Lukewarm Faith in a Hot-and-Cold World - Martin Wiles

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

The sign read: House for Rent. Hot and Cold Running Water.

Though laughable now, there was a time when having indoor plumbing was a luxury only the wealthy knew anything about. Water was drawn from a well or creek and carried indoors. Getting hot water meant cutting wood and placing cold water in pots in the fireplace or on a wood-burning stove.

On one mid-August trip through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, my wife and I noticed the leaves on the highest-elevation trees turning. Odd, I thought, this early, but then again, that’s what tree leaves do. As the summer season ended and the daylight hours got shorter, the leaves lost their luminescence and revealed their natural color. The yellows shone through beautifully. 

Christians shouldn’t run hot and cold or change like the leaves on a tree. Nor should we have lukewarm faith in a hot-and-cold world. Paul encouraged the early believers to be steadfast in their love for the Lord and in their work for him. Only by steadfastness would they be able to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and teach people how to be his disciples.

But we also don’t want to burn out doing God’s work—nor does God expect us to. Unfortunately, I’ve known quite a few believers who did. Burnout can come from trying too hard to alleviate feelings of guilt over past sins, from serving with the wrong motives, or from trying to boost one’s self-esteem.

Another entire set of people tends to drop out rather than burn out. Among 18- to 22-year-olds, around 70% drop out of church after graduating from high school. Reasons they give for doing so include life changes, needing a break, moving away to college, work interference, judgmental or unfriendly pastors or church members, a change in their views, or an acknowledgement that they previously only attended to please someone.

God’s work requires determination. The abundant life Jesus offers requires the same. Otherwise, we’ll change like the leaves or run hot and cold like water. The power to remain steadfast instead of becoming lukewarm doesn’t lie within us, but in the power of God’s Spirit. He provides the want that keeps us keeping on—and for the right reasons.

Don’t let a lukewarm faith cause you to turn like the leaves. Serve God with consistency and diligence.

Father, enable me to check my motives for serving you. Then, give me the staying power to serve you faithfully until the end. 

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.

As Pure as Water - Martin Wiles

But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Habakkuk 1:13 NLT

With most of the world’s rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans too polluted to safely drink from without purification, we looked at one that was 98% pure. I could not imagine being as pure as water.

While on vacation, my wife and I visited Forbidden Caverns near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. As we descended more than three hundred feet to the lowest point of our tour, we saw flowing water. A river that came from somewhere high above and snaked through cracks and openings in the cavern to flow into the bowels of the earth.

Looking at the water, I could tell it was different. Moonshiners and Native Americans once used it to ply their trade and survive in the wild. And without harm. Our guide told us why. The water was 98% pure. One could drink it without risk of harm—no need for filtration.

God’s purity, however, is greater than the cavern water. Throughout all sixty-six books of the Bible, God is proclaimed as pure—100 percent. Pagan gods were untrustworthy and not always after the best interests of their followers, but the God of Israel was different. Not an iota of evil is attached to his character. He expects His followers to adhere to the same code of conduct. Trouble is, I’m not pure. Nor can I be by my own power.

Polluted water can be made drinkable by filtration. While hiking and backpacking, I’ve drunk from many questionable water sources, but I protected myself by filtering the water. When it comes to my nature, I can’t do anything to make it pure. I can try turning over new leaves—and I may do well temporarily--but I can’t make myself good permanently. Bad attitudes, foul language, greedy thoughts, and lustful looking will creep in.

God must have known He was requiring something we weren’t capable of since he sent his pure Son to do for humanity what we couldn’t do for ourselves. When we accept what Christ did on Calvary’s cross, we’re given his righteousness, his purity. God considers our sin debt paid, not because we paid it, but because his Son paid it for us. God has filtered us by the blood of Christ and made us 100 percent pure. 

Don’t try to be good so God will accept you. Instead, accept God and let him change your nature.

Father, I thank you for doing for me what I could never do for myself. 

I invite you to try my book Mastering English Grammar Basics. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Trudging Through Muddy Waters - Martin Wiles

When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! Isaiah 43:2 NLT

Before us was a wide river; behind us were miles of unmarked territory. 

