Thurs. 12/13/12 The Story 14

Dear Father in Heaven:  Again, again, Lord, You have blessed us, again today, You woke us, and Lord, that blessing was given to millions and millions people this day.  Today, Lord, You have furnished us air to breathe, clothes to wear, food to eat, and one beautiful day.  Thank You.  Thanks, Lord, for the things we forget to thank You for so often, and Lord, please watch over us, keep us going as we head toward our big day here at the ministry.  Lord, thanks to You we are ready, all honor and glory to You.  Now, Lord, please bless me with words to say in Your name to those on this line.  Lord, I pray, give thanks and make requests all in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

My dear brothers and sisters, please forgive me if I am late getting back to you on an email.  We have been a tad busy here at the Southern Location of the North Pole.  I also need to put together a new prayer request list.  Please let me know if you need prayers, and by all means, let me know if you have been blessed by a healing.  I sound like a broken record this week on telling you about our blessings, but I think it needs done.  This morning up early again and off to our food store where it was our day to pick up the bread that is left over from their bakery.  We received a large amount and with it a few pies and cakes.  When we get bread we always freeze it, except wen our freezers are full like right now.  Our one freezer is full of pies we have been freezing for two months.  We now have enough for each family coming on Saturday to have a pie for Christmas.  Now for those of you who have helped by supporting us, this is what the folks are getting this Saturday ...  Each family will receive five bags of groceries, most of which is canned food, mac and cheese, pasta, cereal, rice, stuffing, etc.  Plus at least five pounds of potatoes, larger families will get ten or twenty pounds and of course that turkey.  They will also receive cakes, pies, bread, fresh salad mix, some frozen veggies.  I wish all of you could see our food pantry.  It is under our home and fills what would be about a four-car garage.  The way our  home is built there is a large garage door to get in.  Now the neat part of this, listen to me on this, but first can you shout, PRAISE THE LORD?  Okay, the neat part is we have five shopping carts full of food, plus boxes and boxes of food that has come in since we packed.  In other word, not  like years before when the Christmas distribution is over, we will still have a good bit of food on the shelves.  This is exciting stuff, folks, it really is.

Also today Dolores and I suited up as Santa and Mrs. Claus and went to a Goddard School, where we sat with children and talked about the real meaning of Christmas.  Next week we have another Goddard School.  God is so good, both of these schools collect food for us.  Now I must get to the message.

The Story, Day 14.

Luke 2:4 - So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem to the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  (NIV)

I talked a tad yesterday about just now long this trip was, saying it would take at least three days.  Today I had ministry partner Pamela Bower check the miles between Nazareth and Bethlehem.  The distance according to Google Earth is 69 miles.  Now I want you to think about this again.  It is estimated that a woman with child can walk at 2.5 miles per hour.  Now we think that Mary was on the back of a donkey, the first time that Jesus would have been on that beast.  At that pace it would have taken about 28 hours and since they would have had to rest not just their own selves, but also the animals, it would take that long.  So  how long would it take today?  Folks, if one would get on a major road and travel that 69 miles they would make that trip in about one hour.  Think about it, brothers and sisters.

Now let me take you on a very short side trip.

Matthew 25:35 - "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat."  (NIV)

These are the words of Jesus, and telling us this.  What it means, my friends, and tomorrow I am going to devote the entire message on this ... it means how we help others on this earth is just the same as if we were helping Jesus.  So I want you to think about this ... If when we feed the hungry it is the same as if we were feeding Jesus, and I give you all the scripture on this tomorrow, but think about this.  If we do not help others, it would be the same as if we wee not working with Jesus.  So how do you help others?  Come back tomorrow and see this special message on helping others.

Have a blessed night.

Dear Father in Heaven, please carry us through this night and wake us again in the morning to serve You.  Help those whose names are just coming forth that need Your touch.  Rest us down now, Lord.  In Jesus' name, I pray.  Amen.

Go forth sharing those blessings.

Love ya, Pastor Dan.