Wayne Stiles's Blog, page 65
April 6, 2016
Pools of Bethesda—God’s Kindness and Our Repentance
What motivates you most isn't fear.
Very few people are drawn to God by intimidation. Instead, the Lord urges us to come to Him by revealing the kindness of His mercy. It’s a tremendous motivation.
(Photo: Pools of Bethesda and Crusader chapel, courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Once we comprehend the depth of our imperfections, and the futility of our own efforts to remove them, we are in a position to respond to God’s kindness.
In this post, you’ll read how Jesus revealed thi...
April 4, 2016
What to Do When You Feel Insignificant
One truth easy to forget can make all the difference.
When we find ourselves dissatisfied with what God has us doing, it could reveal that we’ve confused our significance in serving God with our significance to God.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
I’ve been there just like you have. When we get frustrated that our lives seem to accomplish nothing or that our ministry bears little fruit, we need to review our motives for life and ministry. Rather than merely measure productivity and activity, we...
April 1, 2016
When You’re Ready—But Nothing Happens
Two reasons may explain why.
You’re ready for a change. You’ve asked God to open a new door in your life, and He has taken years to prepare you for it. Finally, you’re ready. There’s just one problem. Nothing happens.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
The plan of God includes preparation and waiting. But why do you have to keep waiting once God has prepared you? What else must you do for God to open the door?
The Apostle Peter experienced something that may explain why your progress is delayed.
Af...
March 30, 2016
How I Got Robbed on the Good Samaritan Road
A Lesson that Cost Me a Lot I’ll Pass Along to You for Free
Jesus chose as the setting for His parable of the Good Samaritan a road notorious for robbers. Turns out, that road still has thieves. Ask me how I know.
(Photo: Reading from my iPad on the Ascent of Adummim)
Last week Cathy and I stayed in Israel a few days after the Insight for Living Ministries tour in order to do some filming with my lifelong friend, Scott Wilson. One of the scenes we filmed took place on the Ascent of Adummim—th...
March 28, 2016
Walking with God Requires One Thing Most of All
How the basics keep us from growing cold.
We start strong. Determination and strength come easily. Faithfulness flows from our hearts. Then life happens. We didn’t plan to grow cold spiritually. But we did.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
Somehow, we can wake up after a number of years and discover that our lack of passion for God has gradually shifted Him away from our hearts. We then find ourselves living in the ruins of once-vibrant spiritual lives.
How does this happen? By forgetting this on...
March 25, 2016
Good Friday Gives Your Shame a Choice
Understand the choice between sin's penalty and sin's remedy.
Good Friday wasn’t so good for Judas. The guilt-ridden betrayer of Jesus hung himself and then fell headlong, spilling his innards. Hence, the residents later named the place where it happened, “Akeldema,” or “Field of Blood” (Acts 1:18-19).
Judas may have chosen this place to die for a specific reason.
(Photo: Monastery of St Onuphrius, traditional Akeldema, courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Today, the peaceful Mon...
March 23, 2016
Purim Offers Surprising Reasons Why God Put You Here
How coincidences in the Book of Esther point to your life.
Purim in Israel begins tonight. Purim represents more than costume parties for kids and eating triangular cookies filled with fruit (called “Haman’s Ears”). The holiday remembers the historical event in the book of Esther where the Jews survived a plot to exterminate them.
(Photo: Hand-written scroll of the Book of Esther in Hebrew. By Chefallen. Own work. CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia)
My favorite part of the modern celebration of Puri...
March 21, 2016
3 Reasons You Need to Journey to Israel
What Touring the Holy Land Gives You That's Like Nothing Else
Before we ask, “What does this verse mean to me?” we need to understand what it meant to the original readers. That requires context—something a journey to Israel can forever change.
(Photo: Jerusalem. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Context means more than mere words on the page. It also includes the setting of the action—including its history and geography—the stage upon which the events took place. That’s why a...
March 17, 2016
Our Holy Land Tour is Over—It is Well with My Soul
Day 9: Insight for Living Ministries Israel Tour
Our Israel tour has come to an end. Hard to believe! It’s been a fabulous tour connecting the Bible and its lands to life. One place in Israel that’s special is the lobby of the American Colony Hotel. That’s right, the lobby.
(Picture: The American Colony Hotel)
The best part of this hotel is that the lobby has framed the original manuscript to one of my two favorite hymns: “It is Well with My Soul.”
I’ve posted a picture of it here. Can you ma...
March 16, 2016
At the Garden Tomb, Contemplating the Resurrection
Day 9: Insight for Living Ministries Israel Tour
We spent the morning at the Garden Tomb, where hundreds of us gathered in the beautiful gardens that surround the ancient tomb. Chuck Swindoll led us in a communion service.
The tomb itself is not the tomb of Jesus, but the location gives the best place in Jerusalem to contemplate the resurrection of Jesus.
(Photo: The Garden Tomb)
In my many visits to the Garden Tomb through the years, I have only had one guide tell me the tomb was the tomb of...
