THE ROAD OF SELF-IMPORTANCE....

My Three Favorite People...ME, MYSELF & I

It's easy these days to see who thinks more highly of oneself than they should...all you need to is look at someone's social media accounts to see a boatload of "selfies" (I had to add this one to my computer dictionary since it did not recognize the word), personal Tweets and other references to who they are and why they are important.

In the old days (the ones I grew up in), if you wanted to be important, then YOU HAD TO DO SOMETHING OF IMPORTANCE...start a charity for the hopeless;  make a social contribution to those in your community; run into a burning building to save someone's life...or at the very least, rescue a neighbor's kitten from the top of a very tall tree. But all that has changed; and not for the better I might add. If you want to be an "influencer" these days, then all you have to do is get millions of voyeurs to visit your Facebook page, find you doing some idiotic stunt on YouTube or read your every word via Twitter....and presto, changeo....YOU ARE NOW CONSIDERED BY YOUR ADORING FANS TO BE IMPORTANT.

So, where did this sick obsession of being important come from? It started in the Garden of Eden when the serpent first approached Eve to inquire, "Did God really say you cannot eat of EVERY tree in the Garden?" (my emphasis and paraphrase) To which Eve replied, "We may eat the fruit of every tree, BUT..." and that's where it all began. The BUT got Eve in trouble as the serpent begin to romance God's words by telling her if she really wanted to be important, then she had to make a bold move. He said, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of the forbidden fruit, your eyes will be opened and YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, knowing good and evil." (my paraphrase)  In other words, you will be a person of IMPORTANCE! So what did Eve do? She took the first bite, offered the fruit to her husband and in her disobedience, ushered SIN into the world.

And in the middle of the word, SIN, we find the culprit in our world today..."I". We have all become so obsessed with being important, having our own way to the exclusion of others  that we seem to spend every waking hour trying to one-up our spouses, our children, our families and friends; all the while chasing the elusive brass ring known as SELF-IMPORTANCE! It is not enough to be loved by others and to share in their lives...we have come to believe that it is our life, our wants, our own selfish desires that must be met and we do all within our power to make that happen. We may live in the shadows, but we are constantly running toward the spotlight so that we can be the "star" of our life and so that we can "out glitter" all those who bask in our glory...THIS TYPE OF LIFE ONLY LEADS TO SELF-DESTRUCTION, NOT SELF-IMPORTANCE.

Yes, if your favorite people, the ones you cater to for fulfilling their every whim is ME, MYSELF AND I ....then you are in desperate need of making some new friends as you learn to live with a new thought...NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE BE DONE. It is only when you accept Christ as you personal Savior that you can you take your eyes off of you and your importance and begin to focus on a new reality....the more you decrease, the more Christ will increase in your life and the greater difference you will make in the lives within your inner circle. Yes, true importance comes from DOING...just as it did when I was growing up; but the difference is, WHO are you doing for and What moves you to make a difference in the lives of others? When you know Christ as your Friend and Savior, the important things you do for Him will turn the spotlight on Him and away from you...and in those moments, God Gets the Glory and you know that you no longer need to feel important....for in the eyes of God, YOU ARE ALWAYS A PERSON OF IMPORTANCE in the Heavenly Realm where Jesus awaits your homecoming.

Living in today...Looking forward to THAT Day,

WPQ

 

The Road Not Taken....

 

My life began so long ago

And I'm on the journey still;

Pressing onward through valley deep,

Or climbing the next hill.

 

Pondering at each juncture;

Peering down each winding road.

Looking for someone who's willing

To help me share life's load.

 

Knowing that my life may end,

It might even be today?

Asking for the Lord above

To guide me along my way.

 

To a life filled with joy and happiness;

Perhaps, a sprinkle of sorry too?

Seeking to make a difference

By the things I say and do.

 

So when at last my time is done

And I look at life's things forsaken;

May I never regret the roads I chose

Over the roads that were never taken.

 

And when inscribed on my tombstone

May these words ring loud and true...

"Dear Lord, I sought to live my life....

