What Can We Do with God - Martin Wiles

In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. Psalm 18:29 NLT

Stephen Winter said, “Life is not ‘Hollywood’ perfect.”

Nathan found that out too. For fifteen years, he ambled in the wilderness, leaving God on the back burner. His marriage to his high school sweetheart was marred from the beginning when, on their honeymoon night, she said, “I miss my momma.” Six months later, she left him for a colleague. After a short fling, she moved in with another man. 

For three years, Nathan kept women at a distance. Then he decided to start fresh in a new town, where he met a young lady, fell in love, and married her two years later. He finally made his way back to God but watched this wife go through a mid-life crisis and leave him and their two children sixteen years later. 

Once again, Nathan wondered how God could have allowed it and how he would ever get through the mess he was in. But he did, and four years later God sent him a wonderful woman who pulled him out of his depression and repaired his broken life. He discovered he could do anything with God, but nothing without Him.

David the psalmist was a military man and a king, but he had faced his share of hardships on the way to his position—and still faced them. When the prophet Samuel came to anoint a new king for Israel, David’s father didn’t even invite him to the selection party and left him in the field tending sheep. Later, after becoming king, one of David’s sons led a rebellion, ran him out of town, and then topped off his insolence by sleeping with his father’s concubines in public view. But David made it through each tumultuous episode because he discovered he could do anything with God.

I’ve discovered what Stephen, Nathan, David, and many others have: life isn’t perfect just because I have chosen to follow God. God doesn’t promise it will be. He does promise, however, that with his strength, we’ll get through, that the trial will contain a seed from which we can learn valuable lessons, and that we’ll grow spiritually if we respond with trust instead of bitterness. 

With God’s strength, you can face whatever life throws your way. Trust him when the trials come. 

Father, help me meet life’s trials in your strength, not my own. 

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What Happens When We Drink Confusion - Martin Wiles

You have been very hard on us, making us drink wine that sent us reeling. Psalm 60:3 NLT

Life brings periods of confusion quite naturally, but what happens when we drink confusion on purpose? 

Lonnie had listened to church folks tell him how much God loved him. One day he acknowledged his sin, repented, and accepted Jesus as his Savior. But shortly thereafter, he was confused when, at a church business meeting, the church voted to excuse itself from a local men’s fellowship because churches populated by another race wanted to join. Didn’t God love all people? Lonnie thought so. 

Garrett was confused too. He had accepted Christ when he was younger but had grown further away. He and his wife rarely attended church. His first marriage ended in divorce, and his current one was in trouble. Then his wife’s drinking problem led to a wreck that killed their youngest child. Couldn’t God have prevented this? 

Carine had a heart for children’s ministry. When a new Vacation Bible School director brought in numerous children from the community, her heart was touched. She decided to begin a van ministry. Every Sunday, she picked up children and brought them to church. When teachers threatened to give up their classes, when no one would sit with the children, and when no one even attempted to speak to them, Carine was confused. Didn’t Jesus tell the little children to come to him?

David was also periodically confused. If God favored Israel, why did he occasionally let their enemies defeat them? 

I, too, can throw my hat into the ring of confusion. God, if you love me, why the divorce, why the financial struggles, why the rebellious children, why the unemployment, why the layoff, why the betrayal, why the death, why the sickness, why the (you fill in the blank).

David found confidence amid his confusion. But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—a rallying point in the face of attack (Psalm 60:4). Whether it looked so or not, God was in charge and in control. What appeared as a mess to David wasn’t to God. What looked like indifference wasn’t indifference at all. 

The only way we can walk through periods of confusion with our faith intact and our eyes looking upward and forward is to believe the same. God loves us and orders the steps of our lives—even when the evidence seems to point to the contrary. 

Don’t let life’s confusing seasons dampen your faith in a loving God.

Father, when life gets confusing, strengthen my faith that you control the details and will orchestrate good from bad. 

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BACON POTATO SALAD

 

Ingredients

3 POUNDS POTATOES

1 BAG REAL BACON BITS

¾ TEASPOON SALT

¼ TEASPOON PEPPER

2 TABLESPOONS DICED PIMENTO

½ CUP MAYONNAISE

½ CUP SOUR CREAM

Directions

PEEL POTATOES AND CUT INTO CHUNKS.

COOK IN BOILING WATER UNTIL TENDER. DRAIN AND LET COOL SLIGHTLY.

PLACE POTATOES IN A LARGE BOWL.

ADD BACON BITS AND THE NEXT 3 INGREDIENTS.

STIR TOGETHER MAYONNAISE AND SOUR CREAM UNTIL BLENDED.

POUR OVER POTATO MIXTURE, TOSSING GENTLY TO COAT. 

COVER AND CHILL FOR AT LEAST 1 HOUR.

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To Hover or Not to Hover - Martin Wiles

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Exodus 19:4 NLT

A mother hen had nothing on Sadie.

Sadie was a hoverer. I knew her from church and watched her hover—over the piano, over people, and over her two children.  

Instead of letting her teenage son sit with the other young people, Sadie made him sit on the front row—the row she sat on. Until he graduated from high school and left for college, he idled in the front row while Sadie hovered over him. By the time their daughter reached her teenage years, Sadie had relaxed her hovering—but just a little. Perhaps seeing her son rebel against religion and God during his college years explained the small amount of leniency that crept into how Sadie parented her daughter. Occasionally, she’d let her sit with the other young folks, but not often. Most of the time, she—like her brother—sat on the front row by her mom. 

Sadie’s hovering didn’t keep her children from rebelling, but at least she had the assurance that she’d done her best. God’s hovering didn't keep his children from rebelling either. No sooner had he delivered them from Egyptian slavery than they rebelled against everything he had taught them. 

