Shunned - Martin Wiles

As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—even Phygelus and Hermogenes. 2 Timothy 1:15 NLT

I knew I would be shunned before I ever was.

No one enjoys being shunned. I know. I received my share of it growing up. Though a healthy nine pounds plus when I was born, I soon lost my robust physique and traded it for a skinny frame. So thin, in fact, I was shunned because of it, beginning in elementary age and extending through high school. When teams were picked for neighborhood ball games, I was always the last to be selected. The same held true when choosing sides for dodgeball during physical education class at school. I had no perceived athletic abilities the team captain thought would enhance his team.

Paul knew what it was like to be shunned too. He was hounded by those who couldn’t stand that he preached about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead. And he had a thorn in the flesh that led some to look at him with disdain. Perhaps it was his appearance. Phygelus and Hermogenes were only two who shunned him. John Mark did it earlier, and others would later.

Though shunned by others, Paul was convinced of one thing: nothing could separate him from God’s love. Neither people nor unpleasant events could change the fact that God loved him and had forgiven his sins.

I’ve experienced several shunnings since childhood. Sometimes, I’ve been able to fix the rift; at other times, the rift has been unmendable. 

Regardless of others’ opinions or actions, God’s view of me never changes. He loves me with a steadfast love. I can’t make him love me more than he already does. Nothing I do will cause him to shun me, and nothing can ever separate me from his love. The connection with me, which involved the life of his Son, cost him too much to sever for any reason.

When others shun you because of your appearance, opinions, or faith, remember God loves you unconditionally and forever.

Prayer: Father, thank You for never turning Your back on us despite our faults and failures. 

Tweetable: How do you react when you are shunned? 

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Skillet Apple Pie

 

Ingredients

1 can apple pie filling

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can 8 homestyle biscuits

1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons cream or milk

Directions

Pour apple pie filling onto a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Mix in vanilla and stir until mixed.

In a bowl, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until smooth.

Cut canned biscuits into bite-sized pieces and add to bowl.

Add in apple pie mixture and stir.

Pour into skillet.

Cook at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

While cooking, make glaze: whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons of cream or milk.

Tweetable: Why not try this favorite fall delight? 

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A Different Plan - Martin Wiles

You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, but you are not the one to do it. 1 Kings 8:18-19 NLT

We almost made it . . . but then had to make a different plan.

My wife and I and my brother and sister-in-law were on our way to Sassafras Mountain—South Carolina’s highest point. My brother and I had visited numerous times as we hiked portions of the Foothills Trail, and my wife and sister-in-law had been once.

But none of us had visited since officials constructed an observatory tower that provided handicapped accessibility and afforded views of four states. Of course, we wouldn’t have seen them on that day because clouds enveloped the sky and rain poured. We just wanted to make the trip and see the beautiful fall foliage.

One-half mile from the top, a light appeared on the car’s dashboard: low fluid. My brother and sister-in-law had recently purchased this older car because the transmission in the one they had gone out. Now, we all wondered if this car would be any better. We pulled to the side of the road, lifted the hood, and watched smoke boil from underneath.

At least we rested on a steep incline. “We can just turn around and coast back to the highway,” I told my sister-in-law. And after the engine cooled off, that’s exactly what we did. The light never appeared again. We stopped at a local country store to check the water and the oil level. All were fine.

We rode around a bit in a local town and then headed back, never to see the light again—and never to see the new tower on Sassafras Mountain either. We comforted ourselves by saying God must have had a reason He didn’t want us to make it to the top. Perhaps He did; maybe He didn’t. Nevertheless, we followed a different plan.

God had a different plan for King David, too. After he had conquered his enemies, he wanted to build a permanent resting place for God’s Ark of the Covenant. This symbolized God’s presence with the nation and housed the Ten Commandments God had given Moses on Mt. Sinai. But God had a different plan for David. He told him his intentions were good, but Solomon, David’s son, would build the temple.

When God brings a different plan, complaining isn’t the route to go—but it is often our first choice. If we believe in God’s sovereignty, we can see the different plan as from Him and believe He has a reason for changing it—even if we never know this side of heaven. Unfortunately, complaining keeps us from seeing the change of direction.

During the change, we can ask God for understanding. Perfect wisdom resides with Him. He may not tell us all the details of the change—or all the reasons—but His Spirit can guide us in our new direction.

Of course, changing plans is an excellent time to check for disobedience, just as we checked the fluids under the hood as soon as possible. Disobeying God moves us away from His intended purposes.

If God brings a different plan your way, ask Him for guidance and go His way. No better way exists.

Prayer: Father, when You have a different plan, give us the faith to obey without question.

Tweetable: How do you respond when God sends a different plan? 

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Mistaken Identity - Martin Wiles

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” John 20:15 NLT

Mistaken identity can pose problems.

On December 16, 1895, Adolf Beck left his London home and was immediately falsely accused. Ottilie Meissonier met him on the street, accused him of stealing her jewelry, and contacted the police, who questioned him. Though he refuted her accusations, ten other women claimed he had swindled them also.

The police mistook Beck for John Smith, who had already served time in prison. Beck was sentenced to seven years and served time in the same jail John Smith had. History repeated itself three years after Beck was paroled. Another woman confronted him and accused him of swindling her out of jewelry. He returned to prison. During this same time, however, the real John Smith was arrested and confessed to all the crimes Beck had ever been charged with.

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early Sunday morning, hoping to find the body of Jesus. What she found was empty space. As Mary sat by the tomb weeping, two angels confronted her and told her Jesus had risen. Turning to leave, Mary encountered the gardner—or so she thought. She questioned him about Jesus’ whereabouts, but hers was a case of mistaken identity. She talked to Jesus.

