Friday: The Great Escape 3

Yes, Brothers and Sisters, we are still on that big bus trip, but I am backing off of calling it that anymore, for I think God will sooner have me put the daily message title in the subject ... Anyway, welcome to day two of 2009 and Happy Birthday to Mrs. Claus AKA Dolores Lehman ... A man never tells his wife's age, but I think she looks great for being born in 1935. Now folks I did not tell you her age ...

The Great Escape 3 Yesterday we took a break from the great escape and had communion on line ... and folks, to me that is always special. This Sunday morning at the Bridges we will pray for a clean start and have communion with our flock ... Always a special service, and yes you are welcome. Always Welcome.

As we looked at an angel of the Lord coming to Joseph in a dream and telling him to take Jesus and Mary and get out of town, I asked what would we do if an angel of the Lord came upon us, or if we even listen for God to speak to us when we pray... Today I want to ask you this ...

Have you ever had to do a great escape, or have you just tried to escape ...

First I would think that some on this line had to do a great escape, maybe even from a spouse that was just not treating you the way it should be, as in abuse ... Folks I never had to go through that one, but I am sure that is very, very hard to do. I would think that could be about as scary as it can get ...

I am sure also as big as the readership is on this line now that some of you had to escape sometime in your life from a fire, or a flood, or maybe a major storm. Now I have had to think about it when the weather was bad and we lost power even last winter for a few days when it was really, really cold ... But I never had to escape in a hurry...

I have helped others with a great escape, I have been at the wheel of a bus (this a fact) going down Green Street in Harrisburg, with water all around the bus as I loaded people, pets, belongings into that bus ... A big school bus that holds 90 sitting 3 in a seat held 122 people that night, not counting the policeman who was on board with me in the drivers seat ... This was the beginning of the big flood of 1972. So I did get to help with a great escape, but never was really forced out ...

Now there is one more great escape that I want to talk to you about ... and yes I have been through this one ... It is when you are really trying to escape from yourself. Maybe you are depressed about business, or a relationship, or maybe you have been through something and it just had you backed into a corner and you just did not know what to do ... Folks without getting into that personal story and bringing it up again, I really wanted to escape ... and this is when I did MY GREAT ESCAPE BACK TO JESUS. Raised by Christian parents in a Christian home, and yes like all boys I thought about running away a time or two, but hey, I was not permitted to cross the main street ... (Ha) but back then I knew about Jesus, I knew about Him well, but I did not have Him locked in my heart ... I was not born again ... But when this event happen, I went back to Jesus, and brothers and sisters I am never leaving Him again ... Now that does not mean that once in a while I don't need to escape deeper and deeper into His loving arms ... put all other things away for a while and get refreshed ... Yes we all need that for when we are up against the wall, when we feel the sides coming in ... When the pressure is mounting in your life, be it illness, or dollar problems, whatever, we just need to get nearer and nearer to our Lord Jesus ... We need to escape into the arms of this wonderful baby, who also had to escape in His life several times ... One we already talked about ... but we need to escape to Him, we need to cast our burdens upon Him ...

Now one of the things that I do want to mention is this, you who follow the line know I use the term "Put feet on your prayers". This a quote from my ministry partner, Pamela Bower. That is when we are praying for something or someone and we do not do anything but pray when we could. Example, your neighbor does not have enough to eat, he lost his job and he has a big family... Lord please help this man find a job and in the mean time please send him some food ... and you pray a prayer like that ... and do nothing else ... did help the family eat? NO! But after your prayer you put feet on it and you go and pick your cupboard or go shopping and set them a bag or two of food on their porch ... That is putting feet on your prayers ...

Now my new one ... Put feet in the Bible ... No don't put it on the floor and walk on it. But for example today is Friday and the day we pray for all those who are working in the fields of Harvest for our Lord Jesus ... Ok, this is in the Bible, we are to go into all the world and preach the good news. Put your feet into that verse and get out and do it ... See what I mean ...

So now let me tie it into the Great Escape for the final word on this subject today ... ESCAPE INTO THE FIELDS AND WORK FOR JESUS. Instead of trying to escape from something, ESCAPE TO SOMETHING OR SOMEPLACE ... Escape to God with Your burdens, but also escape to Him to carry out His work ... and someone said ... AMEN ...

Dear Father in Heaven ... Help us escape from evil, help us to come to You with our burdens and escape from those things through You, but Lord help us also escape into Your loving arms to help You ... When things are going good, we also need to escape to You Lord and work for You ... We need to help others escape from evil, for others to escape from hunger, to help others escape from abuse, we need to be working for You, and Lord let that be a major part of our big escape ... For things in our life that we need to escape from, all honor to You, do not come that often, but we need to be escaping to You daily to work for You and to praise You ... Help us with that dear Lord ... in the name of Jesus I pray. and Lord to please You most, may we honor You in all we do, may we walk each foot step in Your light ... doing what is right by You ... always, Amen.

Now go forth sharing your blessings, helping others and working with Jesus in all you do. love ya, dan.