COMFORT.

TODAY'S BEEN A ROUGH ONE. WE WERE WOKEN UP WITH A PHONE CALL FROM A DEAR OLDER LADY IN OUR CHURCH...SHE'S ALWAYS AT CHURCH, ALWAYS HELPING, ALWAYS DOING HER PART...NEVER MAKING AN EXCUSE FOR NOT COMING. HER HUSBAND PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING. MR. BILL WAS 89 YEARS OLD, AND ABOUT 85 POUNDS SOAKING WET. HE WAS ONE OF THE KINDEST MEN I'VE EVER KNOWN. THESE ARE THE TIMES THAT IT HURTS SO BADLY TO BE THE PASTORING FAMILY, THE ONES WHO ARE THERE TO NOT ONLY GRIEVE WITH YOU, BUT BRING COMFORT. IT'S HARD TO DO THAT WHEN SADNESS FILLS YOUR HEART. PLEASE BE PRAYING FOR THIS FAMILY.

"BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF MERCIES AND GOD OF ALL COMFORT, WHO COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR AFFLICTION SO THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE IN ANY AFFLICTION WITH THE COMFORT WITH WHICH WE OURSELVES ARE COMFORTED BY GOD. FOR JUST AS THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST ARE OURS IN ABUNDANCE, SO ALSO OUR COMFORT IS ABUNDANT THROUGH CHRIST." *II CORINTHIANS*

IT IS SUCH A GOOD THING TO GET THINGS DONE, TO FEEL "PRODUCTIVE", AND TO STAY BUSY!! HOWEVER, I'VE LEARNED THAT THESE THINGS DON'T DEFINE ME. MY PAST DOESN'T DEFINE ME. WHAT I DO DOESN'T DEFINE ME. WHAT I THINK DOESN'T DEFINE ME. OTHER'S OPINIONS OF ME DOESN'T DEFINE ME.

IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST, HE DEFINES YOU. HE DOESN'T CALL YOU A "SINNER SAVED BY GRACE" ANYMORE...YOU ARE INDEED, A NEW CREATION. YOU ARE A SAINT. YOU ARE A FRIEND OF CHRIST. YOU ARE A DISCIPLE. YOU ARE PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. YOU ARE FREE IN CHRIST. NOW ONLY IF WE COULD ALL LIVE AS WE TRULY ARE THOSE THINGS!!

"THEREFORE THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS." ROMANS