NUMBERS

It is a beautiful Sunday morning, and I am so excited about Church!  Today is "International Sunday"!  We bring our Spanish Church and Korean Church into the English Auditorium with all of the teenagers and we have one big service in three languages.  It is something to see and hear.  The choir number uses all three choirs and all three languages.  I'm looking forward to the day! I'm reading in Numbers, and here are a few truths I want to share with you: 1) THEY ARE A GIFT- Numbers 8:19  "And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary."  Now verse 18 says:  "And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel."   You see God took the Levites for Himself and then turned around and gave them as a gift to Aaron and his sons to minister to God's people.  It reminds me of:  Ephesians 4:8 &11-12  "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."  11  "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"  Here again, God calls men to Himself, and then gave them as gifts to the Church.  Isn't God good to us? 2) COME AND BE BLESSED- In Numbers 10:29, Moses says to his father-in-law, "come thou with us, and we will do thee good:".  Every Church ought to say the same thing to the people of their community.  God certainly is able to offer this invitation.  Come and be blessed! 3) WELL ABLE vs. NOT ABLE-Numbers 13:30-31  "And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.  31  But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." Joshua and Caleb looked to God in faith and said they were "Well Able", but the other ten spies looked to the giants in the land and to their own fears and said they were "Not Able" to conquer the land.  Now, you must decide if you will face life with FEARS, or face life with FAITH.  The choice is ours to make and the outcome is dramatically different.  Remember that their fears caused a whole generation to die off and spend forty years in the wilderness.  Be careful how you choose!  I'm voting for "Well Able!"  and trusting God to make it so!! 4) SPEAKING GOD'S MIND- In Numbers 24, Balak sure was upset at Balaam.  He hired him to curse Israel, and it says in verse 10:   "And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times."   But, all along, Balaam was truthful and told him that he could only speak what God told him to speak... and he did... he blessed God's people.  He tells him that again in verse 13:  "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?"   As Christians, we too must speak what God's Word speaks and not our own minds.  God saw too it that his prophet kept blessing His people.  Wow!  God is good!! Hope you have a blessed Sunday!  Pastor Mike Mutchler