Tuesday, March 31, 2015

New Shoes

I sat down in my easy chair this morning and slipped my feet, one by one, into a new pair of shoes. I was instantly caught up in the smell of the leather and the suppleness of its touch as each shoe wrapped my foot in warmth and exquisite comfort.

Now, I didn’t particularly need a new pair of shoes, but I have had my eye on these for quite sometime and since they were on sale, I reasoned that now was the logical time to make such a purchase. I mean, after all, a well-dressed man needs more than one pair of black shoes; but, as I examined my closet, my eyes began to swell with tears as I realized how many shoes I have.

Now, I didn’t become emotional because I have numerous pairs of shoes, but rather, I was concerned about my cavalier attitude. I realized in that fleeting moment that God has truly blessed me and to have a closet full of shoes is just one immeasurable marker of His bounty and goodness. The list of his blessings to me and my family is endless and the reams of paper that it would take to write them all down, well, I couldn’t afford the cost of the paper.

Then, I asked myself, “Does God know how thankful I am? Have I taken even a moment to show Him how grateful I am for His goodness and provision?”

The answer truly saddens me …and if you would examine your heart, I am quite certain you conclusion would be the same as mine…I NEED TO HAVE A THANKFUL HEART.

I know that there are a lot of people in our country, as well as around the world, that are truly hurting and reeling from the economic turmoil that we are facing; however, that does not relieve us from our worship obligation to be thankful to our Heavenly Father.

Colossians 3:15-16 says, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were indeed called in one body. AND BE THANKFUL (my emphasis). Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts.”

So today, why not sing a happy song, hum a lyrical tune, rejoice in the love and provision of the one who died to give you life everlasting….be thankful for your family, your church, your job (or the talents you have that will help you find another one), for a refrigerator with food or the refrigerator itself….whatever God has given you….BE THANKFUL AND BLESS THE NAME OF JESUS.

I know every step I take in these new shoes, Christ will receive my praise and adoration for his goodness ….and I will be thankful that his peace rules in my heart today.

I admonish you to do the same,
WPQ

Thought for the Day:

Christ love has no limits;
His grace knows no measure...
He lives in my heart for
He’s my greatest treasure.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Worldly Wealth…How Much Is Enough?

We are indeed facing tough economic times; perhaps, the greatest for any generation of Americans, as well as for our neighbors around the world. What should be our course of action for these turbulent times? How should we consider worldly wealth and the question of how much is enough?

There is a story of an Arabian man who lived in a small cottage on a hill. Every week he would ride into the desert to a small stream so he could provide water for his camel….and every week, as the camel would drink, he would nose up pebbles to make a deeper place for the water to pool. Each week, the man would pick up some of the bright stones that his camel unearthed in the stream and take them home with him. One day, a visiting traveler told the man of the wonderful life and great riches that certain men in a nearby city enjoyed…the man’s heart was filled want and discontent; his eyes widen at the dream of worldly riches. So, he sold his small cottage and wandered the entire land looking for money and earthly riches; but finally, he died, alone and impoverished; buried in nothing but filthy rags. On the other hand, the man who bought the cottage found his collection of bright stones and preserved them.

One day a merchant, traveling through the region, stopped at the small cottage and was shone the bright stones. He informed the man that these stones were indeed diamonds and he became millionaire immediately.

The first man had great wealth, but in his ignorance and foolishness sought the wealth of the world and died penniless. The second man held on to something that seemed insignificant, yet proved to be of great value.

How true is that today for so many of us? We strive and struggle and sweat to make ourselves rich by worldly standards; yet, we miss the greatest treasure of all…a full and exciting walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

Where is your heart today…and where is your head regarding wealth? It has been said that the problem for many of us is not that we want more…just that we want more than somebody else. It is that mentality that has led us to our current economic crisis here in America…. and it is a mentality that can only change as we surrender our will and our desires to the one who gave it all…. so that He could acquire you and me.

Are you interested in determining your worldly wealth today? Then, make a list to answer this question….add up everything you have that money can’t buy and death can’t take away….and that will tell you the condition of your heart and the wealth that is yours.

Rich Beyond Worldly Measure,

WPQ


Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Take My Yoke…

Working in today’s fast paced business environments leaves many of us feeling stressed, over worked and often at the “end of our rope.” We scurry from project to project, meeting to meeting with hardly a moment to catch our breath…and if something should happen to go wrong …Well, look out for the fireworks!

 Christ knows that we weren’t built for this type of prolonged stress and the accompanying anxiety. He tells us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Ancient Biblical history tells us that farmers in Israel used to train an inexperienced ox by yoking it to an older, more experienced ox by use of a wooden harness. They would draw the straps tightly around the neck of the older animal while the harness rested lightly upon the neck of the younger ox. The burden or “load” was borne primarily by the older beast …the younger animal merely walked along side the mature ox, carrying little of the burden as they traveled the dusty, rocky road…..

And that is the picture that Christ paints for us in this scripture from Matthew….He is walking beside us, bearing the burdens that are too heavy for us to carry. We are yoked together, but it is Christ that is doing the work …and that is why our yoke is light!

Are you yoked with the Savior? What great burden is He bearing for you….the loss of a job; the grief over losing a loved one; the financial turmoil that has you buried in debt… or could it be the shame of the eternal debt that you have not given to him….you have not taken His yoke because you do not know Him as your Lord and Savior?

He begs us to take His yoke and learn from Him…just as that young oxen has to learn how to work in tandem with his mature counterpart, we must learn of our Savior and when we do, we will be seen in His likeness….gentle, meek, lowly in heart and ready to be in service with and for our Lord.

Then and only then, we will be able to make it from day to day in our busy, hectic world….”For His yoke is EASY and His burden is LIGHT!”

OH, HOW HE CARES FOR YOU….. GIVE HIM YOUR BURDENS TODAY!

Sharing my load….guiding my steps,

WPQ

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Birthright of a Sinner

There are a lot of sites on the internet where you can go to search for the members of your family; to find the roots of your ancestry. It takes little time and with the click of the mouse and the payment of a fee, you can see if your great-great-great granddad was a king or a chicken thief.

The results, however, are the same. Whether you were born to royalty or to a common man, you were born to sin….and in our day and time, that’s a topic that no one likes to discuss…..yet, with all that is going on in our country, it’s high time we began to call sin….SIN.

You know, it wasn’t that long ago when sin used to slink down the back alleys …now, it seems to parade down Main Street, head held high and too often, cheered by the crowd.

Where are we Christians as sin marches through our neighborhoods in the form of drug dealers and across our TV screens disguised as entertainment? Christ taught his disciples that we should hate the sin yet loved the sinner. I find that EXTREMELY hard to do...until I read the story of the adulterous woman in John 8:1-11.

The Pharisees sought to trap Jesus with the sins of this adulterous woman; yet his reply stopped them dead in their tracks and indeed caused them to turn and walk away when He said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”

We are to abhor sin…to run, flee, expel and castrate sin from our lives. We are to be an example to others in all we say and do that we belong to Jesus…and that begins with the way we treat sinners.

In Romans 5:8, Paul writes, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” …and that is how we are to treat those caught in the trap of sin…with God’s unconditional love. We must see those that miss God’s holy mark as God sees us…with an aching heart that longs for their salvation.

Adrian Rogers, that great pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church near Memphis, Tennessee used to say in many of his radio broadcasts, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go…keep you longer than you want to stay …and cost you more than you want to pay.”

That statement was true for each of us before we heard God’s call to come to Him and it is true for everyone we know that is ensnared by the glitz and glamour of sin. We are to love the sinner and point them to Jesus…we are to be salt & light to this wicked and vile generation ….and we are to love God with all our heart, body, mind and soul….that love, God’s love, is what we need to make a difference for Jesus today.

Loving Him…loving sinners through Him,

WPQ




Thursday, March 19, 2015

Or a Roof Repairer?

When we left our story yesterday, we stood in the crowd and parted a way for the lame man, as he rolled up his mat and walked home to an elated family. We clapped and exclaimed that never had we seen such a miracle as we shook our heads in amazement and then, we went back to our busy lives…unsettled but not unchanged!

Maybe, before we departed, we paused and looked up into that gaping hole in the roof and wondered, “Who’s going to fix that hole that’s left behind? I’m sure glad this isn't my house.”

Now, we can be sure it would not be the learned scholars and scribes….they were too busy criticizing Jesus for His methods; for surely, they would never have told such a man that his sins were forgiven and Jesus had no right to do that either. This was not the way things were to be done in the religious realm in Capernaum.

It was not going to be the four men that had brought their lame friend to Jesus. They had already gone above and beyond their call to duty…used up their concern and compassion and had seen the glorious outcome wrought by their unselfish deed. Surely, the work of patching the roof should be done by someone else?

What about the enamored people that stood outside the house….clapping and cheering; caught up in the excitement of this unforgettable moment? These onsite onlookers were just there for the show and they hung around to see if anything else was about to happen; if not, they would move on looking for the next thrill, for they were curiosity seekers…not Christ seekers. For them it was all about the miracle…not the Master!

Then, there were the fortunate few that had actually been up close and personal with Jesus…they had a front-row seat to the action and this wonderful miracle had occurred right before their eyes. But, they could not be bothered to accomplish such a menial task as fixing a hole in the roof. In fact, in their arrogance of proximity, they had not been willing to make a hole through the crowd that would allow the men to come through the front door, but rather forced them to resort to digging a hole in the roof. If they were so unwilling to step aside and allow the men to enter the house in the first place, then they would certainly be unwilling to fix the roof.

So my question for you…..into which group do you fall…the religious naysayers; the “diggers” of the hole; the thrill-seeking onlookers or the front-row followers….all willing participants in the moment of the miracle but not the restitution of the roof. So who would be a roof repairer you ask….someone that serves Jesus because of who He is rather than what He has done or will do.

The person that dons the work clothes and climbs up on the roof after all the crowds are gone is the one who is the embodiment of faithfulness, loyalty and duty to the task. When the cheers have subsided, this person picks up the tools of the trade and gets their hands dirty doing the work that no one else wants to do….keeping the church parking lot clean or driving the church bus every Sunday; working in the soup kitchen, peeling onions or preparing the next meal; taking a home-cooked meal to a shut-in or tending to the toddlers every Sunday in Sunday School….the list goes on and so do the people that have learned that the cross comes before the crown. They have learned there are no small jobs for God…only small people with a big God…and with Him, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

Christ told us that “whoever loses his life for me will find it.”(Matthew 16:25) and Paul taught us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24

Across this country and around the globe, there are people with little talent doing little jobs to advance the kingdom of God ….how about you? Are you a Hole Maker or a Roof Repairer …are you working to bring God’s kingdom to those around you?

