Monday, July 31, 2017

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 sign of loving others would let the entire world know that these men were committed to their Lord and Savior…..this would tell the world.... We Love 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 that it is Jesus 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


Sunday, July 30, 2017

ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW LOOK?

Fashion has always been a mystery to most of us. We look at what the "designers" parade across the runaways of the fashion industry and most of us think, " I would never be caught dead wearing something like that!" The sad part of it all is that we are often prejudged by what we wear...whether good or bad, most of us dress to impress. Thankfully, the apostle Peter had some words of wisdom for us regarding our wardrobe. In 1 Peter 5:5, he writes, "Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another." And you might ask, why is that so important?

At the heart of the temptation in the Garden of Eden, at the heart of human rebellion and the fall of mankind is the foundation of pride. It is the best weapon in the arsenal of the instigator of man. In fact, it has been said on many occasions that pride is at the root of every sin. Is it not pride that tells us to choose our way over the will of God; to pursue the pleasures of this world rather than the treasures of our eternal home; to treat others as though they serve us and are here to make our lives better?

In His Word, God has said in no uncertain terms that "He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."  So it is only fitting that Peter should share this fashion tip when it comes to our garments of grace. He tells us to put on new clothes that show we belong to Jesus and that His Spirit of humility is our foundation for service. We are admonished to cast off our old clothes of selfishness and pride and be adorned in the newness of God's abundant grace. Gone is our gaudiness of pride and self promotion; replaced with the humility of the Kingdom of God and with deference to our Savior and the will of the Father.

When we cast off our pride, it is then that God can clothe us appropriately for His service. We will no longer find ourselves at the center of controversy or consternation because our cloak of humility will not allow such a spectacle to be seen from a child of God. Prideful people feed off of each other and stir up more pride, but the man clothed in humility is honor by his Father and will undermine the whole process.

Peace will exist when God's people are truly clothed in Heaven's humility...so what will you choose to wear today?

Stripped naked of pride...clothed in humility,

WPQ

Poem of the day:

If I seek to serve the Father
I must be careful what I wear;
For the world is ever watching
To see if I really care.

Casting off the cloak of pridefulness
So I might be clothed in humility...
Then the world may follow Jesus
Because of what they've seen in ME!

WPQ @ 2010


Saturday, July 29, 2017

...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



Friday, July 28, 2017

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.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

A former reprint of Salt & Light....July 2009

A Call to Action

I had the day off yesterday, so I decided to treat myself to a big breakfast at my favorite morning place in downtown Greenville. After a very filling and satisfying meal, I cranked up my car and made my way into morning traffic to begin my errands. I had driven only a few feet out of the parking lot when my attention was diverted to a small white van, unloading boxes of fruit at the homeless shelter next door to the Ham House.

In front of me, in tattered and worn clothing, was a man of about 40. His was so tiny in stature, so frail and thin that when he turned sideways, he seemed to disappear. I found that in that next moment, my thoughts turned to pity as I wondered what might have led to his unfortunate circumstances ….I quickly uttered a prayer of thanksgiving, that but for the grace of God that could have been me; then, the light changed and I moved along with the flow of traffic as I began my busy day.

But all morning long, the thought kept coming back…. was my pity enough?

You see in many instances in the Scriptures, the Bible tells us that our Lord felt pity…..He felt pity in Matthew 9:36, “And what pity He felt for the crowds that came because their problems were so great and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd.” (The Living Bible)

Jesus felt pity for the people in Mark 8:2, “One day as another great crowd gathered, the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples together and said, “I pity these people for they have been here three days and have nothing left to eat.” (TLB)….or in Luke 7:12-13, “As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother and she was a widow. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” (English Standard Version)

In each of these situations, our Lord felt pity….But, oh my friend, HE FELT SO MUCH MORE!!!!

If he had only felt pity or sympathy for these people, he would have checked his emotions and just moved on…. like I did yesterday…..but our Lord felt so much more and with His growing feeling of sympathy and empathy, His compassion became action.

