And the last is.....Blessed Are the Persecuted

There is not a person alive, or deceased for that matter, that has not known ridicule or persecution for their looks, their thoughts or their beliefs...it just comes with the territory of being human. But some of us deal with persecution better than others and some of us totally melt into oblivion when persecution comes knocking at our door.

You see, there is always a payout for persecution..either to our benefit or our demise. Often, we react to persecution based on our value system and what the end game might be. But as Christians, Christ forewarned us that as His followers, we would be PRIME TARGETS for persecution of all kinds. He implored us to "put up treasures in Heaven" and by so doing, ease the pain of persecution.

But what does that mean? Well, you can always tell the difference between a believer who has his feet planted in the world and the one that has firmly planted his feet in the Kingdom to come. Though we all may live in both worlds, we must choose daily where to plant our feet and where to build our treasure. Those who build for the here and now are noticeably shaken when the world is shaken; but the believer who is firmly grounded in Kingdom endeavors, he is able to persevere through any of life's pitfalls or persecutions.

And when does persecutions come? When we are most committed to following the leadership of the Holy Spirit; when we are truly pursuing the ways of righteousness as demonstrated by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ...well, you can bank on persecution to come knocking! 

But God has promised us not only deliverance, but a place of deliverance...our eternal home! When we are persecuted, we need only lift our eyes toward Heaven and see that glorious promise;

Blessed are those who are persecuted, for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Persecution, probably more than anything else a believer may face, reveals how eternally focused he may be. It lets him know, in no uncertain terms, the true depth and width and breadth of his faith... and in the midst of that persecution, his faith is purified and built up...stronger and more resilient than he may have ever imagined. It is in the midst of this fiery oven that all the dross is burned away and we can see more clearly what our heart's treasure truly is...a treasure of unspeakable worth!!!

So, do as Paul urged the Corinthians to do in II Cor. 4:8-9, " We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."  

Look to the author and finisher of your faith to accomplish His will and His way in the midst of any persecution, knowing that He is with you always...and He is ALWAYS victorious...and in that promise of the last beatitude is that one day, for we will all be persecuted for the Lord's sake, we will all be home...eternally present in the Kingdom of Heaven.

AMEN and Amen,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

Life is hard; the storm clouds come...

And no one seems to care;

But lift your eyes toward heaven,

See the Savior waiting there.

For He knows the pain and suffering

And the persecution that is near;

But He will draw you close to him

To relieve your pain and fear.

For He has walked this path before

That lead to His great loss;

So if we are to follow Him,

We, too, must bear our cross.

But we will not walk alone;

For He has gone before.

And we shall see Him face to face

When we meet at Heaven's door.

WPQ @August 2015

This is the last post in this series...I will resume new posts the week of September 7th...

Be Blessed, Not Stressed and Give God the Glory!!!!

Blessed are the Peacemakers....It's a Family Trait!

We have all, at one time or another, seen one of those silly sitcoms that has two siblings, two best friends or whatever, clammed up, refusing to talk to the other party because of what he or she did. But, when the hero or heroine of the sitcom gets them in the same room so that they can begin the complicated process of reconciliation...NO ONE CAN REMEMBER WHAT STARTED THE CONFLICT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

I think I can speak to the root cause of almost every conflict that mankind has ever known...THE PRIDE OF MAN! It seems that when anyone calls us on the carpet, smudges or soils our reputation or does anything that makes us look less than "perfect"; well, conflict is inevitable!

But it doesn't have to be...not if we seek to be peacemakers, as the sons of God should be. We need to know and understand that deep down, we were created for fellowship...both with our Creator and with each other. And it is conflict that makes that fellowship IMPOSSIBLE!

We cannot avoid conflict; even if we are not the instigator, conflict will come looking for us. Some people are by nature, confrontational; while others, steer clear of any such situation and try to avoid confrontation at all cost. Neither of these approaches make for peaceful living or expanding fellowship.

