Sunday Morning in Judges and Ruth

I did not blog yesterday.  A busy day.  I did have a devotion for men with the passage of Scripture on "a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again."  Just men do fall, and the can fall often (seven times), but they do get back up and keep serving God!  I spoke on "How to Get Back Up".  Here is the outline:  1. Humbly-Your humility expresses to God your humanity and desire to serve Him.  2. Repentant- Godly sorrow over our sin should always be a part of getting back up once sin has tripped us up.  Don't just sluff it off, be repentive and see the sin as horrible as God sees it.  (no matter the sin)  3. Observant- learn from your fall.  What should you now avoid.  The Bible tells us to avoid temptation, not sin.  Avoiding one will keep you from the other!  4. Resistant- "ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin."  Every day be mindful of Satan's desire to trip you up and God's strength available to keep you from falling, and say to yourself:  "The fight is on!"  Resist the devil and he will flee from you!  Well, this was  yesterday's devotion to men and I believe it helped the many good men who attend. Today, I'm in Judges, and here is a thought or two.  1) WINE, WOMEN, AND WEALTH- Samson was the strongest man upon the earth, but these three tripped him up!  Took his strength, and caused his death.  He drank wine and that was against his Nazarite vow, He went after women who were ungodly and became the same, and poured out his heart to a woman who destroyed him, and wealth in that he made up a riddle about the lion to get wealth from 30 men, and then had to go in a rage and get the garments off of men he attacked to pay for them answering the riddle.  These same three things attack men of all sizes, and ages.  Don't let your guard down men of God.... stay away from them! 2) FIGHTING FOR WRONG!  In Judges 19, certain "men of Belial" wanted to have homosexual sex with a Levite.  At Bethlehem-judah.  He offered to them his concubine and they abused her all night unti the morning and then she died.  How wicked!!  How very wicked.  The nation of Israel is then called together to deal with this terrible sin at the end of the chapter, and in chapter 20, the nation goes against these men of Benjamin.  BUT... instead of dealing with the sin of their tribe, the men of Benjamin "gather themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel."  They were fighting for wrong!!  They were indeed fighting men, but when you are on the wrong side, it doesn't matter much.  They eventually lost and the men were destroyed and they were not to marry other women from the other tribes.  Homosexuals were again wiped out in the Old Testament.  How our courts today fight for wrong! 3) UNDER WHOSE WINGS- Boaz asked the LORD to bless Ruth, with and "recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust."  Wow!  We too are under those same wings of God that protect and provide for us.  Praise the LORD! Well, so much for today.  May God richly bless you "under whose wings thou art come to trust".  Pastor Mike Mutchler

Deuteronomy and Joshua

What another fantastic VBS, and the crowd just keeps growing.  We had over 505 last night and it has been exciting.  Thanks to all of the dedicated workers.  I'm in Deuteronomy and Judges, and here are a few thoughts: 1) HE IS THE ROCK- In Deut. 32:4 it says:  "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."  God is a Rock!  We can depend upon Him, He is a sure foundation, He is reliable, He is settled, He is solid! Trust in God and know as a Rock, He will not fail thee! 2) FACE TO FACE- In Deut. 34:10, it says:  "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face."  It is interesting that Moses who was afraid to look upon God at the burning bush know is known of God "face to face".  It is also interesting that it doesn't say that Moses knew God "face to face", but the God knew Moses "face to face"!  Oh that the LORD would know us "face to face".  Is our face towards Him today?  WE know we are the apple of His eye (the refection off of God's pupil), but is God the apple of our eye?  Looking unto Jesus......  Let us vow to let God know us "face to face". 3) THREE STEPS TO SIN- Achan had sinned and caused the battle of AI to go badly.  Sin was in the camp, and he had taken from the forbidden things in Jericho.  Here are his steps into sin:  Joshua 7:21  "I saw....I coveted.....and took them"  What your eyes don't see, your heart won't covet!  Oh be careful big eyes what you see..... Well, I hope these thoughts will stick with you today.  We have a great God and each day in the Word, He has great truths for us.  You have a blessed day in the LORD!! Pastor Mike Mutchler

