REMEMBERING A SAD DAY...

 This is a reprint of a blog entitled, TODAY IS A SAD DAY,  written a little over two years ago; however, in the heat of our political and social climate of today...I BELIEVE THAT IT BEARS REPEATING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNITL IT SINKS INTO THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF ALL AMERICANS WHO LOVE THIS GREAT COUNTRY. TAKE YOUR STAND FOR RIGHTEOUS AND LAY DOWN THOSE STONE...the following will clarify, so read on!

Today is a very sad day for me and I believe, a sad day for America. I watched the mixed reaction and news coverage from the many so-called news outlets as they reported the death of a man that I believe was a true American icon....Rush Hudson Limbaugh.

Now, let me temper my remarks regarding my admiration for Mr. Limbaugh since I was never a diehard follower of his radio talk show. In fact, in his 30 plus years of voicing his opinion over our radio airways, I probably listened to his show less than 20 hours...TOTAL. But in listening to him, I was always overcome with admiration for his love for our country; his willingness to debate with his callers the pros and cons of both his and their opinions of the state of our country, our political leadership (and their flaws) and other timely topics that indeed made for good, if not great, talk radio. What bothered me last night was the way the left-leaning media bashed the man and his legacy and had the audacity to label him a malfeasant...all the while holding up to the "noble" life of the recently deceased porn purveyor, Larry Flynt; the publisher of Hustler magazine and his pornographic empire.

Now, I never agreed with Rush Limbaugh on everything, and sometimes, I agreed with him not at all; BUT I ALWAYS AGREED WITH HIS RIGHT TO SHARE HIS OPINION AND LET THOSE OF US ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RADIO SPEAKER MAKE UP OUR MINDS AND FORM OUR OWN CONCLUSIONS...and for me that is enough of a reason to mourn his death.

I also believe that Rush Limbaugh had a GREAT BIG HEART and used that caring spirit to spread much joy and love to others as he shared his fortune with charities, endowments and other means of giving to those in need. I believe, as he did, that he had talent that was on loan from HIS CREATOR and that he always sought to find a way to share his talent, thoughts and time with others. I believe that he sought to use his platform, and his ever-growing audience, to instill in his listeners how we might come together in unity to redeem this great nation so that we might return to our roots of faith in our Creator...and in so doing, we might begin to live together in harmony as we continue our search for LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS...those inalienable rights guaranteed to us by the hands of our founding fathers in our Constitution.

Was Rush Limbaugh a perfect man? I think that answer would be an emphatic NO! But as Christ said to those men, standing around the harlot, with huge stones in their hands, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:7b-11

I think that is the message behind this blog today...we can look at the life of Rush Limbaugh; pick up the big stones, ready to hurl them at this man with whom we may disagree... and possibly even have chosen to hate with a vitriol which seems to be more commonplace in our nation with the passing of each new day...or we can do as our Lord and Savior has commanded us to do; “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 'But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;" Matthew 5:43-45a (bold, my emphasis)

So I say in closing, it does not matter if Rush Limbaugh was in your 'Living Life Large Hall of Fame' or in the 'Despicable Wing of Whackos'...he was a man, created by a loving, heavenly Father, who sought to use his talents to make a difference in this world...and whether you agree with him, his politics or anything else associated with him, let those who will miss him mourn in peace; pray for them in their sorrow and remember your day to depart this world could happen at any moment...So, act the way you want others to act when they hear that you are dead and gone...so that you may be counted as a son or daughter of your Father in heaven.

Laying down the stones....Walking away in Love,

WPQ

 

 A PILE OF ROCKS

There is coming a day,

When each of us will know...

That the angel of death has come

And 'tis time for us to go.

But what will be our departing cry

As we leave this mortal life?

Will we celebrate the good we've done

Or revel in the misery and strife?

And what about the ones we loved;

What will their praises be?

Will their eyes fill with many tears,

Expressing sorrow or frivolity?

So live each day as if it were the one

When God's trumpet calls for you...

You've spent your time loving others;

Doing what He'd have you do...

