The Theology of the Shattered Windshield

Paul writes to the Ephesisans “I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them.” (4:17)

The life of a believer is to be lived focusing on the truth and the reality of God. A believer needs to hold to the knowledge that God is the creator and sustainer of our lives. God is supreme and his wisdom surpasses our understanding. His standard of righteousness is absolute and unchanging through all generations.

A believer must live in this world but not allow the things or the ways of the world to distract them from the big picture.

When a person drives a car they are focused on the road and the activity outside the car. The driver looks through the windshield, not at the windshield. The safe driver can not look inside the car for very long without having some major problems outside the car.

So it is in comparison with the life of the believer. A believer is inside the world but must be viewing life through the windshield of God’s revelation to man as found in the scriptures.

Paul says we must “no longer live as the Gentiles do” who have no view outside the windshield. They spend their entire lives trying to find direction and avoid accidents but they never look outside the car. Their whole focus is on the interior of the car as they speed through life. They have no perspective of God, eternity, truth, or reality. They are living in “the futility of their thinking.” It is easy to understand why, though. They have never seen or believed anything else. It is as if they are driving at night with the dome light on and the headlights off.

This is important to the believer for two reasons. Although we have accepted the reality of God and have, at least for a moment, looked up through the windshield long enough to realize we are speeding through life on very busy spiritual highway, we too often continue to “live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” We, too, spend the majority of our lives focused on the inside of the car and not on the highway. We are not looking through the windshield at the more serious issues.

Paul says, that he “insist on it in the Lord” that we live by looking through the windshield as we make decisions and evaluations.

One of the biggest challenges for the sincere believer who has lived their life looking at God through their windshield is when something strikes our windshield causing it to shatter. A disaster, a situation, something unexpected and undeserved comes from outside the car. It hits our windshield, disappears and leaves a fragmented, shattered windshield filled with distracting lines and breaks. This presents a new challenge for the believer who has been looking through this clear windshield at God.

Up until now the challenge was to either look through the windshield or look inside the car. This new challenge forces the believer to either focus on the shattered windshield or to continue to look through the fragmented pieces of the windshield at God.

We must realize, and know by faith, that your shattered windshield has not changed anything outside the car. The only thing that has changed is your ability to see it clearly and focus on it through the advantage of a crystal clear windshield. A crack in your windshield does not represent a crack in the kingdom of God. A shattered windshield is not a true representation of everything outside the car. A broken windshield is simply a distraction from the reality that is still outside your car and bigger than your life. Do not allow a shattered windshield to pull your attention back inside the car where you are forced once again to live in the futility of your thinking.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Order Galyn's New Book Framework for Christian Faith HERE

Scriptural Secrets for Marriage

1) Words Make a Difference
Proverbs 12:18, “Reckless words pierce like a sword.”
What you say to your spouse is creating in them images and attitudes. This can be good or bad. People who ridicule or use their spouse as a source of jokes are wrong. Proverbs 11:13, “A gossip betrays a confidence.” Certain information about the marriage relationship does not belong in daily conversation with other people. If you are having a disagreement with your spouse you should talk about it with your spouse.

2) My wife is my best friend Genesis 2:24, “they will become one flesh” speaks of the unity of the couple’s soul and body. Spending time together and sharing conversations will enhance a relationship. It is sad when men need to have men’s night out to get away from their wife, the very person they should want to share their life with.

3) Guard your Heart because Love is not Magical. The phase “falling in love” gives the impression that falling in love with someone cannot be helped. Our culture gives the impression that love is an outer force beyond our control. No! We need to guard our hearts. If a man “falls in love” with another woman while he is married this is not magical, it is wrong. A married person cannot allow a relationship to grow outside of marriage. Don’t be deceived; guard your heart.

4) Learn how to Argue Ephesians 4:26, “In your anger do not sin.” Anger and disagreements are not sin, nor are they wrong. Some things should make us angry. Sin occurs when the argument begins to focus on destroying the other person and not resolving the problem.

5) Love begins with the Husband Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” A wife will respond to a love like that.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Cease Fire, Inaguration and now this . . .

"Three massive offshore oil reserves discovered off Israel's coast."
"Discovery of the natural gas field 90 km. offshore from Haifa."

From the business section of Sunday's Jerusalem Post:
Jan 18, 2009 10:54 Updated Jan 18, 2009 23:49
Huge gas reserves discovered off Haifa

News Video

Article in the online edition of the Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post reports:

• "A historic natural gas reservoir found offshore from Haifa is poised to meet Israel's natural gas demand for about 15 years and reduce the country's dependence on gas imports from Egypt and offshore from Gaza. "
• "If the Tamar site opposite the Haifa coast succeeds in producing the significant quantities of natural gas predicted, we are talking about a revolution which will have an impact on the Israeli economy for the coming generations."
• "The vast reservoir is poised to bring down electricity prices, reduce the country's dependence on gas from foreign countries, in particular from Egypt, and thereby turn Israel from a gas importer into a gas exporter."
• "Big celebrations are still premature. It needs to be remembered that the drilling is complicated and production possibilities are not yet completely clear. In addition, gas transportation is a much more complex and expensive process compared with oil transportation."
• Shares of Delek Drilling, which holds 15.6% of the Tamar prospect, jumped 41.7%.
• Shares of Avner Oil Exploration, which holds another 15.6%, surged 21.4%.
• Shares of fuel exploration company Isramco, which owns 28.7%, leaped 123.8%

We have been talking about an event like this happening before Russia invades with the terrorist states for several years. We will wait and see. A cease fire, Obama and now, Israel's own natural gas.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

First, Save the Vessel

If a ship with valuable cargo had sprung a leak would it be better to move the cargo to a higher level on the ship or fix the leak in the ship? Is the cargo safe at a higher level of a sinking ship? If the leak is not fixed is the plight of the ship inevitable? Is not the cargo going to be destroyed eventually if the leak continues to be ignored?

The answers seems simple. The crew’s efforts to save the cargo to the upper deck of a sinking ship is wasted effort. The only fruit of their labors is a false sense of security and the temporary satisfaction of being busy.

Every crew member is going to realize that there is a problem when water starts to leak into their ship. How each individual crew member responds will depend on their perspective. A shortsighted crew member may try to rearrange the cargo or move it to a safer place on the sinking ship.

The best action would be to repair the damage to the ship. When the vessel is secure then the freight is safe.

Most churches and believers see problems in our world, our nation, our homes and our lives. Like the crew we rush around trying to preserve our world, our society, our marriage, our kids, our finances, even our lives. Churches and believers often fail to secure the vessel. The vessel is the Word of God. The Word of God is the foundation for every area of our lives and every decision we make. The Scriptures reveal God, his plan, his ways and his Son, Jesus Christ. For situations in God's creation to have meaning and to make sense we must have the correct perspective.

Indeed people and societies are frantically looking for answers just like the crew is frantically moving cargo. But, until the people understand God’s revelation to them in the Scriptures they will not have understanding or insight. All of our attempts to rearrange their lives will only be rearranging the cargo before the disaster.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com