Sunday 4/12/15 Feed 'em (1)

Dear Father in Heaven: I love You and I give You thanks and glory for two just wonderful days. Thanks for the events of Saturday and also this Sunday thus far. Thanks for watching over families, all families, and thanks for watching over me. Thanks for the wonderful meals each day. Please be with all those who have been on our prayer list and take care of them. Please be with President Obama and his family. Please take care of our veterans, current military, police, firefighters, and all first responders, and all those who work hard to keep us healthy. I pray that all on that list are "Born Again" and that if they are not that You would use me and what I write to help get people to Your feet. Please furnish me with a message that will do just that and help me to get it dispatched. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, it has been perfect weather here at the Southern Location of the North Pole, just perfect. I pray all of you are well this day and that you have been to church, had church in front of your TV and/or in some way been talking to our Lord, as in praying, and rest easy knowing that He will answer those prayers. I am going to break away from "It Happened Along the Way" for a few days as our Lord God through the power of the Holy Spirit has planted a couple other subjects on my mind.

Sunday: April 12, 2015: Feed 'em (Day One)

Proverbs 22:9 - A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. (NIV)

On Saturday evening Dolores and I went out for a church supper. Really different for us going out in the evening, but Hope United Methodist Church was serving up chicken pot pie and I love chicken pot pie. I have been there in the past and their food is always done right. Really good stuff.

So I would like to ask you this question today. What if Jesus were to stop in to your home, what would you feed Him? Well, again we have our Bibles and we know when He comes back He is not coming to eat, He is coming for His bride, His church. But I ask you, would we not feed our Lord the very, very best of everything? Good fresh food, great things, maybe even just butchered meats? So why here in America so often, when we are dealing with the poor and needy, we do NOT "feed 'em" the best? As you are aware, we, Carry The Light Ministries had and STILL HAS a food pantry to help others. We have over the years tried hard to "feed 'em" good things and not outdated items. After sitting last night and eating that great pot pie and then today sitting around our table eating homemade scrapple and fresh eggs, God planted on my mind about feeding others like we would feed Him.

Over the years we have run many food drives, and while there were a lot of them who do a great job getting food, only one place over the years had always furnished us with NO outdated food. That is Saint Joseph's Catholic School in Mechanicsburg, PA. Some of our food drives we have collected food with some outdated over ten years, yes, ten years outdated! People tend to "clean out their cupboards" and donate it to food drives. I have seen with my own eyes jars of half eaten peanut butter in food drives making us check each jar to see if the inner seal is still on. I could even tell you where we got some of the worst outdated foods, but I will not do that. Grant and I were at one food pantry where there was a really large crate on a skid, and all outdated food was put in that crate. Is this going to the landfill? I bravely asked. "No," I was told by a helper, "It is being shipped to a foreign country that does not have much and they appreciate it." Are these folks in other countries NOT GOD'S PEOPLE ALSO?"

Shame on all of us, yes, all of us who send things to the needy that we ourselves would not eat. Think of it, this outdated food is packed and shipped and how much more outdated will it be after that? Yes, we give outdated bread, but coming right out of the freezer whee it is like new again. Recently I heard on the news that someone used chocolate drink mix that was about 25 years outdated and everyone got really sick and if I remember correctly a couple of them died. This was here in the good old USA.

A few years back, I was blessed to have a men's group at The Bridges and I scheduled a trip to Indiantown Gap Military Reservation in Lebanon County, PA, home of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and other military training operations. LeaAnne Crockett was driving the bus that day. She was an activities person. When we arrived at "The Gap" we stopped and picked up our tour guide, a high-ranking officer of the National Guard, if memory serves me correctly he was a Lt. Colonel, who stepped on board the bus and gave those men on board, mostly veterans from WWII, a great tour, even showing them that new Army tank and that Striker Brigade Training area. Then it was off to the "mess hall" for lunch. What a great time, greeted by military men and women of our Army National Guard, who even carried in those in wheelchairs. There was a group of young men there in uniform who I believe were from a school and were being taught how to act. Anyway, back to my subject of "Feed 'em" and I am telling you everything for these men, be veterans or not, and I am NOT a veteran, I do wish I had done that differently. Anyway, the food was fresh, picked from the "General's personal gardens," and fixed up like you would not believe. They fed 'em the best of the best that day, I am sure much better even than the normal mess hall daily food.

If we want to be working for Jesus, we Christians then need to be serving food that is as good as what we eat or better. WOULD SOMEONE JUST SHOUT AMEN TO THAT? Jesus always served up fresh things and tomorrow I will point some out in scripture. Today I just want you to think about it, and when the next food drive comes along, pull from the front of your cupboard, and we in the business of helping others need to do the same when we give it out. What happens when we do it right? Let's look at the opening scripture.

Proverbs 22:9 - A generous man will himself be blessed, for he share his food with the poor. (NIV)

Please know you cannot out-give our Lord. Also read this.

Matthew 7:12 - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (NIV)

Yes, brothers and sisters, that is Jesus being quoted. It is also called "The Golden Rule."

Dear Father in Heaven: You have called on us to feed the poor and needy. Help us to get that job done right for You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Now go forth and "Feed 'em" as you share your blessings. Love ya, and please share my love with others.

Pastor Dan