PAUL'S WRITINGS

Today is Saturday, and I'm so excited about Sunday!  Sunday is Round-Up Day for our Church and we have a western theme and we do enjoy ourselves.  The food, and fellowship is fantastic.  Today I'm in the writings of Paul.  First, the prison epistles (Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, & Colossians)  It is a lot of really great books to cover, and I can only pick out a few thoughts, but here they are: 1) PERSONAL, DOCTRINAL, and PRACTICAL- These four books are broken down into these divisions.  Paul starts and ends each book with a personal greeting and salutation.  Then there are doctrinal things to address (usually in the form of correcting or teaching a truth), and then there is what I call Practical Christian Living verses that would apply to everyone and deal with how to live verses doctrinal is what to believe. 2) THE SEED OF ABRAHAM- Gal. 3:29 says: "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."  We are born into the family of Abraham when we were born into the family of Jesus Christ (by faith) and heirs to the same promise.  The "seed" of Abraham, was ultimately Jesus Christ.  It is through Christ that all the nations of the earth would be blessed, not Abraham.  And because we are in Christ, then we too are to be a blessing to the whole world.  Keep that in mind next time you are driving down the road, or shopping in a busy store!  3) NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL. This is a whole verse found in Ephesians 4:27.  We are going to be attacked by the Devil, but don't give Him a helping hand!  Does your computer have a filter on it?  Does your phone that connects to the Internet?  Do you have password controls on your cable to filter out programs that are bad?  If you don't, you can very easily be giving place to the Devil.  Don't allow literature in your home that is bad.  Let your wife alone know the passwords to the Internet, phone, or cable TV.  Cut down all access you have towards iniquity.  Don't go where you should not go, nor be where you should not be!  Well, that's all I have for now.... Didn't get far, but I have a men's meeting soon.  Have a blessed day.    Pastor Mike Mutchler