Yes, Jesus took pity….but more than that, JESUS TOOK ACTION!!!!!!

To the multitude of the lost and aimless, He became our Shepherd….To the hungry, he fed them and became our Bread of Life….to the broken-hearted and forlorn, he became their comfort and our Resurrection to Life Eternal.

And now, where does that leave you and me and our feelings of pity?  Are we to feel pity, sympathy and compassion for those that Christ sets in our path…or are we just to observe that pain and sufferings, thank God that it is not us and pass by on the other side ….OF COURSE NOT!!!!

We are called to serve …called to mirror our Savior and to give our feelings….FEET and HANDS and a VOICE that proclaims the love of Jesus in and through our ACTIONS.

So, resolve with me today that you will not fall victim to Satan’s ploy ….when you encounter those that need a helping hand …don’t just pity their plight and leave them for someone else to show them compassion….simply ask, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

JESUS WOULD TAKE ACTION TO ALLEVIATE THEIR PAIN OR SUFFERING BUT MORE THAN THAT….. HE WOULD SHOW TRUE COMPASSION FOR THOSE WITHOUT A SHEPHERD…..

Striving to Minister for Jesus,
WPQ


Thought for the Day:
We should follow Christ’s example
With everyone we meet…
We should seek to show compassion
For we are His hands and feet.

For Christ would have us working
To care for those distraught;
To give ourselves unselfishly
Is what our Savior taught.

WPQ@ October 2010


Tuesday, July 25, 2017

The Four W's of a Life Well Lived

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 into 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 life 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 for us all.

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

Friday, July 21, 2017

Honesty....Always the Best Policy?

If you've ever seen the movie, "A Few Good Men," you no doubt remember the famous interchange between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson...Cruise is just looking for the truth to which Nicholson responds, "You can't handle the truth!!!!

And for most of us, we might agree that sometimes the truth is a little hard to swallow...like if your doctor tells you that you are 40 pounds overweight and if you don't change your life style and lose weight, you won't be on this side of the dirt much longer. Or your husband of 35 years tells you that he is no longer in love and wants a divorce...bad news is often disguised as the truth and no matter how you try to soften the blow, the truth is still going to hurt and cause pain.

But since it is said that "laughter is the best medicine,"  I wanted to bring a little levity to the pages of Salt & Light and remind everyone that the truth is the truth and some people have a hard time dealing with it....which brings me to my story of a young boy just trying to tell the truth; maybe, there's a lesson here for us all. The story goes like this...

One day at school, my teacher asked what my favorite animal was...and I said, "Fried Chicken." She replied that my answer was not funny, but I think she was wrong since everybody except her laughed. My parents had always taught me to tell the truth, and I did. FRIED CHICKEN is my favorite animal. She sent me to the principal's office and I told him what happened...and he laughed, too. Then he told me not to do that again!

That night when I told my dad what had happened at school, he explained that my teacher was probably a member of PETA...and those people really love animals a whole bunch. I said I love animals too; especially chicken, pigs and cows.

The next day, my teacher asked, "What is your favorite LIVE animal?" And I said, "Chicken!" When she asked me why, I said, "Because you can make them into Fried Chicken." Everybody laughed and I got send back to the principal's office. I told him what happened; he laughed and told me not to do that again.

I must say I am really confused. My parents told me to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it when I am and she sends me to the principal's office.

Today, she asked me what famous military person I admired most...I said, "Colonel Sanders."

Guess where I am now?

So, whenever you have to deliver the "truth" ...DO SO; but remember the one who receives it may not take it as well as you might expect. So, mix in some levity if you can...put in a dash of tenderness and a big pinch of compassion...and by all means, stir thoroughly with love and understanding, so hopefully the truth will not leave them broken and dispirited .

If we follow these simple guidelines,  maybe we will be able to handle the truth and we'll all be better for it!!

Speaking the Truth in Love,

WPQ



Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Fighting the Good Fight...Winning for the Lord!