My parents also hovered over me. Their hovering didn’t prevent my rebellious behavior. I thought I knew best. I needed to spread my wings and fly—to sow my wild oats. Neither did my hovering keep my children from rebellious acts. They, too, needed to fly on their own. 

What children do once they leave the nest is beyond a parent’s control. The fact that they might—and probably will—rebel doesn’t alleviate a parent’s responsibility to hover. God does, and we should too—but with caution and wisdom.

Hovering entails unconditional love. God has it, and all parents should, too. Parents should teach their children God’s rules and principles, but we must also love them whether they obey or not. Unconditional love includes discipline. God does it when we go astray—and parents should too. Like parents, I’ve watched hens, ducks, and geese scold their young when they wandered away, but they also worked diligently to bring them back. 

Hover lovingly over your children. As a parent, God gave you that responsibility. And believe it or not, your children will eventually appreciate it. 

Father, help me to bring my children up in the nurture and admonition of your commands, while loving them unconditionally. 

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Pictures of the Church - Martin Wiles

I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. John 17:21 NLT

Some churches need to move into uncomfortable territory.

I’ve been in numerous churches. Older churches have common features. Often built of brick, they are rectangular, with a steeple on top. Two or three straight rows grace the inside with a stage up front where the spiritual leader—along with the choir—sits and stands. Attached to the rectangular structure is one or more additional structures containing classrooms. 

But not all churches look like the above. Some are circular and may have vinyl siding. Instead of pews, they might have chairs arranged in a half-moon shape. Increasingly, untraditional church structures are popping up—many in storefronts. Their outsides don’t look like the churches of old.  

The church, however, is more than a structure. It’s composed of the people who belong to it. Those who attend regularly, use their gifts and talents, and serve in Christ’s name in the community. Therein lies the rub. Getting them to do all those things in a spirit of harmony.

Jesus must have known getting his followers to work together would be a challenge. He prayed they would be one even as he and the Father were. If they didn’t work together in harmony, his name would be spoiled—and so would the church's testimony.

I remember a church leader who said, “I want there to be one place I can go where they aren’t.” The “they” were people from another race. Martin Luther King, Jr., said eleven o’clock on Sunday morning was the most segregated hour of the week. He was right. Most churches are homogeneous. We flock to our own kind—the same race, culture, social standing. Fill in the blank. 

Jesus wants us to be one. He didn’t create us to be separated or segregated. We are on the same journey with the same goal at the finish line. While Christ is probably proud of the great work his churches are doing, he would be prouder if we did it in a spirit of unity and togetherness. Doing so means moving out of our comfort zones, but doing so also moves us into God’s will.

Be willing to unite with other Christians to carry out God’s work. After all, we are all in this together. 

Father, unite your people in a spirit of oneness as we carry out the great work you’ve given us.  

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Identity: Was Versus Is - Martin Wiles

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:27 NLT

I wasn’t sure who I would become, and I wasn’t always sure I wanted to remain who I was. 

I’ve been many things. I was a preacher’s kid from the time I was eight years old until my dad died when I was forty-nine years old. I was once a grandchild. That identity vanished when my last grandparent died. For a short period, I was an Orkin exterminator. Crawling under houses, seeing animals I didn’t care to see, hitting my head, and smelling odors convinced me I didn’t want that identity. 

For two years, I worked in a warehouse. Someone else decided I shouldn’t continue that identity when they laid me off and never called me back. Then I became a textile worker for four years. I went from weaver to floor sweeper to supervisor. When I answered God’s call to enter the ministry, I went from textile worker to preacher. Along the way, I also taught school. 

Those are positions I once held—labels I once carried—but they weren’t who I was. As a nine-year-old lad, I listened to my dad explain the plan of salvation. I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and come into my heart. I pledged to follow him as my Savior. In that moment, I became what Paul called a new person. Everything old passed into the past, and a new life began. I was a Christian who might be a preacher’s kid, grandchild, textile worker, Orkin exterminator, teacher, or preacher. My real identity, however, was bound up with Christ.

Another identity I left behind when I chose Christ was sinner. I love the song, “I’m Just a Sinner Saved by Grace,” but I question the theology. Yes, I was saved by grace, but the Bible doesn’t continue to classify believers as sinners. Instead, it classifies us as saints. We’re not perfect—and won’t be this side of heaven—but we are saints because Christ has given us his righteousness. We are God’s children, friends, and joint heirs with Christ.  

Knowing who you are is crucial. It will shape your actions and attitudes when you face life’s difficulties. 

Father, thank you for changing my identity when I trusted your Son as my Savior. 

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5 Flavor Pound Cake

 

Ingredients

3 CUPS PLAIN FLOUR

3 CUPS SUGAR

2 STICKS MARGARINE

½ CUP CRISCO

1 CUP MILK

6 EGGS

1 TEASPOON VANILLA FLAVORING

1 TEASPOON COCONUT FLAVORING 

1 TEASPOON BUTTER RUM FLAVORING     

1 TEASPOON LEMON FLAVORING

1 TEASPOON ALMOND  FLAVORING

Directions

CREAM BUTTER AND CRISCO.

ADD SUGAR AND BEAT WELL.

ADD EGGS ONE AT A TIME. BEAT WELL. 

MIX FLAVORING WITH MILK.

ADD FLOUR AND MILK TO BATTER, STARTING WITH FLOUR THEN MILK.

ADD A LITTLE AT A TIME, STARTING AND ENDING WITH FLOUR.

POUR INTO A GREASED TUBE PAN.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR ONE HOUR.

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing 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.