Tuesday: Preamble, Constitution, Bible 2

Then God said, "Let us" make man in our image in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a congress of the United States.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, it is Schools day on the line, yes, the day we pray for our schools and all that enter them, all that have anything to do with them. Also today please pray for Pastor Charles. Pastor lives at the Bridges, he had a stroke, he is showing signs of healing. He needs prayer to get up out of the wheelchair, get his speech working better, and to be able to work for our Lord again. Also pray for Tom Keel in the death of his wife.

Preamble, Constitution, Bible 2: Yesterday I talked about the Preamble and compared it with Genesis 1: 1/25. I gave you the homework assignment of reading that on your own. Today I want to start lining up some of the Constitution of the United States with parts of The Bible.

The Constitution: Article 1: All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Article one then goes on to tell all about how the Senate and the House of Representatives should be elected, their age requirements, and duties etc. Article one is very long so let me say if you have a copy of the Constitution, please take time to read it.

The Bible: Then God said, "Let us" make man in our image in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground everything that has the breath of life in it. I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that He had made and it was very good and there was evening and there was morning the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it Holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done. (Genesis 1: 26 through Genesis 2: 3 NIV)

Now I am going to compare Article One of the Constitution with these Scriptures from my Bible.
These are my opinions, of course, and you might differ from me on these. I would love to hear your opinions. Are you ready for this? Article one created a Congress, and in the Bible God created man ... What do these have in common?

BOTH FAILED!! Wow, that took all of two words!
Here are a few more views ...

Congress may be recalled, by a recall vote, or by not reelecting a member. Man WILL BE RECALLED by his maker ... That will happen.

Congress was established to work for man. Man was made to work for God. Congress was elected to help run the country. God made man and trusted him to take care of the country. I could go on and on, but I think you are getting the picture.

Now as we move on this week with the message I call: Preamble, Constitution, Bible, let me tell you this ... I am proud to be an American and also a Born Again Christian. More tomorrow.

Dear Father in Heaven, the real bottom line is we would not have a country, we would not be the United States, if You would not have created it in the first place. Man would not be trying to run the country if You did not make man. Man failed in the Garden and are failing daily in the United States. Help us, oh Lord, help us, Lord. Father in Heaven, we need You in our schools, for without You the kids are not learning as they should. They learn trash, Lord, and we need them to learn good things. Lord, help us, help us, help our kids, be in our schools. Lord, please be with Tom Keel and help him as he suffers the loss of his wife. Lord, please, please heal Pastor Charles. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Now go forth sharing your blessings, sharing the love of Jesus, and helping others ... Love ya, dan.

Monday: Preamble, Constitution, Bible 1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

We The People of the United States.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is Monday, and what a great and wonderful weekend. Saturday evening Dolores and I along with our ministry partner Pamela Bower went to hear The Couriers in concert. It was wonderful and very Spirit filled. The Holy Ghost came in at the very start of the concert and remained through out the service. Notice I did call it a service and not just a concert. There was preaching and teaching and good old singing and tears of joy. If you have not heard The Couriers, and I am talking the present edition of these young men, you need to hear them. They are walking with the Lord, and it shows and shows. The Couriers were always tops and these guys are carrying the title and working for the Lord as did the guys who turned the ministry over to them -- Dave, Duane and Neal, you did a fine job in your choice of men to carry on the mission ... Thank You.

Moving on, on Sunday Morning the Holy Ghost came right along with me into the service at The Bridges. Our non-denominational service was indeed filled with The Spirit right from the first word.

Monday, and I hope the messages are touched by The Holy Spirit each day, is the day we pray for our leaders and our troops and all others who work so hard to keep us safe. Please pray hard for our president. I am telling you right now, and this is my opinion, this man scares me. So please pray for him, first for his soul as we do not know if he is saved or not, so pray for salvation for him and his family. Then please pray that before he works on anything he takes it to God, and I mean God, not a god ... there is but one God.

Preamble, Constitution and The Bible 1: This week I want to dig into this subject. I did write about it a few years back, but this will be a fresh rewrite. So please pray for me as I do some comparing these words. Remember this coming Saturday is Independence Day, which happens to fall on July 4th. On Saturday our Nation, you know the one that is UNDER GOD, will be 233 years old. Please let me help all remember that the holiday is not now or never has been the 4th of July ... that is the date of the holiday.

Preamble:
WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. (Word for word, our Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America.)

Bible:
In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. AND GOD SAID. "Let there be light," and there was light God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness He called "night" and there was evening, and there was morning the first day. (Genesis 1: 1/5 from the NIV edition of The Bible)

Let me just talk about this a tad today ... Just a short message today. First there would not be a Preamble to the Constitution if we did not have Creation of the world, which of course includes our country by our Lord God Almighty. Let's make another note here ... In the Preamble it says.. "Secure the BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY". Let's note right now, in my opinion, all blessings come from God, regardless if a person believes in God or not, blessings, all of them, come from God ... ALL OF THEM.

So putting this together is telling me that our founding fathers in writing the Preamble, wanted to Secure The Blessings, meaning to me they wanted then to call on God and wanted that to go on forever and ever. Think about it folks, our country was made by God, and when the people of the United States, which was again created by God, got together for the business of making some basic rules and wanted all to know that God was going to part of it. Today, well today, everyone seems like Washington does not want God, and it is getting worse. Thank God, He did not pull out and does not pull out when told to pull out. YOU CAN NOT THROW GOD OUT. People have tried and tried, and while it might seem like He has left, all you need to do is call on Him and you will find out He is still standing by, just watching and waiting and will be there when we call on Him. Our Lord will never leave us, we might leave Him, but He will not bail out on us. We cannot even throw Him out. Folks, our schools' district is a good example. We have tried to throw Jesus out, but if we as parents teach our kids about Jesus, if we raise them up in the way of the Lord, they will be a beacon of light in the schools and the beacon will be our Lord Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, I wrote out word for word the Preamble to our Constitution, but I did not write out the full creation story. Please get out your Bibles and refresh yourself on the Creation Story, for it indeed is, again in my opinion, the PREAMBLE TO THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD.

Dear Father in Heaven, please help me with the messages as you always do, help me dear Lord as I talk this week about the Bible and the Constitution, about the differences and about the things that are the same or near the same. Open Your Word to us and also help us understand the Constitution, and most of all the part which some call the separation of Church and state. Dear Lord, be with President Obama, and Lord I pray that he comes to You for all things for his family and for this nation. I pray, dear Lord, that He is saved, and if not that he will come to You and confess to You his sins and take up the Holy Spirit and fill himself with Jesus. Lord, help him and all of our leaders and their families. Help our troops as they complete the pull out of cities in Iraq. Bless also all of our troops and their families all around the world. They, Lord, under Your hand, are the reason our country remains free. Jesus is the reason we have personal freedom. Lord, help us to reach out to others and teach them about You. Help me today as I go to funerals and also to the hospital to visit. Lord, guide all my moves. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, thanks to those of you who have supported Carry The Light Ministries by supporting the Ministry food pantry. Thanks to those who came this weekend sharing their blessings of food. You are wonderful. So as I close and thank those who are sharing their blessings, not just to us but all over, I ask you to keep it up ... share those blessings and watch how Jesus pours more and more blessings on you. love ya, yes I really love ya, dan.

Friday: Do Unto Others 5

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Goooood Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, it is Friday, the day we pray for all God's workers. Are you on that prayer list today?? You should be, you know. Also today I want you to pray for the family of a dear friend of mine, Leslie. This wonderful Christian lady needs prayers for her family. I am not going into details on this, I do know the problems, so trust me and just take the family of Leslie to prayer. And folks, you can do the same thing for Vicki and her family. Things are different, but the family needs prayer. Also for a teen group from Newport Assembly of God as they start their journey home after a week long retreat. Please also pray for Jennia Wyslocky who has severe pain to the point she can't even walk. Also pray for husband and wife, John and Hilda Bernard both with cancer. And while we are at it please pray for Pastor Charles Idler who had a stroke and is recovering at the Bridges. Please pray for him to be able to walk, and although retired to be able to preach again.

