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Marvelous Meaning

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 31, 2020
 
I praise you, Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of all, for the meaning you give us in life, for the possibility of having purpose, which can only flow from you. All else is, from a human perspective, meaningless, random, chaos, and chance.
In contrast, in you there is order, a place in your affections, a part in your great plans, and participation in eternity. We are not caught in a time box with just so many years and then nothing. As we move through the autumn and winter of our lives, we have the definite hope of another spring followed by an endless summer where life will continue with you throughout eternity.
That will be life on a higher, wider, brighter plain, free from brokenness, anguish, disappointment and rebellion. We will walk with you in lightness, fullness, warmth and joy, unhindered by the twistedness of this present, sin-choked existence.
We will be with you, Lord Jesus, in body, soul and spirit, free to obey, worship, work and love without that constant battle with the world, the flesh and the devil.
 
I think, in contrast, of how most people live in a toxic Darwinian, postmodern atmosphere, where meaning is just some chemical reaction we produce in our brains, where might makes right in the survival of the fittest, where everything is natural and therefore acceptable, where morals and ethics are human concepts, changeable at any time, where life ends at death with nothing to follow, and where worth is nonexistent—this is a description of pure purposelessness leading to darkness.
No one, not even the most ardent atheist who espouses this false philosophy, can live that way. Man without meaning equals despair. As philosophers like Camus and Sartre said, in such a situation, the only serious question is whether to commit suicide or not.
 
In contrast, the God of the Bible has rescued us from this dominion of darkness, He has brought us into the Kingdom of Love and Light and Life where we can know where we came from, who we are and where we are going.
We can join Him in His great plans. We can have belonging, worth and competence (Eph. 1:18,19). In Jesus Christ we are embraced, accepted, cleansed, forgiven, valued, commissioned and equipped for special service to the King (Eph. 1:3-10).
We can do things that will last for eternity–sharing with others about our King, Jesus, and the salvation He offers, and doing the good works He’s prepared for us. We can know that we belong to the winning side, we can give exaltation to God and we can earn glory, praise and honor (1 Peter 1:6,7) which we can then submit to Jesus in worship when we enter Heaven.
Praise you, Lord Jesus, that your death and resurrection brought to us all these marvelous gifts and possibilities and more. So, instead of complaining about things we don’t get, help us to focus on these wonderful gifts, on the light, love and life you have granted us. Help us to rejoice in you all through each day, enjoying living in the Truth where there is meaning, purpose and love.
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Writing in Germany

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 30, 2020
During the three and a half years we were in Germany I kept up visits to our “focus groups” in the Balkans, T., Northern Iraq, Germany and our Iranian work. In addition, every January and June I would go to the States to train new workers for Christar. When she could, Barbara came with me. This kept us in touch with all aspects of our work.
 
One unexpected benefit to being in Germany was having time to write. In Turkey I had so many relationships that my days were often spent entirely in interaction with fellow workers, believing Turks and seekers.
 
Here in Germany I had fewer direct demands on a daily basis, so could dedicate an hour or two a day to working on the several books that I’d sketched out.
 
The first one grew out of classes I’d given for years on spiritual warfare. After about twenty revisions, it emerged as Knowing Jesus Is Enough For Joy, Period! Later I changed the title to Equipped! Ready for Every Day Spiritual Warfare. This and several of my other books are available on Amazon.com under s.m. wibberley
 
I was thankful to be able to pass on in that book the many lessons God gave us in the years of meditating on Scripture in the midst of the pressures of life in the Middle East.
 
Personally, I continue to use a good number of these lessons most every day: praying through the steps of “putting on” the armor of God; memorizing, meditating and praying Scripture; confessing in layers to get to the root my sins; forgiving in obedience; praising in and for all things; letting go of what is temporal, holding on to what is eternal and rising above circumstances.
 
Above all is choosing, moment by moment, to live in the truth that knowing Jesus is enough for joy in any circumstance. This is definitely a choice we can all make.
 
I continued to write daily an hour or so, working on the next three books simultaneously: a devotional book (EDIFIED!), a book on leadership (EFFECTIVE: Learning to Lead Yourself Well), and this autobiography.
 