I pray that with an open and honest heart you can say, “Lord, here am I. Send me to do the job that you need done today!’

AMEN,

WPQ


Thought for the Day:

Whatever task God has given you
Be filled with holy zest;
For when you’re working for the Lord
He expects your very best!
.
All of you, our Lord requires.
It’s what He asks of you;
For He gave all that He could give…
Nothing less from you will do.

wpq@2001



Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Are You a Hole-Maker…

One of my favorite stories in the New Testament is found in the second chapter of Mark in the first twelve verses…the story of the paralytic and his four friends.

Now, these men all heard that Jesus had returned to Capernaum and could be found in a nearby home; they were eager to see him for they had heard the stories that were circulating regarding his healings in the region of Galilee. But, their eagerness was not for themselves but for their friend who laid confined in his paralyzed condition. So, in a spirit of love and compassion for their stricken friend and in a unified body of cooperation, each of the four grabbed a corner of his pallet and they took off to see Jesus. They believed if they could just get in front of Jesus, He would heal their friend.

When they got to their destination, the house was filled to overflowing and they could not get in to see Jesus; but rather than return home, rejected and disappointed, they devised a plan that would bring the house down…or at least the roof. Climbing up the steps on the side of the home, they laid their friend aside and began digging through the roof until they had a hole big enough to lower their friend down in front of Jesus. Scripture says, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  Mark 2: 5 and then in Mark 2:11-12, “He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home.” He got up, took up his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” NIV Translation.

So what are some of the poignant precepts we can glean from this wonderful story?

Well, first and foremost, it took cooperation and sacrifice to get the paralytic man to Jesus. Each friend had to do his part; set aside petty differences and preferences; cooperate for the welfare of another and lay aside any selfish motive or desire to see Jesus for their own gain. Next, when confronted with the large crowd, each man determined not to be deterred from their original mission…to see Jesus heal their friend. This took thinking outside the box and the will and determination to get their hands dirty.  And last, but certainly not least, was the resolute belief that Jesus was the only answer for their friend…only Jesus could restore their friend’s health. Even though the throng held them back, their priority was to get their friend to Jesus.

They didn’t stop to make excuses that the crowd was too big…it just wasn’t in the cards for their friend to be healed …or that opening a hole in the roof would certainly break up the service and have the whole town talking about how rude they were to disturb the Teacher….they had but one priority…to see Jesus heal their friend….and looking down from the lofty rooftop, that’s exactly what they got to see…. as their long-time paralytic friend rolled up his mat and then made his way through the parting crowd.

Are you a hole-make when it comes to Jesus? Are you looking for ways to bring your sin-crippled friends to Jesus so that they may be forever healed and made holy by His shed blood? Are you willing to set aside your agenda and think and do whatever necessary to bring others to Christ? Are you willing to be laughed at or thought to be different or foolish because you will make a way to lead others to the Savior, even when others tell you there is no way… that those you seek to win to Christ are hopelessly lost?

You just have to have a willing heart ….God will take care of the rest….as you trust in Him and follow the leading of His Spirit…. And that only leaves one problem;

WHO’S GOING TO FIX THAT HOLE IN THE ROOF…..Come back tomorrow and hear the rest of the story.


Dirty Hands Mean a Helping Heart,

WPQ


Thought for the Day:
It only takes a moment to proclaim a word of truth;
You just have to be willing to dig through the roof.
To lay before the Master the one that needs His touch..

And His hands will heal them for He loves them that much.

Monday, March 16, 2015

When I Meet You In The Morning

When I meet you in the morning, 
I begin the day anew
And morning’s light is filtered 
through the mist of morning dew.

When I meet you in the morning
And take the time to stop and pray;
I know that you will walk with me…. 
Every step throughout my day.

When I meet you in the morning, 
I take your word and there I read;
A message you’ve meant just for me…. 
Or a lesson I should heed.

When I meet you in the morning 
And I listen to hear your voice;
My spirit is encouraged, Lord,
And my soul seeks to rejoice….

My thoughts are set on you dear, Lord, 
At dawn’s first early light;
And heaven’s gates are flung open wide 
As my spirit soars in flight.

I’m gathered at the Throne Room’s door 
And there I’m ushered in
To a quiet time, with the one I love…
My Savior and My Friend.

Oh, how I love our quiet time 
When morning breaks anew;
For you are there to hold me close
In this special time with you….

May I never take for granted, Lord, 
This blessed time you spend with me;
For the glimpse of heaven’s glory
And all the wonders that I see.

As I meet you every morning, Lord, 
And open your Holy Word;
I ask that you will help me hear
The message you want heard…..

I ask that you will grant me, Lord; 
A willing heart, each day anew;
So others who may see my life
Will know I belong to you.

For when I meet you every morning, Lord, 
On this promise I shall depend;
One day you’ll call me home to glory… 
Where the mornings never end.

W. Patrick Queen
October 2011


My prayer for all today is that God will meet you at the intersection of His great love and the surrender of your will…for it is there that He supply all your needs sufficient for the tasks that He would do through you and in you today.

