There is a story of a woman who lost her husband of many years very suddenly. She was extremely distraught and very lonely, so at the advice of some friends, she decided to get a pet. She went to the pet store and looked at all the dogs, cats and other animals and finally decided to take home a talking parrot. She was sure that a conversing bird would be just the right fix for her loneliness; but after a week or more, the bird had not said a word, so she went back to the pet store.
The clerk informed her that she needed a ladder for the bird to climb upon and if he had a ladder, he would begin to talk. She bought the ladder, returned home and placed in the cage. Another week or so went by with still not a peep from the bird, so she went back to the store. Seems that the clerk failed to mention that she needed to place a mirror at one end of the ladder so the bird would see himself, be content and then, begin to speak. She purchased the mirror and home she went. After another week of silence, she returned to the store, visibly upset that the bird that she bought for companionship was still not talking. The clerk asked if she have a swing in the cage upon which the bird could perch. Her response was an emphatic, NO! He assured her that if she bought the swing and placed it in the cage, the bird would talk and talk and talk. She bought the swing…..
But, the bird did not talk; rather, IT DIED!!!! So, she gathered the cage and her dead bird and stormed back to the pet store. She told the clerk that she had done everything and bought everything that he had suggested, yet the bird would not talk and now, it was dead. The clerk asked her if the bird ever said anything during the month plus that she owned it. …Her reply, “Well, right before he died, he said, “Don’t they have any food down at that pet store?”
You see, the woman missed the obvious. She was so busy trying to make the bird happy so it would talk that she failed to give it one of the things it needed most to survive...
You and I are a lot like that woman in our daily walk with the Lord. We are so busy trying to “do” for the Lord in service and activity that we miss one of the most essential reasons that we are alive ….our fellowship with the Father.
From the onset of creation, God has been about the union and fellowship that He desires with His creation. In Genesis, chapter 3, verse 8, we read, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the evening, and the man and woman hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God in the trees of the garden.”
Now God was not out walking for the exercise; He was seeking to spend some quality time with His creation, but their sin had broken that fellowship and they hid themselves from Him. All that God had in store for them was undone in that act of disobedience.
The same is true for us today. God has so much He wants to give us, so much that He wants to accomplish through us; but that bond…that fellowship must remain unbroken if we are to truly live for Jesus. Christ said it best when He said, “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”
God wants to give you His best! He wants to know you intimately and for you to know His heart and mind. But, if your focus is on reputation rather than relationship, on activity rather than an aspiration to belong to Him, on situations rather than substance….then, just like our widow in the story above, YOU WILL MISS THE OBVIOUS…..
You were made by God….for God …to serve God …to worship God, and most of all, to belong to God in a close relationship that is found in His Son, Jesus Christ.
I trust you are seeking His face today…I know He is looking for you.
Growing daily in Him,
WPQ
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Living for that Day
I am so thankful that learning is a lifetime experience. Some very knowledgeable psychologists tell us that we learn almost 90 % of what we will learn in a lifetime by the ripe old age of 5….that leaves most of us, 70 plus years to work on the other 10%. Some folks work diligently, others give little effort at all.
Some things I learned as a child:
No matter how hard you try…you can’t baptize a cat!
You can’t trust your dog to watch your food...or your big brother!
You can’t hide broccoli in a glass of milk!
Riding a bicycle is a lot easier with those extra wheels...especially on your kness and elbows.
Some things I learned as an adult:
Raising teenagers is like nailing Jello to a tree!
Wrinkles don’t hurt, thankfully, anything but your pride!
Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that stood its ground!
As I continue to mature: (that means I have my AARP card)
Forget the health food stuff…I need all the preservatives I can get!
If I fall down, what else can I do while I’m down here!
Did I remember to put the cat out and kiss my wife goodnight... and not vice versa!
Growing up is mandatory…growing OLD is OPTIONAL!
And most important of all……there are only two days that matter on any calendar; TODAY and “THAT DAY”! TODAY is the day to decide where I will spend eternity and once that decision has been made (as it has been for each of us as ambassadors for Christ) then I will spend today deciding how I will spend eternity. In Matthew 6:19-21, Christ tells us not to lay up treasure here on earth where all sorts of malady and calamity await, but to store up our treasures in heaven where the King of Kings and His heavenly host watch over our treasures as He says: “For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.” On “THAT DAY” scripture foretells “that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD!” I’m so thankful that I am living for “THAT DAY” when I will hear my Savior say, “Well done, my Good and Faithful servant, enter now into the Joy of thy Lord.”
I trust that this week your work for the kingdom, done in the name of Jesus Christ, is stockpiling your treasure chest in God’s heavenly throne room and He is waiting with words of encouragement….“WELL DONE, WELL DONE …I AM WELL PLEASED!
PRAYER:
God grant us your peace and keep us in your will as we seek to lay up treasures in heaven that demonstrate our love for you and our desire to please you alone.
AMEN
LIVING FOR "THAT DAY",
WPQ
Some things I learned as a child:
No matter how hard you try…you can’t baptize a cat!
You can’t trust your dog to watch your food...or your big brother!
You can’t hide broccoli in a glass of milk!
Riding a bicycle is a lot easier with those extra wheels...especially on your kness and elbows.
Some things I learned as an adult:
Raising teenagers is like nailing Jello to a tree!
Wrinkles don’t hurt, thankfully, anything but your pride!
Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that stood its ground!
As I continue to mature: (that means I have my AARP card)
Forget the health food stuff…I need all the preservatives I can get!
If I fall down, what else can I do while I’m down here!
Did I remember to put the cat out and kiss my wife goodnight... and not vice versa!
Growing up is mandatory…growing OLD is OPTIONAL!
And most important of all……there are only two days that matter on any calendar; TODAY and “THAT DAY”! TODAY is the day to decide where I will spend eternity and once that decision has been made (as it has been for each of us as ambassadors for Christ) then I will spend today deciding how I will spend eternity. In Matthew 6:19-21, Christ tells us not to lay up treasure here on earth where all sorts of malady and calamity await, but to store up our treasures in heaven where the King of Kings and His heavenly host watch over our treasures as He says: “For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.” On “THAT DAY” scripture foretells “that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD!” I’m so thankful that I am living for “THAT DAY” when I will hear my Savior say, “Well done, my Good and Faithful servant, enter now into the Joy of thy Lord.”
I trust that this week your work for the kingdom, done in the name of Jesus Christ, is stockpiling your treasure chest in God’s heavenly throne room and He is waiting with words of encouragement….“WELL DONE, WELL DONE …I AM WELL PLEASED!
PRAYER:
God grant us your peace and keep us in your will as we seek to lay up treasures in heaven that demonstrate our love for you and our desire to please you alone.
AMEN
LIVING FOR "THAT DAY",
WPQ
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Carpe Diem....Seize the Day!
There are not many things in life in which we can control totally…few things in which sole ownership is truly ours and ours alone…..but each morning, before your feet hit the floor and your day begins, you have the sole opportunity to make a monumental decision that is yours and ONLY yours. You can decide what kind of day it’s going to be….A GOOD DAY OR A BAD DAY….THE CHOICE IS UP TO YOU!
Sure, there will be bad breaks; obstacles to overcome; nasty, grumpy, even mean people….but regardless of these “circumstances”; your attitude is up to you. Now, this is not a matter of just seeing “the glass as half-empty/half-full.” It’s a full blown opportunity to decide if you are going to face the day with a smile on your face and a spring in your step…regardless of what comes your way…or if you are going to frown and moan about your pitiful lot in life and how the whole world is out to get you.
We all know those kinds of folks…..they would complain if they won the lottery… ‘Cause now their tax brackets changed and they’ve got to decide whether to take lump sum cash or defer to monthly installments. My, but life can be so unfair!
Why not take the attitude of the psalmist who wrote, “This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms118:24 …and that’s so much easier to do if we continue in his thought in this same passage, “You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, and I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalms 118:28-29.
When we see the day as through the psalmists’ eyes, we know that the day is the Lord’s…GOOD, BAD or INDIFFERENT…. It is a gift from Him….and if we approach it with thanksgiving and praise for the one who loves us and sent His Son to redeem us….WE WILL KNOW HIS BLESSING IN EVERY ENCOUNTER.
I share the following story to illustrate:
It seems there was an older gentleman of 92 years of age who had just recently lost his wife of 70 years. Now, alone and unable to care for himself, he was being placed in a retirement center to live out his remaining days. As he sat quietly in the waiting room of the home for several hours, the staff made the necessary arrangements to prepare his room. Eventually, the director came and took him by the arm and began to lead him down the hall to his room. As she began to describe the room and the sheet that hung over the small window, the older gentleman remarked that he liked his room very much.
Startled, she replied, “How can that be? You haven’t seen it yet!” Without missing a step, he quietly replied, “That has nothing to do with it. Happiness is something I choose in advance. Whether I like the décor or the furniture doesn’t matter; what matters is how I decide to see it….and I have already decided in my mind that I like my room.”
“I can choose. I can make that decision every morning to lie in bed enumerating all the body parts that don’t work so well anymore or I can thank heaven for all the parts that are still working. Each day is a gift and as long as I can open my eyes each morning, I will focus on that new day and give thanks for it ….and all the memories I have made along the way.”
Where’s your focus today?
Why not follow these simple steps to a better day and a better life…
FREE YOUR HEART FROM HATE
FREE YOUR MIND FROM WORRY
LIVE SIMPLE
GIVE MORE
EXPECT LESS….. and
PRAISE HIM FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!!!
Blessed each day…seeking to pass it on,
WPQ
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
There is no way you can be blue
When you think of the depth of God’s love for you;
He gave his Son, His most precious gift…
Now that will give your heart a lift.
Have a Blessed Day in the Lord!
Sure, there will be bad breaks; obstacles to overcome; nasty, grumpy, even mean people….but regardless of these “circumstances”; your attitude is up to you. Now, this is not a matter of just seeing “the glass as half-empty/half-full.” It’s a full blown opportunity to decide if you are going to face the day with a smile on your face and a spring in your step…regardless of what comes your way…or if you are going to frown and moan about your pitiful lot in life and how the whole world is out to get you.
We all know those kinds of folks…..they would complain if they won the lottery… ‘Cause now their tax brackets changed and they’ve got to decide whether to take lump sum cash or defer to monthly installments. My, but life can be so unfair!
Why not take the attitude of the psalmist who wrote, “This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms118:24 …and that’s so much easier to do if we continue in his thought in this same passage, “You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, and I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalms 118:28-29.
When we see the day as through the psalmists’ eyes, we know that the day is the Lord’s…GOOD, BAD or INDIFFERENT…. It is a gift from Him….and if we approach it with thanksgiving and praise for the one who loves us and sent His Son to redeem us….WE WILL KNOW HIS BLESSING IN EVERY ENCOUNTER.
I share the following story to illustrate:
It seems there was an older gentleman of 92 years of age who had just recently lost his wife of 70 years. Now, alone and unable to care for himself, he was being placed in a retirement center to live out his remaining days. As he sat quietly in the waiting room of the home for several hours, the staff made the necessary arrangements to prepare his room. Eventually, the director came and took him by the arm and began to lead him down the hall to his room. As she began to describe the room and the sheet that hung over the small window, the older gentleman remarked that he liked his room very much.
