What a connection

A few years ago, I had an opportunity to conduct a prayer service at an assisted living home for the elderly.  It was nothing new to me for I have been there and done that before.  The first place that I was called to was a local convalescent home in my home town. There was only one at that time and now there are several in the area.  This was a new one and they wanted a mid-week service.  So Kathy and I went, she played the piano and I led singing and preached. (preaching, praying, singing, shouting)  :-) 

One couple that was there heard me talk about my first bible.  It was given to me from one of my Mother’s co-worker, Mrs. Whittmire.   A red cover bible and she put my name in it and the date that she gave it to me in 1973.  Also, she wrote on the cover Proverbs 3:6.  Hand written Beautifully,  she wrote out the whole verse.  Proverbs 3:5-6 would become my Life’s verse and would be the first verses that I taught my son.

But, this couple whom I was preaching to was friends with my Mom’s co-worker, and had known her for very long time.  And it was no surprise to them and he shared with me how she was a dear Christian friend and lady.  It was like her good works came full a circle for me.   What a connection!!

I think about this and it puts a smile on my face.  Who but God could make a connection like that?  Perhaps God allowed it for me or maybe to show me that approved what I was doing.  That bible was given to me in 1973, I met that couple in 2009, some forty-six year later that that gift kept on giving. WOW !!

But my friend, Jesus gave his life for you, that you might have life, eternal life, in eternity. First, you have to be saved, born again, accept Jesus Christ in to your heart and ask forgiveness of sins.  Trust in the Lord with all your Heart.  And “ In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct they path”.  That verse was given to me in a bible and I give it now to you. P-R-A-I-S-E   T-H-E   L-O-RD !!

God bless you,

RevDanSam

Unexpected Hand

Isaiah 59:1

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save;
neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear.

In my last blog post, I talked about my son holding my hand to have prayer time, of which was an unexpected blessing, see “ train up a child” blog.  But a similar thing happened many years ago when he was a very young child.  We were out in a field flying a kite.  Then when we were done we started to walk home across the field.  The grass was a little high, not for me, but it was for him.  And as we walked through the grass I felt him grabbed my hand.  For he needed me to help him walk through the roughness of the grass.  He didn’t say anything; he just grabbed hold of my hand.  It was unexpected but I was glad to help him and it felt good.

On the day that  he re-started his prayer time with me and grabbed my hand for prayer it was unexpected and a blessing, but as I thought about this at work God moved and touched my heart. I work in a shared office where I am in one corner and my co-worker is in the other.  He’s on the phone and I’m on the phone.  But as I thought about my son, I thought about our Heavenly Father. And I wanted Him to hold my hand as I prayed that morning. So I held out my hand to Him and a tear came to my eye. I prayed and called on His name.

Perhaps it was unexpected, but nothing ever surprises God.  And there in the quietness of my shared office I wanted to hold the Lord’s hand as I prayed. And His hand is not short at ALL. Nor is His ear dull with deafness.  And I say praise the Lord and rejoice and do rejoice in Him.

But dear friend, GOD wants you to reach out to HIM.  HE IS THERE. He said call unto me and I will show you great and mighty things, which you don’t know about.  Most of all, He wants you to call on Him for salvation, to be saved, to be born again. He wants you to become a Christian, His child. For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and He shall direct your path.

God Bless you,

RevDanSam

Train up a Child

 

The Bible says our children are our heritage. Many times, they are a blessing or a burden to us.  We have a tendency to say that’s my boy, when they do good and / or say look what YOUR boy done when they do something wrong.  Well, this time, I would like to write is when my son was a blessing. 

For many years, I took my son to school every Monday morning, as I had Mondays off and I worked a four day work week Tuesday through Friday.  So we would climb into my Ford F150 pickup and we would have prayer time while the truck warmed up and before we started out.  I know we did this every week and every year that he was in high school.  I was really inspired to do this from one of our church friends, that said at one of our testimony meetings, that she would have prayer with her daughter in the living room before she carried her daughter to school.  So it was a “my thing” with my son and we would have prayer time and quote a bible verse.  John 3:16, prov3:5-6. John14;6 …etc just to name few verses that I had him to quote and he still knows them today.

Well, my son graduated high school and started an internship with the Siemens corp. in Atlanta, Project Life.  My job changed and I started working Monday through Friday, with the hours of 9-6.  So I am with him in the mornings.  After my wife leaves for work, I check my emails and Twitter account on the computer.  On one particular morning, while I was on the computer, my son grabbed my hand and said Dad let’s have prayer time.  WOW, it took me off guard, I wasn’t expecting it, but he wanted to pray before he started his day. And I thought, well praise the good Lord’s name. The bible says train up a child and he shall NOT depart from his ways.  Boy, did I see that verse become true in our lives.

But dear friend, verses in the bible about salvation are true, you must be born again. You must call on the name of the Lord.  For whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Why don’t you call on Him today? 

God Bless you,

RevDanSam

The Next Best Thing

The next BEST thing

My late Pastor (and father-in-law) had a saying that rings in heart and mind to this day.  He would say " the next best thing to getting save is to lead another person to be save !!"  Of course, he was talking about the joys of our salvation.  In the book of Psalms, David would cried to the Lord and prayed "restore unto me the joys of thy salvation." see Psalms 51:12

As my mind goes back to those great services we had in the mid 1980s, we had great singing, shouting, preaching and testimonies. Folks would come to God and get helped, many times it helped us in the pews.  We saw a lot of great conversion, many people getting saved and getting right with the Lord, that we still talked about today.