Panthertown Valley in North Carolina was the most confusing place I had ever hiked. Numerous trails meandered through hundreds of acres, but none were marked. The maps didn’t seem to match the actual layout of the areas, and several side trails veered off from the main trails, making it extremely difficult to follow the map.

On one particular hike, my brother, son, and I chose an unfamiliar route. After hiking several miles, we came to a bulging river. None of us could swim, and we weren’t sure we could return the way we had come. While the water wasn’t raging, what if it was deeper than it appeared? My brother decided to be the guinea pig and made it safely across. My son was short; I’d have to carry him. So with a child on my back and a hiking staff in my hand, we traversed the cold water and made it safely to the other side.

God’s Old Testament people had been through deep and muddy waters more than once. In their history, wave after wave of foreign invaders attacked them and on several occasions carried them away as captives. But each time, God delivered them.

Like the nation of Israel, I can recount an entire list of muddy water episodes: rebellious children, dying relatives, financial meltdowns, broken relationships, unemployment, low-paying jobs, abuse, cancer, and physical ailments. And if I haven’t faced the muddy waters myself, I’ve been close to someone who has.

God never gave up on the nation of Israel. He always came to their rescue. He’s done the same for me. Just as I couldn’t see the bottom of the river we crossed, so I couldn't see the bottom of the muddy-water episodes I’ve encountered. 

But it doesn’t matter. I knew the one who allowed me to cross through the waters, and he had a reason for doing so. The lessons I’ve learned resulted in spiritual growth. And God has given me many opportunities to share my lessons with children, teens, and adults. I’ve also noticed that people traversing muddy-water episodes listen more carefully to someone who has been through the muddy waters themselves.

When God takes you through muddy waters, enjoy the journey and be open to what he’s teaching you.

Father, I trust you to guide me through life’s muddy waters, believing you will keep me safe and provide something better on the other side. 

I invite you to try my book A Whisper in the Woods 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.

When the Brook Dries Up - Martin Wiles

But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land. 1 Kings 17:7 NLT

Life is rarely enjoyable when the brook dries up.

One of the brooks I regularly drink from is writing. God gave me this gift some years ago, and I attempt to use it to honor him. But despite knowing he gave the gift, the brook runs dry more times than I wish.

Rejections. They are never easy for writers. Somehow, our self-esteem gets tangled up in our writing. Rejection letters strike devastating blows. In reality, the manuscript, article, devotion, or poem may be perfectly good, but the editor simply doesn’t have room for it. Yet, our self-esteem suffers. The brook dries up.

Elijah had just delivered a dangerous message to the king: no rain for an extended period. Then the Lord told him to hide by Kerith Brook. His water would come from the brook, and ravens would deliver food. Things went well…until the brook dried up.

Dry brooks come in many forms: financial crashes, relationship upheavals, marriage unfaithfulness, physical limitations, injuries, unemployment, rebellion, and addictions.

When the brook dries up, it isn’t a sign God has left and isn’t working. God is always working behind the scenes. We may not see God’s hand, as we don't see the set preparers at a play, but he’s there nonetheless. When the set changes during a play, we wait for the changers to finish their job. With God, we believe by faith that he is working. We continue doing what we were doing until we receive further instruction. Elijah remained by the dry brook until God told him to visit a nearby village.

When the brook dries up, God may be testing our faith or preparing us for more outstanding service. God tested Abraham’s faith when he told him to sacrifice his only son. God prepared Moses for greater service by having him spend time on the backside of a desert. Elijah was being prepared for greater opportunities. He would soon have a mountain showdown with four hundred pagan prophets.

Dried-up brooks offer the chance to examine our obedience. If we obey God, we can be sure the brook will again overflow its banks. Others may try to discourage us, but our faith and God’s power will carry us through.

Think of better ways to respond when the brook dries up.

Father, when the brooks dry up, increase my faith and determination to follow you obediently and to depend on you for wisdom.

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.

Getting into the Deep Waters - Martin Wiles

After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. Ezekiel 37:4-5 NLT

I fear getting into the deep waters and have every reason to.

