Dear Father in Heaven: I love You. Please forgive me of my sins. Thank You for the blessings of this day, and thank You for air conditioning in our earthly home. Thanks for making our home a home, for without You, dear Lord, it would just be a house. Praise You, Jesus, for the great news on Ken McNelis, and Your hand being upon him. Please be with all those who travel, and Lord, be with Leann as she is in the air right now. Lord, be with all Your people, and we pray again for Matthew that he will return to You. Lord, please help us find the lost and bring them to Your feet to be saved. Be with Pastor Tim and Melody as they pastor in Indiana, PA. Lord, be with Pastor Larry and Glenvale Church as they ready for Vacation Bible School. Be with families, and Lord, please help me with the message of today and then help me to dispatch it. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen. And Lord, please, according to Your will for me, relieve me of some pain. In Jesus' Name, I pray, thank You. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, it is Wednesday, and that means it is Salvation Wednesday on this line. I have been calling Wednesdays Salvation Wednesday for a long time. I would love to see a church, a church that has Wednesday evening services, call them "Salvation Wednesday Service." I just think we need to really get the message about Salvation out more and more and one way to get it out is to start working it into scheduling. At one time the midweek service was called "prayer meeting." Anyone remember those days? Praise report, Ken is sitting up in his hospital bed eating. The missionary group mentioned earlier in the week is having a successful week in Haiti. Other updates as I receive them. Now to the message.
Salvation Wednesday: July 2, 2014, Blessed (Day Two)
Psalm 1:1 - Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, please remember that man is mankind, meaning man and woman. The Bible tells us we are blessed if we do not stand with those who are wicked or sinners or mockers, in other words we should not be standing with or associating with the "ungodly." However, we do need to talk with them about Salvation, but not hang out with them as you are trying to win them to Christ. Lots of times you can plant a seed or a spark about our Lord just by the way you live your life. Let's look at more scripture.
Psalm 33:10 - The Lord foils the plans of nations; He thwarts the purposes of peoples. 11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. 12 BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD IS LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance. 13 From Heaven the Lord looks down and sees ALL mankind, 14 from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth. (NIV)
What a great scripture this is as we celebrate Independence Day this week. Look in verse 10. The Lord can mess up the best laid plans of nations, and that would be ALL nations, including America. In verse 11, it is plain to see that the plans of the Lord stand firm, and for how long do His plans stand firm? FOREVER. The purposes of His heart through all generations. To me that means that the Love that came from The Father, through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit which is a person, comes from the heart. Do you have that love of God coming from your heart and going to everyone? Even if they hate you? In verses 13 and 14, it tells us that God can look down and see all mankind. That should scare us straight, so to speak.
Now I want to repeat verse 12 in full.
Psalm 33:12 - BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD IS LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance. (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, if we want to be a Blessed Nation, a really Blessed Nation, we need to not just be concerned about the saying "In God We Trust" on our money or buildings. We need to not just be concerned about "One Nation UNDER GOD" being in our pledge to our flag. We need to believe it and act like we care. What the heck good does it do to say "In God We Trust" if we really do not trust in God for our everyday living? Answer that one for me, please. We have leaders in Washington, DC, and all over our great nation, who lay their hand on a Bible and take an oath but then do not carry out what is in that very book that they put their hand on. Oh, yes, support our Constitution they might do, but forget about those laws of god Whose Word you just had your hand on. I want to write in a song, and yes, please sing it with me. It was written by Irving Berlin. The name of the song is "God Bless America."
"When the storm clouds gather far across the sea, let us pledge allegiance to a land that's free. Let us all be grateful for a land that's fair, as we raise our voices in a solemn prayer."
"God, PLEASE bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above. From the mountains to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam. God, PLEASE Bless America, my home sweet home. God, PLEASE Bless America, my home sweet home."
"God, PLEASE bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above. From the mountains to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam. God, PLEASE Bless America, my home sweet home. God, PLEASE Bless America, my home sweet home."
I do pray today that Mr. Berlin does not mind, but I changed one word in the preamble from Swear to Pledge. Then in the beautiful verses I added the word "Please," and as you sing it you will find it fits well. I believe it is time, way past time, when we should start saying please. One of the first things I remember my dear mamma teaching me was to say "please" and "thank you." We say it over and over again. We tell people to have a nice day, but what about The One who made us, and The One who made this great nation we call America? Should we not be saying and singing praise? We are so blessed in this country and it seems like we just think everyone owes us something. No, we owe it all to God, so it is time we say please, thank You, and have a nice day, to God.
One last scripture today:
Psalm 118:26 - Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. (NIV)
If we in the United States of America would come in the name of the Lord, and I mean all together come in the name of the Lord, we would be so blessed as a nation. For those blessings will flow from the House of the Lord, or from Heaven. But folks, if we do not do it as a nation, we can each do it, for it does say he, again each of us. So as we depart today, will you come with me in the name of the Lord right now just to sign off.
Dear Father, please hear us as we come to You in the Name of our Lord Jesus asking forgiveness of the way we act, and asking that You PLEASE bless us and this nation. Thank You. In The Name of Jesus, I Come. Amen.
Now go forth and share your blessings. Love ya, and yes, please pass on my love to others.
Pastor Dan
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