The Worth of a Seabird

Posted on July 27, 2010 by jesustrek

According to the AP, the Kauai Interscholastic Federation in Hawaii recently decided to move high school football games from Friday nights to Saturday afternoons. The decision was made in order to protect threatened seabirds.

The bright lights used during night football games confuse newborn Newell’s shearwaters, which rely on moonlight to travel from their nests out to sea. Every year, an estimated 30 shearwaters become disoriented and fall from the sky because of the lights at Vidinha Stadium.

Under federal and state laws, the federation can be fined up to $30,000 for each bird that dies.

Under federal and state laws, I wonder what a pre-born human baby is worth?

Posted in Culture, Current Events, Sports | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mistaken Identity

Posted on July 27, 2010 by jesustrek

The tragic aftermath of a fatal automobile accident in Phoenix became more complicated when authorities discovered that they had wrongly identified two victims of the crash. It was thought that 21-year-old Marlena Cantu was in critical condition after the crash and that her 19-year-old friend Abby Guerra had died at the scene. Only after several days did the family and friends of the two young ladies learn that Abby had actually survived and it was Marlena who had died.

Years ago, something similar happened. I’m not sure you could call it a case of mistaken identity, but God looked at the body of his bleeding, dying son Jesus—and thought it was me.

Isaiah 53:5—“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Posted in Current Events | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Controlling Our Passion

Posted on July 27, 2010 by jesustrek

Race car driver Helio Castroneves crossed the finish line first in a race in Edmonton, Alberta this past weekend. However, race officials cited him for blocking, and with the ensuing penalty, he officially ended up in 10th place.

This ruling angered Castroneves, who stormed from his car to confront race officials. He even grabbed one official by the collar and shook him. All of this drama was caught on camera and replayed over and over on news and sports programs across the country.

One news reporter tried to put a positive spin on what happened, noting the obvious passion that Castroneves has for his sport.

Passion and zeal are certainly desirable qualities to have in our lives. However, we must always strive to control our enthusiasm and channel it in positive ways. Zeal and passion were quite evident in the life of Jesus (John 2:13-17), but he was always in control of his actions.

Part of the evidence of a life of faith is having self-control (Gal.5:22-23). If we lose control, we lose the ability to influence people in a positive manner. If we are not careful, our out-of-control passions could cause us to completely lose our way.

Posted in Christian Living, Current Events, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unleashing the Potential in Your Church

Posted on July 26, 2010 by jesustrek

In 1969, the U.S. government detonated an underground nuclear bomb in an attempt to break loose some deposits of natural gas located more than 8,000 feet below the surface of a Colorado mountain. They succeeded in unlocking the gas, but it was determined that it was too radioactive for commercial use.

Many church leaders see a great deal of potential in their congregation. However, in their zeal to unleash that potential, they sometimes do more harm than good. Don’t be afraid to shake things up, but show some discernment. Instead of going with the nuclear option, perhaps a well-placed stick of dynamite will do the job.

Posted in Church, Leadership | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

One Reason We Don’t Have Things

Posted on July 26, 2010 by jesustrek

My wife and I had been looking forward to seeing a couple of Christian comedians. We didn’t think it was necessary to order our tickets ahead of time. When we got to the door, there was a sign that said, “Sold Out”. Instead of giving up and going home, we asked a greeter if there might be any extra tickets. He didn’t know, but he directed us to an area where people were picking up tickets they had ordered previously. Without much hope for success, I asked one of the people giving out tickets if there were any that were unclaimed. Much to my surprise, he said that he had a couple of tickets that we could purchase. Imagine what we might have missed out on if we had failed to ask a simple question.

Did you ever stop to wonder what blessings you might be missing out on simply because you didn’t ask God for it? James 4:2 says, “…You do not have, because you do not ask God.”

This is not to say that God will give us everything we ask for. Our heavenly Father reserves the right to say, “No.” However, there are many ways that God wants to bless us, if only we will ask. How would you like for God to bless you today?

Posted in Christian Living, Prayer | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Angry Christian Golfer

Posted on July 25, 2010 by jesustrek

A young Christian man I used to golf with had trouble controlling his temper when he played. After a bad shot, he would often hurl his club down the fairway, sometimes throwing his driver farther than he had hit the ball. I learned to hit the ground immediately when I heard what sounded like a boomerang coming my way.

An older man who played with us finally had enough of this behavior. He said to the young man, “You are embarrassing me. A Christian shouldn’t act like that. The next time you throw your club when you’re playing with me, I’m going to quit and go home.” His threat worked; the young man began to control his temper.

2 Thessalonians 3:15-15 says, “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”

Posted in Christian Living | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Do You Recognize This Man?

Posted on July 24, 2010 by jesustrek

When I showed up for a volunteer work day at a church camp this morning, a friendly fellow came over and shook my hand. I exchanged greetings with him and quickly moved on to receive my assignment. Later, my wife gestured toward the man who had spoken to me and asked, “Isn’t that Steve?” Sure enough, it was.

We had met Steve a few weeks earlier. After that, we spent some time talking with him at a Christian convention. I was embarrassed to think that I didn’t even recognize him today.

However, I do have an excuse. Steve was wearing glasses instead of the contact lenses he usually wears. He was also wearing a baseball cap, further changing his appearance. To top it all off, he had shaved his beard and mustache.

I went over and confessed to Steve that I didn’t know him when he spoke to me earlier. He understood my confusion and was very forgiving. I hope that when I get to know Steve better, I won’t have trouble recognizing him, no matter how he changes his appearance.

I also hope that as I grow to know Jesus better, I will recognize him in any setting. “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection…” (Phil.3:10).

Posted in Christian Living | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Listening for the Master

Posted on July 24, 2010 by jesustrek

My wife and I watched our friends’ three children for a few hours yesterday. We were also in charge of two dogs and a cat, but they could pretty much take care of themselves.

The dogs were resting in the living room when I saw our friends’ car pull into the driveway. As soon as they heard the faint sound of the garage door opener, both dogs were off and running. They immediately went from calm to ecstatic. Tails wagging and barking excitedly, they hurried to meet their beloved owners. The cat had no visible reaction to its master’s return.

When it comes to listening for our Master, why do we so often behave more like cats than dogs? Why are we so aloof and unresponsive? God wants our devotion for him to be seen in visible and audible ways. The Bible is filled with exhortations to listen for God and to respond to his presence in ways that will bring him joy.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Let us expect God to be with us today. And when we sense his presence, let us find the human equivalent of barking and tail-wagging. Let’s exalt him today!

Posted in Christian Living | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Adventure of Following Jesus

Posted on July 23, 2010 by jesustrek

My name is Tom Cox. This blog is an attempt to capture the adventure of following Jesus. The journey is sometimes confusing, often frightening, but always rewarding. We learn as we go, and in the process, something marvelous happens–we become more like Jesus!

Jesus called his first disciples with the simple phrase, “Come, follow me.” (Matt.4:19). Just before he ascended into heaven he told them to “…go and make disciples…” (Matt.28:19).

The words “come” and “go” signify action. Jesus wants his followers to be constantly moving along a path that he had laid out for us. He blazed the trail for us. In a very real sense, he is still with us every step of the way. (Matt.28:20)

We do not make this journey alone. Along the way we meet others who have answered the call to follow him. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We may not always agree on everything, but as someone once pointed out, a person doesn’t have to be my twin in order to be my brother.

We also meet along the way those who have not yet found the straight and narrow path. Many never will. Nevertheless, we must try to be a positive influence in their lives, shining his light in this dark world.

Jesus’ way is not easy, but every other way is impossible. Join me on this Jesus trek.

Posted in Christian Living | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment