Dear Father in Heaven: Thank You so much for another day of life here on earth. I love You, Jesus, and I appreciate all that You do for us. Please, dear Lord, be with Vicki and with the problem she is having at her apartment. Please place Your healing hand on Dolores, Barbara, Patsy, Burt, Patricia, Danelle, and if You will please carry a little bit of my pain so I can think better, I would appreciate it. Please, Lord, watch over our son Matthew, for we do not know where he is or how he is. Please, Lord, be with all those driving school buses today, as once again the schools in our area have dismissed early and put the kids in harm's way by sending them out onto that first inch of snow. Lord, please help educators stay in their fields and let the transportation people get the kids home. Watch over those big yellow buses this day. Please help me now with the message and then to get it dispatched. And Lord, it is Salvation Wednesday on our line, so please help us to bring in the lost for You. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, have you ever heard the statement that "the first inch is the slippery inch," when people are talking about snow? I hated it when the district thought we should send kids home early when a snow storm would come in during the day. You know, if schools would learn that it is best to let the salt trucks get out first and let it get worked in, then it would be safer for the buses. Now you have all heard about delayed starts and early dismissals, but I tried one time to have the schools set up a plan for a delayed dismissal. Wow, who wanted that and why? Gosh, we could have put the snow chains on the buses, it is law that they are carried in the bus, but they only work if they are installed. Also, why not let those salt trucks get on the roads first? And if worst comes to worst, so what if the kids were stuck in school for the night? Gosh, they have plenty of food and bathrooms and the kids could have played games and even get their homework finished. Novel idea? It is sort of like telling the schools to build their schedule around taking January off and going to school in June. Seems to me it is time to take another look at things. Oh, and if you early dismiss and send a five year-old home to an empty house, whose fault is that one? Anyway, I thanked God every day when that last bus got home and when the weather was bad, I would not leave my office until the drivers were safe home with the kids and the drivers had the bus back to the lot. Hey, if I would have needed to spend a night at the transportation building with a group of THE WORLD'S BEST SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS, SO BE IT. Oh, and so all of you know at Central Dauphin School District years ago, the bus fleet was TURNED OVER TO GOD!! Someone should shout amen on that one.
Okay, please be careful o the roads, and remember this, that the locked wheels point the way and you cannot steer your car if you have the brakes locked up. Take your time and drive your car. Now let me get to the message about temptation.
Salvation Wednesday: January 21, 2015: Temptation (Day Two)
Matthew 4:5 - Then the devil took Him to the Holy City and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If You are the Son of God," he said, "Throw Yourself down, for it is written: 'He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (NIV)
This happened a few years back when President William Clinton was in office. The Clintons were in a private passenger jet going on a short hop as both of them were speaking and honoring an Eagle Scout. The Eagle Scout was on board along with the Clintons and also the pilot of the private jet. The jet developed engine problems and it was for sure going down. There were only three parachutes on board the plane. President Clinton said, since I am the leader of the free world, I will take one of the chutes and jump. Mrs. Clinton said that since she is the smartest woman in America and maybe even the world she would be needed, so she also took a chute and jumped. The pilot then said to the Eagle Scout to take that last parachute and jump and he would try hard to land the plane. The scout said to the pilot that would not be needed as there were still two parachutes remaining. How is that, the pilot asked the young lad. Well, sir, it seems the world's smartest woman just jumped out of the plane with my backpack on her back. Why did I bring this up? I just wanted to lighten you up a minute or two.
As you can see in the scripture, our Lord Jesus was protected by angels all around Him, but still He was not going to test His Father, and neither should we test Him. There is only one time in scripture where we are told we can test the Lord on something, might you know what it is? It is in there, do you know where? Now, I do believe in praying, and I pray hard or I should say we pray hard every time we leave home and go on the road. I pray for God to watch over our home and our animals and to give us a safe out and safe back. I have faith God will do that if I do my part when it comes to that prayer. What is my part? Well, let me say this, when I get to a traffic signal and it is red or turning red, I stop. I am not going to run the light while asking God to protect me. There is an example in the Bible about just that. Do you know where that might be? Hint, you already read it today. I am also going to go on a tad farther and even check the traffic that might be coming the other way and might indeed run the red light. When you place yourself solid in the Lord's hands, that is good, but still do not tempt God and work as hard as You can at putting feet on those prayers.
How else do you get tempted each day and how do you respond to those temptations? Did you ever notice all the junk that is setting right by the checkout lines as you leave the food store? There are all those "trash newspapers." There are also candy bars and potato chips and cookies and all those things we are not to have.
The best way for you to handle temptation everyday is by staying in touch with Jesus, from the time you get up until the time you go to bed, stay online with Jesus.
How else did Satan try and tempt Jesus? How about answering the questions and we will talk about more temptations tomorrow.
Are you saved today? If Jesus were to return today, would you make it to heaven? In the house next door to ours, same street, right next door, this has happened twice. First case, the senior couple went out, don't know where they were going, but on the way home, within a mile of their home, they were killed in a traffic accident. Mr. was taken right away, Mrs. died several days later in the hospital. I was blessed to be able to go bedside with her and talk about salvation with her. Then my dear buddy Bob O'Brien purchased the home. Bob was born again, I had asked him many times. One day he was out working one of his "Blood Runs." He picked up blood, etc., at doctors' offices and took it to be tested, etc. A big pickup truck went out of control, crossed the highway and hit him head on. He went straight to Jesus. Are you ready if something like this would happen to You?
Jesus said in John 14:6 that He was/is the way and the truth and the life and no one would see the Father without knowing the Son. Yes, that is in my words, but that is the fact, folks. In Romans 10:9/10 it tells us that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and that He died on the cross for us and on the third day He was risen from the dead, we would be saved. Do you believe those things? Will you pray with me this sinners' prayer?
Lord, please forgive me of my sins, I do believe in Jesus and I love Him. I believe He died for me and was risen from the dead. Please save me, dear Lord. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.
Now go forth and share your blessings. Love ya. Please share my love also.
Pastor Dan
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