Wed. 11/14/12 Hated 2

My Dear Father in Heaven.  Thank You for another day, dear Lord, and thanks for being with us when no one else is around.  Dear Father, I pray that I would spend more time with You, it seems I get so busy I just do not sit down and talk to You.  Thanks for all You do for all of us, thanks for being with those who have been  hit by the storms.  Lord, watch over those who do not have power and help them to understand that if they just pray and believe You will take care of them.  Help us all to understand that we are going to have storms and there are reasons behind them.  Lord, we look forward to seeing the blessings come out of the storms.  I have seen it already as people in our area are filling trucks with goods to go to the storm-hit areas. Jesus, I love that You died for all of us, and that You have been risen from the dead, and I love the prayer You taught us to pray when we pray together:

Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil, for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever. Amen.  Thanks again, Jesus, all honor and glory to You.  In the Name of Jesus.  Amen.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, and it is indeed another beautiful day here at the Southern Location of the North Pole.  Blessings have been flowing in.  Yesterday Grant and I unloaded the Ministry trailer of canned goods we purchased on sale a few days ago.  I also heard from a much larger food pantry in our area, who help us in our stock.  I asked Joanne (Food Manager) what they were short of for their Thanksgiving food distribution, and she told me turkeys.  In faith we took some of our turkeys (six) and headed to New Hope Ministries food pantry.  Now you know how when you give to God in faith, He makes things grow.  Let me tell you we received a lot of help there.  And I am sure God will see we have more turkeys, and we have our distribution before Christmas.  Dear brothers and sisters, another example of the fact you just cannot out-give our Lord.  Someone please say AMEN.  Pray please for all those who might think they will be alone on Thanksgiving, and help them remember that when they truly, truly love Jesus they are never, ever alone.  Another AMEN please.

Want to hear some great Gospel Music?  This Friday evening, 7:00 PM at Glenvale Church of God, Marysville, PA. You will hear the best from the former Couriers, Dave, Duane, and Neil.  A great way to take away all the worries as these gentlemen help you lay your burdens to the Lord.  Now let me get to the message.

Hated:  Day Two.

John 15:20 - "Remember the words I spoke to you:  'No servant is greater than his master.'  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.  If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."  (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, as we serve our Lord as Disciples and as Christians, we must remember who our Master is, and in case you have forgotten, it is Jesus Christ.  Please look at the scripture above where Jesus tells us, "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also."  Yesterday Jesus is quoted as saying, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."  Now I am going to upset a lot of people today when I make this statement ... We as Christians are to love everyone, and we also have been forgive of our past sins, but for sure if you get going working for Jesus, someone will surely bring up your past and say, I remember him or her when he or she did this or that.  And sometimes it is others who call themselves Christians that throw those things around.

Jesus tells us we will be persecuted because He was persecuted but He also gave us this news.  "If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."  When we go out walking in the shoes of Jesus, walking in His light, really walking with Him, we are going to find out that some will listen to us about Salvation through Jesus Christ and some will be non-believers.  So who should we keep trying to talk to?  If you said the non-believer, you are correct.  Folks, I think one of the most abused words is Christian, which means "Christ-like".  Sometimes we will find people who call themselves Christians are not really walking with Jesus.  I know that all of us slip and fall from time to time, but if we are solid Christians, we will reach out even more for Jesus and keep going forward in His word.  It seems that even in churches people get to fighting about how things should be run.  Most often it comes to money, programs need cut, fund raising needs done.  Remember, folks, that first thing that needs done is the word of the Lord needs to be preached, spoken, and taught.  If the truth is being told, then the church should grow.  Growing up in the city of Harrisburg, I saw a lot of churches grow back in the 50's and then as neighborhoods started to mix, when our black brothers and sisters started moving in more and more, they were not invited to the big churches.  Then those churches started to fail, people started to move out of the city and go to other churches, the church buildings in the city fell into bad shape, some even fell down, the roofs falling in first, some burnt.  But some came back, and they came back in all their glory, because they became homes of BIBLE believing Christians of another color than us white folks.  Their music was different, more upbeat, they were alive, and full of Christ.  As I look back now I wonder how we were loving our neighbors and these things happened.  Folks, they are still going on, think about it.  How can we say today that we love all of our neighbors when today it seems to be worse than before but sometimes now in reverse?  Brothers and sisters, please love your God and love your neighbors, and folks, remember please who your neighbor is, but also please, please, remember this, remember who God is, He is indeed our Lord Jesus Christ.  And brothers and sisters, if you are really hated because of Jesus, wear it as a BADGE OF HONOR ... Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, please forgive us of our sins, help us to love all others, and help the pastors in Your churches remember that the church belongs to You, Lord, and we, we who are pastors are Your servants, and we are under You.  Help us teach, preach, and love on all who You put in front of us.  In the name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

Now go forth loving Jesus, and by all means sharing your blessings.  Love ya, Pastor Dan.  Read on, please!

Have little children in your family, or grandchildren?  Here is your chance to come right to the Southern Location of the North Pole and have those kids hear Santa and Mrs. Claus tell the story of the birth of Christ.  Of course you are welcome to stay also.  Opening Black Friday 10 to noon and 2 to 4.  Be one of the first ... complete schedule will be out soon ... be blessed, love ya, SANTA.