Laura Jackson suffered a heart attack this past July 1. Fortunately, something good came out of this event. Jackson said, “What we didn’t know was that the heart attack that almost took my life would be my saving grace.” An x-ray of the stent placement after her heart attack showed a spot on her left lung that turned out to be cancer. Early detection of the cancer and the treatments that followed almost certainly saved Laura’s life.
Sometimes we have to search for it, but there is often a silver lining in even the most serious setbacks in life.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”—Romans 8:28.
Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman who founded SpaceX, recently announced that he is moving from California to Texas. Musk has joined the ongoing exodus of successful people who are moving from areas controlled by liberals to places that are more conservative. Musk says that California got to the point where they took winning for granted and then got complacent. He used the word “entitled” to describe the mindset of many Californians.
It seems that many churches have reached a similar mindset. After enjoying years of growth, a congregation can take winning for granted. This leads to complacency and a sense of entitlement. Members are more concerned about what the church can do for them than what they can do for the church. This kind of atmosphere might well lead to an exodus of people who would rather be in a church that was focused on continued growth rather than keeping the current members happy.
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first…”—Revelation 2:4-5.
Church signs are an excellent source of wisdom. One of the most popular phrases you see on church signs this time of year is “Wise Men Still Seek Him”. Truer words were never spoken! What can we learn from the Magi’s visit to the Christ child (Matthew 2:1-18) that can help us become wiser seekers of Jesus?
First of all, we must know that it isn’t always easy to seek Jesus. The wise men came from a distant land. They didn’t have the types of convenient, comfortable transportation that we enjoy today. They either rode an animal or they walked. They undertook a long, difficult journey in order to look for the Christ child. Jesus never promised us an easy road. He does promise to reward those who choose the difficult way that leads to him.
Secondly, we see that the wise men stopped to ask for directions. Men today have a reputation for never asking for directions. Wise men do! It’s in the Bible! Seriously, we don’t have all the answers. We need some help if we are to find our way in life. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask questions and to accept help from others. It’s all a part of seeking Jesus.
Then we read that the Magi experienced great joy upon finding Jesus. When they saw that the star that had been leading them stopped over the place where the child was, “they were overjoyed”. The world continually offers a various selection of pleasures that always prove to be empty and fleeting. The only true and lasting joy in life comes from being in the presence of Jesus Christ. This joy can be experienced in this life, and is extended into eternity for all who sincerely seek Jesus.
Finally, we learn the proper response of those who come into the presence of Jesus—“they bowed down and worshiped him”. These foreign dignitaries, who were very important and influential in their homeland, humbled themselves before the Christ child and offered him the worship that Jesus deserves. They knew that this was no ordinary child. There was something divine about the one who had been revealed to them by God. They knew that they were in the presence of someone who was no mere human being. They had found the one who was to be called “Emmanuel, God with us”!
Notice too that in their worship they gave Jesus expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These luxurious items were costly gifts that were fit for a king and quite proper to offer to Jesus as an act of worship. It should make us consider what gifts we will bring to Jesus this Christmas season as we continue to seek him.
Carrie Cox recently reminded her 14-year-old son Caleb that he is in charge of the music for her funeral. He responded by asking, “Should I play Stairway to Heaven or Highway to Hell?”
This hilarious comeback is a humorous reminder that there are only two eternal destinations for the human soul. Jesus teaches us that he is the stairway to heaven—“…I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus also teaches that most people choose the highway to hell—“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14).
Let us live our lives in such a way that it makes it easy for those who will pick the music for our funeral!
Jackie, a character on The Conners television show, recently acknowledged, “The only common denominator in all my failed relationships is me!” Rarely does anyone accept full responsibility for such serious shortcomings in their interactions with others. But sometimes you have to take an honest look in the mirror and make a proper assessment of yourself!
The Bible continually urges us to do the best we can to get along with others, whether it be family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, church members and even our enemies. Relationships can be difficult to maintain, but in order to love God and love people, we need to do the best we can.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”—Romans 12:18.
Tom Allen, the head coach of the Indiana University football team, has brought a whole new level of excitement to a program that has historically struggled. His Hoosiers are enjoying a remarkable season and are ranked among the top teams in the nation. The enthusiasm coach Allen displays on the sideline and the way he interacts with his players when they make a big play go a long way to inspire his team to play to the absolute best of their ability.
Allen’s winning approach includes a plan he calls LEO—Love Each Other. In team sports, the squad performs much better when the players really care for each other. While many coaches have tried to implement this principle in one way or another, Allen has had remarkable success in creating an atmosphere in which his players truly love each other.
Imagine how wonderful it would be if the local church was full of LEOs!
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”—1 Peter 4:8.
A few weeks ago, University of Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops was a bit frustrated with the way his team was playing defense. Stoops said, “They want somebody else to make the play.” Like many coaches, Stoops would have liked for his players to be more pro-active rather than waiting for one of their teammates to make something happen.
This sounds like the church sometimes. It seems that everybody is waiting on somebody else to initiate the action. No one wants to be the first to make something happen. Christians are often much too tentative to step out and get things started.
Someone needs to lead the way. When just one person takes the initiative to make something happen, it often starts a chain reaction of positive events. Enthusiasm grows, and, before you know it, you have a congregation that is on the move!
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”—Romans 12:11.
In a recent sermon, Andy Stanley pointed out the difference between the real and the ideal. We all have our conceptions about how our lives should be, but the reality quite often falls far short of what we have pictured in our minds. Our families are messed up. The workplace is chaotic. There is unrest and lawlessness in many communities. Even the church is not spared from this disparity between what is real and what is ideal. Because we live in a fallen, sinful world, we will never escape the tension that comes from facing things as they are, knowing that they are not as they should be.
Jesus came to this world to show us the ideal. He never lowered the bar, but constantly raised the standard in his teachings. Jesus knows that we fall short of perfection, but he wants us to set our sights higher. He died for our sins, but he gives us his Holy Spirit to enable us to live our lives on a higher plane.
The temptation is to settle for less than what we can be because we can’t be perfect. This must not be an option! Let us face our reality with open eyes, but let us also strive for the ideals that Jesus sets forth in his Word.
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”—John 17:15-19.
According to a report by the Associated Press, lawmakers in Taiwan got into a fist fight and threw pig guts at each other last Friday over a soon-to-be enacted policy that would allow imports of U.S. pork and beef. Now that’s what I would call a spirited disagreement! When you start throwing swine entrails at your opponent, you know that all efforts toward diplomacy have failed!
At least this story makes our own politicians here in the United States seem a bit more dignified!
This report reminds us that we human beings have within us a capacity for negative behavior that far exceeds the boundaries of civility. We must constantly work to keep our anger in check and strive to work toward peaceful negotiations of any differences we might have with one another.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”—Matthew 5:9.
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”—Psalm 133:1.
While chained up in a prison cell, the apostle Paul wrote these words—“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12).
Like Paul, most of us have experienced times of need as well as times of having plenty. Unlike Paul, some of us have not learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. Paul’s secret is that he has learned to depend on God for everything. His contentment does not come from being self-sufficient. Good times or bad, Paul has learned to trust God to take care of him. The sooner we learn this secret, the sooner we can live the kind of contented life that God wants us to enjoy.
Jesustrek 