For God loves with an everlasting love and His grace is sufficient for your every need…Trust and obey, for there is no other way; To be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey!

Trusting in His Love…Obedient 'til He Comes,


WPQ

Friday, March 13, 2015

The Four W's of a Life Lived for God….

Growing up in a Baptist church stills holds some of my fondest and most profound memories. I still can recall moments and people that God used to mentor and mold me in the man I am today. Whether that has proven to be good or bad, I will have to let others debate the outcome; but this I know… God used a lot of great people who poured their faith, their time and most of all, their love into me in my childhood and adolescent years; and for those people and all they did for me, I will be eternally grateful.

One such God-fearing, God-honoring man was our Minister of Education/Youth Pastor, Jack Robinson. I am guessing that at my age now, Jack has already gone home to glory; however, he left behind many a well taught lesson in faith and service.

At the age of 16, I was ordained to preach, and at that time Jack took me aside and gave me a new Bible that he had purchased. He had marked in my new Bible and had underlined two verses, Proverbs 3:5-6 which read, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path." His advice to me was so simple, yet so profound as he explained to me that in these two small verses, all was encapsulated in the 4 W's for a live well lived for God.

I would need to seek His WILL; WALK in His way; read and study His WORD and do the WORK of the Lord until my time in this life was over and I was at home with my Heavenly Father.

I have found in my years of seeking the Lord that Jack's advice was the best and most profound thing he could share with a 16 year old young man that was seeking to be an effective witness for Christ…and it is still true today for me and you.

If we want to be used by God, then we have to surrender our will to His will, all the time knowing that His desire is for our good and His glory. We must trust that God will not guide where He does not provide as we walk daily in His love and light. We must be diligent in studying and living out His Word as we share what Christ has done through His shed blood and last, but certainly not least, we must work for the Lord as if someone else's life depended on it…because it does! Remember, you may be the only Jesus that some one you know may ever see.

So there you have it…the 4 W's that will lead each of us to a life well-lived in service, dedication and surrender to our sovereign Lord, for…..

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME….AND ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

Living in surrender…loving in obedience,


WPQ

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Currency of Heaven

It wasn't that long ago, while living in the Upstate of South Carolina, that I drove over to the WalMart in our neighborhood to pick up a few things. I parked the car at the far end of the parking lot as is my ritual (helps cut down on the number of dings in the car door) and began the long trek in from what seems like the outskirts of Travelers Rest.

Upon arriving at the front door, I realized that I had left home without my money clip. So, there I stood with shopping list in hand and NO MONEY.  Now, being an intelligent man, I was faced with two choices….try and purchase my items with my handsome, rugged good looks or return home and get my money…. So I did the prudent and rational thing; I turned and started the journey back to my car.

You see, I know, as do you that WalMart deals in the currency of our country…the good old U.S. dollar; therefore, if I planned to leave the store with the items on my list, I would have to give them the required amount of currency for my purchases.

Heaven works a lot like this…if we want our loving and gracious Heavenly Father to provide us with our needs; answer the longings and pleadings of our heart; keep us safe and in the center of His will, we must use the currency of heaven to approach the throne of our Savior and Redeemer…the currency of FAITH.

God’s Holy word gives us instruction in this matter in Hebrews as we read, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. For without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:1-2, 6

We may think we know exactly what we need and we may approach God with all sincerity and reverence; but if we come to Him without faith, it’s like showing up at Wal-Mart without your money….and the results will probably be the same….NO FAITH….NO ANSWERED PRAYER.

Faith tells us that what we can not see is about to happen…and through the eyes of faith; we can see the evidence of God at work in His universe. By this, we can know that He is also at work in the life of anyone who believes and puts their faith in Him. Our conviction and assurance is manifested in our belief that God honors those who honor and adore Him. The accompanying scripture in Hebrews 11 tells us that God honored Noah… who though he lived in an arid desert and had probably never seen rain…in holy fear and empowered faith; he built an ark to save his family from the coming flood. By his faith, Noah condemned the world and he became an heir of righteousness that comes by faith.

To please God we need one critical element….FAITH…. it is a two-fold faith that tells us in our heart of hearts that He exists and if we diligently seek Him and His will, He is a God who rewards.

Without such faith, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD….and it is impossible to receive the blessings and loving care that God so graciously seeks to bestow on His children.

How’s the balance of your heavenly checkbook ….is it filled to overflowing in the currency of heaven, FAITH…or is the balance in the red? How much faith do you need to bring your account balance back into “good standing”? Come back tomorrow and we’ll answer that question together as we search God’s Holy word …..

Seeking to Please Him…..Faithfully Serving,

WPQ


On God's Way…

The Bible is God’s headlights
To light the unseen way;
We need not know the destination
But just trust Him for today.

For when we put our faith in Him
His plans for us are sure;
To live a life in Him complete
Righteous …holy…..pure.

 


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Got a Sign?

A few years ago, if you happened to pass through our neighborhood and rode down our street, you would have noticed a rather large yellow and red sign in our front yard that read, “FOR SALE BY OWNER” and in smaller letters underneath, “Brokers Protected.” It was there for one purpose…to let all who passed by know that we were trying to sale our home.

