Why We Need a Living Will - Martin Wiles

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27 KJV

Conversations in a physician’s waiting room can be interesting and run the gamut. They can also let us know why we need a living will.

As my wife and I sat in the waiting room, waiting for her to be called back for her colonoscopy, we listened to the various conversations. One between an older man, his son, and the receptionist. The receptionist called the man’s son to the window to answer some questions his father had omitted when filling out his paperwork.

“Does he have a living will?” she asked.

“Do you have a living will?” the son asked his father.

“Yes, I want to live,” the man responded.

The receptionist and son concluded he didn’t have a living will—and didn’t even know what one was. His anxiety about the procedure was evident, and, as my wife later learned, the doctors didn’t do everything they had intended because of it.

The writer of Hebrews makes a pointed reminder to his readers: everyone will die, and judgment will follow. Sobering thoughts. Not ones I enjoy thinking about, but ones I must entertain.

A living will is important if we don’t want to be kept alive by artificial means, sometimes leaving one on life support and in a vegetative state. From my family’s experience with my father, we discovered that a living will isn’t enough. A DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order is also necessary since doctors can override a living will.

Having a will is also essential if we don’t want the state to take our possessions or distribute them in a way we wouldn’t approve of. Having a simple will drawn up is inexpensive and can even be done through online legal services.

More importantly, is the preparation we make for eternity, not for the comfort of those we leave behind. We will not live forever, and we cannot know the date of our death.

But we can tell whether we’re prepared. Trusting Christ as our Savior and living in obedience to his commands are the only ways to prepare. Doing so re-establishes the relationship that sin broke and fits us for heaven. Like the man in the physician’s office, I want to live—but I also know I’m going to die.

Take care of those you’ll leave behind, but make sure you’re prepared for what’s ahead.

Father, thank you for preparing an eternal existence for me. Prepare me so I’ll be ready to enjoy your presence for all of eternity.  

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Tater Tot Casserole

 

Ingredients
1 BAG FROZEN TATER TOTS

16 OUNCES SOUR CREAM

2 CUPS SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE 

1 CAN CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

1 SIX-OUNCE CAN FRENCH FRIED ONIONS

Directions
ARRANGE TATER TOTS IN A GREASED BAKING DISH.

IN A BOWL, MIX TOGETHER SOUP, CHEESE, AND SOUR CREAM.

POUR MIXTURE OVER TATER TOTS AND TOP WITH FRENCH FRIED ONIONS.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 40 TO 45 MINUTES.
(Photo courtesy of wearychef.com.)

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

What It Means to Be Cleansed from Sin - Martin Wiles

But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT

I had reached the magic number; I knew what the doctor would say.

Fifty is the age when physical tests of various sorts begin to occur, one of which I dreaded. Sure enough, the doctor said, “We need to set you up for a colonoscopy.” Since my wife had a family history of colon cancer, she had her first procedure when she was in her thirties. I had seen the contorted expression on her face as she drank the prep fluid. Now it was my turn.

Since we didn’t have health insurance at the time, I put the procedure off for a couple of years. But the date finally came. My doctor believed in thorough cleansing. He wrote the prescription, and I picked up my gallon of lemon-flavored drink. Half the day before the procedure and half the morning of. The procedure was a breeze, but the prep … well … not so much. By the time the doctor did his part, the medicine had done its part. The medicine had cleansed me entirely.

Corinth was a wicked city. The believers who lived there faced numerous temptations, immorality being the greatest. But Paul reminded them of what it means to be cleansed from sin. Christ had made them holy when they received him as their Savior. They didn’t have to succumb to the temptations surrounding them. They had the power to overcome.

This cleansing happens when we accept what Christ did for us on Calvary’s cross. Sanctification also begins. We are set apart from our former way of living. But sanctification is a process. I had finished drinking the fluid within an hour’s time, but it took hours—even an entire day—for my system to be thoroughly cleansed. The same is true for sanctification. We will spend our lifetimes growing into the person we are already in position.

Christians are termed saints, but we aren’t always saintly in our behavior or thoughts. As we involve ourselves in the spiritual disciplines—such as Bible study, prayer, corporate worship, meditation, and small groups—we become who God wants us to be.

Let God cleanse you through salvation. Then, be patient as he works out the effects of your cleansing through your daily life experiences.

Father, thank you for cleansing me through Jesus Christ. Give me the courage to trust you as you work out my sanctification throughout my lifetime. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

The Bully - Lynne Phipps

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV

I once happened upon a situation where a person was extremely angry with their dogs. They yelled, hollered, and chased after them in a threatening manner. They tried to get the animals to move from one area to another. The dogs were terrified and had scattered in different directions, desperately trying to flee from the bully’s path.

One of the frightened creatures, spotting me, ran to my side and huddled against my leg. Having seen where their owner wanted them to go, I spoke quietly to the little canine and walked toward the designated area. The pup followed. As I approached the assigned area, I called the other dogs over to me as well, speaking in a positive voice. All the dogs responded and were soon safely out of the bully’s way.

Fear kept these dogs from hearing their owner’s loud and angry voice. Dogs respond to tone and attitude more than words. When I introduced the right tone and attitude, they listened and obeyed.

Just as this person’s dogs scattered and ran in fear, our enemy, known in the Word as Satan or the devil, also seeks to put us on the run by bullying us with fear tactics. He wants us to doubt God and his truth. He wants us to rebel against God, just as he did. Our enemy seeks to sow doubt in our lives regarding our faith, often when we are most vulnerable. 