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you know some of the tactics of our adversary as we wage war against our enemy, the Devil. It is a war where he is trying to pick us off one at a time; having us turn on our fellow Christians by casting doubt and throwing aspersions at our brothers and sisters in Christ,  who may be losing a particular battle but need our help and support rather than our finger-pointing.

But because we belong to Jesus and are soldiers in the battle of the ages, we only need look back to all the great warriors that have come before us in order to be encouraged that we are not fighting alone and that we may know that WE ARE NOT FIGHTING IN VAIN FOR WE ARE VICTORS IN CHRIST.

Now time and space prohibits me from calling out and listing all of the accomplishments of those who have battled and gone on to glory...to get just a inkling of some of these great warriors, go to the book of Hebrews, chapter 11 and read what I call the "Hall of Faith" chapter. Even the writer of Hebrews knew that it was almost impossible to call out for recognition all those that had fought the good fight and won the battle.

Still the war rages on... and even though these great warriors have gone to be with Jesus, there is a startling pronouncement at the end of chapter 11 that should help us stay the course and continue to fight the good fight and keep winning others to the living saving knowledge of the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

The last verse of this chapter (along with my small insights) bears sharing; it says...

"And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith (they have built their awesome resume as a warrior due to their great faith), did not receive the promise, (they have eternal life but have not received the promise of Christ's return), God having provided something better for us, (Jesus is in Heaven with a beautiful place prepared for us) that they should not be made perfect apart from us (the coming Rapture when we all be changed and meet the Lord in the air). Hebrews 11: 39-40 (Parentheses include my interpretations)

As a former military person, I was trained, along with all of my comrades, to enter battle with one over-arching thought....destroy the enemy, accomplish the objective and return to base with my brothers in arms all intact. We were never trained to hope for a good outcome but to lay it all on the line for those who served on either side of us....and that should be our mentality in this war that we are waging call life.

We are here to serve our commander -in-chief, Jesus, and to be ready to do all we can for any of our brothers and sisters who are fighting alongside of us. We need to take care of our wounded; lift up our fallen; extol those who have lost the will to fight and carry those who can no longer battle on their own. We have the Holy Spirit as our battalion commander and He will direct our efforts as we listen and obey His direction...and we know this, the VICTORY IS ALREADY OURS...and since those that have gone before have not yet received all they fought and died for, it is up to each of us to keep taking the fight to the enemy so that one day, we will all be made...
PERFECT... so that we may dwell in a perfect place with our perfect Savior, Lord and Master, Jesus Christ...the Perfecter of our Faith!

Gear Up...Let's do battle for Jesus,

WPQ


Thursday, July 13, 2017

LIFE CAN BE HARD...RIGHT!?!?

Life can be hard is a statement with which I have never had anyone disagree. We all know that some days are better than others ...and some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. But for most of us, we teeter between the good days, the bad days and the ones we'd like to forget.

Sometimes, all that is needed to make a ho-hum, kinda day just a wee bit better is a little levity. In fact, the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time to weep and a time to laugh; so today, I hope to pass on a few funny stories that may make this a time to LOL.

So may God bless and keep you smiling no matter what kind of day it is...it is the day that He has made, so rejoice and be glad you're still in it!

Ever heard the story that goes....A Sunday school teacher asked, "Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark ?""No," replied Johnny. "How could he... he only had the two worms."

Or the one that goes....A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible - Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter. Little Tommy was excited about the task, but the more he practiced and tried to memorize the passage, the harder it seem to be and he struggled to barely get past the first line.

On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Tommy was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly,

"The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

And let's not overlook the story of a little boy named Johnny. 

Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother's house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away. His mother quickly interrupted his eating when she said, "Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer." To which Johnny replied, "I don't need to!" 

"Of course, you do" his mother insisted. "We always say a prayer before eating at our house."

"That's at our house."Johnny explained." This is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook."

