Knowing Your Call!
November 4, 2010 by Mike Wells
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Colossians 1:25, “Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God.”
The Apostle was very clear on what the call of God was for him. Yet many believers are unsure as to what they are to be doing. The confusion over their “call” is compounded by the onslaught of writings that purport to help believers discover their call. Just as an employer does not hire people when he has no idea what job he has for them, I would assume that God is not hiding from His children the call He has on their lives. I have discovered through my interaction with believers that before they can understand a “call,” they must have a clear understanding of the purpose of the Christian life. If I were to take one digit out of someone’s phone number and place it at the end of the number, the whole thing would be so out of order that I could never use the number to call the person. In God’s order we must first know the purpose of our lives. His goal is the revelation of Christ in us, and once our goal in life also becomes the revelation of Christ within, we will see that these two purposes meet perfectly in our unique sets of circumstances. From working in the yard to working in the corporate world, our life’s goal and His goal remain consistent, the revelation of Christ. We have all had friends for whom nothing seemed to work out; they always have a broken car and are in financial straits, and, though amply qualified, they never get the good job. In the past I was vexed over that, but no longer! Once I could see the purpose of life, I could see that God had permitted them to be placed in situations that would best aid their advance into the great revelation of Christ. Therefore, we first define the goal of life, which will be expressed uniquely through every individual. I believe that this is what many people define as a “call.” On the Vine we are branches witnessing to other branches about the very same Life that flows in all of us. I have said several times, “There are no great speakers; there are only great audiences able to respond to the message.” Perhaps God has not spoken ahead of time into the hearts of the other branches; in that case, a speaker’s attempts to witness to a message that is not in the listeners will not bear fruit. I was visiting a church in Asia where many of the men had taken mistresses. The pastor had chosen the topic on which I was to speak: prayer. It is a beautiful topic, but it was not where the Vine was speaking to the other branches. If I had the “call” of God to teach prayer, this was not the time, and we must be sensitive to our call. It is very simple for a believer to determine what his call is. It is that which, when witnessed to by the leading of the Vine, creates a divine explosion in others. The secret is that since the life flows through the Vine, when there is an explosion in the receiver branches, there is an equal explosion in the witness branch! I am always telling people things that they already know, for God has placed it in them. Yet when I see a spark in the eyes concerning the indwelling Christ, the love of God, the sufficiency of Jesus, and the hope that we have in Him, I never know who gets more excited! For the explosion, by way of the Vine, is taking place in me, also. In short, the “call” is the work of God witnessed to and exciting a believer as he shares it every bit as much as the receiver. “Calls” are different. Paul makes this point to the Corinthians. We are all different members of one body, one Vine. In our “calls” we do not compete with the other branches but complete the work God has for all of us to do.
Bad Memory is Godliness
October 29, 2009 by admin
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“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgression for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins,” Isaiah 43:25.
There are two things in the passage that strike me. We are made in the image of God, Who says, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake.” When those to whom you minister, those who minister to you, those you minister with, and those to whom you will never minister do something to hurt you, the thought of the transgression can haunt you for years. It only takes a name being brought up, an event of the past, or a painful experience to renew the transgression. If the hurtful person completely disappears from the scene, never to be heard of again, he can still take up residency in your head and heart. As I often note, the purpose of forgiveness in the Bible is restoration. However, there are those who do not want restoration; hence, they would see no need for forgiveness. There are relationships I have tried to restore in the past by asking for forgiveness, only to be told of more offenses and to stay away. For my own good, I need to forget. Oh, to able to forget, to wipe out a transgression, to remember the sins no longer, just for our own sakes. When I got married, Betty quickly realized what was ahead of her, for each day I would ask, “Have you seen my keys? Have you seen my wallet?” Everything would shut down while we looked. Then a few years ago I got glasses, and we have added them to the list of things that are lost daily, along with a cell phone and the key to the mailbox. You get the picture. “Betty, have you seen my keys, wallet, glasses, phone, and key to the mailbox?” One day, justifiably, she said, “Can’t you remember anything?” I jokingly said, “Forgetfulness is a sign of godliness. Only God could wipe out transgressions and remember no more, and we are in His image. I am glad that in His image, I can forget. I just do not want to remember everything from my past, and if not being able to remember where my keys are is part of not remembering, then it is a fair tradeoff.” You can see why I can be difficult to live with! However, to forget is a great blessing. Research (if it can ever be trusted) says that the average person only loses about 10% of the ability to remember. The difference is that past age 60 it takes more physical effort to correct the forgetfulness. In the younger years, we forgot the mail and thought nothing of running back to get it. In the older years the extra effort is a frustration. My grandfather used to complain about his memory loss, and I would remind him that I had worked with him most of my life and never remembered his having a razor-sharp memory, only now it was annoying him. Start this day knowing that the Lord wipes out your transgressions for His own good. He does not want to think about your failures all day long, so why should you? Second, He does not remember your sin; it is the enemy coming from your past. Guilt is the undertaker’s best friend.
