Articles

Cyrus, king of Persia, commissioned Israelites living in Persia to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple which had been destroyed decades earlier.The previous temple had been built by king Solomon with all of the grandeur that Israel, at her apex of economic power, could provide. The new temple being built at Cyrus’ command under the leadership of Zerubabbel and Jeshua, paled in appearance to...

1.Choking on an ice cube? Don’t panic. Simply poor some boiling water down your throat and, presto, the blockage will be removed.2.Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.3.High-blood-pressure? No problem. Simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins.4.Sleeping too late? A mousetra...

My father was not normally philosophical, but at times could be a wise man. Though these sayings were to guide me in a physical life, without too much trouble I can find spiritual parallels in the words of our heavenly Father. First my Dad's words.....then my (our) Heavenly Father's.... 1. "You don't learn a thing when a mule kicks you the second time." (Stop and leave) - 2 Tim 2:22-23..."Now flee...

Jesus said that God is seeking those who will worship him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23-24). God’s Spirit is the source of all scripture, according to several passages such as 1st Corinthians 2:12-13:“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which thingswe also speak, not in words taught by...

Justin Juozapavicius and Kristi Eaton (“Oklahoma Gambling Addicts Have Few Places To Get Help,” “The Oklahoman, May 19, 2014, p.5A) call our attention to a generally silent, subtle sin that surrounds our current social scene—Gambling! While the news media boldly advertises the places, and gifted, hired promoters, in TV’s colorful, dazzling display, seek your presence at some 120 casinos in Oklahom...

The Jewish nation of Jesus' day sought a savior who could free them from Roman authority. They molded their religious hopes around this false human dream. When Jesus came along, He had all the marks of the Savior (miracles, fulfilled prophecy) but His humble demeanor and death on the cross conflicted with their view of what the Messiah should be. In the end they chose to cling to the shadow of the...

It is presently being questioned here in Oklahoma. The following is my view.God destroyed the world with the great flood because of the violence of humanity, according to Genesis 6:5 & 11-13. We find the remains of the world that once was, now buried underneath us and encased mostly in the water-borne sediments that cover the planet. Deep and massive oil, gas and coal deposits world-wide are a las...

Most people would risk their own lives to defend their mother from harm. But what about motherhood? Would we defend the design God intended for mothers with the same resolve?What is happening in our world?I overheard a bright young teenage girl (from a troubled family) say, “I’m too smart (gifted) to stay home and raise children”. We might expect such a foolish remark to come from a young person b...

Gwendolyn Webb, in her book, Training Up A Child (pp.217f) writes about an elderly Mother who spent the major part of her life rearing five sons. She had hoped her sons would have devoted their lives to ministering God’s Word. To that Mother’s disappointment, not one of her sons became a preacher. Instead, all five of her sons, in varied capacities, went to sea.Here is the amazing thing. While tha...

How Thirsty Are You?Recently I overheard a gentleman who apparently had years of teaching experience describe some of the teaching methods that he employed. I thought he might be overstating his anecdotes somewhat as he referred to what he had done in one of his classes. But he made a statement that really caught my attention. As I think back on it, I realize my brain accepted the statement comple...

I used to be a Boy Scout. One of the things Scouting taught me was to leave my campsite in better shape than I found it. The principle behind this teaching goes beyond any environmental concerns to the consideration of the next person who may follow your trail.Jesus teaches us this very idea as well when he says, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for ...

Where did the word Easter come from, anyway? Well, the venerable Bede, an English scholar of the 8th century, proposed that the name came from a Teutonic Goddess named “Eastre”. Eastre’s given month was commensurate with our April and she was celebrated with such things as rabbits and also eggs to emphasize her role in fertility.Does that make pagan idolaters of those who eat chocolate rabbits and...

I have found that a great many of the Lord’s people lack confidence in the idea that God approves of their past or present involvement with the military. Others have family members serving and are unsure how to feel about their loved ones being part of an organization whose effectiveness comes through the display of, or active use of force.Can a Christian serve in, pray for, or otherwise support h...

Have you noted the biblical expressions that describe people-especially God’s people? Grown people are referred to as: “newborn babes” (I Pet. 2:2); “a babe”, “dull of hearing”, “ought to be teachers”, “full grown” (Heb. 5:11-14); “disorderly; fainthearted; weak” (I Thess. 5:14); “shortsighted” (II Pet. 1:9 NAS); “clouds without water”, “autumn trees without fruit”, “wild waves of the sea”, “wande...

If you need a reminder, Mr. Phelps was the leader of the Westboro Baptist church. They have become infamous for their professedly hate-filled anti-gay stance and inflammatory posters seen especially when they have picketed the funerals of fallen American soldiers.The central issue around which this controversy revolves remains whether we as a nation will accept as normal the practice of homosexual...

1.Start by praying, remembering that Jesus said, “Blessed are the Peacemakers” and not “Blessed are the argument winners”. If you make it a contest, you’ve lost already.2.Respect each other. Never mock or demean the other person in any way.3.Turn down the volume. Exercise some self-control.4.Keep it private; never in public, never in front of the kids, never publicize it.5.Identify and address the...

There has been a lot of talk concerning Social Security that has a lot of folks in a lather. The government is suggesting a variety of ways to save it or make it more profitable.Some groups want to abolish it in favor of private plans, others suggest delaying retirement or having part of the S.S. payments put into private funds. With the bulk of the population rapidly approaching retirement, it’s ...

I watched a father escort his two young sons into school the other day, with a kid hanging on each arm. The man was walking but the boys were both skipping all the way to the door. As I watched I thought, "there goes two happy kids. they are full of the joy of life." Then I thought about myself and I could not picture me skipping anywhere for anything.Upon further consideration I realized I do hav...

There are steps and stages of departures from Deity, of courting carnality, and dealing with the Devil, until total apostasy is embraced. The gravitation from fully believing in God and His Word to gross godlessness may be so gradual that it is both deceptive and dangerous. The Devil patiently moves one’s mind from Truth to toleration, with baby steps of departure, until the Fatherhood of God is e...

It seems that the surest way to secure your fifteen minutes of fame in America these days is to declare to the world that you’re gay. Homosexuals are literally tripping over each other in order to be the first in their respective fields of endeavor to “come out” and thereby clinch their spot in the Gay Hall of Fame. Whether it be in sports or politics, entertainment or academia, being gay now come...