Startled, she replied, “How can that be? You haven’t seen it yet!” Without missing a step, he quietly replied, “That has nothing to do with it. Happiness is something I choose in advance. Whether I like the décor or the furniture doesn’t matter; what matters is how I decide to see it….and I have already decided in my mind that I like my room.”
“I can choose. I can make that decision every morning to lie in bed enumerating all the body parts that don’t work so well anymore or I can thank heaven for all the parts that are still working. Each day is a gift and as long as I can open my eyes each morning, I will focus on that new day and give thanks for it ….and all the memories I have made along the way.”
Where’s your focus today?
Why not follow these simple steps to a better day and a better life…
FREE YOUR HEART FROM HATE
FREE YOUR MIND FROM WORRY
LIVE SIMPLE
GIVE MORE
EXPECT LESS….. and
PRAISE HIM FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!!!
Blessed each day…seeking to pass it on,
WPQ
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
There is no way you can be blue
When you think of the depth of God’s love for you;
He gave his Son, His most precious gift…
Now that will give your heart a lift.
Have a Blessed Day in the Lord!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Releasing the Pain…
Everywhere today, people are suffering and enduring pain. It may be physical pain that is the result of some disease that is ravaging their body; emotional pain from the loss of a loved one through death or divorce or it may be the pain of rejection, withdrawal, remorse or neglect. As sure as there is breath that confirms life, so there is pain.
In fact, doctors often speak with their patients regarding their “threshold” for pain before or directly after a surgical procedure….trying to determine the level of awareness at which they feel pain. For some that level is high and they can tolerate a great deal before they feel the pain….others are not so lucky. Once that determination is made, the doctor then prescribes an aspirin or similar medication to relieve the pain. However, although that is what we think is occurring, it is not. The aspirin actually has no effect on the physical problem; rather, it only raises your threshold for pain….and by raising your threshold, you are able to endure more pain before you once again fill its damaging effects.
As Christians, we have a “spiritual” aspirin that God has given us to help us endure the pain and suffering that we encounter as we make our way across this landscape we call life. In Nehemiah 8: 10 we read, “The JOY of the Lord is your strength.”
Joy is the aspirin that God has given us to help us endure. When we spend our time in thanksgiving and praise, we will be filled with the joy of the Lord. As we come to God and our continuously reminded of His faithfulness, His joy fills our hearts; and then, when troubles and the pains of life come, we will not succumb to the damaging effects of doubt and disbelief; rather, we will be conquerors in Him.
They are many ways to experience the joy of the Lord…to find that “spiritual” aspirin when the ways of the world seem too much to bear. For King Saul, it was the harp of David that brought peace to a tortured soul….for Jesus, it was the solitude of the mountainside that brought strength for the task ahead…for me, it is a round of golf that refreshes and renews me for the battle against the enemy.
You see, when I step on the first tee and see the beauty of the blue sky; smell the freshly mowed grass; watch the flight of that little white ball as it soars through the air….I am reminded of my awesome God and the beauty of His creation. I revel in the joy of the Lord …that I am healthy in Him, both physically and spiritually and I REJOICE that I belong to Him.
Whatever problems, mistakes, miscalculations or misgivings I may be experiencing melt away as I spend time in pursuit of that ball and my Lord…it is indeed my release from all of my pain. I know that He loves me and that He is preparing a place for me ….and that some day SOON, He is coming back for me….and that thought fills me with JOY!!!!
What’s your “spiritual” aspirin that fills you with praise and adoration for you Savior? Is it listening to beautiful music or walking through a forest glen….biking across a mountain trail or reading from the Holy Scriptures….singing at the top of your lungs or whispering a simple prayer… whatever it is, do it to the glory of Him who has saved you and be filled with the joy of the Lord!
For when His joy fills your heart, your pain will diminish and you will be….
Blessed Beyond Measure,
WPQ
Thought for the Day:
Life’s problems may weigh you down
Dark clouds may bring you rain
But when your joy is in the Lord
You’ll hardly feel the pain.
In fact, doctors often speak with their patients regarding their “threshold” for pain before or directly after a surgical procedure….trying to determine the level of awareness at which they feel pain. For some that level is high and they can tolerate a great deal before they feel the pain….others are not so lucky. Once that determination is made, the doctor then prescribes an aspirin or similar medication to relieve the pain. However, although that is what we think is occurring, it is not. The aspirin actually has no effect on the physical problem; rather, it only raises your threshold for pain….and by raising your threshold, you are able to endure more pain before you once again fill its damaging effects.
As Christians, we have a “spiritual” aspirin that God has given us to help us endure the pain and suffering that we encounter as we make our way across this landscape we call life. In Nehemiah 8: 10 we read, “The JOY of the Lord is your strength.”
Joy is the aspirin that God has given us to help us endure. When we spend our time in thanksgiving and praise, we will be filled with the joy of the Lord. As we come to God and our continuously reminded of His faithfulness, His joy fills our hearts; and then, when troubles and the pains of life come, we will not succumb to the damaging effects of doubt and disbelief; rather, we will be conquerors in Him.
They are many ways to experience the joy of the Lord…to find that “spiritual” aspirin when the ways of the world seem too much to bear. For King Saul, it was the harp of David that brought peace to a tortured soul….for Jesus, it was the solitude of the mountainside that brought strength for the task ahead…for me, it is a round of golf that refreshes and renews me for the battle against the enemy.
You see, when I step on the first tee and see the beauty of the blue sky; smell the freshly mowed grass; watch the flight of that little white ball as it soars through the air….I am reminded of my awesome God and the beauty of His creation. I revel in the joy of the Lord …that I am healthy in Him, both physically and spiritually and I REJOICE that I belong to Him.
Whatever problems, mistakes, miscalculations or misgivings I may be experiencing melt away as I spend time in pursuit of that ball and my Lord…it is indeed my release from all of my pain. I know that He loves me and that He is preparing a place for me ….and that some day SOON, He is coming back for me….and that thought fills me with JOY!!!!
What’s your “spiritual” aspirin that fills you with praise and adoration for you Savior? Is it listening to beautiful music or walking through a forest glen….biking across a mountain trail or reading from the Holy Scriptures….singing at the top of your lungs or whispering a simple prayer… whatever it is, do it to the glory of Him who has saved you and be filled with the joy of the Lord!
For when His joy fills your heart, your pain will diminish and you will be….
Blessed Beyond Measure,
WPQ
Thought for the Day:
Life’s problems may weigh you down
Dark clouds may bring you rain
But when your joy is in the Lord
You’ll hardly feel the pain.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Are you a “dieting” Christian?
Now, I ask that question today, for there are many of us, including myself, that definitely need to shed a few unwanted pounds; however, I am not talking about the physical need to lose weight.
I know there is study after study that tells us that we are becoming an obese and sluggish nation; that our children are in the worst physical condition in history and that we are losing the “battle of the bulge”….and although that is sad and troubling news, that is not what I want us to think about today.
Rather, as Christians, as people of faith that profess to know the Lord and are called according to His purpose, are we on a diet in our relationship with Him. As I look all around me, I see so many people who have, little by little, cut back on the time and energy they spend in seeking to grow their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Last Sunday was Easter Sunday….a precious day of celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord…and our church was packed! But, why is our church not packed like that EVERY SUNDAY….is it not the same risen Lord that we celebrate? I believe it is because we are on a diet.
We go to church on Sunday if we remember to set our alarm clock…if we’re not too tired…if we didn’t overdo it on Saturday or work too hard last week…or if we just can’t find something better to do. We spend less time reading and studying our bible and that Sunday school thing, well, that’s just for the kids. We pray when we REALLY need something or when a catastrophe strikes that threatens to bring our world crashing down around our ears. We hardly ever share our faith or speak to others about what the Lord has done for us…and our spiritual walk barely leaves a footprint in the sands of our lives.
We have become lean and spiritually malnourished and we can’t seem to understand why all that we once held dear and sacred is dissipating right before our eyes. We should be better equipped, better prepared for what lies ahead; but, we have lost muscle mass due to our diet of less of Jesus and more of this world. We need to turn in our Bibles to a passage in Hebrews 5: 12-14 and read,
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have the powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
It is time for all of us to lay down the destructive habits of “dieting” when it comes to knowing Christ….we need to get back to the solid food of biblical teaching and use our powers of discernment to steer clear of evil and seek the face of God in all of our dealings. We need to build muscle as we pray earnestly, fervently and without ceasing for God’s protection, provision and pronouncement….it is time to stand up and be counted for God!!!!!
Are you ready to make that commitment to Him today….commit to follow where He leads….live as He lived…give as He gave…are you ready to taste and see that Lord is GOOD? I pray that today you will be FILLED with Jesus in all you say and do!
Blessed by my Redeemer and the Bread of Life,
WPQ
I know there is study after study that tells us that we are becoming an obese and sluggish nation; that our children are in the worst physical condition in history and that we are losing the “battle of the bulge”….and although that is sad and troubling news, that is not what I want us to think about today.
Rather, as Christians, as people of faith that profess to know the Lord and are called according to His purpose, are we on a diet in our relationship with Him. As I look all around me, I see so many people who have, little by little, cut back on the time and energy they spend in seeking to grow their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Last Sunday was Easter Sunday….a precious day of celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord…and our church was packed! But, why is our church not packed like that EVERY SUNDAY….is it not the same risen Lord that we celebrate? I believe it is because we are on a diet.
We go to church on Sunday if we remember to set our alarm clock…if we’re not too tired…if we didn’t overdo it on Saturday or work too hard last week…or if we just can’t find something better to do. We spend less time reading and studying our bible and that Sunday school thing, well, that’s just for the kids. We pray when we REALLY need something or when a catastrophe strikes that threatens to bring our world crashing down around our ears. We hardly ever share our faith or speak to others about what the Lord has done for us…and our spiritual walk barely leaves a footprint in the sands of our lives.
We have become lean and spiritually malnourished and we can’t seem to understand why all that we once held dear and sacred is dissipating right before our eyes. We should be better equipped, better prepared for what lies ahead; but, we have lost muscle mass due to our diet of less of Jesus and more of this world. We need to turn in our Bibles to a passage in Hebrews 5: 12-14 and read,
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have the powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
It is time for all of us to lay down the destructive habits of “dieting” when it comes to knowing Christ….we need to get back to the solid food of biblical teaching and use our powers of discernment to steer clear of evil and seek the face of God in all of our dealings. We need to build muscle as we pray earnestly, fervently and without ceasing for God’s protection, provision and pronouncement….it is time to stand up and be counted for God!!!!!
Are you ready to make that commitment to Him today….commit to follow where He leads….live as He lived…give as He gave…are you ready to taste and see that Lord is GOOD? I pray that today you will be FILLED with Jesus in all you say and do!
Blessed by my Redeemer and the Bread of Life,
WPQ
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Blessed and Believing….It Should Show!
Throughout scripture, we read time and time again about the blessings of God;of being blessed by Him and of being a blessing to others. From the first chapter of Genesis, we see God bless Adam and Eve as He tells them to be “fruitful and multiply.” David, throughout his writings of the Psalms, tells us that “blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly” or “blessed is he who transgression is forgiven.” Being blessed….just what does that mean?