 So when the casket lid is closed;

Silence will be the deafening tone...

And a pile of rocks will be left behind

Because everyone dropped their stone!!!

 

W. Patrick Queen  ©  February 2021

Preparing for Easter...ASH WEDNESDAY

Tomorrow is the start of the season of Lent and many Christians around the world will wear ashes, in the form of a cross, on their forehead. This display on Ash Wednesday is important because it marks the start of the Lenten period leading up to Easter, the time when Christians celebrate the resurrected Jesus...the Son of God who gave his life to save all mankind from their sins. For those who have put their faith and trust in His redeeming act of selfless love, these ashes symbolize both death and repentance. During this period, Christians show repentance and mourning for their sins, because they believe Christ died for them.

It is during this season of Lent that we should all be reminded of the most quoted verse in the Bible, John 3:16, which reads, FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. It is not only the most quoted verse in the Bible, but I would surmise the one that is most memorized.

But do we really understand the truth of this wonderful, all-encompassing statement of God's LOVE...for our salvation is not based on our good works or something earned, but totally dependent on the grace of God in these four insightful truths. This verse reveals the gospel in four dynamic statements that are found in the four "c's"

SALVATION'S CAUSE...FOR GOD SO LOVE THE WORLD

SALVATION'S COST...THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON

SALAVATION'S CONDITION...THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM

SALVATIONS' CONSEQUENCE...SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING

LIFE

I have been studying a new devotional book entitled, THE JOSHUA CODE, by Dr. O.S. Hawkins and the above was presented in a way that I had never completely gleaned from this wonderful Scripture. I know, without a shadow of doubt, that God's ways are PERFECT and that His plan for mankind's salvation is foolproof....but many of the people I know and love do not share that point of view. Perhaps you have loved ones, friends and family members that are liken to this same mindset and are still trying to "workout" or "earn" their way into God's perfect Heaven. They just cannot believe that ALL the work has been done. They find it too hard to accept their sinful nature, ask for God's bountiful grace and accept the forgiveness that comes from believing that Jesus died to set them free from their sin.....and in so doing, they will one day live in eternity with GOD, the Father; JESUS, the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT that will dwell within them until they leave this world.

Dr. Hawkins shared this unknown, yet wise old sage's dramatic explanation of John 3:16...

FOR GOD...the greatest lover

SO LOVED....the greatest degree

THE WORLD....the greatest company

THAT HE GAVE...the greatest act

HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON...the greatest gift

THAT WHOEVER...the greatest opportunity

BELIEVES....the greatest simplicity

IN HIM...the greatest attraction

SHOULD NOT PERISH...the greatest promise

BUT...the greatest difference

HAVE...the greatest certainty

EVERLASTING LIFE....the greatest possession 

So, my friends, as we enter into this holy season of Lent; when we take into account our miserable state of affairs as sinners, hopelessly and forever separated from our Creator by our great chasm of sin...Let us look to our Heavenly Father and truly take to heart the love that God has written in His Book, the HOLY BIBLE. For in this short, but life-changing verse God tells us of HIS UNENDIING LOVE, HIS UNYIELDING PURSUIT AND HIS UNWAVERING PROMISE OF HOPE if we will do but one simple thing....REPENT, ACCEPT AND BELIEVE that He has done all that needs to be done....the GIFT is ours when we accept and OPEN our hearts to His forever love.

IT IS MY PRAYER THAT YOU WILL MEET AND COME TO KNOW YOUR CREATOR, LORD AND SAVIOR.... AND THE GREAT LOVE HE HAS FOR YOU THIS EASTER SEASON....Need help in making that connection, reach out to me at wpq815@gmail.com

PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE IN YOUR LIFE....HERE TO LEND A HAND,

WPQ

 

 

A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING

In just a few days, on December 20th, my wife and I will celebrate  the 32nd birthday of our daughter, Alyson…and as her mother and I took a moment to walk down memory lane, I was reminded of that age-old truth…A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING!

