Walk-on Wednesday - Let’s Get Together - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 NLT

Being born the son of a preacher had its advantages and disadvantages.

One of the advantages was having the importance of attending church instilled in me. We belonged to a denomination that held worship services three times each week, and since Dad was the pastor, we went for every service. I had no choice; it was an expectation.

Later, after I left their home, I faced a weighty decision: would I continue to attend church as I had been doing or was this an opportunity for a little freedom from the “You have to go” chains. As much as I sometimes despised being made to go every time the doors were open while I was growing up, I found myself wanting to go. Taking a job that prevented me from doing so was disturbing. Ironically, what I once pulled away from, I was now pulling toward.

Early Christians needed togetherness and encouragement. Persecution was rife. Only by meeting together and garnering strength from each other would they be able to survive. Without this togetherness, they would be tempted to renege on their commitment to Jesus. Going it alone wouldn’t work either. In solitude would also be the temptation to turn away from what the church offered.

Meeting with other believers holds me accountable. Left to myself, I’m tempted to wander onto paths I shouldn’t walk. If no one is looking or walking with me, I may take the road traveled by many others. Letting others tag along increases the chances I’ll stay on the straight and narrow.

Assembling with other Christians provides the encouragement and help we need to move from one day to the next . . . from one mountain to the next . . . from one disaster to the next. Alone, we’ll sink, but with many helping hands we can face the next valley with a different attitude.

Rather than letting life’s difficulties drive you further from the church, let them pummel you toward it. Find your source of strength through togetherness with other Christians.

Prayer: Father, help us find joy and strength by worshiping together. 

Tweetable: Are you getting together with other believers? 

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Meandering Monday - Encouragement’s Magic - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again.

Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24 NLT

Every parent has dreams and aspirations for their first child.

They will change the world . . . make a life-changing invention . . . invent a cure for a deadly disease . . . be world known for their charitable acts. Mine encouraged me to be responsible and fostered it by giving me chores to do. When I came of age, they encouraged me to get a part-time job. This would teach me the value of working for what I wanted and remind me that life’s journey isn’t free. They also encouraged me to have a good credit rating and ensured I would by making me purchase an item on credit when I was a mere sixteen years old. Then there was the encouragement to attend college. This one I bucked initially but later recanted and went. My parents also encouraged me to follow God’s plan for my life. I can’t imagine having grown up without the encouragement to look life squarely in the eyes and be my best.

Early Christians needed encouragement from each other and from their leaders. Persecution was rampant. Many were losing their lives. They had heard Christ would return quickly, but so far, he hadn’t. How could they keep going when there were so many reasons to turn their backs on this supposed Messiah?

One of the best places to find encouragement is at a local church. Here, I find people on a similar journey as I am. They’ve listened to Jesus’ command to deny self, take up their cross, and follow him. They also remember his word of warning that in this world they will face persecution because they’ve chosen to follow him. But they also repeatedly hear his promise that he’ll never leave or turn his back on them. Since I can’t experience Christ with my five senses, experiencing him through fellow believers who encourage me is the next best thing.

The journey through God’s earthly kingdom is splattered with mountains and valleys, but encouragement from others helps me put one foot in front of the other.

Who needs your encouragement today?

Prayer: Father, enable us to encourage others as You encourage us. 

Tweetable: Who are you encouraging? 

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Chicken and Rice Perlo

 

Ingredients

7 BONELESS/SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS

2 CUPS MINUTE RICE

LARGE CARTON OF CHICKEN BROTH

1 STICK OF BUTTER

SALT/PEPPER

½ TEASPOON GARLIC POWDER

½ TEASPOON ONION POWDER

16 OUNCES SOUR CREAM

1 CAN CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

Directions 

BOIL CHICKEN IN WATER, BUTTER, SALT/PEPPER, GARLIC, AND ONION POWDER UNTIL TENDER.

REMOVE CHICKEN FROM BROTH, SHRED, AND RETURN TO BROTH.

ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS AND SIMMER ON LOW UNTIL RICE IS TENDER.

Tweetable: Why not sink your teeth into this savory dish? 

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Grace Greater Than Sin - Martin Wiles

When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened. Jonah 3:10 NLT

Abraham Lincoln was a busy man during the Civil War—but not too busy for one young man who needed him.

The President often visited the hospitals to cheer up wounded soldiers. On one of his visits, he met a young man who was near death. He asked him, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Please write a letter to my mother,” the young soldier said.

Lincoln sat down and wrote what the young man told him. The letter read, “My Dearest Mother, I was badly hurt while doing my duty, and I won’t recover. Don’t sorrow too much for me. May God bless you and Father. Kiss Mary and John for me.”

Too weak to continue, the young man stopped reciting. Lincoln ended the letter with “Written for your son by Abraham Lincoln.” When the young soldier asked to see the note, he was astonished to discover who had shown him such kindness.

