Hankerin" for Home....

I don’t know about you, but I often get the hankering for the world to be a better place; in fact, A PERFECT PLACE. I have given this a considerable amount of thought and have come to the conclusion that this could best be accomplished if every one was just like me.

Now, I am not always right, but I am seldom wrong. I always have the best intentions, although, things don’t always turn out the way I intended. I am generous to a fault as long as the sacrifice doesn’t hit to close to home….and I have been known to pay others a sincere compliment with no thought of what’s in it for me. That’s about as close to perfect as it gets….RIGHT?

I’m sure that by now, you know that all this is tongue-in-cheek….but isn’t it interesting to note that there are those who think, act and live as if this scenario above would make the world a perfect place. There is no hope that this will happen, yet many are living a life of strife and turmoil because they have not come to that conclusion….for those living in despair and hopelessness because the world will NOT conform to your ways, this poem is for you….



A PERFECT PLACE

Oh, how I wish the world to be
A perfect place for you and me.
A world where all is total bliss
‘Cause nothing ever is amiss.
For this to happen, we must all agree
Everyone has to be just like me.

Then I would control what you wear
How you style and cut your hair;
What you eat and what you bake
And how you treat a stomach ache.
All debates would quickly end
And everyone would be my friend.

I’d gladly mandate your movie picks
And give you advice on your politics.
No loud music with boisterous beat,
No double parking on one-way streets.
I’d pick the songs that you could hum
And even choose your bubble gum.

All this I’d do and all for free
So everyone would be like me.

At church we’d sing my favorite songs
The pastor would preach on my favorite wrongs.
We’d start the service right on time
And I could leave and not spend a dime.
Yes, church would be the perfect dream
And I get back home to cheer my team.

Yes, all would share my point of view
And nothing would ever seem askew.
There’s not a problem that I can see
If everyone were just like me …..
Just one small thing that dwells within
My ugly faults….God calls them sin.

So what’s a perfect world to do
When I’m a sinner and you are too;
To make this world what is should be
No one should ever be just like me.
A higher standard we must find
If we’re to be pure in heart and mind.


God’s plan is clear for us to know
He sent His Son, His love to show.
If we trust in Jesus, then we’ll see
Our sins were borne at Calvary;
With His perfect life He did atone
And now He reigns on heaven’s throne.

A perfect place one day we’ll see;
He’s coming back for you and me.

How sweet the song on that day we’ll sing
In praise and honor for our King;
Then you and I will know true bliss
Upon our cheek, our Savior’s kiss;
For there in glory, we shall see His face
At last…at home…in His Perfect Place.

W. PATRICK QUEEN
Copyright August 2008

Tribute to Our Fallen ….Memorial Day 2009

Bombs exploding, bullets flying… upon this dying field;
Each man to give his all…his spirit he must yield.
To march to that beating drum…to follow, to be led
As comrades fall around him…living…dying… dead.

What great honor compels a man to pledge to give his life?
To focus all his energies to bring peace where now is strife.
What great passion ignites a man to stand for freedom’s cause?
What leads him into battle without question, without pause?

It is the hope of every man; it is freedom’s Holy Grail
To stand and be victorious …against all evil to prevail.
It is the spirit of hearts united that welcomes freedom’s call
And answer as one in unison …to pledge to give our all.

So on this special day, we’ve set aside to praise;
To lift our voices in one accord; our glasses we now raise…
And offer heart-felt gratitude for those who gave their best
To grant to us Sweet Liberty and though now, they lay at rest….

Let not their voices be silenced for as freedom’s anthem ring;
As angels in great chorus, the songs of freedom sing….
May their sacrifice be worth it all….May truth and valor lead the way…
May we honor those who died for us on this MEMORIAL DAY!


GOD BLESS THE USA AND THE MANY MEN AND WOMEN
WHO DIED TO PRESERVE OUR FREEDOM….

THIS DAY IS DEDICATED TO
EACH OF YOU!


THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT SACRIFICE
TO YOUR GOD AND YOUR COUNTRY

W. Patrick Queen
Copyright May 2009

Got Favor?

My question for each of us today is quite simple….have you found favor in the eyes of the Lord?

In Genesis, the sixth chapter, we find 10 little words that set the entire tone of this great and mighty chapter regarding God's servant, Noah; however, to get all of the “goodness’ that God wants us to glean, we have to begin at verse 5…

“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth and His heart was filled with pain. So, the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth- men and animals, creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air-for I am grieved that I made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

The Lord’s heart was broken! His wonderful, majestic and awesome creation was totally and devastatingly broken …and God’s only recourse was to start over by destroying all He had made. Once, all He saw and proclaimed, “GOOD,” was now rubbish and to be destroyed ….except for one man, NOAH.

For Noah had found favor in the eyes of the Lord…but just what does that mean… To find FAVOR? Our dictionary would define favor as approval, esteem or preferentiality or preference, if you will. God looked upon Noah and His heart was blessed and made happy because of what he saw in the life of Noah. Let’s read on…

“Noah was a righteous man, BLAMELESS AMONG THE PEOPLE of his time, AND HE WALKED WITH GOD.” (MY EMPHASIS) Genesis 6:9

As the eyes of the Lord had watched the life of Noah, God was pleased with what He saw and He bestowed His favor on this man and his family. Why? Because Noah lived to please God, not men….his walk was a continual path of commitment to God in worship and obedience.

How do we know this? Well, just read the rest of the story and you will see that at every turn, Noah followed the commands of the Lord and did exactly what was required of him. Thus, God established His covenant with Noah and his family to keep them safe and to be the seed to replenish His earth.

How about you ….have you found favor in the eyes of the Lord?

God’s eyes are searching and seeking to find those that will be blameless among the people of their time…those who will walk steadfastly with their God….seeking those upon whom He might bestow His favor. His eyes are upon you and the only question that remains….will you find favor this day in the eyes of the Lord or will His eyes turn away because of the sin and disobedience He sees?

Do as Noah did and you too will know the favor of the Lord….for as the old saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder”….

Today, bless the heart of God as He sees the beauty in a life that is committed to Him...and you will know the favor of your Heavenly Father in all you do.

Seeking His Face….Under His Watchful Eye,
WPQ

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The eyes of the Lord travel to and fro
Seeking to find someone;
Upon whom He might bestow
Blessings for a life well done.

So give Him your love and obedience
And each morning when you arise;
Plan to live this day for Him
To find favor in His loving eyes.

Focused On His Own

Have you ever caught yourself looking at something so beautiful…so inspiring... so awesome that in a matter of seconds you knew you were staring, yet you could not constrain yourself….like the first moment you saw your bride as she walked down the aisle on your wedding day or the ten fingers, ten toes and the beautiful face of your first child. What about the smile on your son or daughter’s face as they received their diploma or that look on your husband’s handsome face as you both gazed at that spectacular sunset on your 20th anniversary….each and every moment you stared intently at the focus of your affection, hoping to capture that vision in your mind’s eye for all eternity.

Our Heavenly Father looks at each of us, His children, with that same look of love and intense focus. Scripture tells us in I Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ear is attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Yes, God is watching….intently, with purpose and with love.

He is looking not only at us, but after us! He is not waiting to catch us doing something wrong; rather, He is watching to see us doing His will and accomplishing His “good.” God’s vision is NEVER obstructed or obscure nor does He sleep nor slumber. His gaze is focused on His own…those called by His name, set apart to be humble and holy. He is writing your life’s story, moment by moment, keeping track of your good works and your short comings….for all these things will be judged at the Bema seat.

But, thanks be to God that He forgives our mistakes and continually smiles upon us. His loving eyes are intently focused on us and His ear is turned toward us so that He might hear the prayers of His people….and lovingly respond.

