Victory Over One Thing

Living Lessons: Victory Over One Thing

By: Christopher Wiles

"Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' He said." - Mark 10:21a

If Jesus looked at my life, I don't think He would say "One thing you lack."  I think would exclaim (imagine a loving southern drawl here), "Here's a whole boatload of stuff we've got to work on boy!"  As He reveals my weaknesses to me, I try to work on ways to repent and then glorify Him.

Recently, I found myself beginning to complain about the cold when I felt the Spirit tapping my conscience on the shoulder saying, "This is one thing you lack."  I was then reminded of Paul's words to the church at Thessalonica, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thess 5:16-18

I'm thinking about that "for this is God's will for you" part.  Is my complaining about the consistent cold part of God's will for me?  It seems to be a far cry from "rejoice always" and "give thanks in all circumstances" that Paul instructs. 

I determined to work on a way to actively rejoice in the cold, appreciate it, and give thanks for it.  Truth be told, my wife thought I was a little crazy with my idea.  She even registered her "formal complaint" before she saw me go ice skating across the pond at Eastside Park while in a 20 degree snow fall.

Ice Skating Outside!

ICE SKATING OUTSIDE! (This was a new first for me.  Here's the video evidence: https://instagram.com/p/zmMBI_Pw11 .) 

Then I thanked God not just for the three weeks of cold weather that made the thick ice, but I thanked Him too for not horribly embarrassing me with a trip/fall and polar plunge combination.  It may be a small thing to everyone else, turning my griping to rejoicing, but I consider it a significant victory in the battle against all my many "one things." 

It's such a great reminder that it is worthy of repeating.  "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Consider how you can live out this Holy Scripture today.  You'll be glad you did.

Living Lessons: The Joy Of Snow!

Living Lessons: The Joy Of Snow!

By: Christopher Wiles

This past week was a hard week for some.  I admit, it is easy to get down and depressed with the weather keeping us indoors and imposing on our schedules. While it may seem inconvenient to have all this snow, to me it is a message of His perfection, His design, and His love for His Creation!  Due to the following verses (and the photos I took below of snowflakes), no matter what the weather brings, snow or sunshine, I will choose to believe, "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!" - Psalm 118:24

"That which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made." - Romans 1:19-20a

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." - Psalm 19:1

"Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters." - Proverbs 25:13
May each snowflake be a refreshing message to your soul!

Snowflakes from Ethan & Micah's jackets on 02/17/2015.

Snowflakes on an exercise mat next to a quarter that I took on 02/17/2015.

Each One Is A Message

We took just a couple early photos this morning to share some of God's goodness with you.  Pay special attention to the beautiful designs in the snow flakes!  While it may seem in inconvenience to some to have snow, to me it is a message of His perfection, His design, and His love for His Creation!

"That which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made." - Romans 1:19-20a

"Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters." - Proverbs 25:13

Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Snow#sthash.2JHSgpwI.dpuf

May each snowflake be a refreshing message to your soul!

Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Snow#sthash.2JHSgpwI.dpuf

Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Snow#sthash.2JHSgpwI.dpuf

Letter Lessons - A God Guided Marriage

Letter Lessons: A God Guided Marriage

By: Christopher Wiles

Instead of light writing from my experience in daily life (Living Lessons), I want to share with you thoughts that inspire me from a collection of letters from another's extraordinary life.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German protestant minister  who wrote from prison before his 1945 execution at the hands of Hitler's Nazis.  On May 15th, 1943, approximately 6 weeks after his arrest and missing the wedding ceremony of close friends due to being held in prison, Dietrich wrote these thoughts on marriage to his friends.

"Marriage is more than your love for each other.  It has a higher dignity and power, for it is God's holy ordinance, through which He wills to perpetuate the human race till the end of time.  In your love, you see only your two selves in the world, but in marriage you are a link in the chain of generations.  In your love you see only the heaven of your own happiness, but in marriage you are placed at a post of responsibility towards the world and mankind.  Your love is your own private possession, but marriage is more than something personal.  It is marriage and not merely your love for each other, that joins you together in the sight of God and man.  Your love comes from you, but your marriage is from above, from God.  As high as God is above man, so high are the sanctity, the rights, and the promise of marriage above the sanctity, the rights, and the promise of love.  It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love." 

