Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Revenge’s Dead End

He and I were good friends, but now I was getting the cold shoulder.

In spite of our age difference, Ray* and I clicked. He planted my garden, helped me pick up trash along the road, visited with me, and was an all-around good friend. Until I made my cardinal mistake. His sister died, and I wasn’t there for him. I had no excuse; I was busy, stressed, and in selfish mode. My apology was met with a scowl and a gruff, “It’s a little late now.” Not, “It’s okay. I forgive you. We all make mistakes.” Just, “It’s too late.” As a result of his stubbornness, I had a few vengeful thoughts toward him. Read more...

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Choosing the Right Weapons - Martin Wiles

“I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. 1 Samuel 17:39-40 NLT

Choosing the right weapons can make the difference between a victory and a loss. 

Hunting squirrels was the first type of hunting my father taught me. While some hunted them with .22 rifles, we chose shotguns. We left before daylight, strolled through the woods with our flashlights—shining the beams up into the trees to look for nests, and then picked a tree to sit beneath and wait. Just before the first rays of light penetrated the hard wood forests, the cries began. As soon as we saw the shapes of the trees against the intruding light, the squirrels began scampering from their nests. We were there to welcome them with lead. Had we chosen bows and arrows, I doubt we would have bagged much—if any, game. 

Young shepherd-boy David was successful for the same reason. While the Israelite army cowered in fear before the Philistine giant Goliath, Dave said, “Let me at him.” He was too small for the king’s armor. He chose five smooth stones instead. All he needed was one. 

Believers are in a spiritual battle with Satan and his army of demons. God tells us to put on the whole armor of God so we’ll be prepared. He also assures us no battle will be more intense than we can handle with the help of His Spirit’s power in us. We are already more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

David chose smooth stones. Perhaps he took five in case he needed the others for more Philistines or in case he needed more than one to do Goliath in. As believers, the stones we should choose include confidence, righteous anger, courage, and a firm handle on the truth. 

We fight with confidence because God is on our side and greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. If we neglect righteous indignation over sin, we won’t even see the need to fight the battles. We march forward with courage, for the battle is the Lord’s. We also step into battle with truth because it is truth that sets us free. 

What stones have you chosen to fight your battles with? 

Prayer: Father, we ask for the right weapons so that we might be victorious in our spiritual battles.

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Models of Christ - Martin Wiles

And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Titus 2:7 NLT

Every male friend I had seemed to enjoy it, but somehow I didn’t share their enthusiasm. 

When I was a pre-teen, putting together model cars was the in thing. Most of my male friends did it and seemed to love it. I would look at the shelves lined with model cars of various styles, shapes, models, and prices and wonder how someone could get so excited. I suppose most young men wanted to know how to work on cars. Assembling a model car would give them a chance to learn the various parts of the motor. 

Not wanting to be the odd boy out, I bought one and quickly discovered this wasn’t for me. While the finished product was stylish, getting to that point was difficult. Model car glue and super glue were surely related. Parts had to be placed in the correct spot quickly and with no glue on your fingers. After one shabby attempt, I decided I’d get the snap together type from then on. 

Model cars were impressive when assembled correctly, but mine were a poor representation of the real thing. Paul reminds Titus he was a model to those God had called him to teach. He may have been young, but his good works, teaching, and integrity were to model Christ well. 

Believers are models of Christ. I’m not sure my one cemented together model car was a good representation of the real thing. My life, however, should display a more accurate depiction. Jesus modeled the Father. He said looking at Him was the same as gazing upon the heavenly Father. He was kind, compassionate, empathetic, service minded, conscientious of others’ needs, and firmly grounded in the Word. When tempted, He was armored to resist the fiery darts of Satan. In times of persecution—even death—for His beliefs, He stood firm. 

Constant attention to what kind of models we are is essential. An unfocused mind is a wandering mind—into places, actions, and words that don’t represent Christ well. Distractions will take us where we don’t need to go and in the process distort the model others see. 

Remember how the Christ who put you together appears. Don’t let someone or something glue pieces where they don’t belong. 

Prayer: Father, give us strength to model Your attributes well before others.

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Be Patient

As a teacher, I admit I’m not always as patient as I should be.

