A SIMPLE CHOICE...CHOOSE WISELY AND DO IT TODAY!

 We all got to this planet with one question WE MUST ANSWER....

WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY?

THE CHOICE IS REALLY QUITE SIMPLE...CHOOSE JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR AND HEAVEN WILL BE YOUR HOME! CHOOSE ANY OTHER ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION AND HELL WILL BE YOUR ETERNAL RESTING PLACE....NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ANGRY GOD WHO WANTS TO PUNISH US...RATHER WE HAVE A HOLY, RIGHTEOUS GOD THAT SURROUNDS HIMSELF WITH PERFECTION.

AND SINCE NONE OF US, EVEN ON OUR BEST DAY, ARE PERFECT; GOD HAS MADE THE ONLY WAY TO COME TO HIM FOR OUR SALVATION THROUGH THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST. IT IS HE, AND HE ALONE, WHO BOUGHT AND PAID FOR OUR SINS WITH HIS DEATH UPON THAT BEAUTIFUL, TERRIBLE CROSS.

SO CHOOSE WISELY AND DO IT TODAY!!! TOMORROW MAY COME AND IF YOU HAVE NOT ANSWERED THIS ALL IMPORTANT QUESTION BY INVITING JESUS TO COME INTO YOUR HEART AND MAKE YOU A NEW CREATION IN HIM ....YOUR ANSWER WILL SIMPLY BE....I CHOOSE HELL AND THE ETERNAL SEPARTION FROM MY HEAVENLY FATHER AS MY FINAL ETERNAL DESTINATION. REMEMBER THIS.... NO MAN KNOWS THE HOUR OF HIS DEMISE. I PRAY YOU MAKE THAT DECISION AND SAY "YES TO JESUS" BEFORE YOUR TIME IS UP!


A Simple Choice
We all must make a simple choice as we travel along life's road.
Plan to make it on our own or find someone to share life's load?
Do we take the straight, widest road, skipping merrily on our way?
Or choose the bumpy, narrow road filled with peril for us each day?
It really should be an easy choice; one that brings us joy and love;
But try to make it on our own, we may lose God's favor from above.
So make the clear, simple choice; choose the road less traveled on...
For you final destination lies ahead...with Heaven as your HOME!!!

WPQ © May 2022

IS THERE RUST ON YOUR TRUST?

I have a gas grill on the back deck at our home in the North Carolina mountains and on almost any Summer or Fall evening, you will probably find me, grill spatula in hand, flipping something meaty and tasty on that grill. I have had this grill for almost two years and I must admit, I have not exercised the kind of care that was needed to keep it in pristine or even good conditions.

There have been more than a few occasions when I have finished cooking our supper on the grill;  then, I head inside to enjoy the "fruits of my labor." In doing this,  I have left the grill top open and the whole unit uncovered. If I had done that only a time or two, no big deal; however, in my laziness of multiple times of not taking care of the grill, I have began to notice some disturbing brown spots on the grill plates and other utensils I use in cooking...those spots are RUST...

SOMETHING THAT IS NOT BENEFICIAL TO MY GRILL OR THE FOOD THAT IS COOKED ON THOSE GRILL PLATES...which got me thinking about the sermon our pastor shared last Sunday...how we are to TRUST GOD FOR HE IS TRUSTWORTHY!!!

 Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

You would think this Scripture would be a simple task for us as believers to follow...TRUST GOD AND FOLLOW WHERE HE LEADS, RIGHT?

But here's the rub, and it's found in a Matthew 6: 25-28, where Jesus instructs his disciples by saying, "“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (New Living Translation)

Yes, the Master had to call his disciples out on how they were living...THEY WERE TRUSTING IN WHAT THEY COULD SEE  RATHER TRUSTING IN THE ONE THAT IS UNSEEN BUT WHO IS ALWAYS TRUSTWORTHY....OUR HEAVENLY FATHER GOD!!!

You see when we worry about our circumstances, get strung out with anxiety about things we THINK might happen or just find ourselves in a funk over life, we are letting RUST begin to CORRODE OUR  TRUST.... AND A BELIEVER'S LIFE THAT DOES NOT EXUDE TRUST FOR OTHERS TO SEE IS A LIFE THAT PRETTY SOON WILL LOOK LIKE THE LIFE OF AN UNBELIEVER. Besides, as Christ asks so poignantly, "who can use worry to add a SINGLE moment to your life?"

Let's be real....when we worry over things which may or may not happen; worry over bills, money, health problems, or other concerns of life; what are we really saying to God? Probably something like these... 

1) God you are Good, but I need Great in my situation

2) God my problems are SO big, I need a miracle

3) God, I love you; but I'm not sure even you can fix my problem

4) God I love you, but I can't help but worry about my life

 And there are probably many more excuses that we tell ourselves so that our worry becomes our comfort rather than putting our TRUST in the God who created us and sent His Son to save us. 

Rust in our Trust is a slow, almost imperceptible, conditioning of allowing our fears to well up in our minds as we spend our energy worrying about what might be rather than trusting in a God that says as we acknowledge who He is, the Power He holds, the love He bestows...the more we will see Him guide and direct our steps to lead us through any storm that life may bring our way.