When I was nine years old, someone in the church my dad pastored invited us to go swimming. Two of my friends asked me to hop on their innertube. I was okay while we wobbled around in the shallow end. Then they decided to go into the deep water. 

As the innertube moved toward the deep end, fear took over. I held tightly to the edge of the pool. Finally, the innertube left and my body stayed—but underwater. When it appeared the end was almost near, one of my friends suddenly propelled my body to the surface. I never learned to swim, and at my age, I don’t plan to.

God gave Ezekiel a vision of a river flowing from the Temple of God. As it cascaded downward, it got deeper. Lush vegetation lined the banks. The river symbolizes the life God gave but also the blessings flowing from his throne.

Walking or swimming in God’s river is my choice. When I trusted Christ as my Savior, I stepped into the river—the shallow part . . . the portion I could walk across without fearing. Then, as I grew in my faith, I moved into the deep waters. Waters I could drown in. Waters I had to rely on someone else to help me out of if I went under.

I can stay in the shallow waters during my entire Christian experience if I choose. But God wants me to venture out into the deep waters of serving and trusting him completely with every detail of my life.

My faith is tested, tried, and refined in the deep waters through severe trials, hindering hardships, and torturing temptations. Yet, along the banks of deep-water living are found the luscious foods that nurture my soul into a deeper spiritual relationship. Vegetation that increases my love for God and others. Vegetation that satisfies regardless of my situation in life.

How deep are the waters in which you are treading?

Prayer: Father, lead us into the deep waters of total commitment to You.  

Tweetable: Have you waded into the deep waters of trust? 

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The Best Water - Martin Wiles

He leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23:2 NIV

The water was murky at best, but it provided the only source we had.

On the first overnight camping trip my brother and I ever took, we failed to map out whether good water sources existed near our camping spot. In fact, we didn’t even map out where we would camp. Our tents ended up in a wooded area that we could hardly call a campsite, and our only water source was a murky, bug-topped trickle that crossed the trail and then disappeared. Fortunately, we had a filtering system that removed 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria. The water was still brown after filtering it, but it tasted good and was purified.

Much of our bodies consist of water, and if we don’t have it, we’ll die. Bottled water is a big item in today’s world because of its purity—and for some, it provides a status symbol—but even it has its downfalls, as we found out when our middle grandson visited the dentist.

“It appears he’s not getting enough fluoride,” the dentist remarked when my wife took him for a cleaning. “Does he brush with fluoride toothpaste?” she continued. “And what about water. Does he drink tap or bottled water?”

Our daughter and son-in-law, being naturalists, use toothpaste without fluoride. Fluoride has some possible bad effects. They also buy bottled water. A bad mixture when a child’s teeth are prone to cavities.

The psalmist said God led him to quiet or still waters. When filtering water, I always tried to get it from a place where the water ran quickly. But that didn’t change the result: most water sources are polluted. Most animals, sheep included, want to drink from a spot where the water doesn’t flow rapidly, but still, water tends to stagnate.

Water is one more thing sheep must have for them to lie down. If they are thirsty, they will be restless. And many times, their water source is nothing more than the dew from the grass they graze on. They can go for extended periods without drinking water in the traditional sense.

No matter how much water we drink, we’ll thirst again—unless we drink from the water Jesus offers. The same water He offered to the Samaritan woman He met at the well. He told her if she drank the water He offered, she would not thirst again. This excited her. She thought she’d never have to make another trip to the well. Jesus meant otherwise.

Jesus’ water is an offer for fulfillment. It begins when we place our faith in Him as our Savior and ask Him to forgive our sins. His water continues to quench our thirst as we live in obedience to His commands and as we trust Him to meet all our needs: physical, spiritual, and emotional.

We have a habit of visiting the wrong sources, trying to fill the spiritual void that occupies a spot in our life where only a relationship with Christ will suffice. Jesus will take us to the best sources of clean refreshing water that will keep us satisfied. While we don’t have to keep returning to Him for salvation, we do have to keep going back through prayer and Bible study for the daily water we need.

Don’t settle for less than the best water.

Saint Augustine of Africa summed it up: “O God! Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our souls are restless, searching, ’til they find their rest in Thee.”

