Articles by Marty Kessler

…That I should be the main focus of worship and Bible class and so what is done there should always appeal to my tastes and be fun, entertaining and enjoyable. …That I know enough of the Bible already, so there is no need for me to waste my valuable time with further personal study at home. …That Bible classes are for those who need them, and me and my family are good people, ...

…and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourging, yes also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world ...

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America There it is in black and white. Clear enough....

You want change? Well I sure do. But not the kind of change we see looming on today’s political horizon. We are in desperate need of changes that go deeper that the presidency. Yes, I’m for change. I want to see common sense rule (if nothing else) with regard to the definition of marriage. Have people just lost their minds? No other known creature in the universe attempts to mate with ...

We hear a lot about global warming these days. Is it anything about which we should be concerned? Well, as stewards of the earth (God did give it to us, Genesis 1:26-28) we have an obligation to show our gratitude for the planet by using it wisely and respectfully. In the first place, however, we should note that God promised us through Noah: While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold...

Extant evidence! There are well over 5,000 existing manuscripts of the New Testament to support the accuracy of the text. This is an overwhelming amount of textual evidence in any case, but especially when you compare the evidence for the New Testament text to that available for other ancient documents. For example, there are only seven copies of the works of Plato, and they were all written more ...

Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican priest, philosopher, and scholarly theologian who lived from 1225 to 1274. Among Aquinas’ well-known extant works is his Five Ways, in which he documents five ways or arguments through which one can know that there is a God. They are well worth repeating, so I will do my best to express each of them as follows: The argument from motion, or the unmoved mover Som...

With an upcoming presidential election, and a continuing demand for the right to kill babies who are alive, though unborn, the above question is perhaps more relevant now than ever. In my estimation, the abortion holocaust is one of the most important issues in this election. Moral issues should always be at the top of our list when choosing leaders. Psalm 14:34 teaches us that righteousness exalt...

No, no, no… not the down-home country singer. I mean Dolly, the menacing tropical storm that threatens the gulf coasts of Texas and Mexico. News reports tell of residents of those areas buying up such things as plywood, bottled water, flashlights and batteries so they will be ready when she hits… if she hits. Knowing what power such a storm can unleash on them and their property, the...

Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them. Psalm 39:4-6 We all tend to...

1. VBS helps to fulfill the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16). Most of us probably think in terms of teaching adults when we consider Jesus’ taking the gospel into the world. But aren’t children a major part of our world’s population? Did you know that statistically, 95% of people in America who become Christians do so before age 25? It seems that our greatest op...

I saw it in the news, Teenager from Faith-Healing Family Dies. Cause of death for the young man, just 16, was a malady that could have been easily treated by medical professionals. How is it that well-meaning people can get the word of God so twisted in their minds that they seem to lose their ability to reason? My experience has been that the better you understand His word, the better you are abl...

No, cosmology is not the study of cosmetics; that’s cosmetology. Cosmology is the study of our universe, its origin and meaning. Any view taken of the origin of the universe must be based on faith, since there is no extant method of ‘proving’ how it came into being. I put my faith in God, accepting what I believe to His account of creation recorded in the Bible. Others take a dif...

Seems like a good question for everyone who’d claim to be a disciple. After all, a disciple is a learner or a pupil. Jesus Himself said, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free‘, John 8:31-32. What do you make of that statement? Is just being ‘in the church’ enough? As Jesus gave ...

Last week it was my honor to have a part in presiding over a funeral for Louis Thompson. He served as the pulpit minister for the Choctaw congregation for seventeen years and then as a family minister and elder for several years after that. Those of us who took part in his memorial service were commended by many for doing a good job of handling it. The reality, however, is that it was Louis’...

A perception generally exists in the minds of men that says, “When a woman openly displays a part of her body “beyond reasonable propriety”, it is in order to attract attention and even to arouse desire.” Such displays usually come across this way regardless of what is intended. It seems a sort of taunting, tempting tease. The progression of thought in a man’s mind ma...

I don’t remember what the hard piece of news was that I overheard in the church announcements. All I remember was the question that occurred to me in regard to it, ‘What would I do if I cared?’ It is a simple question to understand, but not always so simple to answer. And with so many possible applications, it is a constantly reoccurring one. For example, what would I do if I car...

I see a subtly detrimental habit being practiced by some very good people. I speak of those who are chronically late for worship or Bible class. There, I said it. Hunt me down and give me a piece of your mind if you must, but I am compelled to admonish the guilty and hopefully, effect a life changing renewal of punctuality. Why? Well, really, if you ask someone who tends to show up late for schedu...

What guides your decision making? Do you allow yourself to fall victim to your own selfishness, or are you guided by good reasoning based on what you know to be right? Let’s put it in a context. Bible Class. Uh, oh. I know, I’m meddling again. But really, do reason and right rule in your God-given right to decide for yourself? Are you the ant (Proverbs 6:6-11) or are you the sluggard? ...

Emotions often run high when people speak of the present day nation of Israel. Some still consider them to be God’s chosen people. Others speak as though God has totally ‘written them off’ so to speak, and that we should as well. I believe the truth is somewhere in between. As far as I can tell, there is no definitive word from Jesus or His apostles that teaches us exactly how we...