Category: From the Preacher’s Pen

I recently came across a poem titled, “God is Mighty Kind”, written by Carl Flynn. The poem states that although we suffer in this life, God is merciful, and grants us bountiful blessings. Note the following verse:

“For every dark and stormy day
A week of days are fair;
However chill the clouds and gray
‘Tis always bright somewhere.

This is something to remember. Especially when we become burdened from time to time with the cares and trials of our lives. No matter how bad it may be at any one time, we all have been wonderfully blessed by our God in heaven. Remember the promise, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Stan

In Matthew 10, our Lord prepared his disciples for their preaching efforts among the Jews by saying, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves” (vs. 16).

To put it simply, Jesus told his disciples to be aware of the ungodliness of men. Men can act as wolves. They can be destructive, mean and scheming. In the next verse, Jesus said, “But beware of men. . .”

We too need to beware of men. We need to know of their ability to hurt us, and their willingness to do so. At the same time, while such wisdom is required of us, it must be emphasized that such actions have no place among God’s people. While we are aware of the potential evil in others, may it be that none of us here at West Side are ever guilty of the same. Instead, we are to be “harmless as doves” toward our brethren.

Stan

Paul exhorted the Thessalonians in his first epistle to , “…warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all” (5:14).

It seems to me that Paul was trying to get the Thessalonians to look out for and take care of each other. Sometimes, to take care of someone, you must warn them. Tell them of the consequences of their actions, so that they will not lose their standing with God. Other Christians may need comfort. The idea of “fainthearted” here indicates someone who is discouraged or troubled in spirit. Finally, some may be weak, and need to be upheld. We need to stick with those who are struggling, including babes in Christ, and support them until they become strong, and can do the same for others.

Simply put, we are to love each other!

Stan

With this bulletin I am beginning a new front page feature, “From the Preacher’s Pen.” It will not be weekly, from time to time we will follow the previous template. However, this allows me to teach, and exhort on a more intimate and casual level.

Consider these missives to be a direct conversation between me and you, as brethren here at West Side. Kind of like a short note, penned as a reminder, or an encouragement, or as a simple celebration of our faith together. Hence, the handwriting font. This is my own printing, transformed into a computer font. I certainly do not have the prettiest writing, but I trust you can read this without too much strain.

Brethren, we are blessed to be members together here at West Side. It is good to be part of such a loving family. I pray this new feature will help us to celebrate that fact.

Stan

(Note: The handwriting font used can’t be duplicated on the web site).