Do Unto Others 5: John 3: 16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (NIV)

As we talk about doing unto others all this week and most of all showing love to all, including your enemies, our Father in Heaven giving His only Son and our Lord Jesus going to the cross for all of us, for everyone, is the best, the very best example of Doing for others that I can find. Over the years we have also had many, many, thousands of men and women who have signed up for our military and went out to lay it all on the line for the freedom of us who live in the Great Nation we call America. You know, if it were not for Jesus who gave us our personal freedom, freedom from our very own stupid sins and shortcomings, to our brave fighting men and women from past wars, we might all be slaves, or we might all be speaking German, or Japanese. I want you to all think about that. Now I've been telling you all week to patch it up with family, really trying to, and if you are having trouble then let us have your names so we can start really praying for this, as we are the families today.

In the city of Harrisburg right now, the Capitol City of the State of Pennsylvania, they are having a rash of shootings. It is all over the city and not just at night. Just today our governor announced that he is sending our fine Pennsylvania State Troopers into the city to help the men of blue in town. Also a bus load of Guardian Angels from York Pennsylvania came to Harrisburg to help the neighbors.

It is so sad when we see the hate that has come into our cities and towns and even into the suburbs. People robbing, stealing, breaking into homes, even with people at home. Yesterday in the city five teens were arrested for kicking and beating up and robbing a homeless man and breaking up their cardboard city under a bridge in Harrisburg. The motive, robbery... What did they expect to get from someone who is living in a box under a bridge? Folks, we get concerned about the wars we are in, but forget that our cities have become a battlefield for most of the young people.

Why? Why? Why is this going on? I will tell you why!! In my opinion it is because we have turned our backs on God. People want things for nothing, they want to get handouts from our government, they want to ride the system. I am not talking unemployment here for those who have lost a job and are looking, I am talking those who just do not go to work. I have driven through the city and there is litter and trash that people will not pick up in front of their own house. And the dear sweet people who are trapped there are afraid to sit on their porch. Maybe it is time when these young ones face the judge that they are sentenced to GO TO CHURCH, AND A GOOD ONE, one that still teaches and preaches the truth. Jesus stands for Love and over the years He has been kicked out of schools, government buildings, even parks and places that are owned by the government. Yes, what we are lacking is the love that Jesus taught us, and the reason is people are not going into the fields of harvest to teach it.

Years ago big city churches would not open the doors for changing neighborhoods. They did not go out and greet people of other colors or from other counties because they were different. Then the big city churches started to close because nobody came.

Folks it is time to get back to the basics. Love your Lord God and Love your neighbor.. It is time to get back to Jesus, for if we soon do not get back to Jesus. It is time we take it serious about spreading the good news. And when Churches start talking about mission trips, maybe, just maybe, instead of heading to some far off country, they just need to CROSS THE STREET!

IS SOMEONE GOING TO YELL OUT AMEN ... I am ready to preach this one folks. We, you and me, us, all of us, we need to pray and then get to work for Jesus. We need to share our blessings, and the love of Jesus. We need to work for Jesus. If we had Jesus on the streets, meaning His word on the streets, the State Police would not need to be called into the cities. Jesus is the answer ... and believe it or not, BELIEVE IT OR NOT ... HE IS STILL ON THE THRONE, HE IS STILL IN CONTROL, AND HE IS STILL LOVING ALL, INCLUDING HIS ENEMIES. Listen to these very, very good and some of the last words He spoke on the cross as He was facing those who had hung Him on the cross ... From John 23: 34 - Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (NIV) We know what we are doing, right or wrong, we know what we are doing, let's get it done right, let's get it done for Jesus and let's start getting it done today ... LOVE THEM NEIGHBORS.

Dear Father in Heaven, please heal the families of Vicki and Leslie, and please Lord, touch Pastor Charles and heal him to preach again. And Lord, help us to get busy working the fields for You and help us learn the fields might just be in our own neighborhood. Lord, bless the workers with their needs and keep them safe. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Go forth sharing those blessings, and really caring about your neighbors. Llove them, love them even more if they do not like you ... Can you do that, not for me, but for yourself and for Jesus?
I Love you folks ... Pastor Dan.

Thursday: Do Unto Others 4

"Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them WITHOUT expecting to get anything back."

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is another beautiful day at the Southern Location of the North Pole. The 12 inches of snow is not coming today, so the reindeer will not get to practice with the old sleigh.

It is Thursday and that means it is family day on Carry The Light Ministries prayer, praise and message line. As we pray today for all families, please pray for Vicki and her family and center on her dad who has been taken to the hospital (no reason given yet) . And folks, the most important family you can pray for is not yours or mine or the one in the White House, it is the family of God. Pray warriors pray for the family of God. I belong to that family, DO YOU??? Now that might be a dumb question to some, for I cannot think of a person who really spends time reading my messages who does not love the Lord already. But who knows where all this goes as I always tell people they can use anything I write, if they want to forward it all, it is ok. Let's work to get more people in the family of God. Let us all become brothers and sisters.

Do Unto Others 4: Luke 6: 35 - "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." (NIV)

Again I go back to "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6 31 NIV)
Here we have Jesus telling us again to do unto others as we would like them to do unto us, EXCEPT don't expect it to be returned. I don’t believe that the word lend in this case just means dollars, for you might want to lend a hand to someone, mow a lawn for a shut-in neighbor, or a neighbor on vacation. Shovel a walk or two when the snows of winter hit. Help an older person to the car with their food from the store; help load that car. Push a cart back to the store for someone when you are going into a store (I do that one a lot, for it is something for me to lean on).

Yes my dear brothers and sisters, doing unto others and expecting them to do it back to you is not what our Lord God expects of us. We need to really break this down. It tells us to "Do to others as you WOULD HAVE them do to you". It is saying that we need to treat people just the way we would love to be treated. But we should do this for others, even if we never see a return from them. Remember, we will get our rewards in Heaven, where our rewards will be, well they will be, are you ready for this? Where our rewards will be HEAVENLY. Folks, if you really do things for others, and this I call "sharing your blessings", you will find that you do not need to expect things back from the person you did for, for our Lord Jesus will bless you over and over again.

I get a real kick or charge out of those who write and forward things that tell us if we read this and pass it onto ten people God will bless us in five minutes. This is real bunk, and I never forward things that say that. This is my reason, God is going to bless each of us and if we are still alive in five minutes He has blessed us with five minutes more of life. Think about it, this to me is someone making things up to see just how far they go. Folks, if you share your blessings, if you love your God and Love your neighbors, regardless of their love for you, God is going to bless you over and over again till you will find your blessings over flowing. You want to know why some people are really rich in dollars? They give a lot of it away. Maybe not all to their church, but to the needy, to cancer events, to help the homeless. And think of this ... and I will put this first hand ... If each of you would share one can of veggies, God will see that you have more in your pantry.

Do unto Others 4: Yes, brothers and sisters, do unto others, and do it without expecting a thing in return, do it in faith, do it in the name of Jesus, and stand back and watch for the returns. Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, bless the families today, not just ours or those on the line, but all families, and Lord, for those broken families, help put them back together again. And Lord, help men, and Lord, it is most often men, but help the ladies also, to not just have kids, help them to love You and to love each other. And Lord, please help those unwanted children find homes with loving families. And Lord, even at our age, the age of Dolores and I, if there is a child in need that we could help with, let us know. And Lord, help us to work in the family of God. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Now go forward this day, doing good things to others, helping them, sharing your blessings, and having a really blessed by God day. I am going to close just a little different today, not the normal "love ya" but by me saying this to you ... I really, really do love all of you, each and every one, and most I have never met. I would love to meet all of you, and someday we will meet, but for today ... I LOVE YOU ... Pastor Dan.

Wednesday: Do Unto Others 3

Love must be sincere!!

Good Morning, dear brothers and sisters. The weather here at the Southern location of the North Pole is, well it is just PERFECT. God is so good and always sends us what we need, but we sure do learn to appreciate days like this, after He has watered the lawns and filled the wells with water. Oh yes, we want the water but do not like the rainy days.

Today is Salvation Wednesday, the day we pray for the unsaved and then, and then we should be putting feet on those prayers and going to work for Jesus bringing in the unsaved to the feet of Jesus. Pray and work, it goes hand in hand.

Dolores and I are having shelving put in our basement for Carry The Light Ministries food pantry. It is shaping up, so now I am asking all of you to pray we can fill the shelves, for right now the new shelving will be empty. Most people think of a food thing like we do as being just at Christmas, and it is a great time to fill our shelves. However we have found that people who are hungry and do not have much money still would like to eat the other days. So pray warriors, pray.