Even in the midst of Job’s great journey of faith, he was reminded by his friend, Elihu, in Job 36:7, “He does NOT take his eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.” Job had reason to doubt, to cast aside his faith, to renounce his God…but he knew that God’s eyes were upon him and he would not break the continual gaze of the Most High by forsaking him. He remained a righteous man and God’s favor returned to him twice his losses.

Where are you today in your righteous walk with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ? Have you turned the focus of God’s eyes away …is His face set against you as you seek the foolish riches of a sinful and sick world? Have you abandoned the joy of your first love and lost His loving gaze….then, be restored by seeking His righteousness!

Commit today to seek the Lord and all His righteousness…let His focus be your focus! See others as God sees them…love unconditionally and without repayment….practice random acts of kindness ….give until it hurts, either your pride or your pocketbook.

But most of all, remember…..God loves you with an EVERLASTING LOVE ….and He is focused on you.

In the gaze of my Father,
WPQ

He Sees It …ALL!

When I was a wee little chap (and I really was little), all the kids in my neighborhood used to play Hide and Seek every evening after supper. The game would start out with me, my sister, my cousin, Linda and usually, the two kids from across the street. Before the darkness of the evening sent us all scurrying home, we would number 15 to 20 strong…all laughing and running to home base, trying not to be tagged and thus become the next seeker. I was the King at this game…I was wily, fast and so skinny; I could stand behind a pine tree and not be seen. Yes, those were the good old days.

Unfortunately, I carried that ability to hide into my early adult years as I learned to hide the truth of who I was and the sin that kept creeping into my life. I was quite good at projecting a wonderful, wholesome and loving demeanor toward others …all the while hiding deep and dark secrets of betrayal and dishonesty toward my family, my former wife and most of all, myself. I had convinced myself that what I was doing was okay in the light of my circumstances and surely, if kept hidden, it would not really hurt anyone…but in spite of all my efforts, the truth finally surfaced and I was left to deal with the terrible consequences of my actions. Try as I might to hide my behavior and its hideous ramifications from my Heavenly Father, I failed miserably to keep my ways and my actions from the Lord.

In fact, God’s righteous and divine word told me that GOD SEES IT ALL…as evidenced in Proverbs 5, verse 21- 23 that says, “For a man’s ways are before the Lord’s eyes, and He considers all his paths. A wicked man’s iniquities entrap him; he is entangled in the ropes of his own sin. He will die there because there is no instruction, and be lost because of his great stupidity.”

I was a fool like so many of the great Biblical characters that thought they could hide their sin from God…like Moses, after he killed the Egyptian… or David, after his adulterous affair with Uriah’s wife…or Jonah, as he fled God’s call to go to Ninevah…to name just a few. I thought that my sin could be hidden from the eyes of the Lord…that I could somehow cover over all the filth and degradation of a sinner’s wretched life…that I could hide from my very Creator who I was and the shame that filled my heart.

In truth, we all have done things in secret that we have kept from those we love…things we have hidden from the light of scrutiny and judgment. We have told ourselves the lie that if no one sees, then no one knows….but GOD SEES IT ALL!!!!

Again, His word says in Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good.”

What does God see today as He looks at your life? Are you counted among the wicked or the good? Is God astonished at your stupidity as you seek to untangle the ropes of sin that have imprisoned you and kept your from being the man or woman God has called you to be?

Today, remember that even though God sees it all….He is a God of second-chances! He is waiting for you to admit that you no longer want to hide from Him and His arms are open wide…run to Him, look into His loving eyes and ask for His forgiveness.

His eyes will light up at the very sight of His child... and His mercy and grace will wash over you as you bask in the glow of His love…. a child of the King who has nothing to hide.

Hidden in the arms of Jesus,
WPQ

THE EYES OF THE LORD

Now I don’t know about you, but we all have some preconceived notion or vision of what God looks like ….and what He is doing out there in that great vast unknown called Heaven.

For many, they see God as some benevolent grandfather, sitting and rocking peacefully in his rocking chair…watching quietly as the world spins by….and once in a while, He chips in with a blessing or two to make life worthwhile…..the mindset of these folks is usually, “God helps those who help themselves!”

