Anointed to Preach....One in the Spirit?

When Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth in the early days of his ministry, he did what all Jews did on the Sabbath... he went to the synagogue. But that day was unlike any other when he was handed the scroll of Isaiah and he read the prophecy about himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty  to the captives and recovering sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  Luke 4:18-19

And with every eye in the place on him, he rolled up the scroll and sat down...but not before telling the attendees that "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

At this point in His new-fledgling ministry, Christ let the hometown folks know what He was all about, in no uncertain terms...but better than that, He told them who was in charge. With the Spirit of the Most High anointing Him, he would be conducting himself accordingly.

Which leads me to my questions...what is your ministry and who is in charge? For us as followers of Jesus, we too have been anointed with the same Spirit and set apart to accomplish the same work....to proclaim the good news that the bonds of sin and the death that follows have been broken and that Jesus saves....and saves eternally!

We can proclaim to those held captive by a drug habit or a sexual perversion that they are no longer bound, but through Christ there is release and forgiveness. Anyone who is enslaved to work and status can find love, rest and acceptance through the Spirit that comes to indwell in the heart of a new believer.  Those blinded by the allure of sin and its temporal pleasure can find everlasting joy at the feet of the Savior and forevermore there is freedom in the forgiveness and redemptive power in the shed blood of Jesus and a new life awaits in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We each have been anointed to share our good news and to tell others that we are His children...warts and all....not because of anything that we have or might do, but all because of what Jesus did for us while we wallowed in our own sin and destruction. We are filled with His Spirit, anointed to share and proclaim and empowered to be more like our Savior by resisting the wiles of the devil and living as one anointed to preach.

The message is simple....the congregation is enormous....and the time is short! We must get busy while it is light, for the darkness is coming when no man can work. Take time to day to speak the name of Jesus to someone in darkness and share with them, Jesus...The Light of the World.

Anointed....preaching...sharing what He has done for me,

WPQ

The Love of My Life....

       Thanks be to Him for His Unspeakable Gift!

It was on this day, 26 years ago, that the sun broke, bright and glorious...A day that will always be etched in my memory and on my heart. It was the day that I would marry the love of my life!

Now, in all honesty, I must confess that I had been married before and truly made a mess of my former marriage and failed to keep the commitment that I had made before God and family. But fortunately, we serve a forgiving and truly loving God. It was through His grace that I found the woman that God had ordained for me and a life of second chances began on this day.

My wife, Teresa Zoe Lee, is indeed an incredible woman with talents too many to list; however, her greatest passion, re-discovered when we met, was her love for the Lord....and since that time, she has been a tried and tested believer who has loved her family and her husband. In these years since our nuptials,  she has loved her God and sought to serve Him with her beautiful voice and her sweet and loving acts of kindness which she bestows on everyone she meets.

And as a recipient  of that wonderful love and devotion for the last 26 years, I have come to know full well the Scripture in Genesis that reads, "Therefore a man shall leave his mother and father and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Trust me; we have had many reasons to hold fast to each other and God has blessed us through everyone.

It is sad that for so many of us, it takes a special holiday or anniversary for us to tell the ones we love exactly how much we love them, appreciate them and believe in them. It is indeed a criticism of our culture that we are so busy "doing, going, being" that we let the times to show our love and appreciation slip away until it is too late to say the most important things that never get said, like..."I love you...I need you...I appreciate you...and I can't imagine my life without you!'

So, for me today, and in fact every day, I never tire of telling my beautiful, marvelous, wonderful, incredibly selfless wife that she is "THE LOVE OF MY LIFE"...  and I try to remember to thank God each day for our union, 26 years ago today, in the parlor of the John Rutledge House Inn in Charleston, SC at 5:30 PM in front of our families and friends when we both promised to love, honor and cherish each other as long as God gave us breath...it is a promise I gladly made and one I have honored each day of these past 26 years...and if Jesus tarries, I hope that we will celebrate our 50th anniversary  on February 24, 2040...after all, I will only be 90 and still in love with my wife...for she is the best thing that's ever happened to me and my greatest earthly joy will be remembering this day...the day I married the love of my life.