In our day the view marriage has often been sadly reduced to an extravagant party and a temporary civil union. I find Dietrich Bonhoeffer's letter writings from prison to be refreshing and empowering.  It bolsters my resolve to care for the marriage God has given me with my wife.  It reminds me of my marriage's purpose as a practical use in humanity but also as an example of God's designs for others.  Bonhoeffer's writings echo the strong sentiments of scripture about marriage such as these writings from other letters:

"Let marriage be held in honor among all." - Hebrews 13:4a
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband." - Ephesians 5:31-33

How are you treating your love and your marriage?  Treat your marriage as the high purpose and calling that it truly carries.  You'll be glad you did. 

You can find more of Bonhoeffer's writings in the book titled "Letters & Papers From Prison" on Amazon.com

Covenant Class - Wednesday PM

We are having a great time in the Wednesday evening adult studies New Covenant Class.

The big questions we want to answer are:
1) What happened?
2) When did it happen?

Last week (Jan 14th), we began with a large overview of dispensational theology (study of ages).

Last night we jumped right in the middle with the events unfolding around Christ's death.  Here are links to a couple of the forms I created to help you in class.  I hope they help!

Chart detailing events immediately surrounding Christ's death.
List of 20 prophecies fulfilled on the day of Christ's death.

 Click to view the Tabernacle of Moses.

Click to view the Temple at Jesus' time. 

Homework:  For next week, study up on Jesus' baptism and the beginning of His ministry.   To follow up on our class last night, you might want to read the prophecies in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53.  They are amazing! 

Our Treatment of Trials

Letter Lessons: Our Treatment of Trials

By: Christopher Wiles

This morning I sat at Benjy's, a local family style eatery, and meditated on Bonhoeffer's letters.  I was served by willing waitresses, who attentively and graciously served my culinary needs.  I've met many waitresses in my dining experiences who have struggled with the trials life as single moms in low paying careers.  Yet they endeavor daily to serve me with a smile in spite of life's struggles.  For all you waitresses, thank you for your treatment of us during your trials. The following is what I penned while being served at Benjy's.

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 I would like to switch for a time from my normal light style of writing from my experience in daily life (Living Lessons) and share with you thoughts that inspire me from a collection of letters from another's extraordinary life.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German protestant minister  who wrote from prison before his 1945 execution at the hands of Hitler's Nazis.  May the following thoughts encourage and empower you through God's Holy Spirit.

Here are some of the excerpts from Dietrich's first letter to his parents after his unjust April 4th arrest. 

"Dear parents … The only thing that bothers me or would bother me is the thought that you are being tormented by anxiety about me … Forgive me for causing you so much worry… I'm most particularly anxious about my fiancée … besides that, I have my Bible… One is grateful for little things... I'm thinking of you and the rest of the family and my friends with gratitude and love, your Dietrich. " - April 14th, 1943

For ten days prior to this letter, Dietrich lived in solitude with bread to eat, no change of clothes, and a hard (likely concrete) bed.   Yet the first letter he was able to write to his parents was filled not with complaints of his poor conditions nor railings about his unjust imprisonment for speaking to the care and humane treatment of Jews.  His letter contained care and concern for others.  The thoughts contained in his first letter spoke of blessings such as a Bible and a thrush singing in the mornings.  His letter models well another prisoner's example contained in a letter to the Philippian church.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."- Philippians 2:3

"I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." - Philippians 4:11

Were you to be imprisoned for your faith, what would you first letter contain?  Would it contain honor for your parents, care for your friends, and contentedness for God's provisions?   Answer those questions by considering how you respond to trials of life today.  Do you respond to them now with honor, care, and contentedness?  If your answer to the previous question is "no" then let's begin changing our responses.  Begin as Paul does with prayer. 

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." - Philippians 1:9-11

May your prayers be fruitful and your treatment of trials honor our Holy Father.
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If you would like to read more of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's letters, you can do so by ordering this book in paper format or for the Kindle:  Letters and Papers from Prison (1997)

10 Things I'm Ready For

A friend asked me for 10 things I'm ready for.  Here are my ten off the top of my head.
10.  I'm ready for the cold to be done.
9.  I'm ready for some good snow for sledding (if the cold isn't going to be done).
8.  I'm ready for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or just a jar of peanut butter, whichever is easier. Oh, and a spoon, or a knife.  Never mind, just peanut butter will do nicely.
7.  I'm ready to go backpacking with Ashley, Gabriel, Ethan, Micah, and church family this year!  Wahoo!  (Micah has learned to walk, don't you think it's time he learned to backpack too?)
6.  I'm ready to preach on Sunday morning. (I know it's only Monday, but I feel good that God blessed me with a strong and funny message from the book of Micah!)
5.  I'm ready to take a "NightScape" photography class.  Anyone want to stay up late with me and photograph the stars?
4.  I'm ready to take my wife for another dinner and a movie type of night.
3.  I'm ready to play some football with friends instead of just hearing about the NFL playoffs.
2.  I'm ready to go to the doctor for something cool, like a football related injury with friends.
and the thing I'm most ready for?
1.  I'm ready, like John in Rev 22:20, for the Lord to come!  Man, heaven's gonna be a great place to be!