Jesus called out to those gathered on that hill to be peacemakers...to seek to diffuse any type of volatile entanglement and pursue a relationship of integrity and abundant grace...for grace shown is grace received. If we can show others grace when they say or do despicable things to us; give them the benefit of the doubt when we are wronged or as Christ urged us to do later in Scripture, "to bless those that persecute us and say all manner of evil against us"; well, we are holding our pride down and allowing the Holy Spirit to well up inside of us as a true and bona fide peacemaker. It is true that someone who can "turn the other cheek" is one that is learning to master PRIDE and in so doing, he is a peacemaker that is more concerned with his King's reputation than he is with his own.

And speaking of reputation, there is the promise of God for the peacemaker...Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the SONS OF GOD. Think about that for just a minute...if you are a true son (or daughter) of the Most High, you share the same last name and the same DNA. You are an ambassador for your Father and for all He represents to this lost and dying world...so if you share His name, you can ill afford to blemish that good name by creating or being involved in conflict, whether deemed righteous or not! You must be a PEACEMAKER and live up to the family name...a name above all names that will one day be uttered on the lips of all who have EVER lived...the sweet name of Jesus.

So, be the son of God that you have been called to be and eliminate conflict from your life, as well as your vocabulary. Speak only words that offer encouragement, filled with love, grace and good intentions; for that is your honorable and peaceful response when conflict is brewing. Whenever you do this,

YOU MAKE YOUR FATHER PROUD...AND HE'S THE ONE THAT KNOWS HOW TO HANDLE PRIDE...FOR HE IS THE ONE THAT DESERVES ALL THE GLORY!

Seeking His peace...loving the troublemakers as a son of God,

WPQ

BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART...IS THAT YOU?

Purity is one of those words that falls easily from our lips; however, if you were to ask "the person on the street" to describe something that is pure and undefiled in this world, they would probably be permanently stumped and just stand there stammering.

First of all, purity is not an innate quality of mankind...FAR FROM IT! We are sinners and there is no one righteous or pure...NO ONE! In fact, King David's cry of the heart was bold, but quite simple; "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me." Psalm 51:10  He knew, as we all do, that we are tainted with misplaced motives and petty agendas...the simple truth; OUR CORRUPTION RUNS DEEP!

Jesus knew the impossibility for us to have a pure heart; so He offered His purity to fill us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit....just as He took on our sins and became sin for us, we can take on His purity and be pure of heart...but it will always be a struggle!

Even with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are constantly bombarded by the Prince of the air to forsake our pure heart and give in to the "dark side" of our humanity.  It is this constant battle to remain pure that often creates the sadness that is seen in the lives of many believers when they fail...but there is a fail-safe plan if we will but trust in Him and remain "steadfast" in our single-minded pursuit to live our lives in the likeness of Christ.

Paul calls it the "renewing of our minds",  but it is really more than that..it is through the surrender of every thought, action and reaction that will help us grow in purity. It is that "steadfast" surrender of our will to a holy and pure God that will help us deflect and deter the arrows of the Deceiver as we solidly and irrevocably invest our lives in the pursuit of God. When we do this: any doubts, misplaced motives or stumbling blocks that rise up, begging us to choose self over sacrifice, will be defeated and the resounding choice, more and more, will be to choose purity over personal pride and preeminence.

Clearly, God knows the frailty of our character and that our human heart is a very fickle thing... for it far too often gives into the voices, screaming in our psyche or the compulsions of our flesh. But, because He loves us, He redeems us and completely saves those who come to Him as a "sinner saved by grace."

We are, at our very BEST, a work in progress; yet to be conformed to our Savior and therefore, incomplete...oh, but God is at work as He calls us out to be holy and pure in heart...to be a steadfast, passionate, faithful seeker and lover of the Savior...but it is a hard and relentless work that only God can accomplish through a surrendered heart, soul and will.

So, are you craving to be more like Jesus...PURE IN HEART...then, God is with you and at work within you... and He has promised that you will see Him in all His Glory; both in this world and in the eternal new world to come.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God...and ALL WILL BE WELL!!!

Pure and steadfast in honoring Him...A WORK IN PROGRESS!

