THERE IS A STORY...MARY AND HER LAMB!

There is a story we've all been told
From childhood days so long ago;
About a little girl named Mary
And the Lamb who loved her so.
This little lamb, with fleece so white
Without blemish or darkened stain;
Would follow her to school each day
As she skipped merrily down the lane.
 
This little Lamb was God's only Son
And each day at Mary's school;
The little lamb would teach each child
How to follow the Golden Rule.
For at the beginning of each class,
At the start of each new day;
The little children would bow their heads
And in silence they would pray.
 
But one day Mary arrived at school
And much to her dismay...
She and all her friends were told,
"IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO PRAY!"
They could not understand this;
Why the Lamb who was so kind;
Was taken from their daily lives
To be blotted from their minds.
 
So no longer with the Lamb to lead,
Their hearts, now broken with despair;
It wasn't long before their school
Was broken beyond repair.
Fights broke out, drugs were sold;
A depressing gloom fell over all.
As children lay shot and dying
While armed gunmen roamed the halls.
 
This has been a terrible fiasco
Brought about by those now "woke;"
A desperate attempt to change the things
That were never, ever broke.
But how do we take back our schools
So little children just like Mary?
Can once again follow the Lamb....
Will more die while we tarry?
 

W. Patrick Queen © Sept 2024

SATAN'S DECEITFUL NATURE....THE WAR CONTINUES

As we turn our thoughts on getting back to that GOOD OLD TIME RELIGION, let us continue to evaluate this new spirit of progressive Christianity that tells us to believe the mindset that says, we know better than God; that since these words were written by mere mortal men, thousands of years ago; then truly the plain sense of the words of the Bible cannot be trusted, and that the old, proven paths are not proven at all. In fact, the very God of the Bible must be recreated if He is to live up to our enlightened standards. This would be bad if it was some uprising of intellectuals, spouting this rubbish from afar; however, it is worse, unfortunately,  because it is being espoused from the pulpit of so many of our "modern day churches." The teachings of Jesus to love our enemies is still true; but we have allowed these "enemies" to stand in our pulpits and tell us that sin is okay. We are told to accept homosexuals, love 'em and praise them for their willingness to bring, what was once called "sin against God and sin against humanity",  out into the open forum so that ALL mankind will no longer call this type of lifestyle, "SIN";  but rather celebrate their "forward thinking" that they know better than God how to live their lives and be fulfilled, while living a lifestyle, corrupted by sin.

BUT, we should know better! For when we begin to think in such a manner, what we are then left with is simply our religion—a faith without a backbone; a bible with which we have chosen only the parts that fit our distorted mindset and a god that we have created in our image, based on our values. 

Augustine summed it up nicely: “If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." Christ warns, on many occasions in His words to us, "And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them." Luke 21:8....and that is EXACTLY what we see happening in so many of our long, established houses of worship here in the United States.

 We should also take to heart the message from the Apostle Paul when he writes in 1 Corinthians 9 &10, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."

However, there are two more passages from GOD'S WORD, THE BIBLE, that tell us not TO BE DECEIVED....Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”  I Cor. 15:33 WVB

as well as, ^"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7 NIV

AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DOING...WE ARE MOCKING GOD with our outlandish ways on how to live and our smug attitudes that thumbs our collective noses in God's face, calling Him out and daring Him to correct us and our demonic mindset....A MINDSET that tells us to believe that we are GOD and HE IS NOT!!!

The following excerpt is from Michael Brown ©2022  and the reason I wrote this series... But, again, this is not merely an intellectual battle. At root, this is a spiritual battle, one that can only be won through prayer, fasting, through clear Gospel proclamation, through resisting the enemy, refusing to compromise and walking in genuine, heartfelt love. The spirit of the age will be against us (“You are so old-fashioned and outdated!”). The spirit of the flesh will be against us (“You are such boring legalists!”). The spirit of that ancient serpent will be against us (“If you want to be on the right side of history, you need to abandon your inflexible, fundamentalist mindset!”).

