Matthew and Mark

I've been drinking my coffee, reading my Bible, and talking with some preacher friends as well this morning.  Three men spent the night in our home since they came for a conference and my wife is visiting her sister and mother in Alabama.  We are having a great time and we heard great preaching last night from Dr. Bob Gray.  It was a blessing and a challenge to me and many others. Today, I read Matthew and Mark.  Here are a few thoughts: 1) Both Bad and Good.  The gospel net gathers both bad and good and then the Lord separates them out.  Sometimes we think we are to purify the church, but that is God's job to do.  Our job is to reach as many as possible. 2) They Say and Do Not.  The Pharisees were hypocrites.  That is what Jesus said.  He said in Matt. 23:3 "they say, and do not."  We are to say.... but we are also to do.  It takes both.  The saying is the easy part of the Christian Life, the doing is the hardest part of the Christian Life.  We need to do both. 3) HE IS RISEN   Matt. 28:6- "He is risen"  The Lord is risen and we live because of Him! 4) Mark 5:36 says: "Be not afraid, only believe."  What a wonderful exhortation!  We are so prone to fear about so many things, but the key is to only believe.  God is in control and we can rest upon that knowledge.  In so many area of life we don't have a clue what will happen and even sometime what's going on, but God does!!  We can look to Him and trust Him with our future.  Be not afraid.... only believe!! 5) Mark 7:6 NOT THE TALK BUT THE WALK  "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."   Just was Jesus said in Matthew, it is not the talk but the walk of a believer that pleases the Lord.  Well, I've got to go for today.  May God richly bless!!  Dr. Mike Mutchler