UNDER ATTACK…FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!

Scripture tells us on more than one occasion that the devil travels to and fro across the earth, seeking whom he may devour… and I can promise you, on the authority of God's Word, that if you are a sold-out solider of the cross, he has his sights set on you!

But, here's the startling news that we as believers often miss in our study of God's Word…God's going to let him land a few direct hits.

"Consider my servant Job?"  is the question that God poses to the devil when he approaches the Creator of the Universe. Why would God give up us His faithful servant to the wiles of the devil…so that in Job's defense of his faith in an all-knowing, all-powerful God…GOD WOULD RECEIVE THE GLORY!!!

The problem that our world faces today, especially with many that call themselves believers, is quite simple. We believe God is here for us and not the other way around. We see OUR world as a place where we allow God to do his good works for our good and to make sure that our struggles never overwhelm us or bring us down…that's just poor human-centered thinking and that's the reason we find ourselves in such a great mess. We too often assume that God's salvation, freely given to us, is first and foremost about our well being…and nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, we often help God define our "well-being" in terms of comfort, prosperity, success and good health.

But God's definition is quite simple…we were created to bring HIM glory because this is a God-centered universe and not man-centered. We are created to worship and adore our Creator and to let nothing stand in the way of our God-given purpose.

So the next time the devil fires his evil wiles at you and you look to see that you are bleeding, battered and bruised, it's okay to ask God to protect and deliver you. But more than that… ask Him to be manifested in the conflict so that HE RECEIVES THE GLORY from your faithfulness as His follower.

Remember you are under attack…ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!!!!

Resisting the devil, winning the battle for the glory of God,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

If you want to live for Jesus

To fight the fight and win;

Then you must surrender

And ask the Holy Spirit in.

To prepare for battle every day;

As God himself writes your story.

Stand firm and battle with all your might,

So that God receives the GLORY!!!!

WPQ

Praying in Joy…

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I encounter some people that really try my patience. In fact, in all honesty, they make me lose it completely. Now, I’m not one to name names…you know who you are, but in my studies the other night, Paul admonished me in Philippians 1 verse 3 to pray with joy. He said, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”  Do I always pray with joy? Not on your life…but there it is, from one of the pillars of the early church….PRAY WITH JOY!!!!

Paul is telling us to begin our experience with others by remembering them and then, in our remembrance, to pray with joy. Unfortunately, it seems that I don’t always remember the good things of others …only the things that seem to make me lose my patience. Then I am faced too, too often, with my shortcomings which are able to disrupt my walk with my Lord. What if I started using “spiritual eyes’ to view those that God brings into my life; then, as we unite in the partnership of the gospel, I won’t have to overlook their faults…rather, I will be focus on the good work that God has begun in them and in our relationship.

Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He that began a good work in you will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ.” That should be my focus…if I must be myopic, let my focus be on the good work that God is accomplishing in each of us. I can revel in the misery of the injustice of the moment, past or present…..or I can look at those around me and see them as God does….A WORK IN PROGRESS!!!!

And then, I can pray for them and with them in a spirit of joy and thanksgiving, knowing that God is at work, bringing to completion this person of faith …my brother or sister in Christ. And that’s the eternal partnership that is available to each of us….we belong to Christ and we belong to each other. So, let the praise and prayer begin and let the JOY of Heaven rain down.

ABUNDANTLY BLESSED…PRAYING IN JOY,

WPQ

Poem of the Day…

We are called to work with others;

To serve our Lord both day and night…

And when we share in that great task

We are filled with  heaven’s delight.

We join with others joyfully

To share what He has done.

To tell the world of His great love

For He sacrificed His Son.

So that all may come to worship Him

To bow before His throne;

To proclaim to all that He is Lord

So in us His joy is shone.

Celebrating a Special day…

Today is a Very Special Day in my life…..no, it’s not my birthday or Christmas in July or any national holiday. It’s a day that holds significance for just a handful of people, but it is a day that I celebrate with great joy. It is my beautiful wife’s birthday. Now, being the gentlemen that I am precludes me from telling you what number it is or when she was born or any other tell tale information that might leak that protected number….let me just say that she is as young and even more beautiful than when we met some twenty-five years ago.

Now I know that for a lot of people, there is much significance in the number of birthdays you celebrate. For me, I always reasoned that your birthday was just the first date on your tombstone, followed by a dash   (-) and then the date you departed this earth. I have always believed that it didn’t really matter if you celebrated a birthday, but rather, you should celebrate what you do during the dash (-)….the life that you live is what really matters most. And when I consider that, my lovely wife is making the most of her dash (-)!!!!!!!!