But the Holy Spirit is with us, and by His power we pull down these deceptive strongholds and demolish these destructive ideologies. We do it by wrestling in prayer in the secret place before we raise our voices in the public square. We do it by pointing to the inevitable trajectory of progressive beliefs, as little by little, they depart further and further from the faith until even the most fundamental doctrines are denied. We do it by exposing the moral bankruptcy of a faith that questions God’s integrity and His Word, producing bondage rather than freedom. And we do it by setting the captives free, offering them radically new life through the Gospel and a true encounter with the living God through His Son, Jesus.

In the days ahead, this battle will intensify. The foundations of our faith will be questioned as never before, and the “old ways” will be rapidly abandoned. But be encouraged. Progressive religion is no better than a beautiful sandcastle, soon to be washed out when the tide comes in.

It is that holy tide, in the life and power of the Spirit, grounded in the Word of truth, that will carry us to victory and deliver many from its deception and the adjoining lies. (End of Michael Brown insert)

Don't be one of those fools of which the Bible speaks of in the days that lie ahead...where in 2 Timothy 4:3, it reads," For there will come a time when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, because they have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in line with their own desires." Evangelical Heritage Version

Those times are upon us and you must choose whom you will serve...the GOD of AGES PAST, who sent His Only Son to die on a Roman cross for your sins and mine; then rose on that third day to now stand at the right hand of the Father, waiting for that trumpet blast to GO GET GOD'S CHILDREN AND BRING THEM HOME TO ETERNAL REST.... OR....You may choose the God of YOUR OWN MAKING AND THOUGH NOT A PROPHET, I DO NOT FORSEE A HAPPY ENDING FOR ANYONE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO MAKE SUCH A CHOICE! 

May the God of that GOOD OLD TIME RELIGION FOREVER DWELL IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THOSE HE HAS CALLED TO BE HIS OWN....AMEN and AMEN!             

 WPQ

 

Lyrics from Old Time Religion....

Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It is good enough for me

It was good for my old mother
It was good for my old mother
It was good for my old mother
And it's good enough for me

It was good for the Hebrew children
It was good for the Hebrew children
It was good for the Hebrew children
And it's good enough for me

Well, give me that old time religion
Well, that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It is good enough for me

I want that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It is good enough for me

 

Another Step A Way ....

As we continue our study of how we got so far away from that Good Old Time Religion, we must next look at the family...and how the dynamics of family, raising children, technology and sports have worked quietly behind the scenes to disrupt and even destroy the family unit here in America and across the world.

When I was being raised as a child, my family had a different dynamic than most. There was my dad, mom, my younger sister, me....and my aunt (my father's younger sister) and her daughter who was six months older than me....and all this new family came to be shortly after I had my sixth birthday. It was quite different; adding a sister/cousin and an additional mom....talk about a double whammy when it came to being chastised and disciplined. But, as families did back then, we settled into life, loving and leaning on one another for familial support. My sister now had someone she could play with and thus, not spend her time, bugging me....and I had another mom who was a great cook. We did what most families did back then....go to work and school, play outside until the street lights came on or my dad hollered for us to come home for supper or school work; went to church Sunday morning for Sunday School, worship service; back at 5 pm for Youth Choir; Wednesday family supper, prayer meetings and youth activities...and if all was going well, a vacation trip each summer for a week's vacation at the beach or to the mountains to visit aunts, uncles and other cousins. I played baseball and took up golf and basketball in junior high....and my all-star baseball team traveled some in the summer before school began in the Fall.