Well, the old Webster would define “blessed” to mean happy, blissful, joyous or ecstatic….terms that have different meanings to many in our world today. As Christians, we should be joyous and ecstatic for what Christ has done for us since He has taken away our sin and given us the hope and promise of eternal life….and that joy should be a reflection of the peace that dwells within each of us that claim to know Him as our Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, too many Christians have forgotten to tell their face what’s taking place in their heart. They may be joyous on the inside, but you would never know that at first glance.
Shortly after Christ began his ministry with the choosing of his disciples, He sought to teach them what it would mean to be his follower. He started on a hillside beyond the Jordan with what many call the “Happiness Manifesto” or the Beatitudes. He said in Matthew 5:3-11 ( and I’m paraphrasing in my own words)
“Happy are the poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”
“Joyous will be those who mourn for they will be comforted.”
“Ecstatic are the gentle for they will inherit the earth and all its bounty.”
“Blissful are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled to overflowing with God’s abundance.”
“Happy are the merciful for they will know the great mercy and grace of their Heavenly Father.”
“Joyous are the pure in heart for they will receive their hearts desire…to see their Savior face to face.”
“Ecstatic are the peacemakers for they are the true sons of the Most High.”
“Blissful are those that endure persecution for the sake of righteousness for they shall be rulers in my Kingdom.”
“Happy is each of you when you are persecuted, lied about or ridiculed and yet honor me ….for your reward in heaven will be great and you joy will be eternal.”
Are you BLESSED today? Can others tell when they look at your face that even in the midst of adversity, your joy in the Lord is secure and it is reflected in your smile and by the spring in your step. If you are living and believing the words of the Master, then your joy and happiness is complete in the Lord. If you have Him...you have ALL YOU NEED TO BE HAPPY!
So, make your joy contagious by being a blessing to someone else today. Why not make someone else happy, joyous, blissful or ecstatic by coming into a room…NOT BY LEAVING IT!
If you are blessed….and you are….show others that Jesus cares and He loves them and wants them to share in His blessings….you can do it if you are…..
BLESSED AND BELIEVING,
WPQ
Well, the old Webster would define “blessed” to mean happy, blissful, joyous or ecstatic….terms that have different meanings to many in our world today. As Christians, we should be joyous and ecstatic for what Christ has done for us since He has taken away our sin and given us the hope and promise of eternal life….and that joy should be a reflection of the peace that dwells within each of us that claim to know Him as our Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, too many Christians have forgotten to tell their face what’s taking place in their heart. They may be joyous on the inside, but you would never know that at first glance.
Shortly after Christ began his ministry with the choosing of his disciples, He sought to teach them what it would mean to be his follower. He started on a hillside beyond the Jordan with what many call the “Happiness Manifesto” or the Beatitudes. He said in Matthew 5:3-11 ( and I’m paraphrasing in my own words)
“Happy are the poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”
“Joyous will be those who mourn for they will be comforted.”
“Ecstatic are the gentle for they will inherit the earth and all its bounty.”
“Blissful are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled to overflowing with God’s abundance.”
“Happy are the merciful for they will know the great mercy and grace of their Heavenly Father.”
“Joyous are the pure in heart for they will receive their hearts desire…to see their Savior face to face.”
“Ecstatic are the peacemakers for they are the true sons of the Most High.”
“Blissful are those that endure persecution for the sake of righteousness for they shall be rulers in my Kingdom.”
“Happy is each of you when you are persecuted, lied about or ridiculed and yet honor me ….for your reward in heaven will be great and you joy will be eternal.”
Are you BLESSED today? Can others tell when they look at your face that even in the midst of adversity, your joy in the Lord is secure and it is reflected in your smile and by the spring in your step. If you are living and believing the words of the Master, then your joy and happiness is complete in the Lord. If you have Him...you have ALL YOU NEED TO BE HAPPY!
So, make your joy contagious by being a blessing to someone else today. Why not make someone else happy, joyous, blissful or ecstatic by coming into a room…NOT BY LEAVING IT!
If you are blessed….and you are….show others that Jesus cares and He loves them and wants them to share in His blessings….you can do it if you are…..
BLESSED AND BELIEVING,
WPQ
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Manger…The Cross….The Tomb
I stand here at the foot of this hill to see my son, my firstborn hanging on this cruel cross and my heart is torn from my body. It only seems like days ago that I birthed him on that blessed evening, the cattle lowing in the background, and laid him in that manger. I knew he was Heaven’s child as I held him in my arms and sang a mother’s lullaby. Oh, how my heart leapt for joy as Joseph and I stood over our son and prayed for God’s blessing and faithfulness. As I nursed and nurtured him, he grew into a strong and well-mannered child. I still remember the visit from the Magi with their precious gifts, our trips to the synagogue for his Bar Mitzvah and the Passover sacrifices. I remember the panic I felt when we could not find him for three days …and the look of peace and serenity on his face when he told us that he must be about His Father’s business. Though puzzled by his remark, I was so happy to have my precious Jesus in my arms again that I even failed to scold him. Even now, as he labors to breathe, his thoughts and concerns are for me…to give me to his beloved friend, John, so that I may be cared for in the days that are left for me. He told me, so many times, that this day would come…a day when sinful, deceitful men would triumph and he would give his life as a ransom for many….and for me….my Jesus….my son….my Messiah.
I have been dreading this day and yet, knowing that it was inevitable, it gave me a sense of strength and purpose. Killing that Roman guard after what he did to my mother and my sister…well, he got what he deserved…and now, according to Roman law, I will get what I deserve. But, this man, Jesus? I can’t believe that he is hanging next to me? What crime are they punishing him for….healing the sick, making the lame to walk or the blind to see? My death; I get it! And I would do it over again to avenge my mother and sister. But why Jesus? I heard their accusations; watched as Pilate had him beaten beyond recognition, then washed his hands of this whole fiasco. And these religious hypocrites clamoring for him to be crucified…they should be the ones hanging next to me, not Jesus. Even now, they scoff at him and beg the soldiers to take now the sign hung their by orders from Pilate…”Jesus the Nazarene, The King of the Jews.” The soldiers have stripped him naked and cast lots for his purple robe and yet, I heard him say, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”
Who is this man that even on this cruel cross he pleads for those that would kill him? And you….you vile serpent ….you are getting just what you deserve…a sentence to death and damnation….do not mock this man. For He is innocent and does not deserve the same fate as you and I. Would you mock God and fear Him not? Leave him alone and let him die without the haunting screech of a condemned man ringing in his ears….but King Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom and do not count my sins against me. And then He did the unthinkable; he raised himself upon the nail and looked at me with his loving eyes and said, “It will be so. Today, you will be with me in paradise.”
By now, it was near noon and I was beginning to lose some of my strength and my will to live was beginning to falter. The sky began to darken and it became like night…the sun seemed blotted from the sky. The women at the foot of Jesus’ cross kept reaching up to touch Him as they held on to each other, sobbing and calling out for God to save His Son. Then, as the darkness seemed to deepen, Jesus called out in a voice that shook the heavens above and made the foundations of the earth quake. He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The sky grew darker still and the heavens opened up with torrential rain. The rocks seemed to split open as the whole earth shook. Then he shouted again, “Father, It is finished! Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
And in that last breath, He was gone. I heard the centurion who had stood guard at His feet, turn and tell all those who were still there, “Surely this man was the Son of God.” Then I turned and looked away…. for I... a guilty, sinful man... I was not worthy to gaze upon the Son of God.
I had to hurry for the day of preparation would soon be over and the Sabbath would be upon us. I had all the necessary things for a quick burial. There would be time later to return and finish the process after the Sabbath. But, first, I had to get before Pilate so that I might claim His body or Jesus would be given a criminal’s burial in the Potter’s field.
I knew I would take some punishment from my fellow members of the Sanhedrin; but if only there had not been such a rush to judgment, Nicodemus and I might have been able to talk them into something less than death. I know Jesus spoke out against them and their deceitful ways, but He only spoke the truth…and that’s what brought about his death… for evil men do not want the Light to be shone on their evil deeds.
I hurried off to see Pilate. When I arrived at the palace, I asked the guard to tell Pilate that Joseph of Arimathea would like an audience with him to plead for the body of Jesus. He quickly returned and said that Pilate was sending one of his personal guards to insure that Jesus was dead and that I should wait here. I sat down and began to think on the events of the last 24 hours …the mock trial before the religious leaders of the Sanhedrin; the confrontation with Caiaphas; the trial and subsequent sentence to death by Pilate; the long road to the cross… and the pounding of the hammers as they drove those spikes into His hands and feet. I knew that I would never get that sound out of my ears….and I knew it was time for me to do something that let others know that I loved and believed in this man, Jesus.
I had been a coward and afraid of the Jews for far too long…that’s why I had to do this for Jesus …I had to give him the burial that he deserved. The guard returned and not a moment too soon, for the sun was setting and I had to have his body in the tomb before the Sabbath began.
I had told Nicodemus to meet me at the garden, not far from Golgotha’s Hill, and to bring the burial spices and some additional linen. I ran to the cross and the guards, though visibly shaken, helped me remove Christ’s body. My servants and I hurried to the nearby garden and to the new tomb that had just been dug. There, Nicodemus and I bathed our Lord’s body, washing away the blood and the torn flesh that clung to his lifeless corpse. We wept uncontrollably as we saw the pierced hands and feet; taking our time, we placed aloe leaves in the holes and rubbed the myrrh and spices all over His beaten and bruised frame. We began at his feet and gently, lovingly wrapped his entire body in the fine linen, laying more of the aloe leaves and spices in each fold or crevasse of the cloth.
When we had finished, we each kissed him on the cheek and placed the napkin over his head. I looked over my shoulder, to see standing in the doorway, His mother and the other women from Galilee. They stood there sobbing but could not come in … for contact with a dead body would defile them on the eve of the Sabbath. We left the tomb and with the help of Nicodemus and several of my servants, we rolled a stone in front of the doorway to keep out the grave robbers. I told the women that I would come back with them after the Sabbath so they could finish what we had not….and then, with one last parting glance, I left the garden and the place where my Jesus lay…in a cold, dark tomb.
I had done in His death what I had failed to do in His life….tell my Savior that I loved Him. God forgive me for my unbelief!
The Manger…The Cross….The Tomb...three different places…three different experiences…one Loving Savior. Today…HE IS CRUCIFIED ….he hangs upon that cross for his mother…the criminal ….Joseph of Arimathea….and for you and me. SO,
Don’t be like Mary and love a nostalgic Savior ….for He is alive and waiting for you to confirm Him in your life today.
Don’t be like the criminal and wait until the very last second to meet Jesus…he will save you, but that’s a risky way to live…or then die without Him.
Don’t be like Joseph and be too afraid of the “established” powers in your life to let others know that you love and serve a risen Savior.
Today, proclaim that Jesus is yours and you are His….and then you will enjoy the glory and the blessings that belong to Jesus and those that follow Him….and you will celebrate His Resurrection as a new creation in Christ.
