Don’t Drift Away

Posted on July 5, 2011 by jesustrek

Arron Chambers recently spoke at “Summer in the Son”, a conference for teenagers at Kentucky Christian University. He mentioned a relative of his who had suffered from Alzheimers disease. It was sad to see her slowly slip away as she gradually lost her memory. He likened it to losing your grasp of a helium balloon and having it hover just out of your reach and then slowly drift away.

Jesus gave us a beautiful reminder of what he did for us on the cross when he instituted the Lord’s Supper. Communion helps us to remember Jesus’ sacrificial death, so that we won’t drift away from him.

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Freedom in Christ

Posted on July 4, 2011 by jesustrek

We are blessed to be able to live in freedom in the United States of America. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the price of freedom. Many brave people gave the ultimate sacrifice to gain and preserve our freedom. We must never take that for granted.

Likewise, let us be reminded of the price that Jesus paid in order to set us free from sin and enable us to become God’s children. Jesus had to make the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross for us. We must never take that for granted either!

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”—Galatians 5:1.

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The Tie That Binds

Posted on July 2, 2011 by jesustrek

Jim Burgen was one of the main speakers at “Summer in the Son”, a teen convention at Kentucky Christian University. Jim pointed out that a set of railroad tracks can illustrate our relationship with God. The rails must stay the same distance from each other, or else the train will derail. If one rail goes left or right, so does the other. If one rail goes up or down, so does the other.

So it is with our relationship with God. We need to stay close to him, no matter which direction he leads us. If we stray away from God, there is a danger of our lives getting off track.

Railroad ties keep the rails close to one another. They are actually called “cross ties”. How appropriate for our illustration, since it’s the cross of Jesus that keeps us close to God!

Let us never forget the tie that binds!

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It Seemed Right

Posted on July 1, 2011 by jesustrek

I enjoy trying to work Sudoku puzzles. I do OK with the easy ones, but the more difficult ones usually leave me baffled. Sometimes I will get almost all the spaces filled in before finding out that I have made a mistake somewhere along the line. I had put a number in the wrong place, and it kept me from getting the puzzle right. While it is a bit frustrating, in the long run it’s no big deal to mess up a puzzle.

It’s tragic however, for people to think that they have life figured out, only to discover in the end that they made a costly mistake. Instead of putting God in the right place, they put something else or someone else in His place, and their entire lives were wasted.

Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

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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Don’t Mess with the Words!

Posted on June 30, 2011 by jesustrek

Hackers recently changed the message on an electronic road sign in Northern Kentucky. The sign should have said, “Nightly lane closures, road work ahead”. However, the message warned motorists, “Nightly lane closures, zombies ahead”.

Officials from the Transportation Cabinet were not amused with the prank. They would prefer that no one change the words on their signs.

God would prefer that no one mess with His words either. Revelation 22:18-19 says, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

Let’s leave the message the way it is. We must not change it at all!

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Imposing Gaps

Posted on June 29, 2011 by jesustrek

Those who believe in evolution have to make three major leaps of faith in order for their theory to be accepted.

First, there is the gap between nothing and something. How did matter come into existence? There is talk of a big bang, but where did we get the material that exploded? You have to explain the existence of matter.

The second leap of faith is to believe that lifeless matter somehow began to live. How did it do that? An explanation of the origin of life is needed.

Finally, there is the gap between living microscopic organisms and mankind. How did those simple life forms become complex creatures that seem to have been designed rather than formed by a lengthy series of incredibly fortunate mutations?

These three leaps of faith are far too much for me to accept. My faith is in the God of the Bible.

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”—Hebrews 11:3.

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Won’t Make It Any Other Way

Posted on June 28, 2011 by jesustrek
James Taylor

In his classic song “Fire and Rain”, James Taylor sings: “Won’t you look down upon me, Jesus. You gotta help me make a stand. You’ve just got to see me through another day. My body’s achin’ and my time is at hand. And I won’t make it any other way.”

I don’t know anything about Taylor’s religious beliefs, but he said something profoundly true. Jesus himself says, “…I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).

That message is dismissed by many because of its exclusive nature, but that’s just the way Jesus says it is! We won’t make it any other way!

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Bee or Me?

Posted on June 27, 2011 by jesustrek

I recently sat on my back steps to cool off from my walk before going into the house. As I sat there, I noticed a honey bee busily working among the clover in the back yard. Suddenly, it occurred to me that people who believe that all life on earth evolved from a single source would have to admit that the only reason I didn’t become a honey bee and the bee didn’t become me is pure chance.

I don’t know about you, but that struck me as kind of funny! And those who support evolution think that I am the one who believes in fairy tales! It makes me mad enough to want to sting somebody!

It makes so much more sense to believe what the Bible says–“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”—Genesis 1:1.

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Super Strong

Posted on June 25, 2011 by jesustrek
Danous Estenor

University of South Florida offensive lineman Danous Estenor rescued Pedro Arzola this past February by lifting the 3,000 pound car that had him trapped. This is a case of what is called “hysterical strength”, a burst of adrenaline that allows people to perform feats of strength far beyond their normal physical limitations.

Arzola suffered relatively minor injuries and was back at work in a couple of weeks. Estenor is being recognized for his heroic feat as the story has recently been reported nationally.

Christians have access to a spiritual source of strength that is also amazing in what it can allow people to do. The source of strength is Jesus himself, who lives in every believer.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” It is no wonder why this verse is so popular with Christians. It reminds us that, through Jesus, we have the strength to forgive those who have hurt us deeply, to remain faithful in a culture where faith is scorned, to keep praying when answers are delayed, to keep reading the Bible when understanding is difficult and to talk to people about Jesus even though the devil wants us to keep quiet.

Through Jesus, God gives us super strength, equipping us to do whatever it is he wants us to do!

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Catchy Phrases

Posted on June 24, 2011 by jesustrek

Nike is receiving complaints about some T-shirts that they have made available to the public. These offensive shirts have words and phrases that refer to drug use and sexual activity. In their defense, Nike officials say that the words on the T-shirts are part of the vocabulary used by their target group—people who participate in extreme sports.

Christians sometimes make some poor vocabulary choices when they attempt to mimic the world. When the world uses the Lord’s name in vain, or substitutes milder f-words for the big one, or uses words that refer to oral sex to convey that they don’t like something—that’s to be expected. That’s the type of thing that worldly people do.

It shouldn’t be that way with Christians. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Are there any catchy phrases you need to eliminate from your vocabulary?

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