Wednesday: Working for Jesus

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. Please remember today is Salvation Wednesday on the line. Please pray for the souls of the lost and then get to work for Jesus, doing your best to tell the good news of Salvation to all God's people - and we are all God's people. I got a call yesterday from one of my classmates, now living in the sunny state of Florida, asking for prayers for the family of Bird and Melody Billings. My class mate, Bobbie Deardorf Tucker, lives within four miles of this family. These folks have made the national news as they had seventeen - 17 - children, four birth children and thirteen adopted special needs children. Bird and Melody were murdered the other day in their home. None of the children were harmed ... six people have been arrested.

Oh, and yes, pray for the souls of the ones who did this, and pray that justice is served.

Dear Father in Heaven. Those parents were so special, and now they are gone. Lord, please protect the family. I understand that the older birth children are going to try and keep the family together. Please Lord, bring it about so that these children do not lose their home. I pray also today for the souls of the lost and that includes those who were involved in the murders of these fine parents. Lord, please come back soon. Lord, we here in America pray for peace, no wars, and seem to not understand that Your word talks about wars, but it does not tell us that murder is ok, and the killing of babies is ok. Lord. here in America we are killing more unborn children than the wars kill. Lord, I want to see peace also, I am ready for You to come get us. Until then, keep us working hard for You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Working for Jesus ... Ephesians 2: 10 - For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

Are you a slacker? You do not need to go to the government to see this, it happens at any business. We all have seen it. It works about like this ... about 10% of the work force are slackers. You know the term, they are not pulling their fair share of the work. Come on, be truthful, you have all seen it where you work. You have people who take longer breaks, are on the phone on personal business more than work business. It happens, in fact with the cell phones and computers I would think the slacker number might be higher then 10%. I do hope you are not a slacker. And then there is the other end of the scale also, those who go far and beyond the call of duty, some working even off the clock just because they want to give some extra. I am sure you have seen that. Maybe some of you have called that person a "brown nose" or something to that effect that might not be in my printing. But in most cases all work hard for their dollar.

I get a real charge out of some of the state workers here in Pennsylvania right now. There is no budget in line so the workers might not get a full paycheck this week. They have already been given permission to go to the food banks. WHAT, on the very first day your pay check is late you need the the food bank? We need to have that food pack ready. This is sort of a sideline here ... All of us need a week's worth or more of food that can get you through. Canned meats, things that you can use without cooking, etc., things to use if the power goes down. Oh yes, we just cannot expect the government to come handing things out at will. OUR GOVERNMENT IS GOING BROKE. We need to help each other. So now let me get to working for Jesus.

Working for Jesus ... When it comes to working for Jesus, the slackers are more than 10%. Maybe the workers are about 10%. ARE YOU A SLACKER, when it comes to working for Jesus? How long has it been since you did anything for Jesus? Anything at all? Wait a minute, going to church does not count, unless you are the preacher, or working to get people in the church, but just sitting in the pew, well that just plain stinks, if that is all you are doing and you count that for your working for Jesus. No, no, going to church is where you get the fuel you need to work for Jesus. You need to be working and working hard for Him, and there are so many ways. Right now you could be helping a neighbor. Do you know your own neighborhood? Just because a person has a big house and a Cadillac or two does not mean they do not need help from time to time. Maybe they have fallen on some hard times and you can help. You can work for Jesus in many ways, and when it comes to telling people about Jesus and His love and salvation, which do you think works the best? -- Get in your suit or best dress and put the Bible under your arm and go door to door telling people to believe your way or go to hell ... or to live like a Christian in your neighborhood and help others, and then when talking to them, bring up Jesus or pray with them? You cannot look after the world, but together under Jesus we can and we are charged to do it.

In the scripture I used today it tells us "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God prepared in advance this work for us to do. If you are not doing it ... WHO IS? Who is carrying the ball that you or I have dropped? In football if we drop the ball, the other team will pick it up and carry it, and when we work for Jesus and drop the ball, WHO IS THE OTHER TEAM? Oh, yes it is Satan, and he is ready, willing and even able to pounce on that fumble. Look, we need good hard workers in business and we need good hard workers for Jesus. No slackers needed. No slackers wanted. However, workers are needed. HOWEVER, AND THIS FOR TOMORROW ... With all of that said, we cannot work our way into heaven. Tomorrow I will tell you about that, and then on Friday I will try and tell you how to balance the act, for we do need balance, right Duane? (side joke there).

Ok, we did pray, so it is time to say this. When you go to the store, get two five pound bags of potatoes, and drop one off on your way home. Set it on a neighbor's door step with a note that just states ... enjoy ... I love you ... your neighbor. No, you do not need to put your name on it. God will sort that all out. I guess what I just said was ... go forth and share your blessings. love ya, dan.