But it also lets those in the real estate business know that if they were to bring us a buyer, we would pay them a commission. Why is that important? Simply put, it increased our sales force and heightened our chances of selling our home.

Now, we could have tried to sell our home in a number of ways, but we started with the obvious; a sign in the front yard….and that brings me to our thought for today.

Each of us puts out a sign regarding our life each day…it tells others what we believe, in whom we believe and how we intend to live out those beliefs. Jesus shared that thought with His disciples that last night in the Upper Room when He said, “A new command I give you: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. As I have loved you, you must now love one another. By this (sign) all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 (enclosure, my emphasis)

Jesus gave his disciples a parting command which if they followed would let the whole world know their intentions….it would tell everyone that they belonged to Jesus. This would be the sign to the entire world of that time that these men were committed to their Lord and Savior…..this would tell the world of the love of Jesus.

The same holds true for us today. We let others know what we believe about Jesus by the way we love….not only those who are like us but even more, those with whom we differ. The sign that announces to a lost and hurting world who lives and reigns in our heart is the outward manifestation of the love we show each other as Christians and the love we express to others….it’s just that simple!

If we love each other as Christ commanded on that last night, our love might just be the directional sign that points them to Jesus and to a life brand new. Think about it the next time someone ask you for a little bit of your time to help them with a problem or a project…love them by helping them and point them to Jesus. Or if someone is lost and feeling hopeless, lend an ear or open your purse strings …be a beacon of God’s love and let them know that God cares for them and sent His Son as a ransom for their redemption.

Yes, you can be a small yard sign or major billboard for Jesus ….the choice of obedience is yours….trust Jesus to teach you how to love unconditionally and become the sign that directs all you meet to come and know their Heavenly Father.

Choosing to Love….Signing Others to Jesus,

WPQ

Thought for the day:

More like Jesus that is my plea.
More like Jesus so others will see;
The love of my Savior flowing through me
More like Jesus is all I long to be.

WPQ @JULY 2005



Like to read more go to www.thankfulpraiseministries.com

Monday, March 9, 2015

Uniquely You…

I don’t know about you, but I’m so glad there is only one of me(and I’m sure that there are several people I know that would agree with that statement).  

What I am getting at is really quite simple…God uniquely made only one you (and me)….and then He threw away the mold….not because it was broken; but because He wanted each of us to be His unique creation.

Now, no one…no where…at no time is or has been or will ever be JUST LIKE YOU. Even twins or triplets or multiple babies from the same egg are different…in their personalities, their demeanors and their talents. God is not into prefab or mass production when it comes to his greatest creation.

You see, you can do something in a unique way that no one else can do…that no one else is wired to do. In fact, God’s Word speaks to that very fact in the following passage from Galatians 6:4

The Message translation says, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”

Exploring and extracting the uniqueness that is you will accomplish much…it will excite and motivate you to become all that God wants you to be…it will honor God as your creator and the administrator of your life….and it will expand the work and the growth of God’s kingdom.

God has called you to be uniquely …YOU! So, don’t waste time and energy by comparing yourself to others….for there is no one quite like you…and in God’s eyes, that’s a VERY GOOD THING.

Take responsibility to be all that God wants you to be…study His word, talk with Him daily, seek godly counsel and most of all, listen to the voice of His Spirit as it directs your path and guides your footsteps.

God wants you to do the most what you do the best!!!! When you do that you can be sure that God is well pleased….

I can just see that smile on His face….how ‘bout you?

Living uniquely to make Him smile,

WPQ


Thought for the Day:

The Lord has given you a task
That only you can fulfill;
To serve Him in love and faithfulness,
To seek to do His will.


Sunday, March 8, 2015

A Few Bad Apples?

We left off yesterday with 10 of the spies stirring up the Israelites with the tales of the giants that inhabited the land of Canaan…let’s continue in Numbers 14.

“That night all the people in the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly said, “If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Numbers 14: 11-2, 4

Why did the Israelites consider returning to Egypt? Well, for one reason, it was not that far removed from them. Though it had been a time of great suffering, how quickly they had forgotten the hardships that had been their affliction. Their lack of faith and trust in the Lord brought them to the quick conclusion that they would rather return to Egypt than trust the Lord to deliver them as conquerors over the inhabitants of Canaan.

Secondly, it only took a few “bad apples to spoil the entire bunch”….to stir the crowd into such a frenzy that they wanted to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb. The bad report of these leaders blinded the Israelites to the power of their God and wiped their memories of past victories that had been theirs. God had continually cared for them and had already given them his assurance that He would be with them and provide them a homeland that was “flowing with milk and honey.”

As you can imagine, God was NOT PLEASED. He told Moses that He would send a plague that would destroy them; however, once again, that great man of God, Moses, fell on his face before the Lord and begged for mercy….and once again, God forgave the Israelites for their disobedience and lack of faith.

The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs that I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me 10 times (there’s that number of times God forgave) …not one of them will ever see the land I promised on an oath to their forefathers. No one who has ever treated me with contempt will ever see it.” Numbers 14:20-23

So, God granted their grumblings and let them wander in the desert for 40 years… until every one that had complained and wept aloud received their desire…to die in that desert!

And the same holds true for you and me when we gripe, complain and moan about the unfairness of life or the lack of God’s faithfulness. It is in these times that God leaves us to our own designs and allows us to wallow in our own grumblings. He may forgive us, but there will be consequences to our lack of faith and our poor vision of God’s infinite provision.

