Articles by Marty Kessler

Jesus & his disciples were in a boat on the sea of Galilee. While Jesus was taking a nap (setting for us one of my favorite examples of Godly behavior) a violent storm arose and scared the disciples into thinking they were about to die (Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41 & Luke 8:22-25). In their fear, they woke Jesus up asking him to save them. With a word of rebuke he calmed the storm and then asked ...

Happiness is a state mind we can either choose or reject. Blessedness however, is a state of being conferred by God and is not dependent on how we feel. To see the difference between being blessed and being happy, just consider the behavior of the Israelites in ancient times. They cried out to God (Exodus 2:23-3:9) and hearing their cries he freed them from slavery. What a blessing, right? Well……....

One of the most obvious places where our devotion to Jesus should be apparent is our place of worship & Bible study. Well over two hundred of us meet here and we have several meetings each week. Things can get messy, but you & I can easily do something about that. “Somebody” needs to put my songbook back in the rack. There are upwards of 170 of them in our auditorium along with around 60 Bibles an...

God expects men to lead: Bible writers consistently refer to God as maleGod sent his Son through whom he created the worldGod fashioned the man first and the woman to help himThough Eve ate first, sin is traced through Adam – Romans 5:12-14All angels appear as maleGod addressed the Patriarchs rather than the MatriarchsAbraham was promised a son The 12 tribes “of Israel” were named of their fathers...

Six wonderful young people with diplomas, now ready to move on with life! Remember the three Little Pigs? Sure, you’ve heard the story. Three pigs leave home to go out into the world on their own. Each one builds a house; one of straw, one of sticks, one of bricks. When the wolf shows up the only house that is safe is the one made of bricks. Straw & sticks are cheap & quick. We like cheap & quick....

Well, he wasn’t my dad at the time, but a young serviceman who flew a B-17 over Europe, was shot down and spent the last months of the war in a POW camp. Many others did not fare so well. Following are a few of dad’s notes from his log regarding some of his friends and fellow airmen: “November 29th, 1944 - primary target Ensbruk – accurate flack - ship (aircraft) 6652 direct hit in bomb bay. None ...

If you met Jesus’ bride, what would you do for her? He bought her with his life and put his Spirit within her. To do her good is to do Him good. Those that love Jesus love His bride. Because of Jesus I count myself privileged to be in her presence, to serve her and protect her from those who would do her harm. Unity is her preservation. Jesus prayed for her unity as He was going to the cross in he...

Luke records these two Godly people meeting Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus in the temple at 2:21-38. Simeon, informed by God’s Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s anointed, took the baby boy in his arms and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the pr...

Closing the door on an empty shed. It had a bunch of junk in it. Our junk. Many things that held sentimental value that were difficult to let go. Why do many of us wrestle with letting go of such things?I have known all my life that this earth is not my home, this body will not last. I am confident that my mom will be one of the first to greet me when I cross over, but I still keep a card she sent...

Today’s technology is filled with marvels. A regular guy holds in his pocket a state-of-the-art camera, multiple means of media communication, advanced global satellite location capability, the means to buy and sell with the press of a finger, a whole plethora of ways to entertain himself and much more. Yes, technology has truly changed the world in many ways. But it has not changed everything. Th...

The worst thing you can do in the Lord’s church is to cause division. Solomon made it clear 3,000 years ago that God specifically hates one who causes strife between brothers (Proverbs 6:16-19). Don’t be that guy! He’s the worst. Jesus prayed for unity among his disciples (John’s gospel 17:20-23). Don’t fly in the face of his prayer. That’s the worst! Imagine being thrown into the deepest part of ...

Jesus prayed that all of those who believed in him would be united as one: “I am not asking on behalf of these alone (the apostles), but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. - John 17:20-22 When Jesus says, “…so that the world may ...

Do you ever get frustrated with yourself because you believe your faith is small? If so, you are in good company. Jesus repeatedly told the apostles that he would be killed and then raise from the dead on the third day. He preached this openly saying, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."- John 2:19 Mark records at least nine times when Jesus told his disciples abou...

If you don’t already have a Bible you really enjoy, why not begin the New Year with one that you do? A disciple of Jesus is a constant student of his word, and I am confident that you want to make your study as efficient and effective as possible. What to look for: · Get a Bible you enjoy seeing and handling. Color, texture, size & shape are all important to its appeal. · The print must be easy fo...

As a babe he came and in a manger lay, to ease our burden and light our way. “Emmanuel”, he would be called, God with us in an animals’ stall. “House of bread” was the name of the town, where Mary lay her baby down. Apropos is the name indeed for with the bread of life this babe does feed, the souls of men who hunger and thirst for the righteousness we are led to seek first. It is not just a story...

Faith is trusting God about what he has said. Faith is believe believing in Jesus, even though you weren’t there when he walked the earth. You did not see his cross, but you believe he was crucified in your place. Your voice was not heard outside the empty tomb, but you will say with everything in you that you believe he stepped out of it fully alive. You haven’t seen heaven where your name is wri...

Jesus asked a woman for a drink of water. She responded by asking him why a Jew would ask a Samaritan woman (which she was) for a drink, since Jews and Samaritans were not known to get along. Leaving her question hanging, he went on to make a much more profound point. He said, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would hav...

A carpenter would never complain about hammer because it wouldn’t cut wood. A cook would not throw away a wooden spoon because they can’t boil an egg in it. These may seem like pointless observations, but consider how we often diminish our value because we can’t do what some others can. Hammers and wooden spoons have specific purposes. So do you. Do you know what you’ve been designed and gifted to...

(a question much too complex for a bulletin article cover) No other people are as uniquely related to God as the Jews. He specifically called Abraham to create through him a nation that would bring his son and therefore eternal life to the entire world. The message of John 3:16 makes it succinctly clear that God’s eternal focus was never on one nation, but on the coming of his Son for the world. A...

Above is the wisdom of Solomon regarding generosity. He says our bread will return to us after many days (Ecclesiastes 11:1). In fact, a dandy bit of “bread” returned to us just this week. We received a very nice card and a generous contribution from a congregation of the Lord’s people in Owatonna, Minnesota. In that card, several members expressed the following sentiments….. “Thank you for your w...