Do Unto Others 3: Folks, when Jesus tells us to love our enemies ... Luke 6: 27 - "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." (NIV) Romans 12: 9 - Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (NIV)

I want you to notice one thing in Romans 12: 9 it tells us to hate what is evil, NOT WHO IS EVIL. In other words, hate the sin and love the sinner. I hate the gay marriages I hate those who act out on those things, but I still have love in my hearts for those who do those sins....

But the biggest thing I want to point out in Romans 12: 9 is my opening line today. "Love must be sincere." I don't know about you, but I can see a phony when someone is trying to sell me a bill of goods on something. I can also spot someone who says they love someone but really doesn't. And once in a while I get really fooled on that, but I am telling you right now that Jesus can and will always spot that person who tells that he loves his enemies but really does not. Even in families some will say they tried everything to patch things up, when in truth, they make no effort to even call the other person. We need to love God above all others, our Lord Jesus should be first in all things, then love our neighbors, and we must, folks, we must, brothers and sisters hear me on this ... that love must be sincere. Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, You have told us to love one another, to love our enemies, and I for one confess that I need to try harder and harder to love those who don't like me or those who upset us. Lord, help us with Love and help us, Lord, to share Your love to others, to tell them about being saved so they can get into heaven. Help us to bring in the lost and work for You, and help us to put feet on these prayers today. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Have a blessed day, remember to share your blessings. And please remember us in prayer as we are really expanding our food pantry. Love ya, dan.

Tuesday: Do Unto Others (2)

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you."

Schools day, schools day, dear old pray for schools day ... Praying and praising our Lord for kids, taught to the tune of God's dear word ... Schools day, schools day, dear old pray for schools days ...

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, and yes you may sing that little song this morning as we pray for our schools. Please folks, if you live near a school, pass by a school, take a little time from your very busy life and stop and pray for the school, better yet, anoint the school with oil. Yes, anoint the school with oil, and pray your heart out for it. You say you want to cause some attention, just go to the school, go to the sign or the flag pole and get down on your knees and pray for that school.

Why do we wait?? This morning I watched as one news channel showing the commuter train wreck in Washington, DC, interviewed a Priest. He talked on how he helped by leading the people in the car he was in, in the Lord's prayer. I think that was wonderful, and moreso that the news even showed it. But why do we wait? When we get in our car, or a bus, a train, or a plane, do we pray and ask for safety in travel, and moreso when the trip is over, do we thank God for the safe trip?

It is the same with our schools. It seems after a tragedy hits then we all get together and pray is ok. Kids killed in an accident, we put a cross up on the accident place. WHERE DO WE PUT THE CROSS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT? Brothers and sisters, I got off message here this morning. I need to ask God for a message on that subject Where do we put the cross in good times? Ok, back to

Do unto others (2): Luke 6: 27 - "But I tell you who hear me; Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." (NIV) Yesterday I mentioned that those who have family troubles where family members are not speaking to one another should try and patch it all up. EVEN IF YOU HAVE DONE IT BEFORE, you have tried and tried, folks please try again. Do you think that God gives up on us at our very first sin? No, and we should not give up on others even if they hate us. And that is not just limited to our family members. I am so blessed by a family that does not carry things overnight, and I mean that 100%. If we have a family problem, the problem might not get fixed in a day, but the things that grow out of a difference, a fight so to speak, is not taken to bed. It is not, even to this day. A call is made and voices come together and say I love you to each other, and that always helps to work out a problem. Folks, in the name of Jesus I tell you in His own words: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." And Jesus did not waste many words on this. This brothers and sisters is one of the two great commandments ... Love your neighbors. And brothers and sisters your neighbors are not just those in your family, those who live next door or across the street, your neighbors live in all the countries of the world. LOVE THEM, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, LOVE THEM. Do you know that it is much easier to love than to hate? Love will warm your body, mind and soul, and hate will just eat you apart. Love is good, Hate is evil. Love conquers all, hate conquers nothing at all except for more hate ... Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, help us to love, help us to love all things good and the only hate we want is to hate evil, hate Satan. We even want to love those who work for Satan, we want to hug them and show Your love to them. Lord, help us with this. Help us to patch up any and all hate in our lives with love. Help us when the family has grown apart. And Lord, be with our school kids and all who work with them. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Go forth loving one another and sharing your blessings ... love ya, dan.

Short note from Pam

Hey y'all! I just wanted to share a few pictures that I thought you might appreciate. (Please forgive the awkward formatting; this is my first picture-posting attempt;)

This is Dan and his wife Dolores at The Bridges of Bent Creek, where he pastors.

This is a group shot of their congregation at The Bridges.

And this is Dan and myself at Perry Village nursing home before a program.

Have a great summer, all you wonderful Christ-followers!

Monday: Do Unto Others 1

"Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. Dads, I pray you had a really nice day. It is Monday and the day we pray for our leaders, our military, our police, and firefighters, and all others who work so hard to keep us free and safe. A big day on the prayer line ... please pray for The Bridges, and our flock there. Yesterday morning when I arrived to have service (about an hour plus before the service time) I was greeted by a nurse who informed me that two residents had died, one in the hospital and one in her room. Peggy Everhard who we have been praying for is still hanging in, and doing somewhat of a rebound. There is also another lady in very bad shape. I am sure my plans will be up in the air this week. Please keep me in your prayers also. One of the hardest things to all who work in senior care is losing the ones you love and work with. The good point about being the pastor at such a place is, if you are really getting out the word, you know the people know the way home. I feel 100% the reason God has placed me there is to be sure all have heard the word, the true and complete word. I truly feel, and I must say this, that all groups that are on the road singing the gospel and looking for churches to sing at, should put in some "free" concerts in their home areas. As these groups would share their blessings of singing, God will open doors to the places that will pay them to stay on the road. It is simple, it is called, "SHARING YOUR BLESSINGS".

Do Unto Others! 1 Luke 6:31 - "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (NIV)
This is more than just a line in the Bible, it is the words of our Lord Jesus. I hope to bring to you this week something that is very hard to do. I want to talk to you on the subject about loving your enemies.

It is not always easy to show love and really love, not just show it, to those who have over the years, trashed you, stomped you into the ground, and even worse. Jesus showed this love to His enemies as He died on the cross for us. If I were to talk to any business owner, or anyone who is a "boss" or supervisor, as a supervisor I know that so many would step you into the ground, stand and gossip about you, and do all they could do to try and get the boss into trouble. I was blessed by God and good parents who taught me to forgive and to love others, to be able to take a person to task who broke the rules of the company and then forgive them and still love them. Those who are supervisors who don't learn that will find that it will eat them apart. Yes, love is a really good thing, but hate and hate for others will eat at you and eat at you. It will bring you nights of not sleeping, and long days of fretting.

When I was in my teens I would hear some kids say, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you, only do it first." You know for a long time that one sort of went over my head, but it now makes good sense to me. Love others first so that they might love you back. You folks know that Jesus was and still is very much hated by many and if we truly follow Jesus we will find that we will be hated also, even by some who claim to be born again. So if we truly are following Jesus we will love those who truly hate us. Jesus showed this love when He died for us, and He died also for those who hated Him. And what were some of His last words ... this was true love folks ... Jesus said, "Forgive them Father for they do not know what they are doing."

Brothers and sisters, we all at one time or another have had someone do something to us that we would really like to bop them on the nose for. Yes, show our love with a little love tap to their face. Come, you know at one time or another you felt like that. I found that back in those days when I would feel that way the other dude would be, well bigger then me. Or he was a weight lifter, or some big sports jock, and here I was a little band guy. So I never really went to bop a person in the nose, nope, not me jack, I just wanted to be loved and love the others as Jesus said, and my mamma taught me. Turn the other cheek mom would say ...

Tomorrow, God willing, I want to talk to you about when hate hits families, when brothers and sisters forget to love others. So if this subject is going to fit you, call those relations tonight and try and patch it up. I don't care if you have done it before, try again, and keep trying till you get it worked out. Let's pray.