Prayer: Father, lead us to the quiet waters that will forever quench our thirsty souls.

Tweetable: What type of water are you drinking? 

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Filtered for Purity - Martin Wiles

But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. Daniel 1:8 NLT

The difference between using one and not using one often means contamination, days off the trail, and painful diarrhea.

I met him on a guided hike. He was the first person I’d ever talked to who had thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. I had questions, and he had answers. But one story rose above the rest: his bout with giardia. Trail angels had left fresh fruit in a stream by one of the AT shelters. Hunger for more than trail food consumed him. He grabbed the fruit, sunk his teeth into it, and soon regretted his decision. He lost two days of walking, sick from contaminated water.

Never have I drunk from an unfiltered water source. Generally, I use a PUR water filter which guarantees to remove ninety-nine percent of germs. Fortunately, I’ve never suffered from giardia. Purity is important.

Purity was on Daniel’s mind. He was among the first of the exiles to experience deportation to Babylon—a subject of foreign invaders who worshiped pagan gods and read pagan literature. But Daniel stood out, along with his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The king chose them to serve him, but they first needed preparation—which included eating the king’s food and drinking his wine. A practice that would defile Daniel according to Jewish laws. He offered a suggestion. He and his friends wanted to try vegetables and water. At the end of ten days, they looked healthier than those eating the king’s food.

The believer’s body is a temple of God’s Spirit. He lives there permanently and continuously. What I put into my body affects Him. But it’s not the food I eat or the liquids I drink—although they may affect my physical condition. Contamination is more about my thoughts, actions, and words.

Remaining pure means thinking on what is true, just, righteous, noble, kind, uplifting, honorable, and lovely. My thoughts lead to actions, which will be pure or impure depending on what I think on. Actions reflect my character. Through them, people see the real me. And the real me means more than the words I speak.

Nietzsche, the atheistic philosopher who proclaimed God was dead, said of Christians; “I will believe in the Redeemer of the Christians when they act like they are redeemed.”

God is holy, makes His children holy in position, and expects us to be pure in our lifestyles. 

Commit to a pure lifestyle.

Tweetable: Are you pursuing purity? 

Prayer: Father, enable us to live pure lives as good representatives of the pure God we serve. 

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As Pure as Water - Martin Wiles

But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Habakkuk 1:13 NLT

With most of the world’s rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans too polluted to safely drink from without purification, we were looking at one that was 98% pure.

While on vacation, my wife and I visited Forbidden Caverns near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. As we descended more than 300 feet to the lowest point of our tour, we saw flowing water. A river that came from somewhere high above and snaked through cracks and openings in the cavern to flow into the bowels of the earth. Looking at the water, I could tell it was different. Moonshiners and Native Americans once used it to ply their trade and survive in the wild. And without harm. Our guide told us why. The water was 98% pure. One could drink it without risk of harm—no need for filtration. 

God’s purity is greater than the cavern water. Throughout all 66 books of the Bible, God is proclaimed as pure—100 percent. Pagan gods were untrustworthy and not always after the best interests of their followers, but the God of Israel was different. No iota of evil attaches itself to His character, and He expects His followers to adhere to the same code of conduct. Trouble is, I’m not pure. Nor can I be by my own power. 

Polluted water can be made drinkable by filtration. While hiking and backpacking, I’ve drunk from many questionable water sources, but I protected myself by filtering the water. 

When it comes to my nature, I can’t do anything to make it pure. 

I can try turning over new leaves—and I may do well temporarily, but I can’t make myself good permanently. Bad attitudes, foul language, greedy thoughts, and lustful looking will creep in. 

God must have known He was requiring something I wasn’t capable of since He sent His pure Son to do for humanity what we couldn’t do for ourselves.

When I accept what Christ did on Calvary’s cross, I’m given His righteousness—His purity. 

God considers my sin debt paid, not because I paid it but because His Son paid it for me. I’ve been filtered by the blood of Christ and made 100% pure.  

Don’t try to be good so God will accept you; accept God and let Him change your nature.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for doing for us what we could never do for ourselves. 

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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.