On July 1 of our third year in Germany, I felt i should start writing this auto bio, and worked on it 30 to 60 minutes a day, until my inspiration for that day ran dry; then I quit and picked up again the next day. At the end of the month the first draft was fully finished.
 
I was amazed at how it poured out, especially as I had no outline. I had to ask Barbara at times which event came before another. And when I was done, Barbara said I should call it my “memoirs” because it was how I remembered things! And here it is, hopefully helpful to those who read it.
 
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Psalm 18:35-36

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 30, 2020
 
Psalm 18:35 “You give me your shield of victory,”
[Your powerful, proficient, positive protection for us goes on and on, Lord, as you give us your shield of victory. But I also must take it up and lift it with praise (Eph. 6:16)–and as I do so, you give the victory over the enemy, over temptation, over negative thoughts and emotions, over my old self.]
“and your right hand sustains me;”
[As I tire in the daily battle, I can look to you and you will strengthen me, refresh me, give me more will and energy to press on in the fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. I must look “to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” and “consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that [I] will not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:3).]
“you stoop down to make me great.”
[You in your greatness, as Lord of all creation, must lower yourself from Heaven to enter the universe, our galaxy, our solar system, our world and come to the location when I’m at. There you reach into my life to do what is necessary to make me successful in following you, as you define success.
You stooped very low to willingly and lovingly redeem us, becoming a man, being weak, dying in our place, being buried, going to the lower parts of the earth to defeat the devil and death. Therefore, you could rise up in power and light, out of the tomb, up to the Father, again filling the whole of the universe (Eph 4:10).
You are astoundingly Great and amazingly Humble. In your grace you lower yourself to share your greatness with us so we can push through and win, so can we conquer the enemy, reach the goal and achieve your desires–for without you we can do nothing (John 15:5).]
Psalm 18:36 “You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.”
[You attend to the details I can’t even think about, like where my next step will be; your capacity to deal with the minutia of our lives is amazing. You protect through provision of exactly what we need, and bring us on to the place of achievement and success that you have designed for each—the good works you prepared for us to do (Eph. 2:10).
All credit, honor, praise and glory must go to you, Heavenly Father. You are the One to be exalted, not us. We play the small role you give, while you move all the events of history along to accomplish the end of time, sin and death–the glorious end you have for us.
I thank you and praise you for the privilege of knowing you, being your child, working as your partner, trusting you by praising in all circumstances. To you be glory and honor in all: may your name be exalted, may your Word be lifted up, may many be drawn to you today through what you are doing in our lives.]
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Psalm 100:3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 29, 2020
 
“Know that the LORD is God.” Psalm 100:3a
 
This verse is a command. We are to willfully accept this truth, to grasp it and internalize it. This calls for bowing our intellect to Scripture, for we can only know God through revelation.
 
Praise be to you, Lord God, for giving information to your tiny creatures, limited by this broken natural world, unable on our own to see the supernatural. There are hints, but we guess wrongly without your specific revelation.
 
We praise you for your love that makes your person knowable. You have revealed yourself as LORD, Yahweh, the holy One, great and glorious, powerful and pure, the righteous Judge and Hater of sin. You are God, Elohim, the powerful and faithful One, showing your power in creation and your faithfulness in fulfilling your promise to provide salvation.
 
What a God! what a Lord! You are without fault, without lack, without sin, totally sufficient in your triune self, complete in full-orbed wisdom, complete in everlasting love.
 
“It is he who made us, and we are his…” (Ps. 100:3b). You have created us—such a simple statement, but such complex beings you have made: miles of arteries, millions of nerves, trillions of brain cells, zillions of molecules all held together by your power. You have made us with self-healing parts, able to reproduce, to feed, care for ourselves, to think, plan, talk, see, hear, walk, carry goods, make tools—and to love or rebel.
 
We are also complex on other levels, being a trinity of body, soul and spirit, and having in our soul another trinity of mind, will and emotions, all working together in some mysterious fashion to comprise a human being.
 
