Perfection

Posted on October 10, 2010 by jesustrek

Today is an unusual date, 10-10-10. A lot of people planned their wedding for today. I suppose they saw some significance in those numbers. Or maybe they just wanted to make it easy to remember their anniversary!

Sometimes we rate things on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being perfect. I think that today’s date is an example of the gospel. In order for a perfect God to view us as perfect, it took a perfect sacrifice to pay for our sins. Jesus Christ is that perfect sacrifice. 2 Corinthians 5:21 points it out quite well—“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Others may give you a lower rating, but thanks to Jesus, God sees you as a perfect 10!

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One Rescue Plan

Posted on October 9, 2010 by jesustrek
Chile miners

Rescue seems imminent for the 33 miners who have been trapped in a Chilean mine for over 2 months. A drill has just broken through to the chamber where they have been trapped, and the men should be brought safely to the surface soon. The whole nation of Chile is jubilant over the progress that has been made in the rescue effort.

Because the rescue of the men was so critical, more than one plan was put into place to save them. 3 different drills were employed to try to reach the men. “Plan A”, “Plan B” and “Plan C” were all put into effect, just in case the first efforts were not successful.

God has a plan to save mankind. All people become helplessly trapped in sin, with no way of rescuing themselves. But God loves the world so much that he sent his son Jesus to die for us so that we wouldn’t have to perish, but could enjoy everlasting life.

God has so much confidence in the power of the gospel that he has no backup plan for our salvation. Jesus says, “…I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).

I predict that all 33 of the trapped miners will accept the rescue option that is offered to them. It’s too bad that a higher percentage of people don’t accept the rescue plan that God offers them through Jesus.   

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Unlikely Fruit

Posted on October 9, 2010 by jesustrek

Our neighbor’s pear tree is loaded with fruit. Normally this wouldn’t be a surprise. This time of year you expect pear trees to bear fruit. But this tree looks like it should be dead. The trunk is hollow, and you can see right through to the other side of it. I’m amazed that there is as much as a green leaf on the tree, or that the tree is even standing. Yet this unlikely producer has an abundance of fruit.

The Bible is filled with examples of people who attained unexpected success. Moses, a hot-tempered murderer with a speech impediment led God’s people to the Promised Land. The prostitute Rahab was ultimately listed in the lineage of Christ. Gideon came out of hiding and, against all odds, led a ridiculously outnumbered army to victory. A young shepherd boy named David killed the giant who opposed the Israelites. A seemingly ordinary young lady named Mary became the mother of Christ. A group of ordinary fisherman changed the world.

So the next time you feel discouraged about your chances of making a difference in this world, just think about a pear tree that exceeded all expectations, and consider what God can do with someone who remains firmly planted in his will.

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Our Best Defense

Posted on October 8, 2010 by jesustrek

 

Judgment Day

The Bible portrays Satan as one who stands before the Lord to bring accusations against God’s people (Zechariah 3:1). We certainly give him plenty of opportunities to charge us with all kinds of sins. Without the blood of Jesus Christ, we would have no defense whatsoever.

1 John 2:1-2 says, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

One day each of us will have to stand before God. Judgment Day will be the ultimate trial. You will be the defendant. Satan will be the prosecutor arguing the case against you. Jesus will be the attorney defending you, and God will be the Judge. You might describe the action with these words:

I hear the accuser roar

Of sins that I have done.

I know them well, and thousands more

Jehovah findeth none.

Still the restless foe accuses,

Sins recounting like a flood.

Every charge our God refuses,

Christ has answered with his blood!

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Giving It Your Best Shot

Posted on October 7, 2010 by jesustrek

Brenner and Me

My 14-month-old friend Brenner recently came over for a play date. At one point, Brenner picked up my basketball and marched resolutely to the 10 foot high goal that is nailed to the side of the barn behind our house. Looking up at the goal, he took aim and tossed the ball. His shot ended up going about 2 inches beyond his fingertips, nearly 8 feet short of the goal. In the process of his effort, Brenner also fell to the ground. Later he tried it while perched on my shoulders, but the little guy’s toss still didn’t come close to the goal.

You have to admire Brenner’s attitude. He knew what was supposed to be done, and even though he fell short of succeeding, he gave it his best shot.

