Wrong Place at the Right Time - Martin Wiles

A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. Mark 15:21 NLT

Daily, thousands, perhaps millions, of people are at the wrong place at the wrong time.

As I listen to the latest news headlines while eating breakfast, I hear about many of them. Some are seriously injured while others are killed. A police officer is shot. A motorist is involved in a life-altering accident. Some board a plane only to have it crash or be blown up by terrorists. Others are the victims of robberies or murders.

Apparently, Simon of Cyrene was one of them. Minding his own business, hobbling in from the countryside, he is accosted by Roman soldiers leading Jesus to Calvary to crucify him. By this time, Jesus struggles because of the persecution he has endured. Rather than fooling with his inability to move faster, the soldiers enlist someone to carry the cross for Jesus.

But, then again, perhaps Simon wasn’t at the wrong place at the wrong time. Just maybe, he was at the wrong place at the right time. Cyrene is located in modern-day Libya, so it’s possible Simon was an African man coming to worship during the Passover celebration. Although he worshiped the Jewish God, this experience of carrying Jesus’ cross likely led him to faith in the Messiah. By shouldering the cross, he would have touched the blood of Jesus and probably Jesus himself. Though his experience wasn’t pleasant, Simon was where he needed to be.

God has a habit of placing us in what appear to be the wrong places at the most inconvenient times. Later, we discover these times and places are just where we need to be to learn essential lessons that propel us forward in our spiritual growth. From God’s perspective, there is never a wrong place or a wrong time. He guides our steps and forms our image after his, just as the potter does the clay vessel. As with Simon, if we’re perceptive, he’ll put us exactly where we need to be.

Don’t fear the events of the day. Instead, trust God to put you exactly where he needs you so you can experience all he has in store.

Father, give me faith that you will place me exactly where I need to be. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Corn Chowder

 

 

Ingredients
1 TABLESPOON BUTTER

             
1 CAN POTATOES (DRAINED AND SLICED)

1 CUP DICED HAM

2 CUPS MILK

1 CAN CORN (DRAINED)

1 CAN CREAM CORN

1 CAN CHICKEN BROTH

SALT/PEPPER

Directions
COMBINE IN CROCK POT.

COOK ON LOW FOR TWO HOURS.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Fruit Inspector - Martin Wiles

You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Matthew 7:16 NLT

What looks good outwardly can occasionally disappoint.

I’m not a fruit inspector—at least not by profession. But I do inspect fruit before purchasing it. When selecting apples and oranges, I look for bruises or soft spots. If I’m buying a bag of Irish potatoes, I make sure there are no rotten spots. Bananas can’t be bruised or overripe. Some fruit, however, can trick me.

I recall buying one bag of black grapes. They had all the appearances of being ripe and sweet, but when I plopped the first one in my mouth, I was met with an unpleasant taste. Sourness. And, unfortunately, the entire bunch was identical. Since grapes don’t ripen once removed from the vine, I threw them away. I’ve purchased a few watermelons and cantaloupes that also fooled me. Unlike grapes, however, they continue to ripen, so if I’m patient, I’ll eventually experience a good taste.

Jesus instructs us to be fruit inspectors, whether we get paid for it or not. Just as some fruit appears to be ripe but isn’t, some people seem to be Jesus’ disciples but are actually false teachers—wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Jesus’ admonition reminds us that we can deceive others. Through our actions, emotions, words, and attitudes, we portray our identity, but we can also disguise our identity by those same means. When we curtail them to fit a particular situation or display certain ones when around specific people, we define ourselves as someone particular—genuine or hypocritical.

God knows our hearts. We do, too. We may succeed in fooling others about our true identity, but in our hearts, we know whether we’re being true to our inner selves. So does God. That’s why he pricks our conscience when the two don’t match up. He doesn’t want us leading others astray, nor does he want us fooling ourselves. We must inspect others’ fruit, but also ours.

Cultivating our vines through spiritual disciplines so we’ll bear more fruit that’s ripe, sweet, and delicious is vital. When others inspect us, we should want them to find abundant good fruit, but we don’t want them to discover hypocrisy.

Make sure the spiritual fruit you’re producing is sweet to others’ taste.

Father, may the fruit I produce show others that I am your child. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Forgiveness—God’s Business - Martin Wiles

I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. Exodus 34:7 NLT

Forgiveness is never easy, but when it involves the death of an unborn child, it becomes incredibly challenging.

A pastor friend in India shared a disturbing story with me. Hindu fanatics carrying pistols, rods, and knives entered a church, attacked the pastor, his seven-month pregnant wife, and their daughter, and then tried to set the wife on fire. Fortunately, the family escaped. Less than a month later, my friend emailed to tell me the wife’s unborn child had died in her womb—a result of injuries received during the attack. Now she has a forgiveness decision to make.

Throughout the Bible, God portrays himself as a forgiving God. While he has standards and will punish those who stubbornly break those standards, he is more than willing to forgive those who recognize their sins and run to him for help.

God never holds our past against us. I have a past, you have a past, all God’s creations have a past. We can’t erase it; we can only deal with it. I’ve known a few people who wouldn’t come to God for forgiveness because they thought their past was too sordid for him to forgive. Forgiveness is God’s business, and no sin in our past is greater than his ability and desire to forgive it. He willingly and joyfully forgives anything we ask him to.

