Thursday 12/4/14 Waiting 4

Dear Father in Heaven:  I love You very much.  Thanks so much for covering our sins, mine and all others who just ask.  Thanks for the beautiful addition to the Crockett family today.  Thanks so much for traveling with us this day and keeping us safe.  Thanks for watching over this line.  Please, Lord, watch over those coming on Saturday to help pack food for the food pantry.  Lord, please bring peace in this world.  Lord, I pray people will soon understand that there is only one race and that we just came in different colors and we are all children of God, Your children, Lord.  Help us all to understand that.  Dear Lord, please bless me now with another message and then to get it into the hands of others.  In Jesus' Name, I pray.  Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, we would like to congratulate Grant and Wanda Crockett on the arrival of their very first "great grandchild."  Little "Emma Marie Baughman" checked in at 2:21 PM today.  She is the daughter of their granddaughter Toshia, who is the daughter of their daughter Tonia.  Everyone is in good health, except Grant, who has received about 20 new gray hairs.  I saw a picture and she is beautiful and of course like the rest of us, she was made in the image of God.

On Tuesday Dolores and I received word that we will be having our 9th great grandchild.  No worries, all my hair is gray.  I know because I checked my brush where most of my  hair seems to be lately.

When I looked at the first picture of that baby today and saw how beautiful it was, I just can't understand how anyone wants to abort such a great work of God.  Please pray for "Emma Marie."

I also received this prayer request today.  Please pray for Brian and Amy Sansoni as their 13-year-old daughter Vivian passed away.

Thursday:  December 4, 2014:  Waiting (Day Four)

Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.  30 And those He predestined, He also called those He called, He also justified those He justified, He also glorified.  31 What, then, shall say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  32 He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all -- how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?  33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  It is God who justifies.  34 Who is He that condemns?  Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (NIV)

God pointed me to this scripture for today.  I love this scripture, one of those on my most loved scripture list.  On a day when we pray for the life of a newborn and the home-going of a young girl in her first year as a teenager.  (I have no idea why this teenager passed away.)  Some people look at this scripture and say only this or quote it like this:

Romans 8:28 - "All things come together for good."  That, my dear brothers and sisters, is NOT the scripture.  Try telling the parents of that 13-year-old whose daughter has just passed away that this is going to be a good thing.  Now it just might become a good thing, but one really must be willing to "WAIT" on the Lord for this to occur.  We need to look at the complete scripture.  "All things God works for the good of those who love Him, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE."  This is why, this is why we must "fall in love with Jesus" and teach our children and others, as commanded by God to do, to Fall in Love with Jesus."  We do pray this day that the teenager did love the Lord, and I do pray that the parents come closer to God because of this and not go in the other direction.  Again, if all involved in this love God, God will work it for the good.

I want to relate to you this very short story.  Years ago, after I left the school district and then started working "full time" for the Lord, yes, I was still a sinner, but now working "full time" for the Lord.  My first wedding and my first funeral was my dear brother Leonard.  My second funeral was a graveside service for one-day-old twins.  The parents and grandparents were at the funeral, along with the funeral home folks and a few others.  While the twins were born at about one pound each, they passed away, then this happened.  First I was called for the funeral because no other pastor would do it, for the parents were not married, nor did they attend any church.  I myself called several of our "big churches," one where I attended for years and I asked for a pastor who was on staff to handle this for me.  I was turned down flatly and I just told you why.  My message that day at the cemetery was all about Salvation.  The babies, those tiny twins, went right to heaven.  They were home with Jesus, so I took time to talk to the parents and grandparents and told them if they ever want to spend time with their offspring, they had to be "Born Again."  On that day, at a cemetery on the hill in Middletown, PA, at least six people, the father, mother, and both sets of grandparents prayed the sinner's prayer with me and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  I also talked to them about finding a good church where the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached and practiced.  Now this was one time when I could see Romans 8:28 coming into play right then and there.  Think about this, how there is rejoicing in heaven when one lost soul is saved when one sinner comes home.  Here at this gravesite six lost souls came to Christ.  Rejoicing in Heaven that day?  I believe so, and after I tried to find a pastor with experience to handle this funeral, I also learned that day that "God wanted me to handle that service."  I did not know these kids, meaning the parents of the day-old twins, but I will remember the last name, for it was "Lehman," no relation of mine.  When God calls us into service for Him, we must be ready to handle what He sends our way, and we must do it without question.  Please take time to read and reread the scripture from Romans starting with 8:28 and read it to the end of Chapter 8.  I will be working with it again tomorrow, as we wrap up our series on Waiting.

While I have been talking to you this week about "WAITING" and waiting upon the Lord, please note that sometimes that wait can be long, and other times it can come really fast.  Also please remember that it works the same with God when it comes to us, there are times He waits and waits for us, but I think He really rejoices when He calls on us and we do not make Him wait at all.  What do you think?

Tomorrow, how about online communion?    I think it is time, so please bring your bread and juice to the table with you.  Now go forth and share your blessings, and know that Jesus loves you and I love ya also.  Please share that love with others.

Pastor Dan