7 Keys to Life

Posted on June 11, 2020 by jesustrek

I saw a version of this online recently and thought it was worth sharing. I’m sorry I don’t know where it came from or who deserves the credit. But it seems like some pretty good advice about how to succeed in life.

PUT GOD FIRST—The 10 commandments say that we are to have no other gods before Him. Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We are to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and then everything else will fall into place.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER—Jesus says that the second greatest commandment is directly related to the first. If we really love God, then we will love our neighbor. Jesus says that the way people will know that we are his followers is by the way we love one another. Loving people is a principle that is often stressed in the Bible. You can’t really succeed in life if you haven’t figured out how to show love to others.

NEVER HATE—We live in a world where hatred abounds. Examples of this are making the news every day. We need to work hard to stem the flow of hatred. We need to take a good long look in the mirror and see if there is any hatred brewing within our soul. Keep your anger in check. Resolve any issues you have with another person before your emotions get out of hand. You can’t love God and love people if your heart is filled with hatred.

GIVE GENEROUSLY—This is a tough one for many people. I had an uncle who could squeeze a nickel so hard it would make the buffalo yell out in pain! Jesus teaches a lot about how we handle our finances. He says that where our treasure is, that’s where our heart will be. Do you have a heart for those who are less fortunate? There are plenty of people and organizations who could use your donation. Try to develop a generous heart.

LIVE SIMPLY—Most of us have many more possessions than we will ever need. It’s not wrong to have things, but it is definitely wrong if your things possess you! We waste a lot of time trying to keep up with things that we don’t need, and might not even want! Maybe it’s time to go through your closet or attic or garage and get rid of some of the clutter in your life.

FORGIVE QUICKLY—One of the hardest things to do is to forgive someone who has wronged you. The hurt you felt was real, and it often lingers. The best way to make the pain go away is to forgive. Remember, Jesus says that God forgives us as we forgive others! That drives home the importance of being a person who forgives.

BE KIND ALWAYS—Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. We live in a harsh world, and a little kindness goes a long way. Our words should be bathed in kindness. Our actions, too, should be kind. Not just usually, but always.

This is a pretty good list of qualities we should strive for in order to live a successful life.

 

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Prompted to Be Thankful

Posted on June 10, 2020 by jesustrek

In a recent cartoon of “The Family Circus”, Dolly was teaching her little brother the importance of being thankful. She said, “When somebody gives you something…you wait for them to say ‘And what do you say?’ Then you say, ‘Thank you.’”

Too often we need to be prompted to be thankful to God. We have so much for which to be thankful! Yet we often take these abundant blessings for granted. Thanksgiving should be a natural response to God’s goodness. His blessings, material and spiritual, should cause us to have an attitude of gratitude that pours out constant thanksgiving to God.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”—Colossians 3:17.

 

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Listening to Jesus

Posted on June 5, 2020 by jesustrek

In Matthew 17, we read the account of Jesus going up on a high mountain with three of his disciples. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Then Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus. The scene comes to a thrilling climax with the voice of God proclaiming, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Looking at the context, we see that God wants us to listen to Jesus above all else. Moses represented the law and Elijah represented the prophets. Even above these great leaders from Old Testament times, we need to listen to Jesus. Jesus doesn’t contradict the Old Testament; he fulfills it and explains to us exactly what it means. The disciples who followed Jesus back then learned that they could trust him completely. We who follow Jesus today need to learn the same lesson. We need to take the words of Jesus very seriously.

We need to listen to Jesus when he tells us that he is the only way to God (John 14:6) and that “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16).

When it comes to our finances, we need to listen to Jesus, who commends those who tithe (Matthew 23:23) and points out that we can’t serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24).

Concerning gender issues and marriage, we need to listen to Jesus—“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6).

Will we listen to Jesus as he teaches us the importance of holy living? (Matthew 18:6-9). Will we take to heart his words about witnessing (Acts 1:8), forgiving those who sin against us (Matthew 18:21-35), practicing church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17) and numerous other teachings that are essential to living a life that is truly Christian?