WPQ

BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL...FOR THEY SHALL

I am sure that you have all heard the saying, "that what goes around, comes around"...and we're not talking about a children's top here. We are speaking of JUSTICE...that in life, both here and in the one to come, you will receive what is your just due.

But fortunately in His Sermon on the Mount, when Christ shared the fifth Beatitude, He let us in on God's true nature and a vital foundation for those of us who profess to know Jesus...OUR GOD IS A GOD OF MERCY!!!

Now to many of us, this comes as no surprise...in fact, we are banking on it! After all, God is a God of Love and Mercy, so how could a loving God do anything else but show His love and mercy to His Creation.  But time and time again during the ministry of Jesus, he spoke of the promise that God is merciful to us when we are likewise merciful to others.

He says it best in this Beatitude, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." But how do we "obtain" mercy? Asking for mercy is a good first step, but showing and demonstrating mercy is what Jesus requires.

When anyone of us stops and looks at the rebellious nature that we have demonstrated to God, it is any wonder at all that He would demonstrate His love to us through His unmerited grace and unending forgiveness...that He would truly bestow mercy on us! And the fact that we, then, would stand in judgment of another and not offer mercy is truly ludicrous...and that must truly raise the ire of our Heavenly Father.

In fact, I wonder how often God may hold back His mercy on us because we have not shown mercy to another. For if we fail to show mercy, then we really don't understand God and our relationship with Him at all! He has set us apart as His children to be holy and righteous; but not to hold others to some attainable righteousness that we have set and thus compel them to obtain...He sets the bar and when others fail, He requires us to show the mercy that we have been shown.

For us as Christians, mercy is a spirit-led ability to show practical, compassionate and cheerful love to those who may be suffering...and in so doing, find the joy and happiness of a heart that has been shown mercy from our loving God and a forgiveness that is always ready to be displayed to those who may have done us wrong.

So, do as God has done for you...don't meter out justice when mercy is required...required not by you, but by Him who has shown His mercy to you and has gifted you in love through His abundant grace.

Do this and as Jesus promised from that gathering on the hill, YOU will be BLESSED!!!!

Mercifully showing the Love of my Lord that I may be blessed,

WPQ

Here's the Fourth in the series of the Beatitudes....

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst For Righteous....

Have you ever been so hungry or thirsty that you thought you might faint? Or so hungry that you could not think clearly or so thirsty that your judgment was impaired? If so, I feel your pain...if not, consider yourself blessed already.

When Jesus shared this fourth Beatitude, He knew all too well the desperation that can be caused when one grows hungry or is parched with thirst; after all,  He had just recently returned from His confrontation with Satan who had tempted Him to turn the stones to bread. His reply, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

Here, He was telling those that would listen and learn that true hunger or thirst for a relationship with a righteous and holy God would be blessed and they would indeed be filled with the Spirit of the one they sought.

Jesus knew that the Old Testament shared such imagery as in Psalm 42:1-2, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?"  Or perhaps He had memorized the Prophet Isaiah who said, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy, and eat!" Isaiah 55:1

We are truly a needy people...and when it comes to hunger or thirst; well, we are all too ready to do whatever is necessary to meet those most basic needs...just go to any war-ravaged or storm-weary place in this world and see the lines of people, waiting to procure food and water. But the true hunger is the hunger of the soul...this is a discontentment that must be met!

The discontent soul knows that there is something basically wrong deep down in our being...in the innermost recesses of our soul, there is a God-shaped hole that only a righteous and holy God can fill. There is this vacuum that consumes us and drives us to fill it with pleasure, work, riches, people or things....but no matter how hard we try, it is God, and GOD ALONE, that can make us WHOLE...AND IT IS ONLY HE THAT CAN FILL THAT HOLE!

So, do you hunger and thirst for a right relationship with your Heavenly Father or are you striving and conniving to fill that emptiness with everything else that Satan and the demons of his dominion might offer...if so, you will be eternally hungry and thirsty. But, if you allow God to fill your heart, body, mind and soul...YOU WILL BE BLESSED and FILLED TO OVERFLOWING WITH THE GOODNESS OF GOD!

