There are many Christians in our world today that are living on the sidelines of life. They have given their hearts to the Lord, asked for forgiveness and been “born again”; but it is at that point where their growth stops and complacency begins.
They are playing it safe…not venturing too far from the safe harbor of church, home and family. They have heard the Great Commission, but somehow have determined that it doesn’t apply to them. Their witness is lukewarm at best; their motto being, “No harm, No foul!” They applaud the good works of others, but seldom look for opportunities to share their faith and be counted for God in a world that is increasingly hostile.
Christ had something important to say about this in Matthew 16:24-26, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?”
In other words, playing it safe just won’t cut it for God! He is calling each of us out of our “comfort zones” and challenging us to take up our cross and live a life for Him.
Sure, there will be hardships, trials, set-backs, disappointments and calamities….but where’s the profit in playing it safe and missing out on all that God has promised those who faithfully seek His will and walk in obedience. Christ told us that He came to give us L I F E….So, what are you exchanging for the life that Christ has promised?
There is a payoff to the rest of this passage in Matthew as Christ continues in the next verse, “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of the Father….and then He will REWARD each according to what he has done.”
How you live; what you do for Christ and His Kingdom; the willingness to lose your life in obedience to Him….all these will determine what Christ and His angels bring with them as your reward. So, take a good look at your life…do you like what you see? Are you losing your life in Christ? Have you forsaken all and taken up the cross of Christ?
There’s an old saying that applies to any contest that says, “YOU CAN’T WIN UNLESS YOU ENTER…..and that surely applies to life. You can not be all that God wants you to be; you can not accomplish all that God wants you to do; you can not live the life that God desires for you…living on the sidelines.
You’ve got to get in the game, mix it up and trust that God will make all things work out for good as you love Him and seek His face. Lose your life in Him and you’ll come out the winner… It’s a PROMISE you can believe ….and a life that’s well worth living….
Remember…YOU’VE GOT TO ENTER TO BE A WINNER…. For Jesus is coming again soon and He will be bringing the reward you have earned ….are you ready and waiting on the sidelines …or are you working for His return?
The choice is yours ….the answer is eternal!
Counting the days…watching the eastern sky,
WPQ
Thought for the Day:
For all who call on Jesus’ name
We believe this simple fact.
He’s gone to prepare for us a place,
But soon, HE’S COMING BACK!
He’s coming with His angels
To reward those He calls His own…
Then we’ll all ascend to Heaven
To worship Him around His throne.
WPQ Jan.2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
What’s Your Sign?
Got a Sign?
A few years ago, if you happened to pass through our neighborhood and rode down our street, you would have noticed a rather large yellow and red sign in our front yard that read, “FOR SALE BY OWNER” and in smaller letters underneath, “Brokers Protected.” It was there for one purpose…to let all who passed by know that we were trying to sale our home.
But it also lets those in the real estate business know that if they were to bring us a buyer, we would pay them a commission. Why is that important? Simply put, it increased our sales force and heightened our chances of selling our home. Now, we could have tried to sell our home in a number of ways, but we started with the obvious; a sign in the front yard….and that brings me to our thought for today.
Each of us puts out a sign regarding our life each day…it tells others what we believe, in whom we believe and how we intend to live out those beliefs. Jesus shared that thought with His disciples that last night in the Upper Room when He said, “A new command I give you: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. As I have loved you, you must now love one another. By this (sign) all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 (enclosure, my emphasis)
Jesus gave his disciples a parting command which if they followed would let the whole world know their intentions….it would tell everyone that they belonged to Jesus. This would be the sign to the entire world of that time that these men were committed to their Lord and Savior…..this would tell the world of the love of Jesus.
The same holds true for us today. We let others know what we believe about Jesus by the way we love….not only those who are like us but even more, those with whom we differ. The sign that announces to a lost and hurting world who lives and reigns in our heart is the outward manifestation of the love we show each other as Christians and the love we express to others….it’s just that simple!
