December 22, 2010 The Big Trip 2-3

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the Inn.

Salvation Wednesday and good morning to all of you, my dear brothers and sisters. Today, the day we pray for the unsaved and for God to use all of us to help bring in the lost to the feet of Jesus. The best, the very best way to bring in the lost to Jesus is to live to please Him. By you living using Jesus as your example, others will see this. If you are not living to please Jesus, yet trying to tell others they should live to please Jesus, they might think, why should I live like that when they do not? Or in some cases I have heard people say, if that is what it is like to be a Christian, I don't want to be one.

Folks, each day we need to pray to God for Him to help us be in control at all times, for sometimes, yes, sometimes it is very hard to do. We get tired, we need to call someone and we get put on hold for a long time, then someone picks up the phone and just hangs it back up cutting you off. You start again and again it happens, by then the next time you call and get a person, you are going to let them have it. No, we, and I am talking to me here also, we must learn once again to pray and have God take over for us. Before working for God, we must ask God to be working in us... Amen!!

The Big Trip 2-3: Luke 2:6 - While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the Inn. (NIV)

You get into your car, it has heat and air conditioning, you drive from your home, say in Central Pennsylvania, to New York because you are going to get on one of those big boats for a nice winter cruise... You go to the parking lot where there is to be a place for all the cruisers to park if needed. You find there is no room in the parking lot for your car, so you drive around and find one. You then must catch a cab or bus to get to that ship. You try stopping the cab but they are full and have no room for you. The bus stops and it is also full, no room for you and your spouse.
You keep walking and you get to the ship by foot, you walked a long way. When you arrive you find that someone messed up that reservation and that outside cabin you had booked was full and while they were really nice and said you could have your next cruise at half price, you were sent to a lower floor with a small inside berth. The only thing that might get worse is if the people in charge put canned tuna on board instead of lobster and steak... Seven days of Tuna Noodle Casserole.

Ok, so I made that up, but it could happen... I mean part of it was sort of like that first Christmas... All that travel to find out there was no room in the inn. Joseph and Mary, with Mary on the donkey for most of the trip, traveled a long way, more than likely 3 days, hot days, cold nights, and they get to that Inn, and no more rooms, and Mary is about to have a baby. So Joseph does not blow up, get all fired up and say anything. Old calm Joseph was more interested in where he and Mary could settle in. So the Inn Keeper seeing Mary was with child told them they could use the barn. Now staying in the barn might not be the place you would want to deliver your child but having a farm at one time in my life I know that those bank barns are warm where the animals lay.

So Joseph goes to the barn with Mary, and makes up a manger in a feed bin. Then I would think he would have taken the blanket from the donkey and other cloths and made a place for Mary to lay. It was not long after that that the baby was born, a baby boy, a King, and our Lord and Savior and this special little child was born to die... Sent to us by God (John 3:16) because He loved us so much. So how much do we love Him? Do we love Him as much as He loved us? Are you willing to die for Him, for He died for us. Think about it... Tomorrow, the angel Gabriel gets busy again...

Dear Father in Heaven, help us to live for You, to follow in Your footsteps, to follow Your light, to follow Your lead... To live for You and to be willing to do all You want us to do... To work for You, keep us strong, Lord, for it is not easy living here in America and doing each day to please You. Lord, I for one cannot do it without You lifting and carrying me... So help me Lord... Help me.
In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings, Love ya, Pastor Dan.

Carry The Light Ministries Inc.
16 Dewalt Drive
Mechanicsburg, Pa. 17050
Phones 717 691 8200 Pastor Dan's cell phone 717 991 0754