Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Casting off the Staff

God called him to a seemingly impossible task and equipped with him with what appeared an inadequate tool.

His mother saved him from certain childhood death by constructing a small basket and placing him afloat in a river. A princess discovered him and temporarily returned him to his mother for weaning. Later, he was returned to the palace to be reared in royalty.

But he never forgot his people or how they were being mistreated. When he killed an enemy who was beating one of his relatives, the king put a death sentence on his head. Read more...

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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

Thousands of people are at the wrong place at the wrong time every day.

As I listen to the latest news’ headlines while eating breakfast, I hear about people who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. 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 at the wrong place at the wrong time. Minding his own business as he hobbles in from the countryside, he is accosted by Roman soldiers leading Jesus to Calvary to crucify Him. By this time, Jesus is struggling because of the persecution He has endured. Rather than fool with His inability to move faster, the soldiers enlist someone to carry the cross for Him.

But 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. 

Though Simon worshiped the God of the Jews, this experience likely led him to faith in Jesus Christ. By carrying 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—though it may not have looked so.

God has the habit of placing me in what appears to be wrong places at the most inconvenient times.

Later, I discover these times and places are just where I need to be to learn important lessons that propel me forward in my spiritual growth. From God’s perspective, there is never a wrong place or a wrong time. He guides my steps and forms my image after His, just as the potter does the clay vessel. As with Simon, if I’m perceptive, He’ll put me exactly where I need to be. 

Don’t fear the events of the day. 

Instead, trust God to put you exactly where He needs you to experience all He has in store for you.

Prayer: Father, give us faith that You will place us exactly where we need to be during the course of our lifetimes. 

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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 be disappointing. 

I’m not a fruit inspector—at least not by profession. But I do inspect fruit before I purchase 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, has the ability to trick me. I recall one bag of black grapes I bought. They had all the appearances of being ripe and sweet, but when I popped the first one in my mouth, it was sour. So was the entire bunch. Since grapes don’t ripen once removed from the vine, I had to throw them away. I’ve purchased a few watermelons and cantaloupes that fooled me also. Unlike grapes, however, they will continue to ripen, so if I’m patient I’ll eventually experience a good taste. 

Jesus instructed me to be a fruit inspector, whether I get paid for it or not. 

Just as some fruits appear to be ripe but aren’t, some people will appear to be Jesus’ disciples but will actually be false teachers—wolves in sheep’s clothing. 

Jesus’ admonition reminds me I have the capability to deceive others. 

Through my actions, emotions, words, and attitudes, I have the power to portray my identity, but I can also disguise my identity by those same means. When I curtail them to fit a certain situation or display certain ones when around specific people, I define myself as someone particular—genuine or hypocritical. 

God has the ability to know my heart. 

I do too. I may succeed in fooling others about my true identity, but in my heart I know whether I’m being true to my inner self. So does God. That’s why He pricks my conscience when the two don’t match up. He doesn’t want me leading others astray; nor does He want me fooling myself. Not only must I inspect others’ fruit, but I also must inspect mine. 

Cultivating my vine through spiritual disciplines so I’ll bear more fruit—that’s ripe, sweet, and delicious, is vital. 

When others inspect me, I want them to find abundant good fruit, but I don’t want them to discover hypocrisy. 

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

Prayer: Father, may the fruit we produce show others we are Your children.

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Inconvenienced for Jesus

Inconvenienced? Yes, but worth enduring because of the pleasure it brought. 

Camping in the backcountry carries many inconveniences, among them acquiring water. Securing water is not actually the major hassle; making it safe to drink is. Most water sources are contaminated, and consuming it unpurified puts one at major risk for illness. Several methods are available: boiling, iodine tablets, and filtering. The most convenient way…but one that carries a small risk, is pumping it through a filtering system. This renders it immediately drinkable and leaves no aftertaste. Read more...

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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 extremely 
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 is able to forgive makes it easier to request His forgiveness. 

If His forgiveness is based on my ability to compensate for bad things I’ve done, I’ll never receive it. But God’s forgiveness is based on Jesus’ work on the cross, not my 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 I ask and believe.

God’s forgiveness has no limit—other than the limit I place on it by not asking.

When Jesus told Peter the disciple that he should forgive someone seventy times seven times if they asked, He was offering 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.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for Your willingness to forgive when we come to You in repentance. 

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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 30 years before was somewhat of a surreal experience.

Five candidates and I were instructed to sit directly 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. Though the doctrine and governing style between the two denominations was slightly different, the ordination process was similar—yet still touching. 

The bishop instructed us on the seriousness of the process and related what its purpose was. 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 was his persecution of Christians before he met the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. 

Paul 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.

Prior to 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 my good works, but I will want to do them when Jesus has entered my life. He is my example, and studying His life reveals that He spent the majority of His time serving others. 

Christianity is somewhat ironic. 

God promises persecution, but He also promises peace and abundance. 

In the midst of trying circumstances and persecution, I can find peace, joy, and fulfillment by taking my eyes off myself and putting servant hands on others. 

Give God your best by obeying Him and serving others.

Prayer: Father, as You have given Your best for us, prompt us to give our best for You.