If we love each other as Christ commanded on that last night, our love might just be the directional sign that points them to Jesus and to a life brand new. Think about it the next time someone ask you for a little bit of your time to help them with a problem or a project…love them by helping them and point them to Jesus. Or if someone is lost and feeling hopeless, lend an ear or open your purse strings …be a beacon of God’s love and let them know that God cares for them and sent His Son as a ransom for their redemption.
Yes, you can be a small yard sign or major billboard for Jesus ….the choice of obedience is yours….trust Jesus to teach you how to love unconditionally and become the sign that directs all you meet to come and know their Heavenly Father.
Choosing to Love….Signing Others to Jesus,
WPQ
Thought for the day:
More like Jesus that is my plea.
More like Jesus so others will see;
The love of my Savior flowing through me
More like Jesus is all I long to be.
WPQ @JULY 2005
A few years ago, if you happened to pass through our neighborhood and rode down our street, you would have noticed a rather large yellow and red sign in our front yard that read, “FOR SALE BY OWNER” and in smaller letters underneath, “Brokers Protected.” It was there for one purpose…to let all who passed by know that we were trying to sale our home.
But it also lets those in the real estate business know that if they were to bring us a buyer, we would pay them a commission. Why is that important? Simply put, it increased our sales force and heightened our chances of selling our home. Now, we could have tried to sell our home in a number of ways, but we started with the obvious; a sign in the front yard….and that brings me to our thought for today.
Each of us puts out a sign regarding our life each day…it tells others what we believe, in whom we believe and how we intend to live out those beliefs. Jesus shared that thought with His disciples that last night in the Upper Room when He said, “A new command I give you: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. As I have loved you, you must now love one another. By this (sign) all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 (enclosure, my emphasis)
Jesus gave his disciples a parting command which if they followed would let the whole world know their intentions….it would tell everyone that they belonged to Jesus. This would be the sign to the entire world of that time that these men were committed to their Lord and Savior…..this would tell the world of the love of Jesus.
The same holds true for us today. We let others know what we believe about Jesus by the way we love….not only those who are like us but even more, those with whom we differ. The sign that announces to a lost and hurting world who lives and reigns in our heart is the outward manifestation of the love we show each other as Christians and the love we express to others….it’s just that simple!
If we love each other as Christ commanded on that last night, our love might just be the directional sign that points them to Jesus and to a life brand new. Think about it the next time someone ask you for a little bit of your time to help them with a problem or a project…love them by helping them and point them to Jesus. Or if someone is lost and feeling hopeless, lend an ear or open your purse strings …be a beacon of God’s love and let them know that God cares for them and sent His Son as a ransom for their redemption.
Yes, you can be a small yard sign or major billboard for Jesus ….the choice of obedience is yours….trust Jesus to teach you how to love unconditionally and become the sign that directs all you meet to come and know their Heavenly Father.
Choosing to Love….Signing Others to Jesus,
WPQ
Thought for the day:
More like Jesus that is my plea.
More like Jesus so others will see;
The love of my Savior flowing through me
More like Jesus is all I long to be.
WPQ @JULY 2005
Monday, January 17, 2011
Looking Homeward
I don’t know about you, but my year of 2011 is off to a pretty rough start. It seems that no matter which direction my family or I turn, obstacles and trials block our path and obstruct our view of the things that lie ahead.
I suppose that is just the course of life …troubles come and troubles go. In fact, Scripture tells us in no uncertain terms that we will encounter trials, troubles, even persecution in the living of our lives. James 1: 2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
Notice the writer here did not say “if” trials come, but “when” trials come. You see, trials are part of the enormity of life….we all have them and we all must deal with them…each in our own unique way; but for a Christian facing trials, the bar has been raised. We are to consider it ….JOY!!!!!!
