Articles

Thankfully, during nearly 2,000 years since its establishment in Jerusalem, the kingdom of God has never shut down.Nations come and nations go.  Our beloved country, the United States of America, was begun by men who understood both the tenuous nature of nations and the eternal nature of God’s kingdom as well.  Benjamin Franklin was one of those men:“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and t...

The church has always relied on men who could be counted on to carry out important matters discreetly and competently. In I Cor. 16:3 Paul refers to such men who were to safely transport a money gift from the Corinthian church to the church in Jerusalem, some 800 miles away:  “...When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem…”It’s inter...

How many times has it been lamented, “All good things must come to an end”?Specifically, two good things have now come to an end here at Choctaw.Billy VanCuren is stepping down from the eldership so that he and Judy can take full advantage of his retirement.  Just this week a “little bird” overheard Judy say, “Billy has been all around the world without me, but we have never gone around the c...

At a recent Celebrations Service for a Sister-in-Christ, the preacher noted, “We are not bodies with a soul, but we are souls in bodies for a season!” That is why Tryon Edwards stated: “This world is the land of the dying; the next is the land of the living.”¹ Herman Hooker adds, “Death is as the foreshadowing of life. We die that we may die no more!” (12,000 Inspirational Quotations, p. 101). Tha...

We are entering my most favorite time of the year...fall.  Maybe it's yours too.  I love the more pleasant weather, the vivid changing of the leaves, but most of all - the clouds.  This is the time of year God provides us with milder temperatures, the brightest of blues skies, and punctuates them with marshmallow puffs of white clouds.  A divine palate of color for our eyes. Ye...

One day you pick up a box or a book and “snap”, you join the legions of back pain sufferers.I experienced the usual therapy and advice from my doctor who said, “use your meds to manage the pain as best you can”. This experience is not without its good side however, since it has taught me several lessons:1.Pain is a Fact of Life. We try so hard to avoid any type of discomfort that when it comes, we...

In Galatians 6:9 Paul exhorted, “Let us not be wary in well doing.” the term weary (Gk. egkakeo) basically means to lose courage; faint; despair; give in or give up. It covers a tiredness inside and outside. In our busy, demanding, challenging world, have You been there? Are You there now? Paul’s plea is, “Don’t do it!”First of all, Paul qualifies the circumstances or activity where we dare not “l...

INTRO:As Christians, we are our brother’s keeper whether we realize it or not.  How we care for each other in society, family or the church is a true measure of our moral health.  Of course there is a higher expectation for us in the church because how we care for each other is not only a measure of our spiritual health but a way of witnessing the sincerity of our faith.  Our concer...

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I haveloved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you areMy disciples, if you have love for one another”,   John 13:34-35How will all men know if we are Jesus’ disciples?  Jesus made it clear above.“This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you”John 1...

We see the above phrase first in Genesis 1:28 when God gives this simple, but  necessary instruction to Adam and Eve adding, “fill the earth”. We see it again in Genesis 9:1 & 7 after the flood when God tells Noah and his family to do the same.This was, and I believe remains, God’s plan for humanity (especially His people) given long before He gave ...

I've often been uncomfortable in leading a prayer with the words "I love you, Lord." After all, who am I to say these words to such a one as God?Think of it. God, the Perfect One; the Almighty; the being who created me and everything else in this universe; The God of mercy who saved me from destruction and forgave me all my sins. How would I be worthy to be in a loving relationship with Him? ...

I’m learning more from my three-year old grandson.  He keeps reminding me how to pray.  For instance, his prayer a few nights ago went:“Dear God, Tank you for Antoni and Austin (his brother and himself), and pwease help us to be kind…and pwease help me not to fall off my bed.  In Jesus name we pway…Amen!”Talk about from the heart!  He talks to his heavenly Father so simply, so ...

This article is for all who have obeyed the gospel by putting their faith in Jesus and being baptized into his death. Do you really believe that you are saved?The singular message of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation is that God is at work to save you and me from the consequences of our own sin. Yep, that’s really what the entire book is all about.Why does God want to save us?&nb...

Ah! Now, let me see—In the seed there is a tree;In the tree there is a trunk;In the earth the roots have shrunk;In the roots the juices flow,Rising upward, and on they go,To sprout out into branches, leaf, stem,Producing flower and fruit on many a limb;Which in multiple colors, we collect for food;Pleasing our palate: tasting so good;Containing also many a seed,To repeat the process, as God decree...

Decisions, DecisionsAccording to various studies people make about 612 decisions each day. Some are involuntary where the brain sends messages to your body to follow through on and others are voluntary because you have to make a conscious choice.When making these voluntary decisions the basic question most people use to decide is, “What will benefit me the most?” Of course this is the correct ques...

Is There a Lesson Here?When God sent his prophet Elijah away to hide from king Ahab, he eventually sent him to a widow in the little town of Zarephath likely just out of reach of Ahab’s authority (1st Kings 17:1-16).God had withheld rain from Israel long enough for food to be scarce. When Elijah approached the Lady, she was gathering a few sticks to kindle a fire so she could cook the la...

Satan loves to use the word “not” to tie up or bind the real truth.  Think Genesis 3:4…“you surely will not die”.  With one word he changes the truth to a lie. He turns the meaning from what we know to be wrong into what seems to be right with simply one word.  He doesn’t need to possess us, he just “whispers” in our thoughts.Think about the society we live in today.  Satan say...

I had home renovations to be done recently and asked one of our members, Calvin Vernon, if he would contract the job. He said that he only worked for people he loved. I answered that I only hired workmen that I trusted so we got off on the right foot.After weeks of dust & debris, not to mention thousands of dollars, Lise and I now have a remodeled home that is wonderful to live in. The entire expe...

When people compliment you on your friends, you know your friend is special. Such was the case when many people noted the kindness and generosity of our friends, Allen and Barbara Arnold, from Oklahoma.They and their family organized and carried out our move Oklahoma City to San Diego, California. From loading a twenty-six foot truck and driving it while towing our other car in a three vehicle con...

What is in the Bible?The Bible is a collection of writings that cover the three ages of human history.The first age covers the time from the creation until Moses received God’s law on Mount Sinai. It is called the Patriarchal Age because God spoke directly to many patriarchs, or heads of families such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.The second era is the called the Jewish, ...