Windshields and Rear View Mirrors

 

Windshields and Rear View Mirrors

Mary Ann Wray

 

 

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3: 13 & 14 (Context Philippians 3: 10-16)

It's probably safe to say that the windshield of an automobile is 100 times bigger than the rear-view mirror. Why? It's a no brainer right? Obviously, you can’t safely drive a vehicle by only looking back through a narrow mirror. The windshield provides a much broader view. We only use the rear view mirror to catch brief glimpses of what’s behind us. The side view mirrors help us see what’s on either side of us so we can stay in our lane and avoid being sideswiped.

Those rear-view and side view glimpses are for our safety. We can apply this analogy to our faith journey. Glimpses of the past remind us of the pitfalls we could have avoided but didn’t for whatever reason. Perhaps we became too distracted with earthly matters and got our eyes of Jesus long enough to slide into a ditch. Perhaps we were following the wrong leader and found out that doctrinally, what they were teaching was in error and caused us to veer off in the wrong direction spiritually causing us confusion and pain. Maybe we were overly crowded on the highway of life with too many cares of this world and got stuck in the traffic. Perhaps we became disoriented as to which direction we should be headed in life because we lost our satellite connection to Heaven without realizing why. There could have also been careless drivers that cut us off or caused us damage and personal injuries. It's probable that some of those injurious potholes and events could’ve been avoided, if we had been paying better attention. Most likely, times of vehicle failure came when we neglected to keep our car aligned, tuned up and road ready. Other times, circumstances beyond our control may have caused us to hydroplane and lose temporary control, hitting an embankment such as an unexpected loss, or illness.

Regardless of past mistakes and mishaps, and other reasons for veering off course, one thing is for certain; we cannot correct what lies behind us. However, we can use them as driving lessons for the future as much as possible. All vehicles come with a driver’s manual in the glove box. That’s where God‘s word becomes vitally important. How many mechanical failures could we have avoided if we had been more familiar with the operating instructions and followed directions; not to mention the fact we have a GPS handy on our phone or automobile? The Holy Spirit is always present to guide us on the path of life when we pay attention as an internal GPS.

The good news is that mechanical failures or mishaps don’t mean we have to permanently stop our journey. Each day is a new day with Christ. He gives us the opportunity to keep moving forward by the “horsepower” of the Holy Spirit called grace. Just like the song implores, "Jesus take the wheel,"  Jesus needs to take the wheel of our heart. He needs to be in the driver's seat with us. We are only the copilot. When we relinquish control to Him, the ride becomes much more hazard free and the journey more enjoyable. With a pilot like Christ at the wheel, we have a sense of security. We can enjoy constant fellowship with him no matter what the weather conditions may be, breakdowns and roadblock that may occur or unseen ditches we may slide into. We can be certain that we will reach the final destination He promised us. No matter what detours, roadblocks, and pitfalls lie ahead, Jesus will get us to where we need to go. His love and grace will keep us moving forward so we don’t have to keep looking back.

Mary Ann Wray

Dont’s, Do’s and Tattoos

            Don'ts, Do’s and Tatoos...

                 

 

A dear lady asked me yesterday if she could go to heaven with tattoos. She said some people told her she can’t go to heaven or serve the Lord because she has tattoos all over her arms. The first thing I told her is that we are saved by grace through faith - not of our works. Next I told her that the Bible under the New Covenant of grace is not a book of dont’s, but a book of do’s.

There’s only four dont’s in terms of "legalities" I can find in the New Testament. The apostle Paul instructed the church about these four dont's at the Jerusalem Counsel that the Apostle Luke wrote about. They are: don’t drink blood, don’t eat meat offered to idols, don’t eat anything that has been strangled and don’t commit sexual immorality (Acts 15:23-29). These rules had to do with idolatry, dietary health and our bodies as God's Temple. If an animal was strangled to death rather than bled out, the blood in its system would stagnate and cause the tissues and organs to become toxic and decompose much faster. Concerning sexual immorality, St. Paul had much to say about it in his first letter to the church in Corinth. Sexual purity is very important to God and should be to us as Christ followers.

