I, II, & III John, and Jude

I was reading this Sunday afternoon a few chapters and wanted to write a few thoughts.  Tomorrow, I will finish up Revelation.  I have already read the first ten chapters but will write about them tomorrow.  Then, on Tuesday, (July 1st) I will start reading the Bible through again for the fourth time this year.  Here are a few thoughts: 1) The Word of Life was Jesus, and in I John 1:1, John the apostle says "we have heard", "we have seen with our eyes", and "our hands have handled".  Heard, Seen, & Handled!  Wow!!  They knew Jesus rather well.... and one day....we too!!! 2) PAYMENT- I John 2:2 says: "he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."  the word "propitiation" means payment.  More properly, it means: "mercy seat".  Just as the "mercy seat" in the Old Testament was the place the blood was sprinkled for the Payment of sins... Jesus is our payment!!  His blood became the payment for our sins, and the sins of the whole world!!  This is why anyone can come to Christ and be saved IF they will, because Jesus already paid their payment.... they just have to accept it!! 3) WHAT DO YOU KNOW??  I John mentions "know" 27 times and "knoweth" 6 times!!  I guess John wants us to KNOW somethings!!  Read it and find out all of the good things John wants us to know. 4) TRUTH & LOVE- II John mentions "truth" 5 times and "love" three times.  Quite a lot for only 13 verses.  It also spends time warning about error and deceivers who are in the world that do not confess that Jesus came in the flesh.  It is John writing to beloved Christians he calls "children".  These believers apparently meet in the house of a lady who opens it up for the believers to meet in.  Across the world, many "house churches" are going on.  Perhaps more "house churches" than "church buildings" in the world.  Such was the case here. 5)In III John, "truth" is mentioned 6 times and "true" is mentioned once!  It tells us also of two men.  One to withdraw from "Deotrephes" who "loveth to have the preeminence".  (proud, boastful, longs to be a leader but is a false leader) and "Demetrius" who "hath a good report of all men, and of the truth itself". (here is a man to emulate!) 6) JUDE- 25 power packed verses.  Short, but powerful.  He writes to "exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith"(vs. 3)  and to "put you in remembrance" (vs. 5) Jude warns against false leaders as strongly as ever found in the Bible.  He calls them: "filthy dreamers", "brute beast", "spots in your feast of charity", "clouds they are without water", "trees whose fruit withereth", "without fruit", "twice dead, and plucked up by the roots", "raging waves of the sea", "wandering stars", "to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever", "ungodly", "ungodly deeds", "ungodly committed", "ungodly sinners", "murmurers", "complainers", "walking after their own lust:, "having men's persons in admiration because of advantage" (getting what they can out of people), "mockers", "own ungodly lusts", "sensual", "having not the Spirit", ..... Do you get the idea that Jude and God do not like false teachers???  I do!! Well, so much for this time.  I'll finish up again tomorrow.  I get to go to Sunday Night church in just a little while.  May God bless!!  Pastor Mike Mutchler

Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, I & II Peter

Today is Sunday!!  Praise God for Sundays!!  I get to go to church and enjoy God's people and I'm looking forward to that in just another hour and a half.  Well, I read a lot this morning, but here are some highlights: 1) The need for a Pastor- In Titus 1:5, Titus was instructed of Paul to "set in order the things that are wanting"  and ordain "elders" to keep that up.  In every church, there are many things that are "wanting" and that is why they need a "pastor" (elder...same thing!).  The pastor is always setting things in order and fixing things that are wanting, or at least trying to fix them.  In verse seven he gives us the qualifications of an elder in a few verses, but the job of the pastor is to set in order the things that are wanting in the church. 2) ONCE FOR ALL-  All that Jesus did for us, He did once for all!!  Heb. 7:27- "for this he did once, when he offered up himself."  Heb. 9:12- "but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."  Heb. 9:26 "but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."  Heb. 9:28 "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many"  Heb. 10:10 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."  Yes!!  Jesus died once for all for all of our sins!! 3) FAITH- Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith.  We need to constantly be stretching our faith to be pleasing to our Savior, because He delights in our faith.  So faith must grow or it does not remain faith, but sight and confidence.  This is why the Christian life is to be a journey of faith... The Just Shall Live By Faith!!  Because... our faith pleases Christ!!! 4) LIKE A VAPOUR- Our life is so short in God's eyes, it is like a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away.  This is what James 4:14 tells us.  In Light of this we ought to say "If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." (vs. 15)  We don't live long, so make our life count for Christ!! 5) INCORRUPTIBLE- God's Word is incorruptible seed!  That is what I Peter 1:23 tells us.  That means it is seed that produces life every time!  It means it produces the real deal and not a weed or a fake!!  It means that once germinated in a human heart it sticks!!  It means that it is pure and undefiled truth!  Not watered down, not mixed with error, but incorruptible forever!!  Praise God!! WELL, I'm getting ready for Church this morning!!  I''m so looking forward to it.  May God richly bless you and yours!!  Pastor Mike Mutchler