When sickness, sorrow, economic crisis, natural disasters, relational difficulties, and the like assault us, the enemy of our souls roars in with his lies, seeking to steal the truth from our hearts. He desires to crush our view of God, bombarding us with doubts and fears concerning our situation. Amidst his rampage and our resultant fear, it becomes hard for us to hear our Lord’s calm voice. But God seeks to remind us of his ability to use all things for our good and grant us strength and wisdom to endure. 

Let us therefore learn to recognize our enemy and his tactics by studying the Word and committing it to heart. Then, on the day of attack, amidst the lion’s roaring, we can tune our ears to God’s still quiet voice of assurance and hope. He can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. 

Father God, when the enemy roars into our lives, teach us to stand firm and listen to Your still, quiet voice of hope, wisdom, and safety. In Christ’s name, amen.

Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

 

The Joy of Serving Others Well - Martin Wiles

Don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13 NLT

I noticed the handicap van they drove and knew it was time for me to serve. I would soon learn the joy of serving others well.

Saturday morning. My wife and I were in the middle of packing for our move later in the month when we ran out of boxes. She suggested I stop by McDonald’s and grab us lunch after I picked up a few boxes. As I waited in the drive-through line, I noticed an older couple in a handicapped-accessible van slowly pull through the parking lot and take their place behind me.

Our daughter once had the habit of paying for the person behind her when she bought food from Chick-fil-A. I had never done this before, but on this day felt God’s Spirit nudging me. I questioned myself. What if they have ten more people in the van with them? I decided to act rather than doubt. When I approached the window to pay for my food, I asked the attendant to add their tab to mine. It was an insignificant amount, but the feeling I received from obeying God’s prompting was unsurpassed.

As believers, we have been freed from sin’s penalty. The blood of Christ has washed away our sins. Rather than using that freedom to indulge in sinful practices, Paul says we should use it to serve others. By doing so, we obey the second greatest command: to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Serving others can bring joy when we do so with the right attitude. Serving with reluctance won’t work. When we serve reluctantly, we feel hesitation because we’re doing something we don’t want to do.

Serving with joy requires letting God change how we see situations. What we give through our act of service is not forced from our hands. Instead, we’re allowing the act to slip away as a form of appreciation for what Christ has done for us.

Nor should we serve with ulterior motives. If we brag about what we’ve done, the spotlight shines on us instead of God. Jesus said not to let our right hand know what our left hand was doing. He also warned about standing on a street corner and announcing what we’ve done for him. Our motive in serving is to give God praise, not ourselves.

Learn the joy of serving others well, but not because you feel forced or want recognition.

Father, thank you for giving me opportunities to serve others in your name. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Pasta Salad

 

 NOW FOR A HEALTHY START TO THE NEW YEAR.

 

Ingredients

1 16 OZ. BOX COLORED PASTA

1 CUP SUGAR

3 MEDIUM CARROTS CHOPPED FINE 

         
1 CUP WHITE VINEGAR

1 BELL PEPPER CHOPPED FINE

         
1 CUP MAYONNAISE

1 MEDIUM RED ONION CHOPPED FINE

1 TEASPOON SALT

3 CELERY RIBS CHOPPED FINE

1 TEASPOON PEPPER

1 CAN EAGLE BRAND MILK

Directions

COOK PASTA BY DIRECTIONS ON THE BOX.

DRAIN AND DRY ON DISH TOWEL.

MIX CARROTS, BELL PEPPER, ONION, CELERY, MILK, SUGAR, VINEGAR, MAYONNAISE, SALT, AND PEPPER.
ADD PASTA.

MIX TOGETHER AND REFRIGERATE.

BETTER MADE A DAY BEFORE SERVING.

I invite you to try my book Grits, Grace, and God in eBook or paperback. If you want a daily dose of God's grace, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

What It Means to Love a Neighbor - Martin Wiles

The second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31 NLT

The note was attached to the door; the decision had been made. But what the entity didn’t know was what it means to love a neighbor. They would soon find out.

At nine years of age, he was doing what most boys his age did in the summer: romping and playing. Until his sister noticed how yellow his eyes were. She ran inside to tell their mother, who immediately took him to the emergency room. The local hospital transferred him to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Two days later, he had a new liver.

This family was our neighbors, but we knew nothing about their tragedy. We only knew we hadn’t seen anyone at home for three weeks. Initially, their youngest son did well. Then his body began rejecting the liver. They made several trips back and forth to Charleston, and each time we waited for an update.

During their last trip, my wife noticed the local power company had taped a notice to their door. She knew what it was, caught the bearer of bad news, and asked how much the bill was. The mom had not been able to work due to the circumstances, and the dad had missed numerous days himself. If $450 wasn’t paid by the next day, their power would be disconnected—an added grief they didn’t need.

“Why don’t we take a love offering at church?” my wife asked.

Since no one but us knew the family, I didn’t know how the people would respond. But I decided to take a chance. We’d had the young man on our prayer list. On Sunday morning, the church gave $406. When I announced the total at the evening services, the remaining balance was quickly received. As soon as the power company opened on Monday morning, my wife paid the balance.

Loving my neighbor is a good feeling—whether they live beside me or not. Doing so also helps me obey what Jesus termed the second-greatest command. Only loving God with my entire being surpasses it.

Opportunities to love our neighbors—whomever and wherever they might be—abound. But like my wife, we must be attentive to the working of God’s Spirit in our spirits to see them. If we live life selfishly, we’ll miss most, if not all, of the opportunities God sends.

Ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to love your neighbor.

Father, enable me to love others as passionately as you love me.

I invite you to try my book Grits, Grace, and God in eBook or paperback. If you want a daily dose of God's grace, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.