The choice is yours....so choose carefully...your choice has eternal ramifications and consequences....choose Christ and be hungry and thirsty no more!

Blessed by the Father...Hungry for Him and His Righteous,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

There are those times, my precious Lord

When your love seems far away;

But when I invite your Spirit in

You meet all my needs each day.

It’s then your Spirit fills me up

With life that springs anew;

I know my life will never be the same

Since I given my heart to you!

Blessed Are The Meek....Not Weak!

I grew up in a time when, as kids, we spent our Saturday morning in front of the TV. We sat there and watched The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers or some other gun slinging, tobacco chewing, bronco-busting cowboy do his best to tame the Wild West and bring law and order to the small town folk...the part I liked best...breaking those wild stallions.

Now to break a wild stallion and be seen riding off into the sunset on that same horse later in the show,  the cowboy had his work cut out for him as this wild animal did all within his power to throw off that cowboy and then trample him under foot. But, the real cowboys got thrown off; got up, dusted off and got right back on until that wild stallion could be ridden around that corral, fully harnessed for life as a cow pony. The stallion's spirit had been broken and now he was ready for service...totally submissive to the reins and to the cowboy who held them.

When Jesus told the meek they would be blessed, He implied a gentleness, a humility, even a submission that an untamed will could never know. He probably had at the core of this teaching  the scripture from Psalm 37 that reads, "The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace."  He was clearly saying that those who will surrender their will to God and be subjected to His will over their own..they will indeed be blessed with the lavish inheritance that only our Heavenly Father can bestow on those whose will has been broken.

Meekness is the harnessing of our will so that we can be under the control of a loving and powerful God. It is our humble acceptance of our lowly position before God...our need to be broken so that we might be raised up to walk in the newness that is ours in Christ Jesus.

This meekness is not for the weak, but rather the strong! We see our best example of meekness when we look at Jesus. He had the power of Heaven, always at his fingertips. The Heavenly Host just a spoken word away! The power of the Father just a prayer away...and we saw him keep all that strength locked tightly in his heart as He pursued the will of His Father...and the same must be true for you and me.

So, where are you and I on the meekness scale? Do we see ourselves as puny and defenseless, cowering when pressed about the Savior we serve? God is not asking us to be timid or weak in our dealings with life and those we encounter...He is, however, asking us to be gentle, unassuming, compliant and broken before him so that we might be used for His glory.

God does NOT honor an untamed will; but He does honor those who rely on Him to accomplish His purpose through their obedience...from a life such as this,  God will reap a great harvest of eternal value...and the one who lives such a life of meekness will truly inherit the earth and all the glory that comes from living for God.

Are you strong in the Lord by the surrender of your will? Have you come broken of a haughty spirit and now stand before Him ready to let go of your plans and adopt His as your own? If so, you have a spirit of meekness that makes you strong and ready for battle.

So be prepared....the Deceiver will bring his demons against you...BUT GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD!!!!

Humbly prepared...trusting my Lord,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

God has set before each of us

A task we are called to do;

To share our hope in Jesus...

Let His love come shining through.

We're not to cower in darkness,

Timid; afraid or weak.

But to serve our Lord with gladness...

Bold...assured and meek!

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn....

We have all, whether young or old, come to a time in our life where we must go through a period of mourning. As a child, it might be our loss of our first pet, destruction of our favorite toy or loss of our "Binky". As a adolescent, it might be the loss of our first sweetheart to another. As a adult, it most often occurs when one of our parents passes away and we are left with that deep and abiding pain of losing one so dear. Whatever the loss, the mourning is real!

But Jesus tells us in his second Beatitude that blessings come to those who mourn in the form of comfort, but not necessarily in the extraction of pain. God seeks to bless those who mourn over the human condition, who find pain from the despair or guilt left by sin or lament the ravages of mankind's depravity since the Fall.

