Sunday 3/8/15 The Cross (1)

Dear Father in Heaven: I love You, and I want to thank You for going to the cross for me. Thanks, Lord, for clearing me of my sins. I pray that on this Sunday there is a great Harvest of souls for You this day and many will come to You to be saved. Lord, please be with Patsy and also Burt. Help Patsy as she works to bring others to Your feet, even as she is in a nursing home. Lord, I pray for all of our leaders, starting with President Obama, as we start a new week, Lord. I pray for our veterans and all of our current military regardless of where they serve. I pray for our police officers, Lord, and I ask that You protect them. Lord, please be with all firefighters and first responders, Lord. And I pray today for pastors that they might preach and teach the compete truth from the Bible and don't get involved in being politically correct. I pray that I do a better job of walking with You and working for You and that means I need to do a better job of repenting of my sins. Help me to repent and walk nearer and nearer with You. Please, Lord, help me with the new message series and then help me to get it dispatched. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Brothers and sisters, what a beautiful day here at the Southern Location of the North Pole, just beautiful. It is nearly 50 degrees after being -1 yesterday morning. God is good, and God is in control, and I LOVE IT! Today after we had church in our living room, I made hamburger steak, mashed potatoes, and some veggies for our Sunday noon meal. Did you know that a hamburger steak is a hamburger without the bun? Tomorrow, potato pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Fried mashed potatoes with maple are better than regular pancakes. I could go on and on about food, for I love to cook. Let me get to the message as we start a new series, "The Cross."

Sunday: March 8, 2015: The Cross (Day One)

Luke 9:23 - Then He said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it." (NIV)

What does it really mean that if we want to follow Jesus we must take up our cross daily? Some people might look at this and think they need to get some lumber, build a cross and each day pick it up and drag it wherever we go. That is not at all what this means. What it really means is we must deny things for ourselves and we must walk in the light of Jesus and follow Him. This means we must put Jesus first in our lives and live and breathe just that. Oh yes, we must love all others, but nothing, I said nothing, must be put ahead or even equal to our Lord Jesus. So there are going to be times we are going to need to do some things that we might not really want to do. And we must do these things daily. Jesus is telling us that whoever wants to save his life will lose it. What does that really mean? Just this, before you were "Born Again," you had a completely different lifestyle. That will change once you truly come to Jesus. If you think you can come to Jesus, and I mean really come to Jesus, call upon Jesus to come into your heart and you are not going to change, THINK AGAIN. If you claim to be "Born Again" but are still living your old lifestyle, then you are not "Born Again."

"For whoever wants to save  his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." So we give up our lives as we know it now, and we save our lives from the fires of Hell!! That's what I'm talking about, brothers and sisters. Do we want to live just a life here on earth and then just end it by going to hell? Or do you want to pick up your cross daily, ask Jesus into your heart and save yourself to be able to live in Heaven with Jesus? I have made up my mind, HAVE YOU?? Right now you can come to the cross of Jesus, and confess yourself over to Him and then pick up your cross and go to work for Him. What will it be??? Are you ready to do it today?? How about right now? Listen, The United Methodist Church cannot save you, the Baptist Church cannot save you, the Catholic Church cannot save you. The Church of God cannot save you, the pastors of those churches cannot save you, Reverend Billy Graham cannot save you. Pastor Larry, Pastor Bob, Pastor Phil, Pastor Dave, Pastor Dan cannot save you, but I know a man who can. YES, I KNOW A MAN WHO CAN. His name is Jesus. I SAID HIS NAME IS JESUS, and He died for you. He went to the cross for you. Now will you carry your cross for Him? Will you join me now? Will you pick up your cross and follow Jesus starting right now?

Dear Father in Heaven: According to Your word as found in Romans 10:9/10 we need to confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that You died on the cross and were risen from the dead. Well, Lord, I confess that I am a sinner and I do believe that You died on the cross taking my sins with You to the grave. I believe You were risen from the dead, and I want to be in Heaven someday and until that day I want to work for You. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings. Love ya. And please share my love.

Pastor Dan