The Sunday school Teacher

God Bless the Sundayschool teacher. You will not realize how great your ministry really is unitl later in life as you lead and guide your students.  Besides, my Lord keeps a record.   I have found that some of the best Sunday school teachers are really public school teachers.  Oh, how the churches and the schools need a dear christian lady for a teacher, especially in our public schools !!  (well, guys too!! follow the Lord young man!!)  The teaching disciplines and directions of a teacher needs to be in our Sunday school classes.  (wait a minute, some churches do not call it Sunday school anymore??!!) WELL, THAT'S ANOTHER BLOG SOMEDAY!!)  Anyway, I have some fond memories of Sunday school from my home church and I would like to share that with you today.  I was 12 years old and our class was next to the children's toddlers class. We had siding doors that separated the classes and I always sat next to the door.  I heard Mrs. Cochran teaching the toddlers Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  And she made the class quote out loud the verse.  It still rings in my heart and mind today many, many years later.  Today I was wanting to add a verse to my twitter account and this verse come to my mind. She loved children and she loved God and was a wonderful wife to her husband and a great mother to her children.  But what a great verse to teach toddlers and a young man whose ears caught that verse being sounded out for a lesson and for our life.  She's  home with the Lord now, but it was great how she kept her family together following God.  Maybe God put her in my life for my benefit??
Well, it was a blessing and every time I think about that verse in the bible, I think about Mrs. Cochran the Sunday school teacher.

But dear friend, who is God leading into your life?? Are you saved?? Are you born again?? The Bible says "ye must be born again !!" Call on the Lord today, while He is near, and accept Him  into heart.
For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved!!

God bless you,
RevDanSam

3000th Blog Views

Well, another mile stone with my Blog, #3000, really 3200 as of now, but who's counting?? :-)  I appreciate the faithful readers and I hope to be an encouragement to them.  I am thankful for all the reader in other countries too.  I hope to send the good news and glad tidings of the Lord as seen in my life stories and thoughts the Good Lord puts into my heart and mind.  2 Peter 3:1 says it best," beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: ² That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

First I want to you to remember somethings of the Lord, secondly, I want to reveal somethings of the Lord to you and thirdly rejoice in the things of the Lord.  We should remember our salvation, the scriptures and our service for Him.  We should reveal the Son, sin and the sadness of the world.  And rejoice in our hope, heaven and happiness in the Lord.

I have two other blogs but I am most inspired with this blog.  For now it's differently my outlet, but it is very enjoyable when I write as the Lord leads me.

So thank you again and let's go for 4000 !!  I am thinking of that song, "Let my life be a light to some soul" Let my life be a light shining out through the night, may I help a struggling one to the fold. Spreading cheer every where as I go, let my life be a light to some soul.  

I want to enlighten the lost soul and encourage the saved soul. :-)

God Bless you friend, and trust in the Lord with ALL your heart!!

RevDanSam
revdansam@gmail.com

The Optimistic Cows

Many years ago, as a young preacher, I became a Bus Captain in our Bus Ministry at my home church.  (I say again, it was a great time in my life) I was given an old yellow Ford school bus, 66 passenger. We had five buses, all were yellow school buses.  And assigned to me was my bus driver Bro. Hamby, an experience truck driver, that drove a cement truck, tractor trailer style.  A delightful man, very serious about his job and experience in trucking, and he served in the Army. Also, He played the bass guitar in our church service.  His family would ride the bus with us on Sunday mornings when we picked up the children.  And with their other family and friends, I would have a load before I started the day, but it only seem that way. :-)  On one particular Sunday we went by a farm that had some cows in the pasture.  And it was noted that some cows were laying down and some were standing.   I am not sure who said it, but somebody quoted an old saying that says if cows are laying down it's going to rain, but if the cows are standing it's not going to rain.  An interesting fact, we did not think much about it, until someone said well those that standing are "optimistic cows" Well, we got to giggling and laughing about that statement and laugh about it for weeks and months to come. And when we saw any cows standing in the pasture, someone would say there's some optimistic cows !!
Well, that was many years ago and as I look back on that time, I didn't realize what a blessing that family was to me as they helped me on the bus route.  From cookies and kool aide, preparing and praying it was blessing to have work / labor for the Lord with that family.
You know, sometimes the Good Lord puts people in your life, I mean, right in your path to help you and many times we do not notice it until later, even sadly, later in life.  I left the Bus ministry to start Bible College and do radio work. But even now, sometimes, when I go by a pasture and I see the cows standing, I remember the bus ministry days and the "optimistic cows"  Hey, they do not think that it's going to rain. :-)

