II Cor. , Gal, Eph.

What a blessing we had this Sunday.  A great crowd Sunday morning, and Sunday evening!  The music was a blessing!  It was wonderful!  Then we had eight baptized and two families join the church.  It was packed out!  Wow!  God, you are so, so good to us... thank you!! Here are a few thoughts I had as I read today: 1) GOD'S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT- II Cor. 12:9 says: "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  This is so true, but it only becomes personally known after we go through the trials of life.  This week, I talked to a lady whose husband said he's leaving, and I shared God's hope with her and gave her some counsel to follow... she did, and things have worked out and they are still together;... God's grace is sufficient.  Later, I heard of a member whose sister's husband has left her, and we are broken hearted to hear the news, but God is sufficient and His grace will not fail!!  We know that God will take care of His hurting people.  He feels our hurts, He catches our tears.... His Grace is sufficient.  Take heart, O hurting Christian, there is not hurt so deep, but what His grace and love is deeper still!! 2) WALK IN THE SPIRIT- Gal. 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."  The Holy Spirit lives in us as a believer, but the Holy Spirit would guide and control us if we let Him.  This verse reminds us to yield our heart and lives to the Holy Spirit.  We need walk in the Spirit.  That is, let Him have control of our every day lives.  I want that so much.  O Holy Spirit, flow through me, use me, help me to walk with you and in you each and every day! 3) I AM INSTRUCTED- Paul says in Phil. 4:12... "I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."  Can we handled success and failure?  Being full and then hungry?  Being blessed, and going through trials?  Experiencing great joy, and then great sorrow?  Can we do well with both??  I don't want to be a Christian that only knows how to deal with the blessing of life, I want to be strong enough as a Christian to deal with both.  The key is this... "I am instructed".  God does the instructing through His Word.  He is the one that tells us how to endure hardness as a good soldier.  His Word is what fill us with hope when the night is darkest.  He radiates peace in the midst of life's storms. I am instructed... the thing is... have I been a good student?  Only the trial will tell.  Well, so much for today.  I've posted this late at night because I have an early appointment.  May God bless you dear friend.  Pastor Mike Mutchler