Axing Anxiety - Martin Wiles

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. I Peter 5:7 NLT

“Your wife and daughter have been in a wreck.” 

Frank listened to the voicemail. Anxiety rose in his throat. He and his brother had been hiking in a place with no cell phone reception. He could see he had voice mails but couldn’t listen to them. As soon as they left and reached a place where reception was possible, he dialed *86. But he wasn’t prepared for what he heard. 

Two hours stretched between him and the hospital where he needed to go. All types of thoughts meandered through his mind as he drove. He attempted to place matters in God’s hands, but it didn’t seem to be working. His gut wrenched, his mind raced, and his hands oozed. 

Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as he imagined. His daughter only bent her glasses, but his wife broke a foot and crushed a wrist. Frank discovered his anxiety hadn’t changed a thing.  

Peter wrote to first-century Christians who were suffering miserably for their faith. He encouraged them to give their cares to God because He cared about what they were facing. 

Peter’s encouragement is still appropriate 20 centuries later. God cares about what happens to His children. Sure, I sometimes wonder why He allows certain things to happen if He cares so much, but that’s not for me to know. He is God; I am not. Since He is loving and kind, I can trust His heart even when I can’t see the reason behind what He does or allows. 

I’ve learned being anxious won’t solve anything either. Anxiety didn’t undo the wreck Frank’s daughter and wife had. It won’t undo the effects of a natural disaster nor stymie the blows of a bully. Neither will it put money in my bank account for monthly bills. 

In fact, anxiety impairs my judgment. An anxious mind can’t make good decisions. Anxiety will lead me to unhealthy habits in an attempt to soothe my troubled feelings or to unwise decisions in an effort to undo what has been done. 

Believing God cares about what we’re facing will replace the anxiety with peace. Peace that can’t be explained or understood, but peace nevertheless. When we take our needs to God, He transforms the anxiety into peace—regardless of the nature of our circumstances. 

Have you learned the art of axing anxiety?

Prayer: Father, soothe our anxious moments with the assurance of Your love and control. 

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A Bridge to God - Martin Wiles

That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. Hebrews 4:14 NLT

Dams burst, bridges crumbled, interstates closed, and roads washed away. 

October 3-4, 2015, was a historic weekend in South Carolina. A low pressure system moving through the Southeastern section of the country tapped into moisture from a hurricane off the Eastern coast, providing the ideal setup for floodwaters not seen in 1,000 years. Schools were closed, emergency personnel called out, and National Guard members activated. Some areas received over 20 inches of rain. One member of a road repair crew was swept away in his vehicle as the bridge he crossed disappeared beneath him. 

Bridges are placed strategically because they are needed. Transportation departments work rigorously to ensure their dependability since they cross bodies of water—some small and some not so small. Some perch only a few feet above the water they traverse while others languish hundreds of feet above the canyons they cross. Regardless of how long or high they are, their purpose is clear: they help us get to the other side. 

Often when a bridge is out, there is an alternate route to reach my destination. Not so with God. The author maintains Jesus is our High Priest who has bridged the gap to God. Sin created the gap long ago when Adam and Eve chose to disobey the one restriction God placed upon them. Their descendants have suffered the consequences of their bad choice—all being born with a bent toward sin. 

Jesus said of Himself that He was the only way to God—the only bridge. Good works won’t take me across the bridge, no matter how meritorious they are. There aren’t enough good works to place God under obligation to save me. Knowledge of His existence—and even His Word, won’t help me traverse the bridge either. The demons—and Satan himself, know it as well. Having affection for Him doesn’t work either. And I surely can’t buy my way there. 

God has designed that nothing short of faith in His Son’s death and resurrection will enable me to bridge the gap to Him. All other efforts will cause the bridge beneath me to collapse. 

Are you crossing a reliable bridge in your journey to God?

Prayer: Father, we acknowledge Jesus Christ as the only bridge to You. 

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Lifelong Productivity

Spring. Trees budding. Flowers blooming. Freshly plowed fields embedded with fruit-bearing seed. Youthful vigor. The sun’s warming rays. Life at its finest. Invincibility. 

Summer. Unbearable heat. Incipient fruit dangling from trees awaiting fall. Busyness. Too much to do and too little time to do it in. Misplaced priorities. Mislaid focus. Life is good. Read more...

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Making Love Last - Martin Wiles

Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Hebrews 13:4 NLT

He was the picture of faithfulness, but he carried a fake ID hiding a dark secret.