But dear friend, who is God leading into your life??   Into your path??  Maybe God is speaking to you. If so, hear ye Him while He is calling.   Accept Him into your heart. See in the Bible Proverbs 3;5-6, John 3;16, Romans 10:9-10,13.

God Bless you,

RevDanSam

The Bible TV series

Well the TV series "The Bible" continues to be a favorite for my son, (a HS senior). And it's become a family time thing, as we are watching the show together as a family and  . . . . we are talking !!   (the Good Lord works in mysterious ways !!) PTL ;-)   And once again, there was another scene that touched me.  I mentioned, in another blog, that the Abraham & Isaac scene touched me and this one with Jesus and Peter did too.   Peter was in the boat fishing or the lack there of, as he had not caught anything, then Jesus came.   As our Lord was walking toward Peter near the shore line, he stopped and picked up a rock and kinda looked at it and he saw Peter.  Being a bible student that I am and seeing the symbolism, I smiled and chuckled with in myself.   "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!!" And upon this Rock, this man's statement, Christ said I will build my Church.   Peter would become that foundational leader of the disciples and spiritual leader on the day of Pentecost.  He was a rock in his following Christ,  in his faith in Jesus and in his future to become a great leader for the first century Christians and us.   Was Peter perfect, of course not, he was human, he had up and down moments, but he was learning from the Master.  OJT, on the job training, for himself and for us.  Jesus was really teaching them on what to do for He would not always be with them.  Three years of training for the Twelve disciples and Peter would be the leader of this band of men. 
So in the scene, Jesus picks up a rock and seem to say I need a rock and then we see Peter.  And I thought this was a good thing and I smiled.  Now, are there some inaccurate things in the series, I think so, but I like what the show is doing with my family.  We are talking together and learning together.  I understand it's become the top TV show and of course, the secular world still does not recognize it, but we are not surprised about this. 

But dear friend, God may be talking to you and leading you to a belief in Christ.  If so, trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, call on Him today, right now, now is the time of salvation, call on Him while He is near.  While He is in your mind, in your heart and on your TV set? 

God Bless you,

RevDanSam

Feeding the birds

The Ministry of Feeding the Birds

After I resigned from my first church, I became emotionally and mentally down.  The devil always attacks when we are down. Then I remembered one of my Bible college professors.  Dr. R.C. Henry. a cheerful happy man, Evangelist, Pastor, Bible teacher and prayer warrior. He had many stories  about revivals that he had preached and the churches where he had been pastor.  A statement that he had said was ringing in my head.  He said that he likes to help the Lord feed the birds in his backyard.  I would drive by his house and he had a very clean yard and a very pretty garden in his back yard.  We called it Hengry's Gardens, and He did too. :-)  Anyway, He helped the Lord to feed the birds.  You know, there is the scriptures in the New Testament about the Lord's care for the fowls of the air.  And Dr. Henry took this scriptures literally.  He said with joy in his heart and a smile on his face, I am helping the Lord feed the birds.  Well, that rung in my heart and mind.  It was a cold winter day with a little snow on the back porch.  Being a little down, I thought to myself, I can feel the birds, I can help the Lord to feed the birds.  So I took some bread crumbs, maybe some cornbread and threw it on the back porch.  I walked away thinking that there would be an immediate result and then I came back minutes later, there to find some little birds pecking at the bread.  my knees weaken and a tear came to me eye.  And it seems I thought within myself, hearing the Lord say I am not done with you, you can still feed the bird for me. (PTL)

I believe that the good Lord works at many times and in many ways.  And this was one of them. I know that the Lord is powerful enough to feed the birds without me. But I think He does want to use us and work through us.  Perhaps He is speaking to you.  If so, hear ye Him.  And call on Him while He is near. For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart.

