If You Can’t

Posted on October 22, 2018 by jesustrek

Someone once said, “If you can’t stand to be with Christian people for a couple of hours each Sunday, never fear. Our loving God would never force you to be with them at all in eternity.”

Many people know that it says in the Bible that Christians should not give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:25). Few people realize that the very next paragraph after that verse talks about facing the devastating judgement of God. Putting that in its context, it is obvious that God expects us to attend worship services on a regular basis, and he reserves the right to inflict the ultimate punishment on those who refuse to obey him in this regard.

See you in church this Sunday!

 

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Sad World View

Posted on October 18, 2018 by jesustrek

I recently made a trip to the hospital to meet a newborn baby. As I made my way through the parking garage, I noticed a Darwin fish on the back of a car. If you don’t already know, the Darwin fish is a response to the Jesus fish that some Christians put on their cars. The Darwin fish has the name “Darwin” in the middle of the fish, and the fish has legs, suggesting that mankind is not a result of God’s creation, but a result of a spectacularly unlikely series of fortunate accidents that must have happened in order for molecules-to-man evolution to have taken place.

That is such a sad world view. Where is the hope in Darwinism? The thought that we are here by accident leads us to conclude that life has no real meaning, and that our future is uncertain. Christianity offers a much more hopeful outlook on life and eternity, and is also a more reasonable position to take.

I wondered why the owner of that vehicle was at the hospital. Most people were not there for a happy reason, like I was. Most were there to face a major health crisis—perhaps even an impending death—of someone they loved dearly. To face such a crisis without the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ is a tragedy!

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”—Genesis 1:1.

 

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Sober Mind

Posted on October 17, 2018 by jesustrek

I just read that marijuana use is now legal in all of Canada. This has become somewhat of a trend in the U.S., with certain areas legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Parts of Colorado have made this their policy. When my wife and I were in Colorado a couple of months ago, we saw some cards for sale with a thimble-sized flower pot attached that said, “We bought you a little pot in Colorado”.

While some see the legalization of marijuana as a progressive step in the right direction, others are concerned about the overall mindset of the culture when it comes to staying sober. I saw a couple of teenagers at a high school football game wearing T-shirts that suggested this may be a problem. One was promoting the consumption of alcohol—the other was promoting the use of marijuana.

The Bible consistently urges us to avoid drunkenness. 1 Peter 4:7 says, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.”

Time is short, my friends! We have much to pray about. Let us do so with clear and sober minds.

 

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Deep Roots

Posted on October 12, 2018 by jesustrek

Nearly three weeks ago, my family received some devastating news—my brother Bill had suddenly passed away at the age of 57. This unexpected tragedy was extremely difficult to handle. Only our faith in God and the support from the church enabled us to navigate this painful stretch of life’s journey.

A few days after learning of my brother’s death, I was walking along a stretch of highway near my home. I noticed that the recent rains had caused part of the hillside alongside the road to crumble. I also noticed that a small tree perched precariously on the side of the hill remained upright in spite of the collapsing hillside. Its roots had grown deep into the side of the hill, and it held on defiantly, in spite of the serious threat to its well-being.

The Bible says that we are to put our roots down deep into our faith in Jesus Christ. When we do, no circumstance in life, not even death, can move us!

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”—Colossians 2:6-7.

 

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Easy to Remember

Posted on October 6, 2018 by jesustrek

George Foreman

Former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman famously named all of his sons George. Many people have wondered why he did this. Here is how Foreman explained it to CBS News: “You try getting hit in the head by Muhammad Ali and then see how many names you can remember!”

Life can be tough. Sometimes it seems like we get beaten up all the time. This constant pounding might cause us to forget something very important—that God loves us so much that he sent his son Jesus to die to pay for our sins!

In order to remember this most important event, Jesus gave us the Lord’s Supper. When we gather together for communion, we remember how blessed we are to be loved by God and to be called his children!

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’”—Luke 22:19.

 

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Tolerance or Love?

Posted on September 21, 2018 by jesustrek

Josh McDowell has this to say about the difference between tolerance and love:

Which is harder? Tolerance says, “You must approve of what I do.” Love responds, “I must do something harder: I will love you, even when your behavior offends me.”

Tolerance says, “You must agree with me.” Love responds, “I must do something harder: I will tell you the truth, because I am convinced ‘the truth will set you free.’”

Tolerance says, “You must allow me to have my way.” Love responds, “I must do something harder: I will plead with you to follow the right way, because I believe you are worth the risk.”

Tolerance seeks to be inoffensive; love takes risks. Tolerance glorifies division; love seeks unity. Tolerance costs nothing; love costs everything.

McDowell gives us a lot to think about. Many proclaim that tolerance is the greatest thing you can practice, but there were certain attitudes and actions that Jesus simply would not tolerate when he walked this earth. Sometimes the loving thing to do is to stand for what is right rather than tolerate any ungodly activity that is championed by the world. As always, we must allow Jesus to have the final word on everything, including tolerance and love.

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”—1 Corinthians 13:6.

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The Wrong Stuff

Posted on September 20, 2018 by jesustrek

In Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, Alan Alda talks about how he had a beloved pet dog when he was eight years old. When the dog died, Alda was so sad about burying it that his father decided to have the dog stuffed instead.

“We kept it on the porch and deliverymen were afraid to make deliveries,” Alda recalled in an interview with Newsweek. He then continued, “There are a lot of ways we stuff the dog, trying to avoid change, hanging on to a moment that’s passed.”

Churches seem to have a special affinity for “stuffing the dog”–maintaining programs, buildings, etc. in an attempt to forestall necessary change. In the short term, it’s sometimes much easier to stuff a church’s pets than to acknowledge their death, grieve their loss, and give them an appropriate burial.

Have you ever tried to “stuff the dog”?

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’…”—Revelation 21:5.

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Craving Milk

Posted on September 17, 2018 by jesustrek

A few weeks ago I watched a deer run across the hay field beside my house. She stopped at the edge of the field and just stood there. After a few seconds, her spotted fawn emerged from the bushes. It was meal time for the young deer, and he enthusiastically began to nurse. You could tell that the fawn had been craving milk and that he was glad to have his thirst satisfied.

The Bible says that we must crave spiritual milk if we are to grow in our salvation. Without the nourishment of Scripture, there is no way that we can grow into the person God wants us to become. Don’t just read the Bible; study it. Memorize key verses and meditate on them. Listen intently to what God is telling you. Then obey him. Then you will grow in your faith.

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”—1 Peter 2:2-3.

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Special Request

Posted on September 12, 2018 by jesustrek

A minister ended his sermon by asking people to come to the front of the auditorium if they had a public decision to make, such as accepting Jesus Christ as their savior or transferring their church membership. He also said that if anyone had a special prayer need they could also come forward to make their request known.

The congregation was surprised to see the minister’s three-year-old daughter come forward, and they waited in anticipation of what she might say. When her father leaned down to ask for her request, she whispered, “Can we go to the restaurant after church?”

God hears all his children’s requests, big or small.

“Give us today our daily bread.”—Matthew 6:11.

 

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Take a Risk!

Posted on September 12, 2018 by jesustrek

Will Rogers

There is a story told about a time when humorist Will Rogers approached his friend Eddie Cantor for advice. It seems that Rogers was thinking about making some significant changes to his act, but he was worried about the dangers of taking such a risk. He wasn’t sure if his plan would work.

Eddie Cantor’s response was, “Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is!”

Jesus expects us to live fruitful lives. Sometimes that requires taking a risk. When is the last time you went out on a limb for Jesus?

“…I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit…”—John 15:16.

 

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