Blessed by My Gracious God with an Everlasting Love...Now and Eternally,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

If I had it to do all over again...

 I choose you to be my wife

                 and

    MY BEST FRIEND!!!!!

R U Asking For More?

In a chapter in the Old Testament where the writer is listing the descendants of Judah,

there is a brief mention of one of Judah’s relatives…a man by the name of Jabez.

In I Chronicles 4:9-10, we read, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying “Because I bore him in pain.” Jabez called upon the name of the God of Israel, saying. “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory, and that your hand would be with me and that you would keep me from evil so that it might not bring me pain. And God granted what he asked.” (English Standard Version)

Did you catch that last part…..God granted his request!!! Why was this man so special in the eyes of God? How can we achieve that same dominion in the eyes of our Creator?

Well, first, he was an honorable man…more honorable than any of his brothers and more honorable than anyone in the surrounding community. He must have understood what God required of him; therefore, he was a very responsible and considerate person. He truly sought to serve the Lord and to honor him in everything he did….thus, the reason for the first part of his bold request… God’s blessing of enlarging his territory.

He knew that God would not give him more if he were not thankful for that which he already had. Also, how could God entrust him with more if he were not already a good and faithful steward of the blessings that were currently his. The only reason God will enlarge a person’s territory is if He knows that person will use it responsibly to bring glory to the Father and to enlarge the kingdom of the Most High.

So, if you’ve been petitioning our heavenly Father for greater blessings and a larger, more fruitful territory ….the question is quite simple…..ARE YOU BRINGING HONOR TO GOD IN ALL YOU DO?

Before you move on to greater endeavors for the Lord, you might want to stop and ask your self these questions ….

Am I bringing honor to my God through my words and my deeds?

Am I causing pain…harm…promoting evil in my relationships?

Am I thankful for the blessings that I have already received?

Am I using the resources that I currently have to expand the work of the Lord?

Am I responsible for my actions and their results?

Am I using my influence to bring others to Christ?

Take some real, quality time to search your soul as you answer these questions….and if you believe that you can answer in the affirmative in all these areas, then, you can precede with the final part of the prayer of Jabez….for a life that is free from pain.

In fact, in all my studies in the Bible, I do not recall anyone else who was spared the pains of life…save this one ordinary man with his extraordinary prayer.

So today, why not pray the prayer of this humble man and seek to live as he lived before God ….and maybe, you too may live a life of enlarged territories …full of blessings and free from harm.

Expanding the Kingdom…Living for the Lord,

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.

He will deliver your from evil

By His righteous, mighty arm;

He will enlarge your territory

And keep you safe from harm.

Experiencing a God Moment…

Many years ago, by beautiful wife, Terri and I went away for a romantic weekend to celebrate our upcoming 19^th wedding anniversary. We went to a lodge in the mountains of Georgia that was perfect for such an excursion.

While she was scoping out the place and checking on the evening dinner’s fare, I stood, warming myself by the massive stone fireplace that extends over 90 feet into the large- beamed ceiling. While standing there, I struck up a conversation with a couple that was seated near the fire and in minutes, we were talking about their home on Mobile Bay and the devastation that Katrina had visited on that region. My lovely bride returned and I bid the couple good-bye as we made off to do some local sight seeing.

On Sunday morning, we went down to the lodge to partake of their “Big” breakfast and as we were being seated, the couple I had met on Saturday came in. As the hostess was searching for a table for them, I motioned for them to come and join us… as I am ever the good citizen and always ready to make a new friend.

As they were seated and we introduced ourselves, they mentioned that they would be eating quickly so they could get to a church in the area….the conversation moved quickly and they mentioned (God only knows why) a young couple in their church at home whose one year old had cancer and had just had her kidney removed….My wife and I knew all too well that story…and then we had a “God “moment….a moment that only the all-knowing, all-powerful God could orchestrate.

As we shared our testimony about our daughter’s battle with cancer and Wilm’s tumor (the same disease this one year old was battling), it was evident to all four of us seated at that table …in that lodge ….at that moment …that God had brought us together so we could be a source of encouragement to this young couple in Mobile.

