UNDERSTANDING THE LORD'S PRAYER... AND ITS TEACHINGS!

In the early days of Christ's ministry on earth, He is speaking to His many new followers, while seated on the Mount of the Beatitudes, a hill in northern Israel that overlooks the sea of Galilee. It is considered to be Christ's most famous and complete sermon, and may have occurred in one very long day or over several days. But it is the sermon's setting that is illuminating for us because, against this beautiful panorama of nature, His teachings often best illustrate His message to His disciples about GOD, Creation and the sinful nature of man and the forgiveness of a Holy, Righteous and Just Heavenly Father. So, it should come as no surprise that Jesus would lecture those in attendance about their way of communicating with their Heavenly Father. As any good orator would do, Jesus told them what NOT TO DO, and then taught them HOW THEY SHOULD PRAY...what we today in Scripture know as THE LORD'S PRAYER.  Before you read on, turn in your Bible and read Matthew 6:5-8 and then read the remaining verses Mt. 6:9-13. Please pay particular attention to verse 5, where Jesus says, "AND WHEN YOU PRAY"...not IF YOU PRAY or SHOULD YOU PRAY.....

BUT, WHEN YOU PRAY..... For this is a MUST FOR THOSE WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIM...TO PRAY AND PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

1) Why does Jesus teach His disciples to begin the prayer with…OUR FATHER? When we think how the Jewish nation was taught to revere God....they had to come up with a word that they could say and not offend the HOLY ONE OF HEAVEN...JHWH (JAHWEH) or break the third commandment and take the Lord's name in vain. In fact, the only one that was allowed to say the name, JAHWEH, was the High Priest in the Holy of Holies during the celebration of Yom Kippur; however, Jesus is breaking new ground with those that He will entrust to share the name of Jesus, God's Son, with the rest of the world upon His departure. Jesus wants to teach His disciples that God is HOLY, but HE IS THEIR FATHER....ON WHOM THEY CAN DEPEND.

 2) And so the natural progression in this new relationship, HALLOWED (or HOLY) is your name....this instantaneous reminder for each of us is not to get TOO CASUAL WITH A HOLY, RIGHTEOUS AND ALL-POWERFUL, ALMIGHTY GOD!

 3) Let us learn to obey here on earth as all those who obey in Heaven. Jesus is teaching the disciples about the Heavenly order and their need for obedience. Remember, He and He alone knows what is coming and what they will face when He is gone. And they will only be able to move forward by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that will come upon them as they learn of Him and follow in obedience to His leadings.

 4) AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS...and it comes in the middle of the prayer. We have taken care to honor and treat God as HOLY and SUPREME. We are told to be obedient and do here on earth, what God is doing in Heaven. So after taking care of our Heavenly responsibilities, Jesus teaches His disciple to then, and only then, to think of their needs ....and they can do that best by turning them over to God. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD....not enough for next month, next week or even for tomorrow...for just as God supplied the Heavenly manna each morning to the ungrateful nation of Israel; how much more will He supply to a willing and obedient heart of His faithful followers?

 5) And since we are now on more solid footing with a Holy God, Jesus turns the prayer to our relationships with others....reminding us that we MUST LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS FOR THEIR SINS AGAINST US; AS GOD HAS FORGIVEN US FOR OUR SINS AGAINST HIM! And that is something that can ONLY be done through the power provided by GOD to forgive and let go of any resentment, pettiness or grumbling of how we have been wronged. In God's Book of Sins, the page with our name on it, as a BELEIVER IN CHRIST.... is BLANK!!!

 6) And lastly, ask God to keep temptations to do ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF HIS WILL FAR FROM US; to keep the ways of destruction from the Evil One at bay so that we are FULLY PROTECTED FROM HIS TRICKERY AND OUR FLESHLY DESIRE TO SIN.

Matthew 6:9-13     Contemporary English Version

⁹ You should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name.¹⁰ Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven ¹¹ Give us our food for today. ¹² Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. ¹³ Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil.

Poem for the day.....

JUST START PRAYING.....
 Maybe your life is filled with pain; overcome with many sorrows;
Your life will be much better...you're just waiting for tomorrow.
But I am here to tell you that if your life is filled with sin;
It won't get any better 'til you invite the Savior in.

