The Tradition Continues....

In a blog posted just a day or two before this one, I mentioned that for almost the last twenty years, I have tried to write a Christmas poem each year to share with family and friends. Sometimes, the message is short, simple and sweet...just a quick reminder of what our Heavenly Father did for us on that first Christmas over 2000 years ago. Others have been more reaching and a greater challenge as I tried to tell a story or convey a more profound and hidden meaning that is wrapped up in the Reason for this Season.

In every attempt, both large and small, God has always blessed my heart and I hope in more times than I will ever know, His still, small voice has whispered a word of hope and encouragement to a tender soul, lost in the quagmire of all the trappings of this holiday...after all, it is really a simple holiday set aside to remember the greatest gift ever given to mankind....EMMANUEL, God with us!

So in that same vein, I once again seek to share this year's poem and over the next few days, some of those poems of year's past. My prayer is simple...MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU AND ALL THOSE YOU LOVE THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON.

MAY YOU FIND EVERLASTING LOVE IN THE GIFT OF GOD'S SON, JESUS CHRIST, BORN OF THE VIRGIN AND SACRIFICED ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY... GOD'S SON BORN TO DIE SO THAT ALL WHO CONFESS HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR MAY LIVE FOREVER WITH THE FATHER AND HIS HEAVENLY HOST.

He came for you...the gift is free... you need only....

DECLARE THE BABE A KING

Long ago, one cold winter's night, in a small Judean town;

A Heavenly Host would gather; to Earth they would come down.

To make known to the shepherds; in one voice to sing.

"Glory to God in the Highest...Declare the Babe a King!"

A tiny babe, wrapped in dirty rags, who left His throne above

And came to earth in a lowly birth to show the Father's love.

The shepherds came from their flocks nearby, no gift did they bring;

Just their glorious "Hallelujahs" to declare the babe a King.

And on that night in a manger laid; the Gift of Heaven sent

To call a lost and dying world to atone and to repent.

So the lowest and the meekest joined the angels to sing

In praise and adoration and to declare this babe a King.

 Though the sky was dark and black, one bright star filled up the night;

Leading the three Wisemen by its ever guiding light;

And entering the stable bare, each with a gift to bring

To lay before the Christ-child and declare the babe the King.

And mother Mary holding tight to Heaven's greatest pleasure

Held in her heart each coo and cry, forevermore she'd treasure;

For she would raise Heaven's child, though heartbreak it would bring;

And in each moment shared with Him, declare this babe the King.

And so it comes to me and you upon each Christmas season

Do we really celebrate the true and holy reason?

Do we come with adoring hearts, our lives the gift we bring

That tells all the world we know and

DECLARES THIS BABE.... OUR KING!

W. Patrick Queen

Copyright December 2015 

A Time to Shine

I grew up in Charlotte, near a small mill town lovingly known as Christmas Town, USA. It gained its name due to its Christmas tradition of lighting each home and the entire mill village in thousands and tens of thousands of Christmas lights.

Each Christmas season, over a million viewers would climb in their cars, vans, SUVs’ and church buses and make the drive south on I85 to the McAdenville Exit to make the 2 mile trek though this quite hamlet. In fact, I have seen times when the cars were backed up in the exit and emergency lanes, bumper to bumper, for over three miles down the interstate…why all this commotion year after year to make a trip to this small town at Christmas?

Everyone was drawn to the LIGHTS….to the sheer magnitude of the beauty of millions of brightly shining lights, adorning each home; the tiny mill and the trees around the small pond and all the other buildings of this small, quaint mill town.

But why did the people of McAdenville go to such trouble each and every Christmas season to do the work, spend the money on decorations and electricity and have the town invaded by millions of outsiders?

I believe they understood the scripture in Matthew 5: 14-16 that reads, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

This is the season for us to shine …to give light and warmth, love and encouragement to all those we encounter …to tell others that the light of the world has come …the Babe of Bethlehem….Jesus.