SO THE GLORY BELONGS TO YOU!!!!"

 

WPQ © February 28, 2022

THE ROAD OF LIFE....

Traveling on the "D" Roads to Nowhere

If you have ever been to a Little League baseball game and hung around until the game's end,  it is easy to see who won and who lost...if you look at the body language of the kids, it becomes quite evident in a matter of seconds. The winner's...heads held high, lots of high-fives and smiles on every face. The loser's... they look like they just watched their new puppy get hit by a car; tears streaming down their faces, staring aimlessly at the ground, barely able to put one foot in front of the other.  It is a total personification of defeat and the totally downcast feeling that comes with loss.

Perhaps you have had that feeling before as you travel through this life. It happens as you pull onto the road of defeat as this overwhelming feeling engulfs your every action. Downcast and forlorn, it seems that life has switched into slow motion and that nothing good will ever come your way again. As you travel further down this road, you find the name changes to discontentment as you dwell on your losses and relive your past defeats. If you continue to travel this superhighway, it will not be long before discontentment  will lead you on to the avenue of despair...a long road, lined on both sides with all your past failures and regrets. This is a treacherous road that too many people travel for a lifetime....and as they travel, they are constantly searching for a rest stop that offers hope, love, peace, joy, contentment and most of all, a relationship with someone that loves them in spite of who they are and is willing to travel with them on this journey of life. They try many things to fill the void they have as they travel this road....and if they cannot find that special "something," then before long that road becomes the road of destruction and death, often both physical and spiritual.

Yes, we all travel many roads in search of a "peace that passes all understanding";  but when it cannot be found, then many turn to booze, drugs, illicit sex, pornography, gambling, adultery or anything else that might fill that void in their life. So, if you find yourself on one of these "D" roads, I have good news for you!!!! There is someone who cares and loves you so much that He died for you so that you might travel a completely different road of "D's".

When you come to know Jesus as your personal Savior and Friend, He sets you on a new road that is small and narrow, but it is where you begin a new journey with Him as your guide and confidant.... IT IS THE ROAD OF DELIVERANCE....for He has saved you and is ready to pour into you. You turn onto the road of Dwelling as the Holy Spirit comes to dwell and live within you as your new life in Christ has begun. Gone is the constant searching for something to give your life meaning as you travel with Jesus on the road of Devotion and each day, as you take up your cross to follow Him, you speed down the highway of Determination to go where He leads, do what He says and tell others of the peace and love that now lives in your heart and soul. It is this peace, joy and love that flows from us that allows us to travel the road called Daring as we seek to share God's great and gracious love with those He places in our path. And last, but not least, is the road of Decisiveness....the road that encourages us each day to chose life with Jesus as we forsake the so-called "good things of this world."  As we travel this road, we can pursue the things that God has deemed worthy and that offer us eternal value as we "lay up in Heaven our treasures and bring eternal GLORY to GOD."

So, my friend,  on which road of "D's" do you now travel? Are you a friend of God or still an enemy as you seek to find something to give your life meaning? Get off the road that leads to eternal Damnation and Destruction and make the decision to Dare to believe that God loves YOU; sent His Son to die for you... and if you ask Him to save you by admitting you are a sinner and need Him as your Savior; then as you repent, the blood of Jesus covers your sin and your debt of sin is PAID IN FULL BY THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS...AND YOU NOW AND FOREVER BELONG TO HIM....and that belief now has you on the road to DISCIPLESHIP as you devote your life to living for Jesus. If you need help in making that decision, then just reach out to me at wpqmad@gmail.com and I will be happy to walk this road of decision with you. If you have made that decision, then...

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD,

WPQ

 

Poem for the day...

If you dare to walk alone in life

You will face troubles, toils and strife;

But you need not face them on your own...

When you walk with Jesus, you're not alone!

You have a constant friend with you

That's there to help in all you do.

A very constant friend, He will always be;

He's always there though you may not see...

The Hand of God is at work each day

As you travel each of life's highways....

He knows what lies in the road ahead;

Takes away each fear and all life's dread.