Frank was a dedicated church member and faithful husband—or so it appeared. He and his wife had moved back to their hometown after his retirement from the military. They immediately joined their old church and went to work. Frank held a number of positions, among them chairman of deacons. 

Several years after their return, Frank’s dark secret came out after it was discovered that he and the preacher’s wife were having an affair. This wasn’t his first. Unfaithfulness had happened before with another friend’s wife, which was why they had chosen to re-locate. As with the prior incident, Frank’s wife decided to remain with him. But they would change locations again and start over. Perhaps, this time it would be different. 

According to statistics, many don’t take the high view of marriage God does. Certainly, there are occasions when God gives permission for the marriage to dissolve. He allows it for adultery—although He doesn’t command it, and He certainly doesn’t expect a partner to risk their lives or their children’s lives by staying in an abusive situation. 

If I’m going to make love last, I must define marriage as God does. Ideally, it is for a lifetime: “until death do you part.” Unfaithfulness and abuse may rob one partner of that pleasure, but it should at least be the intent when taking marriage vows. 

Faithfulness is a must for love to last. For God to make unfaithfulness an allowance for divorce shows how seriously He considers faithfulness. Not only faithfulness to the other spouse but also faithfulness to everything necessary to keep a marriage strong: faithfulness to serving God together, faithfulness to equality in the marriage, and faithfulness to helping each other with family chores. 

Remaining faithful in marriage also means preparing for temptation. Temptations to unfaithfulness abound. Satan loves nothing better than to destroy homes. He knows the lifelong havoc this can inflict. Unfaithfulness is the big home wrecker. Time in the Word, time in prayer, and time with my spouse will help keep temptation away so I can remain faithful. 

Are you working diligently to make love last in your marriage?

Prayer: Father, turn our eyes toward You for wisdom to make our marriages strong. 

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God’s Grasshoppers - Martin Wiles

We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. We felt like grasshoppers next to them, and that’s what we looked like to them. Numbers 13:33 NLT

Quan was struggling with a foreboding sense of insignificance. 

Quan's people were celebrating a feast for their gods. They didn’t want them to send evil spirits to punish them. Quan, however, wasn’t participating. He would rather spend time with the local Christian missionaries, the Folicks. They had arrived on his island two years ago to tell his people about a greater God. Only a few listened. Quan was one of them. His life had radically changed, but he felt insignificant. What could one person do to influence the actions of so many? 

Joshua and Caleb no doubt felt insignificant as well. Among twelve spies Moses had sent to spy out the Promised Land, they were the only two who returned with a favorable report. Yes, the cities were walled, and yes, the people were fierce, but they had God on their side. They could conquer the land. God rewarded their diligence. Joshua was chosen to lead the new generation of Israelites into the Promised Land, and Caleb was given a parcel of land. 

I—like Quan, Joshua, and Caleb—have felt the creeping fingers of insignificance. I listen to media sources, and it appears evil is overwhelming good. What can I possibly do to stem the flow? Christians are in a minority, and I circulate in a very small part of the world. How much of an influence could I possibly exert?

Lack of trust will keep me feeling helpless, and this is exactly where Satan would love for me to camp. God, on the other hand, wants my faith. Faith—even as small as a mustard seed—can move mountains because it is placed in the One who has the ability to shift them. I can do great things because the One who lives in me is greater than the One who lives in the world. What appears small to me, He can use to make a major impact. 

One thing we have that Quan, Joshua, and Caleb knew nothing about is technology. With the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger, we can send the gospel—along with spiritual encouragement, across the world. 

Think of one way you can use your technology to overcome feelings of insignificance. 

Prayer: Father, when we feel insignificant, remind us who we truly are in Jesus Christ. 

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Hearing God’s Will

“I think you should be a preacher,” a fellow parishioner kindly remarked. But how would he know? 

I heard the same thing from God when I was about twelve years old, but years of running had clouded his voice. After all, can a middle schooler really discern God’s plan? When a co-worker made the same statement, I began to wonder if God was telling others what I wasn’t hearing. After all, this particular person didn’t know my present situation or past history. Eventually, I determined they were right, but had I not listened I may have missed God’s plan. Read more...

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Settling for Less - Martin Wiles

And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. James 4:3 NLT

We settled for less because we didn’t know we could have had more. 