Scripture consistently reminds us that it is not enough to simply listen to Jesus—we must also obey him. The Sermon on the Mount closes out with these words—“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27).

Let’s make sure we build our lives on a solid foundation! Let’s listen to the words of Jesus and do what he tells us to do!

 

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The Servant’s Failure

Posted on May 29, 2020 by jesustrek

Dr. Joe Ellis wrote the following short essay about the lazy servant of Matthew 25:

“He was not a scoundrel or a thief. He didn’t steal the money. He didn’t misappropriate it. He didn’t waste it. He didn’t risk it. He didn’t lose it. He preserved it intact…According to Jesus’ standard, to fail we don’t have to run amuck and do something dreadful. We don’t have to deny the faith. We don’t have to adopt some doctrinal heresy. We don’t have to run off with somebody else’s wife. We don’t have to rob a bank. To fail as the Master’s servant we don’t have to do any of these things. To fail, all we have to do is nothing!”

Since failure should not be an option for us, let us make sure that we are doing something for the Master!

 

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The Holiness T-Shirt

Posted on May 28, 2020 by jesustrek

Recently I was sitting in my car in the parking lot of Walmart when I noticed a lady wearing a bright yellow T-shirt with a red stop sign on the front. The shirt said, “Please stay back 6 feet”, a reference to the social distancing that has become a vital part of our response to the coronavirus. I thought that was a clever way of reminding people to practice safety measures to promote the health of others.

As the lady walked across the parking lot, she saw a couple that she recognized. Unbelievably, she walked up to each of them and shook their hand!

Obviously, she wasn’t all that concerned about containing the spread of the virus. She just wanted to wear a T-shirt that made people believe that she was.

When it comes to spiritual disease, many people would rather “wear the T-shirt” than actually avoid sin. The T-shirt looks cool. It makes people think you really care about holiness. But you can “wear the T-shirt” without really making a commitment to holy living.

Are you striving to live a holy life? Or are you merely “wearing the T-shirt”?

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”—1 Peter 1:15.

 

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Ready to Serve

Posted on May 20, 2020 by jesustrek

At the age of 19, Kenneth Smith was a proud member of the Army Air Forces. He became a B-24 pilot and served in WWII. Smith was shot down and held captive for five-and-a-half months at a prisoner of war camp in northern Germany. He was finally set free in 1945.

Kenneth Smith continued his career in the military, serving as a pilot for 19 years. He was intensely patriotic, as witnessed by the many photos he displayed that recorded the history of his military service.

Later in his life, Kenneth Smith was living in a nursing home, facing a different type of battle—he had Alzheimer’s disease. On a good day he would be able to recognize his daughter, Merrilinda, when she came to pay him a visit. Most days he did not know her.

One day when Merrilinda went to visit her father, she stayed longer than usual. It was Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Kenneth and Merrilinda spent that day the same way most Americans did—glued to the television set—watching the horrible events of the day unfold as the United States endured a vicious terrorist attack.

Even though he had Alzheimer’s, that patriotic military man understood that his beloved country was under attack. And with clear eyes and a strong voice, he turned to his daughter and said, “Merrilinda, get me my uniform!”

What a heart for his country that old man had! And that is just the kind of heart that Jesus wants you to have for his kingdom!

 

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Finding Food

Posted on May 19, 2020 by jesustrek

My wife and I have a couple of bird feeders outside our living room window. It took a while for the birds to figure out that this source of food was available, but once they did, they entertained us with their presence. We like to watch them maneuver into place for their food. We enjoy seeing the colorful birds and the unusual ones that we had not noticed in our area before. We did a little research on some of the birds to see what they are called and where they migrate to in the winter.

One day last week we ran out of birdseed, and it was a few days before we were able to get some more. After a couple of days, the birds quit coming. They weren’t getting fed, so they stopped showing up. We have since replenished the feeders, and some, but not all, of the birds have returned.