 Until you ask for His forgiveness, turn to Him and thus repent.
You won't come to know His blessings that are waiting to be sent.
So if you want to know His peace that wipes away the shame;
Then my friend, swallow your pride... and call on Jesus' name.

 For Jesus has promised He will never leave you alone.
He is standing by His Father; who is seated on Heaven's throne.
For our Heavenly Father looks down on us; He alone is waiting;
For the child who would reach out to Him...to just start praying.

To ask for His forgiveness...to see Him make your pathway straight;
And though time is rushing by...at least for now, it's not too late.
Our Father has made a plan and from that plan He is not straying;
He is ready to forgive your every sin ....if you just start praying.

For the chasm that separates us from the love of our Creator
Is as wide and deep and immovable as the world's largest crater.
But the Father has provided us a way to know His love,
And that is why He sent His Son from His glory up above.

So don't wait forever until that last chance has passed by;
And you're lying on your death bed, praying not to die.
Instead, why not lift a prayer that will seal your eternal fate....
Do sooner rather than later...
OR IT JUST MIGHT BE TOO LATE!!!
 

WPQ  June 2024
 

AND THE LAST THREE R'S ARE.....

So as we come to the conclusion of our look at those R's that are so important to our Heavenly Father, we need to stop and think....what R's are missing from our list?

Let's start with one that takes us all the way back to 1929; a time of hopelessness, despair and depression. In fact, it became known as the Great Depression. And one American company took to heart the desire to lift the lives and spirits of the great masses with their cleverly designed catch phrase...."the pause that refreshes...Drink Coca-Cola...Delicious and Refreshing!"

Yes, Our God is in the refreshing business and He says so in His Word in the Old Testament,

I will fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary and fully refresh the souls of those who are faint. (Jeremiah 31:25 NET) I think we all know what it means to be weary or frazzled; out-a-sorts and on our last legs. After a long hike in a sweltering sun; pulling weeds from our garden or just sweating as we push our lawn mower across, what we once thought, was a small yard. WE NEED A GLASS OF COLD WATER/LEMONADE; BEADS OF COLD CONDENSATION RUNNING DOWN THE OUTSIDE OF THE COOL, LIQUID REFRESHMENT THAT WAITS FOR US TO TAKE THAT FIRST SIP AND BE REFRESHED. Yes, when we are weary, but take the time to seek the Lord...He stands ready to give us a drink of His Eternal Living Water and we are REFRESHED! God also tells us in His Word, "Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing  may come from the presence of the Lord, and so that he may send the Messiah appointed for you—that is, Jesus." (Acts 3:19-20 NET) Yes, sometimes when sin in our life has been riding us relentlessly, we need to seek the redeeming power of God's Grace and REPENT; so that His times of refreshing will come from His presence in our lives. Remember this...God's will cannot THRIVE when SIN IS ALIVE in your life....Repent and be Refreshed and Restored to once again walk in His ways so that His will, not yours, will be done; so that once again, you may experience His refreshing ways. So don't let the devil mislead you into thinking more highly of yourself than you ought. God's Word reminds us continually; "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body. (Proverbs 3:7-8 NRSVU)

And lastly, not only do we need to be refreshed, but we also can be the refresher when we allow God to use us as encouragers, helpers, guides, confidants and "a friend that sticks closer than a brother."  And if someone plays a part in refreshing you, lifting you up, dusting you off and setting you on the righteous path of reconciliation with your Heavenly Father....then why not be the last "R" in God's arsenal of His many "R's"....BE A RECOGNIZER! Once again, we find in God's Word, the apostle Paul's call to action, " For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people."  (I Cor. 16:18)

Yes God is in the redemptive, restoring, reviving, re-igniting, refreshing and recognizing business....and He is just a prayer away when you need to experience any of His "R's"

Renewed each day....Ready for His call to ACTION,

WPQ

THE MOST IMPORTANT "R".....REDEEMED!!!

When we left off last week, I said we would come back and take a look at the most important one of the "R's"....THE REDEMPTION POWER OF GOD....WHO CHOOSES TO REDEEM AND SATISFY HIS HOLY NATURE. So, what do I mean by that last statement? Allow me to share a little story of mine that I have used several times over the years in some of my sermons.

It seems there was a young man, probably around seven or eight years old that was given a wooden sailboat kit for his birthday. He tore into the package and was eager to get started on building his sailboat. For days, he diligently worked on his model boat and before long, it was time to take his new, prized possession to the nearby park and its large, circular lake.