Deuteronomy

Another Great night at Vacation Bible School!  Over 500 in attendance, with over 100 being saved!  What a blessing to look out and see a sea of red VBS shirts on everyone!  I'm in Deuteronomy (second law) this morning, and here are a few thougths: 1) LOVE-WALK-CLEAVE- In Deut. 11:22 it says: "to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;"  All three of these things are very distinct and something we should pay attention to observe.  Love is an emotion that creates a response!  Walk is a habit of perpetual effort.  Cleave is a commitment that must be reinforced often!  We are to LOVE-WALK-CLEAVE! 2) THE TITHE- In Deuteronomy 14:22, the Bible says:  "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year."  The tithe is always tied to a promise.  If we obey, God has a blessing in store for us!  If we chose not to obey, then we do not receive the blessing, but the curse.  The destroyer will be active and we will have money we put in bags with holes!  I've tithed all my life and know that God honors and blesses it.  To those who believe otherwise, they will learn through the hard knocks of life.... I chose not to learn my lessons that way! 3) LET THE LORD FIGHT YOUR BATTLES- Deuteronomy 20:3,4 say:  "...let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;  For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."  Do not fear... do not get frustrated by people who oppose you for no reason at all.... let the LORD vindicate you.... let the LORD fight your battles.  In this life, those who oppose us could easily overwhelm us IF we try to defend ourselves on every side, or if we get frustrated with the battles; BUT, IF we yield all of that to the LORD, it clears our minds and hearts to do what God has called us to do, and it allows God to vindicate you in due time and to fight your battles.  David said:  Psalms 86:17  "Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me."  God will bless you when you let Him fight the battles and those blessings will show those who oppose you that apparently God is not opposing you, but blessing you!  This verse is my theme verse for the summer months!  Everyday, I pray for God to show me another "token for good".  My how He has blessed!! Well, so much for today.... have a blessed day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler

Numbers & Deuteronomy

What a great night for VBS!  We had almost 400 children and then 89 workers.  Tonight, I believe we will go over the 500 mark for children and workers.  We have never done that before and it is exciting!  Thank you for your prayers.... keep them up. I'm reading in Numbers and I also have a very early Hospital visit.  6:30am and must be gone by 6:00am to be there to pray with a dear member before knee surgery.  Here is a thought or two quickly: 1) THE GREATEST DETECTIVE- Numbers 32:23 says:  "Be sure your sin will find you out".  Wow!  We had better be very careful with sin!  But in the context of the passage, it is the sin of not being involved.  "shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?"  We think some times because we are "not" doing wrong that we are not sinning, but this passage says that if you are sitting on the sidelines while other Christians are serving and soul-winning..... be sure, your sin will find you out!  That's Bible, and you can be SURE of it. 2) TAKE HEED TO THYSELF- This is what Deut. 4:9 says:  "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life:  but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;"   We may be concerned about many people and how they live, but our greatest concern must rest upon our "taking heed to" ourselves.  If we fail, they we are not much good in helping others... if we suceed, then we can help many others do the same.  This is our God given goal.  Have a blessed day today!  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.   Pastor Mike Mutchler

Numbers

What a great VBS we had last night!  God was so good to bring such a large crowd on the opening night.  It was a blessing.  The children loved it and our people once again went all out! I'm in Numbers today, and here is a thought or two: 1) THE LEVITES WERE A GIFT- In Numbers 8:17-19, it explains that when God smote the firstborn of Egypt, that night He sanctified all of the firstborn children of Israel for Himself.  He goes on to say that He took the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.  So, instead of taking the firstborn of every tribe... God took a tribe... the Levites.  Now, verse 19 says that "I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel..."   Not only were the Levites a gift, but the Israelites had to take care of them as they served the tabernacle and made atonement for the children of Israel.  In verse 20, it says  "... did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them."   God told them to take care of them and they did.  Now, in the New Testament, it says that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel.  So again, the church takes care of the God called men and women who serve in a local church on a full or part-time basis.  2) ELDAD AND MEDAD- Spirit-Filled Laymen!  In Numbers chapter 11, we see that seventy men of the elders were taken around the tabernacle, and "the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto he seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease."  But... two men remained in the congregation that were not around the tabernacle among the seventy men, and they too were filled with the spirit that rested upon Moses, and they prophesied in the camp among the people.  Well, there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, "Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp".  Now, Joshua told Moses to "forbid them".  But Moses said:  "Enviest thou for my sake?  would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!"  So... Eldad and Medad were spirit filled laymen preaching forth the Word of God and His praises!  NOW.... we all have the Holy Spirit of God in us as believers, and we too ought to be preaching and praising!! Well, so much for today, I sure enjoyed just writing about these two things, but there were so many others that blessed my heart as well.  May God bless you! Pastor Mike Mutchler