We had one salvation, that we still talk about today.  One of our christian ladies, would always go to the altar to pray for her husband to be saved every Sunday night.  It was an expectant thing and we were with her. Well, her husband came to church and was gloriously saved !!  (and made a preacher too!!) But it was just one more of those times when my pastor said "seeing someone get saved is the NEXT BEST thing to getting saved !! And I Amen, Glory to God and Hallelujah !!!

Actually, my last blog, the Lift we need, when I lead a young man to the Lord, while on the telephone at my kitchen table. It gave me a lift, love and joy that I needed and reminded ME of the next best thing.  ;-)

But dear friend, you must be born again, born from above, see John chapter 3 in the bible, the great bible chapter and explanation on the new birth. Eyes have not seen nor has ears all heard of the things that God has for us. But first, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, accept Him into heart and then you will enjoy the BEST thing.

For God so love the world to He gave his only begotten son, THAT, whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.  PTL !!

God Bless you,

RevDanSam


ps. I just read this blog aloud to my wife and it brought tears to our eyes thninking about our pastor and her Dad, PTL !!

The LIFT we need

The other day, I asked the Lord to help me.  Sometimes, I get a little weary working eight hours a day on my secular job, of which, I am very thankful to have to provide for my family.  But I needed a LIFT from Him.  I pondered the thought, finished my day and went home.

Many of you, may remember in my past blogs, where many times God speaks to me while I am in my old Ford pickup truck, (F150 2003 J )  That quiet time that I have when going to and from work, usually about 20 minutes.  Well, He spoke to me again this day while on the way home. 

My mind went back during the mid 90’s.  It was a Sunday morning and I just came back from the local radio station preaching live on the air.  I came into the house and my wife called out my name “Daniel”.  I knew that tone and that sound meant something was up. She said someone on the telephone for you !!,  And it was a young man that heard the radio broadcast. He had called the radio station but I had already left and they gave him my home phone number.  But there in my kitchen at the table I lead that young man to the LORD. He prayed and I prayed and we rejoiced.  I was so excited I forgot to get his contact information, but I believe I will see him in heaven one day.  And ALL those I had a part in leading them to Christ.

It was a great memory and definitely the LIFT I needed.  It put a new spring in my step and joy in my heart. (and I was completely sober and had no drugs J )  I came in the house from work and verified the story with my wife then we went out for supper.

But dear friend, the lift you need now is from Him.  If you’re lost, He can save you!! If you are sad, He can make you glad !!  The bible says “trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean NOT on the own understanding, in ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He SHALL direct your path !!  and whosoever shall call on the NAME of the LORD shall be saved !!

God Bless you, Sharing my LIFT from the LORD.

Revdansam

That will never happen

"That will never happen"

We have had a lot of rain this summer in North Georgia.  It was a very wet July and now August, than we have seen in a long time.  More than I can remember in my life time.  A co-worker came into the office the other day and said, "it gonna rain forty days and forty nights".  And I said something very quick without hesitation, "that will never happen !!".

Well, I was referring to God's promise of the rainbow in the bible story of Noah's Ark. Where it rain forty days and forty nights on the earth. To me, obviously, my co-worker was too.  But my christian belief really came out vocally and I said that will never happen.  He said "don't be so sure", but friend I can be sure !!

You see, I believe God and I believe the bible. And when God said in Genesis Chapter 9, He made a promise, for perpetual generations, that is for future generations, I just believe it, really that's settled weather I better it or not.  A rainbow has it's scientific reasons why it's there and why it happens, but to me, It proves there's a GOD!! But think about it, it's not man made, though one can try, it appears out of the blue, the colors it makes and it's a thing of beauty.  God said that's MY SIGN, this is what I will show, to let you know, I will never destroy the earth with rain again.  It's my sign, an eternal sign for YOU !! And I say praise the Lord for that.

But dear friend, God has also given you another promise, for whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD, shall be saved.  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge him in all your ways and HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATH.

May God Bless you, have a great day,

RevDanSam

A blog extra

A blog extra the Christian  song: "Near the cross"

From Frances J. Crosby (the blind song writer, she knew Him)

1. Jesus, keep me near the cross,
   There a precious fountain—
   Free to all, a healing stream—
   Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.
   
   • Refrain:
     In the cross, in the cross,
     Be my glory ever;
     Till my raptured soul shall find
     Rest beyond the river.
2. Near the cross, a trembling soul,
   Love and Mercy found me;
   There the bright and morning star
   Sheds its beams around me.
3. Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
   Bring its scenes before me;
   Help me walk from day to day,
   With its shadows o’er me.
4. Near the cross I’ll watch and wait
   Hoping, trusting ever,
   Till I reach the golden strand,
   Refrain:
   In the cross, in the cross,
   Be my glory ever;
   Till my raptured soul shall find
   Rest beyond the river.Just beyond the river.

God Bless you friend, this song blessed my heart today, my Brother in Christ mentioned Heb.10 19  Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus,
then v.22 says "let us draw near" and then this song came to my heart and mind.

God bless you,

RevDanSam