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Feeling Dirty

Five days had passed, and I couldn’t wait to slither into a nice hot shower.

Only once in my life have I been more than two days without bathing. But presently my daughter and I were on a five-day backpacking trip, and the only water available was for drinking and cooking-not washing. While we wiped down each evening, these “piggy baths” didn’t completely remove the dirt and sweat we accumulated from trudging over mountains. We felt more than a little dirty by the time we were through. Read more...

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Choice Not Destiny - Martin Wiles

So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 NLT

With a grunt and a heavy sigh, he asked, “Do we have to do this?”

Teaching students who have little interest in learning is challenging. I know; I do it five days a week with a handful of students who could care less about school.

One student comes in every morning just before the late bell rings with a look on his face that says, “I just got out of bed, and I really have no desire to be here.” Five hours later when he arrives in my class, his attitude hasn’t changed much. Now he’s tired of the work he has been doing for the last five hours. When he asks if he has to do a particular assignment, I say, “Yes.” The law dictates that he attend school, and the school dictates the curriculum he must pass to move from one grade to the next.

Sin sometimes feels like a dreaded assignment I have to do, but Paul says otherwise. As a believer, I should consider myself dead to sin and alive to Christ. 

The questions, “Do I have to complete this assignment,” and “Do I have to sin” are similar, yet different. The answer to the first is “Yes,” and “No.” Yes if you want credit, no if you don’t. Whether I have to sin depends on my situation as well. 

If I’m a believer and have the presence of God’s Spirit empowering me, then no I don’t have to sin. 

Sinning is a choice, but it’s not my destiny. 

If I haven’t trusted Christ as my Savior, then yes I do have to sin. My nature controls it, and I have no one to help me avoid it. As a believer, I choose to sin. 

God doesn’t tempt me; Satan does. 

God will give me the power to say no regardless of what the temptation is. And He will never allow the temptation to be so great that I’ll be able to say, “I had to sin.” 

My destiny is purity and holiness. 

While this won’t be achieved completely until I’m in heaven, I can make great strides toward that state of existence while on earth when I allow God Spirit to control my decisions and desires.

Let God give you the power to choose holiness and purity.

Prayer: Father, help us understand that sinning is a choice and that You can give us the power to say “No” to any temptation. 

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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 1800’s and is in excellent condition. Knowing the man who once had this book in his library—as well as seeing the sticker that says it was once housed 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 of time. 

My favorite pastime at night is kicking back in my recliner with a good book. Working two jobs and helping with grandkids has made this more difficult, but I still yearn for those few moments when I can dive into 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 will wear out.

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

Among my old book collection are a number 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, one day they will deteriorate completely or someone will discard them. 

But Bibles deteriorating and being thrown away doesn’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 presently “wrong” because of historical changes, but God’s Word will forever remain right. 

And anything that is perfect possesses the capacity to revive my soul. 

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

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving us a lasting perfect Word that can transform our lives and revive our souls. 

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

No Room for Christ

“No Vacancy.” I’ve seen the glaring red sign silhouetted against a pitch-dark mountain sky as my wife and I experienced the consequences of “We’ll just wait until we get there and make reservations” thinking. How were we supposed to know a special event was occurring and every motel and hotel in town would be gorged? Mary and Joseph felt our pain. Read more...

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Dealing with Despair - Martin Wiles

There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. 1 Kings 19:9 NLT

Both men dealt with despair by overcoming it rather than succumbing to it. 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was President of the United States of America during the worse economical time the country had ever experienced. Through programs he spearheaded, the country was eventually able to recover. 

Roosevelt's large memorial in Washington, DC, depicts some of the incidents associated with his presidency. In one area, a man sits beside the radio waiting to hear what became known as “Fireside Chats.” In another, several men line up in front of a building, representing the thousands who stood in “bread lines” waiting for government help. And in still another, a caped Roosevelt sits in his wheelchair, reminding us that his handicap didn’t deter him from carrying out his presidential obligations. 

The Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial is another testimony of one who didn’t give in to despair. His statue is attached to a large piece of stone that has emerged from a mountain, splitting the mountain in half. Despair for him could have easily come from dealing with the thousands who weren’t interested in giving African-Americans or other minority groups their equal rights. 

Unlike Roosevelt and King, Elijah let despair overtake him. After a major defeat over pagan prophets, he had a death sentence placed on his head by the wicked queen. With despair engulfing him, Elijah ran for his life until he finally took refuge in a cave. Then God asked him what he was doing there. 

Despair is never a God-originated emotional state. 

If I’m feeling despair, Satan is capitalizing on an unpleasant situation or relationship I’m experiencing. His goal is to make me doubt God’s goodness or ability to help me face my circumstances. 

While God doesn’t always remove situations that could lead to despair, He doesn’t expect me to give in to it either. 

If I’ll respond with trust and obedience, He’ll teach me valuable lessons through the experience and also protect me from the damaging effects despair can have. Until God prodded him, Elijah had given up. 

Despair will lead me to the same place unless I trust God to show me how to use the lessons. 

When I do, they will propel me beyond the potentially despairing circumstances. 

Rather than letting despair debilitate you, let God show you the way around and through it. 

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving us the power to endure and overcome circumstances without giving in to despair. 

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