Longing for Freedom - Martin Wiles

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 NLT

He was longing for freedom.

The letter said he was in prison, but for what I didn’t know. The return address was unfamiliar. As the contents fell out and I read, Jason* told his story. He had read one of my devotions in a publication distributed at the prison. His life had been a wreck. He was there because of bad decisions—which ones didn’t matter.

Jason needed someone to listen and encourage him. While there, he had chosen to surrender his life to Christ, but the darkness surrounding him depressed him. He tried to be a light but wondered whether he was making any progress.

Over the next year, we corresponded monthly. He told me about the dreams he wanted to fulfill when his prison stint ended. Then the letters stopped. Recently, I received another letter. He was out and working—but still struggling to find his way in a cruel world.

Millions celebrate Independence Day in America. Even more have given their lives for the freedom Americans enjoy. From the War of Independence through the many that have followed, Americans have fought for their freedom and that of others.

True freedom, however, can be enjoyed anywhere—when behind bars or subject to cruel rulers. Christ made this freedom possible when he died on the cross and paid for the sins of humanity.

Bars may hinder us from doing what we want—as they did Jason—but our spirits are free. Oppressors may forbid us from worshiping Christ publicly, but they can never imprison our souls. What has been set free by Christ is free forever. Jason and many others have discovered this while in prison. Christians living under oppressive governments have as well.

When we ask, Christ forgives our sins and casts them as far as the East is from the West. He no longer requires that we pay for them. Anyone who asks can be free.

Are you enjoying the true meaning of freedom?

Prayer: Father, thank You for the freedom found through forgiveness. 

Tweetable: Have you found the true meaning of freedom? 

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Walk-on Wednesday - Prisoner of… - 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. 

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Ephesians 4:1 NLT

I’d never been inside a jail cell before.

Life wasn’t going as I intended, and I was only sixteen. The Christian atmosphere I’d been reared in wasn’t working for me anymore. I was tired of the rules and regulations and had been influenced by the “hippie” culture.

Since nothing held me back, a friend and I packed my car with a few belongings and headed for the hills—literally. The trouble began when I took a side road down the mountain and got stuck in the snow. With no other choice presenting itself, we hoofed it up the mountain to a motel where we used a pay phone to call for a friend’s help. Unfortunately, the hotel attendant recognized us as the runaways he had heard about on the local info system and called the police. Before we could get back to our car, the blue lights appeared, and we were cuffed and stuffed in the local jail until our parents could retrieve us.

The apostle Paul was a literal prisoner on more than one occasion due to his bold preaching of the gospel in places where people didn’t want to hear it—or where they believed it would affect the local tourist business. These prison stints were temporary, but he was a permanent prisoner of Jesus Christ and had been since their meeting on the Damascus Road.

The list of what we can be imprisoned by is endless: addictive substances, pride, praise from others, gambling, pornography, co-dependent relationships, materialism, the almighty dollar, performance of good works for the wrong reason, and sports.

Our jail time is better spent as a prisoner to serving the Lord. When his plan is our agenda, this prison will be a wonderful place to get three hots and a cot. Rather than succumbing to the plethora of things that could imprison us, we choose to be a prisoner to serving God.

Let God’s love imprison you and free you at the same time.

Prayer: Father, imprison us to a lifestyle of loving you and serving others. 

Tweetable: What are you a prisoner of? 

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Walk-on Wednesday - Cleansing the Conscience - 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. 

For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. Hebrews 9:9 NLT

He was the sweetest man in the world when she married him . . . but that soon changed.

Peter and Catrina were high school sweethearts who planned their wedding for the summer after their graduation. Nine months later, Catrina delivered their baby girl. Shortly after Adeline’s birth, life took a downward turn when Peter lost his job.

Desperate, Peter decided to do what he wouldn’t have otherwise. He robbed a local store and buried the money in a vacant lot. But he left evidence behind that led to his arrest and a six-year prison sentence. The money, however, was never recovered. Catrina didn’t feel as if she could give him a second chance. She visited him only once while he was in jail.

Imagine Catrina’s surprise when six years later Peter showed up at a Christmas celebration hosted by the police chief. In his hand was the bag of money which he presented to the police chief. “It’s all there,” he said. Peter had done his time; all he wanted now was a second chance with his wife and daughter. Prison life hadn’t soothed his conscience.

Thousands upon thousands of sacrifices couldn’t pacify the raging consciences of the worshipers who brought them faithfully. The commands and ceremonies were merely temporary fixes until Christ came and paid what only a sinless person could pay.

Cleansed consciences are only possible by accepting and understanding what Christ has done. We could pay for our sins—but it would mean death and eternal punishment. No one else has offered to do this and couldn’t if they wanted since they are sinners as well.

Only the sinless Son of God could solve our dilemma. Knowing and believing that isn’t enough, however, to clear our consciences. We must believe our sins are forgiven. If we hang on to past mistakes he has forgiven—as Peter did—we’ll live continuously with false guilt. Satan will capitalize on our misunderstanding of forgiveness and make our lives miserable and useless.

What Christ has paid for and we’ve accepted, God will never hold against us again. Is your conscience clean?

Prayer: Father, cleanse our consciences from the false guilt that Satan attempts to inflict.

Tweetable: How do you cleanse your conscience? 

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Starting Over - Martin Wiles

Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! 2 Samuel 12:7 NLT

He stared at the floor, head in his hand, wondering how in the world he had done what he’d done.

Justin’s life wasn’t what he wanted—or had intended. But he didn’t know what he was capable of until he concocted a plan to change it.