A teacher’s day can be bombarded with many patient-robbing episodes. Six questioning hands raised before I’ve finished my first sentence-most have nothing to do with the lesson. A few appear stuck in the up position. Test scores reflect the majority of the class doesn’t comprehend a particular subject matter even though we’ve spent twelve weeks dissecting it. And the muddled chatter keeps me continuously mouthing “Shhhh.”  Read more...

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Pierced for God - Martin Wiles

But suppose your servant says, ‘I will not leave you’…In that case, take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door. After that, he will be your servant for life. Deuteronomy 15:16-17 NLT

They were popular among boys and men at the time, so when my son asked if he could get an earring, I said, “Sure.” After all, I’d make sure he wore it in the right ear. 

His anxiety level was high. We loaded up in the car and made our way to the local mall where we found a piercing pagoda located in the middle. Though only 12, he sat in the chair like a little man and let the attendant jam a needle through his ear lobe. He beamed, and everything seemed well—until we started walking. 

“Dad, I don’t feel so well,” he remarked. I found myself laying him down on a mall bench and retrieving a wet paper towel for his face. 

Six weeks later, it came time to change the stud. Once again, he was excited, having picked out a new earring to install in his ear. This time he didn’t make it to the bench but collapsed on the bathroom floor. Several weeks later—when his ear got infected—he decided he didn’t want an earring after all.

If a Hebrew owned a fellow Hebrew servant for some reason, he was to free him after six years of service. But if the slave loved him and wanted to stay, the master pierced his ear with an awl. He would be his slave forever. 

I’ve never had my ear pierced, but I have had my heart punctured. When I placed my faith in Jesus Christ, I became His forever. He didn’t take an awl and make a hole in my ear, but He did pierce my heart with the presence of His Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit is the Seal that proves I belong to Christ—forever. 

What kept the servant awled to his master was love. What keeps our heart pierced for Christ is the same. No amount of service we can offer can ever repay Him for all He’s done for us. He’s carried our sins away as far as the East is from the West, and He’s buried them in the deepest portions of the ocean—never to be held against us again. 

Has your heart been pierced for Christ? If not, He’s waiting with the awl. 

Prayer: Father, we dedicate ourselves to You…forever. 

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Philosophy Jesus Style - Martin Wiles

And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50

Fundamentalist described my father. Mom I was never sure about. Occasionally, I would pick up vibes that said she disagreed with some of Dad’s philosophy. 

I knew Dad believed faith was the way to God, but the constant emphasis on rules seemed to interfere with what he was attempting to teach me about God. What seeped through was the “thou shalt’s” and the “thou shalt not’s.” When I finally began truly meditating on God’s Word rather than just reading it, I discovered there was more to my relationship with God than obeying a list.  

I doubt the sinful woman who approached Jesus was a church goer. She was considered a “sinner” and probably wouldn’t have been welcome. She wasn’t at this party either, but for some reason Simon the host didn’t throw her out. Perhaps her actions toward Jesus astonished the guests and him so much that they couldn’t speak. Maybe they let her carry out her actions so they could get more proof that Jesus wasn’t truly the Messiah. Either way, she stayed and cried on Jesus’ feet, wiped them with her hair, and anointed them with perfume. 

Jesus rewarded her actions with praise. He didn’t give her a list of things to do when she left if she wanted to be His disciple. He merely recognized her faith and told her to go in peace. She had discovered what the religious leaders thought they had—but hadn’t. Their service to God was like mine when I was young—obeying a list of commands. Jesus went deeper with the woman.

The philosophy of the religious elite of Jesus’ day was plain. One connected to God through numerous rituals and by obedience to hundreds of commands. The result was failure and a lack of peace. By allowing the sinful woman to perform her ritual, Jesus tried to demonstrate their error. His philosophy has to do with repentance and faith. Her actions portrayed her faith, and her faith—not rote obedience to a bunch of rules, saved her. She received what the religious snobs tried so hard but failed to obtain—a 
relationship. 

What philosophy of religion are you following? If it doesn’t include repentance and faith, it will fail you.

Prayer: Father, remind us that the way to You is through faith and repentance.

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

The Power of Encouragement

"God isn’t through with you yet,” he calmly muttered. “He has something else in store.”

