Your Kingdom Come

Posted on January 15, 2021 by jesustrek

To say that we live in turbulent times is a vast understatement. The year 2020 brought so much upheaval and suffering that most people were glad to see it fade into the pages of history. However, the calendar may have changed, but the problems we face remain the same. I write this about a week-and-a-half after zealots stormed Washington, D.C. and occupied the capitol building. It is less than a week until we will see a new president inaugurated after a brutally contested election, the results of which are still being disputed by many. Our current president has just been impeached—the first president to be impeached twice—just days before his term expires. COVID-19 still rages—the current surge of the virus is not letting up, and the rollout of the vaccine has been painfully slow. Add to this mix the economic problems and the racial turmoil that plague our nation and you have to admit that we are living in troubled times indeed.

Aren’t you glad that the kingdom of Jesus is not of this world? That’s right. You haven’t forgotten that, have you? In John 18:36, Jesus says, “…My kingdom is not of this world…” Many people misunderstood that in Jesus’ day. They wanted to crown him as an earthly king, but he would have no part in that. Jesus and his disciples avoided the politics of the day, choosing instead to focus on the kingdom of God rather than earthly kingdoms. Christians today would do well to learn from their example.

Don’t get me wrong here! I firmly believe that we Christians should be involved in politics. With the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other, we should practice discernment as we choose our representatives on the local, state and national levels. Christians should use their votes to try to put godly men and women in places of influence. It is a very important way that we can be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

However, we must be reminded that Jesus very clearly says that his kingdom is not of this world. We must live in this world, but we are not of this world. Our citizenship is in heaven. We live on a higher plane. While we are constrained to obey earthly authorities (Romans 13:1-7), our ultimate allegiance is to a higher power.

With all of this in mind, we should give careful thought to how we live our lives. Jesus says we should pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). The Bible says that we should pray for our government leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-3), even the ones we did not vote for! But we also need to be praying for God’s kingdom to advance and for his will to be done. We also need to be living our lives as part of an answer to that prayer—living in such a way as to advance the kingdom and to display the will of God in our actions.

Our challenge is to live as though we take our citizenship in God’s kingdom even more seriously than we take our U.S. citizenship. I recently heard a preacher say, “We Christians ought to live in such a way that the government would consider issuing green cards to us so that we could continue to live in America!”

Be a good citizen of the U.S. Pray for our nation. Work to make this a better country in which to live. But more importantly, be a good citizen of God’s kingdom!

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Numbering Our Days

Posted on January 14, 2021 by jesustrek

In the Paula Hawkins novel, The Girl on the Train, one of the characters spots some graffiti painted on a concrete building—LIFE IS NOT A PARAGRAPH.   

We ought to take to heart the wisdom in that statement. Too often we place too much emphasis on an extremely brief part of our lives in which we suffered a great loss, or made a terrible mistake or committed an awful sin. Life is not a paragraph; it is much more than that. In the course of the story of our life, the bad moments are followed by many good ones.

Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” When we read this verse, we usually think about the brevity of life. But might this Scripture also be reminding us of the fact that our lives can have many days? Many days to recover from that setback. Many days to set things straight. Many days to make up for that mistake. Many days to grow stronger, wiser and more mature. Many days to do it right next time.

Thank God that life is not a paragraph!

Notice how Psalm 90 concludes—“Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.” (vv.15-17).

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In Good Working Order

Posted on January 13, 2021 by jesustrek

My wife owns and operates a tax preparation business, specializing in ministers’ taxes. She has clients all over the country and a few overseas. While she works all year round, her busy season is from early February to mid-April.

Every year about this time, Karen has to work hard to get her printer to operate properly. She has come to realize that it works better when it is used on a regular basis. After a period of infrequent use, the printer becomes quite finicky. When she starts to use it on a regular basis, it becomes efficient once again.

I suppose there is a danger of becoming like that printer. If we allow ourselves to experience a season of not being used by the Lord, we might have a hard time getting started back again. I guess we all would be more efficient if we would allow the Lord to use us on a regular basis!

“For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you.”—2 Thessalonians 3:7.

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The Thing about Sin

Posted on January 12, 2021 by jesustrek

I am not sure we spend enough time thinking about sin, which is strange since it is all around us. We are so accustomed to experiencing other people’s sin–not to mention committing a few of them ourselves—that we are in danger of becoming calloused when it comes to sin and lackadaisical when it comes to pursuing holiness.

Here are some truths about sin that we must never forget.

First, sin is a problem. It’s a problem for everyone since we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible plainly explains that we are all sinners.

Secondly, there is a penalty for sin. No sin will be left unpunished. And the penalty is quite severe, for the wages of sin is death.

