April 4. 2011 I Don't Know You!

"Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading. 'Sir, open the door for us.' But He will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'" Good Morning, my dear wonderful brothers and sisters. Welcome to Monday, and another blessing from God, in fact, many blessings from God. If you are reading this, you can breathe and you can see. Chances are you have had a shower and had it in your house, or in your home if God is in charge there. You are up and moving and maybe getting the children off to school, and yourself off to work. You more than likely had something to eat and maybe a cup of coffee to drink. ARE WE BLESSED OR WHAT? We are so blessed. I was blessed last evening with a safe trip to the Glenvale Church of God, to hear some Southern Gospel music song by Brothers In Grace. It was great!! Pastor Larry (Pastor Larry Hale, pastor of Glenvale) asked me if I would close the evening in prayer. God blessed me with that and a chance to thank the flock at the church for collecting food for our ministry food pantry. Now you folks know I like to have some fun, so on my way walking to the front of the church, I looked at the gentlemen from Brothers In Grace and said, "Thanks for opening for me tonight." Monday and the day we pray for our veterans, and please, please remember we have veterans who are just 18 years old, and many have given body parts for our country and sadly some gave it all. Also pray for our Military, for right now we are involved in at least three wars and I can count even more than that. We need to pray for our President and pray please for his soul (and maybe that someone might take away his key to Air Force One). That was sort of a joke, folks... Anyway, as we pray for our leaders we need to remember who our real leaders are. I call them, "Father, Son and Holy Spirit!" Pray for our police and for our firefighters, our wonderful, wonderful firefighters who for the most part are not paid at all. The Big Trip, Week sixteen, Day one... I don't know you! 1: Luke 13:25 - "Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading. 'Sir, open the door for us.' But He will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'" (NIV) Back when I was just a child, back when the streets were still dirt, and I needed to walk over a mile to school, even back then my mother would tell me, do not get in a car with a stranger. I can remember before school starting for me in first grade, and we did not have public kindergarten back then, my dear mamma walked me to the school to register me. She walked me so I would know the way. And she showed me how to cross the streets. She could have driven me there, but that would not have taught me that lesson about strangers. Do you tell your children today, if you are out playing do not get in a car with a stranger, and you should add for your teenagers, do not get into a car with another teenager driving. Back then or even today, when someone knocks on the door we either look at through a window or that little peep hole in the door. We keep our storm doors hooked so that if we do open the inside door we can see who might be there. Still today we listen to those words of our parents, don't open the door to a stranger. Folks, we still do have home invasion robbers out there, most often picking on our seasoned citizens (old folks like Dolores and me). So what is Jesus telling us in this parable, the one called the Narrow Door? The Bible tells us in Luke 13:23, someone asked Him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, 24 Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." Luke 13: 25 "Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading. 'Sir, open the door for us.' But He will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'" (NIV) I have asked God to give it to me in words I understand about the Narrow Door, which you might compare to a wide door. I am praying for that for tomorrow. He has put a seed in my little brain, but it has not all been given to me as of yet. I just want you to understand today that Jesus is telling us and again I point out that Jesus is the same today as He was yesterday and will be the same tomorrow. He is telling us through His own words that not all will get in. And I am telling you that just because you have gone forth in church, that does not open the door for you. He still might not have a clue who you are on arrival at the door. Tomorrow, what about that narrow door? Dear Father in Heaven, I thank You for messages each day, I thank You for a great evening of music last evening. Lord, please, place your healing hand on Edgar, a man we call the candy man. Lord, they just found out he has cancer and said there is nothing they, the doctors, can do. Lord, we know you still heal and we call upon You to heal this man, and also Kathleen and Ron. Please, Lord, keep watch over our leaders, our troops, our military, our police and firefighters. In Jesus' name, Amen. Now go forth and address yourself, I have asked you many times to look in the mirror and today I ask you again. Look in and say to yourself, do I really know the person looking back at me? If you really do not know and understand your own self, how do you expect God to know you? Think about that one... and now go forth in the name of Jesus sharing your blessings and living each day for Him... Love ya, Pastor Dan.