Loss, Loss, and more Loss
October 29, 2009 by admin
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“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”—Matthew 7:13, 14
Once when preparing to retire for the evening at an old man’s house, I asked a parting question, “What do you think is the purpose of life?” He never hesitated, just kept walking and mumbled, “Death, death, and more death. Loss, loss, and more loss.” With that, the door to his bedroom closed. I laid in bed for several hours just meditating on what he said. Then I heard Jesus speak through the Scriptures, “Enter through the narrow gate, the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction.” I was then reminded of being in Viet Nam crawling through the tunnels that sprawled underneath the ground. The guide said that there was only one way in, and we had to leave behind all valuables, backpacks, cameras, and hats, because the way was just too small. Oh, how I wished I had not started that journey. At first I entered standing, and then the tunnel narrowed until it was pitch-black darkness. I was scooting along on my stomach, my shoulders and head were hitting the wall above me, and there was barely any air to breathe. Nor was there any turning back. After several minutes, we dropped into a rather large room (10x10x6), a storage area for everything needed to survive: rations, water, medical supplies, and safety. What a trip to get there, though. Then I discovered that this was the first of many such tunnels, with each one opening into a larger room that contained something the soldiers during the war would have needed. Some rooms had been very dangerous, because bombs had been cut into pieces and drug through the tunnels in order for the explosives to be removed, the steel smelted, and hand grenades made.
We have a few years on this planet, where our goal is not gain but loss. Today there are many “Christian Clubs” that promote the idea that we are to accumulate as much as possible, until in the end, it would take a wide path and train of elephants to carry all that was sought after and found. It would never be possible to carry pride, wealth, success, intelligence, superiority, victories over enemies, or titles on the narrow path; that path is not made to accommodate such things. One day, we will all reach the narrow path, and some will get on their hands and knees (a place they have often been) and pass through easily with the knowledge and revelation of Christ. Others will stand their dumbfounded, wondering what they are to do with their great line of amassed possessions. Again, the wrong thing can be said so many times that the right thing sounds wrong. Remember the Jews when they were so mad at Jesus for the pigs that ran over the cliff? My question would have been, “Why are you upset at losing the very thing you were never supposed to have had?” Many believers get depressed because they lose the very thing they should not have had. Some are so undone that the enemy whispers, “Suicide”; that shows a lot of pride. It is no fun to lose, and lose, and lose, but it is the path you have chosen, and though He is the only comfort on the narrow path, is He not more than sufficient? It is no fun to lose family, friends, kids, security, or a marriage. Keep on that narrow path, for it will open into a place that has all you need.
