Articles by Dayton Keesee

Skeptics, agnostics, atheists, philosophers, and even scientists (by evidence, laboratory experiments, etc.) theorize, speculate, postulate, and express varied assumptions as to the origin of things, life, and the universe. There is an amazing plethora (the state of being too full, excess) of print, seeking to explain the heavens and the earth, plus all life—plant, animal human—that are so evident...

David Prater, District Attorney of Oklahoma County, made some commendable comments about the community confusion concerning the Ten Commandments being placed on the state Capitol grounds (The Oklahoman, “Demonstrate our faith through deeds, not words”, July 26, 2015, p. 15A). Prater warned about the treating that slab of marble with its inscription like a “graven image, an idol,” “breaking one of ...

Mark Sherman gives us an update on gay marriage efforts in the land (The Oklahoman, “Q&A: Supreme Court on Gay Marriage,” June 23, 2015, pg. 9A). Sherman notes, “UCLA’s Williams Institute estimates there are 390,000 married same-sex couples,” adding, “If the court finds a right to marry, another 70,000 couples living in states that do not currently permit them to wed would get married in the next ...

Carla Hinton, religious editor, in the Oklahoman, gave some commendable research concerning a national telephone survey of 35,071 from June 4 to September 20, 2014 (“Oklahomans express little surprise by decline in Christian population,” May 13, 2015, p. 6A). One finding: “The percentage of adults who describe themselves as Christians has dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven yea...

God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, sending His rain on the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45). That is God’s toleration. While that scripture expresses God’s toleration, He quite clearly states what is evil and unjust that He, for the moment, tolerates.Where does God place the homosexual, lesbian and gay marriage lifestyle?? God’s Word answers: “Therefore, God gave them over in ...

This congregation has quietly and consistently, for over a decade, helped with orphans in Komsomolsk, Russia. It is so infrequently mentioned, and so far away, that an appreciation for that good work can easily slip from our heads and hearts. The brethren (from Kalispell, Montana, through whom we serve these young souls), send out a monthly report most of you never see. The following is a brief su...

Jesus said in John 13:7, “If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.” Both the power and pattern of prayer are contained in that verse. Prayer is to an unlimited God, and needs to be presented by a submissive, Scripture-abiding servant of God. Thomas Benton Brooks was on target when he wrote: “If you would have God hear you when you p...

Matt Patterson in The Oklahoman (November 17, 2014, pp. 1,2A) writes about Marvin and Bobbie Margo’s devotion to OU football. They set a standard of faithfulness to football that each member of the church would do well to consider in his or her faithfulness to God, the Father, as we make our journey into eternity (cf. Rev. 2:10)!Consider their example of attending the games. They got seats for the...

We are swinging through another cycle of child abuse charges, comments, and confusion. The advocates for removal of privileges type punishment, and bold expressions of cruelty of a belt, paddle, tree limb, or hand action on a girl or boy’s bottom are rising to the surface to express strong statements against any corporal punishment. Sadly, such comments would nullify and eliminate all comments Sol...

Carla Hinton, religious editor for The Oklahoman (“Faith In The Summer,” June 28, 2014, p. 1 D) reports concerning a five year old girl who “closed her eyes and held her breath in preparation for a life-changing experience” - her baptism. Her religious leader asked her “if she was ready to be baptized as an outward sign of her acceptance of Christ into her heart.”This young girl was one of 214 peo...

Justin Juozapavicius and Kristi Eaton (“Oklahoma Gambling Addicts Have Few Places To Get Help,” “The Oklahoman, May 19, 2014, p.5A) call our attention to a generally silent, subtle sin that surrounds our current social scene—Gambling! While the news media boldly advertises the places, and gifted, hired promoters, in TV’s colorful, dazzling display, seek your presence at some 120 casinos in Oklahom...

Gwendolyn Webb, in her book, Training Up A Child (pp.217f) writes about an elderly Mother who spent the major part of her life rearing five sons. She had hoped her sons would have devoted their lives to ministering God’s Word. To that Mother’s disappointment, not one of her sons became a preacher. Instead, all five of her sons, in varied capacities, went to sea.Here is the amazing thing. While tha...

Have you noted the biblical expressions that describe people-especially God’s people? Grown people are referred to as: “newborn babes” (I Pet. 2:2); “a babe”, “dull of hearing”, “ought to be teachers”, “full grown” (Heb. 5:11-14); “disorderly; fainthearted; weak” (I Thess. 5:14); “shortsighted” (II Pet. 1:9 NAS); “clouds without water”, “autumn trees without fruit”, “wild waves of the sea”, “wande...

There are steps and stages of departures from Deity, of courting carnality, and dealing with the Devil, until total apostasy is embraced. The gravitation from fully believing in God and His Word to gross godlessness may be so gradual that it is both deceptive and dangerous. The Devil patiently moves one’s mind from Truth to toleration, with baby steps of departure, until the Fatherhood of God is e...

Paul charged Timothy: “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (I Tim. 4:12 NKJV). A parallel to this passage is Midline Maxius, a young lady in Haiti, who has been one of the “Hope For Haiti’s Children” for the past 12 years. Midline’s father and mother were too poor to care for her, resulting in Midline being...

Dave Stone told about a mother who called up to her son to get out of bed. “’It’s time to get ready for church.” He yelled back, “Mom I’m not going.” She said ‘Why?’ He replied, ‘The people are mean to me and the service is boring. Why should I go?’‘I’ll give you two reasons,’ she shouted. ‘One, you’re 40 years old; and two, you’re the preacher!’”¹That preacher had Jonah’s mindset. Masses of peopl...

Have you thought about heaven lately? Paul was emphatic in Colossians 3:2, as he wrote: “Set your mind on things that are above, not things that are upon the earth.” The verb “set” (phroneite from phroneois an  imperative that means to seek or strive for, to be intent on—cf. J.H. Thayer’s, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 658). Have You been that dedicated—concerned—having “seek...

At a recent Celebrations Service for a Sister-in-Christ, the preacher noted, “We are not bodies with a soul, but we are souls in bodies for a season!” That is why Tryon Edwards stated: “This world is the land of the dying; the next is the land of the living.”¹ Herman Hooker adds, “Death is as the foreshadowing of life. We die that we may die no more!” (12,000 Inspirational Quotations, p. 101). Tha...

In Galatians 6:9 Paul exhorted, “Let us not be wary in well doing.” the term weary (Gk. egkakeo) basically means to lose courage; faint; despair; give in or give up. It covers a tiredness inside and outside. In our busy, demanding, challenging world, have You been there? Are You there now? Paul’s plea is, “Don’t do it!”First of all, Paul qualifies the circumstances or activity where we dare not “l...

Ah! Now, let me see—In the seed there is a tree;In the tree there is a trunk;In the earth the roots have shrunk;In the roots the juices flow,Rising upward, and on they go,To sprout out into branches, leaf, stem,Producing flower and fruit on many a limb;Which in multiple colors, we collect for food;Pleasing our palate: tasting so good;Containing also many a seed,To repeat the process, as God decree...