Too Much of a Good Thing

Posted on November 5, 2018 by jesustrek

We need a new doormat for our front porch. The one we have now is so old that it is frayed and falling apart. I guess you could say that we’ve worn out our “WELCOME”.

Proverbs 25:17 says, “Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—too much of you, and they will hate you.”

I suppose there is a danger of being around someone too much. The Bible encourages us to be a good neighbor by being involved in their lives. But there is a possibility of being there too much. Let’s try to be discerning as we consider how much of a presence we need to be in the lives of those around us.

 

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Soft or Tough?

Posted on November 2, 2018 by jesustrek

William Bennett

Talking about political leadership, William Bennett recently said, “Sometimes you need Mother Teresa and sometimes you need Dirty Harry.” He was trying to get across the point that some situations call for soft, tender leadership, but at other times you might need to get tough.

It’s the same with leadership in the church. At times people need a soft touch. They need a leader who is sympathetic to their predicament and gentle with their words. However, there are times when a leader has to get tough. Wolves need to be chased away from the flock. Erring members need to be rebuked.

Sometimes a church leader needs to be Mother Teresa and Dirty Harry, all in the same day!

So which will you be? Soft or tough? It depends on the circumstances. Wise leaders will carefully exercise discernment before they choose their approach.

 

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Still Waters Run Deep

Posted on October 29, 2018 by jesustrek

“It is possible to possess an unspoken thought.”—Anonymous

An unspoken thought—what a novel idea! In an age where social media invites us to express ourselves freely, verbal restraint is a rare commodity.

Yet the Bible consistently encourages us to be cautious about what we say and how we say it. Wise people understand that they don’t have to verbalize everything that comes to their mind.

The book of Proverbs contains a wealth of teaching concerning the proper use of the tongue. Here is just a small sampling:

“Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.” (17:28)

“Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.” (18:2)

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (18:21)

Perhaps many of us would benefit from talking less and listening more.

 

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Teamwork

Posted on October 28, 2018 by jesustrek

A sea captain and his chief engineer were arguing over who was most important to the ship. To prove their point to each other, they decided to swap places. The chief engineer ascended to the bridge, and the captain went to the engine room.

Several hours later, the captain suddenly appeared on deck covered with oil and dirt. “Chief!” he yelled, waving aloft a monkey wrench. “You have to get down there. I can’t make her go!”

“Of course you can’t,” replied the chief. “She’s aground!”

Any team must depend on each of its members to do their specific jobs. We depend on each other.

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.”—1 Corinthians 12:12.

 

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Light of the World

Posted on October 26, 2018 by jesustrek

“We can be the light of the world without leaving our high beams on and annoying everybody.”—Bob Goff.

Regardless of what you may have heard, I am still able to drive after dark. However, I must admit that I occasionally forget to dim my lights for oncoming drivers. Sometimes they will flash their bright lights at me to remind me to dim mine.

I think Bob Goff has a point. Sometimes we Christians can be abrasive in expressing our opinions about God. This can turn some people off and hamper our efforts to spread the gospel.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that our ultimate goal is to avoid annoying people. Jesus annoyed some people. You don’t get nailed to a cross because you got along with everybody!

However, we must always try to speak the truth with love. It only takes a little light to lead someone out of the darkness. Let us always strive to shine our light in the most effective way possible.

“…Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:16.

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Salt of the Earth

Posted on October 25, 2018 by jesustrek

Remember the old saltshaker prank? Someone would loosen the top of a salt shaker in a restaurant. The next customer would unsuspectingly try to put a little salt on their food and end up dumping the entire contents of the shaker on their plate!

It doesn’t take a lot of salt to make a meal taste better. Just a pinch of salt can make the ingredients of a dish really come to life.

In the same way, we don’t have to dump everything we have on people all at once in order to be effective in spreading the gospel message. In fact, sometimes, in giving them too much all at once, it becomes overwhelming for them, like a dish with way too much salt.

We have to be discerning about how much to unload on people at one time. Let’s try to give them just enough salt to make the truth of salvation through Jesus palatable for them.

“You are the salt of the earth…”—Matthew 5:13.

 

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Maturing

Posted on October 23, 2018 by jesustrek

Remember some of the ways our parents punished us for our misbehavior when we were children? You had to go to bed early. You were grounded and couldn’t leave the house. You couldn’t go to that party.

Go to bed early. Don’t leave the house. Don’t go to the party. I just realized that my childhood punishments have become my goals as an adult!

It is interesting to take note of how our priorities change as we grow up. Things that we thought were so important seem trivial now. Our goals have changed drastically. Our desires are much different than what they once were. It’s all part of the maturing process.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”—1 Corinthians 13:11.

 

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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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