In Proverbs 31, Solomon shares the marvelous attributes of a godly wife and each time I read those verses, I see my wife and all that she has become in the twenty-five plus years in which she has enriched my life. In verse 10, she is an excellent wife who is far more precious than jewels, who has my complete trust and admiration. In verse 15, he speaks to how wonderful she is in managing our household while ever excelling in her business as sales agent at Stonegate in Murrells Inlet and the Editor of our monthly newsletter, Prince Creek Living. In verse 17, he extols her great fashion sense and modest attire that is always impeccable and stylish. In verse 20, I see her as she works diligently for those less fortunate and how she uses her God-given talents to inspire others to be all that God desires for them to be. She is never lazy, idle or immobile, but ALWAYS ready to lend a helping hand and ask nothing in return. Strength and dignity are girded about her and those who are touched by her laughter can only be encouraged for a brighter day. Her daughter is blessed beyond measure to have such a loving and thoughtful mother and I, too, am the richest man I know; simply because she belongs to me. Many women have done excellently, but she outshines them ALL….at least that is my humble opinion.

Yes, and with all that we have been through in our years as husband and wife, I have learned to NEVER underestimate the abilities, the passion or the love of this woman and to know that as Solomon concluded at the end of this chapter….

A WOMAN WHO FEARS THE LORD IS TO BE PRAISED!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART….YOU ARE ONE OF A KIND AND I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE YOU AS MY WIFE, MY CONFIDANT AND MY BEST FRIEND!!!!!

If you are blessed like I am, don’t wait for a birthday to let you wife know how fortunate you are that she belongs to you….make a difference in her dash that we call …LIFE.

Blessed Beyond Measure,

WPQ

Are you a Shining Star?

Is there a precedent that is set in God’s word that calls us out of the darkness to be a glorious light….you better believe there is!

In Paul’s writing to the Philippians, he tells them to continue to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, “for it is God who works in you to do His will and to act according to His good purpose.” But, he doesn’t stop there as he continues, “Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life….” Philippians 2:13-16

Notice the admonishment here is continue to grow in our faith (working out our salvation) so that God’s good (and perfect) will is accomplished….and how do we do that? By doing everything we can to create harmony in the body of Christ (no arguing, complaining or backbiting). When that is accomplished we will be found without fault and we will become all that God intended for us to be….SHINING STARS IN THE UNIVERSE.

Now, I don’t know about you, but the thought of one star shining in the universe might seem a little bleak. Just walk out some night and look up when there’s a heavy cloud cover, fog or just a hot summer haze and there’s not much to get excited about. A few stars, twinkling WAY OFF IN THE DISTANCE. But, go out into the wilderness or a mountain lake or in the middle of a vast ocean and look up on a crystal clear night and it will take your breath away…….MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF STARS…so close it seems that you can touch them. Now that’s what God has called His church to be.

We are to be SALT & LIGHT to a dark and dying world….one shining star multiplied by the grace of God until the heavens erupt with His glorious light…..Shining with the love of our Savior for the entire world to see.

As one star, my light might not be too visible in this dark and depraved day; but when all the believers of faith seek to do God’s will, to become His people….then our lives will light up the world and His message of love and forgiveness will bring salvation to all who will bow before the Lord and proclaim him as KING. Our light will shine and HE WILL BE GLORIFIED!

What’s keeping you from becoming the star God intended you to be? There’s a place in the starry heavens that just waiting for you…..

SO SURRENDER TO HIM AND SHINE ON !!!!!

SHINING TOGETHER,

WPQ  

Hooray for the Fourth

It seems that each year, this day of celebration gets here just a little bit quicker and leaves me a little wearier and a little less hopeful for what lies ahead. We all run hither and yon, wishing all those we know a “Happy 4^th”, singing patriotic songs, eating BBQ and watching fireworks. We collectively ask for God to Bless America and then, somehow seem perplexed when gas prices keep rising, crime escalates and our leaders debate in open forum the merits of partial birth abortions, gay marriages and legalized gambling known as state lotteries. How can a righteous and holy God bless this mess that we now call America?

In fact, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Anne Graham Lotz was queried on the Early show, the host asking, “How could God let something like this happen?  Her response was quite profound. She said, “I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And, being the gentlemen that He is, I believe He has quietly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?”

And that my friend, unfortunately, is the sad state of affairs that we find ourselves facing in this year, 2015. God has slowly and surely left us to our own demise and I am sure that it is breaking His heart to see how far we have fallen from our roots as a Christian nation. A country that He ordained, that began with such great and magnificent promise is sinking fast and unless, God Himself, orchestrates some cataclysmic jolt to all of us….this nation that still prints “In God We Trust” on our money, is doomed to a bitter end.

There is one bright and shining star though ….His CHURCH that He ordained to be both salt and light for such a time as this. Let us not shrink from the battles that lie before us, but rather put on the whole armor of God and wage war. We serve the Great Commander-in-Chief who has never been defeated ….and HE NEVER WILL BE!!!!

Proclaim this July 4^th as our day of Dependence on the Creator of the Universe….and fight the good fight…..we know the outcome, WE WIN!         