Laughter is indeed a gift from God that allows us to breathe deeply and let the troubles that might beset us slip away as we chuckle, smile or even guffaw. It is in these times that life or its circumstances remind us that as bad as things might seem, laughter makes us feel better, lifts our spirits and ushers us into a deeper appreciation for our friendships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. After all, we know the outcome: no one leaves this earth alive; but those that know Jesus as their Savior, we leave for a better, happy, heavenly place where the tears are wiped away and sorrow and sin and death are no more....just thinking about that should put a big grin on your face...it does so on mine!!!!

Remember this today...you belong to the family of God...you are a child of the King....and one day not too far from now, HE IS COMING BACK TO CLAIM US AS HIS OWN....

OH, HAPPY DAY!!!!!

Looking toward the Eastern Sky....Longing for the Sweet By and By,

WPQ





Wednesday, July 12, 2017

AND IN CONCLUSION....The Pothole Series!

As I set down at the keyboard today, I wanted to take this moment to say that there are many potholes in our journey of life's highway that can mangle our plans, interrupt our journey and even change our destination.

I know my wife mentioned that in her readings the other day during her quiet time, she had encountered another pothole...the pothole of injustice and as we discussed what that author had to say about the injustice that holds so many back from moving on, I realized that I probably just scraped the surface when it comes to the potholes that can wreck our lives. In fact, you might have one or two that you would like to share. If so, reach out to me at wpq815@ gmail.com with your stories of the trials and tribulations that have been wrought by the potholes you have encountered...and know this, you are NOT ALONE...no matter what pothole you have struck, God is bigger than your circumstances and He can get you up and running and back in the race that we call LIFE!

In the meantime, let me share a poem I wrote many years ago when we were in the midst of our 5 year old daughter's battle with cancer. It brought great comfort to me then and it was part of a number of my poems that were used by Carpentree in a special line of framed art work and poetry. In fact, it was part of the reason that my wife and I formed our little Christian publishing company and began to frame and sell my poetry as a way to minister to those that had hit a pothole and needed a bit of encouragement....I pray that it will touch you the way it touched me when I wrote it....

IN THE PALM OF HIS HANDS

When life's full of disappointments
And no one seems to care,
Just lift your eyes toward heaven;
See the Savior waiting there.

To lift your heavy burdens;
To help you bear life's load,
Just place your trust in Jesus
As you travel down life's road.

So no matter what you're feeling...
Be it sorrow, joy or pain;
Just cast on Him your earthly woes
And heaven you will gain.

For in life's travels you might find
Just one pair of footprints in the sand.
Remember then, He carried you in the
Palm of His loving hands.

W. Patrick Queen
@

 August 1997

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

The Pothole of Guilt & Regret....

Anchored to the Past...living in the ruins!

I don't know about your days of childhood, but my were filled with carefree play and time with my neighborhood pals...romping up and down our street, doing what little boys do and more often than not, getting into trouble....nothing major, just stuff that we were hoping won't be noticed by the grownups.

Invariably, we would do something that we knew was wrong... like turn over someone's birdbath or knock the heads off of some pretty flowers with our baseball bats. Then, like roaches exposed to the light in a dark room, we would all go scurrying off to our homes with one thought in our little boy minds...DON'T TELL ANYONE WHAT WE HAD DONE. Doing that was never easy for me because my parents were raising me to be honest, truthful and "a good boy." So when I didn't squeal on myself or my pals, I always had this terrible feeling come over me as I tossed and turned in my bed at night...that feeling was GUILT...and until I came clean and confessed my wrong doings to my parents, it would not go away.

For a lot of people on the road of life, they have encountered the pothole of GUILT and it's family member of REGRET. Now, they are not living with the transgressions of their childhood pranks, but they are dealing with some serious stuff that has left them broken-down on the side of the road as they try and push away the guilt from an extramarital affair. They may have long since stopped the action of giving themselves to another person who is not their spouse, but the guilt and shame of that action of infidelity hangs over them and they still cannot bring themselves to let go of the pain and shame they caused their spouse, even when they have been forgiven. And it is in that failure to let go that they continue to build those walls of discord and discontent that keeps them from re-building the marriage they once had or hoped for when love was in full bloom.

