Monday July 18, 2011 Helping Others

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Good Monday Morning, my dear brothers and sisters... The heat is on, and when you are out in the heat today, please think of this... Think of being in full military gear and protecting our country and fighting bad guys over in the deserts. Today, being Monday is the day we pray for our leaders and also our military past and present, and for our police, firefighters, and others who work to keep us safe and healthy. Also pray today for me, as I go out and kickoff a football camp for kids (no, I am not kicking the football). I will be opening this with prayer and the camp is held on a Public School Football field.

And of course I will use the name of Jesus, because if we don't pray through Jesus our prayers will not get to God the Father (John 14:6). Each year the football camp is kicked off in mid-July and one thing the kids do is bring in food for Carry The Light Ministries Food Pantry. So pray for a big load of food, as while we have things on our shelves, we are getting low. We must always remember that even poor folks with no food like to eat each day. Some folks seem to think the hungry only eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas and then only one meal.

While you are praying for our President, pray first for him to accept Jesus as his Savior and then to put all things before God.

Helping Others 1: Luke 10:25 - On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (NIV)

Well, well, this expert on the law must not have known that we should not test Jesus. Except in one thing! Do you know what thing we can test our Lord Jesus on? If you do, please let me know and I will let others know the answer tomorrow.

Ok, the teacher of the law asked Jesus "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus gave the teacher this answer.

Luke 10:26 - "What is written in the Law?" He replied. "How do you read it?" (NIV)

Don't you just love it when you ask someone a question and they answer you with a question? When I was in school and the teachers would call on me, I would try that, and it never worked for me. I hated it when teachers called on me so that they could learn the answers. Ok, you teachers, I am just kidding here. Anyway, here is the teacher of the law questioning Jesus and Jesus then questions the teacher... and here is the answer from the teacher. It comes from

Luke 10:27. He answered: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself." (NIV)

Of course you know that answer as the two great commandments given to us by Jesus. And notice here what Jesus said in return.

Luke 10:28 - "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." (NIV)

Now while we can use a lot of scriptures to show us this, this is basic and I am done now with writing about basics. Our Bible tells us we need to go through Jesus (John 14:6) and we must confess and believe in Jesus (Romans 10:9/10) and while it is all true, for I believe everything in the Bible I have said since I have been saved, if you really love Jesus, really love Him and you love your neighbors, all of them, from across the street to across town, to across the state, nation and world, regardless of race, color, or how they look, you will make Jesus very happy. If you really love Jesus, and you confess as in Romans 10:9/10 and don't show love for your neighbor, I would question your standing with Jesus, although it is not my job to judge you on making heaven. This week we are going to be talking about how you can help others. I had no idea when sitting with Dolores praying this morning that this would be the subject He would give me. But as I waited upon Him, and was looking at the food back kickoff this evening He just planted it right on my mind... "Helping Others".

Brothers and sisters, trust me when I say there are many, many ways to love your neighbors, and to help them, many, not just a food bank. Each day for years and years I have closed by telling all of you to share your blessings and that I love ya... and I mean just that, you need to share your blessings and I do love all of you very, very much. You are indeed family, you are my brothers and sisters in Christ, and yes, you are my neighbors. So as we go to prayer today and we pray for all those on our prayer list, let us all pray that we may look for ways to help others. I don't care how little you have, I don't care how sick or upset you are, there are ways to help others. In reality you need to be loving others as yourself. And folks, if you really, really love your neighbors as God wants you to do, it makes loving Jesus so much fun and it really is easy.

Dear Father in Heaven, forgive us of our sins, and help us to love, to really love others, and of course love You. Please watch over our president, and Lord, I know presidents are not always loved, and most have opinions of how this president is doing, but Lord, I am concerned about his salvation, that is first, Lord, and help us always remember that in loving others, to get them to Your feet to be saved should be our job number one... Help us, Lord, for we can't do it alone. And Lord, I just want to tell You that I love You, even though there are times I don't show that love as I should, for I am a sinner and need Your saving grace. Help me repent and move on forward telling others about Your Love and blessings... in the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Now go forth sharing those blessings that God has loaned to you... love ya, Pastor Dan.