Category Archives: Message In A Minute

Message In A Minute: Wage Mercy

When I first became a Christian, there were some people who thought if you played certain albums backwards they had hidden evil messages.

The funny thing is, I know someone who played Highway to Hell by AC/DC backwards looking for a hidden message.

Did he ever listen to the song in the forward direction? The message isn’t hidden, its right there in the song. I’m not implying that the members of AC/DC are evil but the negative message wasn’t masked or covered up at all.

This to me sums up how religion can miss the point.

We look for hidden evil under every rock, we focus on evil, we complain about the darkness, but we overlook the obvious.

There is a battle going on, but we are called to wage mercy, not war. We can get caught up in fierce combat, but walk right past the casualties who need grace and love at this very moment.

You overcome evil by showing mercy, speaking truth, living peace, and offering grace.

Maybe there are hidden evils in certain places, but there are people hurting, lost, and alone who are not hidden from us.

Instead of fighting epic battles that make us feel vindicated. We should be like Jesus, who had time for individuals with great needs. He did warn of a Highway to Hell, but he spent time preparing the path to Heaven, and making sure those on the side of the road were healed, inspired, and included.

Fight for justice, wage mercy, and arm yourself with humility.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Love Is…

You’ve probably heard a certain piece of scripture quoted at every wedding you’ve ever attended. Or you might be very familiar with it from your upbringing or personal study.

I would imagine there are very few people who have never encountered this selection of scripture.

I Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails…

If you are someone who was raised in a Christian home and/or went to church most of your life. You probably had someone challenge you to insert your name in the place of “love” in these verses. It’s a sobering exercise.

Let’s try it…

Tom is patient?

Tom is kind?

Tom doesn’t envy?

Tom doesn’t boast?

Tom is not proud?

Tom does not dishonor others?

Tom is not self-seeking?

Tom is not easily angered?

Tom keeps no record of wrongs?

Tom does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth?

Tom always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres?

Tom never fails?

Ok, I was laughing from the start.

I fall short in every single statement in one way or another. So do you. You can try your name there, you can try Mother Theresa’s name there, or anybody you know. We don’t measure up…that is what grace is for, but that is not my point.

I had a thought, what if I inserted the word “God” in these verses?

Would He stand up to His own standard?

After all according to scripture (1st John 4:7) “God is Love”.

And we are told “perfect love casts out fear” (1st John 4:18).

So let’s try it…

God is patient?

God is kind?

God doesn’t envy?

God doesn’t boast?

God is not proud?

God does not dishonor others?

God is not self-seeking?

God is not easily angered?

God keeps no record of wrongs?

God does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth?

God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres?

God never fails?

If any of that makes you uneasy, maybe it’s because you haven’t seen God for who He really is. God is better than what most of us have been told.

He’s not a tyrant who can’t wait to punish.

He isn’t a cosmic police officer who has a list of your offences.

He is not a far off weird old man who doesn’t care about you.

He is not a rich uncle who will send blessings only when you do the right thing.

He is a loving father, patiently waiting for you to acknowledge your need for Him.

Don’t allow misconceptions or experiences to keep you from finding out how much you are loved. Ask God to reveal Himself to you, and don’t be surprised when He lives up to those famous words from scripture.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Eternity In Our Hearts

The best written words are not only read but wrestled with.

The best books are those we forget we are reading.

Our favorite movies are the ones in which we imagine ourselves playing a role.

The best conversations are those that cause us to forget time is passing.

Our favorite songs aren’t the most musically sophisticated, but are the songs that tell our story.

There is a reason a speaker, a novelist, or a musician seems to know us so well.

They found a way to express the common theme of life, the longing of every heart, and what runs through our minds most often.

To love, to be loved, and to find who we are, in spite of who we’ve become.

Eternity has been imbedded in our hearts.
A desire to be known is ingrained in us.
A childlike wonder lives in our minds.

And most important of all…love Himself walked among us, inspiring our best, suffering our worst, steadfast in the notion that you and I are worth it.

Now we can make our way home.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute : Truth Rises

I wish everybody had pure motives, but unfortunately that’s not true.

There are some people that will flat out lie about you to others. 

There are some that will manipulate words and emotions, some that always seem to tell just enough of a story to make themselves look good and you look bad.

They ruin friendships; drive a wedge in families and cause confusion and chaos everywhere they go.

There are many ways to deal with it, but the best way (not the easy way) is to let the truth rise over time. Time proves things out. It reveals character.

There may be times to confront and call out the manipulation. But in many cases, if you can be patient, time will present your best evidence.

The truth can be buried but it rises again.
The truth can be masked but it reveals itself in time.
The truth can be discarded but it always returns.

When you’re wrong admit it, and ask for forgiveness.
When you have been wronged be patient.

Time speaks truth.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Love His People

A few years ago, I was walking in a small town passing out information about a church outreach event. 

This little boy on a scooter started following me. He asked me tons of questions and he needed details on everything. He was hilarious, energetic, and curious. From talking with him, it seemed like he lived with extended family and was not sure where his parents were living. Though he knew they were living separate from each other.

I think he just wanted somebody to listen to him.

He is the reason a local church exists.

Not for big buildings, 
impressive entertainment,
and doctrinal arguments 
But,
for small boys from broken homes, 
little girls with broken hearts, 
and adults with broken dreams.

Only God can put them all back together.

Grace is greater than all circumstances, but grace needs willing vessels to reach hearts. If you are part of a local church, make sure you participate in outreach activities as often as they are offered.

If you aren’t part of a local church, I encourage you to find one that focuses on helping the community it is in.

If you aren’t a Christian, thank you for even reading this in the first place, and I encourage you to investigate Christianity with an open mind.

And for me and my fellow Christians, we have no excuse for neglecting to impact the lives around us.

We are the church, forget the steeple, go into the world and love His people.

-Tom Wise