Dear Father in Heaven, thanks for teaching us love, for love is so much, so very much better than hate. And like good and evil Lord, there seems to be no in between. And Lord, so many people have trashed the word love, making it a sex thing. Lord, please keep us on track on this message. Lord, please bless our leaders, from our President and all our leaders in Washington and in State houses, and Lord please watch over our troops and their families and over all those who protect us from harm. Please Lord, bless them so good as only You could bless them. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Go forth now sharing your blessings and loving all, ALL, others ... love ya, dan.

Friday: Fathers 5

You Shall Not!

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is Friday, and as my dear friend R. J. Harris says, "it is Friday, Blessed Friday." Let me add that each day of your life is blessed, blessed by God the Father, Jesus His Son. We are just so blessed, so very blessed. Today is the day we pray for all who are working in the Fields of Harvest for our Lord Jesus. Are you working those fields?

Also please keep praying for the Everhard family as wife and mother Peggy is gravely ill.
Yesterday I was with the family and anointed Peggy and we gave her fully to the Lord for His will to be done. Not always an easy thing to do, but we must trust God for His care. The fact is we need to give our children, our family, our friends all fully over to God in good health and bad, it just plain needs done.

Fathers 5: As I take another look back in my life I remember that my dad gave me some fatherly advice and then he gave me some FATHERLY ADVICE.... Yes, I guess I am saying that there was more than one level of advice that came from my good old dad. My dad would give me advice like be sure to look both ways when crossing the street ... be careful when riding your bike, don't ride it on the highways, just the side streets and alleys. Advice like that I would say was fatherly advice. Then he gave me advice like I do not want you running around with ________ ________ for that boy is bad news and you will get into real trouble. And that was FATHERLY ADVICE. I guess the big difference was, if I did not listen to his advice, there would be some action for my non-action, so to speak. Getting yelled at was one action, and believe it or not, I never liked being yelled at, but it was better then hearing this sound - brrrrrrzipppppppppppp - or however you write the noise a belt makes coming out of the loops on his trousers. And then the crack as he snapped it together and the crack as it hit my tiny little butt. (Well it was back then.) Once again, my dad did not beat me or abuse me, but I did learn right from wrong. So fatherly advice came with an enforcer, so to speak. And it came in different degrees of advice.

Fathers 5: I think God is the same way. Let's look today at some of the Fatherly Advice right from our Heavenly Father. Let's look at some of the commandments. Let's go to Exodus 20 and look at some of these ... Exodus 20: 3 You shall have no other gods before me (to me that is a biggie). Exodus 20: 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth below (again another biggie).

Dear Father in Heaven, we fathers on this line want to look to You for advice so that we might pass it to our children. Lord, we need help with this. Even after our children have left the nest, we still are fathers, we still are parents, and we find that kids still call on us for advice and/or help, and we sure need Your watchful hand over us as we help them. Lord, protect Your workers in Your fields, be with Anna Layman on her two-year pastor assignment in South Africa, watch over her and bring her home safe and sound. Be with her father Jay and all who are traveling to see her. Lord, guide our steps today and guide our mouth so we step for you and talk for you. Keep us from evil. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen ... Amen.

Happy Dads' Day, dads ... Be sure to share your blessings, and that goes for all of you. I got a note from one of the Saylor family. Seems they invited a neighbor in for a chicken dinner last night. That is just one more way to share your blessings, invite someone to dinner. Love ya, dan.

Thursday: Fathers 4

"Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and 'love your neighbor as yourself."

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is raining here at the Southern location of the North Pole. Gosh, if all the rain we were having would have come in the winter as snow, we would really need that sleigh and the reindeer to get around. I am not complaining, for God is in control. Today is family day on the line, the day we pray for families, and today I ask you to pray for your neighbors' families and for the Saylor family, the Everhart family, Vicki's family, and please, please pray for the families of God who gather on this line. Also brothers and sisters, please remember our Blog Spot. carrythelight4Jesus.blogspot.com The spot is kept up to date by our ministry partner, Pamela Bower. Pamela has been with our ministry since it was formed over 15 years ago. (Gosh I was young then.)


Fathers 4 - With Fathers' Day coming this Sunday I thought it just might be nice to look into some good fatherly advice and some even better Fatherly advice. Growing up in a home where both parents were school teachers, I was given a lot of advice from both my mom and my dad. Some of the fatherly advice that I messed up on, reported to my father from my mamma, was installed on my backside, if you get what I mean. My dad, understand, never beat or abused me, but he did not spare the rod, or the switch as he called it, a nice fresh thin branch from a Weeping Willow tree. I guess that is how the tree got it's name, it was a Willow Tree and when the branch had contact with my backside, I would weep.

While my mother taught me most of the basic things in life, like how to potty which including putting down the seat (something I still do today, thank you), she also taught me the table manners and how to dress, and I don't mean just how to put on the clothes but how to wear what you had. Play clothes, school clothes, and Sunday clothes ... in our house, we always put on our best for God when we went to church. SOMETHING I STILL THINK SHOULD BE DONE. (Amen) I was also taught to walk on the outside (street side) when walking with a lady. Those who know me, know that I still do that today.

Anyway, the things that my dad taught me were things like how to toss a ball, how to catch, how to ride a bike and at the age of about 11, yes eleven, to drive the car (bad dad, happy kid). That was done on the dirt roads out in the country, and it came with this advice ... drive safe, don't drink (not don't drink and drive, just don't drink) and never take a car on the road before you are of age and have your license. Oh yes, and there were more fatherly instructions. Some of my fatherly instructions were passed on down to my children, and some were installed in somewhat the same manner as how my dad installed the advice, with some taps on the backside.

Fathers 4: A lot of the fatherly advice that my dad gave me, really was Fatherly Advice given by God the Father, and relayed by my good old dad. Today I want to start looking at some of that Fatherly advice, and note when my dad taught it to me. Making it Fatherly, fatherly advice ... Following Instructions, the first thing we really must learn is not one bit of the Instructions or advice does any good if you do not follow it.

In the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth ... and if you want you can read the creation story in Genesis Chapter one, starting with verse one. Let me start with verse 26. Then God said, "let us make man in our image, in our likeness." (NIV) Now let me pause here and ask you to look close at this. Let US make man in OUR image and in OUR likeness. Sounds to me like God the Father is working with God the Son right from the very start (God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit). So, my dear friends, I want you to note that God made us the very best He could because we are made in His own image. Then God said "let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all creatures that move along the ground." Now my friends, no one loves animals anymore than I do. But right here, is some good Fatherly advice. Animals are not people, and as much as I love them dearly, people still come ahead of our family of animals, 9 dogs, 2 cats (and 2 that stop in to eat), 3 Pigmy goats and 12 hens. In Genesis 1: 27 - So God created Man in His own image. In the image of God He created them ... Male and female He created them ...

Fatherly Advice: Now here comes some more Fatherly advice. Verse 28 - God blessed them and said to them ... "Be Fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth and subdue it." No place here on any other place in the Bible does it tell us if we do not like the sex of the child in the womb, or we see a defect in it, that we should kill it off, no abortion, no murder. Just go forth, be fruitful and increase in number. Now my earthly father gave me advice on this subject also, and it was good advice. Why he told me to wait till I was married to have sex, no practicing first. He said to date, fall in love, get engaged, get married, and then produce the family. No head starts on the family, he told me over and over again.

Fathers 4: Now God said, "I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food." Then God gave us every green plant for food. And God gave us all these things and told us it was good. Now it also talks in here that God made man from dust of the ground and breathed life into us. God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and there He put the man He had formed. Now God made this Garden really beautiful and it had all kinds of plants and bushes in it. In the middle of the garden He put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then God told man it is all yours, but and here comes the advice, it is all yours but do not eat from that tree. Then God made woman for man was alone, and this was a good thing. And I truly mean that. In here it also talks about marriage.

Of course this is also the first place where man (and woman) did not follow the Fatherly advice and we all know what happened. They ate the fruit from the tree that they were told not to touch. Had to find out, and I am not going to be like some and place blame on this. I am just telling you that this is the first recorded place in History where man (woman) went against the advice of their Father, and in this case Adam and Eve were direct children of God the Father. And they were punished, and it was severe. Pains of childbirth, and gardens with weeds, just to name a few of the punishments. Now putting this together with advice from my father, I can remember going into the woods and he would point out things I could eat, berries and nuts that were good and good for you, and others that you should not eat. I still to this day, at this time of the year go into my back yard and eat from a mulberry tree. In fact I was eating some of them just yesterday. And they are good.

