JAMES, I, II PETER,I, II, & III JOHN, JUDE

I'm just a day or two away from finishing the New Testament.  What a great day we had at Church.  It was so good to be at church having had such bad weather for a few weeks.  It was like a breath of fresh air or a drink of cold water.  I loved it and enjoyed so much getting to be with the people that I love.  This morning I am leaving the house at 4:00am to go to the airport and fly to Memphis, TN for my father's funeral.  He is in heaven now and I'm looking forward to meeting him and so many others soon enough.  Let me share a few thoughts with you from God's Holy Word: 1) PRAYER OF FAITH- James 5:15 says: "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick..."  Now I have prayed for many sick people throughout the years, including myself.  But I have not always had the "faith" that they would be healed.  I would like to say about this verse, that it is not talking about how great a "faith" a Christian has, for the Lord would like us to have at least the amount of a mustard seed and then really great things could be accomplished.  But it is about a person of faith who prays.  It is not our faith in prayer that gets the answer, but our being in faith and praying.  We are not a strong Christian praying a strong prayer; rather we are a weak Christian praying in faith to a strong God!!  In faith we know what God can do.... we do not always know what God will do.  So we pray in faith knowing that God can do whatever He desires and we are just sharing with Him our desires on the matter.... He will do what is best!!  Don't worry about your amount of faith... just pray! 2) REMEMBER- II Peter 1:12 says "to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them."  and vs. 13 says: "to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;"  We don't need new truth, but only to be reminded of the same ole truth of God's Word.  Be leary of anyone who is always pointing out new truth.  Chances are he is reading between the lines what no one else can read, and that is a sure fire way to heresy!  Rejoice when the preacher gives you the "same ole truth".  He is simply being used of God to "stir you up by putting you in remembrance".  3) WALK AS HE WALKED- I John 2:6 says: "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."  Walk as He walked!  This is our mission, our goal in life as a believer.  Lord, help me to think how You walked among us and let me walk the same walk.  I am so weak Lord, and I need your help.  My steps are stammering, my walk is unsteady, I need to lean on you Lord even to stand.  By your grace and strength, I can walk that walk.  Not in my own strength, for in that alone, I would surly fall flat on my face as I have so many times.  Lord, take my hand.... I'm reaching out to you.  Hold me straight, help me to take the steps your feet have trod.  Help me walk your walk, and let a lost world see the difference it produces.  Thank you Lord, I love you!  Amen. Well, tomorrow I will be writing from Tennessee!  Thanks for your prayers concerning the passing of my father, and your outpouring of love.  You are greatly appreciated and loved as well.  May God richly bless you for your kindness!!  Pastor Mike Mutchler