But the mainstay, rock-bed foundation of our family was our evening meal. WE ALL SAT DOWN at the same time, ate the same thing, seated around the dinner table as we discussed the highs and lows of our day... parents and children all joining in to share what was taking place in our lives. If the phone rang during the meal, it rang until it stopped...no one got up to answer it, thus breaking our family circle that was sacred at dinnertime. Everyone was given a chance to share, no interruptions, and seconds, both in food and conversations, was always allowed. The only night we did not eat together at home was on Wednesday night, when we ate at church; or if a special occasion occurred and we went out for dinner. Fast food was NOT AN OPTION....only thing about fast food at my house...how fast I could eat it, so I could be excused ands get back outdoors!

There were no answering machines to take a message; no cellphones, tablets or personal computers, vying for our attention; no tweets, no Instagram, no selfies, no self-inflicted interruptions to take us away from what mattered most...SPENDING TIME TOGETHER, CATCHING UP ON LIFE, EATING A GOOD MEAL, TALKING ABOUT OUR SUCCESSES AND OUR "SPEEDBUMPS"....AND LETTING THOSE WE LOVED KNOW THAT WE HAD MISSED THEM DURING THE DAY!

But all one has to do is look at what modern technology has done to the family dynamics in this modern era....everyone coming and going their own ways, with little to no interaction with others in the family. Hardly ever eating together; both parents working and the kids involved in almost every sport imaginable; running from one end of the county to the other; exhausted and distraught, shortened hours for sleep, homework....but plenty of time for X-box or other diversions that may add to self indulgence, but do little for self-worth and self-improvement. 

Church life is almost becoming an extinct activity for families. Forget Wednesday night at church or Sunday afternoon choir for kids and young people....they are all wrapped up in traveling team sports, often leaving on Friday afternoon to go play in a tournament that won't wrap up until late Sunday afternoon; or participating in a swim, track or gymnastic event that takes them away from attending Sunday School/Bible Study or worshiping together as a family on Sunday. SPORTS FOR OUR CHILDREN HAVE BECOME THEIR IDOL AND WE DRIVE THEM TO WHEREVER THAT MAY TAKE THEM...until they can drive and then, they leave to go play and we go back to taking a long nap on Sunday afternoon. 

No wonder our world is being turned upside down with all these "woke" and "off-beat worldly views." God has been left off of our "things to do" list and our children, our families and our churches are suffering the ill effects of trying to teach our children to live a "good life" with a broken compass that gives them neither spiritual guidance nor heavenly directions....What we need is to return, once again, to that 

OLD TIME RELIGION.....AMEN AND AMEN,

WPQ

Give Me that Old-Time Religion...

Maybe, you are like me when it comes to thinking about where we are in relationship to our values, morals, personal, as well as, religious beliefs. It wasn't that long ago when we could talk about our faith and even have an open and honest discussion with another about our different or even oppositional views...IT SEEMS THOSE DAYS ARE LONG PAST AND ARE NO LONGER EVEN VISIBLE ON THE HORIZON.

So, what has happened to us; to our fellow believers and to those who are un-believers regarding coming to know Jesus as a friend, confidant, guide, moral counselor and most of all, LORD AND SAVIOR? Over the next few days, I hope to address this malady that has befallen us and what it is doing to our society; to our churches and to our personal and professional relationships with those we know and love. First let's start with our society....we used to be civil to each other and sought to listen to our fellow citizens voice their opinion, before we began shouting them down, calling them names and looking for ways to "cancel them and their ideological rants." We say we believe in tolerance; however, if their viewpoint/truth does not totally align with our own viewpoint/truth; then we begin to look at ways to belittle them for their "backwater views",  'hillbilly ways" and  "intellectually deficit mindset"....in short, we plug our ears, make loud, gibberish noises and try to get them to shut up and quit spewing their "nonsense". Oh yes, we are TOLERANT... as long as they believe what we believe, with very little to no deviations. In fact, for many there seems to be an unwritten rule...TWO THINGS WE DON'T DISCUSS; RELIGION AND POLITICS!

