Monday 3/21/16 The Big Trip (51)

Dear Father in Heaven: I love You very much. Please always help me write for You and about Your grace, salvation and love as You have shown us always, from the beginning of time until right now. Help me always write what You want me to write and in the way You want it done. I really do want to be Your servant, dear Lord. Help me please now with the daily message and then please help me again to dispatch the message. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, is your church a house of prayer? A house of worship? Are the messages ALL based on God's Word as found in the Bible? And how about your heart? Is your heart a heart of prayer? Is it a heart of worship and praise to God? And do you listen only to messages that come from the Word of God found in the Bible? Brothers and sisters, even what I write, I welcome you to fact-check me against your Bible. Please be sure to do that!!! Now this will be a busy week so let me get moving.

Monday: March 21, 2016: The Big Trip (Day Fifty-one): Trouble at the Temple

Luke 19:45-48 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus at the Temple

45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, He began to drive out those who were selling. 46 "It is written," He said to them, "'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"
47 Every day He was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill Him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on His words.

Matthew 21:12-17 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus at the Temple

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 "It is written," He said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers.'"
14 The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
16 "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked Him.
"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'? 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.

Dear brothers and sisters: Today I want to bring out a few things about the temple and maybe it is even going on at the church you attend. One thing I want to bring out is just how upset Jesus got when He saw what was going on in His house, and yes, a church building should be God's house everyday, not just on Sunday. When Jesus arrived at the temple and saw what was going on, He got upset and upset tables and told those "money changers", gamblers,  and others making profit for themselves inside God's house were pout out. Some of the chief priests questioned Jesus and were upset for He was healing the sick, preaching the good news and causing the lame to walk among other things, and people were loving it. I want you to look at a few things that can really wreck a church. One is a feud between members of the body of Christ going to that church. Maybe sort of like the Hatfields and McCoys from the hill country long ago. They fight because one family or the other wants to be in charge of things. So at the church you attend, who is in charge? If you say anything other than Jesus, pack up and find another church and find one where Jesus is in charge and His Word is preached and taught. Also look around you, does everyone look about the same? Maybe all older people who are white! You should be able to look around seeing from young to old and all colors and blends of colors. You should see different looks on people's faces as in the shape of their face. Slanted eyes, high cheek bones, etc. You should also be able to see people dressed in really nice clothes to those wearing clean but worn hard clothes as they do not have money to purchase high-end clothes. One thing you should be able to see on each person is "the Face of Jesus" and if you cannot see that, chances are you also will not see the blend of people that I already talked about. So many of those big churches in the city have closed up. Nobody left to run them, because they did not go out and talk to new people in the neighborhoods as the, well, the color of that neighborhood changed. When the funds of the older folks ran out, the churches were sold. Some sat empty and after years of roof leaks, the buildings fell down. Others were sold off to new congregations and started to grow again as young people reached across the color line and invited in everyone and also TAUGHT THE WORD OF GOD FROM THE BIBLE!!!

Yes, over the years, with my own eyes I have seen some of these things happen. Here are a few ways to keep your church going. Put God first and keep Him there. Hire a pastor or pastors that preach and teach the true Word of God and are not afraid to preach about the BLOOD OF JESUS, The Cross  of Jesus and what happens if you are not "Born Again" and if no one has ever told you what happens to you when you pass from this earth and are not "Born Again," let me tell you. YOU WILL GO TO HELL!!!

It is good to see a pastor pound on the pulpit and tell it like it is. Take Jesus into your heart and have a relationship with Him or you will surely GO TO HELL!!! Now there you heard it from me, for I am not afraid to tell you the GOOD NEWS. Yes, the Good News is that you do not need to go to hell. God has given you a way out and His name is Jesus. And right now I want to lead you in a prayer, a sinner's prayer, asking you to pray it in faith and take Jesus into your heart or renew with Him this day. I can only lead you. Yes, I am a Born Again, Washed in The Blood Believer of Jesus Christ and I believe He died on the Cross for us and that He was risen from the dead. Do you believe that today? Then please confess it with me now.

Dear Father in Heaven: I believe in God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Ghost, and I believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus and I believe He walked this earth and later was put to death on The Cross and that He was risen by God The Father. I also believe that He sits in judgment over all of us. Today I ask Jesus into my heart to stay. I love You, Jesus, and I confess that I am a sinner and ask to be cleaned of my sin debt by You. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen. And thanks for saving me. Help me now live each minute for You. Amen.

Now go forth loving Jesus and sharing His love with others. Love ya.

Pastor Dan

Now please sing this chorus over and over, first sing it about your church, then about your house to make it a home, and then please sing it about your heart. Please sing it all day.

Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this place.
Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this place.
Omnipotent Father of mercy and grace,
Thou art welcome in this place.

Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this church.
Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this church.
Omnipotent Father of mercy and grace,
Thou art welcome in this church.

Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this house.
Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this house.
Omnipotent Father of mercy and grace,
Thou art welcome in this house.

Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in my heart.
Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in my heart.
Omnipotent Father of mercy and grace,
Thou art welcome in my heart.

Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in my heart.
Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in my heart.
Omnipotent Father of mercy and grace,
Thou art welcome in my heart.

Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this place.
Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this place.
Omnipotent Father of mercy and grace,
Thou art welcome in this place.