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...Living to be Blessed!"

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 our 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 might 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

Poem for the day....

If you want a life of happiness;

One that's worry free...

Then you'll have to wait for Heaven

Before that can come to be!

For in this life upon this orb,

Troubles will abound;

But the saving grace for all mankind?

Jesus has come down...

He faced the same temptations

That still plague our daily walk;

He did not give in to the call of sin;

His life was more than talk.

He taught by His example

To lean upon the Lord...

To trust Him for His blessings

And find our courage in His word.

So heed the message that He taught

And your life will not be stressed;

For in His Sermon upon the Mount

He taught us to be...BLESSED!!!!

WPQ © July 2019

Ten Commandments for A Blessed Life!

1)  Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble; rather, it is a "steering wheel" that helps keep you on the right path throughout your journey.

2)  Ever wonder why a car's WINDSHIELD is so large, but the REAR VIEW MIRROR so small?  Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE... So, focus on the road ahead and don't look back! 

3)  Friendship is like a BOOK. It only takes a few minutes to be destroyed in a fire, but it often takes years to write the entire story.

 4) All things in life are temporary.  If they're going well, enjoy them while you can for they will not last forever.  If things are not as they should be, don't worry... that won't last long either.

  5) Old Friends are Gold and new friends are Diamond!  If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold!  Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

  6) Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, friend; it's just a bend in the road, not the end of the road!"

  7) When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

 8) A blind person asked St. Anthony:  "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?"  He replied, "Yes, losing your vision!"

 9) When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them. So, when you are safe and happy, remember, often someone has prayed for you.

 10) WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES... it takes away today's PEACE.

If you adhere to these and commit your ways to the Lord, He promises that He will pour out a blessing so great that you will not be able to take it all in...Trust in the Lord and remember this:

Too often when we become complacent in life, we just stop trying! It is then that we must remember...

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.

When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... 

'The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not supply your every need.'

Go today with God as He goes before you and makes the pathway straight!!!!

WPQ

Poem for the day...

Traveling down life's highway

Toward the setting of your day;

If Christ has walked beside you

And if you're living life His way....

Then you need not fear the journey

As you walk together hand in hand;

And as you take life's last breath

You will enter His Promised Land.

There at last to meet your Savior

To see His glory, face to face.

You'll thank Him for each blessings

And His never-ending grace.

And though your life is over

In Heaven there will be no end...

As you hear the Master say to you.

"Well done, my good and faithful friend."

WPQ © APRIL 2018

A Broken Heart

When my daughter, Alyson, was just a toddler, I picked her up from daycare to find her covered elbow to elbow with magic marker, generously lavished on her by a young friend. I took her home and as I cleaned up the mess, I gently convinced her never to let anyone mark on her with a magic marker again. Unfortunately, just two years later at age 5, she began to battle a rare childhood cancer. Her doctor (that was to perform the radiation portion of her treatment) brought her into the room and placed her on the exam table. He told her to lie perfectly still while he made his marks across her abdomen and chest where the protective plate would lie during her radiation treatments. Alyson, ever the obedient child, lay perfectly still while tears streamed from her eyes. When the doctor asked what was wrong, she simply replied, “My Daddy doesn’t want me to let anybody write on me!!!!”

My daughter’s act of disobedience (at least in her mind) broke her little heart. She wanted to please me in every way and the thought of disobeying me was more than her heart could bear. As I have reflected on this scene and played it over and over in my mind over the last 20+ years, I have often asked myself, “Do I feel such pain and heart break when I disobey my Heavenly Father?” Where are the tears, the evident signs of remorse, the simple child-like desire to please my Father in every way ….and the disappointment when I fail?  I John 5:2-3 says: “By this we know that we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.”

God has really made life quite simple for us….we are to love Him with all our heart, mind, body and soul and we are to obey…… Simple …Pure …. Life-changing. And when we fail, and we all do, it should break our heart ….. for a moment , for a day, but not forever. For we serve a glorious Savior that has paid the price for our disobedience and who grants us chance after chance after chance… Not because of who we are…but because of whose we are!!!!!

I trust that today you are living obediently and that the Father is well pleased in your love for Him and your desire to do his will. If so, you are keeping his commandments and I am sure that a broad smile spreads across His face as He sees a child that so desperately wants to obey. If not, I pray that for just a moment , tears will fill your eyes as you remember all that Christ has done for you and that your little heart will be broken.... and in love for your Father, you will seek His will and walk His way.

Walking with my Father…Seeking to Obey,

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.

WPQ

Having the Same Mind...

Today is a special day in the history and life of our republic...it is the FOURTH of JULY. In fact, today we celebrate the 243rd birthday of this great nation...a nation founded on those immortal words of Thomas Jefferson who said we all have the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." It was to that one mindset that 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence, basically signing their own death warrant as with colonists across the land, all would rally to fight for one ideal...that they should be FREE!