We got the Syke’s address so that we could send them a copy of our little book, Bent…but not Broken, and our promise that we would pray for young Avery and her mom and dad…..and though there’s more to this story that I can write in today’s blog….know this, God has set before you people that need a touch from Him…and unless you step outside of yourself, that need will go unmet and you will go without the blessing that God has set aside for you. I am so thankful that I listened to that small voice that told me to call that couple to our table….and I trust and pray that the young couple felt the same after they received our gift of encouragement.

Today, know this…. no matter what troubles, problems or obstacles you are facing, you have a Heavenly Father who cares and who is, at this very moment, sending comfort, support, encouragement and His heavenly solution to you….so,

HOLD ON…HEAVEN’S HELP IS ON THE WAY!

Blessing others…being blessed beyond measure,

WPQ

The following is an excerpt from Bent …but not Broken, A Family’s Victory Over  Cancer through the Grace of God by W. Patrick Queen

Mighty Oaks

Like a giant oak that stands tall against the sky;

Roots like thirsty straws gathering nourishment when it's dry;

There is no storm or peril that can fell so grand a tree

And in this work of nature, there's a lesson for you and me.

From just a tiny acorn planted in the deepest, richest sands

Grows this towering testimony to the majesty of God's hands.

A single, little bud that comes bursting forth in spring

Filled with all God's creatures, their melodies they sing.

And with each passing season as the years may come and go,

This once small, tender sapling into a mighty oak does grow.

Its powerful, gnarling limbs arch gracefully toward the sun

Offering shade and sweet repose for those whose work is done.

As centuries come with each new age, the oak is stalwart still.

Its majesty and grandeur, the elements cannot kill.

This warrior survives all pestilence as it reaches above,

And each of us will thrive and grow when grounded in God's love.

So when life's burdens weigh you down or you're feeling all alone,

Remember little acorns into mighty oaks have grown.

Just plant your tiny seed of faith in the Master's Holy sod

                                And you will grow, like mighty oaks, to touch the face of God.

Led into the Wilderness...Ready for the Fight!

Let me begin by saying, I am not much of an outdoorsman. I've never been a Boy Scout or had an affinity for camping, hiking, fishing or roughing it in the "great outdoors."  In fact, most of my outdoor endeavors usually centered around chasing some sort of ball. But, I mention the outdoors because that's where the wilderness is and that's the focus of my thoughts today.

In Matthew 4:1-11, we read, "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. After He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He was hungry." (my emphasis)

The setting is simple...Jesus was in the wilderness...He was alone, vulnerable and probably doing as you or I might...begin searching for the way home. The wilderness can be a scary place as we try to get our bearings and make sense of where we are, how we got there and what we can do about our situation...it is in moments like this that we are most vulnerable to the wiles and lies of the Devil...especially when the Devil senses a weakness.

Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights and the Word says, "He was hungry." My guess is that he was "starving," maybe, even hallucinating from the hunger and weariness. Now there was no shame in being hungry; even starving; this would be anyone's physical reaction to 4o days without food or drink. But, for the Devil, it was the perfect time to tempt our Lord...He was weak and would be more likely to succumb to the charms and charges that the Devil would bring against Him in this weakened and emaciated state.

And that's how the Devil always works! He lures into the wilderness...a place where we can become lost, isolated and looking for a way out of a situation, often not of our own making or choosing. We may stumble around, trying anything and everything to get back to our familiar surroundings, our support groups or our normal way of living...a place of safety. But it is here in the wilderness that we let our guard down and then, he makes his move. He begins to exploit our weaknesses and tempts us with what will draw us away from our Lord and from the shelter of the fold. It may be as simple as clicking on a site on  the internet by accident and then returning, day after day, to be hideously drawn into a life of pornographic images. It can be leaving the department store with something in your purse that you failed to pay for ...or any number of other things that we stumble across "in our wilderness".

So what are we to do? We do what Jesus did...we battle Satan on his turf, but on our terms with the Holy Spirit and Scripture as our weapons. With each fiery arrow of temptation fired at Jesus there in the wilderness, He answered each one with a single shot, fired from God's Word. It is and will ALWAYS be the answer to the temptations of Satan to stand firm in the Word of the Lord...quote Scripture and tell him as Jesus did, "Be gone, Satan. For it is written...."

