Friday 9/20/13 Straight 5

Dear Father in Heaven, thank You very, very much for dying for me, for dying to take away my sins.  Please wash me clean today so I may go forth clean to serve You.  Thanks for all You do for me, as I am so unworthy and You love me so much.  Lord Jesus, I love You also, and I want to walk this day for You.  Please hold onto me so I might not slip and backslide, and please, if it is in Your will for me, please take away some pain so I can walk better.  Thanks for watching over my family and ministry team and all who use this line.  Now, Dear Father, if You would, please plant on my mind, heart, and soul the message and after that, may You put Your hand on it, anoint it, and dispatch it for me.  In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, as you can see, it is Saturday morning and I am just getting the Friday message out.  Don't know where yesterday went, but I do know we were out to hear some good gospel music up at the Duncannon Assembly of God Church.  The newest edition of the Couriers sang and they sounded great.  What talent God has loaned to these gentlemen.  In the meantime, the original Couriers, Dave, Duane, and Neil, are on the road in Canada on what is to be their final tour.  Anyway, it was a great evening, and everyone who came was surely blessed by God through the voices of Larry, Brett, and Tim.  As one door seems to be closing,  God will open wide other doors.  May God richly bless Larry, Brett, Tim, Dave, Duane, and Neil, and may all Christians carry on the good name and become Couriers of God's word in all they do spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Come on, let's go Straight!

Friday, September 20, 2013, Straight (Day 5).

Matthew 3:1 - In those days John The Baptist came, preaching in the desert of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near."  3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:  "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"  (NIV)

Matthew 3:13 - Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  14 But John tried to deter Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?  15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now, it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness."  Then John consented.  16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him.  17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is My Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased."  (NIV)

Matthew 4:17 - From that time on Jesus began to preach.  "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."  (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, if we want to make our paths straight, and as we talked earlier this week, to do this we must fix our eyes upon Jesus and keep walking STRAIGHT towards him.  That is not always easy for sinners such as us, but we can do it, we really can.  First, we need to be talking with Jesus, take time to put down the cell phone, stop texting, turn off the television and radio and talk to our Lord Jesus.  And the very next thing we need to do is "REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR."  I am quoting both Jesus and John the Baptist here on this scripture, and folks, I am telling you the same Good News.  Folks, soon we are going to see the return of our Lord Jesus.  He is going to be coming back for all of us who are indeed "Born Again."  All of us who have been washed in the blood.  Now I am going back and review something I wrote last week.  I pray you will go over these scriptures as they will indeed point you STRAIGHT toward Heaven.  Amen.

Who really needs a Plan of Salvation?  All of us!

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  (NIV)

Do sinners get paid?  Yes, they do, let's look!

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (NIV)

What must we do to get into heaven?  First, we need to repent of our sins.  Let's look!

Matthew 9:13 - "But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.  For I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners."  (NIV)

Matthew 4:17 - From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."  (NIV)

Why in the world would God want to save sinners?  People, He made and gave us freedom to rule over everything, gave us free will to do what we want.  So why?

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."  (NIV)

So as I said, there is a price to pay for our sins and that is death, look back up at Romans 6:23.  So then, who paid the price of our sins?  Let's take a good look at this.

Romans 5:8 - But  God demonstrates His own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (NIV)

So why must we go to Jesus for His Saving Grace?  Why not someone else?  Let's look it up.

John 14:6 - Jesus answered, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  NO ONE comes to The Father except through me."  (NIV)

So now we know all of this, what must we do?  Yes, back to the Bible, the inspired Word of God!

Romans 10:9 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."  (NIV)

Now, brothers and sisters, let us go STRAIGHT to God in prayer.

Dear Father in Heaven, we come to You this day, I come to You this day asking forgiveness of sins and for You to help make my path straight for You.  Help me keep my eyes fixed straight on You and Your road for me.  Help today all who ask.  Save us, Lord, save us, save me, Your unworthy servant Dan.  In Jesus' Name, I pray.  Amen.

Now go straight out and share your blessings and love on Jesus and others.  Love ya.  Pass that love on.  Pastor Dan.