June 8,2010 Patience in Suffering 2

Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. What a great morning this morning, and yes, I say it each day, for each day we are given by our Lord Jesus is indeed great. I do wish that you could all enjoy the weather we are having this morning here at the Southern Location of the North Pole... It is picture perfect. Last evening Dolores and I went to The Bridges for their annual strawberry fest. What a great night, even Elvis came and sang (ok, an Elvis singer with special friends), and would you believe he gave up one of his numbers for me to sing. So I sang the only non-gospel song that I sing, "Falling in Love with You".

Schools day, schools day... Yes, another Tuesday and another day we pray for our schools and all who enter the doors. Please do not stop praying for our schools when they get out for the summer. Also for the mother we prayed for yesterday, her name is Pearl Borst, the mother of Donna, Beverly, Todd and Roy. I met this family a few years back when my friend Tom Mozer took me to purchase a bus from them. It was the last bus from their family tour service, Hello-Hello Tours out of Whitehall, Pennsylvania. Anyway, please pray for this family.

Also prayers today for Kathleen Sansoni as she goes for a checkup on her cancer. She has had a lot of pain and is having trouble breathing. Please also pray for husband Tom.

Patience in Suffering 2: James 5:9 - Don't grumble against each other, brothers (sisters) or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (NIV)

I have told you many, many times that when God gives me messages there are many days that I think He is just giving them to me, about me. Oh yes, I can grumble about others, and lately I have found myself doing just that, and a few weeks back I made God a promise that I am going to try and do better on this and work harder at it. Do you know that when we grumble about others, more than likely the others are just grumbling about us. Sometimes, we might be able to just call it gossip, plain and simple gossip. Folks, I think all who get involved in these things need to turn to the Lord even stronger and give it to Him. We would not think about grumbling ABOUT the Lord, or do some people? I know there is a lot of grumbling that goes on in churches, oh yes, it does.

Today I want to take a look at some other things we grumble about. Some of us carry a lot of pain, and that again is one of the reasons that God pointed me to patience in suffering. Sometimes I complain all too much about pain, hey, it was not my fault, I was stopped in traffic, I was run over, so why can't I complain once in a while, well let me tell you, the main reason I and others who have pain need to look at their pain is this... Did Jesus complain when He was hanging on the cross and going through all that pain for me and of course all of you? Did He not tell us to unload on Him and give our burdens over for Him to carry? Does He not provide all of our needs and so much more?

A few days ago I got to work alongside of one of my former bus drivers, not once did he complain about what life has given to him. He loves the Lord, he is about 47 and he has had to retire because of a crippling arthritis and not once did he complain. A few years ago a young lad whose name fails me right now came down with an infection. To give him life his limbs had to be taken, hands, one foot, if I remember right. After long and painful rehab this young man sits on the bench of his high school football team and when they score he runs the field on the sideline. I have seen blind children, I have seen crippled children, I have seen others who are just children who suffer so much. Excuse me, Lord, when I grumble and complain, excuse me, and Lord, teach me patience in my suffering. Help us all remember that when Jesus died on the cross He took our sins to the cross with Him. After doing this we still go on sinning and what do you think that the greatest pain is that Jesus took for us? What was that great pain? Maybe all the walking He did to spread the message, maybe it was the spitting on Him as He would preach, or when He was on the way to the cross. Maybe it was the nails being driven in His hands and feet, or maybe the thorns in the head or the knife in His side... Or could the greatest pain that Jesus suffered and still suffers be that of each sin we do? I want you to think about something, parents, what really hurts you the most? Is it not when you see your children hurting, or when you must punish them? Do you think that Jesus wants to punish us for when we break the rules, do you think Jesus is happy when He sees us breaking His commandments and laws? Do you think we please Jesus when we complain? We complain about the weather, too hot, too cold, it's raining, oh, it is snowing, and so it goes. Jesus knows what we need and sends it.

Today let's do our very best to stop complaining, stop grumbling and move on, get nearer and nearer to Jesus, and distance ourselves from the gossip... can anyone say AMEN? Or should I say, will anyone say AMEN.

Dear Father in Heaven, please forgive us when we grumble, when we fall and when we fail You. Lord, help us to have patience in our suffering and pain, for someday, Lord, we will be home with You and be pain free. Lord, please heal Pearl and Kathleen, and Lord, thanks for taking care of Pamela as she finished up her treatments. Lord, be in our schools, around our schools, in teacher meetings, in board meetings, on playing fields, in the classrooms, in the office, in the buses. Lord, be with them. And Lord, if You get a chance will You please work on our President and Vice President so they can speak without having the need to have words bleeped out on the news. Lord, I pray that our leaders will follow Your example, and Lord, I pray that same thing for myself... In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Now go forth and share those blessings, and find that sharing blessings is indeed better than sharing grumbling or junk around the water cooler... and please. have patience. for our Lord is coming soon. Love ya, Pastor Dan.