Articles by Marty Kessler

Jesus never gave anyone a big bag of money and said, “There, that will solve your problems”. I find it interesting that while Jesus gave sight to the blind, made withered limbs whole and even raised the dead, he never healed anyone of Greed, Lust, Hatred, Pride, Ignorance, Cowardice or any other fault in character or behavior.Jesus never said, “If you really love each other, having sex is not...

Just a word of encouragement for those times when it seems like the whole world is against your faith.God is not concerned with numbers. Never has been.When violence and evil characterized the whole world, he saved eight people on an ark. Only eight were faithful, only eight were preserved.Of the 600,000+ fighting men that came out of Egypt during the Exodus, only two went into the promised land. ...

I believe we see a microcosm in John 11 surrounding Lazarus’ sickness and death.#1 Jesus openly states that Lazarus’ sickness and death have a specific purpose- “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it”, John 11:4.#2 The wisdom of Jesus’ decision to return to Judea and fulfill this purpose is questioned by his apostles- “Rabbi, ...

Moses was 80 years old and tending his father-in-law’s sheep when God called him to deliver Israel (Exodus 3:1-10). He wasn’t expecting that.Gideon was hiding in a winepress trying to save some wheat for his family when God called him to save Israel from their Midianite oppressors (Judges 6:1-14). He wasn’t expecting that.Peter, Andrew, James & John were working their fishing businesses when Jesus...

Below are just a few things I’ve discovered that really work to keep a church alive and shining the light of Jesus’ gospel.Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Preach the gospel to all creation. Hold fast your profession. Be steadfast and unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord. Imitate what is good. Hold firmly to the traditions that were delivered you. Present your body as a...

In one part of the world, people who name Christ as their savior are being murdered and driven from their homes. In another, rioters and looters are terrorizing an entire community. A godless barbarian beheads a journalist and we see the pictures.You and I see only a fraction of what is happening and understand very few of the facts in any of these situations. God, however, sees every single evil ...

Monday evening, August 11th, 2014, I was shocked to look up at a television screen and see wirtte4n across it: “Robin Williams, 1951-2014”. Like others, I had no idea that I would be so affected by his death.I realized that I felt like I know him. Perhaps this was because he played so many characters, many of which I had seen in movies and television shows, and also because he was the ever-present...

Do you realize that the New Testament is filled with them?The church at Ephesus had “fallen” by having left their first love, and as a result, were in danger of losing their place in God’s kingdom, Revelation 2:1-7.The brethren at Pergamum allowed false teachers to influence some of their flock to take part in idolatry and immorality and so did the church in Thyatira, Revelation 2:12-29. Jesus eve...

Being “a preacher” I have often been praised for having done something for someone in need in one way or another. It may be the couple sacks of groceries that come out of the church’s pantry, a tank of gas, some bit of family or marital counseling, answering a Bible question or resolving a faith issue of some sort.Some such folk have openly expressed what a good guy they believed me to be. I must ...

Cyrus, king of Persia, commissioned Israelites living in Persia to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple which had been destroyed decades earlier.The previous temple had been built by king Solomon with all of the grandeur that Israel, at her apex of economic power, could provide. The new temple being built at Cyrus’ command under the leadership of Zerubabbel and Jeshua, paled in appearance to...

1.Choking on an ice cube? Don’t panic. Simply poor some boiling water down your throat and, presto, the blockage will be removed.2.Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.3.High-blood-pressure? No problem. Simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins.4.Sleeping too late? A mousetra...

Jesus said that God is seeking those who will worship him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23-24). God’s Spirit is the source of all scripture, according to several passages such as 1st Corinthians 2:12-13:“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which thingswe also speak, not in words taught by...

It is presently being questioned here in Oklahoma. The following is my view.God destroyed the world with the great flood because of the violence of humanity, according to Genesis 6:5 & 11-13. We find the remains of the world that once was, now buried underneath us and encased mostly in the water-borne sediments that cover the planet. Deep and massive oil, gas and coal deposits world-wide are a las...

Most people would risk their own lives to defend their mother from harm. But what about motherhood? Would we defend the design God intended for mothers with the same resolve?What is happening in our world?I overheard a bright young teenage girl (from a troubled family) say, “I’m too smart (gifted) to stay home and raise children”. We might expect such a foolish remark to come from a young person b...

I used to be a Boy Scout. One of the things Scouting taught me was to leave my campsite in better shape than I found it. The principle behind this teaching goes beyond any environmental concerns to the consideration of the next person who may follow your trail.Jesus teaches us this very idea as well when he says, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for ...

Where did the word Easter come from, anyway? Well, the venerable Bede, an English scholar of the 8th century, proposed that the name came from a Teutonic Goddess named “Eastre”. Eastre’s given month was commensurate with our April and she was celebrated with such things as rabbits and also eggs to emphasize her role in fertility.Does that make pagan idolaters of those who eat chocolate rabbits and...

I have found that a great many of the Lord’s people lack confidence in the idea that God approves of their past or present involvement with the military. Others have family members serving and are unsure how to feel about their loved ones being part of an organization whose effectiveness comes through the display of, or active use of force.Can a Christian serve in, pray for, or otherwise support h...

If you need a reminder, Mr. Phelps was the leader of the Westboro Baptist church. They have become infamous for their professedly hate-filled anti-gay stance and inflammatory posters seen especially when they have picketed the funerals of fallen American soldiers.The central issue around which this controversy revolves remains whether we as a nation will accept as normal the practice of homosexual...

1.Start by praying, remembering that Jesus said, “Blessed are the Peacemakers” and not “Blessed are the argument winners”. If you make it a contest, you’ve lost already.2.Respect each other. Never mock or demean the other person in any way.3.Turn down the volume. Exercise some self-control.4.Keep it private; never in public, never in front of the kids, never publicize it.5.Identify and address the...

Both views (all views) of origins rely on faith.The first two laws of thermodynamics, however, respectively argue against the ideas that matter is eternal and that it increases in complexity or gains organization with time. Organization does not occur by accident but by intent. Even given the assumption that organization occurred, if left on its own, it would soon become disorganized without conti...