BECOMING THE NEW "YOU"?

In many areas across our country, there are lots of folks engaged, even obsessed, with creating a newer, leaner, younger looking "self." They have gone to great lengths to change their outward appearance, opting for plastic surgery to pull back the ravages of time; Lasik surgery to restore their vision to its childhood acuity; tummy tucks and fat removal...and the list goes on and on!

The sad part of this story as it plays out across the landscape of America is that there are not enough of us concerned about the "inner man"...we are still the callous, corrupt, self-centered sinners we have always been. Paul told the Corinthians that by coming to Christ we became new creatures; "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away (died), behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

What he might have said to this generation would probably go something like this...When you let Christ come into your life, all of your old cells that lead you to sin, DIE! Behold, you are born anew and have a new DNA that makes you like Christ!

Think on that for just a moment...you are no longer who you used to be. In fact, all that you were is no more because now Jesus, and the Indwelling Holy Spirit, lives and breathes within you...YOU ARE TRULY A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST JESUS!

So what does that really mean to us as a new creature in Christ? Our desire to live as we have lived in the past is dead or surely dying. We replace our wants for this world with our desires for  the world of Jesus (Heaven) where the Father's will is ALWAYS done. Romans 6:11 says, "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ Jesus."  With our new DNA, our desire is to be more like Christ in our speech, our deeds and in our worship and communion with our Heavenly Father.

Now, I am a realist and I know that such a transformation from who we were to who God wants us to be does not magically occur; however, the desire to be like Jesus does...the nuts and bolts of how to accomplish that may take a little longer. If truth be told, it is a lifelong process that occurs as we yield to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The first thing we must do is to commit to ask the simple question regarding our new live in Christ....in each and every situation just ask, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

The answers may not always be clear and concise, but God is at work to do His will and accomplish His purpose in your new life and He will get you the right answer at just the right time so that you can know and experience what it means to have the mind of Christ.

So don't fret if this "new" you hits a speed bump or two in becoming the "new creation in Christ" that God is calling you to be. Just remember, God as NEVER MADE A MISTAKE and He won't start now with you. He is calling you to be like Jesus, but He has never and will never ask you to do this on your own. Trust in the Father for He cares for you and for the new creation that He has created with Jesus as your Savior....

Walking the Road to Heaven...One step at a time,

WPQ

I Miss the Man I Called Dad....

This month marks 32 years since my father passed away. It was a bright and beautiful day in February when my dad went out to play a round of golf with one of my uncles. On a long par 5 on the course I grew up on, my father was having some pains in his arms and decided to sit down on the wheel of his pull cart; but before he could reach a safe place to rest, he was gone from this world and resting in the arms of Jesus. In fact, I was only 35 when my dad passed and now he has been gone almost as long as I knew him...but his memory and the character traits that my Dad instilled in me from watching a man of faith and love shower blessings and compassion on his family ...it is those moments of being with my Dad that have made me the man I am today...a man that I believe my Dad would be proud of.

Yes, not a day goes by that I don't remember my Dad or lean into the things that he taught me as we shared hours and years together delivering papers every morning for more than three years. I was 16 when I got a BIG morning paper route and my dad and I spent that time together getting to really know each other and to forge that bond of love and admiration that we had for each other.

In a world where we all are searching for heroes or someone to model our life after, there is no one better to model than Jesus Christ. It is fact that Jesus became like us so that He could come to earth, live a perfect life, void of sin, so that through our belief in Him...WE COULD BECOME MORE LIKE HIM. Jesus told his disciples that He had come to give them life ...a life more abundant and free, but that life could only become a reality as they learned to surrender their will to the will of their Heavenly Father.

Do you have someone that you have loved and admired; someone who like my dad may have been taken away far too soon? My biggest regret for my dad was that he was not here to meet the wonderful woman who has been my wife for 27 years and the adorable daughter of ours that he never got to hold...but he lived before me the life that lead me to Jesus and for that I am eternally grateful...and I know that in my future, I will see him again.

Who do you miss that is gone on before you; but more importantly, who do you need to tell how much they mean to you NOW and how they have impacted your life; maybe even been your hero but have no clue that you feel that way.

The one thing I learned in the passing of my father at such a young age(he was only 63) was time and LIFE are short and there are no "do overs"...so don't waste a moment of each new day to reach out to someone you love and let them know how important they are to you...and how much admire, love and respect them...you will feel better for doing that and so will they!!!!

Missing My Dad....Waiting for the Call to go Home,

WPQ

DO YOU BELIEVE????

The Bible teaches us that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. But sometimes, it is not the size of our faith that matters...rather do we have faith at all?

In Matthew 9: 27-29 we read the following encounter that Jesus had with two blind men..."And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed, crying out; 'Have mercy on us, Son of David.' When He entered the house, the blind men came to him and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, 'Yes, Lord!' Then he touched their eyes saying, "According you your faith be it done to you." And their eyes were opened."

Did you catch that conversation? Jesus did not ask them to do anything...go and be washed in a river; change their lifestyle; give away their earthly possessions or anything else. He did not even question the size of their faith? He was not looking for what they would bring to this miraculous healing except for one thing....did they truly believe that Jesus was able to do this?

After all, they had not seen Jesus perform a single miracle. Yes, perhaps they had heard all the stories; the rumors of this great man that was traveling through the region doing great and mighty things in the name of the Father...but they had not been a witness to any of these. So the question that Jesus posed to them was one of utter shock...and one that He poses to us every day as we seek to live for Him and battle the forces of the Evil One...do we believe that Jesus is able to do this?

