Wednesday 10/23/13 Waste 2

Dear Father in Heaven:  Thanks for a great day, thanks for safety on the  highway, thanks for family and friends, and Lord, please forgive me of my sins and please keep watch over our families and over our ministry team and over this line and all who use it.  Lord, on this Wednesday that we call Salvation Wednesday, help us to always remember that only You can save the lost and that we are indeed needed and even commanded by You to help bring in the lost.  I pray today for the saved and the unsaved, for our friends and also those who might hate us.  Lord, use us on this line who are saved to bring in the lost.  And Jesus, thanks for dying for me, I am sure unworthy, but I really do appreciate that You did this for all of us.  Now, dear Father, please help me with the message and then, please, help me get it dispatched.  In Jesus' name, I pray.  Amen.

Brothers and sisters, another beautiful day here at the Southern Location of the North Pole.  For you new folks coming on the line, the Southern Location of the North Pole is at 16 Dewalt Dr., Mechanicsburg, PA, 17050.  Also, so you know, you are welcome to send in prayer requests, and we send them out for all to pray over.  I do not list the people over and over each day.  Updates on those we are praying for would be appreciated.  Please keep praying for the Saylor family, the Emigs,and I do not know how I missed this one, but please pray today for school bus drivers.  This is school bus safety week, and as you all know, I believe that school bus drivers are some of the best drivers on the road today.  Remember when those lights on the bus are red, you must stop.  Yes, there are a few times you may pass going the other way, but the highway must be divided and with a barrier in the middle.  When I had school bus drivers working under my charge at Central Dauphin School District, I would tell them that if a truck driver dumps a load of eggs, they can go back and get more.  People cannot be replaced.  God blessed me with good drivers.  In the 24 years I was in charge, there was NOT ONE student hurt in a school bus accident.  ALL HONOR AND GLORY FOR THAT GOES TO GOD, ALL OF IT.  THANK YOU, JESUS.  Look, I am wasting time now so it is time for me to get to the message.

John 6:12 - When they had all had enough to eat, He said to His disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over.  Let nothing be wasted."  (NIV)

Mark 6:41 - Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves.  Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people.  He also divided the two fish among them all.  42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.  44 The number of men who had eaten was five thousand.  (NIV)

John 17:1 - After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed, "Father, the time has come.  Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.  (NIV)

A lot of years ago I was sitting in a church when the pastor tried to explain the miracle of the feeding of five thousand that all sat down together and shared their packed lunches.  I just do not understand why some people will read the Bible and believe some of it and then not other parts.  As I have told all of you, I believe my Bible from the first words to the very last.  If you are one who tells there is just no way that Jesus fed five thousand with five loaves and two fish and then had leftovers, then how can you believe that you will be saved if you truly love Jesus?

You will notice that I have reused one scripture from yesterday.  John 6:12 brings out so much about how nothing should be wasted.  Today I tie the waste together with the miracle of the five loaves and two fish.  The disciples picked up twelve baskets full of leftovers.  Today I made veggie soup, in fact it is cooking as I am typing, and it will be cooking all night on very low heat.  I made a lot of it.  I had the stock back from a ham dinner we had some time ago, and I carved up another ham today so there would be meat in the veggie soup.  After carving down the ham I took the bone out for the stray cats to eat at.  The trimmings from the veggies went into the goat pen.  I tried not to waste anything.  Over the years I have gone to a lot of those "all you can eat" places.  I have watched some families go up and load a plate (parents and kids) and go back and eat a few bites and then it gets pitched and they go back up and get more and more.  I just cannot believe how much food gets wasted in this great nation.  To me it is a sin and a shame to do that.  I just wonder how many tears God sheds each day when He sees what gets wasted, when so many people have nothing.  When I was a child, what went on my plate I had to eat and I did not leave the table until my plate was empty.  I do confess to putting some under the table from time to time for our dog.

Speaking of putting food down to the dog, I must tell you this story.  I was about six, and I came home from school and got the key out of the milk box and went into the house.  Mom had made some fresh ham spread and had it in a dish in the fridge.  I found it and I was hungry so I got out two pieces of bread, put some mayo on it and all of that leftover ham spread.  When Mom came home from work about a half hour later she asked me, "Danny, did you feed Mickey?"  Mickey was our dog!  I said no.  She then asked, "what happened to that little dish of dog food that was in the fridge?"  Yes, folks, I ate the dog food, and that is a true story.

Okay, getting back to the message.  I used other scriptures today.  They show how Jesus prayed.

John 17:1 - After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed, "Father, the time has come.  Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You."  (NIV)

Mark 6:41 - Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven He gave thanks and broke the loaves.  (NIV)

God pointed this one out to me because it talks about the time has come.  Tomorrow I will shift gears in the time is coming,but today I want you to look at something.  Over the years I often prayed looking up and even with my hands raised in praise, but looking toward heaven.  I was questioned on that years ago and pointed out that is the way Jesus prayed.  As a child like most kids I was taught to bow my head, close my eyes, and fold my hands.  Folks, I am bringing this out, so that as you talk to your children and grandchildren, and also in your own prayers, we need to be reverent when we speak to God, but folding your hands, closing your eyes, and bowing, are not needed.  What is needed is that you talk to Jesus and you listen for Him to answer.

Dear Father, teach us to pray, and help us understand that it is talking to You, and not the way our body is when we pray.  Teach us also to listen.  Anoint us now to do Your work.  In Jesus' name, I pray.  Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings.  Love ya, and please pass that on.  Pastor Dan