You have made us, and therefore we belong to you, the great Creator, the Lord God who fashioned us in your image: echoing your tri-unity, able to think, plan, love and choose.
 
“…we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Ps. 100:3c). You, the great and good Shepherd, watch over us, giving us what we need to prosper—green pasture, still waters, right paths, your presence in danger, protection from our enemy, blessings on our heads, goodness, mercy, and certain hope for life with you after death.
 
To belong to you is a marvelous privilege, and you, in a way beyond our understanding, are delighted to have us as your sheep, as your children, as Jesus’ brothers and sisters, as the bride of Christ.
 
Glory be to you, O Lord our God (OUR God!!!), for your wisdom and grace in thinking up such wonderful possibilities and bringing them to pass to share with your sheep. We worship you, glorify you, lift you up, exalt you today, for you, the Great and Mighty One are worthy.
 
Prayer: “May your name be glorified before the unseen hosts in my life today as I seek to obey you out of love. Amen.”
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Psalm 18:34

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 28, 2020
 
Psalm 18:34 “He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”
[Lord, you prepare your children on every level for what you know will come. We see this in how you put Joseph through training in Potiphar’s house, and then through serving others in prison, making him ready for being the Prime Minister of Egypt.
In the same way you are preparing us, equipping us, strengthening us through challenges and difficulties, getting us ready for the opportunities you are planning to give us.
I think of how you had me study Latin in high school and this prepared me for learning a difficult Asian language for ministry.
I think of how you had me working for years in the tire shop, learning how to manage both people and business, and how to deal with the public, preparing me for leading the field in the Middle East.
I think of how you had me marry late, giving me time to mature and giving me a fine German wife with a vision for missions and an understanding of other cultures, making transition to the Middle East easier and our work there more effective.
To you be glory for your wisdom, for your knowing what will come, for your faithfulness in preparing us, for your unfailing presence with us, for the fact we can praise you now for things we neither understand or like.
We can trust you in every difficulty by responding with thanksgiving and wholeheartedly embracing our present experiences, knowing that you will use them to prepare us for greater service for you in the future. Right now (2013), you are working in us through my wife’s deep depression to prepare us for some future ministry, unknown to us now.
It is a great comfort to know that nothing comes to us randomly, that every event in the lives of your children flows from your wisdom, plan, purpose and provision. You are in the process of finishing our faith, so we can live in the joy you have for us, enduring whatever cross you bring and despise whatever shame others try to put on us (Heb. 12:2).
Help us to live in the light of this truth, that you are training our hands for the battles to come, so we can effectively join you in your great plan to end history and bring in eternity while sweeping as many as possible into your Heavenly Kingdom.]
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Psalm 18:33

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 27, 2020
 
Psalm 18:33 “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;”
[David had to be quick and sure of foot in his fleeing from King Saul, as well as in his battles. In our battles with the Satan and the people he uses against us, you, Lord Jesus, make it possible for us to run swiftly, surely and gracefully in your paths so that, in your strength, we can endure through whatever comes.
I think of a recent incident where I was excluded from an event; it was painful and I was angry. But you, Lord Jesus, helped me, bringing to mind Scripture: “Trust in the Lord and do good…delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:3-4). So, I let go of my anger and hurt, held on to your commands and promises, and I was able to rise above my natural responses and to be gracious to those who excluded me. I was able to run gracefully in the paths of the Lord.
You helped me to “run with perseverance and patience the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1b,2). The credit for doing these things goes to you, Lord God, for you make our feet like that of a deer.]
“he enables me to stand on the heights.”
[For David, to be on the heights was to be safe, to be the winner. And you, Lord Jesus, make us winners with you by bringing us to the mountain tops of truth, wisdom and faith. You guide us through the valleys, the traps and attacks of the enemy, leading us up onto the high place of victory.
You empower us then to stand on the heights, even though Satan tries to “throw us down [I am just a] leaning wall, a tottering fence. Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place,” but you, Lord Jesus, are “my rock, my salvation, my high tower,” and as I abide in you “I will never be shaken…for my hope comes from you alone” (Psa. 62:1-5).
As we “put on the whole armor of God” we will “be able to stand in the evil day”—no matter what comes—“and having done all to stand” (Eph. 6:13).
Whatever triumph, whatever victory, whatever accomplishment comes, you are the One who brings it to pass, Lord Jesus, “for without you we can do nothing” (John 15:5). I give you praise, our Mighty Rock, for you are the reigning, equipping and protecting God, fully worthy of our obedience, worthy of our bringing you glory and honor today. May it be so as we stand on high places, such as in this picture.]
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Psalm 18:32