He very gingerly tied a string to the mast and slipped his new sailboat into the calm lake. For what seemed like hours, he walked along the edge of the lake, pulling his boat behind him. Suddenly, the winds picked up and a strong gust caught the sail, pulled the string from his hand, sending  the boat into the deeper waters of the lake. The little boy watched as his precious possession went farther and farther away from him. Tears welled up into his eyes, for he knew his sailboat was gone forever...and with a broken heart, he made his way home. For days, he sat sullen and joyless as he thought of his lost sailboat. His mother suggested he go into the little village where they lived and get some fresh air. So, as he walked the streets of his small village, he stopped in front of the toy store; and there to his surprise was his boat, sitting in the window. He rushed in and told the owner that it was his boat that was sitting in the window. To which the owner replied, "I am very sorry young man, but there is no name on the boat, In fact, a young man brought the boat into me the other day and I bought it for $5. I can't just give it to you even though you say it is yous. But, here's what I will do....I WILL SELL IT TO YOU FOR FIVE DOLLARS."

FIVE DOLLARS...what was the little boy to do? He did not have any money; but maybe, his parents would give him the money he needed. When he asked them, they replied, "We gave you the boat kit; but we do not have the money to give to you. Perhaps, you can earn it by helping your mom with some of the chores or you can help some of our neighbors and earn the money you need that way."  So, he began to help his mom with the trash; raking the leaves for his dad; and doing other odd jobs for his neighbors. It took some time and great effort on his part; but, it wasn't too long before he took the $5 he had earned and rushed to the toy store. He ran all the way and bounding into the store, he handed the money to the owner and was given his sailboat. As he stepped outside into the bright sunlight, clutching his sailboat to his tiny chest, he exclaimed, "You're mine, you're mine!!! You are mine TWICE!!! ONCE BECAUSE I MADE YOU; TWICE BECAUSE I BOUGHT YOU BACK!"

 And that, my friend, is the perfect picture of what God has done for His creation...You and Me!

The Hebrew word, ga'al, which means to "buy back" or "redeem" is what God, our Creator, has done for each of us. He paid the ransom for us; bought us back from our sinful nature and we belong to HIM, TWICE....first because he made us and secondly, because He shed His blood through His obedient SON, Jesus Christ. We have NO RIGHT STANDING before a Holy God; but because of His Great Love for us, He sent His Son from Heaven's throne room and REDEEMED US....BOUGHT US BACK AND PAID FOR OUR PARDON WITH HIS PERFECT, HOLY, RIGHTEOUS SON'S BLOOD.... BLOOD SHED ON A CRUEL CROSS SO THAT WE COULD SING THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED.

Yes, when we get to Heaven, as believers in Jesus Christ, we will stand before Him and be ushered into His presence. The angels may very well sing in one great chorus, welcoming us into our eternal dwelling place. But we will burst into a song that the angels will not be able to sing. It is  GOD'S FAVORITE SONG OF ALL...FOR IT IS THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED!

Go to the Internet and check out Philips, Craig and Dean's song, FAVORITE SONG OF ALL! Lean into and repeat the lyrics; then you will truly understand what God's greatest gift to mankind can mean to you in this life...and the eternal life to come as one REDEEMED AND PROUD TO PROCLAIM IT!!!

Redeemed....and His Joy Floods My Soul,

 WPQ

The Next R's in God's Vocabulary....

So, after the fall of mankind through the sin of disobedience by Adam and Eve, God set to work with the plan we know as REDEMPTION....A much better plan than REPAIR.

Now, I grew up in a time when the first TV in our home was a 13" Sylvania black & white...and when it worked, it was a true source of wonder. How did they get that picture inside that TV, I often wondered? But when it was on the fritz, my dad, who had taken a TV repair course, took the back off of the TV and begin looking for the culprit for our now inoperable television. Sometimes, it was quite easy to see a blackened bulb, staring us in the face (I was always beside my dad when these outages occurred). Other times, my dad would subtract a half a dozen bulbs and run out to our nearby drugstore, which had a bulb testing machine and loose bulbs for purchase to replace the burned out ones. But, as good as my dad and I were at fixing our TV; sometimes we had to call in the professional....the TV REPAIRMAN!!! Now, he would tinker around, pulling bulbs, checking the wiring and other things that a seven year old had no clue as to what was happening. And then, almost magically, he would plug it back in and the picture would appear!!!  To which he would exclaim, "THERE YOU ARE...GOOD AS NEW!" But that was never true...for in days, weeks or often some other passage of time, our screen would go black and my dad and I were back on our knees, pulling out bulbs, heading for the drugstore and their handy bulb tester.