Or what about that woman that did what she now considers unthinkable as she bore a child out of wedlock and then gave away her baby because of the societal mores that she was under. She relives every day that moment when her child was taken away and regrets the decision to let the child go...how does she live with the pain of guilt and regret that wells up every time she sees a photo of someone's new grand child or holds a baby in the nursery at church?

Or what about the person that spread some terrible lies about the person in the next cubicle at work and in so doing got a co-worker fired. Now, those actions and those words spoken have left an indelible mark on the soul and the guilt haunts every interaction with those still in the workplace. 

Or what about you and me and our relationship with a Holy Creator. We know that we have sinned and that our relationship is broken with our Heavenly Father, but we think that at the right time, when we get our act together, we will come to God with our cleaned up life and make amends for all our wrong doing...but until then, we will just have to deal with the guilt and the regrets that we carry for a life carelessly lived. But to me the pothole of guilt and regret is even worse and does far more damage in the life of a Christian that will not forgive themselves for their transgressions against God.

They have accepted the grace of God but are not at peace with God because they are still toting around the guilt that came with their sin. They have not learned the truth that when God forgives, GOD FORGETS....He no longer holds the sin against you for the debt and the punishment due you for your sin has been PAID IN FULL by Jesus. So when you continue to carry the guilt or live in regret for your sins of commission or your sins of omissions, you are telling God that the sacrifice of Jesus was not enough to pay for your sins....that it is only through your guilt that you can be made whole....and to that I say,

HOGWASH!!!!!

God's Word says it best in Romans 5:1 which says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." And that peace is made manifest by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and through the power of the spirit all GUILT and all REGRET is cast out...you just have to let it go and get back to traveling the road of life with this one central thought....

WHATEVER I HAVE DONE, THE BLOOD THAT CHRIST  SHED FOR ME HAS COVERED MY SIN AND NOW I AM FREE...A NEW AND GLORIOUS CREATION THAT HAS BEEN SET FREE..NO LONGER SHACKLED TO MY SINFUL PAST, BUT ALIVE IN CHRIST!!!!

Make this your mission statement ....Letting go of the past, holding firm to my Savior, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength...there is no pothole that can keep me from my journey's end... GOING HOME WITH MY LORD WHERE ETERNITY AWAITS!!!!!

Dodging the potholes....Letting Jesus steer,

WPQ

Poem for the Day:
Life's potholes may get the best of you
     As you are tossed both to and fro:
    And you may question the Father's love, 
    Unsure which way to go...

But never doubt how much He cares for you,
As you travel life's highways;
The Father's love will see you through
To Eternity one day....

And when you enter those pearly gates
To be met by those above;
The Father's arms will be opened wide
As your welcomed Home in love.

WPQ 2017



Monday, July 10, 2017

PART TWO....The Pothole of Failure

So our question at the end of part one was....How did Peter do?

HE FAILED MISERABLY....in fact, if Jesus had not prayed to the Father on behalf of Peter, his failure might have been insurmountable. In Luke 22, verse 31 and 32 from The Living Bible we read, "Simon, Simon; Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat, but I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers.”

Yes, Christ knew that Peter would fail...that he would deny three times that he even knew this man called Jesus and that if left to his own device, the failure foretold by the Savior would become a pothole for Peter from which he might never recover. But praise be to God that He is able to take our failures and make them turn out for our GOOD and His GLORY...and it is only God that can accomplish that in us.

We can take our failures and let them define who we are and what we can or cannot do; but God, in His infinite wisdom, sees beyond the failures, the pain, the emotional scars and He breathes new life into our being so that we can move up, move forward and move beyond the failures that may hold us captive. GOD ALWAYS HAS A BETTER WAY...He is just waiting for us to put aside ourselves and our disappointments and look to Him for new challenges and new opportunities to serve Him so that He receives the glory due Him.