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 26, 2020
 
Psalm 18:32 “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.”
[It is not my wisdom or effort, my talent or training nor my resources that bring effectiveness. It is you alone, Lord God, who prepares all. You are the Mighty and Wise One who pours strength into my life, who goes before and prepares the way in relationships and opportunities–and in me–making a way perfect.
Help me to run with endurance and patience the race that you have set out for me this day, looking consistently to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Every day there are uncertainties before me, all of which I could worry about. But as I reject worry and actively trust in you by praising you for your help before any appears, as I think the truth of who you are, of how you have laid out a perfect path for me to follow, and as I find my rest in you (Ps. 62:5), I will fulfill the purpose you have gifted me in life: to give you glory and honor before all.
You, out of your eternal riches, have prepared more than I need of strength and grace, of power and wisdom, of protection and provision, and of guidance and goodness (2 Pet. 1:3-4). You are constantly pouring them into my life whether I see them or not, sense them or not– and I will praise you for your goodness and graciousness now before I see them manifest in this day! To you be honor for your grace and goodness.]
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What am I

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 24, 2020
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.”
Romans 7:18
 
Our son, Nat, while in college wrote the following: “In looking back on the last few weeks, I can see that I’ve been learning the following: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade have a good lesson for us.
 
“Remember what Jones was looking for in that movie? The Holy Grail. And can you recall in the final scene which of the various bowls and cups the Holy one was? The rattiest of them all! This is what God is showing me about myself.
 
“I thought I knew who I was. From other people’s descriptions of me I’m a pretty nice guy. Clean. Religious. Gracious. And I thought to myself, after examining my actions from a distance, ‘Yeah, that’s what I am.’ And I felt smug about it.
“However, ‘Pride comes before a fall.’ And I fell pretty hard.
 
Over the course of the past two months the LORD showed me a very different Nat, one I feared to see. Little by little I noticed that much of what I do and say, even though the exact language and/or methods used weren’t as bad as what my unbelieving friends employed, wasn’t that dis-similar.
 
“At first my mind couldn’t compute this paradox it was seeing in me: I’m ‘good’ but contrary to that I do bad things. I’d snap at people, join in on mockery, laugh at things that shouldn’t be laughed at. This set forth a struggle within me which is best summed in Paul’s statement to the Romans: ‘I do what I don’t want to do and not that which I want to’ (paraphrase).
 
“It’s been very disillusioning to see this tendency and it provoked a sense of meaninglessness and failure within me, as well as a loss of identity to some extent. As a result, I lost much of my desire to dig into the Word but still did it by the LORD’s strength.
 
“Then after having watched the movie I mentioned and pondering my situation, a little light flickered on inside of me: “I’m not good!” Duh! Yes, I’m not good in myself nor any better than the others of this world. But just the fact of having been selected for the task of serving the LORD has made me holy, not what I do and say. Just like that cup. It was holy (set aside for special use) because it was a relic used by Christ, not because it was made of exceptionally expensive materials.
 
“This is a simple concept but for some reason it’s hard to really grasp. Many of us say that we aren’t good but don’t really believe it. If we really want to be effective for the LORD, this must be understood internally, not just theoretically.
 
“I know that feeling worthless and seeing all of my failures drove me into His presence and got me to look at what was inside me, leading me to admit that I can’t do anything in my own strength. Then He said ‘Good, let me do it.’
 
“That was another door kicked down in the dungeons of my soul and another room illuminated. He’s been cleaning up since then. God wants to turn our dungeons into palaces. But He can’t do that unless we are willing to face the facts about ourselves and clean out the bones and other filth that are a common part of dungeons.
 