Fathers 4: Tomorrow we are going to dig into the Bible and find out more Fatherly Advice, instructions, and see if we have been following them or if we have not followed the advice.

Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for parents who cared enough about me to give me advice and to hand out faithfully, punishment when I did not follow the advice. Thank You for parents who cared enough to punish me, for after being a parent I know that when one hands out punishment, it hurts the parent more than the child. Dear Lord, please protect the children from abuse for there is indeed a difference between good punishment and out and out abuse. Lord, I know You must hurt when You see all who are sinning and not abiding the rules and advice You have given. Please forgive me when I have failed, and forgive all others who might be asking right now. Help us dads give good advice and to be part of our kids' lives even after they have left the nest. Lord, I want to be a good dad, I failed in the past, but want to do it right from now on. Lord, thanks for the message of today, and I pray for one tomorrow. In the name of Jesus, the one who loves me enough to have died for me, I pray. Amen.

Brothers and sisters, if we all would just follow the advice in the Bible, if we all did that, the world would be like God wanted it to be. One thing we really need to do is share our blessings. Maybe if we all would share our blessings real, real good, there would not be the need to tax us so much so the government would need to supply the food banks with dollars for food to help others. Brothers and sisters, we are told by our Lord to help the poor and hungry. Let's really put feet on this. Put your feet into sharing your blessings.
Love ya, dan.

PS.. I would love to hear from you on just what blessing you have shared in the past few weeks ... take time to tell me please ... Amen

Wednesday: Fathers 3

Here am I, and the children God has given me.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, and welcome to Salvation Wednesday, the day we pray for the unsaved to come to Jesus. We also pray for God to use us to help bring in the lost.

Please pray today for Peggy Everhart. A year ago I re-married Peggy and her husband Robert at a re-marriage service at The Bridges. Peggy is in the Dementia Unit at The Bridges and has Alzheimer's and sad to say it is advanced. It was so nice to see her husband who stands with her always, getting re-married to one who struggles to even remember him. Last Sunday Robert came to me and said Peggy was failing fast and he was getting plans together for final arrangements. Peggy had several heart attacks the week before. We prayed together and for Peggy. Yesterday Peggy was brought back home to the Bridges and came in the front door singing Amazing Grace. Yes she is still serious but able to come back home to spend time. Please pray for Peggy and Bob Everhart, and all the residents at the Bridges. Also please pray for the staff and for LeaAnne who works at the Bridges and heads up a group called The Bridges Stompers who raise dollars for the support of research to find a cure for Alzheimer's.

Fathers 3: Hebrews 2: 13 - And again, "I will put my trust in Him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." (NIV)

Today I would like to give thanks to God for my children and to thank them for being really good kids. You see, if it were not for God giving me children I would not have had the chance to be a father, a dad, someone who tried to raise kids in the right direction, even though I failed in a lot of times. So I want to thank God for (in order of age) Glenn, Keith, Danelle, Leann and Matthew. I also want to thank God for my stepson Mark. All of these "Kids" have grown to be great men and women. And today I thank them for being good kids and I do pray as all parents that they will walk their lives with God and raise their families that way.

As I look back over the years of being a father, there are a lot of things, a lot of them, that I would do over again and I would think that if you are a father and reading this you would say the same thing. Some things you would keep the same, and some things you would change. I must say, I was not a counter, I did not say if you do not behave I am going to count to ten. If the kids did not behave they got punished. Rules were rules when I was raised, and rules were rules when I raised my family ... and knowing my kids, the same rules apply.

Now as we know from reading the Bible our Father, our Father in heaven, has given us rules also to live by and when we break them, we will also be punished. In fact we get punished daily if we are not walking with the Lord, please think about that. But like our Father in Heaven, we earthly fathers, we dads must also have rules and also must be forgiving. After a punishment we must hug our kids and forgive them.

Fathers, dads, be a man, a real man and step up to the plate and raise your child or children according to God rules, and when something goes wrong, or they step out of line, stay firm on the rules, and don't be a counter. If you don't behave, I am going to count ... enforce those rules and be fair and guys, remember this ... The best gift that God gave us was Jesus, and after that our wives and children. Yes, our children, what makes us a father is a great gift from God. Don't forget it, don't turn your back on it. Don't turn your back on God or your kids ... Amen.

Dear father in Heaven, thanks for my children, thanks for trusting them to me. Sorry when I messed up Lord, but thanks for trusting them to me. I have this special prayer today, I pray that You watch over children all over the world, all of them Lord, even when they become old enough to have children of their own. As Lord I know, I know to this day, I am still Your child, a child of God, and I still need watching over. Help us with our kids regardless of their age. And most of all, I pray that they all know Jesus. As I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Now let me close with this story about a child ... A grade school girl was listening to her teacher tell of whales and how big they were when she put up her hand and said, "Once a whale swallowed a man." The teacher said that could not happen. The girl said it was in the Bible about Jonah and being swallowed up by a whale. The teacher again said it did not happen. The little girl then said, "when I get to heaven I am going to ask Jonah." And the teacher said, what if Jonah did not get to heaven? With that the little girl said .... "Then you ask him." Ok, time to tell you to share your blessings and love your children, for without them, men we would not be fathers, and ladies you would not be mothers ... love ya, dan.

Tuesday: Fathers 2

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, happy Tuesday to you all, may God bless this day for you as never before. Schools day on the line, so lay out those prayers for our schools and all who enter the door. Oh and with budget time, maybe we should say a prayer that the school directors stop raising our taxes. Enough is enough. ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD WILL NOT MAKE A BAD TEACHER GOOD, or the lack of it will not make a good teacher bad. Did you follow me on that? A teacher either has it or doesn't and they do not make a change for money. And all the good teachers on the line shout Amen!

Fathers 2. Genesis 2: 24 - For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (NIV)

This is one scripture that I use in weddings that I perform. Please note, that when God made the heavens and the earth and then made man (Adam), He noticed that Adam did not have a suitable helper, so God made woman (Eve) from a rib of Adam. I want you to notice right up front that God made man and woman and when it comes to marriage it was thenand still should be now, a man and a woman and anything else is to me is an out and out abomination toward our Lord God. And you will not change my mind on this. With that said we are to love all people but we who are born again need to hold fast on this. I personally do not believe that a person can be a born again Christian and want to marry someone of the same sex.

I think it is bad enough when we come to a holiday like Fathers Day when a small child might not have a father in their lives, but has to face the fact that they have a father and another man who is, well shacked up or married to his or her father. Same goes with mother. Now I know there are a lot of split homes and I do pray that those men, and if you really want to be a man, you need to stay attached to your family. You need to be a father to your kids even if you are not living with their mother, you need to support them and not just with your dollars, but you should by all means be doing that. MEN. Do not expect or make the tax payers pay for the children you have made. And ladies, stop making babies to men you are not already married to. (How many will drop off the line for me speaking my mind today?) I am telling it the way God is giving it to me folks.

Men, please earn the name father, or dad, or daddy. Earn it by raising your children. Again, even if the marriage split, keep on keeping on for the kids. Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, I pray today that marriage will be between a man and a woman as you directed it to be. Please Lord, bless our dads that stay attached to their children, and please if they have become detached help them to get back in touch. And help them to support what they have made. Be with our school kids, with our teachers, and all others who enter the doors. In Jesus name, Amen.

Go forth now, sharing those blessings, and loving one another as God loves you and that, my brothers and sisters, is a whole big bunch and it is unconditional. Love ya, dan.

Monday: Fathers

Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is Monday and the first day of the work week. Schools are out, vacations are in, so please be careful on the roads and with all your driving. Kids will be playing on the streets, so watch for those balls rolling out in the street, for as a rule, a kid follows the ball. Today being Monday is the day we pray for our President and all of our leaders, plus all those who work to keep us safe and healthy and their families. So pray for the members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, the Reserves, the National Guards, our State Police, Local Police, FBI, CIA, Secret Service, and I could go on and on ... Please include security guards on those prayers as we saw just last week they are also on the firing line.. Please folks, security guards are not "rent-a-cops", they are good people hired to protect you and their employer's property and goods.

