Wednesday: Crossing The Street

He passed by on the other side!

Good Salvation Wednesday, my dear brothers and sisters. Today is the day we pray for the lost and also for our Lord to use us to lead them in. Please put feet on these prayers. Also today please pray for Vicki and for her father. Vicki's dad is gravely ill. Pray also for her family.

Permit to pray ... Yes, here in America and it is on Fox Cable News today ... I will try and get the name of the town. The headline is that a town is trying to make people holding prayer meetings in their home get a permit, and it is not free. More coming up on this ... See the Post Script

Crossing The Street! A small child was sitting on the street corner with a small bag of his worldly goods at his side. He had been sitting on that curb for hours when a policeman walked up to him and asked if he was ok. The boy said, I am running away, but my mother said I should never cross the street alone. I am sure as a child one of the things that you learned was how to cross the street. My mother took me to the street and told me to use the cross walks or back then the intersections. Look both ways and watch for turning cars and never run for you might fall. Always leave enough room to walk across the whole street, don't go half way and stop. And so far I have never been hit crossing the street.

How many times in your life have you crossed the street? Thousands upon thousands of times I would guess. When I managed school transportation for a large school district I thought it was funny for we bused kids from across the street from some schools so they would not need to cross the street. While I agreed on some of the streets because they were more than two lanes, some just did not make sense to me. I thought many a time that we will teach the kids to read and write but they will not be able to cross the street. I can see it now, a person applies for a job in a big city, it is a great paying job. On the interview they were asked about education, I had 13 years in public education, I went 4 years to Yale and 4 more to Harvard, I have four degrees. Ok, that is great said the interviewer. You can start on Monday. Ok, said that new employee, what time does the crossing guard get to the street corner or do you bus us who live across the street? (stop it Dan)

But let me ask you this question, would you cross the street to help someone, or to get away from helping someone? Or would it depend on the type of help the person needs? Yes, I am leading to the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and would ask that you read the complete story found in Luke 10: 25/37.

As Jesus told this parable he talked about a man going from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was beaten and robbed, even his clothes were taken. Jesus told of a priest going by on the other side of the street and also a Levite did the same. Then a Samaritan came and saw the man and helped him.

Where would you fit in today, where would I fit in today? Would we be like the priest or the Levite or would we be like the Samaritan and help the person? Right now you are more than likely saying to yourself, why, I would cross the street and help the person. Would you? What if the robbery and beating was still going on? What if you saw two or three people beating on one, would you turn and walk away? Oh, we might get hurt, or maybe get shot. So I will go and call the police. Folks, I would hope and pray that I would have enough "guts" to go and assist. What about when you see a car along the road, the people out, the hood up? Be careful on this answer, it is not a trick, but we must be careful. Would you stop and help or call? Or at least call and send help back?

Now let me put the old shoe on the other foot. Now we are the one being robbed and beaten and we out of the corner of our eye see people watching as we are getting our tail stomped. Would we not want someone to come and help? I would. Folks, if we truly love our neighbors, let me say this again, IF WE TRULY LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS, we would go and help, even if we get hurt. Yes, we need to use good judgment, but we need to trust that the Lord will protect us and we need to get involved. Now I know some will disagree with me on this, but we need to learn to cross the street and help. I am not telling you to get between two drug dealers in a shoot out, but I am telling you to help those who really need help. Don't be afraid to "Cross the Street". If God did not want you to do this, then Jesus would not have told the story. Cross the Street and love on your neighbor as you honor God doing this ... Amen.

Lord, in life we must make some really hard decisions when it comes to getting involved. So help us, Lord, and protect us also as we need to love our neighbors and show our Love for You as we do it. In the name of Jesus, I ask that You help us go into the fields of Harvest and look for the lost, help us to seek out those that have not come to You. I ask also that You be with Vicki, her dad and her family. Bring them together Lord, and heal her father. Lord, thanks for this line and the messages You give me daily. Thanks for protecting it from trash and failures. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Brothers and sisters, some of the lessons from the Bible are not easy to follow. God never told us that our life here on earth would be a bed of roses. We need to just trust in Him and if we truly follow His teachings and if we hold on tight to Jesus as we follow Him, in the end, we will safely
"Cross the Street". Now go forth and share those blessings, and please by all means if needed to share your blessings, cross the street to do it ... love ya, dan.

OK, more on the permit needed for a prayer meeting. It has happened in Santiago County in CA and people on Good Friday were gathered in a home for dinner and Bible study when an official came from the county and told them they could not have a religious service in the house without a permit. Check the story on Fox News. If it happens there will your town or mine be next? Can't study Bible in my house ... OUT OF MY COLD DEAD HANDS THEY WILL NEED TO PRY THE BIBLE..