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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Easy Choice

Posted on March 20, 2017 by jesustrek

Several years ago, Frank Minirth and Paul Meier wrote a book called Happiness Is a Choice. Most people would agree with that premise. We can choose to be joyful, or we could choose to be miserable. Yet for some reason many people choose the latter! I suppose it is true that misery loves company!

Why would people choose: drunkenness over sobriety, promiscuity rather than chastity, crippling debt over frugal living, isolation instead of healthy relationships? On and on the list goes—people making choices that bring them nothing but heartache and pain.

Let us be among those who choose wisely. Let’s choose joy.

“…Let us rejoice today and be glad.”—Psalm 118:24.

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Making It Grow

Posted on March 16, 2017 by jesustrek

Last year I seeded our new lawn, with mixed results. The grass came up, but the hot, dry weather was hard on it, and the crabgrass took over. Now, I am looking at a brown patch of ground that offers little promise of becoming a lush, green lawn in the coming weeks.

I recently scattered some more seed on the yard, hoping that it would work its way into the soil, perhaps with the help of some rain or snow. What will become of it remains to be seen. I have done what I can; now I just sit back and wait.

The same principle holds true with the seed of God’s Word. We scatter it out there on the hearts of the people we want to bless. Sometimes it falls on fertile ground; other times it lands on hard soil. We have very little control over how people respond to the Word. We speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) and pray for the best.

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”—1 Corinthians 3:6.

 

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Important Conversation

Posted on March 13, 2017 by jesustrek

I recently found a quote that I think is worthy of sharing—“Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.”—Unknown.

We don’t seem to have any trouble talking about the weather, or sports, or current events, etc. However, when it comes to matters of faith and eternal salvation, sometimes we don’t know what to say. Or maybe we do know what to say, but we are afraid of how it might be received.

We need to get over those fears and be bold enough to start a conversation that will have some eternal significance. 2 Tim. 1:7-8 says, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord…” 1 Pet. 3:15 says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…”

 

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Don’t Waste It!

Posted on March 11, 2017 by jesustrek

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Speaking yesterday evening at an energy industry conference in Texas, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil in the ground and just leave them there.” His common-sense statement was well-received at that venue. There are, of course, a few radicals who would disagree, but most people understand that you just can’t waste such a valuable resource.

This reminds me of the parable of the talents that Jesus tells in Matthew 25. The master gave each of three servants a vast amount of money to invest for him. The first two gained a return for their master’s investment, but the third did not. He simply hid it in the ground. The first two servants were lavishly praised and greatly rewarded for their faithfulness. However, the third servant was harshly criticized and severely punished for his negligence.

The point of the story is this: We can’t waste any resource that God gives us. Our time, talent and financial resources–and all of the opportunities that we have to use anything we have for the kingdom of God–are tremendously precious! They must be used, not wasted!

 

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The Middle Part Is Tough!

Posted on March 10, 2017 by jesustrek

I just heard someone on the radio say that it is easy to have faith in the beginning and at the end. The tough part is to have faith in the middle.

I suppose that is true.

New Christians find it easy to live out their faith and share it with others. They are like the seed that springs up quickly (Matt. 13:20-21). The new-found faith of these individuals causes them to be excited about living for Jesus. However, over time this exuberance often diminishes to the point where there is no perceived faith at all.

Then, at the end of life, faith has another good chance to be seen in people’s lives. They have explored the pleasures that the world has to offer, but they long for something more. They have reached a point where eternity is staring them directly in the face. They have no choice but to deny God once and for all or, finally, turn to him. End-of-life conversions are a joy to behold. It is wonderful to see a person near death finally accept Christ.

However, it is tough to exhibit faith in the middle. The newness of Christianity has worn off. The world keeps battering you daily, hoping that you will falter. Discouragement abounds, and the finish line is nowhere in sight.

The middle part is tough. That’s why we have to be especially diligent to live out our faith!

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”—1 Corinthians 15:58.

 

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Not a Coincidence

Posted on March 9, 2017 by jesustrek

I have had some knee problems recently, so I asked my prayer partners to pray about that. For some reason I had been reluctant to mention this problem to them. Maybe it seemed trivial or selfish, but for whatever reason, I had been hesitant to ask them to pray about my knee.

The day after I asked them to pray, I received a diagnosis—a sprained ligament. No surgery is thought to be required—just stretching, rehabilitation and wearing a knee brace.

The rehab place I went to does not normally carry braces, but they just so happened to have one knee brace in stock. It just so happened to be exactly the kind of brace I needed. And it just so happened to fit me.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

What do you think?

“…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”—James 5:16.

 

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Let There Be Light

Posted on March 8, 2017 by jesustrek

My wife bought some solar powered lights and put them along our sidewalk. They absorb energy from the sun during the day so they can shine at night.

We recently had a cloudy day, and my wife noticed that the lights didn’t shine that night. It appears that they need that regular exposure to sunlight before they can radiate any light of their own.

John 1:4 says this about Jesus—“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” Jesus says to his followers, “You are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:14). It stands to reason that if we do not bask in the radiance of the Son, we will have no light to shine upon the world that so desperately needs it.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:16.

 

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Not Very Encouraging!

Posted on March 7, 2017 by jesustrek

Job was one of the most righteous men in the Bible. He was also one of the richest. However, he suddenly lost everything he had. His children all died at the same time. He lost his livestock, the source of his wealth. Then he lost his health. Covered from head to toe with painful boils, he sat there in misery.

Ah, but at least he still had his wife. Surely his beloved spouse would give him the comfort he needed in his time of trouble.

Job 2:9 says, “His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

That is not exactly the kind of encouragement you would expect from the person who is supposed to love you more than any other human being! It is not surprising that we never see Mrs. Job nominated for “Spouse of the Year”.

In spite of this lack of encouragement, Job did maintain his integrity. He did voice some questions, but he never lost his faith in God, and he was rewarded in the end.

The lesson is this: Hold on to your faith no matter what. Don’t let any circumstances—no matter how negative or how drastic—keep you from living out a life of faith. Don’t let any person—no matter who it might be—discourage you from believing that there is a God who loves you very much, and that He will reward you in the end.

 

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