Death Pangs - Martin Wiles

The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. Psalm 18:4-5 NLT

The thought of experiencing it unnerved me—even though I claimed to be prepared.

While a pre-teen, the fear of dying haunted me. As a nine-year-old, I had accepted Jesus and knew He had a place for me in heaven, but I feared what I had to experience to get there: death. 

A few years later, relatives began dying. First, my paternal grandfather’s unhealthy living habits finally caught up with him. A couple of years later, he was followed by both of my great-grandparents. Soon after, the remainder of my grandparents died. Now at retirement age, I have only one parent remaining and no in-laws. 

David didn’t fear old age because he wasn’t old. Instead, a jealous king dogged his trail. David was running for his life, hiding in caves and in the wilderness. Death always seemed near, but God preserved his life. King Saul didn’t kill him—but was killed himself—and David was made the next ruler.

Only a very few welcome the thought of death. Regardless of how tough circumstances might be or how intense the pain of disease or other body ailments, most don’t wish for death. Rather, we pray for healing or for God to soothe the debilitating situation. But the healings of diseases and the removing of stressful situations won’t stop death. Barring the return of Jesus Christ, we will all experience it. 

We can live peacefully while at the same time knowing the pang of death is just around the corner. Doing what I did as a nine-year-old is the first step in facing the death pang: asking Jesus to forgive our sins and committing ourselves to be his follower. This act removes the condemnation we’re under and takes care of the sins for which we’re responsible—all of which keep us out of heaven.

Knowing we’ll immediately enter heaven upon death is also comforting. We won’t have to lie unconsciously in the ground until Christ returns. The apostle Paul said to be absent from the body was to be at home with the Lord. Jesus told the thief on the cross who begged for his forgiveness that he would be with him in Paradise that day. 

When you make things right between you and God, you no longer must fear death’s pangs. 

Father, thank you for taking away the fear of death when I trust in you as my God. 

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.

Like a Rock - Martin Wiles

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2 NLT

Rocks were either my best friends or my worst enemies. Encountering them was a common experience when hiking in the mountains. During the years that I hiked, rocks became a common feature on the trails I traveled. Sometimes they slowed me down significantly. 

Getting to one of my favorite destinations required passing over a mountain appropriately named Rocky Mountain. Especially in the winter months, I had to choose my steps carefully. Rocks were wet, and water turned to ice during the cold months. These same wet rocks attract algae in the summer months, making them as slippery as when they are coated with ice. 

But rocks are also advantageous. When on a steep incline of a particularly high mountain, rocks provide firm footing that soil itself doesn’t give, making the climb easier. 

Using a metaphor, David said his God was a rock. Certain characteristics of God reminded David of rocks, which he was no doubt familiar with. He had been a shepherd who allowed sheep to graze in fields dotted by rocks. 

I’ve discovered the same truth as David did. Like a rock, God remains when others walk out. Large boulders are immovable without heavy equipment or geographical upheavals. Likewise, we can depend on God to be there when others aren’t. He will never disappoint. Rockslides are common in the mountains, but God is not like any of those rocks that were dislodged by water, construction, or tremors. He remains steadfast.

Like a solid rock, God also provides better footing for life. When we stand on a relationship with him and the principles of his Word, our life footing is solid. Even when troubles and trials come, he gives the footing of grace, wisdom, and faith to press on without bitterness, anger, and frustration. 

Like many rocks, there is more of God than we ever see. The bulk of many rocks is underground. The evidence of God’s work is never as apparent as what is happening. He is forever behind the scenes, molding us into the image of Christ and working for our good. In tragedies, crises, and tough times, he may seem hidden, but never is. 

Let God be the rock in your life. He will never disappoint you but will provide the stability you need for every life event. 

Father, be the rock of refuge I run to and upon which I stand. 

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.

Salmon Patties

 

Ingredients

1 LARGE CAN SALMON

2 EGGS

1 TABLESPOON VINEGAR

1 TABLESPOON CORNMEAL

1 TABLESPOON SELF-RISING FLOUR

SALT/PEPPER

Directions

DEBONE AND CLEAN SKIN FROM SALMON.

ADD OTHER INGREDIENTS AND MIX WELL.

FRY IN HOT OIL.

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.

The Power of One - Martin Wiles

God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14 NLT

Who knew one CD could change the entire service? 

Our music leader was off for the day. My wife had spent hours putting music together, meeting with the sound technicians, and practicing with the praise team. Sunday morning arrived, and we were excited about the service—until the CD with all the music they planned to use to sing wasn’t in the case. 

Since it was three minutes before services began, my wife’s mind went into shock. She had obviously left the CD in her laptop—which was at home, ten miles away. Getting it wasn’t an option. In a three-minute span, she and the sound techs dug up a few praise songs, and the pianist suggested a couple of hymns. 

Although the service got off to a rocky start—the praise team hadn’t practiced the songs, and my wife’s voice cracked because of seasonal crud—the Spirit of God soon took over and fixed what appeared to be broken. The power of one CD had been trumped by the power of One more powerful. 

