Busy as a Bee

Posted on June 29, 2018 by jesustrek

I just read that a typical bee hive can have 90,000 bees living in it. Just like people, bees have different jobs, with specialized roles to play.

Some bees travel around collecting the nectar that eventually becomes honey. Other bees have the job of staying home and keeping the hive clean. Still others work at guarding the hive, keeping it safe from intruders. Some bees are sort of like babysitters, watching over the eggs and larvae.

So it is in the church. We all have different jobs to do. As we perform our specific tasks, we accomplish great things in God’s kingdom.

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”—Romans 12:4-5.

 

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Comforting Visit

Posted on June 28, 2018 by jesustrek

Beethoven

Philip Yancey relays this story about Beethoven, a man not known for his social grace. Because of his deafness, he found conversation difficult and humiliating. When he heard of the death of a friend’s son, Beethoven hurried to the house, overcome with grief. He had no words of comfort to offer. But he saw a piano in the room. For the next half hour he played the piano, pouring out his emotions in the most eloquent way he could. When he finished playing, he left. The friend later remarked that no one else’s visit had meant so much.

Words are not the only way we can comfort others. Sometimes our presence is all that is needed. Or perhaps we can use a talent that God has given us to bless those who are hurting. Let’s do our best to be the kind of friend we ourselves would like to have in our time of greatest need.

“…Mourn with those who mourn.”—Romans 12:15.

 

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Rude Awakening

Posted on June 26, 2018 by jesustrek

A couple of friends of mine were travelling together a few years ago when one of them decided to play a prank on the other. Darrell was driving, and Homer had fallen asleep in the passenger’s seat. They came up behind a semi-tractor that was pulling another tractor. The truck that was being towed was facing backward. Darrell pulled up close to the truck, then cried out in a loud voice that suddenly woke Homer from his sleep. The very first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the front of a semi facing him! He later said that he thought he was a goner for sure.

That wasn’t a very nice prank, but you have to admit, it was funny!

The Bible warns that those who don’t awake from their spiritual slumber will one day have a rude awakening. If you find yourself sleep-walking through life, it’s time to wake up!

“…The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”—Romans 13:11.

 

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The Effects of Gossip

Posted on June 25, 2018 by jesustrek

A lady once went to talk with her minister about her troubled conscience. After some discussion, he said that her problem was gossip. She quite often maligned people behind their back, which is clearly prohibited in Scripture.

“What can I do to make amends?” the lady asked.

“Place a feather on the doorstep of every person you have gossiped about in the past month. Then come back to me for further instructions.”

After she completed her task, the lady came back to the minister and asked, “All right, what do I do next?”

“Go back to each doorstep,” he replied, “and collect all the feathers you left there.”

The lady came back empty-handed. “The wind blew all the feathers away,” she reported.

“So it is with gossip,” the wise minster said. “Once those hurtful words are spoken, they can never be taken back again.”

You can be forgiven for the sin of gossip, but you can’t always repair the damage that has been done by the hurtful words you utter.

“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”—Proverbs 16:28.

 

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Give Me a Break!

Posted on June 25, 2018 by jesustrek

A lady who worked in a huge office building took a break and walked down to the cafeteria. There she bought a cup of coffee and a Kit Kat candy bar. After finding an empty chair in the crowded cafeteria, she bent over to look for something in her purse. When she straightened back up, she found that a man had taken a seat across the table from her. He had a cup of coffee and a donut in front of him…and her Kit Kat bar in his mouth! He didn’t apologize or offer any explanation. He simply ate it.

She was shocked and irritated, but the lady said nothing. She drank her cup of coffee as quickly as she could, in a hurry to remove herself from this extremely awkward situation. However, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Finally, as she stood up to leave, she grabbed the remnant of the man’s donut and stuffed it in her mouth. Swallowing the donut, she exclaimed, “There! Now how does that feel?”

The lady marched back to her office, where she once again opened her purse. To her horror, there in her purse was her Kit Kat bar!

Let’s be careful we have our facts straight! And let us not rush to judgment too quickly!

“Do not accuse anyone for no reason—when they have done you no harm.”—Proverbs 3:30.

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Permission

Posted on June 22, 2018 by jesustrek

I have a friend—let’s call him “John Doe”—who told me the following story.

John Doe went into the woods behind his house to do some deer hunting on his property. As he approached his deer stand, he saw that a hunter was already there, someone whom he did not know. He asked the man what he was doing there, and the hunter replied, “I have permission from John Doe to hunt here.”

John introduced himself to the hunter and politely sent him on his way.

Those who know Jesus as their savior have permission to come into the presence of God. Unlike those who pretend to know him, we have no fear of being exposed as intruders.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”—Hebrews 4:16

 

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Maybe It Does Matter!

Posted on June 21, 2018 by jesustrek

While driving through the south, we saw a sign for a restaurant that was called “It Don’t Matter”. It didn’t take long to figure out the purpose for this strange name. Often times when we are out with family or friends, trying to decide where to eat, someone will invariably say, “It don’t matter”. (Please pardon the poor grammar!) What they mean is they really don’t care where they eat; anything would be OK. The restaurant with the catchy name is trying to get some business by literally being the place that is mentioned.

When it comes to eating out, most of the time it really doesn’t matter where you choose to go. Any place is fine with most people. However, there are some decisions in life that do matter. They matter very much. In fact, when it comes to what you believe about God, Jesus and the Bible—those decisions are critical!

“…I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him…”—Deuteronomy 30:19-20.

 

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Let Us Pray

Posted on June 20, 2018 by jesustrek

A city-slicker went to the countryside to visit his cousin, who owned and operated a farm. When they sat down to the table for dinner, the farmer bowed his head and gave thanks for the meal. His sophisticated relative said with a condescending tone, “This is old-fashioned. Nobody with an education prays before meals anymore.”

The farmer agreed that the practice was indeed old-fashioned, and admitted that there were even some on his farm who did not pray before their meals.

With smug satisfaction, the cousin remarked, “So enlightenment is finally reaching the farm! Who are these wise individuals of whom you speak?”

The farmer replied, “My pigs.”

To be truly human, one must pray.

“Pray continually.”—1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

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Choose the Good Path

Posted on June 15, 2018 by jesustrek

A man and his son were climbing a mountain. They came to a place where the climbing became quite difficult, to the point of being dangerous. Any misstep at this point could spell disaster. The father stopped to consider which way he should go. From below he heard his son call out, “Choose the good path, Dad; I’m coming right behind you!”

These words should ring in the ears of every father! Dads everywhere should be very careful about the path they choose for themselves, because their children often follow right behind.

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”—1 Corinthians 11:1.

 

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The Agony of Fatherhood

Posted on June 13, 2018 by jesustrek

A young father-to-be was pacing back and forth, wringing his hands in the hospital corridor while his wife was in labor. He was tied up in knots of fear and anxiety, and beads of perspiration dropping from his brow revealed the agony of his suffering. Finally, at 4:00am, a nurse popped out of a door and said, “Well, sir, you have a little girl.” He dropped his hands, became limp, and said, “Oh, how I thank God it’s a girl! She’ll never have to go through the awful agony I’ve been through tonight!”

Let’s hope that his wife never got word of his comment!

It is tough being a father. Let’s be thankful for all the dads out there, and be sure to say a special prayer for them this Father’s Day.

“Honor your father…”—Exodus 20:12.

 

 

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