Understanding why God can forgive makes it easier to request his forgiveness. If his forgiveness is based on our ability to compensate for the wrongs we’ve committed, we’ll never receive it. But God’s forgiveness is based on Jesus’ work on the cross, not our righteousness. Since Christ was perfect—and since his work on the cross was too--God can forgive any and all sin without violating his holy nature. The only condition is that we ask and believe.

God’s forgiveness has no limit—other than the limit we place on it by not asking. When Jesus told Peter, the disciple, that he should forgive someone seventy times seven times if they asked, Jesus offered what represented a limitless number. God operates the same way.

Believe God can forgive any sin you’ve committed. Then get on with serving Him.

Father, I thank you for your willingness to forgive when I come to you in repentance. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Giving the Best - Martin Wiles

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 NLT

Doing again what I had already done thirty years before was a surreal experience. But after all, who said giving the best was easy? 

Five candidates and I sat in front of the presiding bishop. We were ordinands and would soon be ordained by the presiding bishop. But the difference between me and them was that I had already done this many years before in another denomination. Although the doctrine and governing style between the two denominations differed slightly, the ordination process was similar—yet still touching. The bishop instructed us on the seriousness of the process and related its purpose. Then, one by one, we were called to the stage for the presiding board to lay hands on and pray for us, separating us for the preaching and teaching of the gospel. Once again, I was reminded that God demands my best.

If anybody could have tired of doing good things, Paul certainly could have. His zeal for spreading the gospel to the Jews and the pagan world was equally as fierce as his persecution of Christians before he met the risen Jesus on the Damascus Road. He traveled the known world on numerous mission trips, endeavoring to present everyone with the opportunity to trust in Jesus Christ. He gave his best until he was finally put to death for doing his best. 

Before meeting the risen Christ, Paul’s fervor was probably an attempt to earn acceptance with God. He was, after all, a Pharisee—a religious leader who had studied under a master teacher and who obeyed the Old Testament law zealously. New understanding, however, dawned on him after his Damascus Road encounter. Now he worked to tell others that they couldn’t work to attain salvation.

Salvation can’t be earned through good works, but we will want to do them when we choose to follow Christ. He is our example, and studying his life reveals that he spent the majority of his time serving others. 

Christianity is ironic. God promises persecution, but he also promises peace and abundance. Amid trying circumstances and persecution, we can find peace, joy, and fulfillment by taking our eyes off ourselves and putting servant hands on others. 

Give God your best by obeying him and serving others.

Father, as you have given your best for me, prompt me to offer my best to you. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Cream Corn Casserole

 

 

Ingredients

1 CAN WHOLE KERNEL CORN

     

1 CAN CREAM STYLE CORN

1 PACKAGE JIFFY CORNBREAD MIX

   

1 CUP SOUR CREAM

1 STICK BUTTER (MELTED)

    

2 CUP SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE

Directions

IN A BOWL, MIX ALL INGREDIENTS EXCEPT THE CHEESE.

POUR INTO A GREASED CASSEROLE DISH AND BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 45 MINUTES.

REMOVE FROM THE OVEN AND TOP WITH CHEESE.

RETURN TO OVEN FOR 5 MINUTES OR UNTIL CHEESE IS MELTED.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Relaxing with a Perfect Book - Martin Wiles

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. Psalm 19:7 NLT

I’ve only read one perfect book in my lifetime.

Collecting books copyrighted before 1940 is a hobby of mine. So far, I’ve managed to amass several bookshelves full of them. My oldest is a theology book from the early 1800s and is in excellent condition. Knowing the man who once housed this book in his library—as well as seeing the sticker that says it was once located in a Charleston, South Carolina, library—probably explains its excellent condition. I love the smell of old books, and I’m amazed at how paper can hold up for long periods.

My favorite pastime at night is kicking back in my recliner with a good book. Working one full-time job and several part-time jobs, while also helping with my grandkids, has made this more challenging, but I still yearn for those moments when I can immerse myself in a thought-provoking article or simply get lost in a historical novel.

Printed books, however, don’t last forever. What they are made of will deteriorate over time—even if rebound. One day, my 195-year-old theology book will bite the dust. E-books may hang around until Christ returns, but printed books won’t.

When the psalmist wrote the above words, the Bible had not yet been canonized into its current 66 books. What he had, though, was perfect and revived his soul.

Among my old book collection are dozens of Bibles. Some are old and fragile and belonged to family members. Some are missing covers. Others I purchased from various thrift stores. If time continues, they will eventually deteriorate completely, or someone will discard them. But Bibles deteriorating and being thrown away don’t destroy God’s words. Books can go out of print and become extinct; God’s Word never will.

God’s Word was spoken and transmitted orally for many years before it was written down. Not being on papyrus didn’t take away from its pertinence or reliability. Should it ever go out of print, it will still remain perfect, reliable, and applicable. I’ve read portions of history books that were previously “wrong” due to historical changes, but God’s Word will forever remain right. And anything perfect possesses the capacity to revive my soul.

Read, apply, and transfer God’s Word. Let it revive your soul.

Father, thank you for giving me a lasting, perfect Word that can transform my life and revive my soul. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.