Hallelujah…He died for my sins, yet He Lives Forevermore,
WPQ
I have been dreading this day and yet, knowing that it was inevitable, it gave me a sense of strength and purpose. Killing that Roman guard after what he did to my mother and my sister…well, he got what he deserved…and now, according to Roman law, I will get what I deserve. But, this man, Jesus? I can’t believe that he is hanging next to me? What crime are they punishing him for….healing the sick, making the lame to walk or the blind to see? My death; I get it! And I would do it over again to avenge my mother and sister. But why Jesus? I heard their accusations; watched as Pilate had him beaten beyond recognition, then washed his hands of this whole fiasco. And these religious hypocrites clamoring for him to be crucified…they should be the ones hanging next to me, not Jesus. Even now, they scoff at him and beg the soldiers to take now the sign hung their by orders from Pilate…”Jesus the Nazarene, The King of the Jews.” The soldiers have stripped him naked and cast lots for his purple robe and yet, I heard him say, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”
Who is this man that even on this cruel cross he pleads for those that would kill him? And you….you vile serpent ….you are getting just what you deserve…a sentence to death and damnation….do not mock this man. For He is innocent and does not deserve the same fate as you and I. Would you mock God and fear Him not? Leave him alone and let him die without the haunting screech of a condemned man ringing in his ears….but King Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom and do not count my sins against me. And then He did the unthinkable; he raised himself upon the nail and looked at me with his loving eyes and said, “It will be so. Today, you will be with me in paradise.”
By now, it was near noon and I was beginning to lose some of my strength and my will to live was beginning to falter. The sky began to darken and it became like night…the sun seemed blotted from the sky. The women at the foot of Jesus’ cross kept reaching up to touch Him as they held on to each other, sobbing and calling out for God to save His Son. Then, as the darkness seemed to deepen, Jesus called out in a voice that shook the heavens above and made the foundations of the earth quake. He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The sky grew darker still and the heavens opened up with torrential rain. The rocks seemed to split open as the whole earth shook. Then he shouted again, “Father, It is finished! Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
And in that last breath, He was gone. I heard the centurion who had stood guard at His feet, turn and tell all those who were still there, “Surely this man was the Son of God.” Then I turned and looked away…. for I... a guilty, sinful man... I was not worthy to gaze upon the Son of God.
I had to hurry for the day of preparation would soon be over and the Sabbath would be upon us. I had all the necessary things for a quick burial. There would be time later to return and finish the process after the Sabbath. But, first, I had to get before Pilate so that I might claim His body or Jesus would be given a criminal’s burial in the Potter’s field.
I knew I would take some punishment from my fellow members of the Sanhedrin; but if only there had not been such a rush to judgment, Nicodemus and I might have been able to talk them into something less than death. I know Jesus spoke out against them and their deceitful ways, but He only spoke the truth…and that’s what brought about his death… for evil men do not want the Light to be shone on their evil deeds.
I hurried off to see Pilate. When I arrived at the palace, I asked the guard to tell Pilate that Joseph of Arimathea would like an audience with him to plead for the body of Jesus. He quickly returned and said that Pilate was sending one of his personal guards to insure that Jesus was dead and that I should wait here. I sat down and began to think on the events of the last 24 hours …the mock trial before the religious leaders of the Sanhedrin; the confrontation with Caiaphas; the trial and subsequent sentence to death by Pilate; the long road to the cross… and the pounding of the hammers as they drove those spikes into His hands and feet. I knew that I would never get that sound out of my ears….and I knew it was time for me to do something that let others know that I loved and believed in this man, Jesus.
I had been a coward and afraid of the Jews for far too long…that’s why I had to do this for Jesus …I had to give him the burial that he deserved. The guard returned and not a moment too soon, for the sun was setting and I had to have his body in the tomb before the Sabbath began.
I had told Nicodemus to meet me at the garden, not far from Golgotha’s Hill, and to bring the burial spices and some additional linen. I ran to the cross and the guards, though visibly shaken, helped me remove Christ’s body. My servants and I hurried to the nearby garden and to the new tomb that had just been dug. There, Nicodemus and I bathed our Lord’s body, washing away the blood and the torn flesh that clung to his lifeless corpse. We wept uncontrollably as we saw the pierced hands and feet; taking our time, we placed aloe leaves in the holes and rubbed the myrrh and spices all over His beaten and bruised frame. We began at his feet and gently, lovingly wrapped his entire body in the fine linen, laying more of the aloe leaves and spices in each fold or crevasse of the cloth.
When we had finished, we each kissed him on the cheek and placed the napkin over his head. I looked over my shoulder, to see standing in the doorway, His mother and the other women from Galilee. They stood there sobbing but could not come in … for contact with a dead body would defile them on the eve of the Sabbath. We left the tomb and with the help of Nicodemus and several of my servants, we rolled a stone in front of the doorway to keep out the grave robbers. I told the women that I would come back with them after the Sabbath so they could finish what we had not….and then, with one last parting glance, I left the garden and the place where my Jesus lay…in a cold, dark tomb.
I had done in His death what I had failed to do in His life….tell my Savior that I loved Him. God forgive me for my unbelief!
The Manger…The Cross….The Tomb...three different places…three different experiences…one Loving Savior. Today…HE IS CRUCIFIED ….he hangs upon that cross for his mother…the criminal ….Joseph of Arimathea….and for you and me. SO,
Don’t be like Mary and love a nostalgic Savior ….for He is alive and waiting for you to confirm Him in your life today.
Don’t be like the criminal and wait until the very last second to meet Jesus…he will save you, but that’s a risky way to live…or then die without Him.
Don’t be like Joseph and be too afraid of the “established” powers in your life to let others know that you love and serve a risen Savior.
Today, proclaim that Jesus is yours and you are His….and then you will enjoy the glory and the blessings that belong to Jesus and those that follow Him….and you will celebrate His Resurrection as a new creation in Christ.
Hallelujah…He died for my sins, yet He Lives Forevermore,
WPQ
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Pilate…the Desire to Believe?
I hate this desolate, barren land. It is worse than a boil on the backside of their wretched camels. Why would I, a captain of Caesars’ very own Elite Guard, end up in a place like this? What could I have possibly done to displease him that would merit such punishment? Governor of this region is certainly not what I was hoping to have as my reward for my last great victory. Surely, my time here will be short and my interactions with these Jews will soon be over.
And yet, here they are again….these weak, insignificant peasants; religious pontificators whining about some homeless prophet that they can’t control. It’s barely daylight and already they would summon me from my slumber to decide the punishment for this Jesus. I should have them all dragged into the palace and made to bow at my feet…it is of no consequence to me that they would be unfit for their Passover feast. But, let’s get this over with so I can get back to more important matters.
I went out to them, into the courtyard and listened as they brought witness after witness to regale how this Jesus had excited the crowds to follow him; had turned out the moneychangers and the livestock from their beloved temple…so I told them to take him and judge him by their puny Jewish laws. They refused since for them it was unlawful to crucify anyone. I found no fault in him; but better to let the local ruler have this on him than me …so I sent him to Herod….and in only a matter of hours, Jesus was standing in front of me again.
So I asked him, “Tell me, are you the King of the Jews?” ...and his answer puzzled me; “Are you asking this of your own accord or have others told you about me?” I told him that I was not a Jew and it didn’t matter to me…. That it was his own nation and High Priest that had brought him to me and that I had the power to have him killed or let him go. He told me that His kingdom was not of this world and when I questioned him about this, he told me that he was here to testify to the truth…whatever that meant, I really wasn’t sure. So, I sought to return him to the Jews for I found no legal grounds on which to condemn him….but they shouted me down and called out to release the rebel, Barabbas, according to the custom of the Passover to release one criminal from bondage.
I sent Jesus away and had the captain of the battalion beat and flog him…they placed a crown of thorns on his head and wrapped a purple cloth around him, all the while mocking him, punching him and asking, “if you are a prophet, tell us who hit you.” I then brought him back before the assembly of the Jewish leaders and the ever-growing crowd and told them once again that I could find no grounds to merit a conviction.
He stood before them, wearing that purple robe and his kingly crown of thorns and I said, “Behold, here is the man!” I was really not prepared for this angry mob as they screamed out … “CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM!” I silenced them and told them to take him away and kill him according to their laws for I found nothing in this man that deserved his death by crucifixion ….but they would not be silenced.
What happened next gave me great pause for concern…they told me that he must die according to their rabbinical law…for he had proclaimed himself to be Son of God. Now, I am a god-fearing man that worships many Gods and I was not willing to take the chance that this man might actually be the son of one of them, so I brought him back into the inner chamber and asked him once again, “Where are you from? Who are you? Are you the Son of God?”…but, he just stood before me and offered nothing in his defense. I reminded him that it was within my powers to release him or to have him crucified, yet he told me that I had no authority over him had it not been given to me from above.
This was not an ordinary man and I did all within my powers to release him…I truly desired to let him go with the beating that he had endured and a strong reprimand not to appear before me again. I took him back to the courtyard with every intention to silence the Jews and to let Jesus go, but they cried out even louder that if I did such a thing, I was no friend of Caesar. I could not let this anarchy go on any longer for word might return to Rome that I was unable to control these weak-minded Jews…so I presented them with their King, yet they shouted even more, “Away with him. We have no King but Caesar. Crucify Jesus!”
So, I did what expedient. I called for a basin of water, and there before this angry mob and the gods of Rome, I washed my hands of his innocent blood…then, I gave Jesus over to them so that he should be crucified.
It had to be done. I had no choice. I had sworn an oath to Rome and to Caesar to protect this horrible land and to keep the peace. If I failed to give this mob what they wanted, many would probably die trying to restore order and I would be held responsible for their deaths…but my conscience was clear; I had tried to release Jesus …I had done all that I could to let him go, but my duty to Rome came first. After all, I am a soldier and soldiers follow orders no matter how unpleasant they might be. I did all that was possible that day…his death was not my fault!
Today, is that what you have been telling yourself….that Jesus’ death was NOT YOUR FAULT? It was not your decision to send Him to his death… to have Him bludgeoned to within an inch of his life, nailed to a rugged tree and hung between two thieves. Have you tried to wash his innocent blood from your hands and declare that you, too, have a clear conscience?
If so, you have missed the meaning of the cross….Christ may have chosen the nails, but it was your sins that swung the hammer…you and I were the ones that drove those spikes deep into the flesh of Jesus. God requires that we come to Him, holy and acceptable; Jesus accomplished that for us by giving himself as a blood sacrifice on the cross. Now, we must accept our part in His death….it was our sin that put Him there; it is our pride that keeps us from accepting the fact that WE NEED A SAVIOR!!!!
Don’t let pride keep you from knowing Jesus and accepting what He accomplished for you on Calvary…He is just a heartbeat away ….and so is eternity without Him!
Sorrow-filled for my part … forgiven and forever His,
WPQ
And yet, here they are again….these weak, insignificant peasants; religious pontificators whining about some homeless prophet that they can’t control. It’s barely daylight and already they would summon me from my slumber to decide the punishment for this Jesus. I should have them all dragged into the palace and made to bow at my feet…it is of no consequence to me that they would be unfit for their Passover feast. But, let’s get this over with so I can get back to more important matters.
I went out to them, into the courtyard and listened as they brought witness after witness to regale how this Jesus had excited the crowds to follow him; had turned out the moneychangers and the livestock from their beloved temple…so I told them to take him and judge him by their puny Jewish laws. They refused since for them it was unlawful to crucify anyone. I found no fault in him; but better to let the local ruler have this on him than me …so I sent him to Herod….and in only a matter of hours, Jesus was standing in front of me again.