What are you ready for?

My Angry Eyes

To my ministry friends, they don't train you for this in seminary do they? Seriously, how do we train for moments like these?
Have you ever seen my angry eyes? It's a rare sight. I have to confess, I struggled to keep composure moments ago. It was 4:05am when someone was feverishly knocking and ringing the doorbell. Someone I helped with a ride 4 months ago was now waking my family asking for $20 to buy chips and a coke as they take their kid to the hospital. When I refused, they persisted in requesting just $10. It was at that point I struggled to express my disdain for this current situation.
Standing in the cold, with my adrenaline still pumping for fear of emergency, sporting a monstrous headache, and with irritation flooding over me as the realization that this person had to be strung out one some kind of drug to make this absurd request, I struggled to keep my composure.
While my wife can attest that my voice stayed calm even while refusing their audacious request to come in my home, I admit that I struggled. I don't doubt that my eyes gave away the flames of anger rising inside as this bold pan handler turned tail to run back to the minivan that had dropped them off.
I struggle to wrap my brain around it. Oh, and as I write this, I just saw their minivan traveling by in the opposite direction, away from the hospital.
And how did they figure out where I live anyway?
No, they don't train you for these moments in seminary.
So now I'm thinking of the "Friend at Midnight" passage in Luke 11:5-8.
Maybe this person thought they were on "friend status" with me. Maybe they thought that Jesus just meant "be persistent and you'll get what you want." Maybe I would have been more forthcoming if it was midnight and not 4am.
Read this scripture friends and see what you think. "5 Then He said to them, “[d]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [e]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his [f]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs."
Friends, if you have a legitimate need for more than chips and a coke at 4am in 20 degree cold weather, call first. I'll be a little happier to help.
Ministry friends, my heart goes out to you when this happens to you too. Thanks for all your service and patience.
P.S. I can attest, it is snowing and cold outside. Be careful driving to work this morning.

What good is Christmas season?

What good is Christmas season?

By: Christopher Wiles

Christmas time does a lot of good for me.  No, it’s not the myriad moments of gift giving or receiving.  It’s not the caroling in nursing homes or cookie deliveries.  It’s not even the abundance of church/family time together that benefits me most.  So what is it about this month long season that brings me so much benefit?

Patience.  I believe I benefit most in building patience.

I have the patience a ravenous child sitting in front of a marshmallowed mug of hot cocoa, just waiting to indulge in its goodness.   I’ve never liked waiting for life’s precious moments, which causes an odd tension within me at Christmas … and I learn patience.

Cake made in 2011 by Gabriel (5) and Ethan (3)

Starting on black Friday, I begin looking forward to my personal favorite family tradition.  What is that amazing, blessed, and awesome tradition?  On Christmas Eve we light three candles on a cake made by my children and sing in unison a “Happy Birthday” song to Jesus.  My family and I all know that we have no clue when Jesus was born (could you imagine the commercialism/idolatry that would ensue if the world really did know?).  We know that the New Testament doesn’t “authorize” us to sing happy birthday to Jesus (but how much of our family interaction does it “authorize”?).  We also know that His birth was lauded and magnified by many in the Holy Scriptures. So in my family, in our own way, we choose to do the same every year on Christmas Eve.  We’ve been doing it for years and I don’t plan on ending my favorite tradition any time soon. 

 Christmas time builds patience in me because everything reminds me of that special moment with my closest loved ones.  It began with decorating the tree on Black Friday.  The ornaments, the star on top of the tree, the songs, the gift giving, and more all build hopeful anticipation for that special moment when my family gathers to sing special praise to our Living King.  Then I’m reminded of that moment everywhere I look for the next 4 weeks!  Having to wait nearly a month every year for this special moment forces me to wait, and I’m grateful for it.  After all, isn’t patience one of the fundamental necessities of enjoying hope?

          The Christmas season is similar to our own Christian lives.  We spend a lot of time acquiring patience for that one big moment that tops all others.  Oh yes, we are grateful for the small glimpses and blessings along the way that help build the anticipation to that celebratory moment.  Yet, none of our small joys compare to the fulfillment of our hope we will experience on that great day! May we all build patience that bolsters our hope till that day we collectively sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus face to face.

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” – Revelation 5:11-12