Running Life’s Marathon

In most of last week’s topics, my thought process seemed to be focused on dealing with the obstacles and obsessions that seem to beset us all. We looked at the opportunities or the obstacles that God often sets in our path and we considered the life that God rewards as we continually look for ways to be faithful in our worship, service and love for our Heavenly Father….but before I leave this area of concern, I want us to consider how we deal with the trials, tribulations and tests of faith that are the markings of those who are called by the name of Christ…as we take up our cross and follow Him.

When a trial …trouble…test…or “tough break” come our way, how should we as God’s chosen deal with this “speed bump” along heaven’s highway? I believe we will respond in one of three ways.

We will seek to ENDURE the trial….often dragging many of our closest friends and family members down the road of suffering we now travel. We will lower our head, stick out our lower lip and cast our gaze downward… then, we will moan and groan about the “cross” that we must bear. We endure because we must…. and in that mindset we run the risk of becoming…BITTER.

Sometimes we will choose to ESCAPE the trial….we look around, find the closest EXIT and then, we make our move ….WE RUN TOWARD THE HILLS, never looking back at those we have left behind…never caring to help those that may be hurting and dealing with a seemingly insurmountable problem. We are free from the pain of the trial and in that mindset we try to convince ourselves that we feel….BETTER.

And then, there is the third choice of dealing with a trial…we can choose to ENLIGHTEN ourselves by seeking to know God’s will in the midst of the calamity. We can choose to let troubles or impending crises move us to a place of growth …we can use our trouble as a “stepping stone” to a higher place of commitment and trust in our relationship with our Savior and in so doing, we allow our strengthening faith to make us BRAZEN and BOLD in our walk with our Lord.

As we seek to know God’s will in the midst of tumultuous times, we must realize that life is not a sprint but a marathon…we must endure in order that we might enlist our problems and our troubles to enable us to run that “good and perfect” race that God has set before each of us.

The writer of Hebrews said it best, “You have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised.” Hebrews 10:36

We must run life’s race to endure all that God has set before us… so that we may become all He has ordained us to be…so that we may accomplish all that He has set before us…but most of all, so that we may receive ALL that He has promised….

So lace up those shoes and prepare to run where God leads….a marathon that will carry you to the very gates of Heaven into a life everlasting…

Running into the fray…Growing stronger in My Savior,

WPQ

Living for Eternity...A Life God Rewards!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Letting go of today…Reaching for eternity,
WPQ

Thought for Today:
God brings life’s struggles not to impair us…but to improve us;
Life’s catastrophes not to impound us…but to EMPOWER us for HIS GLORY!

Obstacle or Opportunity?

It is so wonderful to serve our mighty Lord, ruler of Heaven and Earth…one who is all-knowing and all powerful; yet, there is one thing God has never known. In fact, He would not know it if it walked up to Him and bit Him on His hand….it is a Problem!

God has never encountered a problem…never run up against something that caused Him concern or baffled Him as to what should be done. God ALWAYS has a perfect plan.

In our world, what you or I see as an obstacle, trial, tribulation or problem …God sees as an opportunity. Don’t believe me….read John 9:1-3

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

Did you catch the magnitude of the lesson that Jesus was trying to teach his disciples? It was for God’s glory to be manifested in this blind man’s life that he was born without sight….what was his obstacle to overcome was God’s opportunity to exalt His Son.

The same is true today for you and me. For everything that we see as a problem in our lives, God has placed that obstacle there as His opportunity. We may not see the reason why or understand His methods ….but when we cannot see the hand of God; we can always trust His heart. He has promised us in His word that all will turn out for our good.

So, today no matter what obstacles God has placed in your path…REJOICE…and know that He is already at work to accomplish His will in your life…to make you more like His Son so that you may bring Him Glory in all things.

Jesus left his disciples and us with these words from John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that you might have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart!

I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.”

Are you an overcomer today in Jesus Christ? It’s all in your viewpoint of your Heavenly Father’s plan…..OBSTACLE or OPPORTUNITY….The choice is yours!

Overcoming with the Father,

WPQ

POEM OF THE DAY:

Life’s problems may weigh you down
Dark clouds may bring you rain
But when your joy is in the Lord
You’ll hardly feel the pain.

If life tests you mightily
And you think you might give in
Just place your faith in Jesus’ strength
And He’ll help you turn from sin.

He’ll under gird your actions
He’ll fortify you plan
Remember what you can’t do...
Your Heavenly Father can!

WPQ@2000

Whom Do You Serve?

Throughout the ages of history and across the battlefields of time, warriors have worn the colors and carried royal flags to show their allegiance to their King….forever marching behind a banner to let all men know whom they served.