So I asked him, “Tell me, are you the King of the Jews?” ...and his answer puzzled me; “Are you asking this of your own accord or have others told you about me?” I told him that I was not a Jew and it didn’t matter to me…. That it was his own nation and High Priest that had brought him to me and that I had the power to have him killed or let him go. He told me that His kingdom was not of this world and when I questioned him about this, he told me that he was here to testify to the truth…whatever that meant, I really wasn’t sure. So, I sought to return him to the Jews for I found no legal grounds on which to condemn him….but they shouted me down and called out to release the rebel, Barabbas, according to the custom of the Passover to release one criminal from bondage.
I sent Jesus away and had the captain of the battalion beat and flog him…they placed a crown of thorns on his head and wrapped a purple cloth around him, all the while mocking him, punching him and asking, “if you are a prophet, tell us who hit you.” I then brought him back before the assembly of the Jewish leaders and the ever-growing crowd and told them once again that I could find no grounds to merit a conviction.
He stood before them, wearing that purple robe and his kingly crown of thorns and I said, “Behold, here is the man!” I was really not prepared for this angry mob as they screamed out … “CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM!” I silenced them and told them to take him away and kill him according to their laws for I found nothing in this man that deserved his death by crucifixion ….but they would not be silenced.
What happened next gave me great pause for concern…they told me that he must die according to their rabbinical law…for he had proclaimed himself to be Son of God. Now, I am a god-fearing man that worships many Gods and I was not willing to take the chance that this man might actually be the son of one of them, so I brought him back into the inner chamber and asked him once again, “Where are you from? Who are you? Are you the Son of God?”…but, he just stood before me and offered nothing in his defense. I reminded him that it was within my powers to release him or to have him crucified, yet he told me that I had no authority over him had it not been given to me from above.
This was not an ordinary man and I did all within my powers to release him…I truly desired to let him go with the beating that he had endured and a strong reprimand not to appear before me again. I took him back to the courtyard with every intention to silence the Jews and to let Jesus go, but they cried out even louder that if I did such a thing, I was no friend of Caesar. I could not let this anarchy go on any longer for word might return to Rome that I was unable to control these weak-minded Jews…so I presented them with their King, yet they shouted even more, “Away with him. We have no King but Caesar. Crucify Jesus!”
So, I did what expedient. I called for a basin of water, and there before this angry mob and the gods of Rome, I washed my hands of his innocent blood…then, I gave Jesus over to them so that he should be crucified.
It had to be done. I had no choice. I had sworn an oath to Rome and to Caesar to protect this horrible land and to keep the peace. If I failed to give this mob what they wanted, many would probably die trying to restore order and I would be held responsible for their deaths…but my conscience was clear; I had tried to release Jesus …I had done all that I could to let him go, but my duty to Rome came first. After all, I am a soldier and soldiers follow orders no matter how unpleasant they might be. I did all that was possible that day…his death was not my fault!
Today, is that what you have been telling yourself….that Jesus’ death was NOT YOUR FAULT? It was not your decision to send Him to his death… to have Him bludgeoned to within an inch of his life, nailed to a rugged tree and hung between two thieves. Have you tried to wash his innocent blood from your hands and declare that you, too, have a clear conscience?
If so, you have missed the meaning of the cross….Christ may have chosen the nails, but it was your sins that swung the hammer…you and I were the ones that drove those spikes deep into the flesh of Jesus. God requires that we come to Him, holy and acceptable; Jesus accomplished that for us by giving himself as a blood sacrifice on the cross. Now, we must accept our part in His death….it was our sin that put Him there; it is our pride that keeps us from accepting the fact that WE NEED A SAVIOR!!!!
Don’t let pride keep you from knowing Jesus and accepting what He accomplished for you on Calvary…He is just a heartbeat away ….and so is eternity without Him!
Sorrow-filled for my part … forgiven and forever His,
WPQ
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Judas Iscariot…Satan’s Servant or Unwitting Scapegoat?
I have traveled road after dusty road, following this teacher from Galilee …and what has it gotten me….Just dirty feet, blisters and a few coins of little value. And what’s the matter with the rest of the inner circle? We have watched Jesus heal the sick, make the blind to see, cure the leper …even raise Lazarus from the day. He is wasting his great abilities on the common and unlovely….and he is constantly at odds with the rulers of the Sanhedrin and with Caiaphas, the High Priest. I have a plan that will force his hand …a plan that will cause him to use his powers against those that oppress us and force us to obey foreign and pagan laws. Surely that is not what the great God of our forefathers had intended for this man. If he is the chosen one, the true Messiah of Israel, it’s time he began to act like it and do something to free His people. Yes, a little nudge should be all he needs.
As the Feast of the Passover draws near:
Well, that went better than I expected…the Sanhedrin and the entire Jewish nation will have me to thank in just a few days….and I got 30 pieces of silver for my trouble. I would have been willing to take half as much; but this could be dangerous, especially with the excited crowds Jesus has been drawing. I will be patient and I will deliver him to the High Priest, just as I promised….He’ll never be expecting this. But when he comes into power, Jesus will have me to thank for forcing his hand and I’m sure I will be richly rewarded in his new kingdom…maybe a provincial governor or ruler of some foreign land. I will be rich…no more paltry coins in the collection bag….RICH, RICH …FILTHY RICH.
At the Passover Feast:
Look at him…acting like a servant, washing and drying our feet. Only a few more hours and my plan will begin to emerge …and Jesus will be the ruler of the Jewish nation and all nations will bow before his great and awesome powers. What was that? How could he possibly know that someone is going to betray him…does he know that it is me? No, he couldn’t possibly know. I have been ever so discreet…must be the rising tensions between him and the Sanhedrin that have him on edge. Time to go…I need a diversion…he has given me the dipped bread and told me to go and do quickly what I must. No one will miss me …I’ll just slip out the door into the darkness.
In the Garden:
I know just where he is going after the Passover meal…where he always takes us …across the Kidron valley to the Mount of Olives. I had told this to the Captain of the guard and explained to him that there was no need for so many men. The disciples were unarmed and Jesus surely offered no physical threat. But, I was surrounded by the Palace guard from the High Priest and a full company of Roman soldiers… I had no choice but to proceed as planned. We entered the garden at the south entrance …a small winding trail leads to the top of the Mount. It would be hard for anyone to hear or see us coming under cover of darkness, but it seemed like every one of the soldiers was carrying a lighted torch….it was as bright as noon day. So much for the element of surprise! The Roman centurion led the way and when we arrived, he told the small band of men that we were looking for Jesus the Nazarene.
What happened next caught me fully off-guard. Christ stepped forward and said, “I am He!” and when he did, all of the Roman soldiers and the Palace guard stepped back and fell to the ground. It was as if his words knocked them over and rendered them helpless. But I stepped forward and gave the agreed upon sign that would signify that they should arrest this man…I kissed Jesus on the cheek….and he looked into my eyes and said, “Judas, my friend, why have you come? Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
And in that moment, it was all set in motion. They bound Jesus’ hands and feet and literally dragged him down the mountainside. They took him to Caiaphas and they began to pummel his face, to pull out his hair and to spit upon him….and all the while, Christ Jesus did nothing…he did not even speak in his defense. In just a few hours, he stood before Pilate who ordered that he be flogged with 39 lashes, The Roman soldiers hit him, kicked him and spit upon him…they placed a crown of thorns upon his bloody brow….and still; Jesus did nothing. Where were his powers …why did he not strike out at his tormenters and call down fire and brimstone from Heaven? He claimed to be the Son of God, but all he did was to take their abuse and to stand silent before his accusers.
I couldn’t take it any longer. This was not going according to my plan…Jesus was silent as a lamb… being led to slaughter….and it was all my fault. I had sold him out for thirty pieces of silver and the desire to be great in his kingdom. Instead, all I could do was to stand hopelessly by and watch as they led him away to be crucified. I ran as fast as I could back to the Election hall and threw the money at the feet of the chief priest and the elders. I begged them to forgive me for my sin of betraying innocent blood…they laughed at me and told me it was not their concern. I had lost it all…Jesus would die because of my greed, arrogance and selfish desires. A man who had loved me and called me one of his chosen, I had sold to be crucified for 30 pieces of silver…I was not fit to live, so I did the only thing I knew…I took my own life …for it was a life not worth saving.
Maybe, you have come to that conclusion today…with all the sin and mistakes, the betrayal and the callous, selfish attitude you have toward Jesus. Maybe, you too, see a life that is not worth saving…but that’s not what Jesus sees. In fact, your sin-filled life is the very reason He went to that cross…the only reason He would have chosen the nails….so that you could ask for His forgiveness and have your sin debt paid by His shed blood.
The choice is really quite simple; you can ignore what Jesus has done for you or you can accept His offer of love and forgiveness that was bought and paid for on the Cross of Calvary. If you know Jesus as your personal Savior, then this week is a week of celebration as we, those that love and follow Him, anticipate His resurrection. If not, then your fate is the same as Judas Iscariot….hopelessly lost, awaiting the coming Judgment.
I pray that you will come to know my Jesus this Easter …and that in Him; you will know a life, complete and full of promise.
Forgiven…by His shed blood,
WPQ
As the Feast of the Passover draws near:
Well, that went better than I expected…the Sanhedrin and the entire Jewish nation will have me to thank in just a few days….and I got 30 pieces of silver for my trouble. I would have been willing to take half as much; but this could be dangerous, especially with the excited crowds Jesus has been drawing. I will be patient and I will deliver him to the High Priest, just as I promised….He’ll never be expecting this. But when he comes into power, Jesus will have me to thank for forcing his hand and I’m sure I will be richly rewarded in his new kingdom…maybe a provincial governor or ruler of some foreign land. I will be rich…no more paltry coins in the collection bag….RICH, RICH …FILTHY RICH.
At the Passover Feast:
Look at him…acting like a servant, washing and drying our feet. Only a few more hours and my plan will begin to emerge …and Jesus will be the ruler of the Jewish nation and all nations will bow before his great and awesome powers. What was that? How could he possibly know that someone is going to betray him…does he know that it is me? No, he couldn’t possibly know. I have been ever so discreet…must be the rising tensions between him and the Sanhedrin that have him on edge. Time to go…I need a diversion…he has given me the dipped bread and told me to go and do quickly what I must. No one will miss me …I’ll just slip out the door into the darkness.
In the Garden:
I know just where he is going after the Passover meal…where he always takes us …across the Kidron valley to the Mount of Olives. I had told this to the Captain of the guard and explained to him that there was no need for so many men. The disciples were unarmed and Jesus surely offered no physical threat. But, I was surrounded by the Palace guard from the High Priest and a full company of Roman soldiers… I had no choice but to proceed as planned. We entered the garden at the south entrance …a small winding trail leads to the top of the Mount. It would be hard for anyone to hear or see us coming under cover of darkness, but it seemed like every one of the soldiers was carrying a lighted torch….it was as bright as noon day. So much for the element of surprise! The Roman centurion led the way and when we arrived, he told the small band of men that we were looking for Jesus the Nazarene.