Just look at Peter and the man he became when the risen Christ asked him, "Peter, do you love me?" His emphatic answer was, "Yes, Lord, you know that I do!" To which Jesus replied, "Feed my lambs." And after asking the same questions two more times, Peter, now grieved in his spirit said, "Lord, you know all things; You know that I love you." And in a loving manner that only Jesus could express to one that had so miserably failed Him, He told Peter to feed his sheep and to follow him, even if it led to death...which is just what the great apostle Peter did.

So, have you been struck by the pothole of failure...are you sitting on the apron of life's highway as the hustle and bustle of life races by? Have you given up and accepted your fate that your are just a miserable failure? Then, maybe it's time to ask yourself....do you love Jesus...because if you do, you know this....GOD DON'T MAKE NO JUNK...AND HE IS NOT IN THE FAILURE BUSINESS!!

It's time to trust in God, love Him as He intended, and move out in faith that He has something for you to do that only YOU can accomplish....and since He is still working in and on you, He won't quit until you are just like Jesus!

Living to be like Jesus...Loving the Life set before me,

WPQ


Poem for the Day:
We can face life's darkest hour
Confident in our strength and power;
But knowing that we gave our best
May not pass the failure test.

For doing what we deem is right
By turning darkness into light;
With Christ beside me I cannot fail
No matter what….I shall prevail!










Sunday, July 9, 2017

The Pothole of Failure....

Living with a "Broken Spirit"

If you are living in this world and are not acquainted with failure, then I must question you and ask...."Are you really living at all?" Let's be honest, we all have failed. In fact, the Bible tells us in Isaiah 53:6,"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" OR as I would paraphrase, "We have all failed to live as God intended, doing our own thing and hoping He would approve; but because of our disobedience, God has punished His own Son for our failures and He has borne the weight of our sin so that we might be declared righteous before a Holy God."

Now that's failure on a spiritual level; but what about the failure that comes into our lives and often paralyzes us so that we cannot move forward.

Like the pothole of failure when we marry the love of our life and after 25+ years of what we assume is wedded bliss, our partner walks out the door without so much as a goodbye or thank you for the years you've spent together...and you are overcome by the enormous feeling of failure.

Or what about that business you started in your youth. You poured all your time, energy and money into building a successful company and in so doing, neglected so much of your life and its other responsibilities...then, in a  twinkling of an eye, it all come crumbling down, as you file  for bankruptcy and have to begin life again in your twilight years....WHAM...SLAM... BAM...as you ricochet from the direct hit in the pothole of failure.

Then of course there is the loss of your physical health and the failure that you feel every time you look into a mirror. Gone is that handsome, debonair young man or that gorgeously-striking, young woman. Now you find yourself staring at a image of someone that remotely resembles the person you used to be...One hundred pounds overweight, losing hair, wrinkles upon wrinkles,  poor health and this terrible feeling that you failed to live up to the potential that you had as a younger adult...and no matter how you try, the failure of losing your health and your youth trap you into believing that life might as well be over.

But how does God view failure?

I believe God sees failure as the human condition...since the first bite of the apple and the curse of sorrow, pain and endless toil to exist, God knew that man would strive to succeed, but in his own strength, man is destined to fail. Don't believe me...consider Peter, and the testimony of this ardent follower of Christ. He traveled almost all the way to the cross with his Master...devoted, loyal and ready to fight to save Jesus; however, when Jesus needed Peter to be the "Rock" and stand firm, what did Peter do?

Why not come back tomorrow for the conclusion to

The Pothole of Failure...you will be blest!!!!

Blessed Not By Success...Blessed by His Rest,

WPQ

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Part Two of The Pothole of Bitterness....


When it comes to the pothole of bitterness, you are faced with two choices of how you will react to having such a jarring experience. You can move forward in retaliation or you can release your anger and hurt in forgiveness...the choice is always YOURS!