During that dark era of American slavery, many slaves were known by the family brand seared into their flesh; a constant reminder of whom they served.

Even as Christians, we often seek to have some identifiable mark or trait that will let all who see us know that we serve the King of Kings; however, maybe we should take a step back to understand what Jesus knew regarding His relationship with the Father.

In fact, even the devil himself understood the tenuous relationship that Jesus had with his Heavenly Father…look at scripture; “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give to you,” he said, “if you will bow down and WORSHIP me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” Matthew 4:8-10

Did you catch all that?

Satan did not ask Christ to serve him, but to worship him….for even Satan understands that what or whom you worship is what or whom you will serve. He promised all the kingdoms of the world to Christ (even though they were not his to give) if he would perform one simple act of worship….just bow before him….for in that bow, Christ would perform the act of submission and take the first step toward service.

Oh, but our Savior was prepared for the taunts and trickery of the deceiver…He understood as only one sent from heaven’s glorious realm that it is our worship that our Heavenly Father desires most. He commanded the devil to be gone and once more confirmed his resolve to follow what God’s word has to say regarding our worship….

We are to worship and then to serve only God.

The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praise of his people. Now, I don’t know about you, but I know in my own life, I have felt closest to and desired to serve God most when I have been in an emotional and heart-felt time of worship. Whether singing, praising, praying or crying out for God’s Spirit to “have His way in my life”…it has been in these times of immersed and immense WORSHIP that God has given me a spirit of service.

Worship causes the presence of God to be felt and experienced by His people …to be drawn to a time of a closer walk and greater commitment to serve …to be still and know that He alone is God…..that is real, authentic worship.

So today, I trust you will follow your Savior’s example and put service in the correct order …don’t just seek to serve God bigger or better…covenant to worship deeper and more diligently…and when you do, the devil will flee.

Walking in Worship…Seeking to Serve,

WPQ


Poem of the Day:

You may seek to serve the Lord
In all you do and say;
But what He really wants from you
Is the start of each new day.

Just meet Him at his Heavenly throne;
Spend time in worship at His feet.
Invite the Lord to go with you
Down every busy street.

For you may seek to serve Him,
Some glorious gift to him you’ll bring;
But nothing says “I’ll serve you Lord”
Like worship of the KING!

wpq@2009

Defending the Faith?

Here lately I’ve been working out…nothing to strenuous, just lifting a few dumbbells and stretching on the exercise ball. It’s important at my advancing age to keep fit and flexible. You never know when these “old muscles” might be involved in a “flight or fight” scenario.

Now, I’m not bulking up to fight, but it is always a smart move to be prepared to face “the enemy”….especially as it pertains to our walk with our Lord. Scripture tells us that we are to be prepared ….in I Peter 3:15-16, “But in your hearts regard Christ as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”(English standard version)

It is easy to see that Christians in our world today are being attacked from every side…the public and private media, the government and its supporting agencies; even our culture is in direct opposition to our faith and our beliefs. Unfortunately, too many of us who call ourselves Christian have run from the line that has been drawn in the sand. We have sounded the retreat and have fled the battlefield.

But all that comes to an end TODAY….Today is the day that the Lord hath made ….and it’s time to put on our armor and prepare for battle. We are to be prepared to defend our faith, our beliefs, our values and most of all, our hope in the world to come….the world where every knee will bow and every tongue proclaim that Christ is Lord indeed. We are to fight not with bullets and bombs, but with love, gentleness and respect for those whose opinions and faith differs from ours. We are to toss aside name-calling and hold fast to loving the sinner as Christ loves us. We are to open our hands to accept and to encourage others to come to know personally our Lord and Savior…even though we condemn their past transgressions; we forgive even as Christ forgave each of us.

We are being called out in these latter days as a lost and dying world seeks redemption in all the wrong places. We are TO DEFEND OUR FAITH by living as obedient soldiers, following orders and going where God leads….always giving the answer to all of life’s turmoil ….our hope is in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Are you prepared to defend your faith today…in gentleness and respect …with the love and hope of Jesus Christ in your heart…if you fight the good fight and do as our Lord instructs, then there is a wonderful benefit waiting for you tonight when you lay your head on your pillow….A GOOD CONSCIENCE.

I don’t know about you, but that seems like something worth fighting to have ….after all, Christ gave himself so that we might forever belong with Him…surely, defending our faith is not too much for Him to ask of you and me.

Standing on His Promise…Defending My Faith,
WPQ

Poem for the Day:

Whatever task God has given you
Be filled with holy zest;
For when you’re working for the Lord
He expects your very best.

