Articles

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....

The Devil’s deception strikes again. A recent report traces the progressive (?) pattern of marijuana use in Colorado (cf. The Oklahoman, “Legalized Marijuana Certainly No Panacea,” September 27, 2015, p.14A). “In 2006 Colorado legalized ‘medical’ marijuana use. Greater commercialization was unleashed in 2009. And since 2013, full-blown recreational use has been legal.” This not only shows the Sata...

The above is not simply the title of this brief article; it is the last question a number of people were asked just before being shot dead on Thursday October 1st, 2015.On Monday October 5th, a stone monument bearing inscriptions of the ten commandments was removed from the grounds of the Oklahoma state capitol. The monument bearing such subversive thoughts as “Thou shalt not kill”, “Thou shalt no...

Pope Francis has good teeth. I noticed this about him in a picture connected with his recent visit to the U.S. This is as it should be for one who strives to be the new face of the Catholic church witnessed by the carefully choreographed Papal appearances in New York and other cities recently.He is loved by the media because he preaches on their favorite themes of climate change, the plight of the...

Are you struggling or have you struggled with any of “life’s issues”? Financial troubles, divorce, straying children, chronic illness or pain, addiction to alcohol, nicotine, drugs, pornography, sex; do you struggle with anxiety, depression, doubt, fear, frustration, faithfulness, anger, disappointment, abandonment, abuse, a sense of shame or guilt, loss of a loved one, a job, a relationship, tryi...

Increasing InsanityGod designed our minds to function in sync with his own. When one turns his mind away from God, the only possible result is insanity.Jesus’ apostle Paul wrote the following to the saints in Rome (1:21-22):“…but they became futile in their speculations”“…their foolish heart was darkened”“Professing to be wise, they became fools”“Futile speculations”? The so-called theory of evolu...

Skeptics, agnostics, atheists, philosophers, and even scientists (by evidence, laboratory experiments, etc.) theorize, speculate, postulate, and express varied assumptions as to the origin of things, life, and the universe. There is an amazing plethora (the state of being too full, excess) of print, seeking to explain the heavens and the earth, plus all life—plant, animal human—that are so evident...

Some wise person somewhere once said, "It's not where you start...it's where you finish that counts!" We see that all the time in sports, in business and in life itself. Someone starts in the back of the pack and perseveres to get to the front. One can start with nothing and end up wealthy, (especially in our great country), or someone can start with lots and end up with nothing. That holds true i...

Risking a bad pun, I must ask, “Why is Donald Trump rising in popularity these days?” It is not his wealth or his “you’re fired” notoriety. No, these days he is gaining in popularity because he is not afraid to say what he believes to be the truth.No political correctness. No minced words. No one has to wonder what he means when he speaks. There is something to be said for that.I know of no more “...

Luke 9:23..."Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,and follow Me."Three of the four Gospels quote this teaching from Jesus. It must be important for us to bear a cross, some type of burden in our life. We must pick up that cross each day and carry it just as Jesus carried His. Actually, it was our burden of sins which He bo...

Your skeleton is the underlying structure of your body and must be healthy for the body to be healthy. When a bone is broken, or out of place, we immediately take steps to insure that it is brought back to its original condition and position as soon as possible. We recognize that the original plan for the placement and function of the bones is the best design.The vital issue in God’s eyes, however...

David Prater, District Attorney of Oklahoma County, made some commendable comments about the community confusion concerning the Ten Commandments being placed on the state Capitol grounds (The Oklahoman, “Demonstrate our faith through deeds, not words”, July 26, 2015, p. 15A). Prater warned about the treating that slab of marble with its inscription like a “graven image, an idol,” “breaking one of ...

Beware, total fulfillment is not to be found on planet earth. Nothing in our present, fallen world, will ever be just as it should be.We often set ourselves up for disappointment by having unreal expectations.It may begin in childhood when we believe that our life will be complete if we can just have that new bicycle, or football helmet or doll or whatever. We receive the object of our obsession, ...

Jesus came to give us life, according to John 10:10. Not just life, really, but “abundant life”. Are you living the abundant life Christ came to give you?Jesus said that if we come to him, he will give us rest for our souls, according to Matthew 11:28-30. Is your soul at rest?Most of all, I am drawn to the idea that Jesus has come to give us peace. John wrote Jesus’ words:“These things have I spok...

In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, President Jimmy Carter offered his opinion saying, “I believe Jesus would approve gay marriage”.How can you know if he is right? Read what the Law of Moses said about the practice of homosexuality:“You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination”, Leviticus 18:22 ……. As well as ……. “If there is a man who lies with a male...