Articles

What's the difference? Each could be the same stone. It is simple a matter of where they are and how they are used. The stumbling block becomes so by being placed in such a way as to make someone trip or fall. The stepping stone could be the same block, but placed in such a way as to help someone navigate an easier path thru possible hazards. And we are all familiar with a building block, when use...

Friday, April 1st, 2016. This is the day that we begin…. as a congregation….. to read through Jesus’ New Testament together.What do you imagine will be the result for you?Will you learn things you did not previously know?Will you be surprised at how little you really know of the New Testament?Will you be reminded of great truths you had forgotten?Will you gain insights that will help you understan...

According to the pundits, the possible presidency of Trump or Hillary would be the final step in the destruction of this nation. This election has so polarized the American people that each side views the other as the agent of the apocalypse should the other’s candidate ascend to the top position in the land. The fear on both the left and right of the political spectrum is palpable as each tries t...

Is anything in this life, as good as it could be?Everything we enjoy has a culminating point, and we live for these culminating points.You buy groceries to prepare and serve a meal, but the culminating point is when you eat it together with loved ones. No matter how great the meal or the pleasure of the occasion, however, you always know that things could somehow be better.You live for that rare m...

“Quit trying to tell people about Jesus. You don’t have a Bible degree, you are not good with words and you are obviously judgmental if you think someone else’s life needs improving or fixing in any way.”“You should keep quiet about abortion. What business is it of yours if fornication has resulted in a pregnancy? You don’t understand the expense of having a child when you’re not ready. If they wa...

Anheuser-Busch put a full page ad in The Oklahoman (February 17, 2016; p. #A), stating: “Anheuser-Bush has invested hundreds of millions in Oklahoma and provides over 700 great jobs. Now, Senator Clark Jolley has proposed legislation, SJR68, that would force Anheuser-Busch out of Oklahoma and raise the price of beer.With a $1.3 billion deficit in our state, shouldn’t Senator Jolley be focusing on ...

Have you ever been in our worship service and listened? Now that might sound like an odd question, but I mean much more than just listening to the sermon, prayers, and songs. I’m talking about listening to everything else that is going on around you. Here are some of the things I have listened to over the past couple weeks and I think you, like me, will find something wonderful in all the extra no...

In Hosea 11:7 is the sober warning, “My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call to Him on high, He will not exalt them at all.” In this nation where our Pledge of allegiance still states “one nation under God,” humanism has erected itself to the point God might well describe the nation as a people who “are bent on turning from Me!” While referring to the trends and would-be-leaders en...

I have happily recovered from a nasty cold that never seemed to end. The experience led me to think about some very basic things that even the common cold can teach us. Here are seven that mine taught me:Les.#1. A 7 day cold does not last 7 days.Contrary to popular belief that you’re in and out of a cold in seven days, the reality is that full recovery is often not realized until 10 days or beyond...

"The Winner"As I write this article, the nation has gone lottery crazy. One point five billion (with a 'B") dollars is the amount to be paid for picking the correct Powerball numbers. For just $2 you, and your government, would receive an astronomical amount of money..."easy street" from now on. And the fact that you have a little less than one in 292 million chances of winning doesn't seem to det...

The applied math site Durangobill.com explains what the recent changes in Powerball lottery rulings meant for the “players” who buy tickets.Game Rules for the new Powerball game that went into effect for the Oct. 7, 2015 game. As “game players” (“suckers”) woke up to the fact that they were throwing money away trying to win the old 59/35 game, Powerball ticket sales slumped. Thus Powerball officia...

Sad and sobering trends in the land that are crowding out Christ and God, plus demoralizing, and undisciplined domestic problems and patterns, to disastrous and destructive drug and drinking addictions—all in daily doses of carnal conduct that erupt in tears, trials, and terror—make it imperative that God’s people and general public seek a new focus in this New Year. Let it be done in three dimens...

I am not against New Year’s resolutions. Any effort we make to do better is worthy of praise in my book.It strikes me, however, that Jesus pointed us to today, and only today. He also said not to worry about things that we consider absolute necessities in life such as food and clothing, but rather to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness. Jesus encouraged us with the idea that if we put God fir...

Tis’ the season when the Heavenly Host did sing,That to earth had come a “Heavenly King!”“Peace among men,” was the Divine Plan,For a Savior had come to redeem man!The earthly powers, with a jealous air’,On babes enacted slaughter without-a-care;Peace turned to pain without and within;Seeking to thwart God’s plan among men!While “Celebration” relates to His arrival on earth,There remains much conf...

In part one of this article I said that we sometimes don’t recognize the full implications of the punishments or rewards that come our way when choosing to obey or disobey God’s commands. In this regard I mentioned the many rewards that await one who actively pursues sexual purity.Another reward that is seldom understood is that which results from generous giving or liberality. We are familiar wit...

When I was in Junior High my English teacher taught our class how to write a “precis”. A precis is a shortened version of an essay or article that maintains the meaning of the original piece of writing. He would do this by assigning us a 500 word essay on a particular topic and once completed would require the class to rewrite that same essay in 250 words, then 100 words and finally 50 words. This...

2400 years ago, an oath attributed to the Greek Physician Hippocrates was put in writing. I find it interesting that in ancient Greece, a culture famous for its Pagan idolatry, a man would be so committed to such high moral ideals as are included in the oath.Do you realize that the original Hippocratic oath prohibited both abortion and euthanasia?“I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who a...

1. Never belittle your spouse, even in jest; and especially never in public. Just don’t.2. Always lavish legitimate praise for any and all of your spouse’s qualities or accomplishments, especially in public.3. Almost all marriages that end badly do so because of selfishness. If your immediate inclination is to look for selfish behavior in your spouse instead of yourself, it is a good sign that you...

Perhaps you’ve seen videos on the internet of people who do themselves great harm by doing terribly foolish things. They dive off houses into swimming pools and miss, mess around with explosives and discover that they work as advertised, or misjudge the amount of bungee cord they needed to maintain an intact cranium.We look at them and wonder, “What were they thinking?”We seem to have some of the ...

I recently baptized our eldest grandson, Christian. He is nine years old and because of his age I had some hesitation before going ahead with his baptism. There are many examples in the Bible of people who were spiritually sensitive at an early age. Samuel was a young boy when called by God to serve as prophet (1Sam.3:1-21); and it was said of Jesus as a boy that He grew in wisdom and stature (Lk....