Articles by Jason Patrick Hilburn
Too many people today are looking for a church that meets their personal preferences rather than meeting the Lord’s requirements. Instead of asking what Christ wants, people are asking:
• Do they have lots of activities for my children?
• Will I like this preacher better than others I’ve heard?
• Is the building big, beautiful, and modern?
• Is the worship entertaining and exciting?
• Will it make me feel good without requiring change?
Friends, these are the wrong questions.… Read more
Just because simple New Testament Christianity may seem “strange” to you, that does not mean you should reject it.
When Christ’s church first began, it was new and unfamiliar to everybody. It did not match the Jewish traditions or the pagan practices people had followed for centuries. However, when they realized the Truth, they did not let unfamiliarity stop them. They made the necessary changes and became part of it. That is what God expected then, and that is still what He expects today.… Read more
Everybody has their ups and downs. Some days may be great, while others bring challenges that may wear us down. In difficult times it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, but as Christians, we must remember that our strength does not come from ourselves—it comes from the Lord.
David declared, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him” (Psalm 28:7).… Read more
A 30-year-old person has lived about 11,000 days. 50 years is 18,250 days. An 80-year-old has lived over 29,000 days! What have we done with our days, and what are we doing with our days? God will hold us accountable for how we have spent the time He gave us (Matthew 25:14-30). Will we be justified to tell God we had no time for Him, the very one who gave us our existence? Do we realize how valuable time is, and do we use our time wisely?… Read more
After all that God has done for us, He deserves all our love and dedication, but is that what we give Him? It is so easy to become distracted by the things of this world and completely focus on things that are not as important as eternity. Do we have our priorities straight? Are we focused on less important things in life more than the most important things? Are we majoring in minors?
Sometimes things happen that are outside of our control, causing us to arrive late for certain events, but what about those who are repeatedly late for spiritual events when they could have been on time? Being habitually late may be a symptom of other underlying issues, such as:
– Selfishness
– Laziness
– Lack of respect for other people
– Lack of respect for God
– Misplaced priorities
– Lack of interest in spiritual things (being carnally-minded)
Being late can also have a negative impact on others around us:
– It can be a distraction to those who are trying to learn
– It can be a distraction to those who are serious about worshiping God properly (Jn.… Read more