“He does the work but we facilitate in it by loving Him. And the more He works in us the more we love Him….”
 
Prayer: “Lord, help me to see myself as you do, to accept in mind, will and emotion the truth that “in my natural self there dwells no good thing” (Rom. 7:18). Help me to walk in the newness of life with you, obeying you in all I know to be true. Amen.”
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Germany and German

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 23, 2020

During our years in Germany, at times I was asked to speak in different churches. This was far more demanding than everyday chats.  My German was understandable in a personal conversation, but I was a grammatical cripple. The complexity of German was beyond me.

First, there are thirty-two forms of “the” (der, die, das and variants) and you have to choose the correct form depending on the role of the noun in the sentence.

Second, every noun has a gender:  masculine, feminine or neuter, but I could see little logic behind this. For instance, skirt is masculine, wall is feminine and girl is neuter!  You have to memorize what each one is, then figure out what case the noun is in and use the corresponding form of “the.”

Well, I just basically ignored this whole minefield of complexity and threw in whichever form came to mind. The people I conversed with understood this and readily grasped what I was trying to say, even if it did not fit exactly correctly. However, such an approach was not adequate for public speaking, so Barbara would translate for me.

She is a marvelous translator. She does it so easily, quickly, fluidly moving my words and thoughts from English to German. And she doesn’t just do a grammatical translation, but “Germanized” the concepts in the process.  Really amazing.

At times we would speak in a small Turkish fellowship in a nearby city. The older folks spoke Turkish, while their children, who had grown up in Germany, did not. So I would speak in Turkish and Barbara would translate into German, again doing a wonderful job.

Near the end of our time in Germany, this group asked me just to preach in German. Since most of the attenders spoke German as their third, fourth or fifth language, my inexact grammar wasn’t a problem and we all shared a narrowness of vocabulary that kept us focused. They had no trouble grasping what I was saying.

Another role the Lord had for us was in the Baptist church where we had met Dr. Christian and Melanie. There had been problems brewing there for many years, and they boiled over shortly after we came.

As a result of these conflicts, there was need for a total change in leadership and I volunteered to be part of the new leadership council. This meant I had to function entirely in German!

If I could catch the gist of the discussion, then I could usually follow it, but it was a struggle, especially when the meetings went so late at night.

At one point I was asked to mediate a conflict, totally in German! While praying about this, the Lord gave me an idea for a framework, and as the discussion roiled and boiled, I was able to keep it within these guidelines with the Lord bringing a positive outcome. I was impressed what the Lord can do through such a weak vessel!

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Nurturing Your First Love for Jesus

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 22, 2020
 
“The King is mighty; he loves justice—you have established equity;” Psalm 99:4a
 
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Ruler of the universe, Creator and Sustainer of all. You are the star-Breather, the atom Keeper, the earth Spinner, and the dawn Bringer. I exalt you, King Jesus, for you are mighty and powerful, the Most High, the immeasurably strong, majestically great and eternal God.
 
You are undefeatable, unconquerable, unlimited, unending. You are the Source of all strength, the Spring of all power, the Author of all authority. You are the Ruler who reigns in all regions of life. No bird flies without your knowledge, no man sins without your grief, no person acts without your seeing, and no evil is allowed that cannot be woven into your plan of redemption and revival.
 
Lord, “…you have done what is just and right.” Therefore, we will “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy” (Ps. 99:4b,5). We praise you, Lord God that we can bow before your footstool, that you allow us entrance into your presence, that as we come in the blood of Christ, that our worship is acceptable to you.
 
I exalt you Lord God for what you are: pure and powerful, good and gracious, mighty and magnificent, wise and wonderful, holy and happy, eternal and ever-present, all seeing and all knowing, intimate and involved, caring and consistent, loving and lavish, rich and real, forgiving and forever. You, Lord God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—are Triune and Complete in yourself; you are worthy of worship without considering how your qualities benefit me—and they certainly do!
 
Prayer: “To you be glory and honor today in my life as I live under the hand of your love and protection, deeply satisfied in you, Lord God, the great Shepherd and King of my life. Amen.” –From Edified!
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