The Look of Love

Posted on July 13, 2011 by jesustrek

A rich young man once came to Jesus and asked how he could attain eternal life. Jesus knew that the young man’s attitude toward his wealth was keeping him from having a relationship with God. Jesus was about to tell him that he should give everything he had to the poor, then come and follow him.

I think that Jesus knew ahead of time what the young man’s response would be—he would go away sad from the presence of Jesus. Still, as Jesus prepared to give the man the spiritual advice that he had asked for—and would reject—the Bible says that “Jesus looked at him and loved him…” (Mark 10:21).

Perhaps right before we made the biggest mistake of our lives, Jesus looked at us and loved us. Amazing, isn’t it!? It is remarkable to think that Jesus loves us in spite of our sins!

We should meditate often on the look of love that Jesus gives. Let’s think about that today.

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Rounding Third and Heading for…Second!?

Posted on July 12, 2011 by jesustrek

My Aunt Renie and I are only two years apart, so it seemed more like we were cousins when we were growing up. I remember one time when we were playing baseball, just the two of us, in our front yard. We were having a great time, taking turns hitting the ball and running around the bases.

I also remember my Dad coming home and informing us that we were running around the bases backwards! After he corrected us, we started running in the right direction, and neither of us made that same mistake again.

Many people are running the wrong way spiritually, and they need someone to turn them around so they can run in the right direction.

James 5:20 says, “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

Are you thankful for someone who once pointed you in the right direction?

Is there someone you need to help get turned around so he or she can find the way home?

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Helmet of Salvation

Posted on July 11, 2011 by jesustrek

Police say that a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride was killed Saturday, July 2 in Onondaga, New York. Philip Conto, 55, of Parish, New York, was driving a 1983 Harley-Davidson with a group of bikers who were protesting helmet laws by not wearing helmets. Contos lost control of his bike, went over the handlebars and hit his head on the pavement. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The Bible says that for our spiritual protection we are to “Take the helmet of salvation…” (Ephesians 6:17). Our salvation, of course is through Jesus Christ. Many people protest against Jesus by refusing to accept him as Lord and Savior. They do so at their own peril.

The road of life is dangerous. Do you have your helmet on?

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Under Attack!

Posted on July 9, 2011 by jesustrek

This was the first year that I have been able to watch the local 4th of July fireworks display from my house in Vanceburg, Kentucky, on the banks of the Ohio River. I enjoyed the show, but it caused some of my redneck neighbors to run and get their guns. They thought that we were being attacked by Ohio!

OK, that really didn’t happen. But it is true that we are under attack every day. We need to understand the nature of spiritual warfare. Paul the apostle says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”—Ephesians 6:12-13.

With God’s help, we can withstand any attack. Are you ready?

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God Loves Everybody

Posted on July 8, 2011 by jesustrek
Dudley Rutherford

My wife and I didn’t see them, but there were some protesters at the North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati yesterday. Some people from the Westboro cult (they are neither Baptist nor a church) were protesting the fact that Christians claim that God loves everybody. In spite of John 3:16, the Westboro people maintain that God hates homosexuals. They even had little children holding up signs with their message of hate.

Some homosexuals also showed up. They were there to protest against the Westboro cult. (Who says we don’t have exciting conventions?).

Dudley Rutherford, the president of this year’s North American Christian Convention, went outside to see what the excitement was all about. He chose to stand with the homosexuals. He told some of them that he had preached at the convention earlier this week about God’s definition of marriage being one man and one woman. He said that Christians don’t condone the homosexual lifestyle, but they believe that God loves everybody. Dudley informed them that none of the nearly 10,000 Christians gathered for the convention agrees with the Westboro people.

Rutherford said that as he walked away, the homosexuals began singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!”

If these homosexual people ever do turn to Christ for salvation, it will not be in response to the hateful and untruthful message of the Westboro cult. They will be won over by the graceful, loving truth of the gospel message.

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Getting Past the Comma

Posted on July 7, 2011 by jesustrek

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.”—Psalm 67:1-2.

Many Christians are content to stay in verse one of this chapter, which ends at the first comma. They are happy to accept God’s goodness, but not particularly anxious to help others know the blessings of the Lord.

If we want to be serious about the Great Commission that Jesus gave us, we need to get past that comma. We need to understand that we have been blessed by God in order to pass that blessing along to others. We also need to realize that we can never experience the fullness of God’s blessing until we are actively helping others discover his ways and his salvation.

How much of your time is spent on the other side of the comma?

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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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