But our God seeks to bless those who are hurting...those who weep from the pains and woes of life, yet know that in Christ Jesus, " God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."  (Revelation 21: 4)

It is in this context that God brings comfort to those who need His healing. They can be confident that he will "turn their mourning into dancing" (Psalm 30:11) and "put off their sackcloth and clothe them with gladness." (Psalm 31:12)  He says again in Psalms 126:5-6, "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

Our God is a God of comfort for the tired and weary soul...the soul that mourns over its plight in life and for the ways of a lost and dying world. We need to mourn for this world...to cry out for pity, forgiveness and for the light of God's love to erase the darkness where sin and evil hide, seeking whom they may destroy. We need to lament over the ways of this world and for the sin-sick heart of each of us...but we don't need to stay there.

We need to rise and take hold of the promise of comfort offered to us from the Throne of Mercy. We need to know that in the midst of our pain, God's promise of deliverance is assured. In the depths of our sin, His grace is sufficient and our redemption is at hand. In the inner recesses of our broken heart, His love will see us through.

Our Father promises that comfort from the pain of this world is ours...He promises that He is the same...Yesterday, Today and Forever! He promises that if we come to Him, weak and heavy laden, cumbered with our load of cares...He will give us rest and COMFORT...and we will be blessed! He offers Himself as our comfort...AND THAT'S ALL WE NEED!

Blessed in the Comfort...Lavished in His Love,

WPQ

Poem for the Day:

If life is filled with strife and stress,

No peace for the troubled heart;

Just listen for the Savior’s voice,

Then your fears will soon depart.

No matter the pain your feeling

No matter how great the loss;

Christ himself has paid the price

With His life upon the cross.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

All of us know someone who is "so full of themselves", so prideful that we do anything within our power to avoid having to spend much time in their presence. We know that we will be subjected to a litany of all their past conquests and their recent triumphs and of course, we will be expected to stand and applaud. In fact, for some of us, all we need do to be in the presence of someone like this is to stand in front of the mirror and look deeply into our own reflection.

Jesus began his Sermon on the Mount by calling out such people and telling all those within the sound of his voice that God seeks to bless those who are poor in spirit...not the kind of person I just mentioned. But what does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? Is Jesus telling his disciples to be humble and therefore, BE HAPPY!

 Throughout all of the Scriptures, we see that God honors, even exalts those who come to Him with a humble spirit. Psalm 51:17 says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."  It also revels to us in Psalm 149:4, "He crowns the humble with salvation."  The Bible consistently tells us that the pride of self-sufficiency will only lead to ruin...that Pride comes before a Fall!

Adam and Eve started the ball rolling when they sought to see themselves as God...as the serpent pricked their heart with pride, The Fall of Mankind began and sin entered the world. It is from that place of self, selfishness and our desire for independence from our Maker that has led us to the depraved society in which we now find ourselves. WE WERE MADE FOR DEPENDENCE...NOT INDEPENDENCE FROM OUR CREATOR! God has created within the heart, soul and spirit of man a God-shaped hole that ONLY He can fill...and no amount of ANYTHING ELSE will ever be sufficient to make us complete. Our drive to be self-sufficient is a futile effort and only leads to our destruction, despair and desperation.

But that desperation just may be our way out of this prideful trap of the Deceiver. It's in that type of desperation that we may begin to search for God...we may move from a frantic self-effort to be happy to an utter dependence on God for all of His blessing. If we truly embrace the first Beatitude and are "poor in spirit", we can leave behind that haughty, prideful attitude and see our need for a Savior and for a relationship with our Father through His Son, Jesus Christ.

 And God tells us in no uncertain terms that He honors those who diligently seek Him. In Jeremiah 29:13 we read, "And you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart!"  It is that heart, one poor in spirit, that God will honor and will bless!

Are you waiting on God for a blessing? Are you longing to be happy and to know His joy everlasting?  Then seek Him and Him only and you will be....Happy in the Joy of the Lord and fully...

Blessed Beyond Measure,

WPQ

Poem 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 eyes.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE "BLESSED"...JESUS TELLS ALL!

In our quest to live and survive in this often cold and cruel world, many of us turn to all sorts of things to find a time of happiness and satisfaction; and some things in this world do give us those temporary feelings ...but that's where the problem lies; THEY ARE ONLY TEMPORARY!