So how do we knock the RUST OFF OUR TRUST...Just follow the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33-34 which says,  "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:33-34 NLT)

So my final question to you today is...WHAT ME WORRY?  And our unanimous answer as His sons and daughters should be.... NO WAY!!!  FOR MY GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY AND I CAN PLACE MY LIFE IN HIS HANDS FOR HE CARES FOR ME!!!!

Knocking off the rust on my trust....following where He leads,

WPQ

 

POEM FOR THE DAY....

The Bible is our Guide Book

For the journey that lies ahead;

We can face the coming unknown

With excitement or with dread?

 

We can believe in the Father

And the love He has for us...

As we search His Holy Scriptures

There's a few things that we must...

 

We must TRUST in His Holy will

And the plans He brings to bear;

We must take our worries to the Throne

And gladly leave them there!

 

We must love our fellow neighbors

And our enemies as well...

As we seek to share His saving grace

That keeps us each from Hell.

 

So don't let the Devil do to you 

What he's done to the unjust...

Just live your life in service

And keep the Rust off your TRUST!

 

WPQ © October 2022

I HAVE A FRIEND IN JESUS....

I have a friend in Jesus;

He's all I'll ever need.

And I began my journey

With the faith of a mustard seed.

 I know that He is with me;

He is with me to the end...

And He will not forsake me; 

He's my closest, dearest friend.

 

He's always there to pick me up

Should life's trials knock me down.

He's always there to guide me

When my friends cannot be found.

 I gave my life to Jesus

For I know He cares for me....

He proved His Love forever

When He died on Calvary's tree.

 

So I will not forsake the One

Who loves beyond compare...

Whose always just a prayer away;

I can see Him standing there.

Waiting there with open arms,

He is longing for my embrace...

And I, in turn, am longing

To see my Savior's face.

 

So I have no fear of what lies ahead;

For Jesus will see me through.

And if you invite Him to become your friend....

He'll do all the same for YOU!!!

 

 

WPQ © July 2022

Prayer...A Great Gift From God

LIFE IS HARD...AND WITHOUT FAITH IN GOD, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE IT OUT TO OUR GREATEST POTENTIAL. PRAYER IS ONE OF OUR STRONGEST CONNECTIONS TO GOD. WE SHARE WHAT IS ON OUR HEARTS AND HIDDEN OFTEN DEEP WITHIN OUR SOULS...AND GOD HEARS FROM HEAVEN AND SENDS HIS REPLY. IT MAY COME IN  THE FORM OF A STRANGER DOING A KIND DEED FOR YOU; IT MAY BE YOU DOING A KIND DEED FOR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IN NEED...OR ANY OF A THOUSAND OTHER WAYS; BUT GOD ALWAYS MEETS THE NEEDS OF HIS CHILDREN AND HE IS NEVER LATE...ALWAYS ON TIME.

Now, I do not know if this story is true, but if you are a believer then you have probably already experienced the AWESOMENESS OF GOD in some similar or other miraculous outpouring of His Love thorough answered prayer. If not, then pray harder and believe! And if you are having a hard time believing, then ask God for a stronger and more vibrant faith in Him and He will answer that prayer as well. And in closing, if this story, real or imagined, does not stir you to tears, better check your pulse or see and eye doctor to have your tear ducts cleaned.

GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU SEEK HIM IN FAITH AND THROUGH PRAYER AND MAY ALL YOU ASK IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. AMEN!

This is a testimony written  by a doctor who worked in Africa.

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.   
Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates).  “And it is our last hot water  bottle!” she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles.  They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. “All right,”  I said,  “put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.”

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During prayer time, one ten -year-old  girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children.  “Please, God” she prayed, “Send us a hot water bottle today.  It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.”
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, “And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?” As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say “Amen?” I just did not believe that God could do this.

Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.  Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put  in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly.  Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I  felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.  I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, “If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!”
Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!  Looking up at me, she asked, “Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?” “Of course,” I replied!

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.
And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it “that afternoon.”

“Before they call, I will answer.” (Isaiah 65:24)

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to trust in God with all our heart. What a faithful God!!!

Jesus is My Anchor

 

Jesus...The Anchor For My Soul

I've spent my life on troubled seas.

No safe harbor for my soul..

Tempest tossed and beaten down;

No longer was I whole.

 

Filled with despair; for all was lost;

There was no one to rescue me.

But there amid the tempest gale,

I saw the Master of the Seas.

 

Walking through those stormy seas

He reached out and took my hand...

For in that moment, I was saved

And safely brought to land.

 

No longer wrecked nor tossed about,

For Jesus had rescued me...

And He told that forever,

My anchor He would be.

 

No longer would I drift away

To sin's  powerful, elusive sway.

For as the anchor of my soul

He would never let me stray.

 

For every anchor remains secure

To the line that's firm and strong...

And with Jesus as my anchor

I am kept from worldly wrongs.

