MATTHEW

Today, I'm with our staff on the Oregon Coast.  A house on the bluff overlooking the beautiful ocean and beach.  Seven bedrooms for our staff and their families.  Working hard, eating together, praying, a little shopping, then more meetings.  God has been good!  We are blessed!  Here are some thoughts from the book of Matthew:   1)  GOD WITH US- The miracle of the incarnation!  Jesus is born in Bethlehem.  In Matt. 1:23 we see these precious words: "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."  Now, God has always been "with us", but not always "one of us", and that is the miracle.  Jesus being 100% God; became 100% man!  Now as a results of that we have a high priest who can feel our infirmaties, and yet has never sinned.  Now we can come bodly to the Father, by the sacrificial death of the Son.  When we trust Christ as our Savior, we are then endwelled by the Holy Spirit and Christ is with us alway, even until the end of the world!  Praise God for that blessed day when God became flesh and dwelt among us! 2) FISHING WITH JESUS- Jesus we know came to seek and to save that which was lost.  We are lost without Jesus Christ and are found of Him.  He speaks to us through His Word, through His Spirit, through His children, and we respond in faith to receive Him as our Savior.  In Matthew 4:19, it says: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."  Now the question for today is:  "How is your fishing?"  I do know this: that your fishing is directly related to your following.  For if you follow Him, HE will make you fishers of men.  Remember the Pharasees honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him. Do we do lip service to a world that needs to hear the Gospel?  Or, do we tell others the good news of the Gospel?  Our job is to tell the good news, and Jesus job is to save those who respond in faith.  Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  and How shall they hear without a preacher (Christian who is fishing for men).  As a teenager, one of the great joys I experienced was fishing with my pastor and my father.  Now, the greatest joy is fishing with my Savior.  Each week I look forward to times I can go fishing with Jesus for men.  Not five pound fish, but 200 plus pound men!  How is your fishing?? 3) SEEK HIM FIRST- Matt. 6:33 says to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first!  Not second or third, but first!  AND all these things shall be added unto you!  God blesses and rewards when we put Him first.  Lord, help me to do that all day long today.  LORD let everyday be a conscious decision to put You first in every decision and action.  4) MINISTRY VERSE- In Matt. 10:16, the Bible says: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."  Don't fight with the wolves, but be handle yourself wisely in the midst of them.  My favorite ministry phrase is "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."  I do not attack every problem I face as a pastor, I look for wisdom to see a problem worked out.  I want to be wise and harmless.  I want to turn the sheep, not slay them.  I want to lead them softly, not jerk them around.  They are God's sheep, not mine.  I am to do my part as their earthly shepherds, and I can only lead those who will choose to follow.  I cannot led a sheep who wanders off with no though of a shepherds leadership.  Be wise and harmless! 5) EARS TO HEAR- Matt. 13:16 "But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear."  We need eyes to see and ears that hear the Word of the LORD.  We need to see God working all around us and throughout our world, we need ears to hear as He speaks to us through His Word, by his Spirit, and through His servants.  Lord, I'm listening, and I'm watching for YOU today! 6) GOOD SEED/BAD SEED- In Matt. 13:27, it says: "So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field?  from whence then hath it tares?  Sounds like someone is sowing good seed while someone else is sowing bad seed.  I know that the Word of God is the good seed, and we are to be sowing it every week of our lives (every day).  But there is also a "god of this world", Satan by name, and his job is to sow the bad seed, and he is doing his job rather well.  His seed is inferior and does not bring forth good fruit, but the incorruptible seed bringeth forth fruit unto eternal life.  Let us sow the good seed in life, and in our churches; but don't be shaken when you find tares in the midst of God's children.... it has always been that way!  7) JESUS ONLY- At the Mt. of Transfiguration, the disciples saw Moses and Elijah and Jesus talking.  They wanted to build a tabernacle for each one of them and upon hearing that, the Lord called back Moses and Elijah so that the disciples saw Jesus only!  (Matt. 17:8)  We need to see all of God's blessings, but look through them to see Jesus only as the one worthy of our praise and worship.  Jesus only will meet our needs and answer our prayers.  Lord, help us to be focused only on YOU and in the midst of this busy world help us to see JESUS ONLY!! Well, so much for today!  Have a blessed day and thanks for taking time with me today.  Read God's Word and be blessed!    Dr. Mike Mutchler, Pastor