If we are believers, then we are called to remain steadfast and trust in God to make us the overcomers He has called us to be….for He is faithful, unwavering and unchanging…So, whenever you encounter a rough patch in life, do what I do...just take a moment to think back and you will ALWAYS recall a time of God’s divine intervention and the blessings that followed.

But there’s still a question that remains unanswered …What happened to those “few bad apples’ that sent the Jewish nation into such an uproar?

Numbers 14:36-38 gives us that answer; “So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it; these men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. Of the men who went to explore, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.”

So remember, when God places you in a position of leadership, you have one of two choices….you can be a “bad apple that spoils the entire bushel” or you can be “the pinch of leaven that makes the entire loaf rise”….the choice is yours…. and the results of your decision can have earthly, as well as, eternal consequences.

Striving to be an encourager,

WPQ

www.thankfulpraiseministries shares more of God's great love


Saturday, March 7, 2015

POOR VISION OR HEAVENLY SIGHT?

It was not too long ago that in my daily quiet times, I had been studying in the Old Testament book of Numbers. Now I have often wondered why this book was named Numbers…. was it because of the number of times the Israelites tried the Lord’s patience or the number of times He forgave them their transgressions? There is an answer to that question…but let’s save that for another time.

Today, I want to focus on the return of the spies from their scouting duties in the land of Canaan. If you remember the story in Numbers 13:1-25, Moses hand-picked twelve men to journey into the land of Canaan to scope out this “land promised to the Israelites by the hand of God.” Moses gave them a query of things they were to assess on their mission and told them to bring back a sample of the fruit of the land…after all, it was time for the grape harvest!

So, off they went to explore the entire region; and, at the end of forty days, with a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes that hung on a pole being carried by two men….they returned. Here’s the rest of the story…

“They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account. “We went into the land to which you sent us and it does INDEED flow with milk and honey. Here is its fruit. BUT….(Numbers 13:26-27)

And that’s where the trouble began…right after the BUT. If they would have just continued to trust in the word of the Lord: in the leadership of his chosen spokesman, Moses; in the promise of a God that had never failed them or abandoned them in their time of distress or need….instead they trusted what they could see…as we continue to read in verse 28, “But the people who live there are powerful and their cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.”

They continued to lament how it would be impossible to overtake the Amalekites, Jebusites, Amorites and Canaannites who inhabited the land. But one of the explorers, Caleb, stepped forward to silence the people and proclaimed, “We should go up and take possession of this land, for we can certainly do it. But, the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than us.”

And that’s the difference …both the naysayers and Caleb saw the same things. Both stood with a large pole of a single cluster of grapes before them….both saw the size of the people living in the land…however; one was using heavenly vision and the others only saw the weakness of themselves as no match for the giants in the land.

What about you? When God as given you a mission or has set before you a test of faith…how do you see it? Are you empowered by your Heavenly Father to accomplish His will for your life or are you weak and powerless as you face the giants of inadequacies, confusion and despair?

You can’t move the mountain on your own…BUT (there’s that little word again) …NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR OUR GOD….for when He is for us, who can possibly stand against us?  No One …NO WAY….NO HOW!!!!!

IT’S ALL A MATTER OF VISION….Seeing before you what God can and will accomplish when you surrender to Him and trust His word….Heavenly Vision ….ask for it by name…..and come back tomorrow for the rest of this heart-breaking story.


Looking through my faith to catch a glimpse of Him,

WPQ

Thought for the Day:

When called to step out in faith
Don't wait to see what others do..
Gladly trust the Lord above
And in His great love for you.

God is the Mighty Conqueror,
So let not troubles bring despair.
For when God goes before you;
His strength will get you there.


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Friday, March 6, 2015

Is this THE Day?

I remember it was but a few years ago that I was deeply saddened when I watched a clip from the 11 o’clock news about a so-called Christian group in California that placed billboards around the country that read, “ HE IS COMING BACK…MAY 21, 2011.”

I lamented that the movement's leader, Harold Camping, said he had determined the exact date for The Rapture through his own interpretation of the Bible. My qualm with this comes directly from scripture.

When Christ was asked by his disciples to let them in on the end of the age, he tells them in Matthew 24 the things that will transpire before the second coming of the Lord. There will be wars, rumors of wars, famine, earthquakes, pestilence and great tribulations against the chosen of God….but he says these are just the birth pains…and then, Christ gives them the true prophetic word regarding Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation and tells them that unless those tumultuous times are cut short, all mankind will perish.

In Matthew 24: 29-31, 36, Christ gives us all the final word on his glorious return, when he says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather the elect form the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. But concerning that day and hour NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, nor the SON, but the FATHER ONLY.” (My emphasis)

Did you catch all that? No matter how devoted a believer, how well-versed or learned you may be as a Bible scholar or how sincere you may be in your worship and adoration of the Father and His Son….You nor I WILL NEVER KNOW the day, the hour, the second of His return….if God won’t tell His only begotten Son, why would he tell a preacher in California?

So what can we take away from this….to live in fear and uncertainty that stifles us or to be constantly striving to be prepared for a quick exit …Jesus has promised that He is coming again to gather those who belong to Him and though He does not know the time or day, I am sure that He is anxiously waiting for the sound of the trumpet and the loud voice of the archangel to announce that He is coming in all His glory to gather His own.