So today, do not go unprepared into a wilderness into which you might be lead. Rather, go with this one and with many other scriptures stockpiled in your arsenal...for it is written, "Your word have I stored in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11

Lead into my wilderness, prepared to win MY fight,

WPQ

Do You Yearn for the Urn?

Does the question posed above strike at the heart of where you are in your life? For many people in our culture today, they find themselves “scraping the bottom of the barrel” or at “the end of their rope"……Hapless…Helpless…Hopeless. Many truly believe that life is not worth living…. they often feel they would be better off if Death escorted them from this planet.

But for those of us who follow Christ, we find ourselves caught in the conundrum of a different nature ….living joyfully in this world, yet longing for the world to come. The apostle Paul went to great lengths to help the Corinthians understand this new “feeling” that seemed to overwhelm them as they began to walk ever closer with their Savior, Jesus Christ.

He wrote in I Corinthians 5:1-6, “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile, we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal is swallowed up in life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us his Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in this body, we are away from the Lord.”

Let that scripture sink in …let it permeate the core of your being and bubble up in your deepest soul….YOU WERE MADE TO BE WITH GOD….anything else will leave you feeling desperate, diminished, despondent; even downright depressed…..but God has made a Deposit in you to guarantee what is to come….His Holy Spirit indwells….living in you so that you can live in and through His power.

Yes, this world is NOT our home! Our very spirit groans to be with Jesus; to be at home in Heaven, resting peacefully in His loving arms. Paul tells us that our mind should be set on Him…that we should long to leave this world to be with Jesus….but what about our earthly feelings to love those God has given us; to enjoy the beauty of His creation; to rise above our circumstance to serve our Savior? The rest of this passage gives us the insight we need to live as God intended in these last days.

“WE LIVE BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”

What are you doing to please the Lord? How are you living in the light of the trials, tribulations and circumstances that confront and compound you on every side? What message of hope do you offer in the way that you live…do others truly see the light and hope of Jesus in your life? Each of these questions begs to be answered by a Christian witness…sold out to Jesus….living within the confines of this world, but confident in the world that awaits each and every believer in Christ.

Yes, we as His children want to, long for and anxiously await the day that we leave this body to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ….we yearn for the urn; but until that day comes, we are to be working, not just waiting; watching, not just wishing; pleasing Him, not pouting about our problems.

Our anthem should mirror the words of Christian songwriter, Steven Curtis Chapman, who wrote….

We are not home yet…we are not home yet;

Keep on looking ahead; let your heart not forget,

WE ARE NOT HOME YET……

Until then, remember….A Tisket, A Tasket; you should long for your casket…..

For it is better to be absent from the body so that you might be at home with the Lord…..

Longing to leave….praying to please my Savior,

WPQ

R U a Roadblock?

I live in an area of South Carolina know as Murrells Inlet, about 14 miles south of Myrtle Beach...we are the Seafood Capital of South Carolina (at least that's what the sign reads).

We are probably the fastest growing area in SC due to the warm climate, affordable housing and laid back lifestyle...oh yeah, we have that beach thing going for us too; however, with all this growth and the influx of vacationers we see between Memorial Day and Labor day, our traffic can be HORRENDOUS...especially since we have fewer than the needed roads and the current ones in place are much smaller in configuration to handle large numbers of automobiles. So now, in the area in which I live, we have 6 road-widening projects under construction and traffic is worse than ever....especially when they put up the roadblocks to do construction... you can end up waiting sometimes 45 minutes or more before traffic starts moving again.

I am not complaining because I know we need the new roads, but I was struck by the idea of the roadblocks as a hindrance when I was reading Acts 11 today, especially when Peter is telling the Jews back at home how he came to preach the gospel to the unclean Gentiles and how they were baptized by the Holy Spirit...verse 17 says, "If then, God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"

And that got me thinking...how many times do you and I take it upon ourselves and become a hindrance, a roadblock to the workings of God. He has called us to be His servants, but too often, we think we know better and decide that the situation really calls for us to be in control and to do things our way so the outcome will be something we can live with or even better, something we can be proud of! How misguided are we that we should stand in the way of what God is doing...blocking His heavenly plans with one of our own.