So what was the first step down this road to disenfranchise those with which we disagree....I call it....SELECTIVE TRUTH! It seems there is no such thing as ABSOLUTE TRUTH any more, for we have all fallen for the devil's lie that we each can have OUR OWN TRUTH! Fortunately, this way of thinking has yet to invade the laws of physics like gravity, laws of motion, laws of thermodynamics, etc...get my drift? I believe we can all agree that if you jump off of a 10 story building, even if caught by a upward wind current, eventually you are heading for a nasty, downward fall....and remember, it is not the fall that will kill you...IT'S THE SUDDEN STOP!!

It would seem, to any observant person, that we have laid aside the moral laws of the one true God and have decided that we know better than the God of the Universe. After all, that nonsense of evolution, if true, says mankind is always evolving into something "higher and better, more enlightened." Therefore, what we know now, surely makes us better equipped than our ancestors to discern our OWN TRUTH. So, rather than relying on an ancient relic named the BIBLE, we, as enlightened, evolving, logical and rational human beings, have earned the right to discern truth and to determine how to administer truth to others. However, one quick look around the world with all its problems, plagues and persecutions of our fellow brothers of humanity tells us (if we are honest)...WE ARE FAILING MISERABLY WITH LITTLE OR NO HOPE FOR A FUTURE if we continue down this road.

So how did we end up so far off course from the road that God set humanity upon when He gave us HIS ten commandments" I believe it starts with PRIDE AND SIN....TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN. What do I mean by that? Well, in each word, smack in the middle of each word is the letter, "I"....I don't need a God to tell me right from wrong; I get to decide that for myself. In fact, I don't need a God for anything; I got this!   Now if that is not a bad case of prIde which leads to all kinds of  sIn, I don't know what is?

Yes, sin, and the pride that precedes it, always takes us away from the TRUTH...for Jesus said it best in John 14: 6. "Jesus told him, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Caps, my emphasis)....and so, it is our sin that separates us from the God who loves us; created us; died for us; rose again to complete our redemption and now reigns for us and with us in this world, and the new world that He has gone ahead to prepare. So don't be deceived by the prince of the air, the Devil and his lying minions; but take this scripture from 1 Peter 5:8 to heart...  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Now, more than any other time in history, we need to be ready to stand firm in our faith and take heed to the message of Paul to his young pastor-in-training when he said; "Timothy, do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth." 2 Timothy2:15 The Voice

With this mindset as our goal and with the help, guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit, our words should never bring anger or resentment into any of our conversations regarding Jesus and His teachings; rather, they should show our love and our compassion for those with whom we differ and should be the bridge of God's TRUTH that leads them to the Savior and to their eternal home with HIM... MAY IT BE SO IN THE POWER OF GOD THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT....

AMEN AND AMEN,

WPQ

Poem for the day...

Truth...Naturally? 

When we are born as a little babe,
Our parents often fail to see;
Though they saw an angel,
There's a little devil in you and me.
 
They try to teach us right from wrong.
They surely give it their best;
But often we come up lacking
And fail to pass the test.
 
The test to share our toys and things
Without having to be told;
So we cling to them; we cry and scream;
No strong man could break our hold.
 
Or what about that broken vase
That lies shattered on the floor;
We tell them, "I didn't do it"
As we lie again once more.
 
Yes, we did not need to be taught to lie
For it comes so naturally;
All because of the bite Eve took
From the apple of the forbidden tree.
 
But there's a cure for this insidious sin
If we do one simple thing...
Ask ourselves, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
Then, live like a child of the KING!
 
 
W. Patrick Queen © May 2020

UNDERSTANDING THE LORD'S PRAYER... AND ITS TEACHINGS!

