Known for What - Martin Wiles

When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. 1 Kings 10:1 NLT

Most know her only as the creator of Harry Potter. 

Most people don’t know what J. K. Rowling went through before becoming successful. Rowling first conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 as she rode a train from Manchester to London. She began putting the fully-formed story onto paper but was interrupted when her mother died after a ten-year battle with Multiple Sclerosis.

Two years later, Rowling moved to Portugal, where she taught English, met a man, married, and had a daughter. One year later, the marriage ended. She then moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, to be closer to her sister. By this time, she had three chapters of the future famous book in her suitcase.

Rowling didn’t see herself as a successful person but a failure. She had no job and no money. She was also divorced and had a child. Bouts of depression assaulted her, and she eventually found herself signing up for welfare.  

By 1995, Rowling had finished the book—but had also experienced rejection from twelve major publishers. One year later, Bloomsbury, a small publishing house, accepted her manuscript and offered her a small advance. They published the book in 1997 but printed only one thousand copies, five hundred of which they distributed to libraries.  

Amazingly, in 1997 and 1998, Harry Potter won awards from Nestle Smarties Book Prize and the British Book Award for Children’s Book of the Year. Today, Rowling’s books have sold more than four hundred million copies, and she is considered one of the most successful women authors in the United Kingdom.

King Solomon wrote, too, but people knew him for more than that. His fame made headlines, so much so that the queen of Sheba had to see him for herself. His material and chattel possessions amazed her, but so did his wisdom. Especially the way he solved a puzzle about which mother a particular baby belonged to. When two women came claiming a specific child belonged to them—and neither would tell the truth—Solomon demanded that the child be cut in half and one half given to each woman. Of course, the birth mother didn’t want her child killed, so she offered it to the woman making the false claim.

Some girls are known for wanting the bad boys, and some boys are known for wanting the bad girls. Rowling certainly isn’t the only person known for overcoming difficult circumstances and moving ahead to success. Successful people fill history’s pages. And other authors trump Rowland’s reputation.

Of all the things for which others could know us—or of all the things for which we might want to be known—God has his own list in mind. His list might not make us famous or known worldwide, but living by his directory will bring us peace, fulfillment, and joy, as we won’t discover anywhere else.

God’s roster includes honesty, integrity, selflessness, kindness, love, joy, and optimism. Things Jesus modeled while on earth. Traits some didn’t appreciate but that others admired. Things, however, that pleased his heavenly Father.

Our enemy will tempt us to be known for things that displease God, but God gives us a different list. When we allow others to know us by the things on God’s register, we’ll please God. And that, after all, is the most important thing in life. At the end of the day, what God thinks is all that matters.

Make up your mind to be known by those characteristics that reflect the God you serve.

Father, I want to be known as your follower and reflect your traits in my life. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

An Inheritance from God - Martin Wiles

How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Ephesians 1:3 NLT

Inheritances aren’t always what we envision.

My aunt had inherited most of the belongings from my maternal grandmother’s house when she died. When my aunt died, Mom hoped to get some of the family heirlooms back. But it didn’t happen as she wished. My aunt had three children. What she had was rightfully theirs. If they chose to share, we would appreciate it.

Several pieces of furniture that had belonged to my grandmother were especially dear to Mom. Mom voiced her love for them, but my aunt held on. All Mom received was a China cabinet she had purchased before she and Dad married—one she asked my aunt to keep while she and Dad were overseas—a picture my aunt had painted of the old homeplace, and two end tables and a coffee table that matched my grandmother’s living room suit that Mom had inherited earlier.

I come from a middle-class family and have no monetary or other inheritance in the waiting. But I do have another type of inheritance that surpasses anything I could get from a deceased family member.

Paul praised God for his spiritual inheritance—one available to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. This inheritance is eternal. When I placed my faith in Jesus Christ and asked him to forgive my sins, he immediately began preparing a heavenly home for me. Nothing can change that.

Earthly inheritances, we can spend. Even if we invest them, we must leave them behind at some point for someone else to enjoy. But our eternal inheritance is secure. God won’t change his mind and take it from us—even when we misbehave.

Our inheritance is also a present reality. We don’t have to wait until we die or Jesus returns to get it. Presently, God adopts us into his family. While some adopted children aren’t treated equally with biological children, God treats all his children the same. He grants forgiveness for every sin and never takes this back. Nor does he show favoritism. Instead, he loves all his children equally and gives us the same things he gives to his Son.

Abundant living—existing with peace and joy—also accompanies our inheritance. Because of what Jesus has done for us presently and promises to do for us in the future, we can enjoy life for the very first time.

Make sure you enjoy God’s present inheritance.

