NUMBERS

It is Sunday!!  Yeah!!  I love Sundays!!  Today was overcast, but I can see that it is clearing up.  Last night was also the last night of Day Light Savings and so we got another hour of sleep.  Wow, what a combination!  Sunday and an extra hour of sleep!  This morning, I read in Numbers.  Each chapter of Numbers contains almost a different story each chapter.  It would take a while to list each story so I will not do that, but I will comment on a few passages of Scripture.  Here they are:   1) COME SHARE THE GOOD- If you want to be blessed, travel in the company of those who are blessed.  Numbers 10:32 says:  "and it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee."  Moses was speaking to his father in law and telling him that if he stayed with the people he would be blessed.  Stay in a good Church and you can be blessed.  Stay with a good leader, and you can be blessed.  Stay with a good family and you can be blessed.  Stay with a good company, and you can be blessed.  There is a principle here that bears mentioning and repeating often in life... stay in the right company of people being blessed, and you too can be blessed!!   2) HIS SPIRIT IN ALL OF US! Numbers 11:29 says:  "And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake?  would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!"  Moses wished that every follower of God could have His Spirit... and we do!  Every Christian has the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.  It is wonderful to know that God is personal to us and dwells within us.  He will guide, He will bless, He will comfort, He will teach, He will encourage us, ... He is God and lives within us!!  Praise His Holy Name!!   3) ONE LAW--FITS ALL -In Numbers 15:16, it says:  "One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you."  It works for the faithful and it works for the faithless.  It works for the believer and for the unbeliever.  God's laws are one and they apply to all, even those who do not believe.  They apply to the followers, and they apply to the leader.  Moses found this out when he hit the rock instead of speaking to it like God said.  Disobedience is disobedience.... no matter who disobeys.    4) A SMALL THING - In Numbers 16:9, Moses said:  "Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?"  Moses was saying to Korah and his followers that it was not "a small thing" to minister to the LORD, and yet Korah wanted more power and control.  He wanted to be the leader.  Sounds like churches that have elders who are not pastors, who want to have the leadership in their churches but are not called pastors.  It is not God's plan, that is man's plan.  But, Korah uses Moses's words against him in verse 13:  "It is a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself althogether a prince over us?"  God called Moses into leadership, he didn't apply.  He did not assume leadership.  He was God called.  We had best follow the leadership of God called men!   Well, I have more to write about, but my time has gone.  Have a blessed Sunday and be sure to find yourself in church this morning.  Pastor Mike Mutchler