It is in this season, above all others, that our hearts should be filled with charity for those less fortunate than us. Our pocketbooks and our wallets should naturally fall open as we look for ways to bring “light” to those who are in the midst of “darkness”…the loss of a job; mourning for a dear loved one who has passed away; the onset of unforeseen misfortune or mounting bills; empty tables and empty cupboards…and the list goes on.

You can be that “light” today if you will only open your eyes and then, open your heart and your hand to those who need help. There are many that are hurting in our communities, churches and company cultures that will never say a word or let anyone know the circumstances in which they find themselves…but God knows and He is just waiting for a willing heart and an open hand to meet their needs. Ask God to help you find someone who needs your help and then get ready for action. He will provide …both the need and the means to meet that need.

Today, let your light shine so that He will receive the glory….you can and must be the light of the Savior in the world today…He has no one but you….will you let Him be glorified in you….it’s time to shine for Jesus!

Glorifying the Father ….Shining brightly to light my world,

WPQ

Poem for the Day:

Lord, make my life a guiding light

So that my neighbors might see.

May they be lead to seek your face

Because of what they’ve seen in me.

WPQ     Jan 2003

The Man and the Birds...A Christmas Story

Each year at Christmas, I eagerly search across my radio dial trying to find the story of the Man and the Birds, as told my Paul Harvey. I find that in listening to that story, I am so wonderfully reminded of the love of God for each of us. On many occasions, I have been forced to pull off on the side of the road to listen to the conclusion of the story…it’s so hard to drive when your eyes are water-logged and leaking.

I hope and pray that during this Christmas season, you will have the wonderful opportunity to hear Mr. Harvey’s captivating telling of this timeless story…of Emmanuel, God with us. If not, then please read on and be forever blessed to know that the love of God was expressed…in human form…in a manager in Bethlehem…in a baby named JESUS.

The Man and the Birds by Paul Harvey:

The man to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a scrooge; he was a kind decent, mostly good man. He was generous to his family and always upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn't make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man.
"I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church this Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite. That he'd much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound...Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud...At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them...He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms...Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me...That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them… But how?....since any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

"If only I could be a bird," he thought to himself, "and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe, warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see and hear and understand." At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. As he stood there listening to the bells ….listening to the bells pealing forth the glad tidings of Christmas, he understood …. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

I trust that this Christmas, when you hear those church bells ring or the sounds of carolers lifting their voices in praise to the newborn babe, you too, will understand the message of Christmas….Jesus Christ is born and God is forever with us!

Merry Christmas….Happy Birthday, Jesus!

WPQ

 

Traditions…Our Treasures Shared

It is at this special season that many of us bring out some of our greatest treasures, as well as some of our most treasured traditions…..special ornaments that have been passed down through the family for generations; special holiday cookie or cake recipes that are loaded with all things fattening and lots of love; a time-honored gathering on Christmas morning to read the Christmas story before turning our attention to the mounds of presents under the tree.

Whatever your traditions …whatever your treasures…..they are always amplified in their meaning and symbolisms when they are shared with those you love most….so in the mindset of sharing one of my traditions, I give you a poem written for Christmas in 2011.

For approximately the last 20 years, I have been writing a Christmas poem to share with my family and close friends….some years the message came quickly and with great ease; other years provided a true test of imagination and arduous effort, but nevertheless, God always provided me with a new thought of the Christmas celebration.

The following is my poem for the 2011 Christmas season….As I share this tradition with each of you, I pray that God will richly bless you and your family as we celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas,

WPQ

The Heartbeat of Heaven

The hallowed halls of Heaven were quiet on that night

When the multitude of angels took off in heavenly flight;

Bound for earthly realms and there in one voice to sing

Their praises to the Christ-child….Heaven’s newborn King.

There was no celebration on that night so long ago

When the heartbeat of Heaven gave up His throne to go;

To save a lost and hopeless world; they hardly noticed then

That God had sent His only Son as ransom for our sin.

The cherubs were not gleeful; they each choked back their tears

For the heartbeat of Heaven would now be gone for years.

For as He took the form of man, the Creator, His Son he gave;

This tiny child from Heaven now sent for all to save.

To live a life of obedience; to answer the Father’s call….