When Jesus returned from his confrontation with Satan, he began his ministry by calling out that first inner circle of disciples. It was Simon Peter and brother Andrew, who first threw down their nets and left the shore to follow Jesus. Likewise, when Jesus encountered the Sons of Zebedee, James and John, he beckoned them to follow and they, too, left behind their father and their livelihood to follow this man from Galilee.

Shortly after this calling, Jesus and his new band of friends were traveling about the countryside of Galilee. Matthew 4:23- 5:2 says, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom; all the while, healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Chapter 5 continues, "Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them."

And what was the first sermon that Jesus preached to the multitudes and to this band of men who had become his disciples? I like to call it, "Happiness for a lifetime and beyond...all according to Jesus"

Others and theologians of great renown refer to the next 8 verses as The Beatitudes, which means a  "condition or statement of blessedness;" however, the concept of blessedness is not easily translated into English. "Happy, " "fortunate, " and "favored" have all been offered as less than completely satisfactory translations. "Happy" focuses narrowly on emotional well-being, not taking into account that within relationship to God sin must be confessed. "Fortunate" is derived from the Latin word for chance or luck and was used also for the Roman goddess who determined arbitrarily and capriciously each person's destiny. It still means a haphazard random selection for success, collective possessions and wealth; however, who would consider the poor to be fortunate? And Favor? Favor is the Latin word for grace: but to avoid confusion, "favored" should not be used. 

So why all this gestation over the word, "Blessed"? Because for the next week or so, I want to take a closer look at these special words, uttered by our Savior to the crowds that had gathered on that Galilean hill and see what they would say to us as we seek to be blessed by the Father.

Know this...being blessed is not about our working to receive, but about God's bestowing His favor on those who seek to be blessed, happy and favored by a gracious and loving God.

Come back tomorrow and start this journey to happiness according to Jesus.

BLESSED AND BELIEVING,

WPQ

Are you a BMG?

I remember our pastor in Greenville  preached a wonderful sermon a few years back that dealt with the “ministers of the devil” that exist within the body of Christ, His Church. The first one he brought to our attention was the BIG MOUTH GOSSIP.

It is so sad that the people of God have nothing better to do with their time than to talk about anything and everyone.  Of course, we often dress our gossip up in the pretense of “prayer requests” when we spout off titillating information regarding someone’s situation or precarious position in life. We tell others what someone else told us and pass it along “so that everyone will know how to pray intelligently for our dear brother or sister.”

BOULDERDASH!!!!! 

Let’s be real….we talk and talk and talk about others with little regard for fact or fiction…and we often do it to make ourselves seem more righteous or better off than the person we denigrate. James, the brother of Christ, said it best in the third chapter of his book, “but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and our Father, and with it we curse people made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so!” James 3:6, 8-9

I believe James got it right….these things ought not to happen, especially within the church and the body of believers. We should speak the truth, the whole truth …but not all the time. Where is it written that we have to spill our guts every time we know something about someone else? (I need chapter and verse if you disagree.)

When you know or have heard that someone is struggling with a problem or an addiction, by all means pray for them. You may even want to solicit others to pray…but before you do, talk with the person with the problem and share your heartfelt concerns. Ask them if they would like to have others involved in prayer. Then do as they ask….share if they request; keep your mouth closed and your tongue bridled, if not.

We alone cannot tame our tongue; but as the Holy Spirit indwells within us, He will give us the desire and the ability to monitor what we say and to whom we say it.

I picked up a great philosophy regarding the spreading of gossip many years ago while watching the Disney animation of Bambi with my then 3 year-old daughter, Alyson. Thumper’s mom asked him to remember what his Dad said….” IF YOU CAN’T SAY ANYTHING NICE, DON’T SAY NOTHING AT ALL! Though the grammar might have been incorrect, the message was dead on the money.