Finally—and thankfully—the payment for sin has been made. Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of all mankind.

“… We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”—Hebrews 10:10.

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”—1 John 2:2.

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We’re Famous!

Posted on January 11, 2021 by jesustrek
Dr. Jonas Salk

The recent development of vaccines to combat COVID-19 has reminded some people of when Dr. Jonas Salk developed the vaccine for polio. As people began to receive the polio vaccine, Salk’s sons got caught up in the excitement. Five-year-old Jonathan Salk gleefully announced to his best friend—“Billy! I’m famous! And so is my father!”

Sometimes we Christians childishly think that we are a big deal when it’s really our Father that’s famous. Let’s make sure we give him the credit that only he deserves!

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:16.

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A Healthy Church

Posted on January 8, 2021 by jesustrek

Matthew 18 is a very important chapter in the New Testament because here Jesus deals with issues that are crucial when it comes to having a healthy church. If we follow these biblical principles, our churches will be healthier and stronger, better equipped to take care of their own members and to reach out to the lost.

The chapter starts out with Jesus stressing the importance of humility. We all know that pride goes before a fall. Jesus says we must become as humble as a little child. Small children must depend on their parents to provide them with everything they need to survive and grow. In the same way, we Christians must rely on our heavenly Father to provide for us. Our humble, trusting nature will help us maintain a healthy relationship with God and with our fellow Christians.

Then Jesus talks about the need for holiness. By no means are we to lead others astray! Severe punishment is promised to those who cause others to sin. And while we are at it, we ourselves had better avoid a sinful lifestyle! This is the Scripture where Jesus says it would be better to cut off a hand or a foot or to gouge out an eye rather than to engage in heinous sin. The fact that Jesus is obviously using exaggeration here in no way softens his teaching on holiness. In order to be spiritually healthy, we must pursue holiness. Any church that ignores this teaching is in danger of grieving the Holy Spirit of God.

Jesus moves on to talk about the importance of finding just one lost sheep. A good shepherd will leave the flock of 99 to go search for the one sheep that has strayed away. In this time of COVID-19, there is a grave danger of sheep disappearing from the flock and never coming back. We must not let them drift away unnoticed! While it is prudent for some to avoid being in crowds at this time, we must make extra efforts to reach out to them and see that they are reunited with the flock as soon as possible. Our Father in heaven doesn’t want any one of these drifting sheep to perish. Neither should we!

Then Jesus deals with the need to confront sin in the church. Most people dislike confrontation, but it is absolutely necessary to directly and discretely and lovingly point out the serious sins of church members. Ignoring any health problem will not make it go away. The same is true of spiritual health problems in the church. No church is perfect, but a healthy one has mature members who do not shy away from their responsibility to address serious sins in the church.

Jesus finishes up the chapter by pointing out the necessity of forgiveness. God has forgiven each of us of for a lot of serious sins. How hypocritical it is when we claim to have accepted forgiveness from God, yet withhold forgiveness from people who have sinned against us in the slightest way! Remember that God forgives us on the same basis that we forgive others! Withholding forgiveness leads to all kinds of spiritual sickness, but freely forgiving others is a big key to leading a spiritually healthy life.

There you have it. This is a great list of qualities to pursue if we want to have a healthy church. It takes every member working together, constantly striving to achieve spiritual health. While we always hope and pray for physical health, let’s also give priority to doing whatever we can to promote spiritual health in the church.

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The Value of a Speech

Posted on January 7, 2021 by jesustrek
Janet Yellen

Janet Yellen, president-elect Joe Biden’s choice to be treasury secretary, had to file disclosure forms as part of her nomination. This process revealed that Yellen collected over $7 million in speaking fees from major financial firms and tech giants over the past two years.

I suppose that’s pretty good work if you can find it! I am often amazed at the amount of money some people will pay to certain elites just to give a talk. A speech can indeed have quite a bit of value!

Our words might not have nearly as much monetary worth, but when we tell someone that they can have eternal life through Jesus—well, that’s a pretty valuable speech! 

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay…”—2 Corinthians 4:7.

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The Rock

Posted on January 5, 2021 by jesustrek

A few days ago a newsworthy event happened just a few miles up the road from where I live. A boulder suddenly declared its independence from the hillside to which it had long been safely attached. This massive rock rolled menacingly toward a house down below, finally coming to rest on an unsuspecting pickup truck. The truck found itself to be no match for the heavy boulder. It was totally destroyed in the encounter. Thankfully, however, no one was hurt in the incident.

The Bible describes Jesus as a Rock. Matthew 21:42-44 says, “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.’”