What happened next caught me fully off-guard. Christ stepped forward and said, “I am He!” and when he did, all of the Roman soldiers and the Palace guard stepped back and fell to the ground. It was as if his words knocked them over and rendered them helpless. But I stepped forward and gave the agreed upon sign that would signify that they should arrest this man…I kissed Jesus on the cheek….and he looked into my eyes and said, “Judas, my friend, why have you come? Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
And in that moment, it was all set in motion. They bound Jesus’ hands and feet and literally dragged him down the mountainside. They took him to Caiaphas and they began to pummel his face, to pull out his hair and to spit upon him….and all the while, Christ Jesus did nothing…he did not even speak in his defense. In just a few hours, he stood before Pilate who ordered that he be flogged with 39 lashes, The Roman soldiers hit him, kicked him and spit upon him…they placed a crown of thorns upon his bloody brow….and still; Jesus did nothing. Where were his powers …why did he not strike out at his tormenters and call down fire and brimstone from Heaven? He claimed to be the Son of God, but all he did was to take their abuse and to stand silent before his accusers.
I couldn’t take it any longer. This was not going according to my plan…Jesus was silent as a lamb… being led to slaughter….and it was all my fault. I had sold him out for thirty pieces of silver and the desire to be great in his kingdom. Instead, all I could do was to stand hopelessly by and watch as they led him away to be crucified. I ran as fast as I could back to the Election hall and threw the money at the feet of the chief priest and the elders. I begged them to forgive me for my sin of betraying innocent blood…they laughed at me and told me it was not their concern. I had lost it all…Jesus would die because of my greed, arrogance and selfish desires. A man who had loved me and called me one of his chosen, I had sold to be crucified for 30 pieces of silver…I was not fit to live, so I did the only thing I knew…I took my own life …for it was a life not worth saving.
Maybe, you have come to that conclusion today…with all the sin and mistakes, the betrayal and the callous, selfish attitude you have toward Jesus. Maybe, you too, see a life that is not worth saving…but that’s not what Jesus sees. In fact, your sin-filled life is the very reason He went to that cross…the only reason He would have chosen the nails….so that you could ask for His forgiveness and have your sin debt paid by His shed blood.
The choice is really quite simple; you can ignore what Jesus has done for you or you can accept His offer of love and forgiveness that was bought and paid for on the Cross of Calvary. If you know Jesus as your personal Savior, then this week is a week of celebration as we, those that love and follow Him, anticipate His resurrection. If not, then your fate is the same as Judas Iscariot….hopelessly lost, awaiting the coming Judgment.
I pray that you will come to know my Jesus this Easter …and that in Him; you will know a life, complete and full of promise.
Forgiven…by His shed blood,
WPQ
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Annas and Caiaphas …The Holy Priesthood?
I’m still not sure why they brought Jesus to me in the first place. I am an old, tired man and I am so weary of the Pharisees and their timidities. This Jesus is a crowd-pleaser, a cheap magician with pleasing tricks. If they would just ignore him, pay him no attention; he would soon be forgotten. But each day in the temple complex, they plot as to how they might bring about his demise. In my day, we knew how to deal with such rift-raft…we took them outside the city gates and stoned them to death; then left their rotting corpses for the buzzards and the Roman guard to dispose of. But, Caiaphas, my son-in-law, is still new to this game and I don’t believe he is aware of just how much power he holds as the High Priest. He is the leader of God’s chosen; though oppressed and downtrodden, we are still to claim our position of power in dealing with those that would subvert our culture…and this Jesus, he has surely done just that. Teaching them to turn the other cheek; to walk the second mile; treating women with love, dignity and compassion…over turning my money tables in the temple and driving out my people. Well, now the tables are turned….send him to Caiaphas, let see if he will do the right thing and get rid of this man …once and for all.
I had been awakened from a troubled slumber to hear the voice of the High Priest’s guard announce that they had Jesus; bound and waiting for me in the courtyard. I had already dispatched a number of the guards to call an emergency meeting of the Sanhedrin; for when Caiaphas, the High Priest calls, they drop everything and come. Surely, time was of the essence if we were to meet our objective to judge, convict and turn over Jesus to the Roman governor for his sentence of execution. I had already set aside the Mishnah and its Jewish laws…desperate times call for desperate measures….after all, we had to silence this Jesus before the people followed him in open rebellion and brought down the wrath of the entire Roman Empire. If that were to occur, we would be displaced as the rulers of our people and nothing of our way of life as God’s elect would remain. I had said it before and it was even clearer after the events of the past week, “it is to our advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.”
We had been conspiring for weeks to bring Jesus to Jewish justice, but he had been elusive and the timing had never been good, especially since his triumphal entry last week; but now, if we hurried, we could have Jesus tried before Pilate, sentenced and crucified at the hands of the Romans and there would be no repercussions against us. It was the perfect way to be rid of the Nazarene …once and for all!
I questioned him; heard the testimony of the eye-witnesses regarding him destroying our sacred temple and rebuilding it in three days…and then, I asked him, point blank, “tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?’
I still can’t believe what he said; “You have said it. But I tell you in the future, you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Immediately, I cried out and began to rent my robes, to wail and to claw my flesh. I denounced his blasphemous statement and cried out to the Sanhedrin for their decision…their answer was clear and without reservation….HE MUST DIE.
So, I did what needed to be done…I sent him away to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. There he would be tried and found guilty for crimes against Rome. We would have to pressure Pilate for a speedy crucifixion for the Sabbath was approaching and the Passover crowds were large and the people were still celebrating. All this would have to be done quickly… before the throngs of those following Jesus had time to mount any type of movement against the will of the Sanhedrin. It is best that one man dies ….then a nation and its leaders can breathe easier …God Bless the will of His People.
Are you an Annas or Caiaphas in your relationship with Jesus? Do you see his teachings as a conflict or a constriction on your actions? These men were each living for themselves …though their pompous and pious attitude let them think that they were doing what was best for God’s chosen elect. In simple fact, they were sinners…blinded to the truth of God’s infinite grace and they chose to inflict their blindness on the Jewish nation. They had power, prestige and a perverted sense of God’s will….and their decisions cost a nation the opportunity to embrace their Messiah.
Don’t let someone you know, possibly someone you hold in high esteem, keep you from meeting the Savior today. There intentions may be good; but good intentions never got anyone into heaven….and they never will!
Only a personal relationship with the risen Lord Jesus will guarantee you a written invitation to attend the celestial celebration we call heaven….your invitation is from this man Jesus …He died and rose again and now sits at the right hand of the Father…and His invitation is just one word….COME!!!!!
Come to Jesus and be Blessed,
WPQ
I had been awakened from a troubled slumber to hear the voice of the High Priest’s guard announce that they had Jesus; bound and waiting for me in the courtyard. I had already dispatched a number of the guards to call an emergency meeting of the Sanhedrin; for when Caiaphas, the High Priest calls, they drop everything and come. Surely, time was of the essence if we were to meet our objective to judge, convict and turn over Jesus to the Roman governor for his sentence of execution. I had already set aside the Mishnah and its Jewish laws…desperate times call for desperate measures….after all, we had to silence this Jesus before the people followed him in open rebellion and brought down the wrath of the entire Roman Empire. If that were to occur, we would be displaced as the rulers of our people and nothing of our way of life as God’s elect would remain. I had said it before and it was even clearer after the events of the past week, “it is to our advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.”
We had been conspiring for weeks to bring Jesus to Jewish justice, but he had been elusive and the timing had never been good, especially since his triumphal entry last week; but now, if we hurried, we could have Jesus tried before Pilate, sentenced and crucified at the hands of the Romans and there would be no repercussions against us. It was the perfect way to be rid of the Nazarene …once and for all!
I questioned him; heard the testimony of the eye-witnesses regarding him destroying our sacred temple and rebuilding it in three days…and then, I asked him, point blank, “tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?’
I still can’t believe what he said; “You have said it. But I tell you in the future, you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Immediately, I cried out and began to rent my robes, to wail and to claw my flesh. I denounced his blasphemous statement and cried out to the Sanhedrin for their decision…their answer was clear and without reservation….HE MUST DIE.
So, I did what needed to be done…I sent him away to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. There he would be tried and found guilty for crimes against Rome. We would have to pressure Pilate for a speedy crucifixion for the Sabbath was approaching and the Passover crowds were large and the people were still celebrating. All this would have to be done quickly… before the throngs of those following Jesus had time to mount any type of movement against the will of the Sanhedrin. It is best that one man dies ….then a nation and its leaders can breathe easier …God Bless the will of His People.
Are you an Annas or Caiaphas in your relationship with Jesus? Do you see his teachings as a conflict or a constriction on your actions? These men were each living for themselves …though their pompous and pious attitude let them think that they were doing what was best for God’s chosen elect. In simple fact, they were sinners…blinded to the truth of God’s infinite grace and they chose to inflict their blindness on the Jewish nation. They had power, prestige and a perverted sense of God’s will….and their decisions cost a nation the opportunity to embrace their Messiah.
Don’t let someone you know, possibly someone you hold in high esteem, keep you from meeting the Savior today. There intentions may be good; but good intentions never got anyone into heaven….and they never will!
Only a personal relationship with the risen Lord Jesus will guarantee you a written invitation to attend the celestial celebration we call heaven….your invitation is from this man Jesus …He died and rose again and now sits at the right hand of the Father…and His invitation is just one word….COME!!!!!
Come to Jesus and be Blessed,
WPQ
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Cast of the Crucifixion…Peter
I couldn’t believe that I could treat my Jesus like that …what happened…what went so miserably wrong that I would deny and forsake him; turn my back and run away….I should suffer the same fate as Judas Iscariot, but I’m too much of a coward to die at my own hand.
It had only been a week ago that Jesus sent John and me into the village to find the young donkey. It was tethered there, just as Jesus said, and when we told the owner that Jesus had need of it, he gladly gave it to us. We placed our cloaks upon it and Jesus rode upon the back of the young foal as the crowd cheered wildly and lay their coats and palm branches across the road saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” And now, less than a week later, they cried out, “Away with Him! Crucify Him!”
And then, there was the Passover meal that we shared in that upper room…as we sat down to eat, Christ arose and girded himself with a cloth and began to wash our feet. When he came to me, I arrogantly announced that he would never wash my feet. Then, he lovingly told me that if he didn’t wash me I would have no part with him…so I proudly proclaimed that he should wash all of me. He told us later, after the meal that he was going away and that, for now, we could not follow. But once again, I proclaimed my love and desire to follow him …even unto death; but, he lovingly told me that on that very night I would deny him three times.
I failed him again …in the garden. There in the darkness, Judas Iscariot showed up with the Palace guard and a company of Roman soldiers. They said they were searching for Jesus the Nazarene and when they took hold of him, I drew my sword to smite them…I was not one to run from a fight; but again, Jesus gently rebuked me and told me that he must drink the cup that His Father had given him and there should be no more of this…and then, he healed the servant’s severed ear.
