It Takes Both of Us

Posted on July 14, 2018 by jesustrek

A lady was enjoying her time at a teachers’ convention when she suddenly exclaimed to a friend, “Oh, no! It’s trash day back home!”

“Don’t be concerned”, her friend replied. “Your husband is at home. He can surely take out the trash by himself.”

“No, it takes both of us”, the first lady insisted. “I can’t lift it and he can’t remember it!”

We do tend to be forgetful. That’s why Jesus gave us a special way to remember him—the Lord’s Supper.

“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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Grace and Truth

Posted on July 12, 2018 by jesustrek

Firing an employee is one of the toughest jobs a supervisor ever faces. An insurance sales manager was known for his tact and diplomacy. One of his young salesmen was performing so poorly that he had to be terminated. The manager called him in and said, “Son, I don’t know how we’re ever going to get along without you, but starting Monday we’re going to try.”

We all will occasionally find ourselves in a position where we have to say something that might not be well-received, but it must be said anyway. We should always strive to deliver these messages as gracefully as possible.

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”—Colossians 4:6.

 

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Really Lazy

Posted on July 11, 2018 by jesustrek

An old farmer who was not known for his strong work ethic had an interesting approach to life. When lightning struck an old shed and it burned to the ground, he reasoned that this had saved him the trouble of tearing it down. Rain from the same storm washed the dust off his car, sparing him from that chore also. When someone asked him what he was going to do next, the farmer replied, “I am waiting for an earthquake to shake my potatoes out of the ground!”

I think most of us agree that we need to show a bit more initiative than that!

“Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.”—Proverbs 10:4.

 

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The Hereafter

Posted on July 9, 2018 by jesustrek

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the hereafter. Almost every day I walk into a room and stop and ask myself, “What am I here after?”

C. S. Lewis said, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”

If we want to make a difference in this life, we have to have a mindset that is focused on eternity.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.”—Colossians 3:1-2.

 

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Sermon Hits Home

Posted on July 6, 2018 by jesustrek

A preacher once delivered a powerful sermon against the evils of betting, only to find out later that one of the men in his church was a serious gambler. The preacher called the man and explained that his sermon was not meant to be a personal attack against him. The man replied, “Don’t worry about it. It’s a pretty poor sermon that doesn’t hit me somewhere.”

Most sermons do hit someone somewhere.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”—Hebrews 4:12.

 

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Value

Posted on July 5, 2018 by jesustrek

Years ago, Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” showed the differences of the value of a piece of iron based on what it had been shaped into. A plain bar of iron was worth $5. The same bar of iron, if made into horse shoes would be worth $50. If it were made into needles, it would be worth $5,000. If it were made into balance springs for fine Swiss watches, it would be worth $500,000. The raw material is not as important as how it’s developed.

God says we have spiritual gifts, but their worth to Him will be dependent on how we develop them.

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…”—2 Timothy 1:6.

 

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Proper Maintenance

Posted on July 3, 2018 by jesustrek

I recently heard a man tell about an accident he had while working in his woodshop. He nearly lost two fingers while cutting a piece of wood on a table saw. After returning from his trip to the emergency room, he checked out his equipment and noticed that he had allowed his saw blade to become dull. He believes that had he kept the blade sharp, he would not have had the accident.

If we don’t stay sharp, bad things could happen to us. It is imperative that we do whatever it takes to “sharpen the saw”, so to speak. By eating properly and getting enough sleep and exercise, we can stay sharp physically. By continuing to learn, we can stay sharp mentally. Through worshiping and serving God, we can stay sharp spiritually. By properly interacting with our fellow humans, we can stay sharp socially and emotionally.

Let’s never underestimate the importance of trying to make each other better.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”—Proverbs 27:17.

 

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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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