Thursday 9/20/12 Rolling in the Dirt!

Dear Father in Heaven:  Please forgive me of my sins and help me to repent and not go out and be rolling in the dirt again.  Help me with the message, dear Lord, please, and Lord, please be with Dave Fortney and his family and stand beside Dave's dad, Clarence.  Dear Lord, we trust in You and put Clarence Fortney into Your arms saying dear Lord, Thy Will be Done ... Thank You, Jesus.  Amen.

Brothers and sisters, as you've noticed, I have been missing days here and there.  The truth is I am tired and hurt and need your prayers.  Dolores is also in a lot of pain.  Still we will not slack back on working for our Lord Jesus for we feel this is what He wants us to do.  I would like to hear from you between now and Monday as I would really like to update our prayer list.  So often we post people for prayers but never get a praise report or hear anything about how that person is doing.  To take three words from my dear friend Pastor Larry Hale on his prayer line, "Please, Please, Please," and he also is telling us that we need to get out praise reports.  WE NEED TO LET GOD KNOW WE APPRECIATE WHAT HE DOES IN OUR LIVES.  Amen.

It is Thursday and the day we pray for Churches, Schools, and Families.  Also from now to election day, please pray for God's will in the election and please pray and vote.  Please vote your heart BASED ON THE BIBLE.

Rolling in the Dirt:

Matthew 4:17 - From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."

Isaiah 12:3 - With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  (NIV)

Dear brothers and sisters, most of you know that we love animals.  We love our dogs and cats, and we even have goats and a chicken.  Here is the run-down of our four-legged friends.  Eleven dogs, 4, maybe 5 or 6 cats (some come just to eat), 5 goats, and a pet chicken.  Oh, the chicken has just two legs.  When my dear beloved Martin was a puppy I would take him in the shower with me and give him a bath.  Now he goes to the groomer with one or two other dogs each month.  Most often when I bring the dogs home from the groomer, looking so pretty and clean, they go out into the dog yard and they go "rolling in the dirt."  Well, folks, it is not just the dogs who go rolling in the dirt, if you think about it, don't we do the same thing?

We go to our Lord Jesus, and if you are like me, you start the day asking Him to forgive you of your sins.  We know we are to repent, so I even asked God to help me repent of my sins.  And folks, I want you to look at "sins as dirt."  We know that Jesus went to the cross to clear us of our sins, and we know He want us to repent.  What was the main message that Jesus preached and taught as He walked this earth?  He taught us to repent, Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Yes, He healed many, He fed thousands, but His main mission was to come and die so that we might live.  He is our salvation and the ONLY WAY TO GET TO HEAVEN.  Yet, with all that said, we do tend to go out each day and go "rolling in the dirt."

Now brothers and sisters, I am not talking about you walking out in your yard, getting down on the ground and rolling in that type of dirt four-legged friend and buddy Martin does.  I am talking about going out and rolling in the dirt of filth and sin.  Sometimes, friends, we sort of just fall into it, and why?  Maybe because we are not walking arm in arm with Jesus.  Maybe we sort of do a walk-about even if it is just for an hour or two.  Maybe even, and folks, I must confess that years ago I did just this ... It went like this, please, Lord, forgive me of the sin I am about to do!  In other words you know, or in this case I knew what I was about to do was not what God would want me to do so I sort of put the request in early.  I guess that would be like my dog laying beside me in bed after a bath, giving me a kiss and then getting out of bed, going out through the dog door and "rolling in the dirt."

How often have you gone "rolling in the dirt"?  How often have you gone to the "Well of Salvation" and drawn from God's Love to be cleaned up again?  Will you repent with me now, get cleaned up and try not going out and "rolling in the dirt"?

Dear Lord, forgive us of our sins and help us to repent.  We know You love us and when we ask in faith to be forgiven You forgive us, but we really need the help in repenting.  Help us, dear Lord.  In the name of Jesus, I pray.

Now go forth and share your blessings and please, no "rolling in the dirt."  Love ya, Pastor Dan.