Cumulative Effect

Posted on April 12, 2017 by jesustrek

In 1984, a Saint Louis woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home. Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them. Over the summer the bees continued to fly in and out of the attic vent while the woman remained unconcerned, unaware of the growing city of bees.

The whole attic became a hive, and the ceiling of the second floor bedroom finally caved in under the weight of hundreds of pounds of honey. While the woman escaped serious injury, she was unable to repair the damage of her accumulated neglect.

We often fail to consider the gradual, cumulative effect of sin in our lives, and the subsequent price we have to pay.

“…Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…”—Hebrews 12:1.

 

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What a Picture Is Worth

Posted on April 8, 2017 by jesustrek

One of the tiny victims of the Syrian gas attack is carried away

U.S. missile strikes disabled a Syrian airfield Thursday night. This action was in direct response to the Syrians having used chemicals to kill some of their own people, including small, innocent children. The U.S. has sent a clear message to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad that such actions will not be tolerated.

Assad has committed atrocities against his own people for years. What was different this time? It was the pictures of dead children that were released and broadcast all over the world. These terrible images moved President Trump to take action. Trump said, “When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, babies, little babies with a chemical gas that is so lethal…that crosses many, many lines…”

Both Republicans and Democrats are praising the military action. Support is being voiced from all over the world.

I wonder what it will take for the world to unite against the atrocity of abortion? Maybe pictures of the carnage would cause people to have a change of heart.

“Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”—Psalm 82:4.

 

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Trivial Pursuits

Posted on April 6, 2017 by jesustrek

A familiar Mother Goose rhyme goes:

“Pussy cat, Pussy cat, where have you been?

I’ve been to London to visit the queen.

Pussy cat, Pussy cat what did you there?

I frightened a little mouse under the chair.”

Like that cat, Christians sometimes settle for petty involvements, trivial pursuits—chasing mice—when we have the opportunity to spend time with royalty, with the King of kings! Why waste our time on petty activities when we can enjoy being in the presence of God?

“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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Fixing Things

Posted on April 3, 2017 by jesustrek

I learned a long time ago that I am not very good at fixing things. I don’t have the natural ability to repair things that are broken, nor do I have the desire to learn how to do such things.

So when my car needs even the most minor repair work, I take it to a mechanic. When something in the house is broken, I call for a handyman.

More recently, I have discovered that I can’t fix people. I used to try. I would sit and listen to their problems and offer some advice—whether they asked for it or not!

But I can’t fix people. And you know what? That’s not my job. It’s the Lord’s job to fix people. What I need to do is bring broken people to Jesus.

“Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.”—Mark 2:3.

 

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Surrender

Posted on March 30, 2017 by jesustrek

Charles Stanley

In The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life, Charles Stanley writes:

“In water-safety courses a cardinal rule is never swim out to a drowning man and try to help him as long as he is thrashing about. To do so is to commit suicide. As long as a drowning man thinks he can help himself, he is dangerous to anyone who tries to help him. His tendency is to grab the one trying to aid him and take them both down in the process. The correct procedure is to stay just far enough away so that he can’t grab you. Then you wait. And when he finally gives up, you make your move. At that point the one drowning is pliable. He won’t work against you. He will let you help.”

The same principle holds true in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Until we give up, we aren’t really in a position to be helped. We will work against him rather than with him.

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”—Ephesians 5:18.

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Taking It to the Streets

Posted on March 29, 2017 by jesustrek

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”—James 1:22.

We do the right thing when we go to church on Sunday and hear the word of God preached in worship and taught in the classroom. That’s what God wants us to do.

However, we haven’t fulfilled our duty if we merely listen to the word. God expects more from us than that. If we do no more than listen to the word, we are deceiving ourselves into thinking that we have accomplished all that we need to do.

We haven’t completed our assignment until we actually do what the Bible says. As one preacher put it, we need to take the sermon from the pew to the streets.

Challenge accepted!

 

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What Are You Chasing?

Posted on March 28, 2017 by jesustrek

According to the Chicago Tribune, on March 3, 1995, a thirty-eight-year-old man who was walking to his temporary job at a warehouse tried to get there by cutting across eight lanes of a busy highway. After he crossed the four northbound lanes, the wind blew off his hat. The hat flew back across the northbound lanes, and he chased after it. A semi-trailer truck struck and killed him.

A person can lose everything by chasing after nothing.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”—1 John 2:15-17.

 

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Groaning

Posted on March 23, 2017 by jesustrek

“Groan” is a key word in Romans 8. We see that creation is groaning (v.22). The fall of mankind has even subjected the earth to the effects of sin.

We also see that Christians groan (v.23). Even those who have been saved must live out their lives in a world where pain and suffering abound.

We even see the Holy Spirit of God groaning as he helps us to pray (v.26). God commiserates with us as we live in this world filled with groaning.

However, God is seen to be working in all the groaning. 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Even in the bad things, God is at work to bless his people. God does not cause the bad things to happen; but he is there to bring good even out of the bad.

God uses those who have experienced the pain of divorce to minister to those who are just now going through it themselves. God uses those who have experienced the death of a loved one to help someone else navigate their way through that devastating loss. God takes repentant sinners and makes them vessels of grace for others who need the mercy that is shown to us through Jesus Christ.

If we take the New Testament seriously, we have to take the groaning seriously. However, we also see that we Christians are blessed in spite of life’s groaning. V.31 says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Later we read—“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (vv.37-39).

In this world filled with groaning, God wants us to know that we are still winners, victorious through Jesus!

 

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Living Up to It

Posted on March 22, 2017 by jesustrek

The big day has finally arrived. Excitement is in the air. The guests have been ushered in. The wedding party has taken their place on the platform. Everyone beams as the bride is escorted down the aisle. A Scripture is read, a prayer is spoken and the minister offers a few words of encouragement. Finally the announcement comes—“I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

Something significant has just happened. The two have become one flesh. They have the best of intentions, but understand little about what it means to be a husband or a wife. They will spend the rest of their lives together becoming what the preacher has said they already are!

This is sort of how it is when we accept Christ. God adopts us into his family and proclaims that we are his children. The problem is, we don’t know much about how a child of God is supposed to act.

Paul the apostle seems to say in his writings, “You have become sons and daughters of God. Now you need to start living like children of God!”

We have the rest of our lives to become what we already are. Reflect on that.

“Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”—Philippians 3:16.

 

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Outrageously Generous

Posted on March 21, 2017 by jesustrek

Have you ever noticed the outrageous generosity shown by some of the believers in the New Testament?

Consider the woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus in order to honor him. Some in the crowd were indignant, pointing out that the perfume, which was worth more than a year’s wages, could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus did not chastise her for choosing to be so generous. He praised her for her willingness to worship him in such an extravagant way (Mark 14:1-9).

Zacchaeus was so impressed with Jesus that he pledged to give half of all his possessions to the poor and to reimburse anyone he had cheated by paying them back four times the amount. This was a radical display of generosity for a wealthy tax collector who had probably become wealthy at the expense of others (Luke 19:1-10).

In Acts 4:32-37 we read that many of the Christians sold homes or land and brought the proceeds to the church leaders so that the money could be used for benevolence. Think about how much good a congregation could do if they had members exhibiting that kind of outrageous generosity.

I can’t honestly say that my generosity has reached outrageous proportions, but it certainly is a goal for which we all should strive.

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”—Luke 6:38.

 

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