My friend’s statement was mounted on top of three years of discouragement and disappointment that were quickly converting into depression. I knew what God wanted me to do-and I had been doing it, but someone else’s distasteful decision had put me where I presently was. I craved obedience to God’s call, but no one was currently calling me to do it. I was thankful for my friend and others like him who flung encouraging words my way during this dry spell in my life’s journey. Had it not been for the encouragement, I may have surrendered to the devastating effects of depression. Read more...

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Jesus to Me - Martin Wiles

Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Luke 7:38 NLT

“Fear God” was a command I often heard in my dad’s sermons. And I did.

Recently, I uncovered the only recorded sermon I have of my dad’s. I had forgotten what a fireball he was when he preached. Most of my memories are of him as a Southern Methodist preacher. He was strict—almost legalistic. Fearing God—literally, was a part of his theology. 

As a child, I took my father’s advice and feared God. Of course, I probably misunderstood the definition of fear at this young age, but I was scared. Scared of committing the wrong sin and having Him annihilate me. Scared I might not make it to heaven after all. Scared I wouldn’t please Him regardless of what I did. A skewed interpretation, but mine nonetheless. And one that didn’t change for a number of years. 

The sinful woman’s view of God must have been quite different than the pugnacious religious leader’s. She pranced into their legalistic religious gathering and marched right up to Jesus. Actually, she fell before Him, anointed His feet with her tears and then oil, and dried them with her hair. How bold. To think, she would march right up to the Son of God and fall before Him. Perhaps she understood more about Him than her snobbish peers. 

Somewhere along the way, my view of God changed as well. No longer was He a far away deity I couldn’t approach. While I still held a healthy fear of Him—after all, He could snuff out my life by issuing a second long command—I came to understand He wasn’t out to get me. Yes, He had standards, and yes, I was obligated to obey them, but He was after a relationship with me. He wanted me to love Him with all my heart and serve Him consistently. 

Fortunately, I avoided the other extreme view of God: that He is like a grandfather and will let me get away with sin. God is a God of discipline, but He is more interested in teaching me than punishing me.

In the person of the Holy Spirit, God is as near as the breath we breathe. He calls us to a holy fear but more so to a loving relationship. 

How is your picture of God affecting your journey with Him?

Prayer: Father, may our fear of You lead us to love You wholeheartedly and serve You diligently.

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Fear Not - Martin Wiles

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. Isaiah 41:10 NLT

I stared at the button that read “Reset Settings,” thinking it might solve my issue. Fear, however, kept me from clicking it. 

Computers seem to have a mind of their own. Sometimes an update will make a change in the way something performs. Or I may accidentally press a key combination and find my computer doing things it’s never done before. 

Recently, mine stopped giving me prompts when I typed in words I’d typed in previously. Not a huge discomfort, but when I’m in a hurry, it’s easier to click on my email than have to type it. Seconds are also saved by clicking on my name rather than having to type it. So I had my IT friend take a gander. After trying a few unsuccessful things, we came to the dreaded “Reset Settings” button. He said, “Click on it.” I feared what might change. He told me not to worry. If it changed something, he could fix it. So I clicked, and all my missing functions reappeared. For a month, I’d been languishing in aggravation when I could have stepped out in faith. 

Fear may be a natural human emotion, but it often gets in the way when serving God. It has stymied God’s people on more than one occasion. Fear led Abraham to lie about his wife. Fear kept Moses from wanting to approach Pharaoh. Fear made Gideon ask for a sign assuring him of God’s presence. Fear made the disciples think they were going to die in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. 

Fear has kept me at bay a few times as well. What would my friends think if I served God instead of the addictions they did? How would I pay my bills if I left everything to attend college and study for the ministry? 

An old saying comforts me: “If God leads you to it, He will lead you through it.” Trite? Maybe. But true nonetheless. God never takes us where He hasn’t already been in His plans. He never asks us to do anything He won’t provide the means and sustenance for us to do. “Fear not” should be our battle cry as we move out into the unknown lands of God’s will. 

Where does God desire to take you that fear won’t let you go?

Prayer: Father, give us courage to follow wherever You lead with the confidence You’ll go before us.

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Sloppy Christians

I’ve tried it a few times but quickly realized it wasn’t for me.