So don’t be mislead or sidetracked by false prophets or those who might claim to have received a “heavenly visit or vision” regarding the coming of our Lord….that precious secret is safe…Safe in the perfect will of the Father….at just the perfect time, CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN TO RECEIVE HIS OWN….

My prayer today is that you are one of HIS and you are prepared for His return.

Working and Waiting….Looking toward the Eastern sky,

WPQ

Poem for the Day:
Starting each and every day
With the breaking of the sun;
Knowing Jesus could return
Before my day is done…

So I will spend each moment
Living in such a way…
That all will know I’m heaven bound
If this should be the day!




For more encouraging words go to: thankfulpraiseministries.com

Thursday, March 5, 2015

You Gotta Rock the Boat Before You Walk on Water…

Now, I’m something of an expert when it comes to the title of today’s topic…not that I have ever walked on water; but, I sure have rocked the boat on more than one occasion.

It all goes back to my days in the Navy when I served as a helmsman for the motor whaleboat….a small, motorized craft about 20 feet or so that was used to carry the crew and more importantly, our commanding officer, from ship to shore. I worked along side a good friend of mine by the name of Tiny, a rather robust young man at 6’ 6” and 285 pounds.  Tiny was a Boatswain Mate Third Class and in charge of the motor whaleboat and the crew that ferried our shipmates to our port-of-call. I had the good fortune of being assigned to his detail and I learned a great deal from him, especially when it came to getting in and out of the boat.

The first time I was assigned duty on the launch, I proceeded to climb in the boat with little knowledge of where I should place my feet or how to move forward from the aft to the bow of this small vessel. Unfortunately, that lack of knowledge deposited me into the harbor and ruined my freshly-starched uniform…Tiny had a big laugh and I had to go back aboard the ship and change into another uniform. I never forgot what Tiny taught me regarding the boarding and unboarding of our craft…..and although, I often rocked the boat coming and going, I never fell in again.

I share this story because of the kinship it provides me with my favorite disciple, Peter and his story in Matthew 14:26-32 ….it is here, where Peter sees the Lord, walking on the water in the midst of a terrible storm.

We all know this story and too often, each of us may have chided Peter because of his failure to successfully navigate the stormy waters. It seems that after climbing out of the boat, as he begins to walk toward the Master, he is overcome by the wind and the swirling seas and he begins to sink. Jesus, in His loving spirit, takes hold of his hand and lifts him out of the raging seas and says, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

It seems that Peter has failed…but, let’s examine this from a different vantage point. All the disciples where present…they all thought they had seen a ghost…they all feared for their collective lives …and they all had the same opportunity to rock the boat….that is, anyone of them could have called out to Jesus and said as Peter, “Lord, if it is you, command me to leave the boat (my addition) and to come to you on the water.”

But it was only Peter that was willing to risk the savage sea and the wild winds …only Peter was willing to rock the boat and step out in faith to meet his Lord in the storm. He was willing to leave what little security this tiny vessel offered and walk forward, climb over the bow and lower himself into the cold, dark sea.  No one offered a helping hand or even an encouraging word but our Lord….and He simply said, “COME!”

It is true that Peter’s step of faith left him soaked to the bone and maybe, somehow, his lack of faith diminished him in the eyes of the other disciples; but in the eyes of the Lord, though disappointed in the overall outcome, I’m sure Jesus was once again encouraged that Peter was on his way to becoming the man that He knew he could be….a man for all seasons.

And the same can be said for you and me, if we are willing to rock the boat and heed the Master’s call to come….to step out of our comfort zone….to dare to be all that He has called us to be.

We may falter and fall short of God’s desire for our lives….we may disappoint Him as doubts and fears creep into the fabric of our faith….but He will lovingly extend His nail-scarred hand and lift us out of the tempest-tossed seas of our lives and but us back into the boat ….and then the storms will cease….for He alone is the Son of God.

I encourage you today with this….

Don’t fear the storms of life as you sail through them….rather trust the Son of God, Jesus Christ and know that you will arrive safely home to spend eternity with Him. Until then keep,

Rocking the Boat…Expecting to walk on water,

WPQ

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Cleaning Up Your Act...

There are a lot of things going on in our world today that many of us find reprehensible; however, for most of us, we would rather remain silent than make a fuss and call out the guilty parties.

I guess a lot of that mentality stems from the scripture where Christ tells his disciples to “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”…..however; a closer examination of the scripture in Luke 6:41-42 reads as follows: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother let me take the speck out of your eye” when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite; first take the plank out of your own eye and then, maybe, you will see clearly to remove the speck form your brother’s eye.”

In other words….CLEAN UP YOUR ACT!!!!!

We need to hold other brothers and sisters in Christ accountable for their actions; but we must first make sure that we are living as God intended and in accordance with his will for our lives.

We can easily judge the sins of the world for the Bible spells them out in no uncertain terms….and we are called as salt and light to shine God’s holy light on the sins that would befall and hinder someone who does not know Christ….but our lives MUST be HOLY and WITHOUT REPROACH…..WE MUST LIVE AS CHRIST LIVED…..and let our actions point others to Jesus. Once they compare His life to their own, they will see their need for Him as their Lord and Savior.