After winning our independence, those same brave men gathered again with one mindset...to establish a government that drew its authoritative power from the will of a free people...and that same mindset should be ours today. Unfortunately, we are becoming a country divided as many of us hold disparaging views as to how we move forward with the issues that face us.

I believe the great apostle Paul gave us some clear cut instruction as to how we as Christians should proceed as we seek to live in a world filled with turmoil. He wrote in Philippians 3:12-16, the following, "I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven. All of us who have grown to be spiritually mature should think this way too. And if there is any of this that you don’t agree with, God will make it clear to you. But we should continue following the truth we already have."  NKJV Maxwell Leadership Bible

You can see in the highlighted portion of our Biblical instruction that Paul believes that we as mature believers should ALL think the way he does regarding the way and the reason for which we live...to obtain that which God as called each of us to be....ONE MINDSET WITH MANY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES...EACH OF US USING OUR INDEPENDENCE TO BE WHAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE AS WE STRAIN FOR THE PRIZE OF HIS HIGH CALLING.

So on this day, as we celebrate our nation's independence, let us also celebrate our spiritual independence from the life of sin and degradation from which God has redeemed us and give thanks for the high calling He has placed within the heart of every believer who seeks His face and has the mindset to walk in His way! And if you do not agree, then it is up to the Almighty to change your mind...only He can do that through the inner workings of the Holy Spirit.

Yes; today is a day of celebration, but also concern as we look across the great landscape of our nation. So many good things to embrace; so many horrible things from which we should hide our heads in shame. But as believers, living out our faith with one mindset, we can be the change that this country needs as we live our holy and fearless lives intending to be what God has called each of us to be....SALT & LIGHT....will each of you join me as we reach out to our neighbors, our homeless, our downtrodden, our rebellious and our broken-hearted and offer them the only thing that can truly make a difference in their lives...a personal relationship with their Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ...the author and perfecter of our faith. If we will do as Paul has instructed and come together with this same mindset, we will see our nation once again return to the  roots that were so firmly planted in our Christian heritage. It is only when we once again acknowledge that God is our Provider and Sustainer that we will see His hand of blessing stretch out over us all to see Him heal this land....and that will truly be a cause for CELEBRATION!

One mindset....reaching for the prize of His high calling,

WPQ

Poem for the day....

Today's  the day we celebrate

It comes round once each year;

It's a birthday celebration

Where crowds go wild and cheer.

We celebrate the amazing birth

Of our nation called the USA.

This wondrous miracle of republic

That is still alive today.

But there are those foes that come against

The things that have made us great;

So we must seek to firmly stand

Before it is too late...

To save this great Republic

Our motto strong to stand....

"IN GOD WE TRUST" should echo

Across this great and prosperous land!

So let us all with one mindset

Pray to our God above;

To shower us with His blessings ....

HIS PEACE..HIS JOY...HIS LOVE!!!

WPQ© July 2019

Celebrating America...I LOVE THIS LAND!

I LOVE THIS LAND...

I love this land with its rock and hills and trees;

I love this land from mountaintops to roaring seas.

I love this land with its grandeur and majesty

But I admit there are some things that truly bother me...

How can a people blessed with so many wondrous things

Turn their back on their Creator, the holy King of Kings?

How can each hope that beats within in the heart of every man,

Not praise the One who created us and walk according to His plan?

What kind of man would turn his back and quickly walk away;

Not take the time to lend a hand to those lost in life's dark fray.

What does it take, what can be done... to open closed and blinded eyes;

To see the suffering all around or hear the anguish in their cries...

Of those who are downtrodden, living less than God intended

Who only need a helping hand; a chance to be befriended;

What kind of people do not seek to make anew and change what is...

How can they continually do these things and say they are...HIS!

So I will show my love for all, each and every day;

I'll love this land and let it show to those who come my way;

Not only in single deed, but in what I think and say;

And I pray the Lord will listen, when I bow my head to pray....

HOLY FATHER....BLESS THIS LAND; THE LAND I TRULY LOVE!

LET YOUR MERCY SHINE UPON US FROM YOUR THRONE ABOVE.

HELP US SEEK THE LOST AND AS WE POINT THEM TO YOU;

MAY THE MESSAGE WE SHARE BE FOUND FAITHFUL AND TRUE!

MAY OUR LOVE BE ETERNAL AS WE SEEK TO FOLLOW YOU,

MAY OTHERS KNOW OF JESUS BY WHAT WE SAY AND DO;

MAY WE BE A BEACON FOR ALL WHO ARE LOST IN THE NIGHT

MAY WE ANSWER THE CALL...TO BE THE SALT & LIGHT!!!!

