Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Thinking He was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for Him. After three days they found Him in the temple courts sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers. When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to Him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."

Good Salvation Wednesday Evening, my dear brothers and sisters. Yes, it is Wednesday and early evening, and yes, I am running late as I had a funeral to pastor this morning and did not get to the message before I had to leave for the funeral home. So today I got a great chance to talk to people about salvation through Jesus Christ. A dear pastor friend of mine, Pastor Kevin Brown, told me years ago when we sat together at a funeral of a dear friend that he loves to pastor funerals, because it is a great chance to talk to people about going home to Jesus. I found he was right and I also like to pastor funerals. It is a good time to talk about needing Jesus to get into Heaven. I was blessed today, knowing that the one who had passed had been in our flock at the Bridges and I am sure as I can be that she was saved. However, as always, Jesus is the judge, we can only sow the seeds. So today pray for the unsaved and pray that all pastors preach salvation. Also pray for those of us who are saved to get out and work seeking out the lost and getting them to the feet of Jesus to be saved. The best advice I can give you to get this done is to live your life so as people can see Jesus in You.

The Journey keeps on moving... Luke 2:44 - Thinking He was in their company, they traveled on for a day.   45 Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for Him. 46 After three days they found Him in the temple courts sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to Him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxious searching for you." (NIV)

Yesterday I asked you two questions. One was do you think Jesus had good parents, I mean after all they did go and let Jesus behind and for a day they did not seem to miss Him, then they talked among their relatives and friends and then and only after they did not find Him they turned back to look for Him. So what do I think about the parents of Jesus and them losing track of Jesus? Let me think this through, Jesus was sent to us by God The Father to save the lost, and now Jesus was "lost." Ok, folks, I must tell you that first, Jesus was really not lost, His parents just did not know where He was. And we have two types of lost here, one would be if you were lost like going into the woods and not being able to find your way out, or you are lost because you do not have Jesus in your heart.

Let me ask you this question before I answer the one about the parents of Jesus being good parents. Have you ever had your child go missing even just for a few minutes? I have had it happen in a park and also in stores. Or maybe you, when you were a child got lost in a crowd I have had both happen to me. I can remember well on anight when I was a child holding onto the fur coat of my mamma, and waiting for a bus, now I knew we were looking for a number 8 bus and when my mamma starting to move toward a bus with a different number I looked up to find out that I was holding onto a different lady. It was not my mamma, and this lady did not even know I was holding onto the bottom of her coat. Then I knew it, I just knew it, my mamma was lost... I remembered I was to wait at the store door, and went back in to find my mamma where she said she would be... I just got the wrong fur coat and went out of the store.

Was my mamma a bad parent because I got separated from her? No, I had great parents, and did not do what I was told. She left me in the toy department and I was to stay there till she came back for me, I did not do this, I went to look for her, and seeing this fur coat I just sort of took a light hold and went out the door.

Now as for me losing my kids, well, I have had that happen in a park, and it does not take long for me to panic, all you need to do is stop to rest for a second and your child keeps walking and bingo you are thinking your child is lost, and a minute in a park when you cannot see your small child, that seems like hours.

So now back to Mary and Joseph, do I think they were bad parents because they left town and did not have their son with them? No, and the best reason I can give for this is that I love God, I really love Him and if Mary and Joseph were going to be bad parents then they would not have been picked to raise our Lord Jesus. Things were also different back in those days and you did your traveling by foot or animal, not by car, bus, train, or plane. A bunch of years ago, when our son, Glenn and his wife Dian, both in the Navy at the time were coming home from Scotland where they were stationed. They flew into Harrisburg International Airport and we met them there. When they left for duty in Scotland they had one daughter, and when they came home they had two daughters and a son. When they came in off the plane the youngest was in a stroller and the other two were on leashes. Thanks to our son and daughter-in-law for caring enough to see they had hold of their children. How long ago was that, last summer I married the one that was in the stroller, and the youngest one on a leash is now in the Navy, is married and they have a dear little one.

Let me ask that second question again, as I have gone on enough for today. Do you think Jesus ever talked back to His parents or sassed them? My opinion on that tomorrow, and yes, it is in the Bible.

Dear Father in Heaven, thanks for Your hand on this line, I am sorry I did not get the message out this morning, Lord. Thanks for all You do for all of us. Help us who are saved to keep solid with You and keep loving Jesus and also working hard to bring in the lost in to be saved. Point them out to us, Lord, and help us have the knowledge and love to get this job done for you. In the name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

Now go forth, holding onto your children, and grandchildren, and remember to share those blessings that God has trusted to you.

Love ya,  Pastor Dan.