Marriage Under Attack
October 29, 2009 by admin
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Nothing is said in the Bible about marriage being under attack, the struggle of marriage, or the conflict in marriage; nor is there anything said about marriage and regret, marriage and happiness, or marriage and fulfillment. Basically, the main theme concerning marriage is that the two will become one flesh. Biblically, flesh is that part of man, who is made somewhat in the image of God, that wants to be God. This means that two “fleshly” people become one “flesh” and will attempt to be God. Well, only God could think of that! Two people yielding to God, wanting to be God, and working to make the other spouse into their image! Wow! At that point I can only say that the purpose of marriage is to make a person miserable and to reveal both self-centeredness and the desire to be God and rule over others. While that is unfolding, he is denying any blame as he casts himself and others into a living hell. Sounds like what I have been seeing; in the last twenty-four months I have encountered more Christian marriages under attack than in the previous ten years. I am not totally objective, I realize that, nor am I the answer man; Jesus is the Way to every answer. However, it amazes me that I could spend time with a husband and enjoy the fellowship or visit with his wife and enjoy the fellowship, but they cannot seem to spend one content hour together. Satan has so clouded the eyes of the believers that they only see the negatives and cannot see God. Amen, I understand the grief in women when they are living with a drunk, drug addict, child abuser, physical abuser, adulterer, and more (things Paul says that we ought not even talk about, and I am thankful that the Lord lets me sleep at night from some of the things I have heard). However, the things that I am hearing lately are completely petty. “You did not support me! You did not initiate intimacy, you do not court me, you only pick out the negatives, you do not support me with the children, you are someone different when we are out with others than at home, you are a fake as a believer, you do not pray with me, and you will not do what I ask you to do.“ Amen, every issue has some validity, but not grounds for bitterness, anger, hatred, emotional walls, and everything else that the believer is not to have even for an unbeliever! Is anyone ever ashamed of this behavior? There seems to be a genuine lack of communication among Christian couples; it has been replaced by a series of reactions. The world already offers us financial, social, and physical strain; do we want discord at home, too? Are we asking God, “What is the deal? What do You want me to do? Maybe I should hit the guy, and maybe I should love him.“ I do not know what God knows. I have been asking people to write, once each day for thirty days, something they love about their mates. They might last about ten days and then come up blank. However, they can write for sixty days all that is wrong with their mates. Attitude is everything. I believe that Jesus is coming, and therefore, no matter what happens in world politics, I am comforted. Do you believe that God brought your mate to reveal something in you? Let Him reveal the selfishness, the lack of love, the list keeping, the dissatisfaction that the flesh always harbors, and turn to Him. Get on your knees and say, “Jesus, what do You have for us? We are finished; we need a Source that lives outside us and inside us.” He is God, it is His responsibility, and He will come. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Do we think that He did not love our mates? Listen, His coming is near, and there are three things a marriage needs: communication, common goals, and intimacy. Ask Him to show you where you have gone astray. Honestly, you did not marry your mate because he/she was a complete ass! You did not take vows while looking forward to the day that you would despise seeing the other entering the room. Intimacy in communication and in the physical will break down all barriers. Brothers and Sisters, we are in a battle with a voice that just will not shut up. We will win, and we are those that conquer because of our Lord who already won. One deathblow to self-will brings a refreshing rain on the garden of your relationship. Please follow Christ, take up the cross, deny yourself, and let your marriage flourish.
Male Validation
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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I Corinthians 4:5, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”
Peter’s statement that “a woman will be saved in childbirth” is confusing until the word saved is properly defined. The term saved, as used in the Bible, refers a majority of the time to deliverance in the present. Nothing hinders daily victory and joy as much as selfishness. Experiencing childbirth, a woman’s self-life is given a severe blow as she devotes her own wellbeing to the good of another, her newborn child. This very loss of self-centeredness allows her to be more susceptible to daily victory in Christ.
Peter’s statement is not meant to be a dig to women who have not borne children any more so than to men, who also have never borne children. He is pointing to a greater truth, and that truth is that selfishness needs a deathblow in order for mankind to find life. Childbirth seems to validate a woman’s existence (not all women, but many) in the sense that once a woman is a mother, the course of her life is believed to be set, and she therefore has validation and purpose. Men do not have such an experience, and I find that many are looking for purpose and validation. However, we seek for the things that can only be found in Him.
