MATTHEW & MARK

Today, I finished up Matthew and read 12 chapters into Mark.  When you come to the New Testament, there is so much truth that jumps out at you each time you read the Word of God that you would spend the whole day in one chapters and write about the truths that God shows you.  So I only can pick a few of the many that I make notes about in the margin of my Bible as I read.  Here are a few: 1) BLESSED- Matt. 21:9 says:  "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD;"  This was talking about Jesus coming into Jerusalem, but I thought how that it applies to us as well as long as we are "coming in the name of the LORD".  There is a blessing given to all who will do the LORD's bidding and come in His name.  That is my desire to do all that I do in the name of the LORD. 2) SO DOING- In Matthew 24, we see the warnings concerning the coming of the LORD Jesus Christ.  In verse 44 it says:  "Therefore be ye also ready:  for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."  So we such be ready... but what is being "ready"... is it just being saved?  No, for in verse 46 it says:  "Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing."  So Doing!  This means that we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do before He left.  We are still to be doing these same things when He comes again!  Dear Lord, help me to be "so doing" everyday so that when You come again, you find me still "doing" what You told us to do. 3) WELL DONE!  If we are "so doing" we will hear "well done".  In Matthew 25:23, it says:  "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant:  thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:  enter thou into the joy of thy lord."  I'm trying to be "so doing" so that I can one day hear that "well done".  How about you? 4) STRAIGHTWAY- The book of Mark finds the life of Christ in a hurry.  We see phrases like:  straightway, immediately, forthwith, straitly, ... 28 times in the first six chapters, and it goes throughout the book.  We see one thing taking place "immediately" after the other.  What a fast paced book!  God is in a hurry to fill the three and a half years Jesus is on earth, and He does! 5) A WORD FOR YOUR IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION- Mark 5:36 "Be not afraid, only believe."  Jesus told this to the ruler of the synagogue and it is a good word for everyone in their time of need.  Let us not be afraid, but let us believe! 6) THE SECOND TOUCH- Mark 8:24-25  "And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.  25  After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly."  So often, we can see men as trees walking and need a second touch like this man needed.  We too need to see "every man clearly"!  Lord, use me today.  Help me to be found "so doing", so that one day I can hear that "well done".  Help me to see all men clearly and not as simply trees walking.  Love you LORD... praise Your Holy Name.  Amen.   Have a blessed day.   Pastor Mike Mutchler