Oh, but my greatest failure was the one that Jesus had predicted before we left that upper room….that I would deny Him. After they seized him and led him away, I followed in the shadows…not close enough to be noticed, but I could not forsake Him after all he had done for me. We arrived in the courtyard of the high priest’s house and they built a fire. As I sought to warm myself, a young servant woman looked closely at me and declared that I was one of his followers …but I denied that I knew him. The rooster began to crow to announce the coming of day. A few moments later, someone else saw me and said. “He’s one of them too!” I vehemently denied that I was one of his followers and thought that would be the end of it. As I walked round and round the fire, peering into the house, straining to hear what was happening to Jesus, another man, a relative of the servant whose ear I had cut off, exclaimed, “You were with that man. I’m sure I saw you in the garden with him this very night. You are certainly one of them, since you are also a Galilean.” But I started to curse and to swear with an oath that I never knew the man that they were talking about….and then, it happened….the rooster crowed the second time….and it all came crashing in on me. I ran and I ran into the fleeting darkness as dawn began to make its arrival known…tears streamed down my face as my breathing became labored and strained. I sobbed uncontrollably ….how could this have happened to me…for I am Peter, the one that the Messiah said he would built his church upon that even the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Yet, I had betrayed my Jesus by denying that I ever knew him …that He ever had a position of love and authority in my life.
I wanted to die, but instead I ran away and hid in fear and expectation that they would soon come after me. Within hours, Christ had stood before Pilate, been sentenced to death and had been crucified upon the cross….and while all this took place, I was in hiding with the other disciples. Our world had ended and I was the most miserable one of all…I had denied the one that loved me and called me out to make me one of his chosen…and I had failed him when He needed me most. And now, it was over and I would forever carry that guilt and shame with me …I could never ask my Christ to forgive me for He was gone.
Maybe, today, you see yourself as Peter saw himself, just hours after he had denied that he knew Jesus. You call Jesus your friend, your Savior, even Lord and Master; but there are too many times that you are called upon to make Him known in your world and you pull a Peter…you deny that you love him or that He has the position of love and authority in your life. You have had countless times in many situations to speak up and live out your witness for Jesus Christ; but, too many times, your actions, as well as your words (or lack of them) deny that you belong to Him. You can do as Peter and carry that guilt and shame around with you …or you can be restored by the love and grace that was Peter’s after our Lord arose. You can follow the risen Lord and FEED HIS SHEEP (John 21:15-19).
Today, that choice is yours and yours alone. No one knows the times you have failed to let others see that you belong to Jesus….only you and Jesus know….and He’s not telling. But, He is waiting for you to ask for His forgiveness…. and then He is ready, willing and able to equip you with a bold love and a loose tongue that gladly proclaims that you know the man from Galilee. May you always be ready to speak His name and share His love….for there’s no denying that He loves you and gave his life for you.
Loved and proclaiming it,
WPQ
It had only been a week ago that Jesus sent John and me into the village to find the young donkey. It was tethered there, just as Jesus said, and when we told the owner that Jesus had need of it, he gladly gave it to us. We placed our cloaks upon it and Jesus rode upon the back of the young foal as the crowd cheered wildly and lay their coats and palm branches across the road saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” And now, less than a week later, they cried out, “Away with Him! Crucify Him!”
And then, there was the Passover meal that we shared in that upper room…as we sat down to eat, Christ arose and girded himself with a cloth and began to wash our feet. When he came to me, I arrogantly announced that he would never wash my feet. Then, he lovingly told me that if he didn’t wash me I would have no part with him…so I proudly proclaimed that he should wash all of me. He told us later, after the meal that he was going away and that, for now, we could not follow. But once again, I proclaimed my love and desire to follow him …even unto death; but, he lovingly told me that on that very night I would deny him three times.
I failed him again …in the garden. There in the darkness, Judas Iscariot showed up with the Palace guard and a company of Roman soldiers. They said they were searching for Jesus the Nazarene and when they took hold of him, I drew my sword to smite them…I was not one to run from a fight; but again, Jesus gently rebuked me and told me that he must drink the cup that His Father had given him and there should be no more of this…and then, he healed the servant’s severed ear.
Oh, but my greatest failure was the one that Jesus had predicted before we left that upper room….that I would deny Him. After they seized him and led him away, I followed in the shadows…not close enough to be noticed, but I could not forsake Him after all he had done for me. We arrived in the courtyard of the high priest’s house and they built a fire. As I sought to warm myself, a young servant woman looked closely at me and declared that I was one of his followers …but I denied that I knew him. The rooster began to crow to announce the coming of day. A few moments later, someone else saw me and said. “He’s one of them too!” I vehemently denied that I was one of his followers and thought that would be the end of it. As I walked round and round the fire, peering into the house, straining to hear what was happening to Jesus, another man, a relative of the servant whose ear I had cut off, exclaimed, “You were with that man. I’m sure I saw you in the garden with him this very night. You are certainly one of them, since you are also a Galilean.” But I started to curse and to swear with an oath that I never knew the man that they were talking about….and then, it happened….the rooster crowed the second time….and it all came crashing in on me. I ran and I ran into the fleeting darkness as dawn began to make its arrival known…tears streamed down my face as my breathing became labored and strained. I sobbed uncontrollably ….how could this have happened to me…for I am Peter, the one that the Messiah said he would built his church upon that even the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Yet, I had betrayed my Jesus by denying that I ever knew him …that He ever had a position of love and authority in my life.
I wanted to die, but instead I ran away and hid in fear and expectation that they would soon come after me. Within hours, Christ had stood before Pilate, been sentenced to death and had been crucified upon the cross….and while all this took place, I was in hiding with the other disciples. Our world had ended and I was the most miserable one of all…I had denied the one that loved me and called me out to make me one of his chosen…and I had failed him when He needed me most. And now, it was over and I would forever carry that guilt and shame with me …I could never ask my Christ to forgive me for He was gone.
Maybe, today, you see yourself as Peter saw himself, just hours after he had denied that he knew Jesus. You call Jesus your friend, your Savior, even Lord and Master; but there are too many times that you are called upon to make Him known in your world and you pull a Peter…you deny that you love him or that He has the position of love and authority in your life. You have had countless times in many situations to speak up and live out your witness for Jesus Christ; but, too many times, your actions, as well as your words (or lack of them) deny that you belong to Him. You can do as Peter and carry that guilt and shame around with you …or you can be restored by the love and grace that was Peter’s after our Lord arose. You can follow the risen Lord and FEED HIS SHEEP (John 21:15-19).
Today, that choice is yours and yours alone. No one knows the times you have failed to let others see that you belong to Jesus….only you and Jesus know….and He’s not telling. But, He is waiting for you to ask for His forgiveness…. and then He is ready, willing and able to equip you with a bold love and a loose tongue that gladly proclaims that you know the man from Galilee. May you always be ready to speak His name and share His love….for there’s no denying that He loves you and gave his life for you.
Loved and proclaiming it,
WPQ
Sunday, April 5, 2009
THE CAST OF THE CRUCIFIXION
This week is extremely important to those who call themselves believers and followers of Jesus Christ....this is the week that saw our Lord give himself upon the cross.
For He chose the nails and in that decision, He forever showed his immense love for you and me. But, along the road that led to the Via Dolorosa, Christ encountered many who aided in his demise and who broke his heart...the heart of God.
This week we will take a look inside the hearts,minds and maybe, even the souls of those that condemed our Savior to his death and we will examine the broken hearts of those that loved him and saw him die....and I trust and pray that you will find yourself in the company of those that were heart-broken at His death....not in the company that made His death a reality.
But before we examine this cast of the crucifixion, I would like to encourage you to read the following two blogs that were written in July of last year, entitled ...OUT OF THE CROSS....and may your heart be broken because of what Christ endured so that you might FOREVER BELONG TO HIM!!!!
OUT OF THE CROSS - PART ONE
I just finished reading Lee Strobel’s book, The Case for Christ…a legal journalist’s personal investigation of the evidence for Jesus. I read it all with a great hunger to see how he would treat the historical and empirical evidence regarding Christ. It is a compelling read, a must for every believer….not to bring you to faith, but to give greater clarity to what you already believe.
One chapter really tore me up….it dealt with the medical evidence regarding the torture and crucifixion of my Lord. I was NOT prepared for the insight of this chapter and the vivid picture that was indelibly imprinted in my heart and soul. The expert, Dr. Alexander Metherell, shared the weight of his medical and scientific credentials to set aside any thought that somehow the crucifixion of Christ was a staged event…that He swooned upon the cross, was pronounced dead and then was revived after he was taken down from the cross and put in a cool tomb.
As I read the following, I came to the stark realization of what Christ endured upon the cross so that I might be saved…
The torture before the cross is enough to kill most men, thirty-nine lashes or more depending on the mood of the soldier. The beating began at the shoulders, down the back, the buttocks and the legs; each lash with this braided leather thong embedded with metal balls and chards of bone literally ripping the flesh away, exposing bones, muscles, veins and often vital organs. The prisoner enters hypovolemic shock often fainting and dying from massive blood loss. Christ, already at the point of exhaustion and collapse, was in serious to critical condition, but he did not succumb to death (we have the written text regarding the Crucifixion). The soldiers would have laid Christ on a horizontal beam and nailed a 5-7 inch spike into each wrist just below the palm…to have nailed it into his palm would have been futile… his weight would have torn the skin and he would fallen from the cross. The Romans knew the nature of this business all too well.
The pain from this action would have been UNBEARABLE. Imagine, if you can, that feeling of pain that you get when you hit the ulna nerve (your funny bone). It’s extremely painful when you bang your elbow, even if only a glancing blow. What if someone could grab that nerve with a pair of pliers and squeeze and twist without letting go…the effect would be similar to what Jesus endured. In fact, the pain was so unbearable that there was literally no word to describe it; they had to invent a new word…. EXCRUCIATING, meaning, “Out of the Cross”.
Think on that for just a moment if you can…the pain that Christ endured on the cross for you and for me was so unbearable, so life-devastating, so beyond words….that they had to create a word that would somehow capture the intense anguish and pain caused during the crucifixion….
THEN….Jesus was hoisted on the crossbar to be attached to the vertical stake having his feet nailed in the same manner, crushing and impaling the nerves in his feet. The weight of his body would have immediately pulled and stretched his arms, probably six inches in length and would have dislocated his shoulders…now death by asphyxiation had begun….
Tomorrow, we’ll examine the rest of the story… and how it impacts you and me.
Humbled by His Grace,
WPQ
OUT OF THE CROSS - PART TWO
AND NOW, THE REST OF THE STORY….as Dr. Alexander Metherell continues,
Once a person is hanging on the cross in the vertical position, crucifixion is an agonizing slow death by asphyxiation. The stresses that are placed on the muscles and the diaphragm in the inhaled position are acute; one, literally, must push up on his feet so the tension in the muscles is eased for a moment, allowing him to exhale. Each rise and fall upon the nail causes the flesh to tear in the foot until it eventually locks against the tarsal bone. Each breath was labored and exhaustive as Christ would scrape his bloodied back against the rough, coarse wood of the cross. As his breathing slowed, a medical condition known as respiratory acidosis occurs…carbon dioxide in the blood is dissolved as carbonic acid which causes an irregular heartbeat. This faint, but irregular heartbeat, would have been known by Jesus and He would have known the very minute of his death before he uttered, “Lord, into Thy Hands I commit my Spirit.” Death would have been sure, but not to a Roman guard. So, upon examination, the soldier took a spear and thrust it in his side, between his ribs, through his lung and into his heart.
A spear thrust into the heart of God….because of me. All that has been described is because of ME. MY SIN…MY SHAME ….MY FAILURES….MY PLACE.