 

So if like me in life's tempest seas,

You life is pitched and rocked and rolled;

Never fear; for your  Lord is near....

With Jesus.... the ANCHOR for your soul!

 

 

WPQ © July 2022

 

 

We have this HOPE as an anchor for the soul,

firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary

behind the curtain.  Hebrews 6:19

 

 

 

Will You Be Left Behind?

I just finished reading Dr. David Jeremiah's book, AFTER THE RAPTURE, An End Times Guide to Survival. What a wonderful, insightful book; especially if you are one of the non-believers and not a follower of Jesus. It is written from the aspect that you are a survivor of the greatest event in history...the biblical prophecy of The Rapture has taken place; millions have vanished in the blinking of an eye and you are one of those left behind.  So what do you do next? This book is written for you and all others who may have heard of the Rapture; been told of Jesus and the salvation He offers....but never made Him. Lord and Savior in your life.

The poem that follows is my way of sharing what God wants for His Creation ...to know Him as THE CREATOR AND THE ONE WHO KEEPS HIS PROMISES....HE IS COMING BACK TO CLAIM THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM....

IN THE BLINKING OF AN EYE...

There' s a day in every future...in the blinking of an eye;

When those who believe in Jesus will meet Him in the sky.

The dead in Christ shall first be raised, united in Heavenly plane;

And those who long to see Him come will never be the same.

 

Since the day that Christ was borne, upward in the sky;

Mankind has been waiting for the blinking of God's eye.

A time for those now raised from sleep, with Heaven just above.

Now forever going home...to rest in the Father's love.

 

Gone are all the troubles; our trials, our hurts, our pains.

Home at last with Jesus....our faith in Him our gain.

For He told on the day He left for Heaven's glorious shore;

That one day He would come again and rescue us once more.

 

For when we leave this earth behind, now as Heaven's capture.

The Tribulation will commence...for His Chosen He did rapture.

Those tumultuous times will now begin, the Word of God so true;

I pray that all those left behind will now know what to do?

 

Did not God prick you heart to show His wondrous grace?

But you would only scowl at Him and turn away your face;

And now you have been left behind, but this story need not end,

For God still wants to save you...He's your Savior and your Friend.

 

There's only one thing that matters now as harrowing days unfold;

Give your heart and life to Jesus....live as the Bible told.

For there is another day when Jesus shall split the sky....

And those who have come to Him shall never, ever die.

 

For when He comes a second time, every eye on earth will see;

His Holy Host marching behind their KING OF MAJESTY!

Not as a tiny baby or as an earthly, sacrificial lamb....

But as the KING of KINGS; the Son of the Great I AM!!!!

 

So do not make the same mistake and leave Jesus knocking at your door;

For when He comes the second time, the door will close forevermore.

And those who did not choose Him will know Hell's fire, remorse and pain.

For the battle for men's souls He'll win...

AND TOGETHER WITH HIM, THEY'LL REIGN!!!

 

 

WPQ © JULY 2022

Life is HARD....Prayer Makes It Bareable!

LIFE IS HARD...AND WITHOUT FAITH IN GOD, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE IT OUT TO OUR GREATEST POTENTIAL. PRAYER IS ONE OF OUR STRONGEST CONNECTIONS TO GOD. WE SHARE WHAT IS ON OUR HEARTS AND HIDDEN OFTEN DEEP WITHIN OUR SOULS...AND GOD HEARS FROM HEAVEN AND SENDS HIS REPLY. IT MAY COME IN  THE FORM OF A STRANGER DOING A KIND DEED FOR YOU; IT MAY BE YOU DOING A KIND DEED FOR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IN NEED...OR ANY OF A THOUSAND OTHER WAYS; BUT GOD ALWAYS MEETS THE NEEDS OF HIS CHILDREN AND HE IS NEVER LATE...ALWAYS ON TIME.

Now, I do not know if this story is true, but if you are a believer then you have probably already experienced the AWESOMENESS OF GOD in some similar or other miraculous outpouring of His Love thorough answered prayer. If not, then pray harder and believe! And if you are having a hard time believing, then ask God for a stronger and more vibrant faith in Him and He will answer that prayer as well. And in closing, if this story, real or imagined, does not stir you to tears, better check your pulse or see and eye doctor to have your tear ducts cleaned. 

GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU SEEK HIM IN FAITH AND THROUGH PRAYER AND MAY ALL YOU ASK IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. AMEN!

This is a testimony written  by a doctor who worked in Africa.

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.   
Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates).  “And it is our last hot water  bottle!” she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles.  They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. “All right,”  I said,  “put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.”

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During prayer time, one ten -year-old  girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children.  “Please, God” she prayed, “Send us a hot water bottle today.  It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.”
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, “And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?” As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say “Amen?” I just did not believe that God could do this.

Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.  Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put  in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly.  Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I  felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.  I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, “If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!”
Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!  Looking up at me, she asked, “Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?” “Of course,” I replied!

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.
And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it “that afternoon.”

“Before they call, I will answer.” (Isaiah 65:24)

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to trust in God with all our heart. What a faithful God we serve and in whom we have our being!!!