Now, God could have repaired the broken relationship that had occurred with His creation; but sin had made that impossible. You see, for GOD, sin is a barrier that He cannot overlook or even look upon; have no association with nor in ANY WAY CONDONE! SIN IS THE GREAT DISRUPTER OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. YES, GOD COULD HAVE EASILY JUST WALKED AWAY FROM HIS CREATION AND STARTED ALL OVER. OH, BUT GOD HAD A BETTER PLAN...THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION.

In God's plan, each sinner had to pay for their sin....or have someone else step into that position of punishment for sin and pay that price. You see, God is a God of judgment and justice....you should suffer the consequences of your sin and pay it's penalty...DEATH... and eternal separation from GOD. With SIN in your life that RELATIONSHIP cannot be repaired or restored to" LIKE NEW!"  However, GOD IS ALSO A GOD OF MERCY, BUT MORE THAN THAT, A GOD OF GRACE!!! So, His plan was to REDEEM His creation and restore mankind to a NEW AND RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM....BUT HOW?

There was only ONE way for God to redeem His creation and have the SIN DEBT of mankind paid....SOMEONE ELSE WOULD HAVE TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD... AND GOD HAD ALREADY CHOSEN THE ONE WHO WOULD DIE FOR THE SINS OF MANKIND....Come back tomorrow as we take a closer look at the what, the how and the who in God's redemptive story and how you can be included in the grace and mercy of your Heavenly Father.  

Scripture says, " Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new."

Not repaired....BUT REDEEMED,

WPQ

 

The MANY R'S OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER...

From the beginning of time, GOD was there; and as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, He has been TOTALLY INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THIS WORLD, MANKIND AND ALL THAT EXIST. God had the worship of the angels in Heaven as He sat, majestically on His throne. They sang His praises, worshipped Him in glory and adoration for His might and awesome power. They were His created beings, committed and commanded to obey His every decree. But what if there was a created being that would worship God not as a compulsory action, but out of love and willingness of heart and mind....and so the Trinity set out to perform their greatest creation of those six days....and He breathed the Breath of Life into the nostrils of man....AND MAN BECAME A LIVING BEING.

Then as Scripture reads, "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not^]eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.” Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” And out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:15-20 NASB

But God realized that Adam, though set to rule in the Garden of Eden, was still without a suitable helper...He was still without someone to whom he could relate....SO; God did the following, " The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and as he slept; He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.  And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “At last this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called ‘Woman’, because she was taken out of man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."  Genesis 2:21-24

And then God knew that all was GOOD. He gave Adam and Eve only one commandment to follow in obedience of their Creator...they were not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Before they broke that commandment by eating the apple offered to them by the serpent, they enjoyed three very special privileges  in their RELATIONSHIP with their Heavenly Father. 

They were in Communion with God as they walked and talked with Him in the cool of the evenings. They knew God as He is; there minds not clouded or fraught with falsehoods or lies. And lastly, they possessed spiritual life since they were not just physically alive, but in every sense of the word their souls were alive.

AND THEN THEY SINNED; DISOBEYED THE ONE COMMANDMENT THAT FORBID THEM TO EAT OF THE TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL....AND THAT SIN OF COMMISSION SEVERED THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS HE SENT THEM FROM THE GARDEN....NEVERMORE TO RETURN UNTIL THAT RELATIONSHIP COULD BE  

REPAIRED AND REDEEMED...OUR TWO "R's" for tomorrow!!! SEE YOU THEN!

 

Holding onto my Relationship with my Heavenly Father,

WPQ

 

A THANKFUL HEART

As I continue my daily walk with Jesus, I am still constantly amazed by His grace and His boundless provision. Even after more than 68 years, following where Jesus has lead me in this life, I still find reasons to question His directions. I mean, all in all, my life has been pretty amazing as I look back and see the "bread crumbs" I have scattered along life's journey. Some are there to remind me from whence I came and some may have been scattered to help me find my road back home to Jesus...but of this much I am assured...JESUS HAS NEVER LEFT ME TO FLOUNDER IN MY MISERY OR LONELINESS WITHOUT REACHING OUT HIS HAND OF MERCY TO PICK ME UP, DUST ME OFF, AND PUT ME BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH OF OBEDIENCE AND A LIFE, ABUNDANT IN HIM.

