Friday 5/7/13 Promises

Dear Father in Heaven, thanks for the rain and all the things that need the rain.  From Your hands the rain falls upon our fields and plants, thank You.  Forgive me of my sins, dear Lord, and thanks for dying for me, and thanks, Father, for raising Jesus from the dead so that I might also live forever.  Please, Lord, we have lots of prayer requests today.  For Barbara, Burt, Patsy, Dick, Curtis, and others who have been on our list, dear Lord, and for Elaine who broke her foot and a rib.  For Debbie Wallace who has been falling a lot and has broken her ankle.  For Grant Crockett who has damaged his hip, Lord.  They say a muscle has been pulled from the bone.  And for Miss Woo, a senior Yorkshire who has a lot of problems.  For Virginia, Father, who has heart and kidney problems.  Please, Lord, according to Your will, bless and heal them.  In Jesus' name, I pray.  Amen.

Pastor Dan's Safety Tip: When you first get into your car, adjust your seat and mirrors before you start to drive.  Ladies, your center  mirror is to be set to see out the back window, not your face so as to put on makeup.  Also, before you start to drive, the best safety tip a pastor can give you ... PRAY!  Ask God to protect you and help you with your driving.  (I have seen some of you drive, I will pray for you also.)

Brothers and sisters, Grant and Wanda were to be heading to Pittsburgh for the weekend, instead Grant hurt his hip and will be laid up for awhile.  Please pray for him, he is a very, very important part of Carry The Light Ministries Team.  You have seen the list as I prayed for them.  "Woo" is a K-9 who lives with Jen Quigley who heads up Yorkie Me Rescue.  Are you ready for some more promises from God?  I am, so let me get to the message.

Friday June 7, 2013 - Promises from God.

James 1:2 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to  him.  6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed in that wind.  7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is double-minded, unstable in all he does.  (NIV)

Here we find we are to consider it joy when we face trials of all kinds.  Trials here are not the courtroom type trials, but things that happen in our daily walk of life.  Family problems, money problems, putting food on the table problems, health problems, and I could go on and on.  And we are to find joy in all of this.  Yes, that is what the Bible tells us.  We are to consider it pure joy.  When all these things happen in our lives, it means we are being tested, our faith is being tested.  And as we rely on our faith in Christ we will become stronger and stronger in our witness for Him.  The Bible tells us we will develop perseverance, and that must happen for us to be mature and complete.

The Bible also tells us this, and here is the promise that comes from God.  If we lack wisdom we should ask for it and if we have faith and believe in God and that He will take care of us, in fact He will be very generous when He gives us that wisdom.  Again, God makes us this promise but we must have faith in Him to do it.

1 Timothy 1:15 - Here is a trustworthy saying, that deserves full acceptance:  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  Of whom I am the worst.  (NIV)

Here is the promise, brothers and sisters.  The Bible tells us that the saying or the promise is trustworthy.  "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."  Then the Bible goes on to say that of all the sinners I am the worst!!  Brothers and sisters, it is a great saying and a great promise that God The Father sent Jesus Christ into the world to save we sinners.  Now I ask you, do you think of yourself as "the worst?"  Or do you do it like this ... Wow, and I thought I was a sinner!  Or I know I am a sinner, but that guy really is a bad sinner.  Who's sin is the worst, one who lies or one who steals?  They are both sinners, and God will sort it out, both will be forgiven if they ask in faith.

Let me know, do you want to look at more promises from God next week?  There are a lot more of them.  Now go forth having a very blessed weekend and sharing those blessings.  Love ya, and you can pass that on.

Pastor Dan