Jesus said: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'give me my share of the estate,' so he divided his property between them."
It is Thursday and a beauty at that. God is so good, so let's just start out with a praise report on Dolores... Dolores had her surgery yesterday and according to the doctors it went just wonderfully. Praise be to God, thank you. She was in the operating room for what seemed like a long time. It was nearly three hours. Her kneecap had to be put back and then stitched into place. I think she received just the lower half of the knee. Remember this is her third right knee. So please keep praying.
God is good, please also pray today for Troy who has a drinking problem, and pray please for Sonshine Ministries who help those like that. Our son Matthew lives at Sonshine. Praise God for their outreach. Today is also the day we pray for schools and for families, and please pray for the family of God. God is so good, and each day we must walk with Him, searching out the lost and bringing them in.
A Price to Pay!: Day 4: Luke 15:11 - Jesus said: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'give me my share of the estate,' so he divided his property between them." (NIV)
If I were to ask you today if you were a prodigal son or daughter, I would think a lot of you would say, "Yes, Pastor Dan, I was one of those." Just to set the record straight, I once was lost, but now I am found. While the story in the Bible talks about a man who went to his father and asked for his share of the estate, I did not do that, but I did walk away from God. Now let me just say this right up front. You might be from a very well blessed family, meaning you have a lot of wealth, dollar wealth, in your family and when your loved ones pass on and all goes well you should receive a lot of dollars.
I want to talk to you today about how God gave this story to me in a different way. As the story goes in the Bible, when the one son decides to walk away from his family he asks to take his share of what might be coming to him upon the death of his family.
"I was raised in a church," and was trained up in the way of the Lord, and as you folks all know I had wonderful parents, and yes, I was a mamma baby, oh, how I loved (and still do) love my mamma. And when we had the big accident back in the 50's I was lost. And yes, I became that lost son, I did not ask for my share of the estate, for we did not have money, and I did not turn to a life of crime, just a life of sin and shame. Yes, if I could, I would love to be able to take those years back and live them out for God. I would do things that were so wrong with God and I knew better, and in fact there were times I would pray to God to be forgiven for the sin I was about to do. Yes, did you hear me on that one? I would pray, dear father in heaven, I am about to sin, please, please forgive me. So I remembered that I needed to pray. Can any of you relate to that one? I was a good provider when it came to going to work, but I was not around to attend ball games and school stuff. And I missed out on all those years of just praising God.
I want to mention this, which occurred last year right before Christmas. It was a busy day at our ministry food panty and we were sorting food and loading it into cars... I hugged my one daughter and said to her something like this... "Do you know we are giving away your inheritance?" And my daughter, and she sort of spoke for the family, said, "That's ok dad, we will be just fine, we have Jesus."
Of course a lot of people support the Food Pantry and in no way am I referring that it is all our dollars that go into the food in the pantry. The truth, the plain truth is, it is all God's food we are giving to the poor and needy.
Anyway, let me get back to the story of the lost son, in this case, me. Slowly I would find myself being called back to God. I would talk to pastors who would be at our service stations for repairs. It is fun to look back and see how the different pastors would handle my questions. Some would give me great answers, and invite me to their churches on Sunday, while others would be more interested in reading the daily paper. Some would talk to me about love and the love of Jesus, while others seemed to just not say much at all. When I look back I see that God might have been using me to put some strength into those pastors. Now you who know me, know I am a blue eyed white guy, and was raised United Brethren. It seems like the ones that would spend the most time with me were the black pastors and the nuns from the local Catholic School, St. Margaret Mary. I was invited to services at "black churches" and was made to feel mighty welcome. The nuns would talk to me about hope and faith through Jesus. And folks, before this day, and as God is feeding me this message, I never had looked at it as God using me to open doors for those pastors and sisters. God is good. Folks, let me inject this right now. We, as Christians, have people placed before us each day. In the doctors office, in hospitals, in the food stores. If you do not find people in the food store and in offices that are hurting, that need comfort, then you are shopping with your eyes closed.
I was a lost son, but I am happy to say I have been back for years and I get to do a lot of witnessing at stores, and in offices while waiting for the doctors. I pray that if you were a "drifter', one who drifted from God, that you are back, and I pray that God will open doors for you to go through and that you will go through them. For one of those doors, one of those places where you might find a person who is lost, you might be working on and praying with someone just like I once was, for I once was lost in sin, but I was found, and I was saved by Jesus. Led in by some of the most unlikely people at the time... God is good, and beside coming back, I learned from it. Folks, in life we are going to mess up, we are going to have events where we might be attending where we are thinking what am I doing here, and then God will have you talking with someone who will give you strength and you will pull from that and you will feed off to them. You will find some other Christians and will witness to each other.
So a lost child, well, this might be a different way of looking at it. But remember as you walk each day, there are people out there who are lost, and need prayer and you can be talking to them. God is good, just keep Him in your mind daily.
Dear Father in Heaven, thanks for taking care of Dolores and please now help her heal up so she can get back in that suit and back in the pantry, I guess what I am saying is so she can get back to working full time again for You... And Lord, today I pray for our schools, our school families, and our online families, and also the family of God. Use us this day, bring us back to Jesus. AMEN.
Now go forth and share those blessings... and maybe we can put this tune on your mind, heart and lips today... and I want you to know this. My mind is tired today, and this message might be scrambled a tad, I am weary but God is in charge. In a few short hours we are going out singing for the Lord, Wanda Crockett will be at the piano and we will go forth. I want you to know that I love You, all of you... Pastor Dan: Now let's sing and remember this, regardless of where you are standing, you are indeed STANDING ON HOLY GROUND.
We are standing on Holy ground. And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in His presence on Holy Ground.
We are standing on Holy ground. And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in His presence on Holy Ground.
We are standing on Holy ground. And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in His presence on Holy Ground.
Holy Spirit, Thou Art Welcome in this place. Holy Spirit, Thou Art Welcome in this place.
Omnipotent Father of Mercy and grace, Thou Art Welcome in This place.
Holy Spirit, Thou Art Welcome in this place. Holy Spirit, Thou Art Welcome in this place.
Omnipotent Father of Mercy and grace, Thou Art Welcome in This place.
We are standing on Holy ground. And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in His presence on Holy Ground.
We are standing on Holy ground. And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in His presence on Holy Ground.
We are standing on Holy ground. And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in His presence on Holy Ground.
Have a blessed day, brothers and sisters. I pray my mind will be back in better shape tomorrow...
I LOVE YOU........
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