Tuesday: Lost and Found 2

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, my dear brothers and sisters. We can now have our onion snow and get on with spring and summer. PRAISE THE LORD. Tuesday, and it is schools day on this line. It is the day we pray for all who enter our schools, public, private, religious, all of them, and from grades preschool to higher education. Praise God for Christian teachers, and we have several on this line ... Big John from Carlisle and Larry from Dauphin County Tech. So let's lift these two men in prayer, and if we have other teachers on line, let's lift them also. Also, our daughters Danelle and Leann both work in schools, one with teachers in the classroom and the other in the office. Pray for them please as they also reach out to kids. (Let your Jesus light shine, girls, dad is proud of you.)

Lost and Found 2: Yesterday, I started this series by telling you about my walkabout. Today, I want to go to Luke 15 1/7 and look at the parable of the lost sheep.

Luke 15 1: Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them". (NIV)

Praise God that He eats with the sinners and welcomes them, for I am a sinner saved by this Man's Grace and Blood. This Man, Jesus, tells this: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he find it? And when He finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home." Luke 15 4/5 NIV

As you know, Dolores I rescue and adopt little dogs. Most all have handicaps, most are seniors. I can remember three times since we have been doing this that one would get out just after we got them. I can recall one time one slipped out behind us and was picked up by a neighbor and dropped off at our vets. It was just in, and when the vet called us I went up, my heart pumping so hard. This little Pom is so crippled that the people who found her thought she was hit by a car. Our vet knew who to call. Just recently we adopted a one-year old Yorkshire pup. On the second day, he got behind me going out the door and he was off and running. Let me tell you that a one-year old puppy can out run a 67-year old man. Don't laugh, this guy could out run you also. Anyway, I got my scooter out and went to look for him, when he came back to give me a kiss. Now God brought him back. So we give God the glory ... and let me tell you I can relate to the lost sheep. I have over the years looked for dogs, cats, a goat that got out, and a few nice cattle that got out when I had a farm. I have chased chickens, and even a pig or two, and when we caught them, we rejoiced for we were happy to have them back. So you can see how I can relate.

However, our God in Heaven is rejoicing when a sinner, a person is lost, has been brought back into the flock. Folks, you know a lot of us will go and look for a lost cat or dog, but do we go and look for a lost person? Oh, we would for sure go and look for our lost child if at two or three years of age they slipped out the door, or as a young teen they did not come home. But do we really go out and look for a lost person, one who has wandered away from our Lord Jesus? I want you to really think about that. I am going to put pastors on the spot on this one ... do WE pastors get into a slump? Do we get our flock in front of us, and then when one is not in church for a while do we check on them? Oh, if I know they are sick, I will call on them, in my case that is easy as they are in the same building as where we have services. I also am blessed to be able to go through the dining room at the Bridges and talk to those who might have missed church. But do WE, and again I am making that WE big because ME is in the We. I have attended churches and even been a member and when I did not go back for a while, did the pastor call me? Most of the time not. Did they come after the lost sheep? I told you about my youth, maybe if that pastor, who has gone home, or someone from that church, called me and asked me, how come you are not coming to church, maybe, just maybe, I would have come back to Jesus sooner, and then again, maybe not. But you are getting my point here. So I guess I am asking the pastors that are on this line -- do you go after your lost? I know most welcome new folks, but do we ever have a welcome home party? Maybe that would be a really good idea. Have a nice cookout this summer and welcome home those who have left the charge. Maybe some have gone to other churches, maybe they are lost? Maybe they are going to another church and are still lost!! Do you see where I am coming from? Look what Jesus tells us.

Luke 15: 7 "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Now let me lay off the pastors and look at all of us. Families, do you have a lost soul in your family, one who maybe not has walked from the family, but did walk from the family of God? Let's go get them ... let's follow what God wants. How about at work, maybe you have someone you work with, in your work family, and you just know that person is lost. Are you willing to try and bring that person back into the flock? It's school days, and I ask all of you who work in schools, do you know one that is really lost? Don't be afraid to talk to them. Be strong ... remember who your boss really is ... GOD.

Dear Father in Heaven, it is time that we get working on the lost for You. Lord, first clean us of our sins, and then get us working on the lost. Let us first stand before You and then before the mirror and make sure we are ready for the job. Lord, please take care of our children and all others who are in our schools, bless them this day, and not just those wearing the green. Just kidding, God, we know You will look after all of them. And Lord, it does seem that this day will bring out some parties and some heavy drinking. Lord, protect Your children on the roads, in the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen. And Lord, please, please let Pastor Charles preach again.

Now go forth and share your blessings, and folks, get those onions in the ground, for we have just three more days of winter, spring comes in on Friday Morning ... WE WILL MAKE IT.
Do you know what? I love you folks, I really, really do ... dan.