I remember that during those long months of expectancy, I took a simple note card and in my rudimentary calligraphy wrote the following and placed it in Alyson’s crib….

COMING SOON…..ALYSON TAYLOR QUEEN.

As a father, expecting his first (and in my case, only child), I was filled with fear, trepidation and anxious moments as I anticipated this new arrival….would I be a good father? Would I know what to do and how to protect this small child? Would I, could I and should I filled my every thought, for as I have mentioned before….A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING!

I’m sure that was true on that first Christmas night, two thousand plus years ago, as Mary and her betrothed husband unloaded the donkey and began to make a birthing bed for Mary. They probably waited in silence, huddled together to stave off  the cold night air as they awaited the miracle of birth. The cattle stirring and the bleating sound of the sheep interrupted their thoughts of what had happened in days past ….and look where they were now…for we all know….

A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING…..ESPECIALLY WHEN HE IS THE SON OF GOD!!!!

And now, as another Christmas eve draws near (and 2,000 plus years later) the same is true….A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING….for that was God’s intent all along. Through His prophet Isaiah, God foretold, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

God came to us in a form and in a way that we could understand….He came as a baby and through His birth, His life, His death and His glorious resurrection, HE HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING. No longer does the notion that God is mad at us hold water...that He is hell bent on our destruction because of our sin and disobedience….He has shown His great love for each of us because He sent His son…His only Son to take our place; to pay our debt; to forgive our sins; to cleanse us from all unrighteousness; to make us a new creation; to give us eternal life as a free gift from Him….and it all started with a baby.

It is my hope that you know the Christ-child of Christmas not only as the babe in the manger, but as the Christ on the cross. I pray that the babe of Bethlehem lives in your heart and is the Lord and Savior of your life. I trust that for you this baby, God’s son, is the BABY THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING FOR YOU.

If not, why not?

Don’t let another day go by without the acknowledgement that you need a savior. Accept today that the baby born to Mary and Joseph so very long ago is the baby that changes everything …and if you are willing to confess that He is Lord and that His death on the cross paid your sin debt, you will have eternal life… and your forever life, in the presence of the Heavenly Father, starts the moment you invite this baby into your heart.

Trust your heart to the babe, God’s Son, EMMANUEL….GOD IS WITH US!

Be Blessed and Know that He is God,

 WPQ

 

Poem for the Day:

Born that night in a cattle stall,

This one babe to die for all...

God's most precious gift was born

In a manger laid on Christmas morn.

Shepherds and Angels announced His birth

Glory to God...Peace on the Earth.

And with the Wisemen let us bring

Our precious gifts to Christ the King.

In each heart may the Savior's reign

Fill the skies and the lowest plains;

With our praise and everlasting joy

And all because of Mary's baby boy.

 

W. Patrick Queen @ December 2015

 

 

The Timeless Story of Christmas

I remember the first time I ever heard the story that follows. I was driving in my car in the mountains of northeast Georgia. I remember being moved to tears as Paul Harvey, in his most eloquent manner, told this story. In fact, my eyes were filling with tears so much I had to pullover or run the risk of driving down the side of a mountain. Yet, even today, as I reprint this wonderful Christmas story, I am forever reminded of God's great love for you and me...and for the sacrifice that Jesus made to come to earth as a baby, die on a cross and then be raised to new life  so that one day, ALL WHO BELIEVE IN THE MATCHLESS NAME OF JESUS AND THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED ON THAT CROSS WILL LIFE WITH HIM...FOREVER!!!!

So enjoy this story and the little poem that follows and when given the chance this holiday season, wish all you know a MERRY CHRISTMAS...FOR CHRIST IS THE REASON FOR THIS SEASON!!!!

A reprint of my former blog begins with 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 living room window.

Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he thought of the barn where his children stabled their pony; surely 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 whistling 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  Emmanuel.....GOD IS FOREVER WITH US!!!

Merry Christmas….Happy Birthday, Jesus!
WPQ

The Truth of Christmas

 Many stories have been told

Of that night so long ago;

When the shepherds left their flocks

And to Bethlehem did go...