Fathers (1): Exodus 20: 12 - Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (NIV)

This week God has directed me to write about fathers. We hear a lot about mothers' day but so often fathers' day is forgotten. Maybe there is reason for this, for in so many families the father is just plain missing, and while this is true there are many reasons for that. Let's start the week with just talking a tad about the commandment from God that tells all they should honor their father and mother, and if we just look close we see that if we do just that, if we live and honor our parents, we will get bonus time here on earth. That is very clear to me ... "Honor your father and mother so that you may live long."

This week I am asking God to point out to me more about fathers, some famous fathers, and maybe change some long time things that have been told to kids that are wrong ... Like this one ... President George Washington is often referred to as the "father of our Country". No, no folks, he was our first president but "God the Father, our creator who made this country would be the "Father of our Country." God the Father is also still in charge of our country today. Remember our pledge, "One Nation, UNDER GOD." So this week we are going to go forth with fathers week on this line.

MEN, you dads on the line - line up and be counted, you are indeed the head of your house, under God of course, and you are to lead your family. Amen! So hang with me all week ...

Dear Father in Heaven, we do indeed pray for fathers today and pray most that they stay attached to their families, lead them under your guidance, and Lord, those that might have detached from the family, we pray that they will get back in the family. Lord, bless our president and watch over Him. Lord, watch over and bless his family also. Be with all of our leaders, and may they bring all things to you and ask for guidance over their work. Lord, bless all who keep us safe, I named them Lord, and pray for all those named and their families. Lord, I know I missed some, like firefighters and those medics who work the skies and streets. Please Lord, bless all those in the medical field and help them. And Lord, I just want You to know that I love You, and I appreciate Your leading me on this line, and Your keeping it safe from crashing. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Go forth, sharing those blessings ... and thanks to all who prayed for me over the weekend, it was busy, and thanks to God, it all went well, just perfect ... Love ya, dan.

Friday: Following Footsteps 6

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. God is so good, who needs manmade fireworks, as our good Lord put on one of His shows last evening again. And for you Harley people, Harley rolling thunder has nothing compared to the rolling thunder of our Lord Jesus ... Amen.

Old meets new, or old meets youth. Yes, this Sunday evening, June 14th, from 5 PM to 7 PM at Celebration Community Church on South Mountain Rd Dillsburg, Pa (717 432 5662), there will be such an event. The old men of the original Couriers will be joined in concert by the new Couriers. Yes the young men will be there to help carry the old guys on and off the stage. Hey all kidding aside, the old guys can still sing up a storm and if you have not heard the new younger edition of the Couriers, you need to do that. One thing is still the same ... They love Jesus with all their hearts, the mission remains unchanged, to get the word of our Lord Jesus to all corners of the world. If you want to get a nice gift for someone, buy them Courier music ... old or new or blended ... it is just plain good.

It is Friday, and like these fine men of age and youth, we all need to be out in the fields of Harvest working for the Lord. That is a command, you know! No, not from me, right from our Lord Jesus (Mark 16: 15). So pray for all those working in those fields.

Following Footsteps 6: This has been the longest run on a single subject that God has given me, and I will not know till Monday morning if we are done with it yet. (we=God and me)

2 John verse 6 - And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning His command is that you walk in love. (NIV)

I must say this, our home in heaven, is going to be big and beautiful, that big mansion, the home Jesus went ahead to prepare for us will surely be big. Think of it, in just His Bible there are, are you ready for this? Are you sure? Think of it, in the Bible there are 4 Johns. I am so bad today.

His command is to love our neighbor, to love all of our neighbors. How long has it been since you have made the walk to a neighbor and just talked to them, or hugged them and prayed with them? How long since you even saw them? Folks, God has commanded us to love one another, and God has commanded us to go to all the corners of the earth and tell the good news of Jesus. And can we just make it next door or across the street? How long since you put the neighbors' trash can back up at the house after the trash people emptied them? Here is a suggestion, my wife and I do this weekly. We have a small ice chest, each week we put bottles of water in it and put it out for the recycle and trash people. I am telling you this as a suggestion as to how to spread love from one to another. Help each other ... And one thing we should also consider when following footsteps is to be putting those footsteps on your prayers. As my singing partner Pamela Bower has said, and I have quoted many times ... we need to "put feet on our prayers". Yes, following the footsteps of our prayers would be a great thing. Now today I would like to close up with this writing. I have no clue who wrote it ... it has been around for a long, long time and it fits so well into the message ...

So folks, go forth today, praying for each other, praying for those in the fields of Harvest. And yes, for me, as I have two weddings this weekend. And of course sharing your blessings. love ya, dan.

FOOTPRINTS

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child; I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

Thursday: Following Footsteps 5

If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, WE LIE and do not live by the truth.

Good Morning, my dear wonderful brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. What a great morning to be alive, even better for us who are alive in Christ. It is FAMILY DAY on the Carry The Light Ministries message line. Do you know that we have a blog site? Yes, our ministry and my long time singing partner, Pamela Sue Bower, sets this up each day. Please visit http://carrythelight4Jesus.blogspot.com where you can catch up with messages, and respond to them.

Today we ask for prayers for families and please today include the Saylor Family on your prayer list. Dad, Donald, is going to the cancer doctor today to get the final word on last week's surgery, and we pray it is all gone and will give glory to God. He also goes to get some blood tomorrow, as his blood count was low. Pray for good blood to be, well to be installed. Also pray for his wonderful wife Eleanor and the kids, Sharon, Robert, and Daniel. Bob is the one still needing transportation to work. And please also keep praying for Vicki and her family. And let's pray today for the families of all those who serve in our military. I know we pray for them on Monday, but let's do it again today.

Following Footsteps 5:
Where will your footsteps go today?
Will they lead you for good or will they stray?
When we plant them solid with the Lord you know,
Then each day we will be good to go!

Ok Dan, stay off the home grown poems. I know, I heard it before, I am a poet and don't know it, but my nose shows it, "Longfellow". Back to work for Jesus.

1 John 1: 6/7 - If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, WE LIE and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, please go back and reread those verses. Listen to the words. If we are claiming to be following footsteps of Jesus but instead we are walking on the dark side, the side of evil, then we lie and do not live by the truth. Folks, it is hard to live a day without some sort of sin, or it is for me anyway, I am a true example of an old sinner saved by grace. I pray each day to be forgiven from my sins from the day before, yet in this day and age it is hard. One would almost need to stay in his or her bedroom without a radio or television to stay from sin. We must, we must keep our footsteps right with Jesus. Let me just explain that statement a tad ... You are driving down the highway and you look at your speedometer and you are speeding. Yes, you are sinning because you have broken man's laws. If we are driving the speed limit and someone cuts us off, almost running us off the road, even though you don't really say anything, what are you thinking? Oh, those sinful thoughts. God forgive me for both of those. You go to the food store and you are minding your own business when someone walks by, well, letting it all hang out so to speak. As a Christian you would like to tell them to cover up, you even turn your head not to look. Then you get to the checkout counter and there is some young lady with a low cut blouse leaning over to pick up your food to check it out. It is hard to keep your mind where it should be. I am speaking the truth on this folks, and we need to pray to keep our minds on our Lord. And so it goes ... I remember years ago the Pastor of Christian Life Assembly, Pastor Paul, telling the young ladies that they need to wear more clothes, they need to cover up. Oh yes, Pastor Paul, who is retired now, was and still is a very good pastor and he was not afraid to speak and preach the truth.. Ok, you know where I am coming from. It does not make a difference where we go, Satan will try and distract us from following footsteps of our dear wonderful Lord Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, when we fall off the walk, we need to get up, dust off (pray for forgiveness), and get back walking for our Lord Jesus. Listen to the last part of the scripture I wrote out this morning ... and we all need this, don't tell me that you go day after day and you are not sinning in someway or another. But here is the good part! If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. Amen! Lets walk with Jesus today!

Dear Father in Heaven, please help us keep our eyes on You and our feet planted solid in Your footsteps. Forgive us when we slip off our walk with You, and wash us clean again in the blood of Jesus that still washes today. Lord I pray today that I repent of these sins and work harder and harder each day to not fall for Satan's traps. Forgive us, dear Lord, forgive me. Lord, I pray today for the Saylor family and the family of Vicki and all other families including my very own. I pray today for the family of God and pray that we get nearer and nearer to You each day ... Nearer and nearer till the day we see You face to face. Help us to work for You this day, in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen ... Amen.