A friend of Justin and his wife needed help. She faced divorce and feared she wouldn’t get custody of her child. Justin stepped in and promised her he could help—for the right price. Supposedly, he knew a “man” who, if paid, would make things go right in court.

But one payment for Justin for his help wasn’t enough. He desired more. He wanted quite a few “play toys.” So, he kept prodding his friend for more money, threatening her if she didn’t pay. Thousands of dollars racked up in his secret bank account.

Things seemed to go well until the woman he was extorting tried to take her life. That’s when the sordid story came out and authorities arrested him. The judge charged him with extortion and kidnapping and placed a heavy bail on him. He made bail, but when the sentencing came, the judge gave him as much as five years in prison and five years’ probation—plus restitution.

Justin wondered how he’d gotten where he was. Hopefully, he will realize he can start over. David did. As king, David also lusted after something that wasn’t his—another man’s wife. He tried to cover up his one-night fling that resulted in the woman becoming pregnant, but he couldn’t. Her husband had too much integrity to fall for David’s ploy. Although David had her husband murdered and then married her, God sent some hefty consequences for his sins.

Like Justin, David didn’t confess immediately. God had to send Nathan the prophet to tell him a story about a rich man who took a poor man’s lamb to feed a traveler—even though the rich man had more than enough sheep to spare for the weary traveler. David saw himself in the story…and confessed.

We can label sin as something else—mistake, goof up, indiscretion—but we’re all tempted to sin in some way or the other. Our sinful nature draws us to things we shouldn’t do, say, or think.

The good news is that none of our sins are beyond God’s forgiveness, with the exception of one: unbelief. As long as we repent and confess, God forgives and gives us the chance to start over—as He did with Justin and David. He probably won’t take away the consequences of our sin, but He’ll work all things together for our good in the end.

Unlike David and Justin, we need to confess quickly when we’ve sinned. The longer we hesitate, the more trouble we’ll find ourselves in and the more likely we’ll commit another sin to cover up the sin we’ve perpetrated.

Satan will afflict us with false guilt by telling us God can’t use us anymore or that we’re not Christians after all. But we don’t have to listen to his lies. We can cry out to God, and God will prove what a liar Satan really is.

Don’t ever think you have gone too far to start over.

Prayer: Father, we thank You that Your forgiveness is always enough to cover our sins.

Tweetable: What's your first response when you've failed? 

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Where Can God Be Found? - Martin Wiles

What I’m looking for isn’t always found where I’m looking.

I’m always looking to discover more friends through my writing. Along with pointing others to Christ and helping them deepen their walk with him, it’s also nice to establish acquaintances along the way. 

Sometimes I find them in the most unlikely places. Just recently I received a letter from a reader forwarded to me by a publisher. This person was in prison and had read one of my devotions in a quarterly publication. He wanted to make contact and ask for prayer and guidance. So I wrote back, and we’ve been corresponding ever since. 

Prison wasn’t the place I was looking for a friend, but I discovered one nevertheless. And it doesn’t matter what he’s done in the past; only what God can do in his present and future.

Nathanael, future follower of Jesus, didn't expect to find the Messiah in the insignificant town of Nazareth. “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied (John 1:46 NLT).

Since God loves to confound us, I’ve learned to look outside the box when I search for him. And sure enough, I often unearth him in places I wouldn’t think to look. While he’s present in the normal places—the pages of his Word, the prayer closet, in corporate worship experiences--he also makes himself known where I might not think or want to look.

I’ve uncovered God at what appeared to be youth rock concerts. However, the lyrics were Christian and so were many of the attendees. Teens praised God, made important decisions, and gave their lives to Christ. Surely, God must have been there. Jesus demonstrated God could be located in the presence of children, in the home of those considered chief sinners, and even among the outcasts of society.

Where is God found? Wherever love is displayed. Are you overlooking him?

Prayer: Father in heaven, may we learn to see You and manifest Your presence through our acts of love in all the places we go to.

Tweetable: Where are you trying to find God?

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Engaging the Culture - Martin Wiles

From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. 1 Chronicles 12:32 NLT

Popular author Max Lucado wrote, “People-helping is never a tidy trade because people who need help don’t lead tidy lives.”

I discovered the truth of his words when I received a letter from a prisoner in Ohio. He had come across a devotional I had written for a widely-circulated magazine. He was young with a messy life. I can’t remember all the details, but he wanted someone to talk to. And I was that person.  

I wrote him back, giving him encouragement and advice. He had become a Christian since entering prison and was struggling with being a light for Christ. No sooner had I mailed a letter back to him than I received another from him.

When the conversations turned toward him needing financial assistance, him coming to my town for a visit, and me trying to find someone to help him, fear took over and I backed off. I had no way of knowing he could be trusted and wasn’t out to rob me when he got out.

I was convicted about my attitude when I read Lucado’s words and when I thought about Jesus’ words not to judge unfairly. I was also reminded of Jesus’ example of helping those of society who others had turned their backs on. It was a messy business for Him, and helping them will be a messy business for me as well. And after all, I’ve been in messy situations myself that required others to get messy to assist me.

Of all the Israelite tribes that came to anoint David king of Israel, Issachar understood the times and knew the best course of action for the nation.

Defined, culture is “the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time.” Culture is more than nationality. It can be prison culture or teen culture. It may involve the culture of poverty, abuse, laziness, religion, and legalism.

Understanding the various cultures of our world—and then getting involved in those cultures, is never clean or easy, but it is a responsibility of those who claim to mimic Christ. When we stay anchored in the truth of God’s Word and believe God is with us, we can minister to all cultures with love.

Tweetable: Don’t avoid the various cultures; engage them.

Prayer: Father, give us love for all people and courage to engage them in a spirit of love. 

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