Father, thank you for the eternal inheritance I have in Jesus Christ. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Visually Impaired - Martin Wiles

He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. Isaiah 53:3 NLT

Without them, my world is one big blob of indistinguishable faces and blurry images.

While some wear glasses with plastic frames simply because they think they are stylish, this wasn’t the case when I first got them. Wearing glasses wasn’t popular. The derogatory term for those who did was “four eyes.” I endured the agony of being labeled. I was visually impaired and could do nothing about it but endure the agony of rejection and blurriness.

By the time I was retirement age, things hadn’t changed much. My blurry world remained the same if I removed my glasses. Then, my cornea specialist diagnosed me as possibly having early stages of glaucoma. Additionally, he diagnosed me with dry-eye disease.

Many also rejected the Messiah because they were visually impaired—just not physically. Theirs was a spiritual impairment because they missed such prophecies as this one and majored on ones dealing with His conquering nature.

What caused them to be sighted but blind can bring the same result in our lives. Pride can lead to visual impairment. The ancient Jews were filled with it. Jesus illustrated their prideful nature by talking about a Pharisee and a tax collector who prayed in the Temple. The Pharisee thanked God he wasn’t like other people, especially the filthy tax collector standing in the corner.

Pride leads to trouble every time. It is one of those sins God particularly despises because of its bitter consequences. Pride makes us think we’re better than others for whatever reasons we can concoct. The sin of pride brought Adam and Eve’s downfall and will bring one to anyone who lets it creep into their lives.

Prejudice will also impair our spiritual vision. Most of the ancient Jews thought they were better than their Gentile neighbors. After all, God had chosen the Jews as his special possession. Although God had a unique plan for them, it included bringing Gentiles into God’s fold. Unfortunately, the Jews often ignored God’s plan because they thought they were superior.

Additionally, selfishness impairs our spiritual vision. When life is all about us, we won’t see God’s plan—even when it’s staring us in the face. Selfishness causes us to miss God’s best while keeping the focus on me, myself, and I.

Don’t walk around with spiritual blindness. Let God remove those things that keep you from seeing his best.  

Father, give me the courage to put away those things that would spiritually impair my vision. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Taco Casserole

 

 

Ingredients

1 POUND GROUND BEEF

1 ONION (CHOPPED)

½ GREEN PEPPER (CHOPPED)

      

8 OUNCES FROZEN CORN

2 TABLESPOONS TACO SEASONING

2/3 CUPS WATER

8 OUNCES SALSA

2 CUPS SHREDDED CHEESE

TORTILLA CHIPS

Directions

BROWN MEAT, ONION, AND PEPPER TOGETHER.

ADD CORN, TACO SEASONING, WATER, AND SALSA.

MIX ALL TOGETHER.

SPREAD HALF IN A BAKING DISH.

TOP WITH HALF CHIPS AND CHEESE.

SPREAD REMAINING MEAT.

TOP WITH CHIPS AND CHEESE.

BAKE AT 350 AT 20 MINUTES.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Good as Our Word - Martin Wiles

Just say a simple, “Yes, I will,” or “No, I won’t.” Anything beyond this is from the evil one. Matthew 5:37 NLT

Even as a young boy, I knew he was as good as his word.

My paternal grandfather was a simple man. He didn’t come from a wealthy family. In fact, he grew up in a small shack snuggled in the middle of a field—a shack that had to accommodate him, his parents, and five other siblings. To make matters worse, when my grandfather was only twelve, he had to watch his father die, leaving him as the man of the house. Along with an uncle who agreed to help, my grandfather quit school in the sixth grade to care for the family farm. And all of this happened just before the great stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression.

By the time I came along, my grandfather hadn’t changed much in many respects. Although he wasn’t a farmer any longer—he drove an ice cream truck—he remained the simple man he had always been. My grandfather never met a stranger, so talking to anyone he came into contact with meant a conversation, which generally began about the weather.

My grandfather never made much money, so occasionally, he would “rob Peter to pay Paul,” as he said. He might do this to buy a house, purchase a used car (he never owned a new vehicle in his lifetime), make a costly house repair, buy a lawnmower, or get a new washing machine. It took all he and my grandmother made to make ends meet, so anything unexpected meant borrowing money.

Since unexpected things happened more than once, in time, my grandfather built quite a reputation with the local banker, and they became friends. If my grandfather needed money, all he had to do was visit his “friend” at the bank and ask. I’m sure my grandfather had to sign some paperwork—although I doubt it was as much as he’d have to sign if he were alive today—but the manager didn’t run a credit check. He knew my grandfather was as good as his word. If my grandfather said he’d repay the money, he would. If he said he would make a monthly payment of a certain amount on a particular day, he did.