My wife and I sat across the table from a couple I’d soon help renew their wedding vows. Since we hadn’t seen them in quite some time, we enjoyed catching up on each other’s lives. Most of the conversation centered on grandchildren. Then we finalized the details of the renewal ceremony. They had been together 25 years and wanted to celebrate. When the waitress stopped by, we placed our orders. My wife ordered her usual: chicken fingers. 

When our meal was over, I heard the husband whisper to the waitress, “Bring me the check.” My wife and I both protested, but to no avail. Then being the comic she is, my wife quipped, “I should have ordered ribs.” Our host replied, “You should have.” We settled for less when we could have had more. 

Obviously, we’re not the only ones who do that—and not just with a meal someone buys for us. James indicates my entire life experiences paucity simply because I don’t ask God to make it any better or because the motives with which I ask are tainted. 

Lack of faith that God can actually deliver what I want or need will result in living without those things. God wants me to ask to demonstrate my dependence on Him. He’s promised to give me those things I need to survive and do His will, but He wants me to request them nevertheless. When I bring my prayers and supplications to Him, I experience a growth spurt in my faith. He doesn’t need the info; I just need the practice. He will give me the courage to step out in faith to do whatever He instructs me to do.

Living with less also occurs when I ask for things outside God’s will. Learning the difference between wants and needs is essential if I want to receive those things I pray for. I have the ability to know God’s mind. What He wants to give me are life essentials—food, clothing, drink—and the things I’ll need to accomplish His plan for my life. All I have to do is ask. 

Don't settle for chicken when you could be enjoying ribs.

Prayer: Father, increase our faith so we won’t settle for less than You want to give us. 

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Giving Up the Right to Understand - Martin Wiles

Take your son, your only son…and to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains. Genesis 22:2 NLT

Pete was obeying God. Why was life falling apart?

The events unfolded slowly at first, and then with rapidity. Pete had answered God’s call a number of years before. Now events with enough explosive power to derail all that were taking place. Although the circumstances weren’t his fault, they were also beyond his control. Decisions had been made that would affect the rest of his life. He saw a resignation in his future. He saw other churches not wanting to call him as pastor. He didn’t understand why God was allowing this.  

Depression stalked Pete for more than a year after the ground completely moved from beneath him. Not until he gave up his right to understand was he able to finally move forward into other areas God opened for him. 

Peter was forced to do what Abraham had to do. God promised him a son through whom millions of descendants would come. Now he was asking him to sacrifice that same son. How in the world would the descendants come if the son was dead? But he didn’t question God. He had enough faith to believe God could resurrect his son. 

God promises to love me unconditionally, to use me in His service, to gift me with talents and special abilities, and to work all things together for my good, but He never promises I’ll understand all the ways He’ll work to accomplish that. Pete didn’t, Abraham didn’t, I haven’t, and millions of others haven’t either. 

A crucial element of following and serving God is giving up the right to understand His ways. By faith, I believe He is working to form me more each day into His Son’s image. By faith, I trust that what comes out on the other side will be spiritually healthier than what’s on this side. If I could always understand God, I’d be like God…and I’m not. 

Following God is a journey of faith which includes rarely understanding what He’s doing and why. When we give up this right, it frees Him to do things in and through us He could never accomplish otherwise. 

Let God be God whether you understand Him or not.

Prayer: Father, give us faith to trust You regardless of how things appear. 

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Friendship’s Power

U-Hauls, moving vans, pick-ups, loaded cars, and farm trucks. All familiar items. My father’s profession-along with his uncertainty over whether God wanted him to be a pastor or full-time evangelist, made frequent moves a normal and unpleasant element of my childhood.

One recent morning, I lay in bed struggling with how many friends’ full names I could recall from my pre-high school graduation years. Finally, I managed to construct the names of five friends from high school but came up empty-handed when I reflected on the prior years. Read more...

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Determination Delivers - Martin Wiles

He would call out from his bedroom, “Don’t bother me. The door is locked, and we are all in bed. I can’t help you this time.” Luke 11: 7 NLT

They were our next door neighbors, and they loved Christmas. 

The first church I pastored was a small congregation located several miles out in the country. Our next door neighbors were a retired pastor and his family. Though it was only him, his wife, and their adult daughter, they had a large extended family. When the Christmas holidays arrived, so did all the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. 