There to find a tiny babe

And a maiden so young and fair.

They could not fully understand

It was God who was lying there. 

The babe was wrapped in swaddling clothes,

Yet, no crying did he make;

And the message of the angels

To the silent town they'd take.

So all who they encountered

Would know that on this wondrous night;

The King of Heaven had come to earth

And  darkness was expelled by the LIGHT....

 

AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS JESUS!!!!!

 

W. Patrick Queen © December 2019

O Tannenbaum, O Perfect Tree…

The  following is a reprint of this post, but it definitely bears repeating....please share as God leads!

This past Friday was one of the best days of the entire Christmas season at the home of the Queens...it was the day we get our Christmas tree. Now, typically, it used to be that our entire family of three piled into the car and took off to a nearby tree lot…or in our days of living in the Georgia Mountains, we would drive up to Franklin, NC to a tree farm and there, cut down the tree of our choice.

But times, they are a changing. This past Friday, our daughter headed for school and though my wife had the day off, she had a “to-do” list a mile long; so that left me to make the trip to the nearby feed and seed store to pick out the “perfect” Christmas tree. I guess, after 20 years of instruction, my wife was confident that I could do this on my own.

So, there I stood, overwhelmed with the selection of over a hundred trees of all sizes, species and prices. I made my way up and down the rows of trees and when I finally got into the area that fit our budget, I began the painstaking process of standing up each tree, shaking it so the limbs would fall out and turning it around to see its good and bad side.

As I spent time alone in the tree yard, I began to hum that old Christmas song, O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum as I carefully surveyed each potential candidate for service in our living room. I remembered my childhood and the times I spent with my Dad as we diligently sought to find the “perfect tree” that would make our Christmas a true holiday celebration of love and joy. I thought of the words in the last verse of the song that says,

 O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, in plainness you were growing

Until we came and brought you here and set your branches glowing.

Your living beauty helps us see how clothed in Christ our lives should be.

O Christmas, O Christmas tree; you lift our eyes toward heaven.

 As I paid the attendant and loaded the tree in the back of my wife’s SUV, I thought that my work was almost done….I would get the tree home, cut the lower branches and set it into the tree stand and then bring it inside our home to its final resting place. Then, sometime, later in the day, my lovely wife and beautiful daughter would begin to adorn this tree with all the memories and treasured ornaments that have become an integral part of our holiday traditions and celebrations…..and with a little help from the foremen of decorating (that’s me), our tree would come to life …it would become the PERFECT TREE. But, for some reason, I could not shake the tune that kept running around in my mind….O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree. How lovely are thy branches? This has been a tough year in our home, as I am sure it has been for many of you…but don’t get caught up in the mentality that everything has to be perfect or Christmas will somehow be diminished….rather, this year, as you prepare to buy and decorate your Christmas tree; take a moment to see this symbol of Christmas as a gift from the Father of lights that reminds us of the perfect gift from heaven….JESUS CHRIST….THE REASON FOR THE SEASON;     FOR HE CAME AS A BABE ….TO DIE ON A TREE…. SO THAT WE WOULD FOREVER BE WITH HIM… O Tannenbaum, O Perfect Tree …..The one Christ bore to Calvary. 

This Christmas keep…..

Looking toward heaven….remembering Christ and His great gift,

WPQ

This poem was written 18 years ago, but its message has never been more relevant that at this time in our culture. May God Bless this little poem and bring it to life in the lives of those who call Jesus... Lord & Savior!

The Perfect Tree

High upon a lonely hill, above the town below

Wintry winds begin to swirl...the snow began to blow.

Trudging through the wintry mix, each step measured like the other,

Walking with my Mom and Dad, my two sisters and my brother.

Off on our yearly conquest to find the perfect tree,

To decorate for Christmas...in one week, it would be.

A time of excitement, of laughter and jubilation,

A special time that makes Christmas such a joyous celebration.

'Twas there upon that precipice stood a tree so small

That everyone overlooked it; because it was not tall.

Its branches looked like matchsticks; its tiny, barren limbs

Barely felt the winter's cold that encircled them.