I have collected several suicide notes from men over the years (more men successfully commit suicide than women). The notes are predictable and often carry the same theme: “I am sorry that I did not amount to more”; “I should have done more with my life”; “I am a disappointment.” In short, they never found validation–or, rather, a fulfilled purpose–in living. Within the context of discipleship I often play a suicide game. I pretend that I am the person sitting before me wanting to commit suicide, and the person must take the name of Suicide. I say, “Suicide, why do you want to kill me?” The answer comes in various forms, but always with the same general thrust: “Because you are worthless, you have not accomplished anything with your life, and you have not lived up to your potential.” I then respond, “Exactly what is my potential? How will I know if I have accomplished enough or lived well enough to fulfill my potential? Will it be when I have made a medical discovery, become popular, obtained my own television show, gained the praise of my family, or memorized the whole Bible? The problem is that I know of men who fall into the previous categories of accomplishment that have all committed suicide, therefore proving that your definition of validation is faulty.”
Something very depressing to many is that they have “made it” in the world’s sense and wake up in the morning being their same old selves. Validation from yourself, the world, or others is like taking a dry dishrag and wringing it for a full, thirst-satisfying, glass of water. When man cannot find validation, he will live to the world, others, and self in an attempt to justify his existence on the earth. I have not mentioned the things that we do that actually, in our minds, do the opposite of validating us. There are the outbursts, the deeds of the flesh, the old habits that return, the failed marriages, and more. Men more than women need to stop looking for validation in any place other than the Lord. Naked you entered the world and naked you will leave. Frank Sinatra died and Las Vegas dimmed its lights for a short time. Wow! What a tribute. They then turned them back on full blaze and went on gambling.
If the Lord validates you, you no longer must live to the world, yourself, or others. You will be free, free indeed. He validates every man with a simple statement, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” That is enough. With that statement echoing in my heart, I am as happy sitting on a tractor turning up the grubs and watching the seagulls eat them as I am preaching before five thousand. I am as expectant in defeat as in victory. I am not watching myself obsessively, nor does the affirmation or rejection of the world or others change my day.
Why Does a God of Love Kill So Many?
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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He did it for love.
We are into the third day and begin our devotions with a question. Why did the God of love kill so many in the Old Testament? The answer is hard to believe, because we have been so indoctrinated by humanism, but the answer is quite simple: love. He did it for love. How can God’s actions not be consistent with His love? Everything He does is an expression of His character. If there were an option better than love, God would have taken it. I personally have seen those given over to sin to the point that death would have been a welcomed relief. Once the heart is revealed and there is no desire for repentance, each day remaining in sin only adds to the judgment to come. Would it not be gracious to take this life and stop the sin? God’s goal is to stop sin, for it is unnatural and makes man miserable. He can stop our misery by having us turn to Him, and He could also stop our misery by taking our earthly life. We must ask ourselves an important question. What is the purpose of life if it is lived in sin? Is a life lived in sin really life? Love, love, love, God is love.
The Need For Suffering
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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There are things learned in suffering that cannot be learned in comfort, and therefore man is in need of suffering!
Matthew 9: 20 ”And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak.”
We have said it many times, but it bears repeating. There are things learned in suffering that cannot be learned in comfort, and therefore man is in need of suffering! It is interesting to hear the stories from some of those who experienced prison in Siberia under the Soviet Union. The reported suffering was so intense, and in fact, many were purposely taken to Siberia to die. Despite no shelter, food, or clothing, some survived. Amid such intense suffering, some created their own very small world of comfort. Someone had the idea of making shoes out of potato sacks with paper placed in the bottom for insulation. That netted a little comfort. Others discovered how to catch the little snowbirds for an added protein delight. Again, a little more comfort was gained. Some discovered how to make charcoal drawings from the ashes for a little creative comfort. Man simply cannot thrive with just suffering. There are many witnesses to the fact that some simply lost the will to live without some comfort.
