I had seen it all the day before, but a much greater beauty was revealed to me.

Some people think that they have seen it all when they observe this present life. But God has so much more that he wants us to see! He wants to open our eyes to a spiritual reality that is not limited to what we see around us.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, “However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.”

Don’t miss the view! It’s spectacular!

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Looking Ahead

Posted on August 15, 2011 by jesustrek

Howard Hendricks says that when he was a boy he loved to wander over to a nearby park where he would watch the older men play checkers. One day one of the men asked Howard if he would like to play. Of course he would! At first it seemed easy. Howard captured one, then another of the old man’s checkers. But then, all of a sudden, his opponent took one checker and hopped to and fro all the way to the border, where he proclaimed, “King me!” With that king, the old gentlemen proceeded to wipe his young competitor off the board.

Howard says that he learned a lesson that day about having a vision for the future. No one minds losing a few checkers if he’s headed for king territory.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”—Colossians 3:2.

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Feeling Out of Place

Posted on August 13, 2011 by jesustrek

I just learned that today is the 35th annual International Left-Handers’ Day. Being left-handed myself, you might have thought that I knew this day existed, but I didn’t.

Some lefties find it difficult maneuvering through a world that caters mostly to right-handed people, but I seem to have adjusted pretty well. I don’t feel the need to shop at Ned Flanders’ “Leftorium”, a store that sells only left-handed products. I once told my high school basketball coach that I could shoot layups with either hand because I was amphibious.

Sometimes we Christians get too comfortable living in this world. We adapt—often more than we should—to the conditions around us. We strive to fit in and go with the flow.

However, the Bible makes it plain that this world is not our home. We should feel out of place here. Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Are you feeling out of place? Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

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The God of All Comfort

Posted on August 12, 2011 by jesustrek

The troubles that life brings our way can sometimes seem unbearable. Isn’t it good to know that we don’t have to face these tragedies alone?

First, we have a Father in heaven who loves us very much. In his great compassion, God comforts us in a way that no one else can.

Second, we have people in our lives who love us dearly. Some of them have been through the same kind of trials that we are currently experiencing and are able to give us comfort.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”—2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

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A Little Bird Told Me

Posted on August 11, 2011 by jesustrek

A friend in the church where I used to preach nicknamed me “Old Quiver-Chin” because of my tendency to get emotional when I preach. She told her family about the nickname, but she had not told me. However, her adult son thought that it was funny, so he let me in on the joke. I thought it was hilarious, and I started plotting about how I could have the most fun in letting my friend know that I was on to her.

It just so happened that my friend had invited my wife and me over to her house for dinner after church. During the course of the meal, the conversation turned to how I often tell emotional stories in my sermons. Seizing my opportunity, I said, “You know, at my last church they started calling me “Old Quiver-Chin”.

The shocked look on my friend’s face was priceless! I left her hanging for a few seconds before I shouted, “Ha! You’re busted!”

We all enjoyed a good laugh. If there is a moral to this story, I suppose it is that we should be careful what we say, because our words may come back to haunt us.

“…A bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.”—Ecclesiastes 10:20.

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How Forgetful We Are

Posted on August 10, 2011 by jesustrek

My grandmother, Alice Cox, lived directly across the road from the little country church she attended. It was her job to prepare communion each Sunday. She would fill the cups with juice and the trays with bread at her house and carry them to church with her.

One Sunday, the congregation was preparing for communion time in the worship service. They sang a song and then offered up a solemn prayer of thanksgiving. Then they lifted the lid to the communion set, only to find the trays empty! Mamma had forgotten to fill the trays before she brought them to church!

The people had to wait a few minutes while she went home and got the communion ready.

This story illustrates how forgetful we can be. We might even go for a while without remembering the most important thing that ever happened—that Jesus died to pay for our sins. So in order to help us remember his sacrificial death, Jesus gave us a beautiful reminder—the Lord’s supper.

“…Do this in remembrance of me.”—Luke 22:19.

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Self-Recognition

Posted on August 9, 2011 by jesustrek

I finally figured out how the side mirrors on our car are constantly getting smudges all over them. It seems that birds are seeing their reflection and are attacking the mirror. They don’t recognize themselves in the mirror. They think that it must be another bird.

Sometimes we don’t see ourselves for who we really are. The Bible says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!…” (1 John 3:1).

It is difficult for some people to see themselves as dearly loved children of God. Therefore, they lash out at themselves in various ways. Some harm themselves by abusing drugs and alcohol. Others engage in risky behavior. Some even go so far as to cut or otherwise mutilate their own bodies.

Some Christians attack themselves with negative attitudes and destructive thinking. They wallow in despair and self-pity, little knowing how much harm they are doing to themselves. How sad it is when God’s children don’t see how much they are truly loved by their heavenly Father!

Spend some time basking in His love today.

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The Value of Training

Posted on August 8, 2011 by jesustrek

Navy SEAL instructors have a saying: “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in war.”

A few months ago, the Navy SEALs achieved one of their greatest accomplishments by killing the most wanted criminal on the planet—Osama bin Laden. This mission was pulled off so flawlessly that it could not have been scripted any better by Hollywood’s best writers. The elite fighters were able to enjoy such overwhelming success because they had trained diligently for the mission.

More recently, the Navy SEALs suffered a terrible setback. A helicopter carrying 22 SEAL personnel and other soldiers in Afghanistan was shot down, resulting in the deadliest single loss for the Americans in the war in Afghanistan. These men also were highly trained, but there is no guarantee of success in war. Training only improves your odds.

We Christians are constantly engaged in spiritual warfare. Our ultimate victory has been assured by the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. However, there are many spiritual battles to be fought along the way. Some we will win quite easily; others will result in stinging losses. The only way to ensure the best possible outcome for ourselves and others is to be well-trained.

1 Timothy 4:8 says, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

What will you do today that will make you better trained for spiritual warfare?

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Up to Bat

Posted on August 6, 2011 by jesustrek

At 4:00 this morning, my wife abruptly woke me up, shaking me and saying, “There’s something flying around in here!”

Thinking she was having a bad dream, I immediately assured her, “No, there’s not!”

It turned out she was right.

We soon determined that there was a bat flying in circles in our bedroom. The next thing to decide was what to do about it.

I swung a pillow at the elusive critter, but he deftly avoided every attempt to knock him out of the air. (Sorry, there is no video available.)

Finally, Karen said, “Turn the light on.”

I don’t know why we hadn’t thought of that sooner. I was trying to fight the bat on his terms. He was quite comfortable in the darkness. I, on the other hand, am better suited for doing battle in the daylight.

As soon as I turned on the light, the bat landed on the top of a window. Only then was I able to emerge victorious. (I must withhold details pending notification of the bat’s family.)

The Bible says that those who do evil love the darkness, but hate the light. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”—John 3:19-21.

If there is anything from the dark flying around in your life, you should expose it to the light–the truth of Jesus Christ.

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Need Some Help

Posted on August 5, 2011 by jesustrek

You know the old saying: If you see a turtle on a fence post you know that he had some help getting there!

Just as sure as a turtle cannot climb to the top of a fence post, we have absolutely no ability to reach heaven on our own. We need God’s help. A friend of mine once said, “No one will ever enter heaven without first acknowledging that he doesn’t deserve to be there!”

Ephesians 1:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Many people are trying to earn their way into heaven. It can’t be done. The Bible plainly tells us that we are saved by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Thank God that we have the help we need in Jesus!

Note: No turtles were harmed in the posting of this blog.

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