Sloppiness isn’t my forte’. My first attempt was as a teenager. Most of my male friends were sloppy, so I assumed it must be the “in” trait. I heaved dirty clothes onto the floor and bed, and instead of keeping items on my desk neatly arranged, I jumbled them up. For a neat freak Type A teenager, this defined sloppiness. In less than a week, I cleaned up. Read more...

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Just Busting Rocks - Martin Wiles

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 NLT

They were all doing the same thing, but their perspectives were different. 

He lumbered through what appeared to be a construction site. As he came upon one who was busting rocks, he asked, “What are you doing?” 

The worker replied, “I’m busting rocks.” 

He asked another. “I’m working for my family,” he said. 

Then a third, “Sir, what are you doing?”

“I’m building a church,” he replied. 

In fact, they were all busting rocks—the results of which would be used to build a magnificent cathedral. But only one grasped that perspective. For the others, it was just work to pass the day or support a family. 

On God’s construction site, I should never say, “I’m merely busting rocks,” or “I don’t know why I’m here. God wasted His time creating me.” 

Every believer has at least one spiritual gift. Among them are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, discerning of spirits, and mercy. 

How many gifts we have or get may in part be determined by what we do with the one God gives us. God removes what we don’t use but gives more when we’re faithful. Nor does He expect us to use them all the same way. My opportunities are unique.
Even when we have the same opportunities, we use them differently because our personalities vary. 

What gifts we have isn’t nearly as important as what we do with them. Christians aren’t in competition. We are busting rocks for a greater purpose—to advance God’s Kingdom. If we lose sight of that, we’ll lose our excitement in doing His work. Focusing on the end result—the salvation and growth of souls, helps us maintain our perspective. 

Most of us won’t live to see the end result of our work for God. Many of the construction workers died before the cathedral was completed. While wonderful to witness someone being saved or deciding to get serious in their walk with God, we will only see the entire impact of our work when we reach eternity. But we have the confidence that nothing we do in God’s name with the right motive will go unnoticed by Him. 

Are you merely “busting rocks?” If so, let God change your perspective.

Prayer: Father, remind us that whatever we do in Your name is important and will not go unnoticed. 

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Defining Marriage Part 3 - Martin Wiles

And further, you will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21 NLT

“If he wasn’t a preacher, I’d divorce him.”

Martha had been a pastor’s wife longer than she cared to remember. In fact, it seemed like a lifetime. She and John had only been married seven years when he informed her God was calling him into the ministry. She hadn’t bargained for a lifetime of being a preacher’s wife, but what choice did she have? She could leave. That would go against everything she’d been taught about sticking with your spouse through thick and thin. She chose to stay in spite of the many aggravations she had to endure: a husband who worked continuously, church members who were backstabbers and complainers, and children who rebelled against having to move from place to place every few years. 

Successful marriages take mutual submission. For Martha, staying with John was one of those submissions. There have been historical periods when women had no rights and did what their husbands said without question. Society might have accepted that; God never intended it to be that way. Telling his listeners husbands and wives should submit to one another was a radical statement in the Apostle Paul’s day. One sided submission makes for miserable marriages.

God has established guidelines for the partners within the marriage. Children are to obey their parents. Wives are to honor to their husband’s God-given spiritual authority. Men are to step up to the plate and be leaders. They are to love their wives as Christ did the church—enough to die for it. Marriages are successful when we obey God’s guidelines—whether or not society recognizes or endorses them. 

Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. The church is the bride of Christ. Believers submit to Him. He is our head. He promises to care for our every need and never to leave us. Christian marriages reflect the salvation connection to unbelievers. 

Marriage is not for everyone. Some have the gift of celibacy—singleness. And according to Paul, they have more time to serve God. Playing matchmaker is only a good idea if we’re sure the one we’re matching up is supposed to be matched up according to God’s plan for them. 

When God is at the center of marriages, success is possible. Put Him there and see what happens to yours. 

Prayer: Father, we commit our marriages to You. Make them strong so that we might enjoy the partner You have given us.

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Work for Peace

Caressing a plate of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, I plopped into my favorite recliner and turned on the local news channel. Story after story unfolded, each illustrating that peace was absent.

Story one. Israel and Hamas are fighting. Again. Both sides are injecting rockets on each other’s buildings, military personnel and civilians. Other countries are gathering officials in an attempt to broker a truce. Read more...

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