Christianity is first about “being” then about “doing.” By God’s grace, we become children of God. That is who we are. It’s our “being”. Next, as God’s children we need to walk in obedience to his commands and go about “doing” His will, such as, loving the Lord, our God, with all of our heart, minds, soul and strength; loving our neighbor as ourselves; giving without expecting anything in return; worshiping the Father in spirit and truth; being Holy, even as He is holy; sharing the gospel; studying the Word of God to show ourselves approved unto God; and gathering ourselves together with other believers to encourage and strengthen one another. This is just the shortlist but the list of do’s goes on and on for the disciple and follower of Jesus Christ.

I shared with her the difference between grace and legality and that if we are focused on following and obeying God‘s Word and His "do’s," the don’ts fade..in other words our focus is so much on Jesus and obeying His Word that the distractions of temptations and sin pale in comparison to His grace and goodness. I gave her a copy of the Bible and told her to start with the gospel of John.

Bless her heart, she didn’t even know there was an Old and New Testament or where to find the gospel of John. The fields are ripe with harvest, and God is still in the loving and saving business. 

Jesus summed up all the other requirements of the law with the following two Commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. The second one is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. Following these two commandments keep us in 'check' and close to Jesus' heart.

Praise God!

                By Mary Ann Wray  

 

Gospel Preaching versus Motivational Speaking

 

Gospel Preaching versus Motivational Speaking

Mary Ann Wray

Many years ago in Bible College, one of our favorite instructors, Brother Tom Bender, who is now with the Lord, made the following statement that has resonated in my spirit ever since then…

He said, “Anyone can get 50 people to follow them but that doesn’t mean God called them to be a leader or a preacher.”

 

I know he was right because over the years I’ve seen people with followings that don’t even mention the name of Jesus, His finished work on the Cross or what it means to be a disciple/ true follower of Christ in their messages. Many give themselves the title of Prophet, Apostle, evangelist, or pastor but Jesus seems to be missing from their messages.

 

The founding church Apostles and teachers preached gospel messages to win the lost, wrote epistles and letters to other churches, gave instructions to the church, corrected the church, even rebuked, the church, but it all centered around the person of Jesus Christ with the purpose of maturing the saints of God into Christ likeness.

 

If you’re a motivational speaker, you can get many people to follow you these days, but that’s not the same as preaching the gospel and centering your messages around the New Covenant.You have nothing to gain from staying true to the gospel and scripture in this world. It will cost you fame, fortune, and popularity but the rewards in eternity will be beyond what the human mind can fathom. They can’t be measured by dollars, fame and popularity.

 

May God help us to stay true to the gospel; for in it is the power of salvation to everyone who would believe it: to the Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile).

Where’s the Toothpaste?

Help! I Need it NOW! 

 

I did it again… Another senior moment mixed with ADD. 

I had some oral surgery done  Friday so I’ve been brushing my teeth with a soft
bristle toothbrush. My electric toothbrush still sits in the charger with a tube of toothpaste, standing next to it. It’s the kind of tube that has a flat top on it where you can stand it upside down. It’s a very clever inventive idea. It helps me always know where my toothpaste is too. So I thought!

I’m guessing since I didn’t reach for the usual toothbrush and didn’t see the toothpaste standing next to it I reached inside the medicine cabinet, thinking the toothpaste was in there. I grabbed the tube that was the same size as my regular toothpaste and didn’t think anything of it. Plus I was daydreaming about something else which is not unusual for me at all. 

I reached in, put the paste on my, soft, bristled brush, stuck it in my mouth and began brushing. The the taste was awful. I looked at the tube and don’t you know I had accidentally picked up a tube of Voltaren rather than Crest!!!

