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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Radical Transformation

Posted on March 19, 2019 by jesustrek

A lady who had recently accepted Jesus Christ as her savior gave her testimony about how her life had been radically changed because of her conversion. She declared, “I am so glad that I got saved! I have an uncle that I used to hate so much that I vowed I would never go to his funeral. But now I would be happy to go to his funeral at any time!”

Let’s hope she meant that in a good way!

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”—1 John 4:7-8

 

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Unusual Thanks

Posted on March 18, 2019 by jesustrek

There is an unusual monument in Enterprise, Alabama. It honors the Mexican boll weevil. In 1895, the boll weevil began to destroy the major crop of the region, cotton. In desperation to survive, the farmers had to diversify, and by 1919, the county’s peanut crop was many times what cotton had been at its height. In that year of prosperity a fountain and monument were built. The inscription reads: “In profound appreciation of the boll weevil and what it has done as the Herald of Prosperity this monument was erected by the citizens of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama.”

Out of a time of struggle and crisis had come new growth and success. Out of adversity had come blessing.

The next time you find yourself in a season of desperation, take hope. Perhaps God is leading you into a time of new growth, of new direction. Have faith that there is a reason for the current difficulty you are experiencing.

“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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Suspicious Claim

Posted on March 16, 2019 by jesustrek

A school principal received a phone call in her office early one morning. The voice said, “Thomas Bradley won’t be in school today because he is sick.” The principal was a bit suspicious of the voice, so she asked, “Who is speaking?” The voice replied, “My father.”

Some lies are more obvious than others. They are all obvious to God.

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”—Colossians 3:9

 

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Fair Enough

Posted on March 15, 2019 by jesustrek

At a party, a doctor who was chatting with a lawyer was interrupted by a woman who insisted on telling the doctor about a pain in her leg and asking him what to do about it. The doctor advised her, then, after she went away, he asked the lawyer, “Do I have a right to send that woman a bill for my professional services?” The attorney replied, “Certainly.” The next day the doctor sent the woman a bill. He also received a bill—from the lawyer.

“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”—Matthew 7:2

 

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This Is the Way

Posted on March 13, 2019 by jesustrek

E. Stanley Jones tells of a missionary who got lost in an African jungle—nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He found a native hut and asked the native if he could lead him out of the jungle. The man said that he could. “All right,” said the missionary, “show me the way.” The guide said, “Walk.”

So they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour. The missionary got worried. “Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?” The guide replied, “Bwana in this place there is no path. I am the path.”

We live in a world that is a jungle of sin. The only way out is Jesus.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”—John 14:6

 

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Who’s Your Boss?

Posted on March 11, 2019 by jesustrek

“Money will buy a bed, but not sleep; books, but not brains; food, but not appetite; finery, but not beauty; a house, but not a home; medicine, but not health; luxuries, but not culture; amusements, but not happiness; religion, but not salvation; a passport to everywhere but heaven.”—Anonymous

The most important things in life cannot be purchased with money. Jesus warns that we must choose wisely when it comes to such decisions. In many cases, the choice is between God and money. We had better choose wisely!

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”—Matthew 6:24

 

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He Thought So Too!

Posted on March 8, 2019 by jesustrek

There is a story told about a little boy who came running into his house shouting, “Mommy! Mommy! A lion just ran across our front yard!”

The mother replied, “Son, you know that was not a lion. That was the neighbor’s big dog. You go upstairs and confess to the Lord that you lied about that.”

The boy went upstairs and after a while he came down again. His mother asked, “Did you confess your lie to the Lord?”

“Yes, I did,” he answered. “But the Lord said when he first saw it, he thought it was a lion too!”

Lying is a sin that comes quite naturally to the human heart, but Christians must always strive to speak the truth.

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”—Colossians 3:9-10

 

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Protection

Posted on March 7, 2019 by jesustrek

After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, some forest rangers began to assess the damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched like a statue on the ground at the base of a tree.

Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked the bird over with a stick. Upon doing so, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had taken her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings. She could have flown to safety, but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze arrived and the heat had singed her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live.

Jesus knew of the impending disaster that awaited mankind, as the wrath of God threatened to destroy us because of our sins. He could have saved himself, but instead he took the brunt of God’s wrath. He willingly gave up his life so that we could live.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”—Matthew 23:37

 

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Lifeline

Posted on March 6, 2019 by jesustrek

Many years ago a sailor at sea fell overboard. Someone quickly threw a rope to the man, who caught hold of it just before the ship passed by him. He knew that he must hold on to the rope with all of his might if he was to survive the ordeal.

His fellow sailors finally managed to pull him back on board the ship. Even after he had safely reached the deck, his hands remained firmly attached to the rope. When he finally let go, the man had fibers from the rope embedded in his hands! Such was his eagerness to cling to the one object that could save him!

Jesus is the lifeline that God has provided to mankind. Drowning in our sin, we would be hopeless without Jesus. He is our only source of salvation. Let us cling to Jesus with all of our might!

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”—Romans 12:9

 

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