Now, does that mean we are to be giddy and bubbly when we encounter hard times? Certainly not; however, we are to take comfort, find peace or even encounter joy in the journey. For as His chosen, we know our Guide and we know that Jesus has gone before us in every trial or trouble we might face….So we can press on by looking homeward.
Yes, we must do as our Savior did when pressed on all sides…when in Hell, He kept his eyes on Heaven…when surrounded by His enemies, He focused on His Father and the Father’s will….and when all had forsaken Him, He kept looking forward to the promise of home and His rightful seat at the right hand of the Heavenly Father.
Today, all things may come against you; you may be betrayed, defamed and ridiculed. You may feel that all the planets are aligned against you; you may be cornered and hemmed in on all sides…..so what shall you do….REJOICE….and look homeward for help, sustenance and your measure of perseverance that is given to those who diligently seek to serve the Lord.
Look homeward and see the Savior …seated by the Father ….and your strength will be renewed and joy will overflow as you think of all He has done for you.
Looking Homeward …Persevering with Joy,
WPQ
Thought for the Day:
Father in heaven please grant me
When faced by earthly foes;
A spirit that will not tremble
And be undone by earthly woes.
Let me cast my eyes toward heaven
To see you seated on your Throne…
Lord, grant me joy and perseverance
And may I never walk alone.
WPQ Jan 2011
I suppose that is just the course of life …troubles come and troubles go. In fact, Scripture tells us in no uncertain terms that we will encounter trials, troubles, even persecution in the living of our lives. James 1: 2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
Notice the writer here did not say “if” trials come, but “when” trials come. You see, trials are part of the enormity of life….we all have them and we all must deal with them…each in our own unique way; but for a Christian facing trials, the bar has been raised. We are to consider it ….JOY!!!!!!
Now, does that mean we are to be giddy and bubbly when we encounter hard times? Certainly not; however, we are to take comfort, find peace or even encounter joy in the journey. For as His chosen, we know our Guide and we know that Jesus has gone before us in every trial or trouble we might face….So we can press on by looking homeward.
Yes, we must do as our Savior did when pressed on all sides…when in Hell, He kept his eyes on Heaven…when surrounded by His enemies, He focused on His Father and the Father’s will….and when all had forsaken Him, He kept looking forward to the promise of home and His rightful seat at the right hand of the Heavenly Father.
Today, all things may come against you; you may be betrayed, defamed and ridiculed. You may feel that all the planets are aligned against you; you may be cornered and hemmed in on all sides…..so what shall you do….REJOICE….and look homeward for help, sustenance and your measure of perseverance that is given to those who diligently seek to serve the Lord.
Look homeward and see the Savior …seated by the Father ….and your strength will be renewed and joy will overflow as you think of all He has done for you.
Looking Homeward …Persevering with Joy,
WPQ
Thought for the Day:
Father in heaven please grant me
When faced by earthly foes;
A spirit that will not tremble
And be undone by earthly woes.
Let me cast my eyes toward heaven
To see you seated on your Throne…
Lord, grant me joy and perseverance
And may I never walk alone.
WPQ Jan 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Falling Down
If you live in any state other than Florida, the last several days you have been dealing with inches or layers of snow and ice….and even if you were totally prepared for this ginormous snow event; snow and ice can be hazardous to your health.
I know if which I speak….for on Tuesday morning, I left the comfort of my hotel room in Myrtle Beach, to make a quick dash to my car to retrieve a business card I needed. Unfortunately, I failed to heed that old saying, “Look before you leap” or “haste makes waste” or quite possibly a hundred other sayings. Anyway, I flung open the exit door of the hotel, wrapped my jacket tightly around me to fight off the bitter wind and lowered my head as I began my sprint to my car, parked about twenty yards away. I had barely stepped off the curb, when my feet began to do a Mexican hat dance, only without the hat! I began swinging my arms in wildly, erratic circular motions in a concentrated effort to keep my feet on the ground and my posterior region off of the pavement. In what seemed like forever, I fought the laws of gravity and inertia with all my might and thought that I might be winning; then, SPLAT…THUMP…OOOUUUUCCCCHHH….I realized that gravity had won and it was more than my pride that had been wounded.
