I remember the time

 

Hello again fellow blog followers.  Many years ago as a young preacher, I found a good place to preach and it was at the convalescent home for older people.   They always enjoyed young preachers and young people coming out to visit and sing.  I knew about this from our youth group as we would go up there to sing and preach to them from time to time

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One of my young preacher friends became a regular preacher up there and he would go there weekly. Well, he was a carpenter and hurt himself on the job and he asked to fill in for him until he got better and I did. Of course, wife played the piano, so she played  and I led singing and preached. (we both prayed !!) 

One the patients there found out that my preacher friend would be coming back.  And the patient asked if me and my wife would come back on a regularly, at the time I said sure !! So we came back to have service there. Yet, one of the highlights the service was having the patients call the church that they saved and baptized in. 

Now you have to understand, many were old and many had forgotten a lot things, BUT, when it came to where you got saved and baptized, everybody, I mean everybody would call out their church's name, they would say preacher, I remember the time and place and call out their church's name.  As I think about it today, it still amazes me !!  ( yet, that's the power God unto those that call on Him)

As I get older myself, and if I have to go to a home in my elder years, I hope there's a young preacher boy and his piano playing wife can come by the convalescent home to sing, pray and preach for us, Amen :-)

But dear friend, to remember the time and place when and where the Lord saved you, there must be a time and place where you called on Him to saved you.  Jesus said "you must be born again" you must be saved, the Apostle Paul wrote for whosoever shall  call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, and he said for with the heart man believes and with confession is made unto salvation and these words are near to you, right now !! 

"that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." rom10:9

God bless you today my friend,

RevDanSam

A Star War phrase

Well, I must admit, that I am a STAR WARS fan, since it came out in the late seventies, I was in high school, I have been a fan ever since then.  But I noticed on the last movie that they made "Rogue One" the one Asian man, Chirrut Imwe, who was a student of the "FORCE" which gives the Jedi his power. (ha ha I know, . . . but that's how the story and series goes )  But he kept quoting a phrase "I am one with the force and the force is in me"  And my mind went back to the bible, God's word.

It very interesting how in the Star Wars series, has many similarities with bible teachings. Like an all power force that empowers you, sent out in twos, a master and apprentice, revealing good and evil and one man with the force can do the job.

While this is a secular and science fiction movie, it made me think what the bible teaches. The Reciprocal indwelling of Christ and the believer. When you are saved, born again and become a child of God. Christ comes into us through the Holy Spirit.  Christ sets up the Kingdom of God in our heart.  He's in us and yet we are in Him.  How can this be ??  Well, as the fish swims through the water yet the water is in the fish, so are we in Christ, as bird flies through the air and yet the air in the bird so are we in Christ, as a plant is in soil and the soil is in the plant so are with Christ !!

So the Christian form of this phrase is " I am in Christ and yet is in Christ"  or "I am in Christ and  Christ is in me"  Notice what Jesus said in John 15:4-5  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

So it also teaches a way of life, the Christian life for if we are in Christ we will follow His ways, words and wisdom. And we should use this to live that set apart and dedicated life for Christ.  This is not popular teachings these days. Especially when you try to tell someone to separate things from their life and abide more in Christ.

The movie line said "I am one with the force and the force is in me" but for the Christian we can say I am in Christ and Christ is in me !!  (Hallelujah, what a great way to live life)  :-)

But dear friend, reader of this blog, you were lead here, perhaps you should heed this calling.  If any may be in Christ, old things are passed away, all things are become new. A new life, love and leading and it's with Christ. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, For whosoever shall call the name of the Lord shall be saved. This is your call, His call to you!!

May God bless you,
RevDanSam

A sad time

Well, it's kind of sad.  I had to trade in my 2003 F150 pickup after 14 years of ownership. We had put 150,000  miles on it, I can say it was a good old truck. Did I tell you story of why I bought the truck in the first place ??

Well, I found the truck on a car lot. The salesman said it was one of the last to have a front bench seat and sold it to me for a very good price, It had the extended cab and as it was new, my wife did not mind driving it as the family car. As she was raised with her family always having a pickup so it did not really bother her.  Well, she drove it and we used it as family car for several years.  My son was in the third grade and we would all ride together on the bench seat in F150 pickup. Well my son got older and taller, middle grade school and riding up front with his parents was no longer cool nor comfortable, we had the extended cab with the half door, but that soon became to small as well.

So we purchased a 2011 Honda CRV  four door and I got the truck to drive.  Little did I know the precious times I would have with my son and prayer time as I took him to school and work as well the great times with God, He would come into the truck with me during my drive in and morning mediation with Him. It was a special time.

I am reminded of an old spiritual gospel song from many years ago, that said "anyway where is home if Christ me lord is only there"  and although I had to trade in the old pickup truck, the good Lord will still be will me in my morning meditation and drive in to work. Only now I a drink cup holder, as the one on the truck up broke, I have powered windows, as the pickup had roll up windows and I have a switch as the head light knob broke off on the pickup. And well I have the Honda CVR now.

But dear friend, it's not about the place, time or vehicle, what's really important is salvation in the Lord, ye must be born again and be saved. Your spiritual life will always begin with God and His son Jesus.  Jesus said  I am come into this world to seek and save that which is lost. As the bread, manna, came down from heaven, so too, did Jesus come to this world to seek and to saved. Why not call on Him today, for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved !!

It may be kinda sad to give an old pickup truck but it will a HAPPY  DAY when you see the light, accept the bread that came down from heaven and be saved.

God bless you,
RevDanSam

A new year thought 2017

Our Father's House Luke 15:11-24

While thinking and meditating of a New Year's thought this one came to my attention and mind. The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is a classic bible story that Jesus shared with us, that only Dr. Luke recorded in his book of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As the wayward son got to a very low point and position in this life.  He remembered that he could back to his father's house. He remembered the peace, provisions and passion of his father. And when he came to himself, like a wake up call, he decided to return to his father's house.

Then God moved on my mind and heart. What a great New Years's thought but to return to our Father's House and I am talking about the House of God.  Many have left the the church and many have never entered the church building, but either way the invitation is there !!

For the wayward christian, away from God and the church, it's time to return to God's House. Now I realize there could be some bad feelings here with the last church or your home church, but the time and call is now !!  I am convinced if you pray to God and read your bible, God will show you the way and the way to go. The Lord is our Shepherd and Jesus is the great /  good Shepherd in John 10, and His job is to lead His sheep and He can lead you.

Then many have never been to church,  This is a call to salvation, come to the Father House !! And start this new year with God and God's people. Learn of God's words and ways.

But first and I do not want to get ahead of myself, but it's all important to be saved and born again. Salvation can happen right where you are now or it can happen in the house of God, the church building.  What a great place to be saved !!  I was saved in church, on a Sunday night I accepted Christ into my life and He saved me and He can saved you too.

For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, for with the heart man believes and with mouth confession is made unto salvation and this is same for ALL, Jew, Greek or Gentile, ye much be born again!!

So make that New Year's  decision and go to my Father's House.

God Bless you,

RevDanSam