Complete Trust

Posted on April 5, 2019 by jesustrek

“Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.”—Luke 23:46

These words that Jesus spoke from the cross fulfilled a prophecy from Psalm 31:5—“Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.”

To make such a statement at the time of one’s death is a beautiful expression of complete trust. Jesus was putting his life completely in the hands of his heavenly Father.

This is the kind of faith we all need to strive for. Such a complete faith defines the life of a believer, and it understands that death is merely a welcome reunion with our heavenly Father.

 

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No Brakes

Posted on April 4, 2019 by jesustrek

A lady once called her husband at home and said, “The brakes went out on the car. I need you to come and get me.”

“Okay”, he replied. “Where are you?”

“I’m at the drugstore.”

“Where is the car?”

“It’s here in the drugstore with me.”

It’s bad when your car goes out of control. It’s also a terrible thing when a person’s life goes out of control. Fortunately, we Christians have the ability to put on the brakes and prevent our lives from careening out of control. This ability comes through the Holy Spirit that God has given every believer.

While there are circumstances that are beyond our control, we are able to make certain choices that keep us moving along safely on life’s highway. Let’s make sure that we practice our God-given ability to live a life that is under God’s control.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control.”—Galatians 5:22-23

 

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Not Interested

Posted on April 3, 2019 by jesustrek

A minister in Florida lamented that he couldn’t get his congregation to take seriously his messages about eternity. “It’s so beautiful here in the winter that heaven doesn’t interest them,” he said, sighing. “And it’s so hot here in the summer that hell doesn’t scare them!”

That minister was no doubt exaggerating, but there are too many people who really don’t take eternity seriously. We need to do whatever we can to get people to think about the next life and where they want to spend it—with God or without him—in heaven or in hell.

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”—Hebrews 9:27-28

 

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Motivation

Posted on April 1, 2019 by jesustrek

There is a story told about a frog that fell into a pothole. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t jump high enough to get out. His friends encouraged him, but he still could not muster up the strength to escape the deep pothole. They eventually gave up and left him to his fate.

However, the next day the frog was seen hopping around as usual. His friends said, “We thought you couldn’t make it out of the pothole!”

The frog replied, “I couldn’t, but a truck came along and I had to.”

Sometimes we just need the right kind of motivation!

Perhaps the best motivation we could ever have is to remember that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for our sins!

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8

 

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Inviting God to Participate

Posted on March 29, 2019 by jesustrek

Yogi Berra

The great baseball catcher Yogi Berra was involved in a ball game in which the score was tied, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The batter from the opposing team stepped up to the batter’s box and made the sign of the cross on home plate with his bat. Berra took a moment to wipe off the plate with his glove and said to the batter, “Why don’t we let God just watch this game?”

That might be good theology when we apply it to sports, but it’s a terrible way to live out our lives. God wants to be involved in our lives, in small and big ways, and Scripture continually urges us to call on the Lord to intervene. We must never settle for having God to be a spectator!

“Pray continually.”—1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

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Patience

Posted on March 28, 2019 by jesustrek

A man’s car stalled in heavy traffic just as the light turned green. All his efforts to start the engine failed, and a chorus of honking behind him made matters worse. He finally got out of his car and walked back to the first driver and said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to get my car started. If you’ll go up there and give it a try, I’ll stay here and blow your horn for you.”

We need to be patient with others. It is a part of our God-given ability to show love to people.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is…patience…”—Galatians 5:22

 

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Safe Here

Posted on March 27, 2019 by jesustrek

Many years ago there was a coal miner in northeastern Pennsylvania whose job was to inspect the mine before the other miners came down. He would check the mine for deadly methane gas. Only after he had determined that the mine was safe would the other miners come down to begin their day’s work.

Jesus Christ has gone down into the depths of death and has announced to his followers that all is well. You can safely enter into the darkness and the unknown. It is safe because Jesus himself has checked it out. Death was not victorious over him; he was victorious over death. Jesus has overcome death, not only for himself, but for anyone who will put their trust in him.

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’

‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 15:54-57

 

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Time Spent Searching

Posted on March 25, 2019 by jesustrek

Gretchen Rubin

In Gretchen Rubin’s book, “Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness”, she suggests that the average American spends 55 minutes looking for lost items every day. If that statistic is correct, it shows that we place some value on those things that we are looking for, and that we think that life would be much better if those things were found.

In Luke 15, the Bible teaches us the value of lost things. The shepherd looks for the lost sheep until he finds it. The woman searches for her lost coin until she locates it. There is a celebration when the lost son makes his way home to the father’s house once again.

How much time do we spend each day searching for lost people?

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”—Luke 19:10

 

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Different Temptations

Posted on March 22, 2019 by jesustrek

Years ago a doctor was preparing to go to a medical conference in Las Vegas. As he was packing his suitcase, his wife came into the room and said, “Honey, I know that there will be a lot of temptations in Las Vegas. I just hope that you don’t do anything that we can’t talk about when you get home.”

Twenty years later, the same doctor was once again preparing to attend a medical conference in Las Vegas. Once again, as he was packing his suitcase, his wife came into the room to give him some advice. She said, “Honey, I know that there will be a lot of temptations in Las Vegas. I just hope that you don’t eat anything that will upset your stomach.”

Our temptations may change over time, but we always need to be diligent about resisting them.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”—James 4:7

 

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Strong Faith

Posted on March 21, 2019 by jesustrek

Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera is the first player in the history of major league baseball to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by a unanimous vote. Rivera is considered the greatest closer of all time. He was the relief pitcher who came on in the last inning and “closed the door” on the other team with his devastating cut fastball. Even though the opposing players knew what he was going to throw, they could rarely get a hit off of him.

Mariano Rivera is a man of deep faith. He gives God the credit for giving him the cut fastball that enabled him to be so successful for so many years. Rivera also gives glory to Jesus as his Savior.

Rivera’s faith is so strong that he even praises God in his greatest professional failure. In the 2001 World Series, he gave up the run that cost the Yankees the series, but he pointed out that if the Yankees had won, his teammate Enrique Wilson would have been on a flight that ended up crashing and killing everyone on board. Since they didn’t win, Wilson took an earlier flight. “I am glad we lost the World Series,” Rivera said, “because it means that I still have a friend.”

Let’s all strive to have the kind of faith that is thankful to God, even in our failures.

“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

 

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