“Are you really our President?” he asked.

“Yes,” came Lincoln’s quiet answer. “Now, is there anything else I can do?”

With failing breath, the lad replied, “Will you please hold my hand? I think it would help to see me through to the end.”

And the tall, gaunt man granted his request, offering words of encouragement until the young man took his final breath. Grace.

God showed greater grace than Lincoln. The prophet Jonah ran from God’s initial instructions to preach to the Ninevites. He hated his cruel neighbors. But after a stint in a large fish’s belly, he completed the task. To his surprise, the Ninevites repented. When they did, God forgave them and didn’t send His intended punishment. Grace.

God’s grace shines on all people daily. He shows special grace to His followers, but He also doles out other forms of grace to those who reject Him. None of us deserve it. The Ninevites didn’t. I don’t. Humanity doesn’t. And we can’t earn or buy it. Nor can we outsin it. His grace is forever greater than our sins.

Like Lincoln, God keeps giving grace freely to those who ask. The grace of forgiveness. The grace of second and third and fourth chances. Although we can’t pay God back for His grace, we can show our appreciation by sharing it with others—as Jonah finally did. We can also honor His grace by living a lifestyle that reflects the holiness of God.

Think of one way you can show others the grace of God.

Prayer: Father, thank You for your marvelous grace that covers our sins. 

Tweetable: Have you experienced the greater grace?

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Bluegill - Cathy Joy Hill

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NIV

When I was eight and my brother nine, we would head to the neighborhood pool—a towel strapped on my bike and a fishing pole on his.

We promised Mom we had each other’s back. Eventually boredom or sunburn would get the best of me, and I would wander from the pool out to the pond. Normally I would find my brother alone, him and his fish. 

One day, however, a friend had joined him. The friend, seemingly intrigued with an audience, reeled in a bluegill, unhooked the fish, and began taunting me. Within seconds, it was a full-on chase, the fish flopping and me screaming. It was not one of my best moments.

Then something happened. I realized how ridiculous I looked, I realized I was exhausted, and I realized I was not afraid of fish. I turned and, with all the courage I could muster, screamed, “Give me the fish.” 

The look of shock and disappointment covered my pursuer’s face. His fun was over. He flipped the fish, now surely almost dead, back into the pond and simply walked away. 

Today, my fears are bigger than bluegill. Now, I stay up nights. It is not me who runs, but my mind. I am not quick to face my pursuer. Rather, I pledge to work harder, do more, and be more. I commit to all these things with the hope they will forge a wall against my fears.

Then, when every possible effort has not wedged its way in front of fear, I remember the bluegill. It is not more of me that musters strength, but more of God. It is not my courage that will chase the bluegills away, but my confidence in God. It is holding my hands up in surrender and watching Him, my Defender, remove the fear.

God never asks us how much we can take, how long we can endure, or how far we can run. He tells us to watch all He can do, hold, and manage.

How can you learn to trust God more? 

Tweetable: Are you trusting God? 

Cathy is a writer, teacher, and entrepreneur. She met her husband Brian while studying in Paris, France. They make their home in Geneva, IL, with their four children and their daughter-in-love. She loves writing about the wonder and whimsy of life and her love for Jesus. Her first book is Destination: Fierce, Moving from Fear to Fierce. Learn more about Cathy at www.cathyjoyhill.com.

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Meandering Monday - God’s Invitation to Dine - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again.

And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. Hebrews 10:21-22 NLT

She lived on the wrong side of the tracks, but an invitation from a distant relative changed her life.

Susie’s life was mediocre at best. She lived in an uneventful tiny town, graduated from a petite high school, and took a job as a seamstress at a local small business. Life changed, however, when her sister and brother-in-law were tragically killed, leaving two small children for her to raise.

The children were more than a handful. One day—when life was overwhelmingly hectic—the doorbell rang. When she cracked the door, a well-dressed gentleman stood before her. With an English accent, he identified himself as the butler for her deceased brother-in-law’s grandfather—the one who had disowned him because he married her sister, a commoner.

The sourpuss grandfather was a duke and lived in a castle. But he’d had a change of heart. He wanted to see the grandchildren he’d never laid eyes on. So off to England, she and the children went for a grand time.

God issues a similar invitation as the less-than-tolerable grandfather. He invites those who believe to come right into his holy presence, trusting he will accept them when they arrive.

I’ve received quite a few invitations in my lifetime. None special. Just the normal ones. Wedding invitations. Baby showers. Graduation ceremonies. Many of them requiring gifts.

God’s invitation to dine with him has only one stipulation: belief. If we come to his banquet with Jesus in our hearts, we’re welcomed as if we were the most important person in the world. No reason to fear. No room for doubt. Just a clear conscience that all is well between us and our Creator.