Unfortunately for most people (Christians included), we see the course of retaliation as the correct course of action. After all, these people (our boss, parents, siblings, co-workers; the list goes on and on), they should be held accountable for their words, deeds and actions that harmed us in such a way...in fact, if we don't punish them, how will they ever learn not to treat others the way they treated us? God has something to say about that ....simply,

"VENGEANCE BELONGS TO ME; I WILL REPAY!' "Deuteronomy 32:35

So if God is in the business of setting things right and seeing that they learn their lesson, what should we do? Romans 12:20-21 says, "Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome with evil, rather overcome evil with good."

And I call that RELEASE....you let go and let God. You were never meant to punish those that harm you; that activity belongs to a holy and righteous God. You were made to trust God and His infinite wisdom...you are to leave the details of who, how, when and why someone receives their "crops" from the seeds of destruction they have sown. Trust me, God has a whole lot more in store for them than you or I could ever imagine!

So forgive, forget and get back on the road to the abundant life that God has in store for you. Please don't let the pothole of bitterness wreck your life as you struggle each day to carry the baggage of hurt, hate and heartache from the evil someone has inflicted on you. Yes, there will be wounds that may never heal; scars that are visible and deeply etched into your soul...but the good news is simple....GOD LOVES YOU AND WHEN ALL IS OVER ....YOU WIN!!!!

Living Triumphantly.....Tasting the Sweetness of His Goodness,

WPQ

Poem for the Day:
Life can have its ups and downs
And people can be cruel;
But we who trust in the Father's love,
We follow the Golden Rule.

We don't allow the Evil one
To steal our joy away.
We gladly shun the bitterness
That life may bring our way.

We walk where God will lead us
And trust in His recompense
For someday in the future
His ways will all make sense!

WPQ 2017











Friday, July 7, 2017

PART ONE...

The Pothole of Bitterness...

The Heartache That Never Heals!

For at least the last ten years, my loving wife has been dealing with a botched crown job that has left her in much pain and discomfort; but, in just a few short days, our new (and highly skilled dentist) will be replacing that crown with a new and improved one. In this interim period of waiting for this new crown, my wife has mentioned on several occasions that she could not wait to "get rid of this horrible metallic taste in my mouth"....which got me thinking of all the times in my life that I have had this horrible taste in my mouth when someone I love, know and trusted has hurt me and shaken me to my core...that taste that truly starts in my heart and soul tells me that I have run headlong into the Pothole of Bitterness.
We have all been there. You are traveling the highway of life, minding your own business, when  someone says something that is totally false, fabricated and fictitious...with the sole aim of hurting you and damaging your reputation. You muster up the courage to take them on regarding this and to your total dismay, they are not the least bit repentant...how do you respond? For most of us, it is in that moment that we begin to experience that taste of bitterness.

Or what about that promotion at work that you have poured your heart and soul into. You have done everything you can to get noticed so that the only logical choice is YOU...and then, the boss gives it to someone else with fewer skills and a whole lot less time on the job....and before you know it, here comes that test of bitterness that starts in our soul and works its way into our mouth (better watch what you say) and then into our actions (better watch what you do).

Or maybe you have been harmed physically by an abusive mother or father that treated you as a punching bag, blaming you for all their shortcomings and taking out their inadequacies by mistreating and belittling you...can you taste that terrible metallic bitterness as it begins to well up from your soul and makes you heart seem like a stone toward that parent?

Or what upon that sibling that always seem to get what they wanted from your parents while you, your brothers or sisters were scrapping for the tiniest bit of love and affection that might be leftover and fall your way. In the Bible, young Joseph, with his coat of many colors, certainly felt the bitterness of his brothers' hearts when they sold him into slavery and then convinced their father that Joseph had been attacked by a wild animal and killed. If you know the story of Joseph and all the heartache and hardships that he endured as a captive in Egypt, it is easy to imagine that bitterness was at the heart of his surviving instincts. But, I believe it was his desire to see his family again that spurred him on as he followed the leading of the one true God to become second in command, only to the Pharaoh. At long last, when his brothers came to Egypt in search of food, he revealed himself to them. This could have been one of those scenes where they were all cast into a dungeon, never to see their father or the light of day again; but Joseph did not live in bitterness but rather in love and forgiveness...thus he brought the whole family to Egypt to once again live as a family under the covenant of the mighty Jehovah God.

