April 19, 2011 Tuesday Holy Week

"Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."

Good Holy Week Tuesday, my dear brothers and sisters. Today is the day we pray for cures for cancer, heart problems, kidney problems, pray for a cure for all of those things. So many have cancer and we pray for those who have it. Let's use this day to pray for the cure, for GOD TO TAKE IT AWAY FOR ALL WHO HAVE IT.

I want to take just a minute and give you my schedule for the rest of the week, both on this line and also at The Bridges. And yes, you are welcome at The Bridges for services anytime we have one there.

Holy Week:
On Line:
Today, about giving to the government and to God.
Wednesday, God has not given me this message as of now.
Thursday, we are going to have on-line communion, we are going to the upper room with Jesus for His last supper, and then to the garden to pray with Him.
Friday, His death on the cross and the events leading to it.
Sunday, a special for Easter.

Live at The Bridges: All services on the second floor in the Pennsylvania Room.
Thursday Evening: 6:30 PM. Communion Service, PLUS, anointing with oil and prayers for healing and also the trip to the garden with Jesus for prayer. Have faith in healing folks, God is still healing today and He wants to heal you.
Friday: 1:30 PM Carry The Light, Dan, Pam, Dolores and Martin, live and in concert.
Easter Sunday: service starting time 9:45 AM as The Bridges Choir will open with a short concert, and then our Easter Sunday Service. This will be the very first time for the Choir to sing. Again, you are welcome at any and all services at The Bridges.

Let's pray. Dear Father in Heaven, Thanks for another day of life on this wonderful place we call home for now, as we appreciate it and look forward to the day we call heaven our home forever and ever. And Lord, please send a cure for all the problems we here on earth have with our health. Lord, please forgive us of our sins, and Lord, please forgive me of my many sins. Thank You, dear Lord. Of all of our health problems You have already sent us a cure for our sins, for You sent us Your Son Jesus, who died to take them away from us. Thank You, Father, and Thank You, Jesus. Lord, how I love You, and I want You to be number one in my life, help me, Lord, to always keep You in the top spot, and Lord, help with the message today and help us to follow Your word daily and walk in the shoes of Jesus and in His light... In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Tuesday, Holy Week: Luke 20:22 - "Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" 23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 "Show me a denarius, Whose portrait and inscription are on it?" 25 "Caesar's" they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." (NIV)

Yesterday, for some reason, was tax day, or what we call tax day which is normally April 15th. But in all reality every day is tax day. I don't think we can go through one day without being taxed for something, and I want you to think about that. Jesus said we are to give Caesar what is due him and I take that to mean we are to pay all of our taxes regardless of how much we hate to pay them. When I say you can't do anything without paying taxes I really believe that. I am paying taxes right now to just write this message! Yesterday I got my phone bill and all of the taxes on it, a tax for this, a surcharge for that. Surcharge = taxes. And if you think gas prices are high, figure out what the taxes are on a gallon of gas. Oh, not just that, that is added at the pump, but the taxes that all those companies pay for us in advance. When I hear people saying to tax the rich, or tax those big companies I laugh for who pays those taxes, always the end user folks and that would be us. If our Caesars of today put a billion more taxes on Exxon Corp, they are going to build it into the cost of doing business and the gas goes up in price.

Jesus made it plain for us... "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." So what really is God's? Folks, everything we have comes from God, but He does not want it all back. Old Testament talks about ten percent, but what should we all give to God? We know that Caesar or our governments just tax it from us, takes it off our paycheck, adds it to products, but what does our Lord tells us?

2 Corinthians 9:6 - Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having ALL THAT YOU NEED, you will abound in every good work. (NIV)

I don't know of many people that are happy about all the taxes they must pay. Our current Caesar, our President, tells us that the rich should give more. But yet he used all the deductions that he could, telling me this. Give Caesar what is due him but nothing more.

But I tell you this and back it with the Bible... Give from your heart and give from the top, give of your first fruits. If you wait and give to God what is left, there will be nothing left for God, but if you give from the top, and give it cheerfully, you will find that there is enough to pay the bills for your needs.

The Bible tells us we are not to test or tempt God, except in one thing, our giving to Him. And again I am going to back this with my Bible.

Malachi 3:8 - Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How do we rob you? In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse, the whole nation of you, because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. TEST ME IN THIS, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessings that you will not have room enough for it. (NIV)

There you go, folks, today's lesson, GIVE TO GOD WHAT IS HIS, DO NOT ROB HIM. And test Him on this. Each day I tell you to share your blessings, I do that for I know He will replace them over and over again if you share your blessings from your heart. You DO NOT NEED TO FORWARD this to get those blessings. I always get a kick out of those things on the end of something that tells me if I forward something to ten people and send it back also to the one who sent it I will be blessed. Folks, I don't need to do that, I will be blessed anyway. I have been blessed already today. You see it is raining and my roof is not leaking. PRAISE GOD, PRAISE GOD.

Now it is time to go, so I will say it again, please share your blessings... Jesus loves you, very, very much and I love ya also. Pastor Dan.