 So, the question is always this....When we look back on the abundant times that God has led us and the wonderful outcomes that He has provided, why in Heaven's name do we try to take over the position of GUIDE AND TRAIL BLAZER? I must admit I struggle to answer that question....but let me try.

 I believe that even though scripture says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come." 2 COR. 5:17 (CSB)....We still do battle with our old nature which ALWAYS wants to put us in charge of our lives....where we go, what we do and how we get there. Unfortunately, this flies in the face of this new relationship with Christ as He seeks to make us that NEW CREATION IN HIM...all the while trying to help us get rid of our old nature as we grow into the new creation of who God has ordained us to be...and that my friend is more like Jesus everyday.

 So how do we get that done? I think that answer can be very complex or equally very simple...and you get to be the one to decide that answer for yourself. If you trust that your relationship with Jesus is growing, then turning more and more of life's decisions over to Him for His input and consultation becomes second nature...YOU DO IT WITHOUT STOPPING TO THINK IF THIS IS RIGHT FOR ME OR WHAT THE OUTCOME MIGHT BE?  For God ALWAYS has your GOOD and His GLORY at the heart of any matter that life brings your way; however, God may not always be totally interested in your comfort.... but HE IS ALWAYS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER....WHY? Because you are supposed to look a little more like Jesus EVERY DAY!!!

 OR...you can decide to let God tackle the BIG problems while you handle everything else. R IGHT?  I think, personally, that's a very selfish way to live. I mean, God saved you by His Mercy and over whelming Grace and He now claims you as His child...and I don't know a single, good, loving parent that lets a child decide what's best for them and then only steps in to clean up their mess....or stands on the sidelines until a BIG problem arises?

 So, know this....God doesn't just want the "leftovers" in your life...He wants to be included in all of it; the little things as well as those "whales" that threaten to swamp your boat! When you think of what Christ did on the cross, you will come to this great understanding of the relationship that God wants with you...for He has gone to a home that you do not know; to prepare a place you cannot see; so on a day that cannot be known, He will emerge  through parting clouds to bring you a peace and a comfort that you cannot even imagine...for it is His plan to rescue you from a darkness that you will NEVER KNOW because He loves you with a love that cannot be measured.

His Child....Waiting on THAT day,

 WPQ

 

Poem for the day....

 I am a child of Heaven

And one day I know not when;

I'll stand before my Savior,

My comfort and my best friend.

 

All around me, love ones will gather;

To welcome me to this place.

At last to see my Savior and

To be held in His warm embrace.

 

 Then I shall know that on that day

As the angels are gathered there;

The Lord of Hosts will welcome those

Who prayed that special prayer.

 

The prayer that asked the Father,

Who sent His Son to ransom all

To thank Him for His gift of grace

That saved us from the Fall.

 

And so as His children enter in

Surely songs of praise will ring...

Hosannas to Him in the Highest;

Forever... our LORD and KING!!!

 

W. Patrick Queen  ©  April 2024

 

R U a Doubting Thomas?

It has been a little over two weeks, for those of us that claim Jesus as our Savior, since we celebrated His victory over the devil and death....the moment He was raised from the dead and walked out of that tomb, THE DEVIL WAS DOOMED AND DEATH NO LONGER HOLDS ANY POWER OVER US AS BELIEVERS!

Now, many people take a wait-and-see attitude toward Christ. In fact, the first time Jesus appeared to His disciples, they had sequestered themselves in a locked room, probably with no windows and only one way in and one way out... A BOLTED AND LOCKED DOOR...keeping them safely inside from the angry Jews that were surely seeking to find them and wrap up this whole, sordid business concerning the man they had Pilate crucify.  But, on that evening of the first day of the week, as they gathered together, there Jesus stood in the midst of them, greeting them saying, "Peace be with you!" How comforting these words must have been, coming from the heart of the one whom they loved who had been taken from them; now standing, front and center, for all to see....ALL BUT THOMAS!

