Thursday Oct. 6, 2011 Promises 4

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Good Thursday Evening, my dear brothers and sisters. It is Thursday evening and yes, I am running a tad late, just a tad, like a 12 hour tad. For those of you who called to check on us, thank you for caring so much. Today is family day, and I am asking you pray for Billie Joe and her family. Her mother had a stroke this morning and her grandmother who lives with Billie and her mother, is not doing well either. Please pray for this family. Pray also for the family that lives in the White House and pray first for their salvation, and then that our President always takes things to God before he takes them to the people, and pray he takes them to God through our Lord Jesus, which as we know is the only way to reach God the Father. This is also Schools Day on this line. So please pray for our schools.

Promises Day 4: Psalm 46:1/3 - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (NIV)

What a great, great promise we have in God when we find He is our refuge and strength. The scriptures tell us that He is our EVER-PRESENT help (when we are) in trouble. This means to me, He is with me daily when I am in trouble and brothers and sisters, for some reason I am in trouble everyday. Everyday I need His help. In trouble does not mean that I had a run in with the law or got into trouble with my dear wife (although once in a while she does get upset with my dear sweet self.)

When I get into trouble it might mean I went out to work on a car and got in over my head and things were not going right, or, and I hate to admit this one, but at 70 I have fallen down out in the yard, and I did this one evening about dark when Dolores was in the hospital. I laid out there and talked to Jesus and I found out He was there and He helped me up. Yes, I was in trouble and He was my strength to get out of it. I talked to Him and asked, Jesus please give me the strength to pull myself up. And He did!! He has helped me lift things that were above what I can lift, He has given me knowledge to get something done I knew nothing about. God, over the years has protected me, helped me, given me advice, and in fact does that each morning as I write the messages. I love our Lord Jesus, I really do, and He really is not just my refuge and strength, He is my Buddy, my Friend, and He my Savior, He is my helper and I also want to be His. I love Him more than my next breath of air, for if it not for Jesus I would not get that breath of air.

Matthew 7:7/8 7 - "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened." (NIV)

Look at the promises in this scripture, and in the words of Jesus. "Ask and it will be given to you." Of course you are asking Jesus, right? And folks, when asking, remember to be asking as per God's will as Jesus set that example when praying the night before He was put to death for our sins. Example of that would be, let's say you need some wheels (a car) to get to work as yours is really shot, worn out. So you are praying for a car to get to work, your prayer should go like this. Dear Father in Heaven, I am in need of a ride to work, a car or someone going my way, and Lord, I will give you the honor and glory. Thanks for supplying me with the dollars to pay for it. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

How not to pray. Lord, I am in need of a car to get to work. I saw this very nice, bright white Caddy Fleetwood with a black top and it would work fine for me. Please, Lord, I do not have money for this, maybe they would give it to me. Thanks.

Do you see where I am coming from? Ask God the way Jesus would talk to His Father, after all it is the examples of Jesus we want to follow. We want to walk each hour of each day in the light of Jesus and we want Jesus to be the example we follow. When we follow those examples then these scriptures will kick in. Ask, Seek and Knock and follow Jesus... Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, we want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and walk in His light. We want to be in turn and in touch with Jesus. Lord, Father of us all, thanks for the promises that You have given to us and anointed in the written word. Father, we really do want to walk with Jesus, but confess we need help each day, each day to do this. We know we are in ever-present trouble without Jesus and need Him just to get through a day. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Now go forth sharing your blessings. Love ya, Pastor Dan.