The ironic thing is, I did the same type of thing, 50 some years ago while spending the night at a High School friend’s house. I went to brush my teeth in the morning and grabbed what I thought was toothpaste. It was her father‘s Brilcream. I didn’t think they would ever stop laughing at the breakfast table. 🤦🏻

As my sweet Jewish friend said that morning, “Oy Vey!” 

I can’t blame it all on dementia. I think it’s more genetic…

On the bright side, I think some of the swelling in my gums should go down now 😏

 

Mary Ann Wray

Cinnamon in my Coffee

 Cinnamon Please!

 

   

 Lately, I have had a lingering taste, so to speak, for cinnamon. I went ahead and made some cinnamon rolls a few days ago and we have been enjoying them for breakfast with our morning cup of Java. It’s a delicious combination that satisfies the pallet. This morning while, sipping my morning brew, I had the idea to put some cinnamon in my coffee. Right then it occurred to me that cinnamon by itself has a bitter taste, but when mixed with honey or sweetener, it takes on a satisfying flavor.

 This “taste” for cinnamon produced a spiritual analogy for me. I thought about the trials and suffering we go through in this life as God‘s children. If taken by themselves, isolated from the presence and sovereignty of God, they can leave us with a sense of bitterness. However, if we look to the Father in humility for strength, grace and help during times of suffering, we can gain an appreciation for them.

 You might ask, “How can anyone appreciate suffering and trials?” Good question! As we depend upon the Lord more and more during those dark times, we come to appreciate and see His goodness, His faithfulness, His mercy, His love and benevolence in a deeper way. It is for these reasons we can say, “Lord, I thank you for the trials and storms in my life; they have shown me just how dependable you are. They have taught me to rely on You: not myself or someone else!”

 The apostle Paul put it this way, “When I am weak then I am strong.” God’s grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect and demonstrated through my weakness. Selah

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 CSB

By Mary Ann Wray

The Thing About Wisdom...

 The Thing About Wisdom

                                                              Mary Ann Wray

 

The thing about wisdom… 

 

You can’t have wisdom without knowledge. Wisdom is applying what you know to be true and right in a way that is beneficial not only for yourself but when dealing with others too.

 

An ignorant person lacks knowledge. A fool may have knowledge but uses no wisdom…

An ignorant person and a fool are first cousins and to be an ignorant fool is a true tragedy!

 

If you lack wisdom you lack knowledge. These are things we have to pursue as well as learn from experience. They just don’t drop out of the sky. That’s why the Bible says to seek after godly knowledge and counsel of the Most High and pray for wisdom. But if you don’t read the Bible you don’t know that.

 

In my younger days I was an ignorant fool in a lot of ways. Most of what I’ve learned I’ve learned the hard way because I didn’t listen to wise counsel or apply the knowledge from God’s word correctly. 

 

Thank God for his mercies that are new every morning.

Gleaning in the Fields of Life

 

                          Gleaning in the fields of life…

                                          Mary Ann Wray

                                 

 

Religious pride will hinder a person from gleaning any value from another person’s life experiences, trials, tribulations and the wisdom and knowledge they gained from them. 

 

What if Ruth never gleaned from Boaz’s felds? If she had not listened to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and humbled herself to that lowly station, she would never have been in the position to marry and become a joint heir with Boaz. She went from being “less than a field-hand” beggar, to a co-owner of the very field she once gleaned from.

 

I want to encourage you; if you feel like no one is listening to your testimony or cares about your life story, God will always have someone who will value and appreciate what you have been through and will use it to bless their lives in a profound way.

Your trouble and pain is worth it to someone else. Most importantly, the Father knows and sees what you’ve been through, and your reward will be evident when Christ returns to judge the world and gives out eternal rewards. 

 

We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, and seated with him in heavenly places. In this life, though we have troubles and trials, He daily loads us with His benefits! Psalm 68: 19-20