Churches that don’t properly feed their people the Word of God may find that some of them will fly off somewhere else, looking for the spiritual meal that they aren’t getting at that particular congregation. We have to ensure that our worship services include a lot of reading and preaching of the Scripture. Our Sunday school classes and other small groups must be more than just sharing our own views and opinions of life—they must give people what they need most, the Word of God!

“…Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”—John 21:17.

 

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Now That God Has Our Attention!

Posted on May 15, 2020 by jesustrek

“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”—Romans 13:11.

God doesn’t want us to spiritually sleepwalk through life. He wants us to be alert to the dangers around us. The Lord desires his people to be fully aware of the spiritual warfare that we all are engaged in.

Many Christians are referring to the current coronavirus pandemic as a “wakeup call” from God. Most of us, I think, agree that God is trying to get our attention. Sometimes it takes drastic measures to wake human beings from their spiritual slumber. Throughout Scripture, the Lord has used various methods of getting people’s attention, including plagues.

Now that God has our attention, what might he want us to do? As you might have guessed, I have a few suggestions.

First, maybe God wants you to repent. Twice in Luke 13:1-5, Jesus gives this admonition—“…But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Repentance is a prerequisite for salvation. No one can be saved unless they turn away from their sins. Be honest with yourself. Is there some sin that has become so ingrained in your life that it is causing separation between you and God? If so, you need to repent.

Perhaps God wants you to wake up and re-examine your priorities. Have you gotten so busy with this and that and the other that you are not even close to putting God first in your life? Remember what Jesus says—“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33).

Maybe the Lord wants you to get more serious about worshiping him. That’s what he wants most of all from you. In John 4:23, Jesus says, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” Are you faithfully attending the worship services at your local church on the Lord’s Day? Do you give God the attention he deserves (for that is what worship really is, giving your attention to God) every day of the week?

Our current crisis might be a wakeup call to get serious about evangelism. Is there somebody you have been meaning to talk with about their salvation? Don’t put it off any longer! As Colossians 4:5 says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”

Perhaps you can think of some other way that God wants you to wake up and get serious about your faith, now that he has our attention!

 

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We’re Ready!

Posted on May 14, 2020 by jesustrek

Many communities have signs along the road advertising that they are a “Storm Ready County” or a “Work Ready Community”. Sometimes both of these signs are displayed at the same location.

I suppose that they want to convey the message that they are prepared to meet the needs of people in the community should a devastating storm blow through. There are teams of first responders who have been well-trained and are ready at a moment’s notice to render any kind of aid that is necessary to people who need help in the aftermath of the storm.

As for the advertisement that they are work ready, I take that to mean that they offer educational opportunities to prepare people in their area for both white collar and blue collar jobs. Perhaps it also indicates that their local government is ready to offer incentives to any company that is willing to bring jobs to their community.

All of this is well and good, but there is another question about readiness that must be posed to any community—Are you ready for the second coming of Jesus?

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”—Matthew 24:42.

 

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Let Us Pray

Posted on May 7, 2020 by jesustrek

Today is the National Day of Prayer. While the Bible urges us to “pray continually” (1 Thess.5:17), many of us could use reminders that we need to talk to God more regularly and more meaningfully.

Occasionally I will read a book on prayer in order to re-energize my prayer life. I am currently reading “Vertical with Jesus: A 30-Day Journey to Impact Kingdom Living”, by David and Kim Butts. The premise of the book is that we must keep our vertical relationship with God strong in order to have effective horizontal relationships with those around us. In the introduction, the authors write: “The great crisis for the Christian is that commitment to Christ means an earnest desire to serve others—meeting real needs, and seeing the kingdom advance. Without careful attention to our vertical call in Christ, we can find ourselves consumed by the horizontal. The horizontal focus on even kingdom-centered work can lead to burnout and an unhealthy emphasis on our own efforts and work. Desiring to advance Christ’s kingdom, we instead can find ourselves building our own little kingdoms.”

Of course we all want to have the greatest positive impact on the people around us. However, in order to do that we must first focus on staying connected to God in prayer. We must follow the example of Jesus—“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.” (Mark 1:35).

Let us pray.

 

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