Presidents Day 2013 "Love"

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, and happy Presidents Day 2013.  Please do take some time today to remember the presidents that did so much good for this country.  Most of our presidents were pretty good, some were weak, and one seems to want to be trashing the constitution!  Think about it, pray about it.  Here is a question for you.  We have past presidents who are not buried in the United States.  Do you know who they are?

Today, being Monday, is the day we pray for our leaders and be sue to lift our president in your prayers and pray for  him and his family, please always pray for their soul first and also that they might take the work they do to God before bringing it to the public.  Please also pray today for veterans, for our current military, for police and firefighters, and right now the firefighters in Lancaster, PA, as they are out in the freezing weather fighting a big fire in row houses.  Pray for those who keep us safe and healthy.

Please pray for Joanne Fortney as she turns a year older.  you know me, I will never post the age of a woman so I cannot tell you that Joanne is 50.  I just cannot do that.  Love you, Joanne --

Speaking of love, that is the message that God is giving me, so I need to get started on it.

Love 2/18/2013 Day One.

Genesis 22:1 - Some time later God tested Abraham.  He said to him, "Abraham!"  "Here I am," he replied.  2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, who you LOVE, and go to the region of Moriah.  Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."  3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey.  He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac.  When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.  4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there, we will worship and then we will come back to you."  (NIV)

Now I typed out a lot of scripture, but this you need to do, get out your Bible and read for yourselves these scriptures ... Genesis 22:1/19

How far would you go to show your love of God?  In this scripture we see that God is testing Abraham's love for Him.  He has told Abraham to take his only son Isaac to a place and then build an altar to the Lord and sacrifice his very own son, his one and only son Isaac.  So Abraham followed the Lord's wishes as he loved the Lord very much, he loved him even more than his flesh and blood and one and only son.  Abraham had his son laying on the altar tied up and ready to cut him and sacrifice him when the angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven.  "Abraham, Abraham."  "Here I am," he replied.  "Do not lay a hand on the boy," He said.

Yes, brothers and sisters, you really need to read the scriptures, but the short of it is, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, his only son, to show his love for God.  God, through an Angel of the Lord, stopped him and showed him where a lamb was in the bushes for Abraham to sacrifice.

Now let me take a look at what God is giving me on this.  He has tested Abraham, and brothers and sisters, there are times that God will test us, He will call on us to work for Him and do things for Him like, well, feeding the hungry and taking the word of the Lord out and telling the good news.  God is not going ot ask any of us today to sacrifice one of our children for Him. The reason is, God sent His one and Only Son who was sacrificed for us.  Think about it.  Abraham had one son and God wanted Abraham to sacrifice that son.  God as we know sent His One and only Son to die for us.  This sacrifice, my dear brothers and sisters, ended all those other sacrifices that were done.

Now God placed a lamb in the bushes for Abraham to sacrifice for God, which Abraham carried out.  And our Lord Jesus is called, yes, "The Lamb of God."

John 1:29 - "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."  (NIV)

How much do you love the Lord, and what would you sacrifice for Him?  During this Lenten season, do you give up one thing for God?  Maybe one thing that we could all give up for our Lord who has saved us for our sins might be some of our time.  Spend more time in the word and spend more time in prayer.  It seems we always think of giving up things like food or something like that.  Well, in these busy times, maybe it is just some time, some added time we could spend with God.  Turn the TV off and just give up one extra half hour and spend it with God.  What do you think?

Dear Father in Heaven, thanks for the message of love this day.  Please, Lord, help us this day, and help us all answer the call when You call on us.  Please answer our prayers today according to Your will.  In Jesus' name, I pray.  Amen.

Now go forth in peace and let the God of peace in your life so He can travel with you, and please share your blessings.

Love ya, Pastor Dan.