God’s Secret about Love - Martin Wiles

I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. Ephesians 3:9 NLT

My parents often instructed me to keep what I knew a secret—but not God’s secret about love.

Growing up as a pastor’s son, I was often privy to information I couldn’t share with my friends. Church information. Some good; some not so good. Whether they should have or not, my parents talked openly about church affairs in my presence. Perhaps they thought I didn’t understand. Maybe they supposed I’d keep it a secret without them telling me to. I knew about tough decisions, troubling situations, and church members who secretly drank, smoked, chewed, cursed, and visited places they shouldn’t have. I accepted this knowing and keeping secrets as the norm.

While secrecy was part of the preacher’s house, it seems a bit strange that God would keep secrets, but Paul says he does . . . or at least did. The big one was that at some point, Jews and Gentiles would stand on equal footing before God. Though the Old Testament told of a time in the future when Gentiles would be saved, most Jews never imagined God would consider them equals. 

I’m glad I live when God’s secret has been revealed. I’d hate to live with no means to approach God. And since I’m not Jewish, I’d have a difficult time making my way to God.

God plainly revealed the secret after Jesus’ resurrection. Before he ascended back into heaven, Jesus commissioned his followers to spread the story of His love and the offer of forgiveness to all people—Jew and Gentile. Those who accepted would stand on equal footing before God. By the way, this was always God’s plan as he made known at points along the way in the Old Testament. Some just had a difficult time believing it. 

Prejudice or racism will cause us to ignore the truth, even when it stares us in the face.

God’s church has no room for racism. If God welcomes all equally, we can do no less. Every person has been created in the image of God—a sin-marred image, but one there, nevertheless. And just below loving God with all our being is his command for us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

What are some ways you can share the message that God loves everyone?

Prayer: Father, thank You for loving and accepting all people equally. 

Tweetable: Do you accept all people equally? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

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? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Church … Really? - Martin Wiles

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

Church was the place I had to go, not necessarily wanted to go.

As a preacher’s kid, I had no choice about attending church. I went regardless. The only reasons Mom and Dad allowed me to miss were if I had an elevated temperature or if I was vomiting or had diarrhea. Dad preached; he couldn’t stay home with me. Mom played the piano or led the music. She couldn’t stay home with me either.

I wish I could say I always wanted to go to church, but I didn’t. In my younger years, I did. But the adolescent years brought a change of mind. Many of the friends I had accumulated didn’t go to church.

The ones who did were allowed to skip church sometimes. Not me. “As long as your feet are under my table, you will go to church,” Dad said.

After graduating high school and moving out, you would think I would have stopped going to church. I didn’t. For some reason, the pull to go overwhelmed me. Sure, I missed a few times, but normally I attended. And now, not out of duty or because I thought I’d go to hell if I didn’t. I attended because I wanted to. I enjoyed being around God’s people, singing the old hymns, and hearing God’s word preached and taught. What I didn’t always see a purpose for in my teenage years, I did now.

Early believers counted it a privilege to gather together, not a drudgery. They were often persecuted by the government, so they met quietly in small groups in peoples’ homes. The scenario is the same presently in many countries where the government or other religious groups persecute Christians. In spite of the danger, they meet. They do what the writer of Hebrews instructs: meet regularly and encourage one another.

Meeting with other believers, especially in a small group, keeps us accountable. Through their examples and the teaching of Scripture, we’re reminded about how we’re supposed to behave and think. Keeping in touch with those of like-minded faith encourages us in our walk with the Lord. Church provides the teaching we need and gives us a place to use the gifts and talents God has given us.

Church really is important. Make going a priority in your life.

Prayer: Father, give us the desire to gather with other believers as we await that eternity when all believers will be together forever.

Tweetable: Is church a priority for you?

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

My Secret Life - Martin Wiles

For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. Luke 8:17 NLT

Dad preached and I hated it.

I didn’t actually hate Dad’s preaching, but what it did to our family. He called it “living in a glass house.” Dad explained this meant we had to be different … to watch our behavior because others always watched us.

This “glass house” didn’t interest me and seemed unrealistic. So at fourteen, I began experimenting with drugs and alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and hanging out with bad boys. But I didn’t tell anyone. When I attended church, I acted like the person the members expected me to be. I didn’t want to get Dad in trouble.

Living a double life was tough. Just as Jesus said, my secrets came to light—not to anyone else, but to me. Jesus puts His Spirit in those who belong to Him, and His Spirit aggravated me day and night. The things I was doing weren’t right, I knew they weren’t right, and God’s Spirit kept telling me they weren’t right. Eventually, I confessed my sins to God and stopped living a secret life.

We can’t hide stuff from God, whether sins or anything else. He knows us inside and out—and that’s good. He loves us too much to let us keep going down sinful paths or in wrong directions. He brought me back to the right path, and He can do the same for you.

Let who you are on the inside be the person others see.

Tweetable: Are you hiding who you truly are?

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.

Flashback Friday - Cluttered by Clutter - Martin Wiles

Cluttered by Clutter

As a preacher’s kid, I did it all my young life; as a pastor, I followed suit.

Moving has rarely been on my list of enjoyable things. The last major transition my wife and I made required placing most of our belongings in storage for several months. We realized in short order that our “treasures” weren’t going to fit into the one building we’d rented. I quickly contacted the owner and asked for a second one. By the time we closed the door on the first building, an army of goods confronted us. Our little room was cluttered by clutter. Read more...

Looking for a wide selection of genres in Christian books at discount prices? Use coupon MWiles for 20% off. Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.

Forgiving Self - Martin Wiles

Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. Mark 16:7 NLT

Not forgiving myself for my unwise teenage decisions could have changed my future. 

At 12, my future appeared bright. Dad was a preacher, and I intended to follow in his footsteps. Perhaps I would do it part-time because I also felt God wanted me to teach on the college or seminary level. Either way, I knew where I was headed…or so I thought. Satan knew too. He slithered in with my teen years and convinced me he had a better plan. 

Like a starving catfish, I took the bait. Though I finally got back on God’s track—a part of which included forgiving myself for my foolish and sinful actions, I wasted quite a few years. 

Peter was in a similar boat. Denying three times that he knew Christ was more than just a small slip-up. I’m sure he regularly beat himself up on the inside. Maybe that’s why the angel singled him out when he told the women to tell the disciples Jesus was alive and would meet them in Galilee.

Satan loves nothing better than to witness a defeated Christian. God forgave all my sins when I accepted Christ as my Savior, but His forgiveness didn’t make me perfect. Dwelling on what I’ve done and refusing to forgive myself sets me up for a life of wasting the gifts God has given me. And Satan loves every minute of watching me wallow in self-pity. God is a holy God, but if He can forgive my sinful foibles, I must learn to forgive myself. 

When I fail to forgive myself, I limit God’s power in my life. God is perfectly able to work all things together for my good and His glory—my mistakes included, but I must accept His forgiveness, forgive myself, and move on. Rather than allowing my mistakes to chain me, I can use them to help others who may be struggling with similar issues. 

Refusing to forgive myself is after all illogical. My sin offends a holy God, but if He can forgive me, who am I not to forgive me? Failing to forgive myself is requiring more of me than God does—and He makes the rules. 

Don’t let refusing to forgive yourself hold you back from God’s plan for your life.

Prayer: Father, enable us to forgive ourselves just as You forgive us so we can move on with Your plan. 

Looking for a wide selection of genres in Christian books at discount prices? Use coupon MWiles for 20% off. Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.