How often have you and I failed to step out in faith to do or give or go to a place or person that God has laid on our heart? When we do this, we become the roadblock of God's love and grace that He so longingly wants to bestow on someone or some situation. We throttle back God's love by our lack of obedience and we stand in opposition to the works that He would do and accomplish if only we were willing and available and not stuck in our selfish ways.

So the next time God pulls on your heartstrings to share His love with a friend, a co-worker, an employee or even a total stranger, ask yourself as Peter did, "Who am I to stand in God's way?" Rather,  instruct yourself to say, "Lord, help me be obedient and not become a roadblock, but rather a conduit of your love for everyone you place in my path today!"

Living in these times a life that directs others to Jesus....

WPQ

The Two G's of God...

In today's fast-paced, over-indulged society in which we live, we have to have all of our information coming through to us faster than the speed of light. That's why there is the ever-growing obsession to have our computers, our laptops, tablets and most of all, our cell phones able to download photos, apps and other assorted data at the fastest speeds possible...thus everyone's desire to have the latest and greatest cell phone that is on the 5G network.

Now me, personally, I am okay with my somewhat outdated Samsung that is a 3G phone. It allows me to send and receive emails, phone calls and the occasional text (I am not good with my thumbs, so I don't text). All in all, I am totally satisfied with things moving at a slower pace. But here's something for you to ponder....God is only interested in the 2G network; and I'm not talking about the speed at which God works or accomplishes His will among the nations and people of the world.

I am speaking about the 2 G's that matter most to God...your GOOD and His GLORY ! Since the beginning of creation, in every encounter with mankind, GOD HAS BEEN INTERESTED IN THE OUTCOME OF MAN'S GOOD AND HIS GLORY.

Take the experience of the Garden of Eden...God created the world and all therein and when He created man and saw that he was all alone He said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." Genesis 2:18    God saw that it was not good for man to be alone and in his last act of creation, he created the woman. The man was created for the glory of God and the woman as the glory for man. The two became one flesh, so that all mankind would be forever made in the image of God...the Glory of the Eternal One.

Then there is the story of Noah, the only righteous one among "a world where all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth." God set upon His plan to destroy "all flesh," but He first made a way to save his faithful servant Noah and his family....Noah's good demonstrated God's Glory and he and his family rode out the storm to once again establish man's rule upon God's glorious creation.

Or who can question the story of Joseph...bitterly hated by his brothers; sold into slavery and taken to Egypt; imprisoned by the Egyptian captain Potiphar and then released to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh…all this to be placed in charge over all of Egypt and to be second only to Pharaoh….Joseph's journey to be placed at the right hand of Pharaoh ….HIS GOOD …ALL TO GOD'S GLORY!!!!

I could sit here and write page after page after page of examples from the Bible or the annals of history and one undeniable theme would continue to present itself….GOD WORKS TO PRODUCE GOOD FOR THOSE HE LOVES AND HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE (Your Good/Romans 8:28) and to see that HIS SON HAS BEEN LIFTED UP (His Glory/John 12:27-32).

God has set upon this great task for you as a follower of His Son, Jesus Christ…to see that each day you become more like Jesus as you cast off the world and abide in HIM….this is for your GOOD!  And, as those that come in contact with you will see the change that living in Jesus and not just for Him makes in your life, they will see your good works and GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN….and that will complete the 2G circuit…your Good will bring about His Glory.

So, if you are ever in a quandary of what to do in ANY SITUATION, you can ask yourself this simple question… IS THIS FOR  GOD'S GLORY OR MY GOOD...IF YOU DO IT FOR GOD'S GLORY, THEN, IN GOD'S EYES IT'S THE SAME QUESTION!

Happy to share,

WPQ

POEM FOR THE DAY….

Living for Jesus in this day and age can be quite hard to do;

Especially when the pressure's on and it all depends on you…

So take a moment to confess, no matter the end of your story;

God is at work to bring you good and in that receive His glory.

WPQ@August 2013