Tuesday 5/8/2012 Promises from God!

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me." -------- "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Good Tuesday morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is Tuesday and the day we pray for a cure for things like cancer, heart problems, and other health related problems. Let's also pray today for a cure for hunger!

Brothers and sisters, I am sure we have all seen the ads on TV that show those starving little children with their ribs showing and the little pot bellies and flies all over them. World hunger is called that because it is just that, and you do not need to leave your very own neighborhood to find people who have or who are running out of food. So we pray today for the cures and for help feeding the ones who hunger for some good things to eat. Today I ask that you put some "feet on your prayers" (Pamela Sue Bower) and help someone. As you pray for someone to have food to eat, why not buy them some food, call it a prayer and a sack of potatoes.

Tuesday 5/8/2012 More Promises from God Matthew 25:35 - "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me." -------- 40 "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (NIV)

As we dig into the scriptures of today, please notice that a promise from yesterday is up again today. "I tell you the truth." As I bring out this promise from God, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me," well, we have heard that one a lot, if we feed the poor, it is the same as we are feeding Jesus, if we give them clothes, it is like giving Jesus the clothes. But on this promise I want to go back and bring out one word, one very important word. So often when we read something we can miss one word and it changes the subject or modifies it in some way. So what is the word I want to bring out? "WHATEVER." "WHATEVER you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

So you are saying, and pastor, your point is? My point is this, what if you just treated someone like, well, really, really bad? What if you just told some untruth about a person?What if you called them a bad name? What if, what if, what if... So we are aware of the fact that what we do good for people is like if we did it for Jesus, but what about that word... "WHATEVER?" To me, to me I say it means the same thing, good or bad, the way we treat others is like doing it to Jesus. Let me repeat that verse again...

Matthew 25:40 - "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, how are you doing after this is pointed out to you... Do you need to say a few prayers asking for forgiveness? Have you called Jesus the "N" word because you referred to one of our black brothers or sisters by that word? Have you called Jesus a bum because you yelled that to a person asking for food or money along the street?Brothers and sisters, God jumped that word right out at me today, so I would think I am once again writing a message for all of us, and as I have told you before "us = you and me." Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, help us to remember that what we do for others is what we do for You. Lord, forgive me when I have messed up on this one, and I am sure it has been many times. Lord, thanks for this lesson today. And Lord, please act on our prayer requests according to your will. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings, AS IF YOU ARE SHARING THEM WITH JESUS for "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Words of Jesus quoted) love ya, Pastor Dan.