I slowly sat up, purveyed my body and all its working parts and then proceeded to reestablish myself as an upright homosapien. I took a calculated moment and began to take a closer look at the pavement that was once again under my feet and realized that I was standing on that dreaded demon, BLACK ICE! Needless to say, I cautiously made my way across the rest of the parking lot, got what I needed from my car and returned to the warmth and safety of my room…..and that got me to thinking.
Sin’s an awful lot like that black ice…it just seems to come at us out of nowhere and then, WHAM, BAM….our life has been marred or forever changed by our fall into sin.
Sure, we look around and all seems to be fine. Life is moving forward and we seem to have our act together…we know what to do and most of the time, we do it! But sin has its way of making the commonplace look dull and the worldly way seem reasonable and well within our grasp. I mean, look at Eve’s dilemma; the apple looked like all the others, only more delicious, appealing and within her grasp….so she took a bite and the fall of mankind began.
Scripture tells us, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17 (my emphasis)
You see, God’s not sitting there with a great big checklist of sins (although the Ten Commandments are there for our clarification of what’s right over what’s wrong), waiting to hit us with a thunderbolt when we mess up and sin. He’s placed within each of us a conscience that speaks to us, loudly, clearly and constantly….encouraging us to make the right choice, thereby avoiding sin and the complications that sin brings.
The problem for all too many of us is that we have turned off the receiver, shut down the speakers and thrown out the equipment that God could use to keep us from and to steer us clear of sin….and unfortunately, this holds true for many of us that call ourselves Christians.
Yes, sin is easy to fall into….just like slipping on the ice. We may think that we are more than careful and that sin is no longer a big problem now that we belong to Christ…and it shouldn’t be; for now we have the clear, unconstrained voice of the Holy Spirit to speak to us about such matters and to encourage us to walk the walk and talk the talk….
But…
If you see injustice, turn your head and walk away…you’ve sinned.
If you see corruption and remain silent…you’ve sinned.
If you hear unfounded rumor but fail to correct….you’ve sinned.
If you should share the love of Christ, but you slip silently away…..
Then, remember this…..Our God is a gracious, loving and forgiving God and when you call on Him…. He will always pick you up when you fall down!
Listening to His Voice…Standing on Solid Ground,
WPQ
I know if which I speak….for on Tuesday morning, I left the comfort of my hotel room in Myrtle Beach, to make a quick dash to my car to retrieve a business card I needed. Unfortunately, I failed to heed that old saying, “Look before you leap” or “haste makes waste” or quite possibly a hundred other sayings. Anyway, I flung open the exit door of the hotel, wrapped my jacket tightly around me to fight off the bitter wind and lowered my head as I began my sprint to my car, parked about twenty yards away. I had barely stepped off the curb, when my feet began to do a Mexican hat dance, only without the hat! I began swinging my arms in wildly, erratic circular motions in a concentrated effort to keep my feet on the ground and my posterior region off of the pavement. In what seemed like forever, I fought the laws of gravity and inertia with all my might and thought that I might be winning; then, SPLAT…THUMP…OOOUUUUCCCCHHH….I realized that gravity had won and it was more than my pride that had been wounded.
I slowly sat up, purveyed my body and all its working parts and then proceeded to reestablish myself as an upright homosapien. I took a calculated moment and began to take a closer look at the pavement that was once again under my feet and realized that I was standing on that dreaded demon, BLACK ICE! Needless to say, I cautiously made my way across the rest of the parking lot, got what I needed from my car and returned to the warmth and safety of my room…..and that got me to thinking.
Sin’s an awful lot like that black ice…it just seems to come at us out of nowhere and then, WHAM, BAM….our life has been marred or forever changed by our fall into sin.
