That’s What I Thought!

Posted on February 12, 2019 by jesustrek

A speeding driver passed a state trooper who was parked alongside the highway. The trooper pulled out onto the highway and began his pursuit, blue light flashing and siren blaring. Instead of pulling over, the speeding driver put the accelerator to the floor and tried to outrun the trooper. However, he didn’t have a fast enough car for that. The trooper soon caught up to him, and the man, admitting defeat, pulled over to the side of the road.

The trooper approached the car and asked the driver, “Why did you try to outrun me? What in the world were you thinking!?”

The man looked at the trooper with sad eyes and said, “Several years ago my wife ran off with a state trooper. I thought you were bringing her back!”

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”—Proverbs 17:22

 

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Donor Needed

Posted on February 9, 2019 by jesustrek

My wife and I were sitting in the auditorium of our cruise ship, waiting for the evening’s entertainment to begin, when an urgent announcement came across the public address system. There was a medical emergency on board. A passenger needed an immediate blood transfusion, and people with a certain blood type were asked to report to the medical station if they were willing to donate blood. Several people immediately made their way toward the exits, and we applauded them for being willing to give their blood to someone in desperate need.

The condition of the ailing person was stabilized until we reached port, and arrangements were made to take the patient to a hospital for further treatment. The story had a happy ending because people were willing to make a sacrifice.

Every person on earth is faced with a spiritual emergency. We all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. We all need to be saved. In order for that to happen, Jesus had to donate his blood as a sacrifice for our sins. No other sacrifice would do. Those who accept his sacrifice experience forgiveness, spiritual healing and eternal life.

Thank God for the salvation he has freely offered us through Jesus!

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”—1 Peter 1:18-19

 

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Cruise Control

Posted on February 8, 2019 by jesustrek

On a recent cruise to the Caribbean, I saw a couple of different people wearing a T-shirt with this message—I HAVE NO CRUISE CONTROL, IT’S LIKE THEY JUST BOOK THEMSELVES!

Those who enjoy cruises and have been on several of them appreciate the humor behind that message.

However, Christian life is not without self-control. We who are filled with the Holy Spirit of God have been given the ability to make choices that will set the direction of our lives to be in line with the word of God. Let’s be careful that we don’t drift aimlessly through life.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”—Galatians 5:22-23

 

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Small Crowd

Posted on February 7, 2019 by jesustrek

On our recent vacation, my wife and I gathered with four other people to worship the Lord together on Sunday morning on a balcony of a cruise ship. I must admit that I was a bit surprised at how satisfying this worship experience was.

I understand that worship is not for our benefit; it is for God. However, there are often some times of worship that move us emotionally. I wasn’t expecting that to happen in such a small setting. Sometimes we think that it takes a bigger crowd to really experience the energy and emotion that often accompanies worship.

It turns out that this is not the case at all. I found myself getting choked up by the words of the songs we sang and the Scriptures we read and the prayers that we offered. A communion service consisting of only six people can be a powerful experience.

So, don’t count on the size of the crowd to make a worship service meaningful. It is the presence of Jesus that makes the difference.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”—Matthew 18:20

 

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Overhearing the Gospel

Posted on February 6, 2019 by jesustrek

Yesterday I wrote about how my family and friends worshiped together on a Sunday morning while on a 7-day cruise. What I didn’t tell you was that we were on a balcony that was off of one couple’s room. It was such a beautiful setting, looking out over the vast sea and enjoying the early morning warmth of the sun’s rays.

As we read Scripture and sang songs together, I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone sitting on a nearby balcony could hear us worshiping the Lord. I was reminded of how the jailer in the prison where Paul and Silas were praying and singing later asked these men how to be saved (Acts 16:25-34).

Sometimes the best way for people to accept the gospel is to overhear it. This can only happen when we are speaking it.

 

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Sing-a-Long

Posted on February 5, 2019 by jesustrek

My wife and I recently took a 7-day Caribbean cruise with family and friends. There were six of us in our group, all followers of Christ. We gathered together on the second day of the cruise, Sunday, to worship the Lord together. We prayed, shared some Scriptures, participated in communion together and sang some songs to the Lord. We didn’t make any announcements, and we chose not to take up a collection, but other than that, it was a regular church service.

We tried to choose songs that most of us would know, and, for the most part, we did a pretty good job. Almost everybody was able to join in on almost every song.

That made me think about how our songs of faith can unite us. The six of us had grown up in five different churches, yet we could sing many, many songs together.

It is a shame that music has caused so much divisiveness in the kingdom, especially when our songs have such potential to bind us together.

“Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Ephesians 5:19-20

 

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Different Story

Posted on February 1, 2019 by jesustrek

A man went to see an insurance agent about getting some life insurance. The agent asked the man, “How old was your father when he died, and what caused his death?”

He answered, “He was 39, and he died of a heart attack.”

The agent then asked, “How old was your mother when she died, and what caused her death?”

The man replied, “She was 43 when she died of cancer.”

“I’m sorry,” the agent said. “Your family history shows too much of a risk for us to insure you.”

The man went to a different insurance company to try his luck there.

The agent asked, “How old was your father when he died, and what caused his death?”

“He was 96, and he died when he fell off of a horse while playing polo.”

“And what about your mother?” the agent asked. “At what age did she die, and what caused her death?”

“She was 97,” he answered, “and she died in childbirth.”

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”—Proverbs 17:22

 

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Fasten Seat Belt

Posted on January 31, 2019 by jesustrek

When Muhammad Ali was in his prime as a heavyweight prizefighter, he was on an airplane that was about to take off. When the flight attendant reminded him to fasten his seat belt, he brashly replied, “Superman don’t need no seat belt.” The flight attendant quickly responded, “Superman don’t need no airplane, either!”

Ali sheepishly fastened his seat belt.

Even the man who called himself “The Greatest” had his moments of humility.

The Bible consistently urges us to forgo pride and to adopt a humble attitude. We would do well to take that teaching seriously.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”—James 4:10

 

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Right Size Gift

Posted on January 30, 2019 by jesustrek

A teenage boy walked into a candy store and told the owner that he wanted to purchase three boxes of candy—small, medium and large. The owner couldn’t help but ask the boy about this unusual order. The boy confidently replied, “I have a date tonight. If the girl lets me hold her hand, I will give her the small box of candy. If she lets me put my arm around her, I will give her the medium box. If she lets me give her a big, passionate kiss, I will give her the large box.”

That evening the boy ate dinner with his date and her family before they went out. The boy volunteered to give thanks for the meal. He prayed a long, fervent, eloquent prayer before finally saying, “Amen”.

The girl whispered to him, “I didn’t know you were so religious!”

He whispered back, “I didn’t know your father owned a candy store!”

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”—Proverbs 17:22

 

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Risking Much

Posted on January 29, 2019 by jesustrek

Some unknown person once wrote the following about taking risks:

“To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out for another is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk exposing our true self.

To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair.

To try at all is to risk failure.

But risk we must, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The man, the woman, who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.”

 

This brings to mind the story Jesus told about the wicked, lazy servant who hid his talent rather than investing it for his master (Matthew 25:14-30). What was his sin? He was afraid to take a risk!

 

What are you risking for the Lord?

 

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