August 3, 2010 The Prodigal Son 2

This is what the Sovereign Lord says; "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves!"

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is a beautiful day here at the Southern Location of the North Pole. Today I would like to make some changes on this line and I would like to hear from you about those changes. As you know we have featured prayers on the line that go like this.

Monday: We pray for our leaders, not just in Washington DC but in our state houses and our local leaders. We also pray for veterans, for military, for police, firefighters, and all others who work to keep us safe and healthy.

Tuesday: We pray for our schools, and all who go through the doors and all those who have things to do with our schools, some of who do not go through the doors, like school bus drivers.

Wednesday: We call it Salvation Wednesday.

Thursday: That would be family day.

Friday: That is the day we pray for all those working in the fields of harvest for the Lord.

Now here is the change that I have been talking over with God... I would like to change Schools Day which is Tuesday and put it on Thursday with Families Day, after all those in the schools and work for them are indeed one of our families... our School Family. Tuesday now becomes open, and I would like to call it Healing Day and not just pray for those who are sick, but also pray for cures for those major problems that so many people have... Cancer, heart problems, mental illness, etc. Healing after family problems as in death in a family. Healing from diabetes. strokes, etc. So I do want to hear from you, but I am going to go ahead and get started today on the change...

So dear brothers and sisters, it is Tuesday and the day we pray for all those who are sick, who are shut-in, who might have broken bones, cancer, heart problems, etc. Tuesday and the day we ask God to give us a cure for cancer and for heart problems including those with a broken heart. Healing for those with addictions of booze and drugs, etc. So today on healing day we put full trust in God to heal those like Kathleen Sansoni and Ron Leidigh and Melvin Pope, others with cancer. For Pastor Charles and Pat Parvin and others who have had strokes. I pray for Vicki who has many health problems, and for Elaine our neighbor who is healing after surgery. I pray for Nicole Flickinger with some heart problems. And brothers and sisters, please pray for all those who have back problems and those who have trouble breathing.

The Prodigal Son 2: Ezekiel 34:2B - This is what the Sovereign Lord says; "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not the shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost." (NIV)

Today as we talk about the Prodigal or Lost Son, I need to write a tad to all the pastors who are on the line or get to read this message today. While I am now a pastor, I was lost at one time (or more) and indeed fit the description of prodigal or lost son, and yes, there were people who came searching for me and helped me back to the Lord. I will talk about that tomorrow or Thursday. I am sure there are others in the ministry who now have flocks that were indeed at one time lost and I would think that those would be ones who really watch over their flocks and watch for those who might drift from the flock. I have indeed been in flocks myself where I would go to church week after week, I got involved in things and then I left that flock and found that not one pastor from that church cared enough for me and for my wife that they called, or sent a note that asked where did you go. I think when one has a small flock assigned to them by the Lord it might be easier to watch over the flock, most often when the flock grows to very large numbers, more shepherds are sent to help.

The scripture today, to me fits right in to those of us who have been assigned flocks. Sometimes the sheep in the flock could make it easier on the shepherd if they would let that shepherd know when they would be missing for a while. While all of us, each and every one, has a command to work for Jesus and to take the good news to all the world, not all have flock assignments. Even those big time preachers like Benny Hinn and Billy Graham do not have flocks. Their assignments from God are different, and if I dare, I will put it like this. Those preachers like Benny and Billy, and those singers like my dear friends Dave, Duane and Neil can witness when on the road, but the local pastor is needed to follow up on the seed planting that those guys did. Am I getting through this morning?

I have been to hear Dave, Duane and Neil many times and also with Tim and those he sang with in the past, and while they left the message and did it really good, I heard them on many times tell people they need a good church so they themselves, after coming to Christ, don't become those Prodigal kids. Also, and I want to bring this out before I close, other people, other sheep from the flock have a duty to God to help watch over the flock for the shepherd. Recently we got a new dog for our family, this dear sweet, and I do mean dear sweet, little girl cannot hear a thing. The first day we had her she was out in the yard (fenced in, folks) and of course when I tried to call her, she did not come, and she did not see me as she was looking the other way. I then told Martin to go and get her, and our dog Martin went out in the yard, stood next to her till she looked at him and then he came in and she followed him. You see sometimes those in the flock will know that someone went missing from the flock long before the pastors, the shepherd and the sheep or the person from the flock when bringing them back in should speak to the pastor and bring them up to date, unless of course the lost one does not want that done. In one of my "walk abouts" that I will tell you about you will see that one of the sheep of the flock came after me and not the shepherd.

Ok, enough for today, and although the message today was centered about and for Pastors, also known as shepherds who work for "The Good Shepherd", there is a message there for all of us. One of the things I do want to add is this. If you feel yourself slipping away from the Lord, go to the shepherd and talk to them and maybe the problem could be headed off before you become lost. After all that is one of the reasons that after we are saved we need that Good church, so we can get that support. Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, thanks for this great day You have given us, and thanks for all that You have done for us and all that You will do for us before this day is over. Thanks for trusting we who have flocks, to take care of them. Thanks for trusting me and others like me with a flock even after we walked away from You in the past. Today, Lord, we ask that You heal people from cancer, from heart problems and diabetes and strokes, etc., and block others from getting them. In other words, Lord, bring forth healing as You did for TB and other things from the past. You are the great healer and while we do not deserve one thing that You have done for us, we sure appreciate it. Lord, please keep blessing this line as it keeps growing. And Lord, heal the backs of Janet and also Dolores... and yes you may touch mine also. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Now go forth sharing your blessings with others, and helping your pastor watch over the flock, and when you see or know of one gone missing, please help do something about it. Love ya, Pastor Dan.