Sure, we look around and all seems to be fine. Life is moving forward and we seem to have our act together…we know what to do and most of the time, we do it! But sin has its way of making the commonplace look dull and the worldly way seem reasonable and well within our grasp. I mean, look at Eve’s dilemma; the apple looked like all the others, only more delicious, appealing and within her grasp….so she took a bite and the fall of mankind began.
Scripture tells us, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17 (my emphasis)
You see, God’s not sitting there with a great big checklist of sins (although the Ten Commandments are there for our clarification of what’s right over what’s wrong), waiting to hit us with a thunderbolt when we mess up and sin. He’s placed within each of us a conscience that speaks to us, loudly, clearly and constantly….encouraging us to make the right choice, thereby avoiding sin and the complications that sin brings.
The problem for all too many of us is that we have turned off the receiver, shut down the speakers and thrown out the equipment that God could use to keep us from and to steer us clear of sin….and unfortunately, this holds true for many of us that call ourselves Christians.
Yes, sin is easy to fall into….just like slipping on the ice. We may think that we are more than careful and that sin is no longer a big problem now that we belong to Christ…and it shouldn’t be; for now we have the clear, unconstrained voice of the Holy Spirit to speak to us about such matters and to encourage us to walk the walk and talk the talk….
But…
If you see injustice, turn your head and walk away…you’ve sinned.
If you see corruption and remain silent…you’ve sinned.
If you hear unfounded rumor but fail to correct….you’ve sinned.
If you should share the love of Christ, but you slip silently away…..
Then, remember this…..Our God is a gracious, loving and forgiving God and when you call on Him…. He will always pick you up when you fall down!
Listening to His Voice…Standing on Solid Ground,
WPQ
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Does God Really Exist?
There is a story of 14 year old son who goes to his dad and ask..."Dad, I need to ask you a question and I need for you to please be real honest with me. Remember when you talked so much about Santa when I was younger and then later revealed that there was no such person as Santa Claus. And remember how you and Mom played up the tooth fairy; how you always made such a big deal about the shiny new quarters she would leave behind….then later, you told me that the tooth fairy didn’t exist. So Dad, shoot straight with me and tell me, does God really exist? I really need to know the truth!"
The truth to this question has hounded men since the beginning of time and still seems to perplex, confuse and frustrate many today. Maybe you have struggled with this question and still have never been completely and totally satisfied with the answers given…does God REALLY exist?
Some people would have you believe that you must be small-minded, dim-witted or a lazy and childish thinker to believe there is someone out there that is “pulling the strings and making the world go round.” They would try to convince you that believing in God is like believing in Santa or the Tooth Fairy…okay for children and make-believe fantasy. But, mature-minded thinkers must put away childish thinking and face this cold, sullen world on its terms…Without hope for the future, help in the present or forgiveness for the past.
Others would have you view God and his existence as a crutch to lean on because you are too weak to make it on your own. If only you would elevate your belief system to see that God is within each of us and we have within ourselves the ability to change this world for the better by our actions and our thoughts….for each of us are God and need not answer to anyone else for our actions or their consequences.
But what does the Bible say about the condition of this world and the fate of man…where is there clarity in answering this powerful question?
In Romans, Paul writes in chapter one, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:18-21
God has revealed himself to mankind….and all you have to do is look around at the world and all He has made….each morning comes with a sunrise; the tide goes in and the tide goes out; in nine months, an egg and a sperm unite to form a perfect little baby….and the list of a million upon million things that He has created give proof-positive that God is; therefore, GOD EXIST!!!!!!
It is the small-minded, sinful nature of man that seeks to declare that God does not exist…and God is okay with that….not in the sense that He wants mankind to perish for their evil and sinful ways; but rather that He has provided a way for us to know him personally …through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. The choice, however, is totally up to you!
