In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Good Thursday, pray for our families and schools day... and also pray today for * Sarah Maughan, daughter of Pastor Stan & Jeanne Maughan. Sarah leaves on Monday, July 18, for a 3-month medical internship in Bangladesh. Also keep praying for Pennsylvania 131 Guard Unit, as they are suffering in the loss of three members to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Please remember as you pray, pray for the family of God and please also pray for your own family, those of your neighbors and also for my family. Thank You.
We have been so blessed. Last week at Vacation Bible School at Glenvale Church of God, Marysville, Pa., they gathered food and sent it to our food pantry. Now you need to really know that this church is a very giving church and even has a food pantry of their own and also help other food pantries. Also we went to a Pee-Wee football camp who collected canned food. Maybe we should call it a food-ball camp. We received an outstanding amount of canned goods, and also enough cash to purchase over two hundred boxes of Mac and Cheese. People who know me well know I often talk about money in terms of Mac and Cheese. I can still find two boxes for under a buck. Plus other things were dropped off, including a nice dresser. (Thanks, Alan, for your help.) All honor and Glory to God.
Helping Others Day 4: Acts 20:35 - In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (NIV)
I want to bring out a few things here today, one is that we need to work hard, and we MUST help the weak. So who are the weak, who are those who are helpless? You know we get a lot of people coming to the food pantry and we do not ask a lot of questions, we get a name of the one receiving food, and address and a phone number and we get the number in the family, not names, just the number and we do get ages of children (that's for Santa stuff). Now in this scripture it is very clear we are to work hard and it does not say we should stop working hard at a certain age. Now while I do pastor a retirement home, I know there are people there who cannot "work hard" if we are talking work that takes strong arms and backs, but folks can still work hard getting people to come to Jesus. This is what I tell them at The Bridges, it goes something like this. When we hit a certain age our arms and backs go weak, but we can still work hard at the tables where you eat, talking to others about coming to church. And they also are very good at getting their families to support the food pantry. You see there is no time at all when we should retire from working for Christ. In fact, like Dolores and I, after we retired, we have so much more time to work for Him. I want to bring in another scripture here.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." (NIV)
Now let me get back to those coming to the food pantry for a minute. We have many people calling on us, well over a hundred families receive food from out small food pantry, so how do we tell who is working hard and who might not work, therefore they should not eat? Here, so all of you know is how we handle that. If a man or woman have a family and refuse to work, their children still need to eat, so they get the food. In other words everyone gets food, and we just let God sort it all out.
And that is what all of you should do when working for God, and I am not just talking about food here. When you talk to someone who is singing in the church choir, don't be afraid to ask them if they are saved. I have heard often it is like preaching to the choir. Meaning in a way that the choir already knows what is being preached. Let me tell you that there are a lot of people sitting in church that are not saved (no, I am not judging, but God did give me eyes to see). There are also pastors who might not be saved... Want to ask your Pastor a neat question, ask them if they are born again.
I asked a pastor of mine that one time and at first he was taken back, and then one day he preached about it, saying that I cared enough to ask. Folks, I am going to get into another kind of food tomorrow, and talk to you about feeding the lost... We need to feed the hungry, but that can be in two different ways. First-timers coming to Carry The Light Ministries Food Pantry get a Bible, ALL GET PRAYED WITH while they are here.
Even people needing help can help others. But there are people out in our world today that we must help, you and I know who they are. Some people ride the system and depend on the government, we must teach people to depend on God... someone shout AMEN...
Dear Father in Heaven, we are so blessed, I need forgiven of my sins, and I am sure others do also, but today I am just asking for me... Please forgive me, and help me repent. Lord, help all of us with an able body and/or mind to work hard for you, from dawn to setting sun, from the dawn of our life till the Son calls us home. Help us, Lord, help us. In the name of Jesus, I give thanks for all that we received yesterday... Please be with families and please be with that family in the White House, protect them and keep them safe... In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
Go forth sharing and remember the words of Jesus. "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
And I am sure you know this, Jesus loves you very much, and also know that I love "ya" also.
Be blessed. Pastor Dan... Cell Phone 717 991 0754. Use it if you need me...
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