So, today, make it a point to guard your heart, keep a clear head and when necessary, bite your tongue. Your heart will keep you from wrecking someone else’s reputation when you think of the irreparable harm gossip causes….a clear head will allow you to “see, hear and paint a visual picture” of what your words will do to that person…and if all else fails, BITE YOUR TONGUE….better you suffer harm than inflict another because you have little self-control.

Taming the tongue requires a constant vigil on our thoughts and emotions….and a heart that seeks to do the Father’s will. Why not be a Thumper today rather than a BMG….the world and those in it will thank you ….and your Heavenly Father will be well pleased.

Taming the tongue one thought at a time,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

The planted seeds of gossip

Will soon begin to sprout

And flowery words of encouragement

Will wither and die out.

So plant your seeds so carefully

With God’s instruction from above;

Then your garden will be a canopy

Of praise for those you love.

WPQ@1998

Dispelling 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 high unemployment, big corrections in the stock markets and the threat of violence from an enemy known as ISIS that wants to destroy America and our way of life. 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’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.

Big Black Bug

For the last few summers, here across the South, it has been brutal when it comes to the drought conditions that have beset us. In fact, it’s made me do something I have never done before in my adult life…..water the grass and surrounding plants in my yard. Why just the other morning, I was out at the crack of dawn to perform my new ritual, when this great BIG BLACK BUG (or wasp or mutant bumblebee) altered its flight plan and made a straight beeline (no pun intended) for me. Well, I did the only manly thing I could do…I switched the nozzle on the water hose to JET and shot that sucker right out of the air before it collided with my forehead ( I’m sure it would have left a mark). It plummeted to the grass, but I could tell it was only deterred, stunned or dazed, but definitely not ready to give up the fight; so, I sprayed even more water on it to make sure it would stay down. After about 40 seconds of watering the grass in that “special” spot, I once again turned my attention to the rest of the yard. After several minutes, I made my way back to that area of conflict and found that bug struggling to climb out of that wet grass and get airborne. Well, you just got to admire that kind of perseverance!

And I do….in fact, one of my favorite scriptures in James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops PERSEVERANCE. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete….not lacking anything.”

Yep, that big black bug reminded me that I never know from day to day or moment to moment what trial or problem or persecution is headed my way. I may be off to do my thing, minding my own business, when trouble rears its ugly head; but God’s word tells me to count it all joy when those trials come my way so that I can persevere and be COMPLETE….LACKING NOTHING!!!!

I trust that today you are ready to be tested and to be found complete in the grace and love that our Heavenly Father bestows on each of us. Be like that BIG BLACK BUG and don’t let a little water (or heartbreak or disappointment or catastrophe) keep you from getting airborne and becoming all that God has ordained for you to be.

If your not sure how to get that done, read the rest of James 1…..there’s a lot of God’s instruction just waiting for you….Have a Blessed Day as you persevere for the Father.

 Blessed and Believing,

WPQ

Whom Do You Serve?

Throughout the ages of history and across the battlefields of time, warriors have worn the colors and carried the royal flags to show their allegiance to their King….forever marching behind a banner to let all men know whom they served.

During that dark era of American slavery, many slaves were known by the family brand seared into their flesh; a constant reminder of whom they served.

Even as Christians, we often seek to have some identifiable mark or trait that will let all who see us know that we serve the King of Kings; however, maybe we should take a step back to understand what Jesus knew regarding His relationship with the Father.

In fact, even the devil himself understood the tenuous relationship that Jesus had with his Heavenly Father…look at scripture; “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give to you,” he said, “if you will bow down and WORSHIP me.”  Jesus said to him, “Away from me Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” Matthew 4:8-10

Did you catch all that?

Satan did not ask Christ to serve him, but to worship him….for even Satan understands that what or whom you worship is what or whom you will serve. He promised all the kingdoms of the world to Christ (even though they were not his to give) if he would perform one simple act of worship….just bow before him….for in that bow, Christ  would perform the act of submission and take the first step toward service.

Oh, but our Savior was prepared for the taunts and trickery of the deceiver…He understood as only one sent from heaven’s glorious realm that it is our worship that our Heavenly Father desires most. He commanded the devil to be gone and once more confirmed his resolve to follow what God’s word has to say regarding our worship….