Others view God as some fearsome tyrant that is waiting to catch them doing something wrong just so He can zap them with some personal disaster….their mindset, “ I’m not going to do anything for God, it will only end badly.”

There are many more “views” of who God is and what He’s doing; in fact, too many to count. But, God’s Holy Word gives us a clue in 2 Chronicles 16:9 …" For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”

The eyes of the Lord are on each of us as God searches for those who need and want His help….those who are committed to follow Him, to be obedient to His will, to hold Him in great esteem and honor….He is always looking out across the landscape of time and space to see who will stand and be counted for Him.

God is ALWAYS looking out across His creation, seeking to find those that believe in Him and have called upon the name of Jesus for their salvation….but more than that, He is keeping a record of every thought, every deed…done or undone….He is writing your life story through the eyes of the Creator.

How does God see your life and what else do we need to know about the eye of the Lord? What great truths await us as we consider how God's eye is always running to and fro?

This week, I hope to share some personal insights that will help us understand how God is looking out for us and what the Scriptures can teach us about the Eye of the Lord.

The image above I received yesterday in an email. It reminded me that God is always watching and looking to strengthen those that He loves and are called according to His purpose….it was taken by NASA’s Hubble telescope and is believed to occur only once every 3,000 years….it is entitled “ The Eye of God”.

Please join me all this week as we learn more about the beautiful eyes of the Lord ….and how He sees each of us….until tomorrow, remember,

THE EYE OF GOD IS WATCHING YOU TODAY….FOR HE LOVES YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE!!!!!!!

In My Father's Eyes,
WPQ

ARE YOU A TREE HUGGER?

Now, I ask the question above, not as one concerned about your environmental leanings, but rather, as one who is interested in your willingness to follow where your Savior leads? Allow me to pontificate…..

Throughout the Bible, there is story after story where God asks those who believe in Him to let go of the tree of security and climb out on the limb of faith. Abraham, Noah, Moses and countless others in the Old Testament…each were busy minding their own business; enjoying their lives as simple men of faith when they heard the call of God. He asked each of them to step out of their comfort zone and perform a task that He had ordained for them to do.

In simple words, they were called to service. They were called to leave the familiar and status quo behind, to shed the cloak of comfort and to go where God would lead….to let go of the tree trunk and climb out on the limb.

Jesus required the same thing when he issued the call to Peter, the Brothers and their friends to lay down their fishing nets and follow him. He issued the same call to another young man whose story is told in both the gospels of Mark and Luke….

As He was setting out on a journey, a young man ran up, knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God,” replied Jesus. “You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.” “Teacher, All these things I have kept from my youth,” he replied.

Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go and sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, come and follow Me.” But he was stunned at this demand and he went away grieving because he had great wealth. Mark 10:17-22


Did you catch all that? Jesus looked at him with love…then he called him from the comfort of hugging his tree of wealth to a commitment to lay up treasure in heaven. He asked this young ruler to leave the “good life” for the promise of eternal life…to give up all in order to gain heaven…and don’t miss the reaction of the young ruler in Mark’s account of this encounter….the young man was STUNNED at this request.

Stunned that Jesus could possibly ask such a thing of him…to forsake and sell all he had worked so hard to achieve and then, to distribute his possessions to the poor. Surely, this was just some type of cruel joke? So we raise the question….what about you and me and our comfort zones?

How many times has God asked you to let go of your tree, unwrap you death clutch and climb out on the limb in obedience to His call to service and ministry …and what was your response? Were you stunned like the young man that God could possible ask you to leave a good job to go to the mission field….that you should take the bonus you received and make a donation to your church’s building fund …or that you should skip vacation this year and spend the week abroad spreading His word.