MARCHING ON,

WPQ

Transformation or Stagnation?

There's an old story of the farmer that set out to plow his fields one Spring. Things went well for a spell, but the monotony of trudging behind the plow as his mule plodded along soon got the best of him; he slowly slipped into a daydream state and aimlessly followed where the mule led. It wasn't too long before his son appeared with their lunch to find his dad standing in a furrow, up to his knees in the red clay of the field. When the young man asked his dad what had happened, the father sheepishly replied, "Well son, when you stay too long doing the same thing, the same way…you no longer have a well-turned furrow; you've made yourself a deep, devilish rut."

Unfortunately, this story plays out all too often in our lives as we go through the motions of living for Christ. Oh, we are good to make time for church on Sunday: choir practice and prayer meeting on Wednesday; a quick daily devotion and a few minutes in prayer. We display all the "trappings" of a faithful follower, but we are really too often just stuck in a rut…wanting MORE, but not sure how to proceed to live the abundant life that we were promised when we choose to follow Christ.

Paul told us in Romans 12: 2, "Do not be conformed to this world (don't get in a rut), but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (get in and stay in God's Word) that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (My emphasis)

You see, often, it is not what we do that creates our worldly rut, it is the spirit with which we do it that makes us become ritualistic and stagnant. When we come to God with a fresh yearning to hear Him speak; when we open His Word with an expectant heart to know of His will for our lives; when we seek the Godly counsel of those that would guide, direct and encourage us…it is then that God begins and continues our amazing transformation to become all that He has ordained us to be.

It is not wrong to do the same things over and over if we first focus on the real reasons that compels us to do those things…our love for the Father and our desire to share the Good News with others. These things then become stepping stones to a greater and fuller relationship with our Father and not a rut that seems endless and tiring.

So enter this new day ready to be transformed into whatever God has set before you. Don't let the cares, trials or tribulations of this age make you keep plodding along behind the plow of woe that leads to a deep rut of cynicism and despair…rather, do all that you do with excellence as you represent the King of Kings in all of His glory and might.

Remember, you are a child of the Most High, so ACT LIKE IT! By showing and glowing in the transformation that is taking place in you, others will see your good works and they will glorify your Father in Heaven….Stagnation or transformation…it's totally your choice!

Living in the transformed mind of a new creation,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

Living life abundantly is really what we seek

And God has called us to serve Him

By loving  the lowly and the meek.

We are not to live our lives in sameness

 or in hopeless stagnation…

But to let the Holy Spirit have His way

in our ongoing  transformation.

Character or Comfort…You Decide!

Living in the now is hard for a lot of God’s people …what with our world’s infatuation with gathering and storing and saving for our old age. It seems that hoarding has become part of the standard thinking of the rich and the “wanna be” rich. Now, I for one can empathize with this thought process, being one of the “baby boomers” who has been suckled with the idea that if I am going to live a long and satisfying life, I better stockpile lots of “goodies’ to see me through my senior years.

But, let’s look at this from a Biblical perspective. This life is really just a dress rehearsal for the eternity that I will spend with my Heavenly Father …at home in the New Jerusalem. In fact, my entire purpose for living is to prepare me for eternity …to have me practice on earth what I will perfect in heaven. Now eternity, that’s a LOOOONNGGGG TIME according to 2 Peter 3:8 which says, “But do not overlook this one fact, Beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. God’s calendar is different than yours and mine…I may live to be a hundred here on earth, but I’m going to spend a trillion years in eternity and that requires that I get my eye on the prize while I’m here.

Each one of us was made by God…. for God. God did not put us here to make us happy, but to make us HOLY…and that’s the struggle of life. Until we get that thought at the center of our consciousness, we’re probably going to spend our time and efforts in pursuing the wrong things of this world….and those “things” lead to our destruction. Sure, we all want to be successful, fulfilled and comfortable both now and in our “retirement” years; but God is more interested in your CHARACTER than in your comfort.

So, where does that leave us? Do we listen attentively to the noise from the crowd that tells us to “grab all we can” since we only “go around once in life”…or do we heed the Savior’s call to “take up our cross and follow him.”

If your life is not facing some sort of difficulty, then maybe it’s time to check your Christian pulse and see if your really have a heartbeat for the Savior? Truly, it’s okay to want to be reasonably happy here on earth; to face a minimal amount of desperation or despair….but, remember, God is more interested in your growth in Christ than the size of your home or the value of your IRA. If you’re working for the Kingdom, then trust me; Opposition is near-at-hand….but that’s okay! 1 John 4:4 says, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He that is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

So start living for the eternity that God has promised you and leave behind the cares and troubles that so easily beset us….Today is the first day of the rest of your eternity ….at home with Jesus and our Father of Love.

Letting go of today…Reaching for eternity,

WPQ

Thought for Today:

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.