Monday 6/18/12 Hide and Seek 1

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father."

Good Monday evening, my dear brothers and sisters.  Monday and the day we pray for our leaders, and please start praying for Mitt Romney as he is running for office.  Also today we pray for veterans, our military, and our police officers.  I think also it is time we start praying for this area.  Start in Carlisle, PA, going out Route 81 and cutting across Route 72 around Lebanon, Lancaster, then around to York, PA, and back up to Carlisle.  In the middle would be Harrisburg.  In case you have not been watching lately, in this area a lot of people are being shot and/or robbed.  Now if you do not live in this area, pick a town near you.  Yes, you cannot get away from it.  COME ON BACK, JESUS!!

Patsy came through surgery in good shape.  Please keep praying for her as she recovers.  Please pray for those with cancer today.  Now let's get to the message ... Hide and Seek!

Matthew 24:36 - "No one knows about that day or our, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father."  (NIV)

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,---98,99,100 Ready or Not, here I come.  Back when the streets were dirt and the dead sea was still sick, I was a young lad growing up in the city of Harrisburg.  On any given evening, you would find a group of us kids playing "hide and seek" or dodge ball or some other group game under the light of those street lights.  Back then we did not need to worry about being shot by someone in a car driving by.  If we saw a car we just got out of the street until it passed by and then back to our game.  I remember like it was yesterday when I would bury my face up to the phone pole or a big tree and count to a hundred and then yell out as loud as I can ... "READY OR NOT HERE I COME."  Then I would start out to find those who had hid and when you would find one it was a race back to the base whee you would run to call the person "out".

Whoever you would catch and call out first would be the next person who would be "IT".  These games would go on evening after evening in the summer.  If it rained we would be on someone's porch playing a board game.  Once in awhile someone would bring out a small TV which would be a bit set back in those days and we would sit in a porch and with those "rabbit ears" on the TV we would watch "Leave It To Beaver" or "Dragnet" or one of those "old", well, okay, "new" TV shows.  Now let me try and match up this game of "Hide and Seek" with what the Lord is giving me today and that would be about the Lord returning for us.  What matches up between that coming big event and this kid's game we called "Hide and Seek"?  What does match up?  Not much.

First, let me take a look at those who are hiding, and while I find it hard to believe there are a lot of people still trying to hide from Jesus ... folks, first of all this is not a game, Jesus is really coming back.  He is the one and only one who you might say is "IT".  But He is not standing in Heaven with His eyes hidden counting to some number waiting to come back, He is watching over us.  All of us, be we believers or not.  And dare I make this statement today, more people who claim to be Christians try to hide from Him than those who claim there is no God.  Yes, if they do not believe in Jesus why would they try and hide from Him, yet sometimes we sinners try hiding our sins from Him.

Now when I stood and counting down to when I was coming back, I do believe that God is sending us warnings all the time, and yes they are numbered.  Like today's message is numbered, it is based on Matthew 24:36 - "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father."  And it is numbered as our many other warnings found in His word.  And let me share with you these words today, words I said years ago when playing this game of hide and seek with words that He might be saying today, in fact He is saying them, He is just saying them through me, as He also says things through your pastors.

My words back then were "ready or not, here I come."  His words of warning today go like this - "Ready or Not, I am coming!"  Now we had another saying back then after we would find so many and we had a new person who was going to be "it".  I, or the person who was "it" would yell ... Ally, ally, in free, ally, ally, in free, ally, ally, in free.  Folks, that is not going to happen when Jesus comes to get us.  Right now we can get our freedom from sin through Jesus but once that trumpet sounds, once God The Father tells Jesus, go get Your Bride, Son, it is too late, too late.

Now is the time to ask Jesus into your heart, into your life.  Look around you, take a look, and you might agree, and think like this.  Just how long will God our Father in Heaven let this go on?

Will you pray today for Jesus to forgive us and come into your heart today?  Let's do this now ... Lord, please forgive me of my sins, and come into my heart.  I love You, Lord, I really love You.  In the name of Jesus, I ask this.  Amen.  Now put me to work for You in the name of Jesus.  Amen.


Now go forth and share those blessings and come back tomorrow and we will play another game of our past and try and line it up with some scripture.  Love ya, Pastor Dan.

Reminder, it is coming fast ... Our ANNUAL picnic in the park.  Willow Mill Park in Silver Spring Township, just off Route 114 and along a nice rolling stream.  Pastor Dan is the chef and here is a sample of the food list ... Ham Veggie Soup, Turkey Corn Soup, Hot Dogs with or without Kraut.  BBQ, and a big surprise.

Also we will have lots to drink, but folks, PLEASE NO BOOZE.  This is a rain or shine event.  Oh, we will also have lots of cake and pie, and yes, you may eat your desert first.  You can be like a kid if you want.

Saturday, July 7th. ... Tim Beitzel will start singing the gospel at 11:00 AM.  We eat at noon, and then more singing and fellowship with friends ... we have the park all day.

RSVP - let the old man know you are coming!
Phone 717 691 8200 or 717 991 0754
YES, YOU MAY BRING A FRIEND!