Palm Sunday 3/29/15 The Great Entry!

Dear Father in Heaven: I love You and I want You to know You are welcome in our home anytime and more so all the time. Send the Holy Spirit over us, Lord, over me, Lord, and put me on fire for You. I want people to look at me and see Jesus in the way I walk, talk, work, live, and love. Please help me repent of all my sins and turn my back on evil and walk away from it, all the time. Lead me away from all temptation and protect me from the evildoers. Lord, please bless all families and friends, and all who use and support this line and use and/or support Carry The Light Ministries. Please, Lord, protect this line and keep it open to do Your work. Please help me always use Your Word, the complete truth as found in my Bible. Please help me now with the message and then to get it dispatched. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Brothers and sisters, I am excited about the events of this week. While it will be very busy, neat things are happening with Carry The Light Ministries. On Wednesday we are invited to the ribbon-cutting of the home that has been rebuilt by the Volunteers of America which we are standing with to stock the cupboards with food. The homes will go to homeless veterans. After praying about this mission, we are going to step out in faith and have committed to being with Volunteers of America across the state of Pennsylvania. We understand that it will be about 100 homes. Please pray for the missions of Carry The Light Ministries. On Friday, I have been invited to give the message at Kinkora Retirement Home in Perry County. Our ministry team will be going as we are going to do a complete service including communion. You are welcome, service time is 2:00 PM.

Okay, time to get to the message, The Great Entry.

Palm Sunday: March 29, 2015: The Great Entry (Day One)

Luke 19:30 - "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'why are you untying it?' tell him, "The Lord needs it.'" (NIV)

How would you like to be going to town and get a great welcome? I can remember back, and not all that far back, when our military came home from Desert Storm, and how they were welcomed with large parades. This, if you recall, was the first Gulf War, and how our military was treated as heroes. And "Stormin' Norman" General Norman Schwarzkopf could have run for president and won hands down. Fast forward and now if you have seen the news our military men and women are being put on "hit lists" for standing up for America. Well, as we look at some of the events of this most Holy Week on a Christian calendar, it started out as a hero's welcome for our Lord Jesus.

If you look at what was told to the two disciples (unnamed in the Bible), you could tell that only God could look ahead and have details worked out so well. Jesus did not want a horse, or donkey, but a donkey colt that was never used. A virgin, dare I say. This was His choice to ride into Jerusalem. If you get a chance to look at a donkey, be sure to look for the "cross on its back." Yes, there is a cross on the back of donkeys, all of them. But this is not about the donkey, it is about the welcome our Lord Jesus got as He had this Great Entry into Jerusalem.

The entry started when His disciples found the colt exactly as Jesus said and brought him back. The disciples took off their cloaks and put them on the donkey and then Jesus got up on the donkey for the ride into town. People lined the streets and placed their cloaks on the road, some laid palm branches on the road, others ran ahead waving the palm branches and saying ...

Luke 19:38 - "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest!" (NIV)

Also shouted by people ahead of and following Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem - "Hosanna!" "Hosanna!"

Mark 11:8 - Many people spread their cloaks on the road while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" 10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!" 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve. (NIV)

So Jesus received a hero's welcome, and we should be rejoicing for Jesus each and every day, not once in awhile, but we should shout it out and let the world know we love Jesus.  WELL, GLORY! GLORY!! You need to get that out of you, for if you get one of those Glories stuck in you it could hurt you. How about we end today with a prayer and a song of praise?

Dear Father in Heaven, we give You praise and honor today and everyday. We praise You for all things, we praise You for this line. We honor You and we want to glorify You. We lift You high today in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings and keep on shouting praises for our Lord. Love ya. Please share my love also.

Pastor Dan