Go forth now, walking in the footsteps of Jesus ... and try, brothers, to keep your eyes straight ahead in the mall or in the food store, and ladies, you do the same. Walk with Jesus, and share your blessings ... Love ya, dan.

Wednesday: Following Footsteps 4

Keep your foot from evil!

Good Morning, brothers and sisters. Sorry I am late this morning, I had a very early morning doctors appointment with my family doctor. Here is how it went. Appointment time was 6.30 AM which is ahead of the nurses time to report to work. My doctor, Doctor Lawrence Cox, took me to the exam room. First I anointed him with oil and prayed for him and all who he would touch and that people would be healed through his work as a doctor. Also that his music that is played and his staff of believers would be able to witness to others (his office music is worship music). Then we prayed together and he talked about supporting our food pantry again this year at his football camp. He is a big supporter of Carry The Light Ministries. He has me coming to the football camp to open it with prayer.. Then we talked about me. And except that I need two knees replaced and surgery on two shoulders and my back, I am in great health. All signs are go. He injected my knee again. Now tell me, do I have a great doctor? Oh, and we prayed for others also. To the patients behind me, sorry your appointments are late ... God was working ...

Wednesday, Salvation Wednesday and the day we pray for God to use us working in the fields for Him ...

Following Footsteps: Proverbs 4: 26/27 - Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, I am going to try and be brief today (stop cheering). What God has pointed out to me this morning very early is that if you are not walking in His footsteps, if you are not following the footsteps of the Lord, then you are walking in the footsteps of Satan, you are walking with evil. Like heaven and hell, there is just no place in between the two for after we leave this earth. No place to go but up or down so to speak. And again, as I have pointed out so many, many times, the choice is all yours. The scripture I just wrote, Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil, means just that ... Walk on level ground, now that could be uphill or down, level to me meaning be on the level, be right with people, and be right with God. Do not get on those slippery slopes where you can slip and fall. So many people, and we have seen it a lot lately, walk on those slopes. Some of the people even go to church, and in fact some work for the churches. Have you noticed how remorseful people get once they are caught on that slope of slime? The church treasurer gets caught with his hands in the till, a pastor gets caught peeping over the wall into a dressing room at a mall ... and on and on it goes. So it is not just the lay person. Once they are caught they are so sorry. Are they truly sorry for what they did, or are they truly sorry for getting caught? Brothers and sisters, if you keep your feet on solid ground, if you walk with Jesus, you don't need to worry about getting caught. And if before you came to Jesus you walked on the slope of slime, you can get cleaned up with Jesus. Yes, He went to the cross to clean us up, and remember He also washed feet, so He will for sure clean your feet and give you that fresh start. Today we are going to pray for just that, for our souls to be clean and our bodies and minds also. We are going to pray to be cleaned from the top of our heads to the very bottom of our dirty feet. Let's do it now and then let's get those feet on solid ground and walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Dear Father in Heaven, Clean us this day oh Lord, clean us this day. From the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet, wash us white with the blood of Jesus, still flowing today. Yes, Lord, then help us to keep our footsteps in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus. Help us walk with good and not evil. Put us to work for You in the Salvation pool, help us to bring the unsaved in to be cleaned as we have been. And Lord, thanks again for all You do, and thanks Lord for a wonderful doctor, God bless Doctor Cox and all the other doctors who know, who know, that You are the reason they are doctors as they have talent from You, on loan from You ... In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Go forth now, walking with Jesus, keeping your feet on solid ground and please keep on sharing those blessings. I should be on time tomorrow ... love ya, dan.

Tuesday: Following Footsteps 3

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is a beautiful morning here at the Southern Location of the North Pole and it is Schools day on the line today. Even though most of our schools are on summer break, we need to be praying for them. Praise Report Listed here ...

Sadie, the 8th grader in the accident, is still in an induced coma. But the swelling on her brain is going down each day. The doctors are talking about starting to gradually bring her out of the coma this week. Many tears flowed Sunday morning up front at church praying for her. God is faithful and we have to trust in his timing on all matters. Please keep praying for this young lady.

Prayers are needed for the families of two Mechanicsburg Pa. teens who were killed in an accident on Saturday Morning. Prayers today for Vicki's son Josh. He has overturned an ankle and is in an air cast. Please pray for Vicki, her plate seems to be getting fuller and fuller. (Please keep the faith, Vicki.)

Following Footsteps 3: Psalm 119: 105 - Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. (NIV)

If you are like me you have cracked your little toes on furniture while trying to walk to the bathroom or around the house in the dark.. I have done it so many times, even broke them a few times. How really dumb am I? (You do not need to answer that question). to do it more than once, many more times than once. Sometimes it is just getting up to visit the bathroom at night, other times it is when power has been out. You would think a grown man would be smart enough to turn on the light. Don't laugh at me, more than likely most of you have done the same thing in your life.

Brothers and sisters, it is one thing, and it is dumb, to be walking around the house in the dark, it is even dumber to be walking around all the time in the dark, even during the light of day or with the lights of your house turned on. Trust me, when you are personally walking in the dark you are going to get hurt a lot more than just a bump on your little piggy. Brothers and sisters, the Word of God is our light, and if we are not walking in the light of The Word, and following Footsteps of Jesus which would be well lit by His wonderful and powerful Words of Truth, then you are surely going to fall into the darkness of Satan and evil and you surely will get hurt.

Brothers and sisters, there is not a day go past that I do not read in our local paper about really bad things ... shootings on the streets by our youth over the weekend, two, not one, but two shootouts in the same block in Harrisburg, Pa., on Sunday Morning. A 60 year old man found dead in his room with over 40 stab wounds. Traffic accidents caused by drinking, drugs, speeding, road rage ... Abortion, another state approving gay marriages. People stealing, and I am not talking just some shoplifting here or driving off without paying for gas ... I am talking about people losing their savings by white collar evil people. Eating places opening up with half dressed waiters and waitresses. These kinds of places and things and I have just touched on them. These kinds of places and things are the dark areas or evil places that we need God's light, God's Word, God's love in our hearts to stay away from. IF WE DO NOT WALK IN THE LIGHT, WE WILL STUMBLE IN THE DARK. IF WE DO NOT FOLLOW THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR LORD JESUS, WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF SATAN. It is really your choice. Do you want to walk in the light, or in the dark? Do you want to walk with Jesus or do you want to walk with Satan? Do you want to go to Heaven or do you want to go to Hell? It is your choice. Tomorrow is Salvation Wednesday, but today I need to do this again, please pray for the prayer requests today and please, please, will you join me in this prayer of faith, a prayer to promise our Lord Jesus and also your family and yourself that you are going to try your very best to walk in the light.

Dear Father in Heaven, I am tired of falling in the dark, I am tired of sin, I am wanting to walk daily in The Word of God, I am wanting to walk in the Light of our Lord Jesus. Lord God, I confess I need Your help doing just that. I can't walk even one step without You holding me up, holding my hand. Lord, I want to be washed clean, I want to be booked for Heaven, and I do believe in You, Jesus, I believe You died on the cross for me. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Go forth walking in the light of the Word, and sharing the blessings that walking in the light of the Word bring forth. Walk with Jesus, walk in His footsteps ... love ya, dan.

Monday: Following Footsteps 2

Direct my footsteps accord to your word!!

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. Welcome to Monday, the first day of the work week and the very, very, very first day of "the rest of your life." Today being Monday, it is the day we pray for our leaders, all those who have authority over us. It is also the day we pray for our veterans, our current military, our police, firefighters, and all those who work so hard to keep us safe and healthy. Let's include our doctors and nurses, on the list and all those who work in our retirement communities.

Please pray today for, and I do not have names as of now, the family of a Pennsylvania State Trooper who was shot and killed yesterday in the line of duty. Also pray for a Pennsylvania State Trooper who was shot and wounded. They had responded to a domestic kidnapping. The suspect was also shot and killed and we need to pray for his family. Please most of all for his son who he had taken and, Praise God, was found safe and unharmed in the getaway car. Lord Jesus, please help these folks and please dear Lord, come back soon, enough is enough.

Also Please pray today for Vicki. Her dad is in such bad shape in the hospital, Vicki has a lot of health problems, and her mother will not let her see her dad. This has nothing to do with the health of Vicki. Pray for this family please.