Many of my invitations were sent to me and my wife. I didn’t have to attend alone. God also gives us the privilege of bringing others with us to his eternal home if they’ll believe as we have.

What have you done with God’s invitation?

Prayer: Father, thank You for the invitation to enjoy eternity with You. 

Tweetable: Have you accepted God's dinner invitation? 

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Beef and Gravy

 

Ingredients

1 ½ POUNDS STEW MEAT

     
2 SOUP CANS OF WATER

   
2 CANS CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

1 ENVELOPE LIPTON ONION SOUP MIX

 

Directions

BROWN MEAT IN DUTCH OVEN.

MIX SOUP, WATER, AND ONION SOUP MIX TOGETHER.

ADD TO MEAT AND BRING TO BOIL.

TURN UNTIL TENDER.

Tweetable: Why not try this tender treat for your weekend? 

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Grace Giver - Martin Wiles

Elisha replied. “Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master.” 2 Kings 6:22 NLT

Elizabeth Keckley was a slave in Missouri before the Civil War.

Keckley’s greatest desire was purchasing freedom for herself and her son. Her owner told her that if she could raise $1,200, she could have her freedom. Keckley worked as a seamstress. She engineered a plan to go to New York City and work to raise the money, but her owner feared she would not return.

Instead, some of Keckley’s wealthy clients in St. Louis showed grace by contributing the money she needed. Keckley paid the price for her freedom as well as her son’s. She moved to Washington, D.C., where she counted Mary Lincoln among her dressmaking clients. Without the help of others—grace—Keckley never would have been able to purchase her freedom.

The king of Aram fought the king of Israel, but God had a habit of telling the prophet Elisha all about the enemy king’s plans. So often, in fact, that the king of Aram thought a spy had infiltrated his ranks.

Once, when the enemy army had finally found Elisha, Elisha prayed that God would blind the enemy army. Elisha, in turn, led them to Samaria—the middle of their enemy’s camp. When the king of Israel witnessed this turn of events, he asked Elisha if he should kill them. Although the Arameans wanted to kill the Israelites, Elisha told the Israelites to show them mercy. “Feed them and let them go,” Elisha told the king of Israel. Show them grace, even though they came here looking to destroy you.

Grace adorns God. From the beginning when Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying Him, God has demonstrated grace. Instead of destroying them, God killed animals and clothed them with hides—an early symbol of His grace. The entire Bible and history are filled with acts of God’s grace.

Grace is God’s undeserved favor—shown primarily through salvation, but in many other ways too. We can’t earn the forgiveness for our sins that ushers in salvation. Nor can anyone else give it to us. Neither can we get it because our friends or relatives have it. It is a personal thing only God can grant.

God gives grace in large doses to those who trust Him and in smaller doses to those who don’t through His common grace. He makes His sun to shine on the evil and the good. All experience the rain and the goodness the earth produces.

But only by God’s grace—and our asking for it—can we experience the forgiveness we need, the abundant life God offers, the daily peace God can grant, and the eternal life He promises. And when we’ve experienced it, we’ll want to sprinkle a little of it around for others.

God is the ultimate grace giver. Have you asked for His grace?

Prayer: Father, may we give grace in small doses so that others will be pointed the greater grace that only You can give.

Tweetable: Are you giving grace to others? 

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Walk-on Wednesday - Doing God’s Will - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

Then I said, “Look, I have come to do your will, O God.” Hebrews 10:7 NLT

For a long time, Mark had run from God.

Though reared in a Christian home, Mark decided he’d like to try the other side for a while. He had no trouble finding friends to help him. For seven years, he dabbled in addictive substances and frequented places he should’ve left alone. Though his conscience bothered him, substances had a way of softening the blow.

Finally, God captured his attention. Soon after he recommitted his life to Christ, he felt the tug of God’s call into ministry—a call he had heard long ago but ignored. After all, he had just married. Maybe his wife would say, “I didn’t sign on for this.” He tried ignoring the call, but the tug intensified. When he couldn’t run any longer, he spilled the beans: “God has called me into the ministry.” Happily, she agreed to follow him to college and then to the churches he later pastored.

Like Mark, Jesus too struggled with doing his Father’s will. Gradually, his purpose for being on earth unfolded. Then came the stark realization that his purpose would only be complete after being brutally abused and hanged on a cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he pleaded for another way. God didn’t budge.

God’s ultimate will for us is that we repent of our sins and trust him as Savior. The decision is simple but making it can be difficult. We’ve relished in sin’s temporary delight. Giving up what makes us happy sometimes takes a good dose of God’s discipline.

Yet, God’s will entails more than just our one-time repentance. He has a plan and purpose. We’re a masterpiece in the making, but we must cooperate. Determining to follow his will is a conscious decision. Putting aside those sinful practices or useless things that bring pleasure is necessary.