LEVITICUS AND NUMBERS

What a blessed day we had in Church yesterday.  I just don't understand Christians not loving church.  There I'm with my spiritual brothers and sisters, and there I'm with my spiritual family.  Every local church in another family of believers.  Your closest friends should be in your family!  I love it Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night.  It's great! I'm reading in Leviticus and Numbers today, and here are but a few thoughts: 1) CLEAN OR UNCLEAN?  In chapter 13 of Leviticus it spends the whole chapter talking about leprosy and whether they are clean or unclean.  Whether they have leprosy, or do not have leprosy.  When they have been miraculously healed of leprosy, they still had to show themselves to the high priest to be declared "clean".  He had to make the declaration, or else you were still to be thought of as unclean!  Now we all were sinners condemned to eternal death in Hell, but when we got saved, our high priest (Jesus) declared us "CLEAN:" for all eternity!  Wow!  So when Jesus saves us, he also cleans us up and then pronouces to all of Heaven that we are clean, and has it recorded in His Book of Life!  Praise the LORD!! 2) GOD MAKES A WAY- In chapter 25 of Leviticus, we hear about the land resting every seventh year.  (vs. 4,5)  In fact the reason the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon for 70 years is that they did not honor the seventh year of rest for 490 years, so God let the land rest by putting the whole nation in captivity!  (Check it out for yourself.)  But some of the Israelites would be thinking.... How will I eat the seventh year, and then it will take another year to make a crop?  Well, whatever God commands.... God makes a way!  Well so much for today, I'm talking to Ricky Martain in the Philippines on the phone. Pastor Mike Mutchler

Exodus 31-Leviticus 11

Happy Birthday America!  Yesterday was the fourth of July and today we have God & Country Day at Church.  What a patriotic time we will have as the music program will be wonderful, the sermon on getting the good news out throughout this world, and a meal for all after the service.  It is a lovely day outside and that's where we have to eat.  We are feeding 800 after the service.  (some go home without eating)  What a day it will be! In Exodus and Leviticus today.  Just have a little time to write because my internet was not working properly and I had to reboot everything.  Here are a few thoughts: 1)Preservation- In Exodus 32:19 it says:  "and he cast the tablets out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount."  In Exodus 34:1 it says: "and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest."  God has the originals, so He can be in charge of Inspiration and Preservation!  WE have the inspired and preserved and preserved inspiration of Scripture.  WE have in our hands the Word of God!  I believe that because God's Word promises that!  I believe that the King James Bible I hold is the Word of God.  I do not believe that the many modern translations are even using the right Greek Text, so they are not the preserved Word since they come from "other" manuscripts than the Textus Receptus  "received text".  (95% of all manuscripts)  Why the differences?  Money!  Most all Bible Publishers of non-KJV Bibles are owned by secular companies.... not religious!  So, they come up with a different Bible to sell them to Christians who are gullible thinking a Bible is a Bible is a Bible.... but that is not so.  They do not say the same things, and they do not mean the same things.... they have changed what the Word of God says..... because they have no compulsion to stay true to God's Word, only make a new translation which they can own and thus copywrite and make money off of it.  There is my sermon in a paragraph! 2) GLORY OF THE LORD- In Exodus 40:34 it says: "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."  We are God's tabernacle today.... Oh for His glory to fill our lives, that we in turn could reflect His glory to a lost and dying world! 3) GOD STARTED THE FIRE- Under the altar, there was a fire for the sacrifices to burn once put upon it.  The Bible in Lev. 9:24 tells us:  "ANd there came a fire out from before the LORD, and cosumed upon the altar.."  God started the fire.  If we are to have any fire in us as believers.... God has to start it!  Let us look to Him in prayer to keep the fire going in our lives so that we reflect God's light and warmeth!  Hope you have a blessed day in the LORD.   Pastor Mike Mutchler