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by: Gary L. Hutchens On the evening of His betrayal Jesus went to Gethsemane to pray, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me;” (Lk. 22:42). It is rather incredible to contemplate what would have been the spiritual state of mankind had God the Father answered “Yes” to the prayer of our Lord that evening. But Jesus made His request conditional: “if it is Your will, take this cup from Me.” He further emphasized His submission to the will of the Father by saying, “not My will, but Yours, be done.” The prayer seems to indicate a personal desire on the part of Jesus- perhaps an expression of His human nature- to not have to go to the cross. But His greater desire to do God’s will echoes in those words “not My will, but Yours, be done."
By: Gary L. Hutchens Many people claim to be spiritual but not religious. What they really mean is they don’t believe they have to be involved with a church, and they don’t have to be in church services in order to live a spiritual life. This seems to be a growing trend. Is it possible to be truly spiritual without also being religious?
By: Gary L. Hutchens There is a difference between being truly spiritual and just being religious. I suspect that many people have a difficult time clearly differentiating between the two concepts. Most people probably equate religious practices with being spiritual. But a person can be religious without being truly spiritual. However, a person cannot be truly spiritual without also being religious. A truly spiritual person will be a religious person, but a religious person may not necessarily live a truly spiritual lifestyle. Allow me to illustrate by way of a purely hypothetical scenario.
By: Gary L. Hutchens Attitude! We all have one. It’s often difficult for us to see our own, but it’s obvious to everyone else. We often deny ours while pointing out everyone else’s. It can be either positive or negative, the source of encouragement or discouragement, produce joy or anger, lead to our own fulfillment or despair. It can be as elusive as the wind and as powerful as dynamite.
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September 2022
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