In the early days of Christ's ministry on earth, He is speaking to His many new followers, while seated on the Mount of the Beatitudes, a hill in northern Israel that overlooks the sea of Galilee. It is considered to be Christ's most famous and complete sermon, and may have occurred in one very long day or over several days. But it is the sermon's setting that is illuminating for us because, against this beautiful panorama of nature, His teachings often best illustrate His message to His disciples about GOD, Creation and the sinful nature of man and the forgiveness of a Holy, Righteous and Just Heavenly Father. So, it should come as no surprise that Jesus would lecture those in attendance about their way of communicating with their Heavenly Father. As any good orator would do, Jesus told them what NOT TO DO, and then taught them HOW THEY SHOULD PRAY...what we today in Scripture know as THE LORD'S PRAYER.  Before you read on, turn in your Bible and read Matthew 6:5-8 and then read the remaining verses Mt. 6:9-13. Please pay particular attention to verse 5, where Jesus says, "AND WHEN YOU PRAY"...not IF YOU PRAY or SHOULD YOU PRAY.....

BUT, WHEN YOU PRAY..... For this is a MUST FOR THOSE WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIM...TO PRAY AND PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

1) Why does Jesus teach His disciples to begin the prayer with…OUR FATHER? When we think how the Jewish nation was taught to revere God....they had to come up with a word that they could say and not offend the HOLY ONE OF HEAVEN...JHWH (JAHWEH) or break the third commandment and take the Lord's name in vain. In fact, the only one that was allowed to say the name, JAHWEH, was the High Priest in the Holy of Holies during the celebration of Yom Kippur; however, Jesus is breaking new ground with those that He will entrust to share the name of Jesus, God's Son, with the rest of the world upon His departure. Jesus wants to teach His disciples that God is HOLY, but HE IS THEIR FATHER....ON WHOM THEY CAN DEPEND.

 2) And so the natural progression in this new relationship, HALLOWED (or HOLY) is your name....this instantaneous reminder for each of us is not to get TOO CASUAL WITH A HOLY, RIGHTEOUS AND ALL-POWERFUL, ALMIGHTY GOD!

 3) Let us learn to obey here on earth as all those who obey in Heaven. Jesus is teaching the disciples about the Heavenly order and their need for obedience. Remember, He and He alone knows what is coming and what they will face when He is gone. And they will only be able to move forward by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that will come upon them as they learn of Him and follow in obedience to His leadings.

 4) AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS...and it comes in the middle of the prayer. We have taken care to honor and treat God as HOLY and SUPREME. We are told to be obedient and do here on earth, what God is doing in Heaven. So after taking care of our Heavenly responsibilities, Jesus teaches His disciple to then, and only then, to think of their needs ....and they can do that best by turning them over to God. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD....not enough for next month, next week or even for tomorrow...for just as God supplied the Heavenly manna each morning to the ungrateful nation of Israel; how much more will He supply to a willing and obedient heart of His faithful followers?

 5) And since we are now on more solid footing with a Holy God, Jesus turns the prayer to our relationships with others....reminding us that we MUST LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS FOR THEIR SINS AGAINST US; AS GOD HAS FORGIVEN US FOR OUR SINS AGAINST HIM! And that is something that can ONLY be done through the power provided by GOD to forgive and let go of any resentment, pettiness or grumbling of how we have been wronged. In God's Book of Sins, the page with our name on it, as a BELEIVER IN CHRIST.... is BLANK!!!

 6) And lastly, ask God to keep temptations to do ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF HIS WILL FAR FROM US; to keep the ways of destruction from the Evil One at bay so that we are FULLY PROTECTED FROM HIS TRICKERY AND OUR FLESHLY DESIRE TO SIN.

Matthew 6:9-13     Contemporary English Version

⁹ You should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name.¹⁰ Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven ¹¹ Give us our food for today. ¹² Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. ¹³ Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil.

Poem for the day.....

JUST START PRAYING.....
 Maybe your life is filled with pain; overcome with many sorrows;
Your life will be much better...you're just waiting for tomorrow.
But I am here to tell you that if your life is filled with sin;
It won't get any better 'til you invite the Savior in.