 Standing so straight like a sentry stands his guard

All alone to keep his watch upon this vacant yard.

My family, they marched onward; but I...I stopped to see

This tiny miracle of God...this sparse unproven tree.

I pleaded with my Mom and Dad, "Let's take this little tree!

I know it doesn't look like much, but imagine its possibilities..."

A row of lights, some shiny balls; the tinsel placed just right.

It would be the center of attention on that very special night.

For I'm sure that the shepherds, and quite possibly the wise men too

Wondered about a tiny child and what he would someday do;

To set God's people free from sin; to fill those he met with grace...

For those who gazed on the manger's babe had seen the Father's face.

So, in each Christmas season, remember that the perfect tree

Is the one they made into the Cross of Christ…

The one He bore to Calvary.

For the real story of each Christmas Season

Has special meaning for you and me

When we understand our Father's Love and remember

The Perfect Tree!

 

W. Patrick Queen @ Christmas 2000

KEEPING THE MAIN THING...THE MAIN THING!

 If you are like most of the people you know and work with these days, you probably got up this  morning and were already behind for the day regarding all the things you need to get done. Yes, it seems like no matter how hard or fast we work, we always seem to be rushing, running and wrestling with getting things done in a quick and orderly fashion….and that’s not good for our blood pressure…or our walk with Christ.

In fact, that story line dates all the way back to the time of Jesus when he stopped for a short visit with some friends of his….Mary, Martha and their brother, Lazarus.

Luke 10:38-42 from The Message reads, “As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. ‘Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” The Master said, ‘Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main thing and won’t be taken from her.” 

Martha was upset and displeased that she had been left to do it all, while her sister, Mary, had found her place at the Savior’s feet and was taking in His every word. Martha was anxious that all would not be prepared in time, while Mary was astounded by the words of the Savior that melted her heart and captivated her soul.

Martha demanded help ….Mary sought love and acceptance….Martha was concerned for the temporal things of this life ...Mary's heart was set on things eternal...and in the kind words of Jesus’ reproof, Mary found that she had indeed chosen wisely! Mary had chosen the one essential thing…The Main Thing…Time with Jesus.

Have you made the choice today to make the Main Thing, the main thing in your life? To forsake schedules, time constraints, excuses and even service for the sake of doing in pursuit of the main thing…Time with Jesus. The time you spend in reading and studying the Word of God will instill in you one thing that is inescapable....Your  need for a Savior. Your alone time with Him will give you instruction in how you can make Jesus the Lord of your life and how you can effectively have a closer walk with him. …it will convince you time and time again of your need to keep the Main Thing…the Main Thing.

There is no substitute for getting to know Jesus better than by spending time with Him by reading, ingesting and meditating on His Holy Word. Martha thought it was service to Him…Mary showed her it was in spending time with Him…......

That was, and still is.....THE MAIN THING!

Keeping my seat at His feet...hanging on every word,

WPQ

Poem for the day....

In this life we're living

As we hustle to and fro;

Seeking to accomplish goodness

While living for the "show."

Up late at night, we set our goals,

Then we work to see them through...

Hoping to make a difference

In the many things we do.

But I'm afraid we miss the "thing"

That should be at the top of our list;

The one sure thing that we must do

If we're to live a life of bliss?

We must start each day at the Savior's feet

Spend time in His Holy Word....

Reach out in prayer to the Father's Throne

He is listening ....you will be heard!

Yes time that is spent with Jesus

Will refresh your heart to sing...

When you begin each day with Jesus

That's keeping life with Him...THE MAIN THING!!!

WPQ©JULY 2018

Will You Be THE FIRST DOMINO?

GOD IS IN THE MIRACLE BUSINESS....and all you have to know to believe that statement can be found when you stop and take a look around.... and see the beauty and intricate timing of His creation. And because our Father is a loving God, who acts in accordance with His will, He listens to, reacts to and acts upon the requests of His children.