Jesus told us not to judge unless we were willing to have the same “measuring stick” used to judge us ….and He told us NEVER to condemn lest we be condemned….

So where does that leave us in the greater scheme of calling “sin”…..SIN?

Simply put; make sure your life is in order and pleasing to your Heavenly Father before you set out to help someone else “clean up their act!”

The following poem was sent to me today from my beautiful bride and that’s what got me thinking about this …..Read on and enjoy…..and remember; if you know Jesus personally, then God has already judged you and found you blameless by the shed blood of His Son, JESUS CHRIST.


BEST POEM IN THE WORLD

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

John, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said,
'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you!


God Bless and Stay Strong...The Battle Rages On,

WPQ







Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Rude Awakening…Are you a Soldier of the Cross?

Few of us, if any, knew that when we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we were automatically enlisting in the Army of God. In fact, most of us probably expected a somewhat passive life of meekness with a few bumps along the road of life thrown in to keep us humble.

Boy! Were we ever in for a rude awakening? Now, I don't know about you, but my life has been anything but pastoral. In all truth, it has been one skirmish and engagement with our enemy, the devil, on a daily basis. It seems as if I am constantly under attack by the demonic forces of this world as they seek to disrupt my witness for my Lord. I find that they use any means necessary to rout my energies as I seek to live and to walk consistently with Jesus as my Commander-in-Chief; however, God's Word tells us in Joshua 23:9-11, "The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.  One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.  So be very careful to love the Lord your God."

God has richly promised that we are not in this war alone…He is not only in the fight with us, but He is fighting for us and through us and no matter how the battle may be raging, we will be victorious. We may not feel that way as the bullets of temptation or the bombs of despair explode around us…our eyes and our circumstances will deceive us…all those on all sides may look at our situation and tell us that God has deserted His post and we are in this thing called life all alone…BUT NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!!!

God is right next to you in the trenches of your battle with cancer; He is standing guard as you suffer through those lonely nights after the loss of a loved and cherished family member; He is battling those feelings of hopelessness and helplessness as you put your faith in Him and trust His hand to lead you to safety and a newness of life.

God promised that if He is for us, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE CAN STAND AGAINST US…so take courage as you get set for battle today. You are a highly decorated solider in the Army of the Most High and He is SORVEIGN LORD…YOU ARE THE VICTOR IN ALL….BECAUSE HE IS WITH YOU FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT!

Soldiering on for the Savior….Victorious in All,


WPQ

Monday, March 2, 2015

Trust or Treasure?

I know that today, as many of us look out across the economic landscape, the view is anything but encouraging. The daily newspapers and TV continue to report record unemployment, low wages and a myriad of other bleak or less than promising economic news.

But as a child of the King, I have to ask this question….Do you trust in your Heavenly Father to provide all your needs; to grant you the desires of your heart…or are you trying to make it on your own, relying on your ingenuity to get you a job and keep your head above water? Whatever your answer, it boils down to a simple thought….Trust or Treasure?

Now, the Bible is filled with scriptures that remind us that we are to trust our Heavenly Father for all our needs. In Psalms 37: 4-5, we read, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, TRUST IN HIM (my emphasis) and He will act.” Or what about the passage from James 1:17a…“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” And who of us doesn’t need to be reminded by Paul in his writing to the Corinthians, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

But my favorite reminder of the faithfulness of God is found in the story of the widow and the offering box. We know that this widow must have truly and completely trusted in God for her very existence….for when she placed those two small copper coins, which was about a penny, into the offering box, she gave not out of abundance but out of poverty….she gave everything she had, all that she had to live on.

She had nothing left ….but her trust in God and His sustaining power. She knew in her heart that God would provide and that His love would be sufficient for all her needs.

So what does that say about you and me in these difficult days? Are we holding back the hand of God and holding on to what we have? Do we still continue to tithe and give to the commitments that we have made in our Savior’s name? Is our reluctance to give more about holding on to our treasure or is it really a matter of trusting in our God?

I am constantly amazed by how many of us say we are willing to trust God with our eternal souls, but we draw the line when it comes to trusting Him with our temporal riches. We will believe that there is a Heaven waiting for us, filled with jasper walls and streets paved with gold; but, we can’t trust our Heavenly Father to take care of providing next month’s power bill. It warms our heart and soul to believe that He sent His only Son to take our place on the cross, but it sends shivers up our spine to give our offering each Sunday and see the balance left behind in our checking account.

Our God knows what we need even before we ask….nevertheless, He wants us to ask.
Jesus told His disciples to “Ask and it shall be given unto you, for everyone who asks receives.” James, the brother of Jesus wrote, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it all on your passions.” James 4:2b-3

It all come downs to that simple equation, ASK + TRUST= GOD’S ANSWER.

God expects us to ask for what we need and in accordance with His will, He provides from His storehouse of riches….so start trusting God today with the everyday needs of your heart…a job, better health, greater love for others….whatever the need ….HE CAN AND WILL PROVIDE …the TRUST is up to you!

Trusting in the Father …Asking to do His will,
WPQ

Thought for the day:

Don’t put off until tomorrow
What you can achieve today;
Just trust the Lord in all you do
And He will guide your way.

Don’t be afraid to trust in Him
Just follow where He leads.
For when you put your faith in Him,
He’ll meet your every need.