Articles by Marty Kessler

To the objective reader, there are four blatantly obvious references to the God of the Bible in the Declaration of Independence of the United States. They are as follows, with emphasis being mine:1st paragraph“…the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and ofNature’s God entitle them…2nd paragraph “…that they are endowed by their Creator with cer...

Much is changing in our culture. Morals once accepted as foundational to good character  have been adjusted to fit a more “modern” view. This world puts pressure on any who profess Godliness to accept all kinds of immoral  behaviors as approved. We are faced with nearly daily reports of those “coming out” in the  news as they boldly and unashamedly boast of their same-sex lovers. We...

I love everybody, but have decided that I will no longer perform wedding ceremonies for couples who insist on living together until the ceremony. Sinful behavior should be abandoned rather than condoned. Fornication is sin. We just don’t use the word much anymore. As the Lord’s people, we have a huge task facing us in attempting to counter culture’s heavy and pervasive sensual influence by teachin...

Based on what you know about God, what assemblies of his church do you believe he wants you to attend? (This is not a trick question)Which assemblies of God’s church do you believe he considers optional? In other words, which ones does he have no desire one way or another for you to attend?Imagine you are attempting to convert a lost loved one. First, practice putting into your...

Almost 3,000 years ago, Solomon wrote:“Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil” Ecclesiastes 5:1I believe a modern paraphrase might be, “Check yourself as you go to church to make sure that you actually worship God rather than casually sin in His presence”.As I attend...

The man given the position as head of the Catholic church is called Pope, meaning “father” and indeed almost all priests of the Catholic church are called “father”. Jesus, however, said to call no man father on the earth for only God in heaven is our Father (see Matthew 23:9).The pope is also called “Holy father”, a term used only once in scripture as Jesus addressed His Father, Alm...

Of course He does!  The entire Bible is God’s message to us all that He loves us.  But in case you’re wondering what God teaches about the practice of homosexuality and lesbianism, read on.1. The practice of homosexuality and lesbianism is against God’s design from the creation.  God observed for us that it was not good for man to be alone, and so made a woman from the flesh of the man, to be man’...

God brought this universe into existence, sustains it all through the word of his power, and will eventually fold it and everything in it up like a garment, Hebrews 1:2-12.What dependence do God’s people have on this physical world?  None.  We simply use it as a wonderful “habitat” if you will, until the Lord’s return.The churches of Macedonia seemed to understand this all...

Be balanced in your appraisal of the opposite sex:  Don’t  totally discount physical attraction, but understand that any relationship based on looks alone will make both of you miserable and resentful.  Proverbs 11:22 says that a beautiful woman without discretion is like a ring of gold… in a pig’s snout.  Look deeper than that.Make deliberate decisions.  Don’t g...

I don’t know how many times someone has come to me after I’ve preached a sermon and said, “I thought you were talking directly to me, because that is exactly what I needed to hear”.  Hey, it isn’t me.  Sure, I’d like to take credit for such, but I just preach the word as best I can (well, I’m sure I often fail to even do that) and it hits home with power where it lands on ...

Matthew recorded in his gospel exactly what our Lord said should be our focus: “But seek first His (God’s) kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”,  6:33. May I step out of my norm and offer a personal testimony?All of my growing-up years my mom went to church and took me with her.She never willingly missed a Sunday morning worship assembly.  But th...

The apostle Thomas is often remembered as a doubter because he refused to believe in the resurrection until he saw Jesus for himself, according to the gospel of John 20:19-29.Earlier, however, when Jesus had determined to return to Judea where his life was in danger it was Thomas who said to the rest of the apostles, "Let us go also, that we may die with him", John 11:16. Any way you cut it, that’...

When is the last time you made a proclamation?  Don’t be fooled by the official sound of the word.  It simply means to announce something publicly.Everything we do proclaims something about what we believe.  This fact makes it possible for every Christian to proclaim their faith in Jesus and their love for His bride, the church, to the whole world without saying a wor...

I’m talking about the distance between sinners and God’s judgment. The phrase “stand in the gap” is taken from one of God’s messages to Ezekiel: I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30 It is a use of military imagery. The idea is that the wall of a city is breached at ...

Paul wrote a clear and detailed denunciation of the practices of homo- sexuality and lesbianism in Romans 1:18-32. In verse 32 he also wrote: ...and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (emphasis mine) Paul, the author of the above through the inspiratio...

Two of the definitions the Merriam-Webster dictionary offers for entropy are: The degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity A process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder Entropy is the second law in the science of thermodynamics. It is not the kind of law you can choose to disobey. You and I are completely and totally subject to...

I'm not a sports junkie, but being from West Virginia it does my heart good to see the Mountaineers having a good year in football. The game they played against Baylor on September 29th, 2012 is now an important part of their history. It was not just a good game for West Virginia, however. Yes, they won it 70-63 (whew!), but starting quarterbacks for both teams broke school records for passing yar...

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”- Jesus, Luke 12:48Never before in human history has there been such an opportunity to read, study and understand God’s word than there is right now in the United States of America.  Never!There is more literacy in the English language and more freedom and re...

He said His word, that is His teachings, are the rock upon which we must build our lives if we want them to withstand the storms of life:  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  - Matthew 7:24 After Hurricane Andrew blew through Florida in 1992 a film crew was surveying the da...

Every precious, innocent child deserves a good childhood.  This includes you.  You should have been born to two loving, caring parents who worked together to make a happy home.  If you did not have that advantage, you got cheated, and that’s not fair. It is not fair if you were born into dysfunctional circumstances.  It was not your fault if your parents divorced, or ...