God’s Favorite Music

Posted on November 1, 2010 by jesustrek

 

Most people have a favorite type of music. We choose from country, rock, top 40, oldies, etc., to program our car radios. We usually tend to think that other people should share our taste for music. We even think that God must like the same type of music we do, and that is when the fireworks can start in church.

Eph.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.”

I don’t know the technical definition of these different types of music that are mentioned in this Scripture. But even the casual reader will have to admit that God likes a variety of music. Perhaps God doesn’t have a favorite style after all. Maybe he likes the kind of music I like, and at the same time, he likes music that I don’t prefer at all.

So I guess we ought to try to have a variety of music in church. One old preacher told his worship team, “There needs to be at least one song every Sunday that I don’t like.” We shouldn’t be selfish about what we want to sing and hear in church. For one thing, we have all of the rest of the week to sing and listen to whatever kind of Christian music we like. And more importantly, worship is not for you; it’s for God.

Give that some thought.

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A Lively Church

Posted on October 30, 2010 by jesustrek

You’ve probably heard the story about the man who died suddenly during the church service. When the undertaker arrived, he carried out five men before he found the right one!

Some churches have a reputation for not being very lively. They have boring worship services on Sunday, and they sort of sleepwalk through the rest of the week.

Other churches seem to be on fire, but there is little real substance to what they do. Jesus told the church at Sardis, “…I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.” (Rev.3:1-2).

Here is the bottom line—a church can only be as vibrant as its members. So if you want to be a part of a lively church, first take a look in the mirror and ask yourself this question: What kind of church would this church be, if every member were just like me?

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When Jesus Stood Up

Posted on October 29, 2010 by jesustrek

Stephen was the first martyr of the church. He was stoned to death by religious people who rejected his message about Jesus Christ. As his opponents began to unleash their violent fury against him, the Bible says, “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55-56).

Some scholars have noted that when the Bible speaks about Jesus being in heaven with God, it usually says that he is seated at the right hand of God. Yet here it shows Jesus standing. Could there be something significant in the posture of Jesus? Why is he standing in this instance?

Jesus might be standing in anticipation of what Stephen is about to do—he is about to die because of his faith. Perhaps Jesus is standing to honor one who is about to make a supreme sacrifice because of his belief in his Savior.

Jesus has a keen interest in how his followers live their lives. He knows what we have to endure, and he reacts to the way we respond to adversity. None of us knows what lies ahead of us, but we must hope that when the time comes for us to take a stand for Jesus, he will react in a way that shows that we have pleased him. Who knows, he may even stand up!

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Unwanted Pages

Posted on October 28, 2010 by jesustrek

My Bible is falling apart. Perhaps that makes it look as if I have used it more than I really have. To tell the truth, I just bought this Bible a couple of years ago. I thought I was getting a bargain, but it usually is true that you get what you pay for, and now some pages are trying to escape from my Bible. I have to make sure that they don’t slip away from me.

We sometimes find pages in the Bible that we wish weren’t there. We wouldn’t dream of ripping those pages from the “Good Book”, but many people live their lives as if certain pages of Scripture were missing.

Some don’t want the pages that speak against any type of sexual immorality. Others show with their lifestyle that they can do without the pages that warn against greed. Still others find those pages about worship far too intrusive to acknowledge. There are those who have mentally removed any pages in the Bible that refer to self-control and personal responsibility.

You could make a sizeable list of the types of pages that people don’t want to find in their Bibles. However, the important question to ask ourselves is if there are any pages we ourselves feel tempted to leave out.

Ironically, the section of my Bible that has come loose from the binding is the last 5 chapters of Revelation. It is in this passage of Scripture that we read—“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.” (Rev.22:18-19).

Keep all the pages in your Bible…every single one!

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The End of the Rainbow

Posted on October 27, 2010 by jesustrek
Vanceburg, KY

Yesterday my wife and I were driving from the country back into the little town that has recently become our home. As Vanceburg came into view, we became aware of the beautiful setting that was spread out before us. The town was nestled between the hills and the Ohio River. The river was calm and serene and the trees on the hills were dressed in their brightest fall colors. To add to this picture, a riverboat was slowly making its way upstream near our new home. Just as we were marveling over the gorgeous scenery, it got even better! The sun burst out, illuminating the beautiful leaves, and one of the biggest and brightest rainbows either of us had ever seen beamed down on our new town. It was a sight I will never forget.

My wife had been in a hurry to get back to the house and unpack some more boxes. She had just spoken about being a bit overwhelmed with all of the work that needed to be done. However, the sight that had just unfolded before our eyes changed her priorities.

“Let’s drive up the hill to the cemetery!” Karen exclaimed.

“Really?” (We had already passed the driveway to the cemetery.)

“Yes, really!”

So, I turned the car around and we drove up the steep road to the top of the large hill overlooking Vanceburg. We got out of the car, and, much to our surprise, the rainbow was still shining brightly. Even though we knew that no camera could ever come close to capturing our experience, Karen took some pictures of the beautiful view. We lingered for some time, enjoying the show that God was putting on for us.