For each of us, the list of God’s call to leave the comfort of the tree trunk and to climb out on that scrawny, shaky limb to do His will, to answer His call, is endless….yet, each call comes from our Savior who loves us and gave His life for us. He will not ask us to go where He has not prepared the way ….we are equipped to be limb climbers because of our faith in Him.

So, don’t be like the rich young ruler ….don’t ask the question, “What must I do?” and then leave the Savior…grieving because of His answer. Rather, be like Peter who says to Christ later in the same chapter, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”

Whereby Christ responded to him by saying, “I assure you, there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or fields because of Me, and the gospel, who will not receive 100 times more, now at this time as well as eternal life in the age to come.” Luke 18:29-30

I know the limb may look perilous, but the decision to stay close and hug the tree has too great a cost….and a grief that will prove too much to bear. Listen today for the call of your Savior and be ready to let go and climb out where God has called you to be …you’ve so much to gain… and a new perspective so grand, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done this before.

Striving to be a Limb Climber,
WPQ

GOT FEAR?

In America today, we are indeed in the midst of troubling and terrifying times. In fact, there seems to be a great cloud of fear that has swept over our nation as we deal with falling home values, crashing stock markets and a possible pandemic of the swine flu. Fear seems to have a choke hold on just about everyone… including those of us that are called Christians.

There are at least three hundred times that the Scriptures tell us to “Fear not!” But, maybe that is easier said than done. I mean, all anyone has to do is read the headlines on today’s (or any day’s) newspaper or listen to any of the hundreds of news reporters bombarding us with the next round of “doom and gloom”. It’s enough to make your head spin…or at least want to stick it in a deep hole; but I believe God has a better way for His children to deal with fear and to be His lights of reason in a darkly lit, fear-infested world.

President Franklin Roosevelt told our nation in another perilous time that we had nothing to fear but fear itself; but, God’s Holy word tells us in Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” Did you catch that? There is only one healthy fear…the Fear of the Lord. But what does that mean exactly? Should we quake in our boots and tremble at the mere mention of His name? Not exactly!

Now, God deserves our respect, our admiration, our spirit of awe and reverence and yes, even our fear; but, our fear should make us dependent on Him… not desperate or downcast! We should acknowledge that our sovereign God made us and that we belong to him…that nothing can come against us that He will not destroy. Fear, the kind that grips, controls and manipulates our will, has no place in the life of a Christian. The apostle Paul said it best in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Fear that is defeated in the life of a Christian is replaced by FAITH. In fact, it can be said that faith is fear…with legs.

Faith gets us up by doing…fear leaves us frozen and afraid. Faith moves forward while looking up….fear stands still and fixates on the problem. Fear comes knocking…faith answers the door!

Now, I don’t know what fear may have arisen in your life. Maybe, you’re like me and you’ve recently lost your job. Maybe, there’s been bad news from the doctor or bills are piling up. Maybe, your marriage is on shaky ground or your house is heading into foreclosure. Whatever calamity has beset you, God Knows ….and if you’ve made it known to Him that you are placing your faith in Him for the solution to your situation….then half the battle to defeat fear has been won. You’ve taken that first gigantic step in attaining the wisdom that God wants to grant you for your dilemma…you have acknowledged your dependency on our great and mighty and awesome God….and now, your fear will flee as you remember that faith believes in God in spite of what you see, hear or feel.

Remember, faith is not believing that God can do something….FAITH IS KNOWING THAT HE WILL…and in knowing, all fear is GONE!!!!!

I trust that today that you will allow God’s Holy Spirit to dispel and disperse any and all fear from your heart, body, mind and soul. Seek God’s wisdom for your situation, study His word, seek Godly counsel, pray earnestly, believe passionately and plan to do whatever God directs you to do. God already has His plan at work …He may just be waiting to see how large your faith and how little your fear.

Faith is the key to displacing our fear….the only fear that remains is for our Lord!


Living free from fear….trusting in His mighty hand,
WPQ


Thought for the day:
God told Noah to build an ark,
A project that caused great pain.
He stepped out in faith to obey His God
Without seeing the first drop of rain.