What Jesus teaches—that we shouldn’t make vows or promises and shore them up by swearing by something—is somewhat impossible in developed countries. If I need to borrow, my word alone won’t do. I must sign mounds of paperwork and perhaps even put up collateral. Never have I purchased a car with only a promise to pay.

Although we may have to sign paperwork to borrow money, Jesus’ principle can still apply. The people we make promises to should see we’re as good as our word. And this goes beyond borrowing money. Any promise we make, we should honor, which means thinking carefully about what we promise and taking our promises seriously.

When we’re as good as our word, our character shines through and so does our reputation—something that takes time to build, but something we can ruin by hasty or bad decisions. Once ruined, rebuilding it takes a long time. People know us as truth-tellers or deceivers, someone they can trust or someone they can’t.

Ask God to help you be as good as your word—especially since the word you carry represents God’s word.

Father, help me follow your example by being as good as my word. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

When the Bottom Falls Out - Martin Wiles

Peter’s words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Acts 2:37 NLT

I saw that the bottom was about to fall out, but I couldn’t do a thing. 

The speeding car zoomed past my driveway, a mere one hundred feet from a stop sign. The driver would soon cross a major highway. I quickly looked up and down the highway to see if the driver could avoid an accident. He couldn’t. A lone car meandered down the highway and was soon t-boned by the speeding car that ran the stop sign. The driver who ran the stop sign wasn’t seriously injured, but the lady in the other vehicle had to be flown to a nearby hospital and undergo several surgeries. She never knew her bottom was about to fall out.

Nor did those Peter preached to on the Day of Pentecost. Imagine their surprise when he used references from the Old Testament to prove that Jesus was God’s Messiah sent to save the world. Then came the convicting blow when he informed them they were responsible for his crucifixion. Their bottom was about to fall out unless they acted.

How the bottom looks varies between individuals and even within the same individual. Bottoms can include financial hardships, divorces, deaths, arrests, addictions, unemployment, rebellion, unfaithfulness, etc. Our reaction to the bottoms that fall out is more important than what the bottom actually is.

The least desirable reaction would be turning our backs on God. God never allows or sends trials, hoping this will happen. While he rarely clues us in on why something happened, he never intends for us to walk away from him. He wanted those listening to Peter to turn to him, not away.

If we let them, the bottoms will always increase our patience. Trials try. It’s their nature. God’s purpose in allowing or bringing them is to enhance our patience with ourselves, others, and him. Patience should be a sought-after virtue. Those who learn it fare better throughout life’s circumstances.

Bottoms will also increase our faith. God rewarded those who responded to Peter’s sermon by placing their faith in Jesus with forgiveness and eternal life. Trials stretch our faith in God’s goodness, protection, and guidance. As our faith in him grows, we’ll trust him more and gain more spiritual victories over sin and unpleasant circumstances.

Think of how you typically respond when your bottom falls out.

Father, encourage me to fall into your arms when the bottoms fall out. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

How to Win Over Temptation - Martin Wiles

The temptations that come into your life are no different from what other experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can stand up against it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

He was a mischievous boy who often succumbed to temptation.

One reason Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was to ridicule books produced at the time that portrayed young boys as clean-cut and always obedient to authorities. Tom didn’t fit the mold. He continually outfoxed his Aunt Polly even though she continued to believe he was a good boy down deep inside. Tom once joined the Cadets of Temperance, but only because he liked their gaudy uniforms and wanted to be the envy of other people as he marched in their parades. But the temptations to swear, drink, and smoke were too great. He eventually quit the club.

I can’t say I was much different than Tom during adolescence. Sadly, I gave in repeatedly to many of my temptations. Only later in life did I learn I could win over them.

Paul says God will not allow temptations to be so strong that we can’t endure them with his help. Evidently, I was doing something wrong. Winning over temptation involves knowing our weaknesses. Satan doesn’t know everything but learns about our weaknesses through interaction with us. Once he understands them, he zeroes in on these very things. Admitting our weaknesses isn’t easy or pleasant, but doing so is the first step toward success.

We must also trust the Source of victory: God’s Spirit within us. God doesn’t bring temptation but wants to help us overcome it--and will if we seek him. Satan tempted Jesus in every way he tempts us. But Jesus overcame and can help us see the way out of the tempting situation. All we must do is seek his guidance.

Staying away from bad sources is also a good idea. Tom didn’t; neither did I. Spending too much time with friends who have bad habits is unwise. Only God can give us the wisdom to be his light around sinful activity while at the same time avoiding the activity itself.

Additionally, putting on God’s armor is wise. Thinking about godly things, standing for truth, carrying God’s love wherever we go, walking by faith, and soaking in God’s Word are all measured steps to win over temptation.

Make sure you are winning over temptation. If you’re not, you can.

Father, thank you for the assurance that I can win over temptation. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.