Tuesday 1/5/16 The Big Trip (20)

Dear Father in Heaven: Thank You for saving us from our own destruction. I love You!! Please forgive me of my sins this day. Lord, please be with our son Matthew and heal him and help him. Please be with all those on this line and touch their hurts and their pain and carry those burdens for them. Please, Lord, do the same for me. Please, Lord, help me now with the daily message and then to get it dispatched. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters: First of all, Dolores and I are requesting prayers for our son, Matthew. Matthew is 48 today and is still down outside of Philly being treated for bipolar disease and yes, the side effects of booze and drugs over the years. Right now he is clean of booze and drugs, and his meds for depression need to be straightened out. Thank all of you very much for your ongoing prayer support for our son Matthew. It is appreciated. AMEN.

I want to mention this again, we have new Read-N-Grow Children's Bibles and if you would like one for a child, grandchild, or great grandchild, please let us know. Carry The Light Ministries will see that you get one FREE. We ordered 12 more of them yesterday. We also have new Gideon's Bibles, mostly untouched that came out of motels. If you want one, let us know. They also are FREE. We also want you to know that yesterday we sent eight Bibles out of the USA, and I think these went to Russia. If you are out of the area, we will get it mailed to you; otherwise, you can make arrangements to pick them up at our Ministry home here in Mechanicsburg, PA. Our phone number is 717 691 8200. Please leave a message if you want a Bible. Even when we are at home, sometimes we do not make it to the phone. Time to get to the message, but first a question, and it is not a trick question. Can you run faster forward or back? Answer after the message.

Tuesday: January 5, 2015: The Big Trip (Day Twenty)

Subtitle: Burdens

Galatians 5:1 New International Version (NIV)

Freedom in Christ

5 It is for freedom that has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (NIV)

So what is the scripture telling us here? First of all Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ, set us free from ourselves. Yes, ourselves. We can blame Satan for a lot of things, and there is no doubt that he comes after us, but it is our giving into sin that causes us the problem most often. The scripture above is not double talk, it is for our PERSONAL freedom that Christ died for us on the cross, and it is with a PERSONAL relationship with Jesus Christ that is needed for this freedom to kick in. It goes on to tell us that we are to STAND FIRM and not to let ourselves be burdened again by slavery. Now, folks, this is not slavery as in the slave trade of our African-American brothers and sisters that went on years ago back before the civil war or the slave trade still going on in some countries and maybe some of that going on right here in America. What this is telling us is we should not let ourselves be burdened again by the yoke of SIN!!! Since all of us are or were sinners at one time or another, I am sure I do not need to tell you  how you can burden yourself in sin and/or how you can become involved in it. In other words here Slavery = Sin!

While I said we cannot blame Satan for all of it, sometimes he does come after us, and I have already over the years YELLED at him something like this: "SATAN, GET OUT OF MY LIFE AND GO TO HELL WHERE YOU BELONG. I AM PROTECTED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS!!!" Yes, I call it out as I see it and I love to hear a good message by a pastor who preaches hell so hot you can "feel the heat."

1 Timothy 5:16 New International Version (NIV)

16 If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need. (NIV)

While the scripture talks about women here, I want to broaden that out some by saying this could be also men. What does it mean to me as God is giving it to me? If you, man or woman, have the means to help someone on your own, you should do that the best you can, not throwing that care over to the church so they can help those who ARE REALLY IN NEED.  This means to me that we as individuals should be helping those who need a little help and that we have the means to help them a tad. When those who are really hurting and struggling need more than we can do, then the church can help them pulling from the resources of that church. I also feel that our governments should not get involved as much as they do, and Christians should be working harder for Jesus to get this work done. With that said, the government takes so much out of paychecks that sometimes what is left over does not go far. But to make what is left over go farther, GIVE TO GOD FIRST!!!

I hope you are understanding this. It is time to wind up for today, and I want to leave you with a song we have done often, but first the answer to the question. I can run back faster than I run forward. I did not say running backwards. I am talking about when over the years I slipped away from God, I ran "back" faster than I ran to Him in the first place. Okay, now that song, one that you can put on your lips and heart by memory and be singing it all day. Yes, you will remember it for this is the day!

This Is The Day (Les Garrett)

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made,
that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it,
and be glad in it.
This is the day that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.

Dear Father in Heaven, indeed it is the day that You have made and tomorrow if You give us another it will also be a day that You have made for indeed You are the only day maker there is. We love You and appreciate you. Please keep us safe. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Now go forth loving and serving our Lord Jesus. Love ya.

Pastor Dan

Hit it again!!!

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made,
that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it,
and be glad in it.
This is the day that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.