The old farmhouse was spacious but not enough for each of them to have their own rooms and beds. No problem. They loved family, wanted them there, and stacked them on the floor like cordwood. Getting up at night for a visit to the bathroom or kitchen could be treacherous. But no one complained. They enjoyed being together for the holidays and wouldn’t have thought about holding up in a motel. Determination to be together led them to re-arrange the house so all could find a place to sleep.  

The friend who had a friend visit at midnight in search of food for a friend who had showed up at his house met a similar scenario. Getting up would have meant disturbing his wife, kids, and animals. But the knocking friend wouldn’t go away or take no for an answer. His determination won the day…and the food. 

Determination demonstrates my sincerity and moves me forward in God’s work. The midnight caller was determined to find food for his friend who had called at a late hour. Societal rules demanded this courtesy. Had this friend refused him, he would have tried another. Our neighbors were equally determined to find room for their large family. When I’m determined, I’ll do more for God, not less, and He won’t have to beg me to work for Him. 

Determination is usually met with rewards. It was for the friend at midnight. Now he wouldn’t have to return to his house and cook for this midnight caller. Although our determination is sometimes overlooked in life, God says He will reward our faithful, sincere service now and in the hereafter. 

God is determined to carry out His plan for our lives and this world. He wants us to be equally determined to do our best for Him. How determined are you in your work for God?
  
Prayer: Father, increase our determination to do our best for You. 

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Harder Than It Has to Be - Martin Wiles

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 NLT

“I can’t believe I didn’t think of that earlier. I made it so hard,” my wife said. 

A pastor friend and I lounged at our favorite fast food restaurant, shooting the breeze while our wives walked next door to a local retail store. My friend had lost a lot of weight due to recent health problems and needed a pair of pants that actually fit him. 

Our wives returned and plopped down beside us. Mine immediately took out a fingernail file and began working on a pocketbook that looked unfamiliar. It should have. It belonged to her friend. Fabric had caught in the zipper, and it was stuck fast. After the nail file rendered no success, my wife asked for my knife. She cut a few slices to no avail. Following 10 minutes of struggling with a stubborn zipper, she inserted the fingernail file between the zipper, and it immediately separated. With a sigh and laugh, she realized how difficult she had made something so simple. 

My friend and I, on the other hand, thought of grace. Paul had experienced it, taught it, and lived it. He was a legalist to the core before meeting Christ. His life had been about following all the rules—even ones Christ hadn’t given. Now it was about freedom. 

Grace is freeing, just as the contents of the pocketbook were by the separated zipper. My wife attempted to approach the problem in the normal way—unzip the zipper, when all she had to do was open the pocketbook another way. 

Grace is the other way…the only way. When I place my faith in Christ, His grace forgives my sins and frees me from their chains. Now I can do what I couldn’t before: obey His commands. 

Grace, however, isn’t a license to live recklessly. If I think I don’t have to worry about sin anymore because Christ has forgiven mine, I misunderstood grace. When I truly understand what grace cost God—the life of His Son, I’ll want to please Him by staying as far away from sinful situations as possible. Holiness will be my marching order. 

Have you experienced the freeing power of God’s grace? If so, show your appreciation through obedience. 

Prayer: Father, thank You for making it so easy to run into Your loving arms. 

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Avoiding Evil

Centralia, Pennsylvania, a borough located in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, is a ghost town by association.

In 1981, Centralia boasted a population of one thousand, but by 2010 only ten survivors remained. All property was claimed under eminent domain in 1992 and the town buildings condemned.  The Postal Service revoked the town’s zip code in 2002, and the governor ordered formal evictions in 2009. Why this sad story? A 50-year-old fire beneath the town makes it dangerous to live there-a fire that has now extended to nearby Byrnesville causing its inhabitants to leave as well. Read more...

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Cheese Cake - Michelle Wiles

EASY CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

2 BOXES JELLO CHEESECAKE MIX 

  

8 OUNCES CREAM CHEESE

8 OUNCES COOL WHIP

3 CUPS MILK

Directions

IN A MIXING BOWL WHIP CREAM CHEESE UNTIL SMOOTH.

ADD CHEESECAKE MIX TO CREAM CHEESE. 

MIX WELL UNTIL IT FORMS A BALL. 

GRADUALLY ADD MILK UNTIL BLENDED.

FOLD IN COOL WHIP AND PLACE IN A PAN.

REFRIGERATE UNTIL READY TO SERVE. 

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