Wed. 1/2/13 New Birth

Good afternoon, my dear brothers and sisters.  What a great day.  Dolores and I just got back from going out for her birthday dinner.  She has warned me not to tell anyone she is 78 today so I will not tell you.  She really does not care if people know her age.  So here we are in a brand new year and for the first time since we have had a food pantry out of our home, we are starting out the year with food on the shelves.  Not just a little food, but well-stocked.  I sort of find it amusing, all the places that hit the news showing what they are doing to help the  hungry at Christmas.  They are shown dipping out a free dinner to the homeless or the needy.  I keep thinking to myself, "self," people need to eat year round and more than once a day.

As I start this new year, I want to get back to addressing all of you and listing our prayer requests up front.  For the past six months I was opening in prayer and losing track of the prayer requests coming in.  So starting with a clean slate today, the only prayer request I am going to place today is to pray for the unsaved.  I am also asking all of you to pray for those who have authority over us in Washington, DC.  Some of them will be on both of those prayer lists, I would think.  Yes, I think it is time we pray for our leaders to, well, GROW UP!!  Once again I say if our leaders would get back in step with God then our nation would be better off.  Seems when we get a good God-fearing and God-loving man running for office, the Christians in our country cannot get past the denomination issue and vote for that God-fearing person.  It also seems that they worry more about getting a government handout than following the Bible and just living for today and living it with Jesus.  Okay, let me get started with a new message for a new year.

And please keep sending those prayer requests, and please let us know when the prayers are answered.

New Year -- New Birth:

John 3:3 - In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."  4 How can a man be born when he is old?  Nicodemus asked.  "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."  6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'"  (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, I sometimes think that the two words that scare some "so-called Christians" the most are the words "Born Again."  I have had people come to me over the years and say, "Dan, are you a Christian?"  And of course the answer is yes.  Then they ask me, are you one of those "Born Again" Christians?  And again I say yes, and then I tell them if they are not "born again" they are indeed NOT A CHRISTIAN.  Sorry, folks, the only way I know to tell you is to put it to you in the words of Jesus.  Hey, I don't make the rules.  The Bible is very clear, we must be "born again."  That  means we are born once of flesh, you know our mother was pro-life and delivered us.  Then when we come to Jesus, when we FULLY come to Him and we invite Him into our hearts, and we ask to be forgiven of our sins, and we are not just playing around, we ask in faith, and folks, trust me when I say this, ours is a "faith-based religion."  Our love for Jesus is based on our faith in Him.  While, brothers and sisters, we might try and fool some folks here on earth, we just cannot fool our Lord Jesus.  That is why we have what is called a "personal relationship" with Jesus.  A personal relationship with Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  It means we do not need anyone else to talk to about our relationship with Jesus; however, it is always good to have good, and I mean good, Christians around us so that we can hold each other accountable in case one of us might want to wander and drift away to help bring us back.

I wonder how many churches have people in the church besides the pastor who are willing to sit down with new folks coming to church and really talk to them, one on one, about Jesus.  I mean all of us, all of us need a good place to take on fuel, and I am not talking here about the gasoline filling station, I am talking about the fuel you need in your soul to keep you walking each day with Jesus.  You would think a pastor could take care of this, but sometimes one does not want to talk to the pastor but just another lay person.  Also some pastors, and I hate to say this, either do not have the time or do not take the time to talk to people when they are coming to church the first time or who are starting to drift.  I wonder how many churches make calls to folks if they did not see them in church.  Let me put my name in this story.

Hi, my name is Dan and I go to the United Methodist Church of the Lutherans and Brethren Baptist, of the Church of God at the Assembly of those who love God Independent Church.   (Hey, did I miss many?)  I notice you have been coming to church for a long time now and we have not seen you in about three weeks. We were wondering if you have been sick.  No, you are okay, you say, then would you be so kind to share with me why you are not coming anymore?  Did someone upset you?  What I am getting at is that someone from the church needs to follow up on why someone who once came to church all of a sudden stopped coming.  Instead, a lot of churches have "in-fighting" and that causes a split in the church and some pack up and leave.  The church belongs to Jesus and never forget that!!

Today, today, this first real workday of this brand new year, is a great time to start out with a new birth in the Spirit, or in the words of our Lord Jesus, to be "Born Again."  It is also a great day to renew in Christ if we have drifted somewhat.  And/or it is a great day just to come to the Lord and confess our sins and start out NEW AGAIN in a new year.  Do you know there are people in the world today that are lost and they do not even know they are lost?  They might have one of those map things that you can buy that give you directions to get from point A to point B and they use it daily, and those same people, some of which might not even have a Bible, yet the Bible will give you better directions than any of those things you buy so that you do not get lost.

Let me tell you right now, if you do not have Jesus in your heart, if you have not been "Born Again," then you are lost, my brothers and sisters, you are just plain lost.  So on this second day, the first work day, of a brand new year, will you join me in asking God to start us out clean of sin, and brothers and sisters, if you have no idea what I am talking about when I say "Born Again," please call me.  I will list my phone numbers for you again.  We have a food pantry here at the house and we feed the bodies of lots of families, but brothers and sisters, if we have not FED THEIR SOULS then we have not done the job Jesus wants us to do.  Will you join me now, and let's get this year started right, and I can only lead you on this one, I cannot pray it for you.  It is between you and our Lord Jesus ...

Dear Father in Heaven, Please forgive me of my sins, I want to start this day off walking with Jesus and I want to be clean of sins.  Wash me white, dear Lord.  Then set my feet on a path that walks with You daily. I love You, Lord Jesus, and I do want to be Born Again.  I want to be washed in the Spirit, I want to be set free from Satan and his evil forces.  I want to live my life from now on as a real Christian, a follower of Jesus.  And I ask and pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Now, brothers and sisters, go forth and walk with Jesus, and share your blessings, and if you need help understanding what it is to be "Born Again," I will do my best to help you, and I will also refer you to a church if you need one, where the Lord Jesus is in charge.  I love you, and it is important to me, and all of us in Carry The Light Ministries, to feed both the body and the soul ...

Love ya, Pastor Dan.
home - 771 691 8200
cell - 717 991 0754 (please try the home phone first)
If you need food help, please call.