A Loving Choice

Posted on September 12, 2017 by jesustrek

Carrie and Nick DeKlyen with 3 of their children

Carrie DeKlyen chose to forgo chemotherapy to treat her brain cancer because she was pregnant with her sixth child, and the treatments most certainly would have ended her baby’s life. Carrie died Saturday, surrounded by family at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. She chose her baby’s life over her own.

Doctors removed Carrie’s feeding and breathing tubes on Thursday, a day after she gave birth to her daughter, Life Lynn DeKlyen. Life Lynn was born prematurely, but Nick DeKlyen said his daughter is doing better than expected and that she is going to be fine.

The couple have five other kids who range in age from 2 to 18 years old. The father says that the family is strong in their Christian faith. Nick said, “My wife loves the Lord and she loves her children more than anything.”

She proved it, didn’t she?

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”—John 15:13.

 

 

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Keeping the Faith

Posted on September 9, 2017 by jesustrek

A little boy rode the church bus to the morning worship service. In Sunday school he made a card that read, “Have Faith in God!” As he was riding home the card slipped from his hand and flew out the window. “Stop the bus!” he cried out. “I’ve lost my ‘Faith in God’”!

The bus driver pulled over, and as someone retrieved the card, an observer made a comment about the innocence of youth. But a wiser person said, “All of us would be better off if we were that concerned about holding on to our faith!”

“…When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”—Luke 18:8.

 

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Facing Criticism

Posted on September 8, 2017 by jesustrek

Practically everyone who ever tried to accomplish anything significant faced some type of criticism. We must not allow our critics to deter us from our mission to serve God and to make disciples.

Here is what President Theodore Roosevelt said about critics: “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

“…We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.”—1 Thessalonians 2:4.

 

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Sacrificial Giving

Posted on September 7, 2017 by jesustrek

Someone once pointed out that you can look at your breakfast of bacon and eggs to see a good example of the difference between commitment and sacrifice. The chicken was committed to providing for your breakfast. However, the pig was the one who made an actual sacrifice!

In our giving to the Lord, there is a difference between commitment and sacrifice. This is not to say that commitment is a bad thing. We need people who are committed to giving their tithes and offerings on a regular basis so that the gospel message can be spread and so that people who are underprivileged can be served in the name of Jesus.

However, there are times when sacrificial giving is needed. Sometimes we need to go beyond our normal offering in order to meet a sudden need that arises. It might be that we have to do without something in order to give on such a level. Some Christians have chosen to give up their family’s second car or to get rid of cable TV or forgo their family vacation in order to give to a worthy cause.

These are just a few examples of what it means to give sacrificially.

“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’”—Luke 21:1-4.

 

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Beware the Little Things

Posted on September 6, 2017 by jesustrek

Drywood termites

I have read that termites destroy more homes than earthquakes. If this is true, then perhaps we should re-examine our priorities about what is to be feared.

Maybe we should pay more attention to the little things that threaten destruction in our lives. An affair can destroy a marriage, but so can simple neglect. The moral failure of a leader can bring great harm to a church, but so can a gossip that is never confronted. Drug abuse can tear a family apart, but so can the distractions that the world has to offer. Committing a serious crime can ruin your witness, but so can a careless word.

Beware the little things!

“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.”—Proverbs 27:12.

 

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Fishing

Posted on September 5, 2017 by jesustrek

I recently went kayaking on Lake Barkley in southwestern Kentucky. As I was paddling along, a huge fish jumped out of the water right in front of me. It jumped about 3 feet high, and came just a few feet from landing right in my lap! That would have been a nice—if unexpected—catch!

In Luke 5, Jesus provided such a miraculous catch of fish that it caused some experienced fishermen to be astonished and afraid. Verses 10-11 read—“…Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

If we are following Jesus, we will be fishing for other people, to get them to follow him also.

Sometimes the fishing will prove to be difficult.

Other times, they jump up right in front of you.

 

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High Drama!

Posted on September 1, 2017 by jesustrek

A couple of television shows that I am currently watching have a common theme—saving the human race.

Salvation is a show about a huge meteor that will collide with the earth in just a few months. The impact of this meteor would surely wipe out all human life. Few people are aware of this impending danger, but those who do know of it are scrambling to find a way to divert the meteor and save the planet.

The other show, The Last Ship, tells the story of a virus that threatened to kill all humanity. After hundreds of millions of deaths, mankind finally found a cure for the awful disease. Now, the virus has mutated and is killing crops all over the planet. The race is on to stop the virus from causing everyone to die of starvation.

All of this intense drama is quite entertaining. The stakes are high, and the consequences of failure are almost too terrible to even think about.

This drama, however, is pure fiction. There is a real drama playing out before us in which the stakes are even higher. Not just the lives of all human beings, but their eternal souls, are at stake. Every person on the face of the earth has been infected with sin, and this will lead to their eternal death unless something is done about it.

Thankfully, something has been done! God sent his Son Jesus to save the world from their sins. And Jesus has sent his followers out into the world to bring to him as many people as we can, so they can escape destruction and enjoy eternal life.

The stakes couldn’t get any higher than that!

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”—1 John 2:2.

“Save others by snatching them from the fire…”—Jude 23.

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Actually Helping

Posted on August 31, 2017 by jesustrek

In these days when practically everyone has a phone with camera capabilities with them at all times, we see more recordings of rescue efforts. It is rare that some type of emergency situation unfolds without someone there to record it and put it on the internet for the whole world to see.

Someone recently pointed out (jokingly?) that it seems that there are more people taking pictures of a rescue than there are people actually helping!

That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it does make us stop and think about whether we are helping to make a situation better, or merely one of the bystanders who are not involved in helping at all.

Of course there are times when we need to get out of the way of trained first responders. However, there are many situations where we can offer help. Let us always be ready to do so.

“A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.”—Luke 10:31-33.

 

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Reflecting the Son

Posted on August 29, 2017 by jesustrek

The recent total eclipse of the sun reminded me of the primary purpose of the moon. Rather than block out the sun, the moon was created to reflect the sun’s light so that mankind could have at least some way to see at night.

In the same way, we are not to block out the light of the Son, Jesus Christ. We Christians are given the task of reflecting his light in this dark world. As we shine, we light the way for others so that they can make their way out of darkness to live in his glorious light!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:14-16.

 

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Tale of Two Churches

Posted on August 28, 2017 by jesustrek

As my wife and I drove to southwestern Kentucky to view the recent total eclipse of the sun, we passed a couple of churches that had totally different ideas about how they should respond to the throng of people flooding into their area to witness the event.

The first church decided to create a welcoming atmosphere. Signs invited people to park for free. People were encouraged to enjoy refreshments and fellowship as they waited to view the eclipse. Many took them up on their offer, tailgating in the church parking lot and setting up chairs and umbrellas on the grassy area of the property. People seemed happy and excited about having a safe place to watch the event.

Just a few miles down the road we saw a church that had taken a different approach. There were no signs to welcome visitors. As a matter of fact, their parking lot was roped off, denying entry to anyone who wanted to come in for any reason. That church’s campus was desolate. They did not seem to want any outsiders on their property.

Two different churches; two radically different approaches.

If your church had been in the area where the eclipse could be viewed in its totality, which approach would you have taken?

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”—Colossians 4:5.

 

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