Articles
What does it mean to a lost world, bewildered, bothered, and bickering brethren, sick and struggling souls, dedicated disciples-to You personally-that Jesus Christ is “Head over all things to the church, which is His body” (Ephesians 1:22f)? First, it means that whoever you are, and wherever you are, Jesus, Who is Savior and sufficient for all (I Pet.2:24; Acts 4:12; Heb. 5:8f) is near...
The word “worship” is nowhere defined in Scripture. Worship is defined from “proskuneo” meaning to make obeisance, to do reverence to. Worship is an act. It is not an unconscious something or other, not accomplished unthinkingly or accidentally, but by intent and discipline. Worship comes from the heart. While worship is an act, it is not by rote, or a mechanically performe...
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...
A short time ago my mother and I made a trip to Texas to say goodbye to my uncle Ralph. He had followed his father’s example, and his Heavenly Father’s command, by trying to serve the Lord all his life as a minister of the Gospel. After an operation to relieve bleeding on his brain, he was losing the battle to blood clots throughout his body and was in his last days. Even though he cou...
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...
Jesus taught his disciples parable about a man going on a journey and while he was to be gone, he entrusted his possessions to three slaves. To one he gave five talents, to another, two and to another, one, each according to his own ability. Immediately the one who had received five talents went and traded and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received two talents gained...
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...
The Oklahoman (Saturday, June 28, 2008,2E) gave the following findings from “The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey of the beliefs and practices of U.S. adults”: “*92 percent believe in God” (See Matt. 15:7-9) “*79 percent believe in miracles” (See Matt. 24:23-26) “*68 percent believe in angels and demons” “*58 percent pray daily (outside of relig...
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...
My sister, Vickie sent this to me and asked me to share this beautiful woman’s message with her special Oklahoma ladies and give them her love… so I will. (Ditto from me also) It is a wonderful poem written by Audrey Hepburn when she was asked to share her ‘beauty tips’. It was read at her funeral, years later. I think it falls in line with scripture, (I stuck in some exam...
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...
We can learn much about our circumstances of life from the parable of the sower. We can learn that as we go through life there is always a real possibility of falling away from God. Jesus said there are those who have heard the word of God and as they go their way, they are choked with worries, riches and pleasures of this life. (Luke 8:14) Mark 4: 18,19 records that some because of worries of the...
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’...
There is a Dutch Proverb which states: “Never was hood so holy but the Devil could get his head in it.”* As a church member, has the Devil ever gotten in you (John 8:43f)? When one fails to assemble for worship services and Bible classes (see Hebrews 10:25-31), does the absentee need to ask, “Has the Devil got-a-hold of me? Even church going is no guarantee for pure living (see T...
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 am flat worn out! It’s all I can do, trying to make a living, and my wife wants this and that, my children have to go here or there, they need this and that; they have sports and school activities that take up my time. The only “free time” I have seems to be spent on nursing my aches and pains. Just watching my grandchildren makes me tired; they are so full of energy. I&...
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...