That cross was meant for me …and you. Each labored breath, as Christ rose upon that nail, had the weight of the sin of the world on his shoulders…..YOUR SIN AND MINE. He did not have to die; rather He chose to take my place. At any moment, he could have spoken just one word….COME, and the entire heavenly host would have left the glories of heaven in a mass assault against the darkness and evil of that crucifixion. But, he did not cry out for the angels. He would rather have endured the torture and the shame of that cross than to spend eternity without you and me. He spoke but one phrase that resounded throughout the heavenly realm…..IT IS FINISHED !!!!
He gave His life to pay a debt He did not owe and now the torture, the pain, the suffering of the Crucifixion matters not at all …if you and I fail to accept what Christ did to claim us as His own. Do you belong to Him or was His death wasted? Was the pain of this horrific event just a bad story in the history of the world or does it have a personal significance to you? Do you know my Jesus of the Cross or are His life and death of little importance in the greater scheme of your life?
The work has been done…it is finished….and the Christ of Calvary is RISEN.
Is He Alive in You Today?…..if not, let’s talk …the sooner, the better.
Blessed ….Because of the Cross,
WPQ
For He chose the nails and in that decision, He forever showed his immense love for you and me. But, along the road that led to the Via Dolorosa, Christ encountered many who aided in his demise and who broke his heart...the heart of God.
This week we will take a look inside the hearts,minds and maybe, even the souls of those that condemed our Savior to his death and we will examine the broken hearts of those that loved him and saw him die....and I trust and pray that you will find yourself in the company of those that were heart-broken at His death....not in the company that made His death a reality.
But before we examine this cast of the crucifixion, I would like to encourage you to read the following two blogs that were written in July of last year, entitled ...OUT OF THE CROSS....and may your heart be broken because of what Christ endured so that you might FOREVER BELONG TO HIM!!!!
OUT OF THE CROSS - PART ONE
I just finished reading Lee Strobel’s book, The Case for Christ…a legal journalist’s personal investigation of the evidence for Jesus. I read it all with a great hunger to see how he would treat the historical and empirical evidence regarding Christ. It is a compelling read, a must for every believer….not to bring you to faith, but to give greater clarity to what you already believe.
One chapter really tore me up….it dealt with the medical evidence regarding the torture and crucifixion of my Lord. I was NOT prepared for the insight of this chapter and the vivid picture that was indelibly imprinted in my heart and soul. The expert, Dr. Alexander Metherell, shared the weight of his medical and scientific credentials to set aside any thought that somehow the crucifixion of Christ was a staged event…that He swooned upon the cross, was pronounced dead and then was revived after he was taken down from the cross and put in a cool tomb.
As I read the following, I came to the stark realization of what Christ endured upon the cross so that I might be saved…
The torture before the cross is enough to kill most men, thirty-nine lashes or more depending on the mood of the soldier. The beating began at the shoulders, down the back, the buttocks and the legs; each lash with this braided leather thong embedded with metal balls and chards of bone literally ripping the flesh away, exposing bones, muscles, veins and often vital organs. The prisoner enters hypovolemic shock often fainting and dying from massive blood loss. Christ, already at the point of exhaustion and collapse, was in serious to critical condition, but he did not succumb to death (we have the written text regarding the Crucifixion). The soldiers would have laid Christ on a horizontal beam and nailed a 5-7 inch spike into each wrist just below the palm…to have nailed it into his palm would have been futile… his weight would have torn the skin and he would fallen from the cross. The Romans knew the nature of this business all too well.
The pain from this action would have been UNBEARABLE. Imagine, if you can, that feeling of pain that you get when you hit the ulna nerve (your funny bone). It’s extremely painful when you bang your elbow, even if only a glancing blow. What if someone could grab that nerve with a pair of pliers and squeeze and twist without letting go…the effect would be similar to what Jesus endured. In fact, the pain was so unbearable that there was literally no word to describe it; they had to invent a new word…. EXCRUCIATING, meaning, “Out of the Cross”.
Think on that for just a moment if you can…the pain that Christ endured on the cross for you and for me was so unbearable, so life-devastating, so beyond words….that they had to create a word that would somehow capture the intense anguish and pain caused during the crucifixion….
THEN….Jesus was hoisted on the crossbar to be attached to the vertical stake having his feet nailed in the same manner, crushing and impaling the nerves in his feet. The weight of his body would have immediately pulled and stretched his arms, probably six inches in length and would have dislocated his shoulders…now death by asphyxiation had begun….
Tomorrow, we’ll examine the rest of the story… and how it impacts you and me.
Humbled by His Grace,
WPQ
OUT OF THE CROSS - PART TWO
AND NOW, THE REST OF THE STORY….as Dr. Alexander Metherell continues,
Once a person is hanging on the cross in the vertical position, crucifixion is an agonizing slow death by asphyxiation. The stresses that are placed on the muscles and the diaphragm in the inhaled position are acute; one, literally, must push up on his feet so the tension in the muscles is eased for a moment, allowing him to exhale. Each rise and fall upon the nail causes the flesh to tear in the foot until it eventually locks against the tarsal bone. Each breath was labored and exhaustive as Christ would scrape his bloodied back against the rough, coarse wood of the cross. As his breathing slowed, a medical condition known as respiratory acidosis occurs…carbon dioxide in the blood is dissolved as carbonic acid which causes an irregular heartbeat. This faint, but irregular heartbeat, would have been known by Jesus and He would have known the very minute of his death before he uttered, “Lord, into Thy Hands I commit my Spirit.” Death would have been sure, but not to a Roman guard. So, upon examination, the soldier took a spear and thrust it in his side, between his ribs, through his lung and into his heart.
A spear thrust into the heart of God….because of me. All that has been described is because of ME. MY SIN…MY SHAME ….MY FAILURES….MY PLACE.
That cross was meant for me …and you. Each labored breath, as Christ rose upon that nail, had the weight of the sin of the world on his shoulders…..YOUR SIN AND MINE. He did not have to die; rather He chose to take my place. At any moment, he could have spoken just one word….COME, and the entire heavenly host would have left the glories of heaven in a mass assault against the darkness and evil of that crucifixion. But, he did not cry out for the angels. He would rather have endured the torture and the shame of that cross than to spend eternity without you and me. He spoke but one phrase that resounded throughout the heavenly realm…..IT IS FINISHED !!!!
He gave His life to pay a debt He did not owe and now the torture, the pain, the suffering of the Crucifixion matters not at all …if you and I fail to accept what Christ did to claim us as His own. Do you belong to Him or was His death wasted? Was the pain of this horrific event just a bad story in the history of the world or does it have a personal significance to you? Do you know my Jesus of the Cross or are His life and death of little importance in the greater scheme of your life?
The work has been done…it is finished….and the Christ of Calvary is RISEN.
Is He Alive in You Today?…..if not, let’s talk …the sooner, the better.
Blessed ….Because of the Cross,
WPQ
Friday, April 3, 2009
Stress ...Public Enemy #1
I am not sure exactly how it works, but this is amazingly accurate. Read the full description before looking at the picture.
The picture below has 2 identical dolphins in it. It was used in a case study on stress levels at St. Mary's Hospital.
Look at both dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical.
A closely monitored, scientific study revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical; a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins.
The more differences a person finds between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing. Look at the photograph and if you find more than one or two differences you may want to take a vacation.
No Need to Reply, I’m on an extended vacation!
Today’s scripture: Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; WE ARE GLAD! Psalm 126:2-3
Be Blessed and enjoy the Joy of the Lord,
WPQ
The picture below has 2 identical dolphins in it. It was used in a case study on stress levels at St. Mary's Hospital.
Look at both dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical.
A closely monitored, scientific study revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical; a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins.
The more differences a person finds between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing. Look at the photograph and if you find more than one or two differences you may want to take a vacation.
No Need to Reply, I’m on an extended vacation!
Today’s scripture: Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; WE ARE GLAD! Psalm 126:2-3
Be Blessed and enjoy the Joy of the Lord,
WPQ
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
You Snooze….You Lose!
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you have, on probably more than one occasion, heard the parable of the talents. In this wonderful teaching, each servant is entrusted with a certain portion of his master’s property, according to his abilities, and left to his own device to protect, maintain and grow his master’s fortune.
Upon the master’s return, he is greeted with ten talents from the one given five and four talents from the one given two; but, from the one given one, there is a problem. Read on,
“He also who had received the one talent came forward saying, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had scattered no seed; so I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here…you have what is yours! Matthew 25:24-25
The master tells the unfaithful servant that at the very least, he should have invested the talent with the bankers and at his return, he would have received that which was his plus interest. Then he tells them. “Take the talent from him and give it to one who has ten talents. For everyone who has will more be given and he will have abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 25:28-29
In other words, YOU SNOOZE…YOU LOSE!
As God’s chosen, we have each been uniquely blessed by Him with talents and abilities that we are to use to build His Kingdom and to bring God glory.
It may be a simple gift of service or talents to sing or write beautiful words and songs that praise the name of Jesus. It may be the gift of encouragement or the ability to teach or preach; but, whatever your gift or talent, if you are not using it to glorify the Lord….you are in danger of losing it!!
God does not allow our talents to just lie dormant….they must be used and cultivated in order that His Kingdom come to fulfillment. Only you can do what God has uniquely equipped you to do…and one day, you will stand at the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of the opportunities that were yours. If you have been faithful, the records that God is keeping will reflect your passion to serve Him and you will be given even greater rewards for your faithfulness…if not, then that which you have will be taken away.
So pop open those eyeballs and start looking for the opportunities that God has set before you in which you can use your talents and abilities….you will be blessed and God will receive the glory…..
IT’S A REAL WIN- WIN SITUATION!!!!!
Serving My Savior,
WPQ
Upon the master’s return, he is greeted with ten talents from the one given five and four talents from the one given two; but, from the one given one, there is a problem. Read on,
“He also who had received the one talent came forward saying, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had scattered no seed; so I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here…you have what is yours! Matthew 25:24-25
The master tells the unfaithful servant that at the very least, he should have invested the talent with the bankers and at his return, he would have received that which was his plus interest. Then he tells them. “Take the talent from him and give it to one who has ten talents. For everyone who has will more be given and he will have abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 25:28-29
In other words, YOU SNOOZE…YOU LOSE!
As God’s chosen, we have each been uniquely blessed by Him with talents and abilities that we are to use to build His Kingdom and to bring God glory.
It may be a simple gift of service or talents to sing or write beautiful words and songs that praise the name of Jesus. It may be the gift of encouragement or the ability to teach or preach; but, whatever your gift or talent, if you are not using it to glorify the Lord….you are in danger of losing it!!
God does not allow our talents to just lie dormant….they must be used and cultivated in order that His Kingdom come to fulfillment. Only you can do what God has uniquely equipped you to do…and one day, you will stand at the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of the opportunities that were yours. If you have been faithful, the records that God is keeping will reflect your passion to serve Him and you will be given even greater rewards for your faithfulness…if not, then that which you have will be taken away.
So pop open those eyeballs and start looking for the opportunities that God has set before you in which you can use your talents and abilities….you will be blessed and God will receive the glory…..
IT’S A REAL WIN- WIN SITUATION!!!!!
Serving My Savior,
WPQ
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