So my friend the choice is clear

Walk with Jesus, keep Him near.

For you will find  on each path you take...

He walks with you; He will not forsake.

 

WPQ © May 2022

 

 

 

THE ROAD OF LIFE....

WARNING!!! LONELINESS JUST AHEAD?

Far too many people these days are leading a life of loneliness and unfortunately, a lot of the blame is placed squarely upon their shoulders. Allow me to explain my reasoning for making such a statement. 

First of all, the pandemic of the Corona virus sent many people into isolation and they have yet to accept the good news...WE WON! Was it a hard-fought victory, one that many have yet to claim? ABSOLUTELY...But in their fears, they have chosen to disconnect from the world and have literally barracked themselves into a self-induced exile from their friends, family, church and social interactions that once brought them such JOY. It is their choice to make; however, it is, in essence, choosing to live a life filled to the brim with LONELINESS....BUT IT IS A REVERSIBLE CHOICE!

Secondly, it is baffling to me how people have given up their freedom to interact face-to-face with their loved ones, close friends or even their ability to make new friends in lieu of staring at a phone, tablet or computer screen for so-called "social interaction." We, as a society, have given up our desire to know others; to be loved and cared for by others; to come to know our neighbors or our co-workers in a more intimate fashion simply by turning on our phones and turning off our physical needs to be held, touched or kissed. We no longer seek to see and to feel the warmth of a smile, the touch of our friend's hand or the kiss of welcome from a long-time friend or close companion. Yes, we can see our friends on our phones, but "seeing" is not "being"....and in a world where we are being cancelled when we express an unpopular opinion, the slip- slide into a world of loneliness is at our fingertips.

But here's the GOOD NEWS...if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.

The writer of Hebrews said it best in Hebrews 13:5; "Let your lives be without love of money, and be content with the things you have.  For He (Jesus) has said: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”  In fact, God's promise to always be on the side of those He loves, to protect them and to fight for them. This goes back to his covenant with His Chosen people where in Deuteronomy 31:6,  we read,  ^"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Yes, loneliness is a choice, especially when it comes to choosing to believe and to belong to Jesus.... to know His life-saving power that changes each of us from the inside and then, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit...FOR HE IS ALWAYS WITH US...HE NEVER LEAVES NOR FORSAKES US...AND HE IS ALWAYS THERE TO FIGHT FOR US WHEN THE LIES OF THE DEVIL DRIVE US TOWARD FEELINGS OF LONELINESS AND ABANDOMENT!!!

So once again, the choice is YOURS! You can choose to live a life hidden and secluded from the world...and your life will be one of LONELY DESPERATION as you travel the road of life without anyone to care for you, to offer a helping hand or to love you for who you are. But with Christ as your FOREVER FRIEND that will never be a problem...FOR YOU ARE NEVER ALONE WHEN SHOWERED IN THE LOVE OF YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

Showered in His Love...Walking Hand in Hand with Jesus,

WPQ

 

 

Poem for the day....

If you want to make a friend today

I have a simple clue for you...

Turn off your phone, go look around;

It's an easy thing to do.

 

For someone else is hurting

They are tired, forlorn and stressed...

For it seems, like you, they're dealing

With the devil's lie called loneliness.

 

They live their life like no one knows

The feelings they try to hide...

The deep despair, the loneliness

That keeps welling up inside.

 

But, you my friend, are one choice away

From finding everlasting peace...

For when you put your faith in HIM

Your internal strivings cease.

 

For when you know the Savior

Who died to save mankind...

Then loneliness is forever gone,

For He brings sweet peace of mind!

 

 

WPQ © May 2022

Narrow or Wide...You Must Make a Choice?

THE NARROW ROAD HOME

Oh, how I long for days gone by when TRUTH was a word that carried true meaning. For many of us, we found truth as we searched God's Holy Word. We could take great pride and comfort in the solace of knowing that Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. The only way to the Father is through me." John14:6 (Easy-to- Read Version)

We took great confidence in God's Word as we held on to; using it build a strong foundation for our faith and as a launching pad to tell others about Jesus. Unfortunately, our society and the times in which we now live have tried (and in many cases succeeded) in telling us there is no such thing as UNIVERSAL TRUTH. TODAY'S WORLDLY MANTRA...TRUTH IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. It is that mindset and adoption of such thinking that has us in the mess we now find ourselves.

