The Wheels of the Bus Go Round and Round ...

Okay,, so in this case the wheel isn't from a bus--it's from a bike. And the story goes like this . . .

Once upon a time, in the land south of the border, my first husband (who is now in Heaven) was having the time of his life teaching in a Bible school in Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Steve loved, loved, LOVED teaching the Bible. The only thing he loved more was having receptive students. And that's where Martha came in. Her name isn't really Martha, but I don't want to share her real name with you. You'll see why in a bit.

Although every student was special, even in a world where love for the Lord was the rule rather than the exception, Martha stood out. Her character, her unique personality, her dedication to and aptitude for learning--all served to paint her as being extraordinary. Teachers, you know, are singular creatures quite often marked by love for their students--but when a stand out student such as Martha appears, they can't help but give in to little happy dances!

True to form, Martha aced the three months of the Bible school course, leaving grateful teachers in her wake as she set out to turn the world on fire for Jesus. Then life happened.

As is the case with many young ladies, her endeavors got sidetracked by romance. She soon joined forces through matrimony with a young pastor and turned her spiritual energies to serving the Lord at his side as his helpmeet. Now, mind you, there is nothing wrong with such a course. But when the husband embraces beliefs that are extrabiblical . . .

Not long after Martha joined him in his ministry, the husband (who, by the way, was not a graduate of the Bible school we worked with--otherwise he would have known to use the following verse as a litmus test for any "new" "cutting edge" beliefs: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" Isaiah 8:20. Can't find it in the Bible? Throw it out in the trash!!!!). Among the unorthodox beliefs the husband embraced: if any person is not a member of their movement, they are to be shunned. In a word, Martha and her husband began to shun any person connected with the BIble school.

This once exceptional Bible school student began to turn her back on us if we met on the street, refuse to offer any kind of greeting. The sting was made worse by the fact that, prior to this shunning, Martha's pastor husband had been involved in an automobile accident, one that generated a financial crisis for them. They reached out to the school and through its intervention and help the financial and difficult legal issues were taken care of. The administration was glad to help. What wouldn't they be willing to do for someone dear to them? Yet despite this history, the shunning began.

How well I remember the first day my husband became aware of the new state of things with Martha. He came home from the Bible school in shock, so shaken that sleep eluded him that night. As he turned this way and that on the bed, he cried out to God, "Why? We were friends, we helped her, she was an outstanding student, our relationship with her as Christian brothers and sisters in the Lord was excellent. And now--to be shunned? How can this be? Why has this happened, Lord?????"

Before you get your dander up about querying the Lord about why something has happened, you need to remember that God desires us to be honest with Him. Psalm 51:6 says, "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts." One thing God looks for in His children is honesty. Reread the stories of the great men and women of God in the BIble. They were nothing if not honest with Him about their questions. It is not a sin to query God. In fact, He welcomes the intrinsic intimacy that springs up from truth.

Thankfully, there is another verse that reads," . . . weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm 30:5), After a night of wrestling with unsettling feelings, Steve received an epiphany. It moved and comforted him to such a degree that it turned into one of his more memorable sermons!

The crux of the epiphany he experienced is this: our relationship to Jesus, as per 1 John 1:7, is like a bicycle wheel. That verse says that if we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another. In other words, our relationship to Jesus should be just like a bicycle wheel. He (Jesus) is the hub. We are the spokes. But if you look at the bicycle wheel, you will notice that the spokes get closer and closer to each other the closer they get to the hub (Jesus). In the Christian walk, as we get closer to Jesus, we get closer to our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

The reality of this truth helps us discern what truth is. There are many weird beliefs floating around out there in the world and, unfortunately, the church is not immune to them. As long as we live on planet earth, we will have to face unbiblical teachings. But thank God for 1John 1:7! It tells us that if we get closer to Jesus, we will have fellowship with other believers. If you extrapolate this meaning, the converse is a red flag showing you when a "truth" is riddled with danger! If there is a belief put out there that divides you, and keeps you from fellowshipping with other believers, that belief is not from God. True religion will bring unity, not division.

After God showed this "why" to Steve, he still hurt, but there was a peace in knowing why and this in turn armed him with a new tool to help keep other Bible students from falling into Satan's traps! From a valley of tears, God brought forth strength through His truth.

So there you have it, friends, God's truth in a bicycle wheel. You don't have to torture yourself wondering if some "cutting edge" teaching is right or not. If something causes division, throw it out with the bath water! It is not from God!

The wheels of the bus go round and round, all over town. The wheels of the bike go round and round, bringing us ever closer to Jesus!

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another . . ." (1 Johan 1:6-7).