Come back tomorrow for the conclusion of 
THE POTHOLE OF BITTERNESS.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

The Pothole of Rejection....

The Bump of Loneliness

If there is one word in the English language that everyone almost instinctively knows the meaning, it is the word REJECTION. We have seen it displayed to and by others more times than any one of us would care to admit. We have felt the pain, dismay and loneliness that being rejected brings. Since rejection and the emotions that is brings seems to be so universal to all, you might ask why consider rejection as a pothole that can totally disrupt and derail a life...the answer is both simple and complex.

Simply put, rejection hurts us...and depending on how great our love and affection for that person who rejects us, the hurt can go all the way to the heart of who we are and who we might desire to become.

Now I came from a very loving and supportive family with two great parents and a sister, all of us bound in a family unit with our love for each other and for our Lord at the center of our home. We supported each other in many ways and even in the worst of times, we let each other know that they were loved and cherished as a family member. So, when I got married for the first time at the ripe old age of 27, I married a woman that was 31, widowed, with two sons from her previous husband. I loved her and her boys more than life; so when after three months of what I thought was wedded bliss, I came home from work to find my suitcases packed and my neighbor's husband sitting in my kitchen to tell me that my "wife" wanted me to leave ...I was floored, flabbergasted and extremely hurt from this display of total rejection. This cut me to my core and as I returned to my parent's home, all I could think about was how disappointed everyone would be in me that I could not make my marriage work. I took a lot of aspirin when I got home, went to bed and hours later, I woke up in the hospital after having my stomach pumped. I don't believe that I tried to take my life, but I was looking to ease the horrible pain I felt from being rejected by the woman I loved.

It is this kind of rejection that can be a pothole that consumes you and takes away your will to go on. It has happened far too many times when someone has been spurned, turned aside and rejected by a true love that they never recuperate...they become sullen and despondent and lose their zeal for living. Too often someone that has suffered tremendous rejection becomes a recluse or at best, a sad and lonely figure, living on the edge of society, but never really fitting in or moving forward from that pain of rejection.

Even Christ our Lord suffered the greatest of pain on the cross, not from the nails driven into His hands and feet, but in His final hour, He cried out to His Heavenly Father saying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" It was in those last few breaths before Jesus died that He experienced the greatest pain of His life...the loss of His Father's love. It was in that moment God turned His back on His eternal Son as He bore the weight of all our sin on His shoulders...yes, Jesus suffered the spurning rejection of the Father so you and I would not have to know such heartache.

Is there a pothole of rejection...and can it do irreparable damage in one's life? I truly believe there is!  I believe it is far more insidious in our lives than often we know. But though we may encounter this pothole, we need not let it define the rest of our life...for God has already taken care of the holy rejection that comes from on high. He has forever called us to be His own, never more to be rejected by the sins that separate us from Him and His righteousness....WE BELONG TO GOD WHEN WE BELIEVE THAT CHRIST'S SACRIFCE ON THE CROSS PAID OUR SIN DEBT AND WE CHOOSE TO LIVE FOR HIM.

My friend, no more should you look at your life in terms of what you do not have because of who or what may have rejected you...Look rather at your life as the true gift that it is....a life set apart, abundant and free, loved and adored, happy and at peace because God has made you a part of His heavenly family ....it is a family in which you will forever belong!!!!!

Living life with no regrets....Loved by the Father...Cherished by the Son,

WPQ

Poem for the Day:
If life has been good to you
And you've found someone to love.
It's all because He cares for you
From His Heavenly throne above.

So don't despair if you're cast aside,
Don't let rejection rule the day.
Just trust and rest in the Father's grace
For another love is on the way!

WPQ 2017