Jesus made it clear, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, that we each have a CHOICE TO MAKE about the road in life we want to travel...the one that leads to an everlasting eternity in service to Him...or a much different eternity in a desolation of abomination known as Hell.  Here is what He had to say in His Sermon on the Mount as He spoke to the multitudes gathered on the hillside around him....Matthew 7: 13-14:

 “You can enter true life only through the narrow gate. The gate to hell is very wide, and there is plenty of room on the road that leads there. Many people go that way. But the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow. And the road that leads there is hard to follow. Only a few people find it." (Easy-to- Read Version)

Yes, my friend, you MUST choose a road to travel as you wander through life on this dusty orb...will you seek to spend eternity in Heaven or take your place in the fiery furnace of Hell? That simple decision will, with great probability, determine how you live your life on earth; but more than that... IT WILL DEFINITELY DETERMINE YOUR ETERNAL DESTINATION!!! The choice is really quite simple but the execution of that decision can indeed be quite PERPLEXING...especially if you are of the mindset of so many of those living in this world today...YOU GET TO DETERMINE YOUR OWN TRUTH.

And here's the kicker.....NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!  Truth always lies in the hands of the Creator...and since you and I did not create ourselves, rather we are the creation of God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit...we know nothing about TRUTH until we come to know our CREATOR. So, we must chose a road and a gate through which we will pass from this life into eternity...the wide gate and smooth and well-traveled road that leads to Hell ...or the narrow gate and the hard to follow road of submission, sacrifice and service that leads to the throne room of God. It is a road that few find because they have chosen to follow their OWN truth rather than the truth of God. And to make matters worse, our adversary, the DEVIL, is always trying to move us or detour us from the narrow road back onto the super highway that leads to destruction.

But we can resist his temptations and follow Jesus with a few adjustments to our travel plans...Plan to Go where God Leads; Plan to stay as long as needed to do what the Father wants; and Plan to always give Him the Glory for the things we may accomplish.  If we do these things and stay connected to the TRUTH (JESUS)....THE JOURNEY PROMISES TO BE A GOOD ONE THAT LEADS US HOME TO THE SAVIOR AND TO ALL HE HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE NARROW ROAD HOME !!!!

Traveling the narrow road...trusting in the TRUTH,

WPQ

 

 

POEM FOR THE DAY...

 

We all must make a simple choice

As we travel along life's road.

Do we plan to make it on our own

Or find someone to share life's load?

 

Do we take the straightest, widest road

And go skipping merrily on our way?

Or do we choose the narrow, bumpy road

That's fraught with peril for us each day?

 

It really should be an easy choice

One that brings us joy and love;

But when we try to make it on our own

We may lose God's favor from above.

 

So make the clear and perfect choice

Choose the road less traveled on...

For you final destination lies just ahead

With Heaven as your HOME!!!

 

 WPQ © May 2022

 

 Check back soon for the next post in 'THE ROAD SERIES"

THE ROAD OF LIFE....ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS

Today, I am re-starting my journey as a writer of a blog. Off and on for the past 15 years, I have been writing a blog named Salt & Light (you should be on that site to be able to read this). It began after losing a job that I definitely felt God had called me to as a Area Acquisitions representative for a Christian-based company called, SEED AMERICA. It was a company of godly men and women who were sucked into a bad situation by a man of less than glowing aspirations. At the time my job was taken from me, I was truly unaware of the "bad seed" at the helm of this organization, and as I look back now, God was moving me out of the way of the fallout that followed. At that low point in my life, this blog sprang to life and gave me a purpose to share God's teachings in my life with those who sought to know him better; however, I must admit, I did not do a very good job of keeping the blog up and running with the lessons that God brought my way. Today, I want to begin to remedy that error and the laziness that compounded it. 