“We really are supposed to be here”, she said.

“I know.”

There is nothing more satisfying than knowing that you are exactly where God wants you to be. We don’t know what the future holds, but today is pretty fantastic!

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”—Psalm 118:24.

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Helping Them Find Jesus

Posted on October 26, 2010 by jesustrek

The gospels tell us that Jesus healed multitudes of people. Someone once pointed out that out of the ones who were healed, the Scriptures give more details about 40 of those individuals. And of those 40 people, 34 of them did not find Jesus on their own. Someone either brought them to Jesus, or brought Jesus to them.

The percentages are about the same today. One study showed that 76% of those who have accepted Christ did not find him on their own. They were brought to Jesus by a friend or a family member. Let us never forget the importance of helping people find Jesus.

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Destination Unknown

Posted on October 25, 2010 by jesustrek

A story is told about Albert Einstein riding on a train. The conductor was collecting tickets, and Einstein couldn’t find his. The conductor told him, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be back in a few minutes. You can give me your ticket then.

A few minutes later, the brilliant scientist had turned all of his pockets inside out, but still had not found his missing ticket. The conductor said to him, “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Einstein. I know who you are, and I’m sure you bought a ticket. Just forget about it.”

Still later, the conductor made his way through the train and found Albert Einstein frantically searching for the still missing ticket. He had his brief case open and papers strewn everywhere. He was even on his hands and knees looking under the seat. The conductor reminded him, “Mr. Einstein, please don’t worry about the missing ticket. I know who you are.” Einstein replied, “I know who I am too! But I don’t know where I’m going!”

There are a lot of people in life who don’t know where they are going.  They think they have life figured out. They even have given some thought to eternity, and they think they will end up in heaven. But they’re wrong. They have left Jesus out of the equation. They are headed for hell, and they don’t know where they are going.

Jesus says that he is the only way to God (John 14:6). Let’s spend the rest of our lives trying to get people on the right train.

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Violent Offenders

Posted on October 22, 2010 by jesustrek

The National Football League is cracking down on players who deliver excessively violent blows on the football field. Some players lower their heads as they plow into an opponent, disregarding even their own safety. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo on Wednesday to the teams in the league, emphasizing that more significant discipline will be imposed on players who deliver such hits in violation of the rules. Discipline will consist of huge fines and possible suspensions.

The Bible warns that there are those who perpetrate acts of violence with their mouths. Prov.10:6 says, “Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.” These people live for violent encounters. Prov.13:2 teaches, “From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence.” These offenders actually plan incidents where they can do damage to innocent people. Prov.24:1-2 warns, “Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.”

I have seen these people lower their heads and throw themselves recklessly into Sunday school classes, small group gatherings and church board meetings. They have delivered crippling blows to reputations, ministries, and churches. Their attacks were well-planned and viciously delivered.

Fortunately, the Bible not only warns that this will happen; it also gives a remedy for the situation. Prov.21:7 says, “The violence of the wicked will drag them away, for they refuse to do what is right.” Quite simply, violent offenders should be held accountable for their evil deeds and punished because they chose to hurt people.

I hope that your church has some leaders in the mold of Roger Goodell, ready and willing to punish violent offenders in an attempt to protect innocent people from unnecessary harm.

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Making Progress

Posted on October 22, 2010 by jesustrek

My 3-year-old friend Grant was showing me his golf swing the other day. He told me that he had been practicing a lot with his plastic club and ball. I asked him if he was getting any better, and he never missed a beat as he took a mighty swing and nonchalantly answered, “Not really.”

We have to wonder sometimes if we are getting any better at following Jesus Christ. We keep going through the motions, “swinging away” at prayer, Bible study, going to church, etc., but are we really making any progress toward Christian maturity?

God expects to see some improvements in our lives. 1 Tim.4:15 says, “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”

In what specific way might someone notice that you are making progress in your life with Jesus Christ?

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Persevering Under Trial

Posted on October 21, 2010 by jesustrek

Basketball fans everywhere—not just from Purdue—were saddened to learn that Robbie Hummel tore his right anterior cruciate ligament for the second time in eight months. He was considered to be one of the best college players in the country and a top NBA prospect. Hummel was hoping to come back and have a good season after rehabilitating his knee from the previous injury. Purdue was picked by many to contend for the national title this year, but now, with Hummel out for the year, Boilermaker fans are lowering their expectations.

While obviously disappointed, Hummel plans to come back and play again for Purdue after sitting out this season as a redshirt. You have to admire Robbie for his perseverance. He knows full well the pain and hard work that is ahead of him as he comes back from a second injury to the same knee. But he’s not giving up; he’s moving forward with his basketball career, and we wish him the best.

The Bible says—“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…Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:2-4,12).

Whatever trial you are facing, hang in there, my friend! The blessing is for those who persevere.

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