 I could fill up a book of all the "miracles" God has performed in my life; those I requested and those miracles that other believers prayed into existence at the hand of our Father. Now, GOD DOES NOT NEED OUR HELP IN THE FULFILLMENT OF HIS MIRACLES! In fact, if you have ever read the first few chapters of Genesis in the Bible, you know that God only had to speak this world and all its glory into existence...GOD SPOKE; IT WAS; AND IT WAS GOOD!

 HOWEVER....through the annals of time, God has used His angels to carry out His work among us...and that includes miracles. But the reason I am sharing my thoughts on this, all came to me during my time teaching this past Sunday morning. My class and I were looking at the many "what if's" in the life of Paul the apostle in his ministry...and in his later days, when the Jews sought to kill him (and many took an oath to not eat or drink until they had accomplished that mission). But standing nearby those oath takers, Paul's nephew overheard their plan and told his uncle; who then instructed him to tell the commander of the guard. The commander then quickly arranged an elaborate escape plan that kept the apostle out of the hands of his would-be murders and sent Paul on to Caesarea and safety from those assassins. Another MIRACLE of God at work in the life of his servant Paul...and all because of the FIRST DOMINO in this sequence of events.

 You see, it is my belief that God uses each of us in His miracle "workings"; not because He needs us to accomplish His plan (remember creation, 'AND GOD SPOKE'); rather because God loves to involve us in His "miracles" for the good of the person in need and for the need of ours to be involved in bringing His kingdom on earth in accordance with the kingdom of Heaven. When the disciples of Jesus asked Him, "Lord, teach us to pray," He responded by saying,

"OUR FATHER,WHO ART IN HEAVEN (who dwells in Heaven), HALLOWED BE THY NAME (may honor and praise be showered upon your name). THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH, AS THEY ARE IN HEAVEN!" (may the commands of your kingdom be fulfilled on earth as they are now accomplished in the heavenly realm).  ( )= my interpretation

I believe Jesus taught his disciples to pray in such a manner as to invite their Heavenly Father to include them in the workings of having His will brought to fruition on earth as the hearts and minds of sinful men would be turned to Him. AND THAT IS STILL THE WISH AND THE WILL OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER TODAY....and thus I believe in , THE FIRST DOMINO EFFECT! So, what is that effect?

A few years back, there was a TV program that involved contestants using dominoes to create elaborate, intricate designs on a BIG, flat table (or in some cases the floor). Once the design was complete and the designers were ready to reveal their masterpiece, one of them would touch the first domino, pushing it over to start the cascading effect of "when one domino falls" ... while millions of  viewers watched breathlessly to the unfolding phenomenon before them. It took only seconds, but it was truly a sight to behold.....and for many of us that make ourselves available to our Heavenly Father, WE ARE OFTEN THE FIRST DOMINO THAT GOD USES TO UNLEASH HIS POWER AND PERFORM HIS MIRACLES! 

So, my question to you, fellow believer....do you believe God is a MIRACLE MAKER and if so, are you willing to be the First Domino that starts the chain reaction of love, hope, healing, and whatever else God wants to accomplish in the lives of those around you? I pray that you will look closely at the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples and see yourself as one that is intent on bringing about the will of God and His kingdom here on earth....and if that is your intention, then you must be one of God's children who looks for opportunities to be...THE FIRST DOMINO!

Seeking to be....ready to react,

WPQ

Poem for the day...

THE FIRST DOMINO...

I believe God works in mysterious ways,

His wonders, His will to perform.

And I am called to work where He leads

In calm seas or in storms.

 

For each of us are called to be

The hands of God as well as His feet;

So we must go where 'ere He sends

To those in trouble, their needs to meet.

 

For God has placed in each of us

A servant's heart to hear the call;

To be ready to answer that faintest plea;

To be a sacrifice in all.

 

For when God works His will and His way,

Tho' the outcome  we may wish to know....

We must strive to follow the Spirit's lead

So we might become the First Domino.

 

The one God uses to start the chain

As His hand of mercy begins the flow...

Because we were willing and wanted to be;

Involved as His....the very First Domino!

 

WPQ © April 2023