If you’re not sure today that God exist, then I challenge you to OPEN YOUR EYES and look around at this incredible world…with all its faults and failures, it is still a magnificent place …and then, I challenge you to meet the Creator by getting down on your knees and asking Jesus to come into your heart….
Challenge God to make himself REAL to you TODAY…. He is just waiting to meet that challenge and to prove that He is, was and always will be …GOD OF THE UNIVERSE....NOW, LORD OF YOUR HEART!!!!!
Blessed By Believing….Walking in Wonder,
WPQ
The truth to this question has hounded men since the beginning of time and still seems to perplex, confuse and frustrate many today. Maybe you have struggled with this question and still have never been completely and totally satisfied with the answers given…does God REALLY exist?
Some people would have you believe that you must be small-minded, dim-witted or a lazy and childish thinker to believe there is someone out there that is “pulling the strings and making the world go round.” They would try to convince you that believing in God is like believing in Santa or the Tooth Fairy…okay for children and make-believe fantasy. But, mature-minded thinkers must put away childish thinking and face this cold, sullen world on its terms…Without hope for the future, help in the present or forgiveness for the past.
Others would have you view God and his existence as a crutch to lean on because you are too weak to make it on your own. If only you would elevate your belief system to see that God is within each of us and we have within ourselves the ability to change this world for the better by our actions and our thoughts….for each of us are God and need not answer to anyone else for our actions or their consequences.
But what does the Bible say about the condition of this world and the fate of man…where is there clarity in answering this powerful question?
In Romans, Paul writes in chapter one, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:18-21
God has revealed himself to mankind….and all you have to do is look around at the world and all He has made….each morning comes with a sunrise; the tide goes in and the tide goes out; in nine months, an egg and a sperm unite to form a perfect little baby….and the list of a million upon million things that He has created give proof-positive that God is; therefore, GOD EXIST!!!!!!
It is the small-minded, sinful nature of man that seeks to declare that God does not exist…and God is okay with that….not in the sense that He wants mankind to perish for their evil and sinful ways; but rather that He has provided a way for us to know him personally …through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. The choice, however, is totally up to you!
If you’re not sure today that God exist, then I challenge you to OPEN YOUR EYES and look around at this incredible world…with all its faults and failures, it is still a magnificent place …and then, I challenge you to meet the Creator by getting down on your knees and asking Jesus to come into your heart….
Challenge God to make himself REAL to you TODAY…. He is just waiting to meet that challenge and to prove that He is, was and always will be …GOD OF THE UNIVERSE....NOW, LORD OF YOUR HEART!!!!!
Blessed By Believing….Walking in Wonder,
WPQ
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Coming Soon?
I was deeply saddened last night when I watched a clip from the 11 o’clock news about a so- called Christian group in California that is placing billboards around the country that read, “ HE IS COMING BACK…MAY 21, 2011.”
I am saddened that the movement's leader, Harold Camping, says he has determined the exact date for The Rapture through his own interpretation of the Bible. My qualm with this comes directly from scripture.
When Christ was asked by his disciples to let them in on the end of the age, he tells them in Matthew 24 the things that will transpire before the second coming of the Lord. There will be wars, rumors of wars, famine, earthquakes, pestilence and great tribulations against the chosen of God….but he says these are just the birth pains…and then, Christ gives them the true prophetic word regarding Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation and tells them that unless those tumultuous times are cut short, all mankind will perish.
In Matthew 24: 29-31, 36, Christ gives us all the final word on his glorious return, when he says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather the elect form the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. But concerning that day and hour NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, nor the SON, but the FATHER ONLY.” (My emphasis)
Did you catch all that? No matter how devoted a believer, how well-versed or learned you may be as a Bible scholar or how sincere you may be in your worship and adoration of the Father and His Son….You nor I WILL NEVER KNOW the day, the hour, the second of His return….if God won’t tell His only begotten Son, why would he tell a preacher in California?
