NUGGETS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

Today is Saturday.  The snow is finally melting and the rain last night helped a great deal.  It looks like we will have church tomorrow with decent weather for the first time in three weeks.  Yesterday, my father passed away.  He had been in the hospital for a few days, but his strength went down and down.  The family is at peace with God taking our father home, and know that Heaven is now richer for all of us.  Thank you for your prayers for my mother and our family.  Next week I will fly once again to Memphis, TN for the funeral.  1) HOLDING PATTERN-  I have flown over cities that had bad weather and because of that we could not land, but circled the city over and over in what is called a holding pattern.  One day I counted 24 planes in the air as I looked out of the window and they too were in this holding pattern until the airport was ready for them to land.  Well, we too are in a holding pattern.  In I Thess. 1:9,10 it says: "... ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven,..."  We are in a holding pattern of waiting for our Savior to return!  Now in this holding pattern, we are to be constantly, steadfastly serving Him and telling others about Him. II Thess. 3:5 says: "And the LORD direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ." Let us patiently serve our Lord as we WAIT for His return!! 2) I Tim. 3:16, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."  Notice these key words concerning God, and of course, we know that this is talking about Jesus Christ who did all of these things, but this verse is showing that indeed Jesus is God!!  3) PAUL NAMED SOME TROUBLE MAKERS- In II Tim. 3 and 4, Paul names some people who caused trouble in the work of God.  (3:8) Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses; (4:10) Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world; (4:14) Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the LORD reward him according to his works:"  We don't get this much from Paul, but here we do see that he names those who caused the trouble.  In Chapter four, he also names those who served God properly along side of him: "Prisca and Aquila, household of Onesiphorus, Erastus, Trophimus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.   Don't dwell on the trouble makers, dwell on the faithful co workers!! Well, so much for today.  Thanks for your prayers!  Tomorrow is Sunday!!  Praise God for Sundays!!   Dr. Mike Mutchler, Pastor and Friend