Moses experienced the power of One when God instructed him to go before a foreign king and tell him that I AM had sent him to deliver his people from four hundred years of slavery. 

The power of one can be devastating, disturbing, and mind-boggling. One statement from a doctor, “You have cancer.” One call from the boss, “I need to see you in the office immediately.” One text from a girlfriend or boyfriend, “I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” One call from the police, “Your child has been in a bad accident.” One visit from the military chaplain and an officer, “We’re sorry to inform you that your daughter has been killed in action.” The list of ones is endless … and so is the pain they can bring. 

Just as God took over the failed service my wife had planned and soundly defeated the enemy’s effort to quench the moving of God’s Spirit, so he can do the same with any life situation we tackle. He is sovereign. Nothing happens outside of his control. His plans are always better than mine and can never be thwarted by the tactics of Satan. 

Whatever God brings out of the one apparently bad thing will always be better. Trust him to control your one thing. 

Father, I believe you have power over the one thing that seems to have power over me. 

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.

Do This in Remembrance - Abigail Skelton

He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19 NIV

Growing up, there was an inscription on the communion table at my church: “Do this in remembrance of me.” It felt very solemn, and as a child, I often feared that if I didn't remember Jesus while taking communion, something terrible would happen. Perhaps God would strike me down.

Even though I’m thankful God has yet to strike me down, I do think there is a certain reverence often missing in communion. We get used to going through the motions and forget to remember the life that Jesus lived, to be thankful that he was our sacrifice, to dream of spending eternity with him. We say we want more of Jesus in the songs we sing, but we are often too busy for communing with him throughout the day.

In the Old Testament, sacrifices were extremely messy. The worshiper became vulnerable when bringing their first fruits to the Lord. What if the worshiper couldn’t provide food for their family? And even if they had enough, they probably had some attachment to the animal. To sacrifice the creature that had been living alongside them would hurt.

And yet Jesus turned this painful, messy altar into a table, a place of feasting, where we joyously lay down our sin and cling to the promise of forgiveness. The blood and the body become a symbol not of the horror of the sacrifice but of the hope and redemption that we have in Jesus.

Let’s remember Jesus more in our daily lives, not just during communion. Let’s look forward to when he comes again, waiting with the same fervency as we wait for the weekend, a vacation, or the return of a loved one. 

Jesus is the one who is worthy of all our time and reverence—now and into eternity.

Abigail Skelton is from beautiful Southern Oregon, where she grew up with an avid love for Jesus, chocolate, and writing. She has lived in three countries while involved in missionary work and frequently travels and studies foreign languages. You can connect with Abigail on her website: https://abigailskelton.com.

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.

Finish Well - Martin Wiles

He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. John 13:1 NLT

I knew I was leaving, but I had a job to do. 

Working in a textile mill wasn’t on my list of places to work when I moved to Greenwood, South Carolina. Greenwood was a textile city with mills scattered all over the town and in surrounding towns. But I ended up where I didn’t want to work and, for the next three years, endured the noise and dust of the weave room. 

Then a layoff and call-back placed me in another department. Within a few months, I was promoted to third shift overseer. I was also hearing God’s call into full-time ministry, which meant leaving for college. I was excited about the venture ahead—and about leaving the job I disliked. But my parents had instilled in me a strict work ethic, so I finished well by doing my best until the last minute I was on the clock. 

Jesus did too. The Father gave him a job: coming to a sin-cursed world, demonstrating how God wanted people to live, inviting people to trust him as Savior and receive his forgiveness, and finally dying on a cross for the world’s sins. 

Although he felt fear and anxiety over how his life would end—even asking the Father if they could do it some other way—he finished well by obeying the Father’s plan. As his followers, Jesus also wants us to finish his work well—loving, sharing, and serving others in his name until the end of our lives or until he returns. 

Finishing well involves doing the right thing. Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it’s the definition of integrity and manifests itself in a person of character. We can finish our task well when others are looking or if it’s a part of our job description, but integrity means finishing well when no one is looking. Just because it’s the right thing to do. 

Finishing well also entails perseverance. Persevering is sometimes complicated. It takes energy we don’t seem to have, wisdom we don’t appear to possess, courage we can’t seem to muster, and obedience we sometimes don’t want to give. God, however, can provide all of this and more so we can move ahead to the finish line. 

Don’t stop short of doing your best for God. Trust him to help you finish well.

Father, give me the grace, courage, faith, and stamina to finish well for you. 

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.

Sausage and Cheese Rolls

Ingredients

1 POUND HOT SAUSAGE

1 LARGE BLOCK VELVETTA CHEESE

2 PACKS OF DINNER ROLLS (YOUR CHOICE)

Directions

COOK AND DRAIN SAUSAGE.

MIX CHEESE UNTIL MELTED.

PLACE IN ROLLS AND SERVE.

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.