Sometimes we feel quite small and ineffective when trying to serve the Lord. But Ephesians 4:12-16 talks about how God’s people mature as they receive training and as they work together in love. The promise in verse 15 is that “…We will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

Someday I hope to see a bigger, stronger Brenner effortlessly swishing 3-pointers from all over the basketball court. And someday I hope to be more mature in my faith as I try to serve Jesus. All any of us can do in the meantime is give it our best shot.

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Noticing the Needy

Posted on October 6, 2010 by jesustrek

The young lady I saw at the gym yesterday seemed to be enjoying a routine workout. I smiled at her and said “Hi” as our paths crossed moving from one exercise machine to another. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as I saw her a couple of minutes later sitting at a machine and staring at the floor. “She’s just resting”, I thought. “People do it all the time.”

The next thing I knew, a trainer was running toward her. The young lady was having some sort of physical difficulty. The staff questioned her about what she had for breakfast, and they brought her some juice to drink. After just a few minutes, she was feeling much better, and said she was going to get something to eat.

I apologized to her as she left, explaining that I didn’t notice she was having trouble.

It seems that we all too often fail to notice those who are hurting, suffering from some kind of physical, spiritual or emotional need. It’s easy to become like the priest and Levite of Luke 10, rather than the Good Samaritan. Let’s all try to do a better job of noticing the needy.

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That Girl

Posted on October 5, 2010 by jesustrek
Tom and Karen Cox

Our 5-year-old neighbor was having a difficult time remembering our names. One day, wanting to know where my wife was, he asked me, “Where’s that girl?” Knowing what he meant, but wanting to get him to say Karen’s name, I asked him what girl he was talking about. He replied, “You know, that girl that follows you around.”

Karen has followed me around for over 21 years now. That path has taken us to several different towns and churches. She has stayed with me through unemployment, sickness, surgery and other times when I wasn’t the easiest person to follow. I feel quite blessed because she has been with me every step of the way.

“…Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17)

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Much Fruit

Posted on October 4, 2010 by jesustrek
Truckload of tomatoes

This time of year it is not unusual to see tomatoes lying in the streets of Kokomo, Indiana. The trucks hauling the freshly harvested tomatoes are usually loaded to capacity, and when they turn a corner they often lose a few tomatoes.

This reminds me of how Jesus expects his followers to produce a lot of fruit. In John 15:5 he says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Gal.5:22-23 tells us what kind of fruit we are to produce—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”

Let’s all strive to make sure that Jesus sees an abundance of this kind of fruit in our lives. In John 15:8, Jesus states, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Can the people in your home town see the trail of fruit that you have left behind?

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Get Back on that Horse

Posted on October 3, 2010 by jesustrek

We’ve all heard that when you fall off a horse you need to get back on it again. Diana Moore, a competitor in the World Equestrian Games, literally did that. 20 years ago, when she was 18, she and her horse both fell on pavement, and she has been paralyzed on her left side ever since. She says that the first thing she said when she regained consciousness was, “I am going to ride horses again.”

After her accident, Moore had to learn to talk and eat again. At times she had doubts about riding again. But thanks to her determination and an upbeat outlook on life, she got back in the saddle again. This week she will ride for Argentina in an event that will include disabled competitors.

Sometimes we take a bad tumble in life. It could come in the form of a failed marriage, lost job, illness or accident, addiction, family problem, moral failure, etc. It may take time to recover from such a fall, but thankfully, we have a God who gives second chances, and quite often the Lord uses bad breaks to make us stronger people.

Rom.5:3-5 offers these words of encouragement—“…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

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Stop the Bleeding

Posted on October 2, 2010 by jesustrek
Tex Cobb

Ex-boxer Tex Cobb recently came up with a good line when he was talking to the Philadelphia Inquirer about graduating from Temple last year at the age of 57. Cobb is quoted as saying, “It was nice to have that opportunity to wear a robe, to step up there and not have to worry about bleeding.”

It sure is nice to be able to go to church and not have to worry about bleeding. The church has been called the only army that shoots its wounded. Many people who are hurting–physically, emotionally or spiritually—come to church needing comfort and instead find people who kick them while they are down. Others come to church in relatively good shape…until the church gets through with them.

Gal.5:15 says, “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

The church shouldn’t inflict pain on people; it should be a hospital for the hurting. Let’s do everything we can to stop the bleeding at our churches.

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