Born that night in Bethlehem in a lowly cattle’s stall.

No trumpet sounds or blaring horns were there to greet His birth

As the heartbeat of Heaven came silently to earth.

For in that manger lay Heaven’s righteous, Holy One

Born to a virgin meek and mild ….God’s gift of His only Son;

A precious gift so freely given….sent from Heaven above;

A gift of God’s great mercy and His never-ending love.

So in this Christmas season, let us each rejoice and sing

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ, our King;

For the heartbeat of Heaven gave up His royal throne….

He gave his life as a sacrifice so we would never walk alone.

Walking with Jesus today…tomorrow…and forever!!!!!

W. Patrick Queen

 @

December 2011

A Thankful Heart in Trying Times

Here’s a new twist to an old saying:

Due to the recent financial difficulties, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off!

Now, I know that things are not as good as they could be; but, heaven knows they could be worse. So as we approach the upcoming day that we as Americans set aside to give thanks; well, let’s do just that….GIVE THANKS!

In fact, if truth be told, we find in God’s word that giving “THANKS:” is an imperative …a direct command from the Great I AM.

Throughout the Psalms, David continually wrote to praise the Lord and to give thanks. In Chapters 106 and 118, he begins each psalm with this admonition, “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Time and time again, David reminds us to give thanks…to let our hearts overflow with thanksgiving. In fact, in over 33 passages in the Bible, we are commanded to give thanks to our Father who is the giver of every good gift.

So, on this Thursday, as you gather with friends and family members and recount all of God’s blessings during this past year; don’t look at the shrinking balance in your checking account and lament how poor you are…rather; remember if you have any spare change just lying around the house, you are already wealthier than 75% of the world’s population. Contemplate on this…..if you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back and shoes on your feet….. and you eat at least one meal a day... you are living above the poverty level of 85% of those in third world countries.

Yes, times are hard for many of us here in America, but that does not relieve us of God’s command to obedience as we bestow our praise, honor, adoration and gratitude on Him who has given us all that we have and more than we need.

However, we should not give thanks to God because it our duty or just to be obedient to his Word, but rather out of love and gratitude for the immeasurable blessings of God on this great nation.

Times may be hard and they may become harder…but we, as followers of Christ, are called to a higher standard of thanksgiving…we are to praise him and give thanks in ALL things…the good and the bad…in the best of times and the worst of times.

Begin today your celebration of this Thanksgiving season by doing the following….set aside some time to make a list of the things for which you can give thanks and after each one, BLESS THE NAME OF JESUS….tell Him, personally, what and why you are thankful and how, even if that blessing were striped away, you would still give thanks and bless his name…..for scripture tells us, “What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, yet lose his own soul.”

This Thanksgiving do the one thing that will honor God, praise Him and bring glory to His name….Tell others how thankful you are that you belong to Jesus. This simple act of telling others that you are a child of the King will elicit praise from your lips and will demonstrate a heart filled and over-flowing with thanksgiving.

It is in every act of worship that we demonstrate our love for our Heavenly Father and in our praise and works of obedience that we show a humble and thankful heart. SO GO AHEAD AND HAVE A BLESSED AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING this week…and

May God bless you as never before….

WPQ

Poem for the Day:

In harmony with one voice we raise,

Our grateful songs of thankful praise.

In song and dance we do proclaim

That we are blessed in Jesus’ name.

May all creation spend each day,

Praising Jesus in every way…

And may the very rocks cry out

The valleys sing, the mountains shout;

And echo through each humbled heart

As all who know Him do their part….

To sing and worship all our days

With hearts filled with eternal praise.

WPQ 2011

Praise Him, Praise Him!

I remember as a small child learning the following song when I was about 3 or 4 years old….

Praise Him, Praise Him; All you little children.

God is good; God is good.

Praise Him, Praise Him; All you little children …

GOD is GOOD…GOD is GOOD!!!!!!

This little song should ever be on our lips as believers especially as we enter a season of praise and thanksgiving. Scriptures says it best in Psalm 107:1-2, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”

Did you catch that? The act of gratitude and thanksgiving falls to those of us that are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb….for if anyone has a reason to be thankful, it is surely those that God has forgiven and adopted into the family of righteousness.