So what can we take away from this….to live in fear and uncertainty that stifles us or to be constantly striving to be prepared for a quick exit …Jesus has promised that He is coming again to gather those who belong to Him and though He does not know the time or day, I am sure that He is anxiously waiting for the sound of the trumpet and the loud voice of the archangel to announce that He is coming in all His glory to gather His own.
So don’t be mislead or sidetracked by false prophets or those who might claim to have received a “heavenly visit or vision” regarding the coming of our Lord….that precious secret is safe…Safe in the perfect will of the Father….at just the perfect time, CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN TO RECEIVE HIS OWN….
My prayer today is that you are one of HIS and you are prepared for His return.
Working and Waiting….Looking toward the Eastern sky,
WPQ
Poem for the Day:
Starting each and every day
With the breaking of the sun;
Knowing Jesus could return
Before my day is done…
So I will spend each moment
Living in such a way…
That all will know I’m heaven bound
If this should be the day!
WPQ @ January 2011
I am saddened that the movement's leader, Harold Camping, says he has determined the exact date for The Rapture through his own interpretation of the Bible. My qualm with this comes directly from scripture.
When Christ was asked by his disciples to let them in on the end of the age, he tells them in Matthew 24 the things that will transpire before the second coming of the Lord. There will be wars, rumors of wars, famine, earthquakes, pestilence and great tribulations against the chosen of God….but he says these are just the birth pains…and then, Christ gives them the true prophetic word regarding Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation and tells them that unless those tumultuous times are cut short, all mankind will perish.
In Matthew 24: 29-31, 36, Christ gives us all the final word on his glorious return, when he says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather the elect form the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. But concerning that day and hour NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, nor the SON, but the FATHER ONLY.” (My emphasis)
Did you catch all that? No matter how devoted a believer, how well-versed or learned you may be as a Bible scholar or how sincere you may be in your worship and adoration of the Father and His Son….You nor I WILL NEVER KNOW the day, the hour, the second of His return….if God won’t tell His only begotten Son, why would he tell a preacher in California?
So what can we take away from this….to live in fear and uncertainty that stifles us or to be constantly striving to be prepared for a quick exit …Jesus has promised that He is coming again to gather those who belong to Him and though He does not know the time or day, I am sure that He is anxiously waiting for the sound of the trumpet and the loud voice of the archangel to announce that He is coming in all His glory to gather His own.
So don’t be mislead or sidetracked by false prophets or those who might claim to have received a “heavenly visit or vision” regarding the coming of our Lord….that precious secret is safe…Safe in the perfect will of the Father….at just the perfect time, CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN TO RECEIVE HIS OWN….
My prayer today is that you are one of HIS and you are prepared for His return.
Working and Waiting….Looking toward the Eastern sky,
WPQ
Poem for the Day:
Starting each and every day
With the breaking of the sun;
Knowing Jesus could return
Before my day is done…
So I will spend each moment
Living in such a way…
That all will know I’m heaven bound
If this should be the day!
WPQ @ January 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Ingesting God’s Word
For the last several days, I have been fighting a terrible earache and nasal infection; so I have taken waaayyyy too many pills for pain and congestion relief. Subsequently, my stomach has been terribly upset and on edge.
It was during this time that I saw a commercial for the yogurt, Activia. You know the one….where the lady tells you that if you will eat Activia yogurt for at least 14days in a row, then your digestive tract will achieve gastronomic nirvana….and she says it so convincingly that you want to jump up off of the couch and rush over to the store and get some….but I didn’t because I’m really not much of a yogurt guy.
Now, I know that yogurt is good for you; nutritious and packed with all those active cultures that can help regulate your digestive system; but, it seems like a lot of work to eat that stuff for 14 days to reap the full benefit….and that got me thinking.
As Christians, too often we treat God’s Holy word like yogurt….we know it’s extremely good for us; calms our spirit during stressful times, settles our nerves. It is helpful to our overall well-being in determining God’s direction for our lives….but it sure seems like a lot of work to take time from our busy lives to sit down and spend time in God’s word.
