Wheels of Glory! Blog

VOTD 05.23.16 Mountaintops & Valleys: Maturity

Posted in Christian Maturity, Verse of the Day | May 23rd, 2016 | by

The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.’” 1 Kings 20:28

The Arameans thought they had been defeated because Israel’s God was the God of the mountains, which is where they had been fighting. So they devised to fight Israel in the valleys, where Israel’s God was powerless (they thought). But the God of the mountain is still God in the valley (1Kings 20:23-28). (more…)

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VOTD 05.17.16 Passing the Eye Test: Maturity

Posted in Christian Maturity, Verse of the Day | May 18th, 2016 | by

Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Spiritual maturity is not about appearance. There are people who “look the part.” This is sometimes called “passing the eye test.” In basketball, for example, that means being exceptionally tall with big hands. But many who pass the eye test aren’t good basketball players. Some who are shorter are exceptional at the game.

In the same way, when it comes to Christian maturity, there are many Christians who “pass the eye test”—they look the part, but that’s all. Last time we mentioned age, or even the appearance of age. But looks aren’t a very good indication of spiritual maturity. (more…)

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VOTD 05.16.16 Age, Experience and Maturity

Posted in Christian Maturity, Verse of the Day | May 16th, 2016 | by

Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Titus 2:2-3 

One of my co-workers had a coffee mug for years that proclaimed “You can’t stop getting older but you can be immature forever.” Unfortunately, this slogan fit him perfectly.

The very fact that Paul had to tell Titus in today’s verses to teach elements of wisdom and maturity to the older men and women is a sign that increased age doesn’t necessary mean increased maturity. (more…)

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VOTD.05.10.16 Slaves and Sons: Magdalene

Posted in Magdalene, Verse of the Day | May 10th, 2016 | by

Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:35,36

Last time we were talking about the mysterious lack of interest on the part of the disciples to see the risen Jesus. What could account for it?

I bet Jesus wasn’t surprised. You see, He had seen all this before. Take, for example, the history of the Israelites’ rescue from Egypt. They’d seen the Egyptian nation go through 10 horrible plagues. They saw the mighty Egyptian army destroyed at the Red Sea. Even manna from heaven.

They were delivered from slavery and saw God’s pillar of fire by night and pillar of clouds by day leading them. But when the time came to see God reveal Himself on the mountain, they weren’t interested. Well, to be more accurate, they were interested, but not in God. (more…)

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VOTD.05.09.16 Believing: Magdalene

Posted in Magdalene, Verse of the Day | May 9th, 2016 | by

But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Matthew 26:32
“Don’t be alarmed,” (the angel) said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! …He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
Then Jesus said to (Magdalene), “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:10

Last time we saw what did Jesus’ leadership team did with Magdalene’s startling announcement that she had seen the risen Lord Jesus: They immediately did … Nothing. But here’s the really strange thing: (more…)

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VOTD.05.02.16 One Thing: Magdalene

Posted in Magdalene, Verse of the Day | May 2nd, 2016 | by

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may…gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him Psalm 27:4

Last time we were asking the question: Has Jesus revealed Himself to you like He did to people in the Bible? Would you want Him to?

If you are like a lot of Christians, you feel a certain obligation to answer ‘yes’ when asked if you’d like Jesus to reveal Himself to you like He did to Magdalene and others. And if you stopped to think about it, it would be a pretty safe answer because you believe that circumstance is pretty unlikely.

If you are like many other Christians you can hardly wait to emphatically shout out, “YES! And make it NOW, please!!”

Of course there would be other Christians who might honestly say, “Ummm, thanks for the offer, but…I don’t think I’m ready for this.” And these people would be right, too. (more…)

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VOTD.04.26.16 Repentance: Magdalene

Posted in Magdalene, Verse of the Day | April 26th, 2016 | by

The Twelve were with [Jesus], and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had come out… These women served him out of their own means. Luke 8:1-3

Last time we saw that purity of heart has to do with walking in the enabling power God gives us. God supplies whatever He requires of us. Magdalene found that to be true. When we see her washing Jesus’ feet with her tears, Jesus saw them as tears of repentance (7:47).

You see, we repent when we see things from the Father’s perspective. That’s true repentance in a nutshell. Repentance enables us to embrace the truth and that truth changes us. Anything else isn’t repentance.

The truth is, Jesus is real, sinning harms us and those around us, and God has provided us with an escape (1 Cor 10:13). Magdalene saw Jesus from the Father’s perspective. That’s all it took. She behaved in accordance with that truth. (more…)

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VOTD.04.25.16 Pure in Heart: Magdalene

Posted in Magdalene, Verse of the Day | April 25th, 2016 | by

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

When Jesus told the woman caught in sin in John 8, “Go and stop sinning,” it was more than a clever way to end an awkward conversation. He meant it. God always supplies what He demands, particularly in the area of temptation (1 Cor 10:13).

We see in our verse for today, that the pure in heart are the ones who “see God”. Put another way, God reveals Himself to Christians who hearts are pure… and He is in the business of making our hearts pure. That is the Gospel in a nutshell.

Magdalene was the first one that Jesus revealed Himself to after His resurrection. I think it’s right to say that she had already been made pure in heart.

But this raises a more deep-seated question: Do we really even want to see God? The Israelites at Mt Sinai didn’t. They sent Moses to do their bidding, instead. Shepherd-boy turned king, David certainly did want to see God and even wrote about seeing Him (Ps 27:4). One glimpse of Jesus certainly turned the Apostle Paul’s life around. And the Apostle John…what more can be said? (more…)

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VOTD.04.19.16 Fanatic: Magdalene

Posted in Magdalene, Verse of the Day | April 19th, 2016 | by

But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been. John 20:11,12

A couple of angels. Maybe they were sent to comfort her? How do you comfort grief-stricken people? You point them to Jesus.

And when she turned around, she saw Jesus standing there, and He spoke to her. “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Supposing He was the gardener, Mary pleaded with Him to tell her what had happened to her Lord. “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” (vv.13-15)

Once again it was loud and clear: Magdalene just wanted to be where He was.
Then it happened. Jesus spoke to her: “Mary.” (v.16) (more…)

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VOTD.04.18.16 Intensity: Magdalene

Posted in Magdalene, Verse of the Day | April 18th, 2016 | by

So the disciples went away to their own homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying… Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Teacher.” Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. John 20:10-18

Sometimes the best way to understand something is to compare it to something just like it only different. Like comparing the anointing of Jesus by Magdalene to the anointing of Jesus by Mary of Bethany. Other times we can learn more from contrasting behaviors. John, Peter, and Magdalene are all at the tomb of Jesus on Sunday morning. Jesus showed Himself to Magdalene, but not John and Peter. Doesn’t that seem a little peculiar? All three were there…

To be honest, it is a mystery to me. But the more I’ve thought about this the more convinced I am that today’s verses give us a significant clue into the mystery…not only a clue to why Jesus appeared to Magdalene first, but a clue to what it was about her worship that made it “in Spirit and Truth” kind of worship— (more…)

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