And what is "this?"  "This"  is whatever you are dealing with in life...a life-ending illness; financial struggles that are wrecking your family; a loss of child; a broken marriage...and the list goes on....and the question that Jesus is asking is...DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HE IS ABLE TO DEAL WITH YOUR PROBLEMS AND TAKE CARE OF THE OUTCOME SO THAT THE HEAVENLY FATHER RECEIVES THE GLORY?

Jesus is always questioning your faith because faith is often in short supply. Often we enter into many of life's situations already defeated because we have failed in our own efforts and we have lost our faith that God cares or that God will intervene on our behalf. George Mueller wrote, "Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends."

So the question will always be....Do you believe that Jesus is able to meet the needs and desires of your life? Are you ready to surrender to the power that He brings to make the impossible, possible in your life....if so, you only need answer, "YES LORD, I BELIEVE!"

The rest of the story will be written by the mighty hand of God if you only believe!!!

Trusting in the Father...Believing in the Son,

WPQ

Are You Meeting Your Encouragement Quotient?

Today’s thought is a true story that was sent to me by a friend in an email under the heading, “everyone is special.” Please read on and see if you don’t agree….

At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Honor and I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons - something I have done for over 30 years. During those years I found that children have many levels of musical ability, and even though I have never had the pleasure of having a prodigy, I have taught some very talented students. However, I have also had my share of what I call 'musically challenged' pupils - one such pupil being Robby…..

Now, Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him as a student.

Well, Robby began his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary piano pieces that I require all my students to learn. Over the months he tried and tried while I listened, cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he would always say 'My mom's going to hear me play someday'. But to me, it seemed hopeless; he just did not have any inborn ability.

As it was, I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in. Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons. I thought about calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had decided to pursue something else. I was also glad that he had stopped coming - he was a bad advertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the students' homes. To my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify. He told me that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that he had been practicing. 'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to play' he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all right.

The night of the recital came and the high school gymnasium was packed with parents, relatives and friends. I put Robby last in the program, just before I was to come up, thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he might do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my 'curtain closer'.

Well, the recital went off without a hitch; the students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked as though he had run an egg beater through it. 'Why wasn't he dressed up like the other students?' I thought. 'Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?'

Robby pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys; they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo, from allegro to virtuoso; his suspended chords that Mozart demands were
magnificent!

Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age.

After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo, and everyone was on their feet in wild applause! Overcome and in tears, I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. 'I have never heard you play like that Robby! How did you do it?

Through the microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Honor, remember I told you that my mom was sick? Well, she actually had cancer and passed away this morning. And well ...... she was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever heard me play, and I wanted to make it special.'

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy. I thought to myself then how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.

No, I have never had a prodigy, but that night I became a prodigy ....... of Robby. He was the teacher and I was the pupil; for he had taught me the meaning of perseverance…of love… and of believing in yourself when all others might have their doubts. He taught me that everyone is special….all they need is a chance and a little encouragement to become the person God wants them to be.

So the question becomes by friend, are you making a difference as an encourager in the life of someone you know? It only takes a moment or a quick smile sometimes to provide the emotional lift that someone needs to keep going when all the odds seemed stacked against them…are you reaching out with an open hand and saying, “Let me help…let me encourage you to never give up; to believe in your dream and in yourself.”

God has done that for you through His Son and the gift of His Holy Spirit indwelling in you….go and do likewise!!

Longing to be called Barnabas….”Son of Encouragement”,

WPQ

Storm Clouds Bring….Mercy or Judgment?

Here at the beaches of South Carolina, it is not unusual to see a storm pop up out of seemingly no where in the afternoons. One moment, you are looking at the bluest sky you've ever seen and just a few minutes later, you might be running for cover from the torrential rain and lightning.

The same can be said of life…One minute all is well; then out of no where, the storm clouds gather and the rains begin to fall. In the Bible, Job definitely experienced this phenomenon of life…and though perplexed and dismayed at the circumstances that had befallen him and his family, he still trusted in God. I'm sure that as he saw the storm clouds gathering over his life, he asked himself the words found in Job 37:13, "He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show His love."

How do you view the storm clouds of your life? Is God setting up a time of judgment as He seeks to correct and discipline a child gone astray…simply allowing the conditions of life to help you determine if you are walking in His will or going it as "the Lone Ranger."

You see, the clouds may be filled with torrential rains that are meant to drive you to the shelter of the loving arms of a jealous God that wants you to worship and adore Him only. He needs to help you see that you are lost and in need of a Savior… and once committed to His Son, the clouds come to grow you in worship of your Creator. It is not the clouds that matter, it is the relationship that you have with Him when the clouds come that matters MOST. Some people use the adversity in their life to be drawn ever closer to God…to experience His MERCY in the midst of the trials that beset us all.

Others see the storm clouds and the torrential rains as God's judgment and lack of love. After all, how could a loving God allow this tribulation to so encompass and incapacitate them…such adversity shines a true light on their faith and they quickly fall away…they want nothing to do with a God that lets them suffer.

Oh, but the true believer, one whose heart is right and longs for the fellowship of God the Father, understands that the storms may come to bring refreshing…a time when they run into the arms of Jesus and feel the radiant warmth of His love and compassion…for Jesus suffered as we so that He might ask of God the Father to show His tender mercy to each of us.

So, let the storm clouds come!

But, let your response be one that drives you into His presence as you seek to know Him more deeply and to worship Him more passionately than ever before…don't run for cover; rather look to the skies and see that the clouds will soon pass by, thus reveling the glorious light of the Father who waters His earth to show His love…His ever abundant love for you and a mercy that endures forever!

Lingering under the storm clouds…driven into the arms of my Savior,

WPQ