Paul spoke to young Timothy regarding this matter of spending time in God’s Holy Scriptures in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
Paul knew first-hand that the desire to live for Christ would be fraught with many trials and tribulations. He knew that a young pastor such as Timothy would not stand up well to the tests that were to come without first sitting down in a consistent and committed manner to study the infallible word of God. Paul knew there was much to be gained from spending time in God’s word….just like eating the yogurt, good things will take place in the body of the sanctified believer…By ingesting the Spirit-breathed word of God, intellectual stimulation and belief affirmation will occur (teaching); review and recalculation will take place as the believer seeks to draw closer to God (reproof/correction) and my favorite…training in righteousness…learning to be more like Jesus.
Why all this you might ask?
So we will know what we’re talking about when we encounter our culture…..competent in our faith and in our daily walk with our Lord and Savior…prepared and EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK that the Lord has laid before each of us.
Make this your New Year’s motto….THE MORE I GET INTO GOD’S WORD THE MORE GOD’S WORD GETS INTO ME!!!!!!
Make the resolution to start EVERY DAY by ingesting the word of God…reading a daily devotion that is scripture-based; doing a bible study of a particular book of God’s word on your own; reading and memorizing scripture from the back of a 3x5 index card; reading the Bible through in a year….or any one of a thousand ways that God leads you into opening life’s manual…THE HOLY BIBLE….the Spirit-breathed revelation of God to man.
Get the New Year off to a Great start….opening God’s Holy Word …Daily. You will be...
BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE,
WPQ
It was during this time that I saw a commercial for the yogurt, Activia. You know the one….where the lady tells you that if you will eat Activia yogurt for at least 14days in a row, then your digestive tract will achieve gastronomic nirvana….and she says it so convincingly that you want to jump up off of the couch and rush over to the store and get some….but I didn’t because I’m really not much of a yogurt guy.
Now, I know that yogurt is good for you; nutritious and packed with all those active cultures that can help regulate your digestive system; but, it seems like a lot of work to eat that stuff for 14 days to reap the full benefit….and that got me thinking.
As Christians, too often we treat God’s Holy word like yogurt….we know it’s extremely good for us; calms our spirit during stressful times, settles our nerves. It is helpful to our overall well-being in determining God’s direction for our lives….but it sure seems like a lot of work to take time from our busy lives to sit down and spend time in God’s word.
Paul spoke to young Timothy regarding this matter of spending time in God’s Holy Scriptures in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
Paul knew first-hand that the desire to live for Christ would be fraught with many trials and tribulations. He knew that a young pastor such as Timothy would not stand up well to the tests that were to come without first sitting down in a consistent and committed manner to study the infallible word of God. Paul knew there was much to be gained from spending time in God’s word….just like eating the yogurt, good things will take place in the body of the sanctified believer…By ingesting the Spirit-breathed word of God, intellectual stimulation and belief affirmation will occur (teaching); review and recalculation will take place as the believer seeks to draw closer to God (reproof/correction) and my favorite…training in righteousness…learning to be more like Jesus.
Why all this you might ask?
So we will know what we’re talking about when we encounter our culture…..competent in our faith and in our daily walk with our Lord and Savior…prepared and EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK that the Lord has laid before each of us.
Make this your New Year’s motto….THE MORE I GET INTO GOD’S WORD THE MORE GOD’S WORD GETS INTO ME!!!!!!
Make the resolution to start EVERY DAY by ingesting the word of God…reading a daily devotion that is scripture-based; doing a bible study of a particular book of God’s word on your own; reading and memorizing scripture from the back of a 3x5 index card; reading the Bible through in a year….or any one of a thousand ways that God leads you into opening life’s manual…THE HOLY BIBLE….the Spirit-breathed revelation of God to man.
Get the New Year off to a Great start….opening God’s Holy Word …Daily. You will be...
BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE,
WPQ
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