Monday 10/1/12 No Favorites

Dear Father in Heaven, Hear this day our prayer for this upcoming election, and Lord, we need good people to run this nation that You trusted to us.  Please help us as we come to You saying when it comes to America, please, please, bless it according to Your will ... And please hear the following prayer.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Target:  Citizenship

Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Founding Father Quote:

"Those who pay no regard to religion and seriousness in the persons whom they send to the legislature of any state are guilty of the greatest absurdity and will soon pay dear for their folly."

- John Witherspoon, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and President of Princeton University

Prayer:

Lord, over the past several decades we have departed from honoring our Creator.  Instead, we have sought our own way which always leads to ultimate destruction.  The Bible says to seek first the kingdom of God, and we have done everything else but put our faith in You.  This departure from following Your commands has led to the election of government officials seeking the approval of man and not of God.  As a nation, we have appointed unrighteous judges to set our standards.  Father, we ask Your forgiveness for not following the steps outlined in Your Word to be godly stewards of this great country.  We ask that You make us a people who genuinely reflect the character of Jesus Christ.  As we practice good citizenship in voting the principles found in Your Word, may we fill every office in the nation with righteous people called according to Your purpose.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters.  It is not often that I turn the opening over to another,but my dear, dear friend "Big John Henry" as I lovingly call John Henry Riddlesberger whom I have known for many, many years is a retired school teacher from the Carlisle School District, and when John taught the kids, they knew where he stood with Jesus, as you can see it in his living for Him.  Can people see Jesus in you?

Prayers today for the city of Harrisburg, and for Mayor Linda Thompson, who this past week had to welcome an atheists group to the city.  The atheists complained to the news media after her speech that she talked too much about God as she introduced them!!  Way to go, Mayor Linda!  Questions, folks ... Please tell me why an atheist, one who does not believe in God, gets so upset when we Christians talk about God the Father and Jesus His Son?  Hey, you non-believers, why are you so afraid of someone you think is NOT?

Hey, non-believers, you will never get me to SHUT UP when it come to speaking out for Jesus, and I pray that someone hands you a copy of this email and that you even contact me or a member of this line.  On this line, we LOVE JESUS ... And everyone on this line said AMEN!!

October 1, 2012:  No Favorites!

James 2:1 - My brothers, as believers to our Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.  2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  3 If you show special attention to the man wearing the fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "you stand there," or "sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  (NIV)

Dare I even ask this question today?  But I will, my dear brothers and sisters, for it needs asked.  How many pastors "cater" to those who give the bigger dollars at their church?  It happens, folks, and while it takes those good and faithful donors to keep a church building running, as they have many bills to pay, a lot of churches have many coming who do not have one dime to rub against the other.  We once attended a church where the senior pastor said he never looks at what a person gives, but yet we received a card from that same pastor saying, "Thanks for being good givers."  In our homes we trust God to help us and we learn from the Bible that if we "give to the Lord" He will surely give us back even more.  Now those are my words, as I describe the way I understand it.  To make it even more simple to understand, you cannot out-give the Lord. So why show favorites?  It should not be done, and it is against the will of our Lord as pointed out in this scripture from James.

But wait, I want to put it onto something besides money or dollars.  Does your church cater more to those who comes in, and you really think they are saved, they raise their hands to praise the Lord, they follow along in the Bible, and you can count on them to always be ready to help around the church.  Or does your church?  Or does your church and pastor as well as the flock seek out those who might not even believe in God?  Oh yes, there are times when a nonbeliever might come to your church because maybe God is working at their heart or maybe they are trying to see what is going on, or they might be trying to build strength in their outreach against the believers, and we know by God's own Word that that will happen to us.  Folks, the best way for us to have nonbelievers come to the Lord is to let them see the Lord in us.  We need to hug on them and pray for and with them.  Show them love and treat them equal if a nonbeliever comes into your life.  Hey, it might even be a family member who is the one who has walked away from God.

When Dolores and I were in our "heyday" of riding motorcycles for the Lord, we rode with "Christian Motorcyclists Association" whose slogan was "Riding for the Son."  We often just pulled into a church while on a Sunday morning ride.  We got some hard looks as we walked in, in leathers, carrying helmets.  Once we were even told we were in someone's seat.  We moved.  However, some welcomed us, they saw our jackets, and the bike with the big crosses painted on them, with the Statue of Liberty in the background.  The bikes painted as per singer/singwriter Neil Enloe's great song "The Cross is my Statue of Liberty."  Brothers and sisters, if you are not sure of someone who is attending church where you go to church, make it your business to know.  Remember, the pastor cannot get to each person each week.  The pastors need your help and those pastors who love the Lord, and most do, will even help teach you how to handle a nonbeliever.  Folks, and I will say this again and again, all services at a church or church outing should not close without a call for Salvation.  Even writings like this, you will notice on most days call you to the Lord.  We just do not know when one will have their heart open to the Lord.  Don't miss your chance to introduce someone to Jesus so they also might be saved.  Just so you know, this writer loves Jesus, really loves Jesus.  Be ready to do God's work and please have "NO FAVORITES!"

Dear Father in Heaven, if this writing falls into the hands of nonbelievers, please lead them to me, or me to them.  Help us always to come to You each day and ask this in faith.  Please, Lord, forgive me of my sins and wash me clean and help me to repent and work for You.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now go forth and share some of your many, many blessings.  Love ya, Pastor Dan.