MAY EACH DAY BRING WITH IT, A WONDROUS OPPORTUNITY

TO SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS, SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT SEE;

WE LONG TO BE THE PEOPLE YOU WOULD HAVE US TO BE....

AMERICA, YOUR BLESSED LAND, FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA!!!!

OH YES...I LOVE THIS LAND !!!!!

WPQ© JULY 2019

Celebrating America's Birthday ...Joy or Pain...You Decide!

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 4th”, 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 2018. 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 4th 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

As we prepare to celebrate our 243rd Birthday, may the words of this poem

resonate within the soul of every American that longs for our return to the God of the Universe...

May He hear our prayers and Bless us once again with HIS GREAT FAVOR!!!!

Poem for the day...

It's great to live in the land of the free

Especially when nothing's required of me.

I don't have to do what others think right;

I'm not required to be a guiding light.

I can go where I want, live as I please;

Take all I want and live a life of ease.

No one can tell my life is a mess

But sometimes I wonder and so I confess....

What if I lived like life is a gem

And I spent my days, focused on Him.

What if I gave with no thought of reward

Put on my armor, raised up my sword.

What if each day I battled those horrible lies

That tells us God's love is not truly life's prize.

What if I gave Him all I could be....

Would that make a difference others would see?

So as we celebrate the birth of our nation

Let us remember the God of creation!

No longer as His can we sit on the fence;

It's time to tell others of our dependence.

To stand and shout at the top of our lungs,

To revel in joy as songs of triumph are sung.

So whether rich or poor, no matter life's station

Petition our God to BLESS THIS NATION!!!

WPQ © June 2018

HAPPY 4TH...MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Survive or Thrive...You Choose!

In my many years of bachelorhood, before I married my beautiful wife of almost 30 years, I did what most guys of my generation did to make the "bachelor pad" look "cool"....I had lots and lots of plants. Unfortunately at that time, I was a traveling salesman that usually left home on Monday mornings, and if all went well was back home by late Friday afternoon. So, in order to take care of my many plants,  I more than sufficiently watered them and placed them in or near the windows so they could get their required sun. In most cases, this was a recipe for disaster and dead plants. If a plant stayed alive at my place for more than 2 weeks, it was a real survivor!

When I look back at my survival rate with my plants, there was only one that did well to live. In fact, you might say it was even able to thrive under the extreme conditions I placed on my chlorophyll colored roommates. It was my schefflera tree. It did not need that much water, so usually watering it once a week was sufficient and as for sunlight, medium light that was bright but indirect was the perfect amount...it truly lived in spite of my care.

As I think of that plant, it reminds me of the way some of us go about our Christian walk sometimes.  We don't want to be in the bright spotlight with a lot of attention coming our way because if others are looking at us and our actions, we may wilt and lose our witness. We are much more comfortable being near the bright light and getting the benefits of the indirect light of others who have chosen to serve as a deacon or a Sunday school teacher; or give their time and talents and sing in the choir; or volunteer a few Sundays a year to take care of those little children in the nursery. Yes, the bright light of service scares us, so we seek the dimmer light further from the real battles that are being waged in the name of the Lord.

And as for the watering, ONCE A WEEK IS GOOD FOR US! Yes, we will be there just about every Sunday morning for the church service. We will sit where we always sit; shake hands with the same people each week; give the same $10 or $20 tip to the collection plate and most of all, stay awake through the entire sermon. If we do all this, we will survive and be good to go until the same time next week when we repeat the process.

But God has called us NOT to SURVIVE...BUT TO THRIVE. In Psalm 92:12-13, it reads,

"The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God."

And that should be each of us...living our life, walking with our Lord in committed service so that we are not just survivors...but we are OVERCOMERS WHO THRIVE in this world as we prepare for the one to come. We need to spend time DAILY in His word, seeking His truth and pursuing His righteousness so that when the spotlight is aimed in our direction, WE WILL NOT WILT BUT STAND AS A GLORIOUS TESTIMONY OF GOD AND HIS FAITHFULNESS.

So the choice is simple, my friend...are you only surviving in your journey through this life or are you one of God's chosen elect who has decided that you will THRIVE?

AS ALWAYS, THE CHOICE IS YOURS!!!

Choosing to Live a Life that Thrives in Him,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

If you decided to follow Jesus

And to live a life that thrives;

You must do the work each day

That tells others you're alive.

So keep your heart from evil

In all you say and do.

For the bright light of this world

Will be shining down on you.

To see if your measure up

And really walk the Walk.

Or are you just giving lip service

When you try to talk the Talk.

For the Father's love will see you thru

Those dark nights and days to come;

Until He comes to take you to

YOUR EVERLASTING HOME!

WPQ©February 2018