We are to worship and then to serve only God.

The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praise of his people. Now, I don’t know about you, but I know in my own life, I have felt closest to and desired to serve God most when I have been in an emotional and heart-felt time of worship. Whether singing, praising, praying or crying out for God’s Spirit to “have His way in my life”…it has been in these times of immersed and immense WORSHIP that God has given me a spirit of service.

Worship causes the presence of God to be felt and experienced by His people …to be drawn to a time of a closer walk and greater commitment to serve …to be still and know that He alone is God…..that is real, authentic worship.

So today, I trust you will follow your Savior’s example and put service in the correct order …don’t just seek to serve God bigger or better…covenant to worship deeper and more diligently…and when you do, the devil will flee.

Walking in Worship…Seeking to Serve,

WPQ

Poem of the Day:

You may seek to serve the Lord

In all you do and say;

But what He really wants from you

Is the start of each new day.

Just meet Him at his Heavenly throne;

Spend time in worship at His feet.

Invite the Lord to go with you

Down every busy street.

For you may seek to serve Him

Some glorious gift you’ll bring

But nothing says “I’ll serve you Lord”

Like worship of the KING!

wpq@2009

JUST LIKE ME...THEN THE WORLD WOULD BE.....

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

Regarding Your Marriage…Done God's Way!

Today, I would like to speak to the husbands out there….regarding your marriage.

 Now, speaking from experience let me say that my wife, Terri, and I have a wonderful marriage. I mean, after all, she is married to a pretty incredible guy….at least that’s what I keep telling her. But what works best in our marriage is the fact that Terri is an Ephesians wife, based on the scripture from Ephesians 5: 22-24. She has given herself to me in submission as an act of obedience to the Father….and I;  I am committed to her as a husband that is to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. In is no small wonder that so many marriages seem to be facing rocky roads in these difficult and terrifying days. We don’t read the scriptures like we should and when we do; we fail to follow their godly instructions.

In Ephesians, Paul first admonishes the wife to submit herself to her husband, “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”  He then goes on in the very next verses to say, “Husbands love your wives as Christ love the church and gave himself for her.”  And in verse 28-29, “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”

It is easy to see why Paul put the verses about a submissive wife first….she that is submissive is easier to love….but he never said that if she is not submissive this would in someway relieve the husband from his mandate to love his wife as he loves himself. If she submits, she is following biblical teaching, but if she does not, you’re to do what Christ would do for His church….love her UNCONDITIONALLY.

That’s a word that strikes fear into the heart of most men…unconditionally, without reservations. My love for Terri is not to be based on what she does for me …but rather, who she is….MY WIFE. And I am to love her, cherish her, protect her, empower her, admonish her, extol her, comfort her and be willing to give myself in any manner simply because she is my gift, my blessing from God.

Do you love your wife unconditionally and are you treating her in a way that shows how much you value her as your life-long mate? I hope that you’re not in the same boat as the examples that follow. Enjoy the levity that these provide, but if, by some remote chance, you find your self identifying with one of the husbands in these capulets…..IT’S TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE….love your wife with all your heart, body, mind and soul….YOU’LL BOTH BE GLAD YOU DID!!!

Blessed with the Best,

WPQ

A Marriage Seminar

While attending a marriage seminar dealing with communication, Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor regarding how essential it was in a good relationship for each partner to know the others likes and dislikes. The instructor asked Tom, “Can you name your wife’s favorite flower? Tom leaned over, touched his wife’s arm and gently whispered, “It’s Pillsbury, isn’t it?”

Family Ties

A couple drove down a long country road without saying a word. An earlier argument had lead to this deadly silence, neither party willing to concede their pronounced position. As they passed a barnyard filled with mules, goats and pigs, the husband quipped sarcastically, “Relatives of yours?” Came the wife’s quick reply, “Yep, in-laws!”

Remember ….God may have created man before woman, but there’s always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

 SO, husbands..... Treat your wife as the masterpiece God created her to be and you both will be better for it…