So, I want to begin a new series that I have entitled, THE ROAD OF LIFE. I believe that too many of us are being swept along in life with little direction and even less accomplishments in the area of living out God's calling on our lives. So join me each day for a quick read and take to heart God's message through the written word about where you might be on this road.

ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS.....

In the ninth chapter of Acts, we find the story of Saul, the man of diligence in the persecution of those Jews that had forsaken their heritage and faith to follow the teachings of the Son of Man, the man called Jesus. In fact, these believers had come to be known as the people of The Way...and Saul believed his mission in life was to destroy this movement before it could do any more harm to the Jewish faith in which he was so richly steeped. He had asked the high priest for letters of introduction and instruction to the synagogues of Damascus so that if he found any of these "heretics," he might bind them and bring them to Jerusalem for a fitting punishment. With letters in hand, he began his journey, but on the road to Damascus, his life was changed forever.

You see, God had a better plan for Saul...and a better name. As Saul approached the city, he encountered a bright, blinding light and a voice from heaven that asked one simple question...

"SAUL, SAUL, WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME? I AM JESUS, WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING. BUT ARISE AND ENTER THE CITY AND YOU WILL BE TOLD WHAT TO DO." And when the light and voice were gone, Saul was blind and had to be lead into the city by his men. He was sent to be found by a follower of Jesus, a man named Ananias, who knew of Saul's reputation and wanted no part of dealing with this man. But in obedience to the vision from the Lord, Ananias did as he was instructed in his vision from the Lord. He went and laid his hands on Saul and restored his sight because the Lord told him, " But the Lord said, “Go and do what I say. For Paul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the nations and before kings, as well as to the people of Israel.  And I will show him how much he must suffer for me.” Acts 9:15-16

Why the name change? What did that mean? Well, Paul means "small or humble"...terms that had never been mentioned in the same breath when describing Saul; but now God had set Paul's feet upon a new life's path...ON THAT ROAD TO DAMASCUS. No longer would he be known as the "persecutor of Jesus" rather now he would come to be known as the "pronouncer of Christ" as God set him on the road that would lead him to be a witness for Jesus throughout the Gentile world. And if that was not enough of a change, Paul would go on to write his 13 "letters" to those communities of new believers that he led to Jesus. So though Saul thought and believed in his heart that he was following the will of God in his acts of persecution, it was not until that eventful meeting on the road to Damascus that Paul's feet and mission to serve his Savior, Jesus Christ came to fruition.

So, my friend, where do you find yourself today in your journey of life? What roads have you taken or on what road do you now find yourself  traveling? Is it one that has you walking ever closer with Jesus...or have you yet to take the road to Damascus that leads, as Saul's did, to the life-saving relationship that Jesus longs for each of us to have with Him?

Just as Saul became Paul after his encounter with the living Lord, Jesus is ready to meet you on your road of life and begin a new journey with you. HE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND GIVE YOU LIFE EVERLASTING as He changes you from the inside out...and He will continue that journey with each day as you learn to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and follow His direction for your life....It will be the beginning of a beautiful life as you walk with Him and surrender your life to His will. If you would like to know more, join me next Monday as we learn of THE NARROW ROAD TO EVERLASTING LIFE.

Walking with Jesus on the Road... HOME,

WPQ

 

 

On the Road Home....

It wasn't all that long ago 

When my journey of life began....

As I wondered across life's landscape

Desperately seeking to find "my plan."

Where would life's troubles take me?

What answers were held in store?

What would give my life true meaning?

Why was I constantly seeking more?

 

It seemed there were no answers

As I traveled life's bumpy road....

No one in whom I could confide

Or one who would share my load.

But then I meet the Savior

Face to face I came to see...

He offered me His forgiveness

And broke my chains to set me free.

 

So now I gladly meet Him

At the start of each new day...

He takes my hand to lead

As I learn to walk His way.

So, my friend, let me implore you

In this life, may you never walk alone...

Just put your hand in His nail-scarred hand,

And walk the road that leads you...HOME!

 

WPQ © May 13,2022