I always have wondered, where and why was Thomas not with them? Was he not afraid of the angry, judgmental Jews? Was he so afraid to leave his location that he just hunkered down wherever he had chosen to hide? Or was this just an integral part of God's plan for believers yet to come? 

When the other disciples shared the Good News with Thomas, that even though all the doors were locked, JESUS HAD APPEARED TO THEM and breathed on them the Holy Spirit....and then, HE WAS GONE. But such good news was not what Thomas needed to hear. So, Thomas made his infamous statement, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” John 20:25 (CSB)

About a week later, the disciples were still in hiding and Thomas is with them when Jesus once again appears in their locked room, standing before them....and He says to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” And Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have now seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  John 20:27-29 (CSB) 

In these spoken words of Jesus, He did not ridicule nor belittle His disciples for us unbelief; but He did praise those who would believe, even though they had NEVER seen. 

So where do you stand on this "Jesus thing"? Are you one of those people that follow the hard and fast line of...SEEING IS BELIEVING! Or are you a person of FAITH....ONE WHO BELIEVES WITHOUT EVIDENCE OR SOMETIMES, EVEN IN SPITE OF THE SO-CALLED EVIDENCE? 

There are many people that believe there is a God. Even the devil and his demons believe there is a GOD. Believing there is a God and believing in the ONE, TRUE GOD are as different as night from day. The GOD of the Universe is a HOLY, RIGHTEOUS BEING....one who loves His creation and sent His Son, Jesus, to die for the sins of ALL mankind; but there is one catch. Jesus has done all the work; bled, died and rose again to claim His victory over sin, evil and the devil....the catch?

YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT HE DID ALL THIS FOR YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU CANNOT SEE IT....YOU MUST TAKE THE LEAP OF FAITH AND CLAIM GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION FOR YOURSELF. YOUR GODLY PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS CAN'T PASS IT ON AS PART OF YOUR LEGACY. SITTING ON A CHURCH PEW FOR DECADES WILL NOT OPEN THE LOCKED DOOR OF HEAVEN FOR YOU. DOING MORE GOOD THAN BAD IN YOUR LIFETIME WILL NOT PROVIDE THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM....ONLY ONE THING ASSURES YOU OF YOUR HEVENLY HOME WITH JESUS....

YOU BELIEVE THAT HE PAID THE PRICE FOR YOU AND THAT HIS BLOOD SHED FOR YOU IS SUFFICENT TO MAKE YOU RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES...THE WORK IS DONE; THE PRICE HAS BEEN PAID....YOU MUST DECIDE....DO IT GOD'S WAY OR HIT THE HIGHWAY TO HELL. The choice is always YOURS! God will not decide this for you; however, He has said through His Son Jesus who said, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME!" John 14:6  (CSB)

So, are you still a member of the Doubting Thomas fan club, waiting for Jesus to make a holy appearance to you one night, in your bedroom, before it's too late? That is probably going to be a loooooonnnnngggg wait! Or you can cast aside that life mantra that "seeing" is the only wait to be sure that something is real...you can't see gravity, but I doubt that ANYONE is willing to jump off a twenty story building and hope for the best; just because they are not sure gravity may exist, since they've never seen it.

I do, however, encourage you to take a leap....a leap of FAITH in Jesus....the one who gave His life so that you could have an abundant life here and an eternal life there; in Heaven, with Him, His Father and the ever indwelling power of His Holy Spirit. I hope you will make that decision today and wrap up the question of your eternal future and the better life you could be living with Jesus, in this life, as He walks with you as your Savior, Guide and Eternal Friend. Trust me...IT'S THE BEST DECISION YOU WILL EVER MAKE...JUST TAKE THE LEAP!

A Faithful Follower....Leaping with Jesus Everyday,

WPQ

Poem for the day....

If you are not sure were life's taking you

And you want to know the way....

Just put your faith in Jesus' hands

To follow Him each day.

For He has already walked the road

That's filled with life's disasters.

And He can steer you clear of them,

For He alone is the our Master.

He is the Master of the Universe

He alone makes the world revolve;

And when you commit your life to Him

Your problems He will resolve.

So don't wait until your dying breath

Just take the leap of faith today!

Then your life will be, lived  abundantly...

As you walk with Him each day! 

WPQ  April 2024