 Until you ask for His forgiveness, turn to Him and thus repent.
You won't come to know His blessings that are waiting to be sent.
So if you want to know His peace that wipes away the shame;
Then my friend, swallow your pride... and call on Jesus' name.

 For Jesus has promised He will never leave you alone.
He is standing by His Father; who is seated on Heaven's throne.
For our Heavenly Father looks down on us; He alone is waiting;
For the child who would reach out to Him...to just start praying.

To ask for His forgiveness...to see Him make your pathway straight;
And though time is rushing by...at least for now, it's not too late.
Our Father has made a plan and from that plan He is not straying;
He is ready to forgive your every sin ....if you just start praying.

For the chasm that separates us from the love of our Creator
Is as wide and deep and immovable as the world's largest crater.
But the Father has provided us a way to know His love,
And that is why He sent His Son from His glory up above.

So don't wait forever until that last chance has passed by;
And you're lying on your death bed, praying not to die.
Instead, why not lift a prayer that will seal your eternal fate....
Do sooner rather than later...
OR IT JUST MIGHT BE TOO LATE!!!
 

WPQ  June 2024
 

AND THE LAST THREE R'S ARE.....

So as we come to the conclusion of our look at those R's that are so important to our Heavenly Father, we need to stop and think....what R's are missing from our list?

Let's start with one that takes us all the way back to 1929; a time of hopelessness, despair and depression. In fact, it became known as the Great Depression. And one American company took to heart the desire to lift the lives and spirits of the great masses with their cleverly designed catch phrase...."the pause that refreshes...Drink Coca-Cola...Delicious and Refreshing!"

Yes, Our God is in the refreshing business and He says so in His Word in the Old Testament,

I will fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary and fully refresh the souls of those who are faint. (Jeremiah 31:25 NET) I think we all know what it means to be weary or frazzled; out-a-sorts and on our last legs. After a long hike in a sweltering sun; pulling weeds from our garden or just sweating as we push our lawn mower across, what we once thought, was a small yard. WE NEED A GLASS OF COLD WATER/LEMONADE; BEADS OF COLD CONDENSATION RUNNING DOWN THE OUTSIDE OF THE COOL, LIQUID REFRESHMENT THAT WAITS FOR US TO TAKE THAT FIRST SIP AND BE REFRESHED. Yes, when we are weary, but take the time to seek the Lord...He stands ready to give us a drink of His Eternal Living Water and we are REFRESHED! God also tells us in His Word, "Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing  may come from the presence of the Lord, and so that he may send the Messiah appointed for you—that is, Jesus." (Acts 3:19-20 NET) Yes, sometimes when sin in our life has been riding us relentlessly, we need to seek the redeeming power of God's Grace and REPENT; so that His times of refreshing will come from His presence in our lives. Remember this...God's will cannot THRIVE when SIN IS ALIVE in your life....Repent and be Refreshed and Restored to once again walk in His ways so that His will, not yours, will be done; so that once again, you may experience His refreshing ways. So don't let the devil mislead you into thinking more highly of yourself than you ought. God's Word reminds us continually ..... "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body. (Proverbs 3:7-8 NRSVU)

And lastly, not only do we need to be refreshed, but we also can be the refresher when we allow God to use us as encouragers, helpers, guides, confidants and "a friend that sticks closer than a brother."  And if someone plays a part in refreshing you, lifting you up, dusting you off and setting you on the righteous path of reconciliation with your Heavenly Father....then why not be the last "R" in God's arsenal of His many "R's"....BE A RECOGNIZER! Once again, we find in God's Word, the apostle Paul's call to action, " For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people."  (I Cor. 16:18)

Yes God is in the redemptive, restoring, reviving, re-igniting, refreshing and recognizing business....and He is just a prayer away when you need to experience any of His "R's"

Renewed each day....Ready for His call to ACTION,

WPQ

THE MOST IMPORTANT "R".....REDEEMED!!!