The problem for all too many of us is that we are often filled with gratitude, but fail to express it….to our spouse, our family members and especially to our Heavenly Father. It is like picking out a great gift, going to the trouble to wrap it in the best paper, placing an awesome bow on top…..and then sticking it in the closet, never to be given to our intended recipient.

Gratitude that is not shared is not really gratitude at all….it fails to give us that warm, fuzzy feeling that one would expect when shared ……and it leaves our object of affection feeling cold, sullen and unappreciated.

So in this upcoming Thanksgiving season, let’s start at the top of the list with those to whom gratitude and expressions of love are due….Our Savior for His gift of eternal life…our spouses for their affection, tenderness and support …our children for their honor, obedience and admiration….our church, its staff and those who give unselfishly in loving acts of service…..

Let’s unwrap our gifts of gratitude and tell everyone we meet, “Thank you and God Bless you for all that you are and do for those that you love.”

If we, as the Redeemed of Christ, can not express our thanks and show our gratitude to those we love…what does that really say about our relationship with Christ?

A serious question that needs your attention as you Praise Him, Praise Him…. for God is Good!

Happy Thanksgiving,

WPQ

Poem for the Day:

In this season of thanksgiving,

Best watch your attitude;

So share with all your loved ones

Your thanks and gratitude.

Don’t leave them in the darkness

Wondering if your care

Just thank them for their support

And always being there.

WPQ@ 2011

Living the Successful Living...what's in it for YOU?

During the last couple of weeks, my Sunday school class has been studying the biblical character, Timothy. I have been constantly amazed at the maturity and level-headedness of this young man. Now that could be due to the time and energy that the great apostle Paul poured into this young man as his friend, confidant and mentor; but, I believe it was in large part due to the willing heart and love of service to the Lord Jesus Christ that made Timothy a real man of God....and the same can be true for each of us if we are willing to heed the advice of the apostle Paul.

Paul was constantly sending Timothy into some of the most impossible situations as he traveled from church to church….often, the bearer of reproach, correction and discipline for a flock gone astray….but, always we read of Timothy’s cool head and diplomacy as he delivered his message from Paul. How could one so young with little formal training become such a great pastor?  Let’s look at Paul's admonition to his young protégé and see what he took to heart.

In 1 Timothy 4: 7, Paul tells Timothy to “Train yourself in godliness….for godliness is beneficial in every way since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” He continues in verses 12-13 by saying, “No one should despise your youth; instead, you should be an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith and in purity. Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation and teaching”….and in verse 15, “Practice these things; be committed to them so that your progress may be evident to all. Be conscientious about yourself and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this your will save both yourself and your hearers.”

What a great mission statement for young Timothy… and for us. If you are seeking a roadmap that leads to successful Christian living in a wicked and despicable world, follow these words to young Timothy….be an example in what you say, what you do, how and what you love, in your demeanor and in what you put into your mind and body.

Sound simple? Of course….it’s the execution of such a life style that is the true test of who we are and to whom we have committed our lives. Are you committed to live for Jesus today? Are you willing to train yourself in godliness and to practice a lifestyle that honors God?

As a former PGA professional, I have had the opportunity to give many a golf lesson to beginning and aspiring golfers and my advice has always been the same to each of my students, “PRACTICE DOESN’T MAKE PERFECT…PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT.”

Now, if you want to have a good golf swing, you do need to practice; but you need to practice the RIGHT things to accomplish your goals and become a better golfer. Same holds true in living the Christian life….YOU MUST PRACTICE THE RIGHT THINGS…THE “GODLY” THINGS if you want to stand at the Bema seat of Christ and hear those words we all long to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant; enter now into the joy of the Lord.”

How will you stand before your Creator…..trembling because you know that you let Him down or in anxious anticipation for the joy of the Lord?

The choice is up to you ….it’s all in how and what you

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!!

Practicing the Basics…..Living for the Reward,

WPQ