Wednesday 9/3/14 Surrendering

Dear Father in Heaven:  Thanks for another day.  I love You.  Please forgive me of my sins.  Please, Father, help me with the messages and help me to dispatch them.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, welcome to fall.  As I travel forth with what we call new beginnings, for awhile I want to relate a few things that happened along the way.

Salvation Wednesday:   September 3, 2014, Surrendering to Jesus

Matthew 4:18 - As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.  They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  19 "Come, follow me,"  Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."  20 At once they left their nets and followed Him.  (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, it is Salvation Wednesday and the day that we try our very best to lead others to Jesus.  But before we go into the Fields of Harvest for Jesus we need to surrender ourselves completely to Jesus.  We see in our scripture for this day that when Jesus called Peter and Andrew they at once gave up their nets and surrendered to Jesus.  What did they surrender?  They surrendered themselves to Jesus.  What have you surrendered unto Him, who died for us?

Let me tell you a story of something that happened along the way to us.

We, Carry The Light Ministries, were singing in Lebanon, PA, at Cedar Haven Retirement Home.  At the end of all concerts I would give a call for Salvation, a chance for those in front of us to come to Jesus.  On this day, after talking to them about what is in the Bible about Salvation, and told them about John 3:16, John 14:6 and Romans 10:9/10, then we started singing the old hymn "I Surrender All."  As we were singing the chorus, Dolores was at the piano, which was off to my right and down on the floor.  Pam and I were up on the stage and we were singing our hearts out.  Pam had her eyes shut, hands raised to the Lord as she was singing and surrendering to Jesus even more than before.  I had my eyes open and was singing when this dear lady in the front row was singing all she could sing, "I surrender all, I surrender all, All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all," when her teeth came out and slid up toward the stage.  My dog, Martin Martin Sr., who was with us, looked at those teeth like, here comes lunch.  I watched as I went on singing.  Then it hit me, I tried to hold back the laugh, for I was thinking, "This dear sweet lady just surrendered her teeth unto the Lord."  I had tears in my eyes from laughing under my breath.  An RA came and got the teeth, before Martin Martin could get them.  Sometimes things happen that are great to share and I could also use it over and over again to witness for our Lord Jesus.

This lady surrendered her teeth to the Lord!!  What have you surrendered to Him?  Your whole self, I pray.  Anyway, let me end today by singing that chorus together.  I surrender all, I surrender all.  All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.  Oh, yes, I surrender all, I surrender all.  All to Thee,my blessed Savior, I surrender all.  Come on folks, surrender to the Lord.  Pray with me, please.

Dear Lord, again I surrender to You my thoughts and sins and come to You fully whole.  Please forgive me and place my name into the Lamb's Book of Life.  I love You, Lord.  In Jesus' Name, I pray.  Amen.

The story is true, folks, and it happened to us along the way.  Now go forth and share your blessings (not your teeth).  I love ya.

Pastor Dan