All of you, our Lord requires
It’s what He asks of you;
For He gave all that He could give
Nothing less from you will do.

WPQ@1999

Christian Signposts …from the Lighter Side!

Don’t let your worries get the best of you…remember Moses started out as a basket case.

Many people want to serve God….but only as advisors.

If God is your co-pilot …switch seats and give Him the controls.

When you come to the end of your rope, you’ll find God waiting with a life line.

People are funny… they want the front of the bus; middle of the road and the back pew of the church.

Quit griping about your church…if it was perfect, you and I couldn’t get in!

Some people are kind, sweet and gentle-spirited…until you try to sit in their pew.

If you want your church to have a better pastor….pray diligently for the one you’ve have.

A lot of church members continue to sing “Standing on the Promises” even though they’re just Sitting on the Premises.

Jesus instructed us to be fishers of men…You catch ‘em….He’ll clean ‘em!

I am always puzzled why some people change churches so often…what difference does it make which one you stay home from?

Coincidence is when God chooses to remain Anonymous.

I am a firm believer that you should never wait for 6 strong men to carry you to church.

We have all heard it said that forbidden fruits create terrific jams.

God doesn’t always call the qualified…but He ALWAYS qualifies the called.

God loves all His children….but He probably prefers the “fruits of the spirit” over the “religious nuts.”

Some people treat prayer as a time to give God instructions…no wonder their prayers keep bouncing off the ceiling!

Remember, we don’t change the message ….THE MESSAGE CHANGES US!!!!!


I hope this time of reflection into the lighter side of our faith will cause us to stop and think of who we are as believers in Christ and of the call that has been placed upon each of our lives….we were made to worship and praise the Father and to hold up His Son so that ALL men may come to know Him.

Remember, Satan is out to get you…if not today or tomorrow, then soon…as soon as your life and the way you live begin to affect those around you, the roaring lion will move in for the kill….so be prepared!

Arm your self with the word of God ….and think of these little sayings to solidify your position as a warrior, serving proudly in the armies of God. In each instance of attack, be reminded of Christ words to His disciples, “Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me, you may have peace. In this world, you will have tribulation…But take heart, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD!” John 16:32b-33

So take my advice, don’t wait for the storms of life to pass…rather learn to dance in the rain…then, you will be able to praise Him from whom all blessings flow…

Preparing for battle …confident in my King,
WPQ

Christian Signposts

In yesterday’s blog, I examined a life without perils, problems and persecutions as a life that might be void of a true, loving and growing relationship with our Savior. In our daily walk with our Heavenly Father, we should encounter our adversary, the devil, whose main function is to draw us away from our walk with the Lord and to make our witness null and void, or at the very least, ineffective ….like salt that has lost its flavor.

It is at those times of peril and persecution that we should seek comfort, strength and reinforcements through God’s Holy Word and the example and encouragement of others; however, I know that in my life, sometimes when I encounter the devil and am easily flustered, my mind will not always bring with clarity the verse of scripture that I need at that particular moment. So, over the years, I have written and acquired a library of special thoughts…one liners of Christian faith and encouragement, if you will….each of them targeted to help me resist and to cause the devil to flee….I have called them my “signposts” to a better and closer walk with my Lord…and I will be seeking to share them with you over the next several days.

Should you have any that have been helpful to you, please contact me with your “signposts” or with any thoughts or sayings that have encouraged you to have a closer and more meaningful relationship with Jesus. After all, until He returns, we are ALL in this together …..

Walking together in the Master’s footsteps,
WPQ

CHRISTIAN SIGNPOSTS…….


Our strength rest in our ability to cast all our burdens on Him….for He cares for us.

The mountaintop of God is reserved for those who have been led through the wilderness of suffering and DID NOT GIVE UP!!!!!

Burdens too heavy; suffering too intense…welcome to the Christian life….Following in the Master’s footsteps.

God grants His peace in the midst of pain and suffering ….just follow the Master’s footsteps, walk where He leads…for His love is eternal and He cares for you.

Waiting on God takes faith…Trusting in God takes patience….Persevering in God takes Life…one step at a time!!!

A diamond is the end result of perseverance.

Keeping an open mind can be hazardous to one’s faith!!!

Even the smallest trickle of adversity will bring down a house built on a shoddy foundation.

What rules the heart…rules the tongue!

You are known by the company you keep, so keep God’s company and work with the integrity of the boss.

Love you enemies…. It makes them wonder what you’re up to.

If loving your enemies were easy, everybody would do it!

GOD grades on the CROSS….NOT ON THE CURVE!

When dark clouds approach, God should be my first thought…not my last resort.