The good news is that when we make this decision, God will broadcast his power throughout our minds, wills, and emotions. Like Jesus, we’ll be able to say, “Not my will but Yours be done.”

Are you following God’s will for your life?

Prayer: Father, give us the strength to follow Your will, regardless of the consequences. 

Tweetable: Are you following God's will? 

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Celebrate God - Caroline Hales

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NIV

The tour bus pulled up to the curb to let passengers out at our destination—the Grand Canyon.

Our guide gave first-time visitors a suggestion: “When getting off the bus, cover your eyes and look at the ground. Walk along the path following the fence-line. Once you arrive at the end of the path, uncover your eyes and look.”

I followed the instructions. And the sight was unbelievable. My eyes welled up with tears. I have never seen anything like it before or since. The awesome view far exceeded the pictures.

How could God have created something so majestic? Towering spruce, looking the size of trees in a toy train set, lined the edges of the cliff below. Further away, the trees looked like specks of dust. The Colorado River at the bottom of the Canyon meandered like a ribbon.

The grandeur made me rejoice at the magnificence of God’s creation. My heart praised the Creator for a spectacular view of a small piece of the foundation of the world he created. I imagined the world God intended without brokenness and sin. Perhaps I beheld a glimpse of the perfect world yet to come. I could have stood there for hours gazing at the beauty, mesmerized by the splendor, and offering worship.

When I think of the Grand Canyon, I praise the God who can make such a marvel. And my mind considers even more than his creation. I think of David, who danced before him. And I think of Paul, who wrote to the Philippians, “Rejoice!”

Even on the bad days, I can feel the joy welling up inside for the gift of the Holy Spirit in me. I delight in the hope for a better future. And I celebrate having a Savior who died for me and rose again so I might dwell with him one day in a perfect new world.

What thoughts direct you to rejoice in God?

Tweetable: What are some ways you rejoice in God?

Caroline Hales is a Project Manager, a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, and a freelance writer. She has an adorable niece in California who teeters as she toddles. Caroline’s passion to share Christ with others has grown while she has served in church ministry, leading evangelism and women’s ministry. She lives in Ontario, Canada.

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Cheesy Bacon Grits Casserole

 

Ingredients

7 packs of Instant Grits

4 eggs

2 cups of water

1 cup of milk

1/2 stick of butter

1 cup of shredded sharp cheese

1 cup of Velveeta cheese

1 pound of cooked and crumbled bacon

Directions

Mix all ingredients.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place in casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Tweetable: Why not serve up this breakfast delight? 

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Believing the Unseen - Martin Wiles

Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 2 Kings 6:17 NLT

I believe, even when I can’t or haven’t seen.

I’m not a germophobe. I don’t run for hand sanitizer every time I shake someone’s hands. Nor do I take a wipe and scrub the buggy handle before I place my hands on it. And I don’t think about all the germs I’m touching when I funnel through 103 middle schooler’s papers as I grade them. Thinking about all the germs I’m touching and what they might do to me would drive me batty. Although I have to admit, Covid 19 changed my practices a little.

On the other hand, if I could suddenly see what I can’t see with my naked eye, I might retreat into a shell and never leave the house. I do believe germs exist. Scientists tell me they do. And I have experienced the results of germs when my body’s immune system didn’t fight them off.

I also believe more stars exist than I can see when I investigate a nighttime sky that is unadulterated by city lights. My brother and I have done this from mountain peaks where the only light we saw was that shed by the moon and the stars. Yet, we knew the stars we saw did not comprise all the stars in our universe. Scientists who look with powerful telescopes have told us so.

Elisha’s servant couldn’t see everything either. The king of Aram waged war against God’s people, but every time he planned an attack, God told Elisha where the attack would occur. Elisha, in turn, told the king who would avoid the area where the king of Aram was.

The king of Aram thought a spy had infiltrated his ranks—until someone told him Elisha was the culprit. Discovering that Elisha was in Dothan, the king surrounded him. Elisha’s servant saw the king of Aram’s army, but he didn’t see the angels protecting him and Elisha until God opened his eyes.

I’ve never seen many things in the unseen world of spiritual things, but I believe they exist because God says they do. I can’t see forgiveness—it’s not tangible—but I’ve seen how wonderful life can be when people do it. And I believe God has done it for me.

Nor can I gaze upon grace. It, too, isn’t tangible, but I believe it lives. God is full of undeserved favor and extends it to all who ask. When He does, salvation takes place. Repentance. Forgiveness. Spiritual filling. New life.

Unless we believe in the unseen, we can never experience all God has in store for us.

Don’t miss God’s best for you by refusing to believe in the unseen. Even God falls into that category.

Prayer: Father, give us the faith to believe in all the unseen things You tell us exist. 

Tweetable: Are you trusting in what you cannot see?

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