Maybe the Lord wants you to feed the birds or maybe He just wants to use you for service.  Become a child of God and then seek to find how he would like you to serve him.

God bless you,
 RevDanSam
Prov. 3:5-6

The Bible TV show

My son has taken a genuine interest in the History Channel program “The Bible”.  He watches it to learn and ask many questions.  It really agrees with Him being a techno kid and being raised in a Christian home.  He is a son and grandson of preachers and I feel that thinks this is a way to learn the bible, in an audio and video kind-of way. (just like many today)  I wasn’t too thrilled about the show, because when Hollywood puts their twist to a bible story, they really MESS it up!!  Although, after watching this show, it gives me a little more appreciation for the Charleston Heston’s movie “The Ten Commandments” especially in Moses’s role at the Red SeaJ.   But we, Mom and the boy, watched History Channel show as a family.  (The wife thought it’s like many preacher’s sermons, being much to long) ;-) On the second day of the show, My son wanted to know has the show made it to David and the giant??  Well, it’s good to sit with him and watch TV with dialog. (we actually talked) ;-)

While I use to be a skeptic, this time I watched with an open mind.  And one scene really got to me.  The Abraham and Isaac sacrifice scene.  Seeing the potential emotions of Abraham and he following by faith made me tear up and put a lump in my throat.  Especially when Abraham lifted his knife with the intentions of slaying Isaac, but before he could, God called his name, and provided a little white lamb.    Thinking back it makes me want to shout!!  And the film makers added in the calling of Abraham’s name and the provided lamb to sacrifice.  In my mind and heart I could only think about our Lord Jesus Christ. You see, John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb John 1;29, truly as God provided a lamb in Genesis and with Abraham, God provided Himself a lamb for us. And it was His son, Jesus, a sacrifice to take away the sins of the whole world for you and for me.

I think this TV program opens a way for many preachers to preach and teach these stories while there is knowledge of them. It could lead many to God and to Christ for salvation.  It’s already given our family good family time and I do rejoice and will rejoice.

Dear friend, God moves at different times and in different ways, please be sensitive to His call. Now is a time call on the Lord and trust in Him will all your heart.  Then He shall direct your path.

God Bless you,

RevDanSam

Running the race

Hebrews 12:1 - let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Well, after Blogging about our walk and our stand, I feel led to blog about our run or literally running the race.  As I write this, I realize, the Apostle Paul or the writer of Hebrews, especially this section, chapter 12, the writer is an observer of the athletic runner.  What great lessons and spiritual lessons that we can learn from being an observer of people, places and things.  Perhaps, He noticed the runner training for the Olympics.  One place he saw their striving hard in the practice and said you  know, the Christan believer needs to strive as hard as the runner does in living the christian life.  Practice leads to performance. 

But here, in Hebrews 12, he first talked about the weight that can hinder the runner.  The runner needs to be slim and trim. Don't let the weight cling and encumber you.  To weight you down and cause our race to be a hard task.  Our past and present weights can hinder our future or reaching the goal.

Then He talks about the w-a-i-t, the wait or the patience.  It's an interesting thing.  There's a farmers patience, which when He plants, he gives it time to grow, a cook's patience, which mixes the ingredents, and gives it time to cook and a needed runners patience.  The runner does not need to burn out quickly, but rather he needs to endure.  What a great lesson for us all.  So many flare up a fire but then burn out quickly never to be seen again. A steady pace is needed in the run. 

And then he talks about the way, which is the actual race.  It's the path that is before you.  Run the race that is set, placed, before you.  Not looking else where but the way or path that YOU are in.  It's personal, it's yours, the christian father or mother, husband or wife, son or daughter, the Christan worker for the Lord.  Run the race that is before you.

But dear friend, we must stand then walk, walk before we run, be saved and born again to be on His team.  The call of salvation is before service and it's before the race.  Call on the name of  the Lord and be saved.  He that believes hath life. He that believes shall not perish.  Believe in your heart, trust in Him today.

God Bless you,

RevDanSam