By: Gary L. Hutchens James wrote, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (Jas. 4:17). James could not have been much clearer- not doing what we know we should do can constitute sin! Such sins are called sins of omission. Why did James include that verse in his letter? Because James was writing God’s word (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and God guided him to write exactly what He wanted James to write (2 Pet. 1:20-21).
By: Gary L. Hutchens Have you ever heard the statement “He’s doing God’s work in the devil’s kitchen!”? It’s an expression referring somebody doing something considered to be good in a very difficult, even hostile environment. Though it naturally sounds like a reference to some spiritual work, it is probably used most often in reference to non-spiritual matters. But for the purpose of this article let’s consider how this statement aptly describes doing the Lord’s work in this world.
By: Gary L. Hutchens “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10). What a passage of scripture- what a promise from God! Fear is common to humanity; it’s a reality of life in this world. Yet God’s word repeatedly admonishes against fear, encourages us to not be fearful, assures us that we need not fear as long as we walk faithfully with God.
By: Gary L. Hutchens Paul spent considerable time in his first letter to the Corinthians trying to help them correct their attitude pertaining to miraculous gifts. He gave a great deal of specific attention to their apparent misuse of the gift of “tongues” (languages). He emphasized that what was said and done in the assembly needed to be edifying for those gathered, and in order for it to be edifying it had to be intelligible. He illustrated the point by noting that a soldier blowing a trumpet to call an army to battle needed to blow the right notes so the other soldiers would know what was being signaled: “For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?"
By: Gary L. Hutchens The men and women who serve in our military truly are blessings to the rest of us in this nation. They willingly put their lives on the line to protect us from outside danger and to insure our freedom and security. And, the great majority of them receive an income for doing so that is far below what they could earn in the open job market. We should never take them for granted.
By: Gary L. Hutchens Parents get deeply excited and involved with what their children are doing in school. They make sure the children prepare for classes. They make sure the children never miss a class, a practice or an event. They are even there with them. They send their children to all kinds of clinics and training sessions, even at great cost.
by: Gary L. Hutchens Here we are near the end of the first month of a new year. Are you suddenly wondering where the month has gone? In a few more months people will be expressing amazement at how much of the year has already passed. A few months after that we’ll wonder where the year has gone. As the years of our life mount up, time seems to fly by more and more quickly. The bottom-line reality is, Life Is Short!
by: Gary L. Hutchens Are you happy with your spiritual life? Is your faith as strong and deep and sustaining as you’d like it to be? How are you doing as a Christian? Do you believe that your life is pleasing to God? These are probing questions that can be painful to answer. Yet, they’re questions that each of us needs to consider on a regular basis, for we’re instructed to “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” (2 Cor. 13:5).
By: Gary L. Hutchens Jesus encouraged us, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). The “crown of life” signifies eternal life in Heaven, eternal salvation. Eternal life is a gift offered to us by God through grace. Our responsibility in receiving this gift is to “be faithful until death.” We are not just to become faithful, we are to live in faithfulness until the day we die. We must even be willing to die for our faith, if necessary.
By: Gary L. Hutchens We’ve crossed over the threshold of time once again, moving from one year into another. This is the forty third bulletin article I’ve been privileged to write at the beginning of a new year. Five, including this one, have come at the beginning of a new decade. One ushered in a new century and millennium. I suppose a preacher naturally mulls over to a somewhat greater degree just what he should write at the beginning of a new year. He wants to say something profound, something that will stimulate thoughtfulness and positive action on both an individual and a congregational basis.
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