When we left off last week, I said we would come back and take a look at the most important one of the "R's"....THE REDEMPTION POWER OF GOD....WHO CHOOSES TO REDEEM AND SATISFY HIS HOLY NATURE. So, what do I mean by that last statement? Allow me to share a little story of mine that I have used several times over the years in some of my sermons.

It seems there was a young man, probably around seven or eight years old that was given a wooden sailboat kit for his birthday. He tore into the package and was eager to get started on building his sailboat. For days, he diligently worked on his model boat and before long, it was time to take his new, prized possession to the nearby park and its large, circular lake.

He very gingerly tied a string to the mast and slipped his new sailboat into the calm lake. For what seemed like hours, he walked along the edge of the lake, pulling his boat behind him. Suddenly, the winds picked up and a strong gust caught the sail, pulled the string from his hand, sending  the boat into the deeper waters of the lake. The little boy watched as his precious possession went farther and farther away from him. Tears welled up into his eyes, for he knew his sailboat was gone forever...and with a broken heart, he made his way home. For days, he sat sullen and joyless as he thought of his lost sailboat. His mother suggested he go into the little village where they lived and get some fresh air. So, as he walked the streets of his small village, he stopped in front of the toy store; and there to his surprise was his boat, sitting in the window. He rushed in and told the owner that it was his boat that was sitting in the window. To which the owner replied, "I am very sorry young man, but there is no name on the boat, In fact, a young man brought the boat into me the other day and I bought it for $5. I can't just give it to you even though you say it is yous. But, here's what I will do....I WILL SELL IT TO YOU FOR FIVE DOLLARS."

FIVE DOLLARS...what was the little boy to do? He did not have any money; but maybe, his parents would give him the money he needed. When he asked them, they replied, "We gave you the boat kit; but we do not have the money to give to you. Perhaps, you can earn it by helping your mom with some of the chores or you can help some of our neighbors and earn the money you need that way."  So, he began to help his mom with the trash; raking the leaves for his dad; and doing other odd jobs for his neighbors. It took some time and great effort on his part; but, it wasn't too long before he took the $5 he had earned and rushed to the toy store. He ran all the way and bounding into the store, he handed the money to the owner and was given his sailboat. As he stepped outside into the bright sunlight, clutching his sailboat to his tiny chest, he exclaimed, "You're mine, you're mine!!! You are mine TWICE!!! ONCE BECAUSE I MADE YOU; TWICE BECAUSE I BOUGHT YOU BACK!"

 And that, my friend, is the perfect picture of what God has done for His creation...You and Me!

The Hebrew word, ga'al, which means to "buy back" or "redeem" is what God, our Creator, has done for each of us. He paid the ransom for us; bought us back from our sinful nature and we belong to HIM, TWICE....first because he made us and secondly, because He shed His blood through His obedient SON, Jesus Christ. We have NO RIGHT STANDING before a Holy God; but because of His Great Love for us, He sent His Son from Heaven's throne room and REDEEMED US....BOUGHT US BACK AND PAID FOR OUR PARDON WITH HIS PERFECT, HOLY, RIGHTEOUS SON'S BLOOD.... BLOOD SHED ON A CRUEL CROSS SO THAT WE COULD SING THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED.

Yes, when we get to Heaven, as believers in Jesus Christ, we will stand before Him and be ushered into His presence. The angels may very well sing in one great chorus, welcoming us into our eternal dwelling place. But we will burst into a song that the angels will not be able to sing. It is  GOD'S FAVORITE SONG OF ALL...FOR IT IS THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED!

Go to the Internet and check out Philips, Craig and Dean's song, FAVORITE SONG OF ALL! Lean into and repeat the lyrics; then you will truly understand what God's greatest gift to mankind can mean to you in this life...and the eternal life to come as one REDEEMED AND PROUD TO PROCLAIM IT!!!

Redeemed....and His Joy Floods My Soul,

 WPQ