Mary hasn’t been the only one to mistake Jesus for someone else. Some have said he was only human while others have claimed he was solely divine. Still others have thought he was a lunatic who claimed to be God when he wasn’t. And the cases of his mistaken identity continue.

Mistaking Jesus for anyone other than who he claims has devastating consequences. He claims to be the Son of God who paid for humanity’s sins. He offers the empty tomb as proof God the Father accepted the payment. He presents himself as the forgiver of all sins and the giver of abundant life in the present and eternal life in the future.

Jesus is who he claimed to be, but reaping the results requires a decision. Don’t let a case of mistaken identity about Jesus ruin your present and future.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we proclaim you to be who you are: the Savior of humanity.

Tweetable: Are you sure about who Jesus is? 

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Surmounting the Insurmountable - Martin Wiles

The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” John 2:3 NLT

Surmounting the insurmountable can frustrate us.

Problems appeared insurmountable when I was a child—but solutions easily attainable. As tears streamed down my cheek, I offered my broken sucker to Mom. “Fix it,” was all I could manage to say. And she did. Opening the canister on the counter, she replaced my broken sucker with one that had no cracks.

If I accidentally broke a piece off one of my Matchbox cars, I took it to Dad. With a bit of super glue, he could make it as good as new.

I did the same for my grandsons. Whenever they said, “Broke Pop,” I fixed it. In their eyes, Pop could fix anything.

Of course, as I got older, the problems became more severe and not as easily solved. They won’t be with my grandchildren either.

Jesus’ mother came to him with a serious problem. Wedding celebrations were magnificent occasions. Running out of wine was a major faux pa. Perhaps Mary helped with the wedding. She knew her son possessed the power to fix broken situations. Initially, it didn’t appear he was interested in helping, but in the end, he did.

My wine has run out quite a few times since I was a child. The older I was, the larger the lack of wine appeared. No longer was it a broken sucker. It entailed a broken heart. Glue may have put the car back together, but it couldn’t seal my poor decisions. When the wine ran out, it was easy to substitute its absence with loneliness, depression, or unhealthy habits.

Mary’s solution was more appropriate, and it’s one I’m learning to replace my less-than-perfect ones with. She took the issue to the one who had unlimited power. The one who could intervene and truly fix something—not just patch it. And he did by turning several stone pots of hand-washing water into the best wine available. Amazing what Jesus can do with empty glasses when we get out of the way and let him accomplish his purpose and plan.

Don’t settle for lesser solutions when the wine runs out and the problems seem insurmountable. Instead, let God provide the best answers to your dilemmas.

What are some steps you can take when the problems seem insurmountable?

Prayer: Father, I thank you for refilling my glass when the wine runs out. 

Tweetable: What do you do when the odds appear insurmountable? 

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Apple Nut Cake

 

APPLE NUT CAKE

Ingredients

3 CUPS DICED APPLES

1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

2 CUPS SUGAR

3 CUPS SELF-RISING FLOUR

1 CUP CRISCO OIL

3 EGGS

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

Directions

HAND MIX ALL INGREDIENTS.

POUR INTO A GREASED TUBE PAN.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 1 HOUR OR UNTIL DONE.

GLAZE

Ingredients

½ CUP BUTTER

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR

¼ CUP EVAPORATED MILK

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

Directions

HEAT MARGARINE AND BROWN SUGAR OVER LOW HEAT UNTIL MELTED.

ADD MILK AND LET COME TO A FULL BOIL.

REMOVE FROM HEAT AND COOL.

ADD VANILLA AND POUR OVER CAKE.

Tweetable: Why not try this delicious fall dessert? 

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Rules That Don’t Change - Martin Wiles

For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Malachi 3:6 NKJV

Rules that don’t change do exist.

“Please don’t ask me that.”

For fifteen years, my wife had permitted the question. Suddenly, she didn’t want me to ask it anymore. In my mind, the question was harmless, but it grated her nerves. I said, “Okay,” and went about my business, but I couldn’t help but think of a few questions she asked me that irritated me a little.

What’s a couple to do? How can they know what to ask and what not to ask? I suppose I could make a list with headings: “Acceptable Questions,” “Unacceptable Questions,” and “Questions I’m Not Sure Of.” But who has time to consult such a list?

Conversations usually happen abruptly. Rarely do I have time to consult a list before I speak. I can envision me saying to my wife as we converse, “Honey, wait a minute. Let me consult my list before I ask the question I want to ask.” Or her saying the same to me.

The rules had changed for a fifteen-year-old question. Now I had to adapt. Fortunately, God doesn’t operate the same way. Through the prophet Malachi, He told the people He never changed. Specifically, in this case, His grace never changed. That’s why God had not consumed them because of their disobedience.

We live in a world where some old rules change, and lawmakers and others make new rules. As a teacher, we often have a few new rules every time a new school year begins. And every church I’ve belonged to had rules that changed or were newly established.

God’s rules don’t change. However, moral absolutes—along with absolute truth—do exist, regardless of what people think. God’s Word houses both. 

For me, that’s comforting. To know I can go to a place where things stay the same, no matter how much the world around me changes. To find things that held truth in the beginning and still do thousands of years later.

Finding absolute truth—and believing that God’s Word is absolute truth—brings a sense of peace and confidence. God will be fair and judge by truth that never changes. He won’t change His mind about forgiving my sins or letting me into heaven. He won’t alter the way He thinks about working all things together in my life for my good. He won’t love me today but stop tomorrow. The list is endless, but the point is clear: some things never change.

In a world where the rules often change, thank God that His moral absolutes never do.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for Your unchanging truth. 

Tweetable: Are you obeying the rules that don't change? 

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