Articles by Marty Kessler
“What do you have that you did not receive?” Jesus’ apostle asked this of the church at Corinth (1st Corinthians 4:7). Why? The context makes it apparent that some there were presumptuously judging the apostle and arrogantly boasting about it. Do you see the point of the question for them? Do we see the point of the question for us? Like the Corinthians, everything we enjoy today, has come to us a...
Imagine being a Christian in the first century. Maybe you are fortunate enough to be where you can meet and worship with a congregation of the Lord’s people. It would have to be walking distance. Perhaps in Thessalonica, either of the cities called Antioch, or maybe Berea or somewhere in Judea. Wherever you were, the first day of the week would have been just another work day. There would have bee...
I have often heard folks make disparaging remarks about Christianity or Christians or the church. Hypocrisy, self-righteousness and judgmental mentalities are the kinds of things at the top of the non-church-goers’ lists that bug them about “us”. Well duh, “guilty as charged” with regard to any number of such poor behaviors. Why do you think we have come to Jesus??? No one becomes a Christian beca...
#1 I must never forget that because of my sin, I deserve death. But God has not killed me. In fact, he arranged for his son to pay my debt with his own life. I deserve to die, but here I am a free man walking around living life in the world God made, enjoying his blessings and his care. #2 I must never forget the kind of death from which I have been rescued. A continuing death, being separated fro...
Pentecost was one of the three main feasts God instructed the nation of Israel to keep. It was to be held on the fiftieth day after the Passover Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15-16). God instructed that this feast was to take place on the fiftieth day after counting seven Sabbaths from the Passover. Pentecost, as designed therefore, would always fall on a first day of the week. The Pentecost recorded in t...
On the morning of February 8th of this year, a group of students stayed after a chapel service at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. Apparently one of the students began to confide in others regarding sin in his life. There were prayers, then singing, and before long others were returning to this renewed time of worship. This humble circumstance quickly flourished into what came to be known a...
To be relevant, the Bible would have to address today’s issues. Does it do that? You only have to read the first 27 verses of the book to see that gender was divinely designed and separated into only two sexes, male and female, both in the image of Almighty God. Oddly enough, that is a big issue today in the minds of some. So by the above truth, the Bible also addresses what constitutes marriage, ...
Apologetics defined – “reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine”. Apologetics must be valuable because the Holy Spirit sprinkled them throughout God’s word. Here are a few examples (note – ff means “and following”): Psalm 19:1ff – “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”….. Exa...
We can read in John’s gospel, 6:1-14 of how Jesus fed about 5,000 people with only 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. When everyone was filled, there were 12 baskets full of leftovers! How that happens, I don’t know, but Jesus does. Later, some of those folks were still looking for him, but he said, “…you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled” (6:26). The s...
Entertainer Bing Crosby spent 25 weeks touring with the USO, entertaining servicemen in Britain, Belgium, and France during WWII. His rendition of the popular song, "White Christmas" was constantly requested by troops during Bing's USO appearances overseas, which gave the singer mixed feelings. "I hesitated doing it because it caused such a nostalgic yearning among the men, that it made them sad,"...
Luke’s gospel records a time when Jesus was approached by ten lepers who asked him to have mercy on them. Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests. As they left to do so, their leprosy was cleansed. But Luke writes that only one of them returned to give Jesus thanks and glorify God. Hence Jesus’ question, “Were there not ten?” (Luke 17:11-19). Why did it matter to Jesus what these men ...
Perhaps it is because what soldiers do parallels what Jesus did in several ways. 1) Soldiers leave behind the comforts of home. So did Jesus: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of m...
1st Kings 17 records a time when God sent his prophet Elijah to a Gentile woman of Sidon on the coast of Phoenicia. She was a widow, but God told Elijah that he was sending him to her so that she could provide for him and hide out from wicked king Ahab (18:10). Odd, wouldn’t you think? God had stopped the rain so as to bring a famine on the land (18:2) but sends his prophet to be cared for by a wi...
I don’t mean what place do you go to pray, but rather where does your prayer take you? The letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus is our high priest, and since he is, we can come to God’s throne with confidence (4:14-16). A bit later, however, something is written that would have profound meaning for those who understood worship under the Old Covenant of Moses: “This hope we have as an anchor o...
It is believed that most of the ideas behind the night we now call “Halloween” originated with the Celtic religion of Druidism which flourished for around 300-350 years between the second centuries BC and AD. For the Druids, this night meant that the “lighter” part of the year was coming to an end and the “darker” part was beginning. They further believed that on this night the veil between the li...
I was a little surprised at myself at how sad the news of her parting made me feel. More puzzling, is that I am having a hard time putting it into words as to exactly why losing her saddens me like it does. Already I feel as though we will miss her greatly. Of one thing I am certain, her behavior demanded our respect. She bore the unique burden of royal leadership with such grace and dig...
The above is a direct quote of Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia, 6:2. Wow! Helping someone with their troubles fulfills the law of our Lord? Yes, that is what his apostle writes, but how do you bear another’s burden? Following are a few suggestions: Ask how they are doing, then listen to their response. In the process of listening, keep your judgments and advice to yourself. Those with hea...
Almost out of the blue, a generous family member has offered to take Deb and myself on a tour of Israel! How great is that?!?! Our itinerary will take us to Caesarea, Mt. Carmel, the valley of Megiddo, Capernaum, Caesarea Philippi, Magdala, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, Masada, Jerusalem, the Pool of Siloam, the Mount of Olives, the Pool of Bethesda and more. A bonus will be that our travels wil...
How will the world know that you are a disciple of Jesus? They will know that you follow Jesus when they see your love for your brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe this because Jesus said: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” John’s gospel, 13:35 How will the world know that God has sent Jesus to save them? When they see you united with your...
“He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” John’s gospel, 12:48 No surprises is what that means. The judge already gave us the book. His book says the “weightier matters of the law” are such things as justice, mercy & faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). You can practice justice by treating others with fairness & h...