Many in the world would love to experience Americans’ level of suffering.
In the same way, however, there is a need for some suffering. Man cannot live in comfort alone. In fact, the comfortable Western world is in such a need for suffering that it actually manufactures it. Because I travel where people do consistently suffer, it sometimes seems ridiculous to me to see what an American can call suffering. Many in the world would love to experience Americans’ level of suffering. There are howls over the most vague injustices, the unending pictures of the homeless, the slightest perceived infractions of rights, and the inequities of society. The media is nearly comical in its pursuit of the discovery of some perceived suffering. It only confirms the inherent need man must have for some kind of suffering. Those who never suffer lack character. I often see kids who at age 20 are sitting around waiting for the perfect job. They don’t want to suffer with something that isn’t perfect. Can the caste-born man in India imagine a twenty-something without a job because it wouldn’t be fun? We learn so much of what Christ can be in us by doing the things that are not fun. Was it fun for God to be in a human body? Was it fun for Him to provide for a family? Was it fun to have so little of a hearing among His peers? And yet in all those non-fun activities we see a victorious Man we want living in us. The Western world in its shallow pursuit of comfort has lost character. Having an enemy is suffering, but learning that Jesus can love an enemy through us is sheer delight. We need suffering, and I will tell you something that is known by many already: Suffering is coming! It is coming to the West! It is not to be feared, for its purpose will be the perfecting of the hearts that are for Him. Remember when it comes that our brothers and sisters who live amid suffering in a multitude of countries witness to the fact that God is greater.
What to Do When Accused of Being False
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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I John 1:22, “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?” Every believer must be prepared for the day when they are accused of being a false teacher or a cult leader. It has happened to me. I have started nearly every conference with the admonition that everything I say is not true. I am a man in process and make mistakes. However, the one thing I always will say in a conference that is truth is that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As Ray says, “I know what I am saying, but I am never sure of what people are hearing.” Sometimes I say the wrong thing, sometimes I am wrong, and other times I am misunderstood. However, there are those with an agenda to discredit the message of abiding in Christ moment by moment by discrediting me. Each word written or uttered is examined to confirm a pre-established bias. These believers, like Saul, want to stir up the crowd, have them lay their robes at their feet, and stone any who don’t agree with them 100%. They throw around words such as cult, false teacher, and heretic. Honestly, that is a bit harsh an assessment of one who teaches there is nothing but Jesus that matters. I have often said to those who are looking for something with which to discredit me that if they will simply sit down with me, I would give them a list. I have been negative, I have not always abided in Christ, I have walked in the flesh, I have judged, I have been bitter, I have not walked in love, and the list goes on. But then again, knowing my own frailty is why there is no record of my ever trying to get anyone to follow me. My emphasis is consistently to follow Jesus. Well, amen, false judgments must come, and some with a vengeance.
There is a purpose in being judged falsely.
When someone you love is falsely accused, just respond by talking about Jesus.
