Matthew and Mark

It is Monday morning, and I enjoyed Sunday so much.  I preached in our Korean Church yesterday morning and then in our English Church on Sunday Evening.  I am the pastor of Grand View Baptist Church and we have a Korean Church and a Spanish Church as well, and those who pastor those churches are each one of my assistants.  These churches are effective in reaching people for Christ and on their own would be a good size church.  We are blessed to share our facilities with these congregations that are a part of our church. I was reading in Matthew and Mark today and here are just a few thoughts: 1) Beware of false doctrine- This is what Jesus was warning his disciples about in Matt. 16:6, and 12.  He said to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, but it was not until verse 12 that the disciples understood Christ was talking about the doctrine of the Pharisees.  False doctrine is like leaven, and a little leaven (yeast) leaveneth the whole lump!  Be very careful about listening to anyone who has even a little false doctrine. 2) Clarity- Jesus gives scripture clarity many times in the gospels.  He helps us to understand passages in the Old Testament, and what they really mean.  In Matt. 17:11 the disciples said that they knew that Elijah would have to come to restore all things (as the Old Testament says in Malachi 4:6), but Jesus said that he had already come in verse 12, and that he came as John the Baptist in verse 13.  Jesus is saying that John the Baptist, came in the power and spirit of Elijah.  So, Jesus helps us to understand the scripture! 3) WHAT DO YOU HAVE TIED UP??  In Matt. 21:2,3 we see that the Lord had need of a colt of an ass, and told his disciples that they would find it tied up and that they were to loose it and if the master said anything, they were to answer back:  "The LORD hath need of them."  I thought as I read this.... I wondered how many things in our lives we have "tied up" that the LORD needs us to loose and give to Him??  What are we holding back on that is so precious to us, but so needful to the work of Christ?  Let us untie some things we have tied up. 4) SEVERAL ABILITY- This is found in Matt. 25:15, and it means that God gives to us according to our individual abilities.  We are only responsible for what we can do for Christ with our own abilities, and God already knows what those abilities are for He gave them to us! 5) A BELIEVER!- In Matt. 27:54, the Centurion said after watching Jesus die on the cross: "Truly this was the Son of God."  Here was a hardened soldier, but having watched the character and love of Christ on the cross, he recognized that it had to be the Son of God. 6) CRAZY!!  Yes, that is what the friends of Jesus thought he was when he was in a house so packed out they could not even have space to eat anything.  In Mark 3:21, His friends say "He is beside himself."  We call that being crazy.  "out of oneself".  He wasn't crazy, He was compassionate, and put the needs of others above His own needs! 7) GREEK WOMAN- She had a daughter who was possessed of a demon, and in Mark 7:26, she came to Jesus because she had heard of Him.  Jesus said the bread belong to the children, not the dogs, but she said that even the dogs get the crumbs from under the table, and because of that response and her faith, Jesus healed her daughter!  He was not tearing her done, but testing her! 8) THE GREATEST GIFT- In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus is watching the offering plate, and remarks that the widow woman gave more than them all.  For she did not give out of her abundance, but of her great need.  How do we give to Jesus?  I hope that we will ever be mindful to give like this woman, from a heart of love for God.  There is no other reason she gave all she had, though it was little... it caught the attention of God!! Well, so much for today, I've got a busy day ahead.  May God richly bless you and yours!! Pastor Mike Mutchler, Grand View Baptist Church