ACTS-ROMANS- I CORINTHIANS

I did not get to type anything out yesterday.  It was a whirlwind of a busy day, but I'm back at my laptop again today.  Let me catch up some and then get current.  I will not type a lot, but draw attention to a few thoughts and verses.  Hope you are having a blessed week! 1) BUT PRAYER- Acts 12:5.  Peter was in prison and going to be killed the next day... "but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him."  Prayer changes things!  I was asking God to rent out someones second home last week, and this week they called to say it was rented out.   I prayed for someone's wife last week to change some things, and her husband said this week it was done.  I was praying for the weather to be good last Sunday and it was beautiful.  I was praying for someone's son to come back to God last week and he and his family were in church last Sunday.  This week his mother said he is looking into changing his hours so he can be back in church.  I was praying for one man to get back into church and he was there last night in the Wednesday night service.  I was praying for two men who need to be back in church and they were both there last Sunday.  I was praying for one lady I missed last Sunday in my class, and she was there her first Wednesday night service... prayer...works!!  Last Tuesday, over 40 ladies gathered to pray for our country for over one hour.  Not politics, but the needs of this great country in troubled times.  They prayed and wept for our country!  Prayer changes things!! 2) THE NOBLE THING!  In Acts 17:11, the Christians in Berea were "more noble" than those in Thessalonica.  They received the word and "searched the scriptures daily" to see if what Paul said was so.  They key is that they "searched the scriptures daily"!  You want to be noble?  Get in God's Word every single day!! 3) SOME... - In Acts 28:24, the last chapter of the book of Acts, Paul is speaking, and it says that "some believed the things that were spoken, and some believed not."  That is just the way it will always be... some believe and some don't!  Paul said that he was made all things to all men that he might by all means save some!  Some!  The Bible says after Paul preached on another occasion, "howbeit certain men clave".  Some stuck!!  Some believed!!  Hey, let's go after some!! 4) NOTHING GOOD!  Romans 7:18 says that "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing:"  Nothing good is in us but what Jesus put there!!  Don't brag on the flesh, it will let you down.  Don't depend upon the flesh, it will disappoint you.  Don't trust in the flesh, it will bite you when you drop your guard.  Let us that are in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit.  The Bible says: Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh".  Ignore the flesh, and concentrate on the Spirit and living in the fullness of the Holy Spirit! 5) DECEIVERS!  Romans 16:18, tell us about those with false doctrine, and they "deceive the hearts of the simple."  Simple are people who unlike the Berean Chrisitans do not "search the scripture daily"!  Let us not fall into this category. 6) BUT GOD...  I Cor. 3:7 says: "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."  We are nothing... "but God" is everything!  He gives the increase... put the focus on God, not on the increase! 7) PREACHER'S SALARY- I Cor. 9:14, says "Even so hath the LORD ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."  One day a Morman asked if I drew a salary as a preacher and I said yes.  They smiled and said "our pastors do not".  And I said, well of course not, there is a Bible reason I do and they shouldn't.  Then I quoted this verse.  I said since they do not "preach the gospel" they should not "live of the gospel"!!  But God has "ordained" that pastor who "preach the gospel", "live of the gospel".  Let the elder that ruleth well be accounted for double honor.  That is not talking about two pats on the back it is meaning that if God uses a man to preach the gospel effectively then that man should be well taken care of by God's people.  This is Bible teaching, not man's thoughts!  Well, I've caught up for two days and the length of this shows it!  Hope you have a great day in the LORD and walk with Him.... today...if you hear His voice.... are you listening?? Dr. Mike Mutchler