What am I to do? First, I must see God in it. David looked at the man on the hill cursing and spitting and refused to allow the man to be harmed, because he wondered if God had not allowed it for a purpose. There is a purpose in being judged falsely. Again, I want to be able to love enemies, but I don’t want any enemies. I want to learn to bless those that curse me without ever having to be cursed. I want to rise above distraction and follow Jesus, but I never want the distractions. Just as Judas delivered up Jesus, and from that treacherous act Life was given to man, so God sends us our own Judas, who in ignorance delivers us up in order that we might discover that the Jesus within is greater than the slander without. If I am not preaching Christ crucified, then in all honesty I want God to remove me from the lives of others. But if I am preaching Christ, I will let God deal with the detractor on the hill. Second, I cannot allow the judgments of the carnal to become my focus. This is the most demonic side of accusations, that a hitherto unknown person might actually steal our focus away from Jesus. In a worse case scenario, assuming what is being said is true, health would come from a glance back to Jesus, not a prolonged look at and dialogue with the detractor. Therefore, when I am attacked, don’t be surprised if I go silent and start talking all the more about Jesus. I don’t want to waste time defending myself. All that we have done at ALMI has been in the open. To win the alliance of an accuser is not a victory! By attacking me and making me his focus, the accuser proves that he doesn’t agree with the message of keeping our focus on Jesus. Third, this is where those who love me come in. They can help by not defending me to anyone. I am God’s servant, so send those who accuse to the Master of the servant. The servant is not greater than the Master; the Master is all that matters. We defend the preaching of Jesus, always. We defend the messenger, never. When we start defending someone we love, our flesh is stirred, our focus moves from Jesus, our peace departs, and our accuser has accomplished the goal of the Accuser of the Brethren. This is the most difficult thing for me; I can stand to be slandered, but I can’t stand seeing those I love slandered. It is important that we do not defend men, for it is always a trap the enemy has set. When someone you love is falsely accused, just respond by talking about Jesus. Our goal is Jesus. Remember, a detractor’s job is to detract you from Jesus to a lesser issue. Fourth and finally, I want to have compassion for those who make false judgments. I have done it myself. I have gotten everything wrong. Having this in my past, I can say with complete confidence that I would rather be the one being judged than the one doing the judging. The one being judged can come away sweet, but the one involved with judging will always go away depleted and under the judgment of God.
Go Slowly, Don’t Get Depressed, Take Your Time!
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
Filed under Articles by Mike Wells
We simply cannot receive it all at once!
Psalms 89: 45 “You have shortened the days of his youth.”
I was talking to a fellow who was discouraged that at age 22 he hadn’t seen that Jesus was his life. I laughed. “Brother, if you could know all that you need to know before entering heaven at age 22, God would not have set the length of man’s life at 70 years! Relax.” God has created this world for a purpose, and it functions under His permit. There are things that can only be learned here. We are in the process of losing all, in order that we might gain everything in Him. In one study the average age of coming to see that Christ was actually in a person was between 55 and 70. We simply cannot receive it all at once! We are not intended to get it all at once! We are in a process!
Why Did God Create Alcohol?
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
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As the topic of alcohol is examined, the first thing to establish is the fact that God did create it.
Solomon, with all his wisdom, took a long hard look at the topic of alcohol and experimented with its use. Eccl. 2:3, I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. He drank wine in an attempt to discover its benefits. As the topic of alcohol is examined, the first thing to establish is the fact that God did create it. Often the argument is made that fallen man, attempting to feed the flesh, created alcohol, and indeed, there is specific testimony throughout the Bible as to the misuse of wine. Proverbs 23:20 sums it up, Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine. Proverbs 20:1, Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. The New Testament gives injunctions concerning those that are addicted to wine. Within the context of this argument against God’s involvement in the creation of alcohol, the point is made that God created grape juice, or new wine, but never created alcohol. However, Scriptures do not bear out such a distinction. Judges 9:13, But the vine said to them, “Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?” I can’t see how grape juice cheers the heart. Also, Isaiah 20:6, The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow. The Lord is preparing a feast that includes aged wine! Then in Acts 2:13, But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.” Sweet wine, new wine, aged wine–all wine contains some alcohol content. The fact that something is misused does not discount either its creator or its original purpose. If this were true, what could be said of the sex drive, medications, and computers? God has created wine. In fact, God required the sacrifice of wine, a libation, along with the other things that He created.
Ex. 29:40 and there shall be one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb. There are other interesting or perplexing passages. Remember, Scripture must be used to interpret and limit the meaning of other Scripture, so a validation of wine is not an endorsement of drunkenness any more than the rightful institution of sex in marriage is an endorsement of wanton promiscuity.
Psalms 104:15And wine which makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man’s heart.
Proverbs 31:6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.
Eccl 9:7, Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works!
Finally, we have Jesus turning water into wine. John 2:7 Jesus said* to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8And He said* to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the _headwaiter.” So they took it to him.