Jesus is the key to our existence. He is the cornerstone on whom we are to build our lives. Those who reject Jesus do so at their own peril. For if you do not choose him as your cornerstone, he will be the rock that crushes you. Jesus refuses to be ignored! Make him the foundation of your life, or suffer the consequences!

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Burning Your Plow

Posted on December 31, 2020 by jesustrek

The call of Elisha, recorded in 1 Kings 19:19-21, is an interesting story. The prophet Elijah invited Elisha to come and join him in his prophetic ministry. (This reminds us of how Jesus called his disciples to come and follow him.)

Elisha appeared to have a good, comfortable life when he received his call. He was busy working the land with twelve yoke of oxen. He himself was driving one pair, which means that he had several others working for him. It seems that he had a successful farming enterprise going on. It would be quite a sacrifice to give that up in order to follow Elijah. It must have been a difficult decision to make.

Elisha didn’t hesitate. He said “Yes” to Elijah’s offer. The only request he had was that he be given time to say a proper goodbye to his parents, a favor that Elijah was happy to oblige.

Then Elisha did something that seems a bit odd. He slaughtered his yoke of oxen and burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and shared it with people. Then he set out to follow Elijah.

Why did Elisha burn his plow? Wouldn’t it have made more financial sense to sell it, or even give it away? Surely there was other wood available to burn for cooking the meat. Why did Elisha burn his plow?

He probably burned it so that he would not be tempted to return to his old life. He was making a permanent decision to leave his old life behind and go in a completely new and different direction. Burning his plow was his way of making a statement about his commitment to the new life that he was going to live.

The coming of a new year is a time when many people resolve to live their lives in a different manner. They promise themselves to make changes in their lives, small or large. I have a friend who got so much satisfaction from quitting smoking last year that he has resolved to quit again this year!

It is not always easy to keep our resolutions to live a different life. Maybe there is a way you can “burn your plow” in order to help you stay on your chosen path. You could let your decision be known publicly, like Elisha did. By doing so you can give others permission to hold you accountable to stay faithful to your promise.

Burning your plow might mean that you pour all your alcoholic drinks down the drain. It might be expressed by throwing out all your pornography. It might be accomplished by ending a sinful relationship. It could be that you need to stop hanging out with certain “friends”. Burning your plow could be expressed in giving your spouse full access to your cell phone and computer. It could mean that you give up a hobby that is threatening to destroy your family because it takes up far too much of your time.

There are times when a simple tweak of our lifestyle is all that is needed for improvement. However, there are times when the only solution is to burn your plow. What plow do you need to burn, my friend?

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Seven Habits of a Godly Life

Posted on December 30, 2020 by jesustrek

I got this outline from a Charles Stanley sermon. These biblical principles can help all of us who want to grow in our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If we work hard to instill these practices in our daily lives, we can live powerfully and effectively for the Lord.

#1—Prayer—Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” If Jesus felt the need to pray, how much more so should we? Prayer keeps us in tune with the Father and helps us stay on the path that he has chosen for us. We need to develop the habit of daily prayer.

#2—Faith—2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” Our faith is not only what saves us, it is what sustains us and helps us to keep on advancing confidently in a world filled with much uncertainty. Trusting that God is ultimately in control dispels anxiety and allows us to live confidently in the presence of the Lord.

#3—Meditate on God’s Word—In Psalm 119:15 we read, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” Of course, in order to meditate on God’s word, we first must have read it, studied it and committed it to memory. Our days quickly fill up with every kind of activity imaginable. How important it is that we carve out precious time every day to think deeply on some portion of the Bible! When we focus on God and his ways, the pressures of the world drift away and we are drawn closer to the mind of God.

#4—Obey God—Meditation on Scripture will be useless if we have no intention to do what it says! Deuteronomy 27:9 reminds us, “The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him.” Nothing prevents us from obeying the Lord. It is our choice. Sometimes obedience is costly, but it always benefits us in the end. Let’s resolve to do what the Lord says and leave all the consequences to him.

#5—Depend on the Holy Spirit—Jesus promised that his followers would receive the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). We cannot possibly succeed in life if we trust solely on our own strength. But if we trust in the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in every believer, we can say along with the apostle Paul, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13).

#6—Give to God and Others—Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38). You can’t out-give God! If you are willing to give him your tithes and offerings and also to help those who are in need, God will provide for you. Let us not be content to give as little as possible. Let us always strive to be generous.

#7—Forgive others—Ephesians 4:32 urges us, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” The reason we are to forgive those who sin against us is that God offers forgiveness to those (and this includes everyone!) who sin against him. Withholding forgiveness is damaging to the soul. We are never more like Jesus than when we forgive those who have done us wrong.

Let’s all work diligently to develop these habits in our lives as we strive to live for Jesus!

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