Following Footsteps (2): Psalm 119: 131 - I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. 132 Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. 133 Direct my FOOTSTEPS according to your word; let no sin rule over me. (NIV)

Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, as I wrote in the opening, today is indeed the first day of the rest of your life. What are you going to do with it? Let us make a bond together today with each other and a promise to our Lord Jesus that starting today we will move our footsteps nearer and nearer to Him. Now that means to me that each day we will try harder and harder to walk with Jesus, walk in His light, walk the way Jesus walked, and do good like Jesus did. Years and years ago when I first came to Jesus and returned to a place of employment where I had worked before being saved, a lot of people did not understand the difference in me, in my actions or the way I changed.. Some said in a nasty way, why he is trying to act like Jesus? And to them I replied, that is the best thing anyone could say about me, thank you. No I was not perfect, never was, never will be till I am home with Jesus, but I truly tried and still try to walk with Jesus. If we bond together and work together to walk with Jesus it will be easier as we hold each other accountable. Folks, that is one really good reason why you need a good church. A place to not only study and learn more about Jesus and to give him honor and praise, but a place to meet good Christians who hold each other accountable to Jesus. My dear brothers and sisters, this is not judging but it holding each other accountable.

How about it, will you at least make a bond, and a promise to Jesus to try to walk nearer and nearer to him each day? I would love to hear from you on this. This week, at least for the first few days, I will be writing more on this subject, I will write as God gives it to me.

Dear Father in Heaven, I need You, and I need You more and more each and everyday with each and every footstep I make. I really do want to move more and more toward You till I am with You face to face in Heaven some day. Lord, please help us with that today, guide our feet, put them down where You want them to be. Father, please watch over our President and his family and all the other leaders that have authority over us. Bless those in our state houses and in the local offices. And Lord, some people think that they have no authority over us, but they do, for they make the laws and enforce them and they also set the rates of taxes. So bless them, and also Lord, help us learn that if we give to You first that we will have enough to pay those taxes as You always provide. Lord bless our veterans as we say thanks for their services, and Lord, so often we only think of veterans as older men, but it is ladies and a lot of young men and women coming home from Iraq. Lord, we have veterans who are but 20 years old, wounded and healing, and some even gave it all. Lord, bless them and the families. Support them all, Lord And Lord, lift the burdens from Vicki, we call on You to lift them all. Hhelp her, Lord. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Busy week folks, I must tell you this in closing today ... Last week I was going to take a couple of days off because I was really busy. But I did not, as I did not want to put the other things ahead of God's work. Folks, we must try each day to put Him above all else. Now go and share those blessings, love ya, dan .

Friday: Following Footsteps

"I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, (yes, I wrote this Thursday Night). It is Friday and the day we pray for all those who go into the fields of Harvest working for our Lord. Also please read and pray over this prayer request I got in from prayer warrior Rob Campbell.

Dan & Prayer Warriors:
An 8th grade student at Newport, Sadie Albright, was in a horrible car wreck earlier this week. She went through the windshield and has multiple broken bones all through her body. But the largest problem now is swelling on the brain. She is in ICU at Hershey Medical Center. Please pray for complete healing. Robert Campbell

Also I ask that you really pray about abortion being stopped. Do you know that the doctor that was murdered this past week had aborted 49,000 unborn babies in that last trimester. Also since Roe Versus Wade there have been 79,000,000 babies MURDERED. Count those zeros brothers and sisters it is 79 million. Also so you know, since Roe Versus Wade there have been 5 murders of abortion doctors. (Source Fox Cable TV. O'Reilly Factor)

Following Footsteps: As I child I remember walking in the snow, following my dad and/or mamma and would try and step where they had planted their feet. My grade school buddies would also try to walk in footprints as we would walk to school. I also remember my dad telling me to step in his footsteps when I would be trying to help him in the garden. He would also teach me to walk behind him if walking on ground we were not sure of. In other words if I as a child would walk in his steps I would be safer than if I was walking beside him on ground we were not sure of. And yes, we kids made a game of it.

Following Footsteps: The Bible tells us a lot about walking in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus or following in His footsteps. Psalm 40: 2 - He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, if we follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus we would not be in the slimy pit, or the mud and mire. But with that said, is it not just wonderful to know that when we step out of those footsteps and fall in the mud, we have a loving Savior that will stop and lift us out? Great, right? The Bible also tells us that Jesus is a lamp unto our path. He lights our way so we can see to follow those footsteps. Proverbs 4: 26 - Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm (NIV). And there is but one way to make the paths level and put your feet on the firm ground, and that way is Jesus ... who said AMEN?

Following Footsteps... Just one more example and I am out of here for today. Luke 4: 43 - He (Jesus) said: "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." (NIV)

Now what is this telling me today ... Mark 16: 15 - He (Jesus) said to them: "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (NIV) As we compare these two wonderful passages from the Bible, do you not notice that Jesus is indeed telling us to go and tell the good news, and in doing that we are following His footsteps. Jesus said to tell the good news was why He was sent, and I feel when we put these together and really study them He is saying to us ... Go forth and complete the mission I started. He might be saying, my mission was cut short because I had to go to the cross and die for You, now will you go and do this for me?

Dear Father in Heaven, It is not always easy to follow your footsteps, just today I got off of them and I am sorry for that. You know, Lord, what I am talking about, for You were there. Help me to get back into your footprints. Help me stay on focus. Lord, Lord, protect and help all who are working for you, and Lord, this little 8th grade girl ... Lord, please touch her and heal her. In the name of Jesus I ask this. And Lord, please come back and bring Peace and stop the abortions of Your children. Until then, help us to follow the commandments including the one about going and telling the good news ... In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Go forth, walking in those footsteps of Jesus, and sharing those blessings ... till Monday ... Love ya, dan.

Thursday: The Time is coming!

"I tell you, whoever acknowledge me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God."

Good Morning and welcome to family day, brothers and sisters. Again I ask for prayers for Vicki and her family. Please pray today for the many, many families that have kids coming out of school, that jobs can be found, and also that they stay safe. Seems after the graduation service, a lot of kids want to throttle up those cars, after drinking. It just does not mix. So pray please for families.

The Time is Coming: Luke 12: 8 - "I tell you, whoever acknowledge me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God." 9 "But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God." (NIV)

Yes folks, I believe the time is coming. Yes, the Lord will be returning and I think soon, but that is not the subject of today. I think the time is coming when we who really love our Lord Jesus will be asked if we do by those who want to get rid of us. I am sure if you are watching the news from stations that report all sides you will see it. So I have a few questions to plant on your mind today ...

First, how strong is your bond between you and Jesus? Do you walk with Him and talk with Him, and are you really living a life that is pleasing to Him? Just last night on the news I heard them talking about our President and how he was raised by a Muslim father and a atheist mother and did not become a Christian until in his thirties. Now here is where I get into trouble but I must say it ... being a Christian is not just SAYING YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, it has to do with following our Lord Jesus. Now if you are a true believer how long would you have sat in a church where the pastor preaches hate and curses the Lord? While we need to pray for him, this is not about our President, this is about you on the line, those God has given me as a flock. And if you don't think I think of you as a flock, you are wrong. I love you folks.

Next I ask you ... if someone were to ask you if you are a Christian, what would you tell them? And then what if they ask you what it means to be a Christian, what would your answer be? I read the death notices in the paper, and often you see that so and so was "of the Christian faith". While I am not judging anyone here, having great words in those obituaries will not do a thing to get you into heaven, not one thing, nothing, zip. While it is nice to see the good things a person has done in their life, and you need those good things to back up your relationship with Jesus, you just must have that relationship with Jesus to get into heaven.

So in closing today, and I really must and get moving, I ask you ... do you really love Jesus and would you tell someone you do if you are in a crowd of non-believers? What if someone had a gun to your head? Would your love of Jesus stand above all? You might think my question is not fair, and ask me what I would do. I pray that I would have the strength of mind to tell them just as I am telling you ... I LOVE JESUS ABOVE ALL ELSE ... above my wife, my children, above our flock at the Bridges, and above all of you. He is the head of our house, and while I feel this way, I still falter and slip in sin. But I am forgiven, and I am "Born Again". How is your faith today? Will you pray this with me?

Jesus, my dear, dear Jesus, I pray that I can always tell others of my love for You, help me stand tall to the world and share your love now and until the day you call me home. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Now go forth sharing those blessings, telling others of Jesus, loving on your neighbors ... Love ya, dan.