From our Pastor
Newsletter Articles
April 2025
The Grove Ministerial Alliance had its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 19th, at the RU Recovery Ministry Building north on Highway 59 just outside of town. The ministry leaders wanted to fix breakfast for us and share about their ministry. They are a faith-based recovery program bringing transformation into hurting people and communities everywhere.
Statistics tell us that one out of 10 individuals in the US have a drug problem. That can be everything from illegal drugs like meth to legal drugs like marijuana and alcohol. Every one of us knows someone or some family that has been affected by drug abuse. We also know that fentanyl is being smuggled across the border and is killing over 100,000 people a year in overdoses.
The RU Recovery Program has their “10 Principles for Overcoming Stubborn Habits” that is helping people throughout our country. The very first principle is “If God’s against it, so am I!” This principle is based on Galatians 5:19-24. This is the passage dealing with the deeds of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. In our text this past week in Philippians 2:15, Paul describes the sinful world we live in as “a crooked and perverse generation.” Satan has been twisting God’s Word and tempting people to live the opposite of God’s principles. Both words have the idea of twisting or making something crooked. We get our English word “scoliosis” from this Greek word. God’s paths are straight and narrow. He promises to lead us on the right path if we trust Him. (Prov. 3:5-6) Satan tempts us to follow his philosophy of “if it feels good, do it.” How many people have turned to drugs or alcohol to take away the pain that life throws at them? If we are to be controlled by something or someone, we must be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. Anything else is sinful and hurtful.
God’s Word was written to tell us what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right. And it must begin by admitting that you have sinned and transgressed God’s law. You must repent of sin. That means you must have a change of mind which leads to a change of action. Repentance is a U-turn that God allows. You turn from sin and turn to Christ who died on the cross for your sins. The gift of salvation is not cheap, but it is free. You must receive God’s free gift in faith trusting that God will lead you from this point on. We live in a crooked and perverse world. Are you more in line with the world or with Christ? Remember, if God is against it, so should you be! Get in line with God’s Word today!
March 2025
I attended the first Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee for 2025 at the new Oklahoma Baptist offices located in the Sonic Building in Bricktown. We were shown around the new offices and got a glimpse of what Oklahoma Baptists are doing through our state offices.
Brian Hobbs, the Baptist Messenger editor, is our contact person for the committee. We meet in his office area and he keeps us informed on what is happening about ethics and religious liberty. In his blog that he shared with us, he talked about how the state of Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 in the United States in many key categories. We are ranked 5th in the U.S. for beef production. We are ranked in the top 5 in energy production and 7th in wind energy production.
Unfortunately, Oklahoma leads in some categories that are not so good. We are 2nd in the nation for the number of casinos within our state. We are 1st in the number of Indian casinos within our state. Oklahoma is ranked 6th in the nation when it comes to gambling addiction, with the second most gambling machines per capita, according to research in “The Oklahoman.” 1 in 16 Oklahomans have a gambling problem. 59.4% of Oklahomans have gambled in 2024. We have trusted in “lady luck” instead of the Lord.
Oklahoma is truly a gambling hotspot in this nation. To compound matters, the State of Oklahoma’s lawmakers are on the verge of approving sports betting in our state. And our Governor Kevin Stitt has said that he would approve legislation that he says is fair. When it comes to the lottery, casino gambling, liquor by the drink, and medical marijuana, we always hear about how it is going to help raise money in the state and will benefit our schools. I heard that canard till I’m blue in the face. Sports betting is just another way to further entice our citizens to gamble and lose money. It is always the poor and those with less money that are preyed upon by the gambling industry. Guess how much the tribes made on Class III gambling in 2024? $3.47 billion dollars. That is a lot of Oklahomans and others losing money they can’t afford. And those people who are losing their paychecks at the casinos are showing up at our churches and asking for gas money and food.
If you are tired of this nonsense, please call Senator Tom Woods at 405-521-5576 and Rep. Josh West at 405-557-7415 and tell them to vote NO on sports betting. It is time Christians trust in the Lord rather than “lady luck.”
January 2025
As I sit at my desk in my office counting down the end of 2024, I cannot help but think about 2025. It will be here before we know it. In the wanning days of 2024, we are witnessing events that are shocking. We have had a heath care CEO murdered on the streets of New York City by an unstable young man. And to make matters worse, the accused murderer is being praised by people across this country. The CEO had it coming according to those who justify the alleged killer’s actions.
We have had another school shooting in Wisconsin. This time a Christian school by a teenage girl according to police reports. There are still questions about motive and the girl’s background and family after taking her own life after killing two people. We continue to read of a parent or parents killing children and vice versa. We had a mother come from Tulsa to Delaware County with her two kids in a car and ended up killing her two children before turning the gun on herself. This happened around the Thanksgiving holiday. What is happening to our culture?
As a volunteer chaplain for the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department, I am constantly made aware of the evil that is prevalent around us and among us. There will always be a battle between good and evil. As followers of Christ, we must continue to keep our spiritual eyes upon Jesus knowing the enemy is working overtime to attempt to disrupt God’s eternal plan. But He is a loser and will one day be cast into the lake of fire forever. When Jesus returns, He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. And remember the passage in Philippians 2:9-11 as it pertains to the end times: For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Yes, people who have ignored and abhorred Him will be on their knees confessing Jesus is Lord but it will be too late. But to those who adore Him, confessing Jesus is Lord will be the culmination in our journey of faith with Him. I hope you are getting in on a lot of practice worshipping Jesus here on earth because we are going to be doing lots of it in heaven! Keep your focus on Jesus in 2025!
The Grove Ministerial Alliance had its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 19th, at the RU Recovery Ministry Building north on Highway 59 just outside of town. The ministry leaders wanted to fix breakfast for us and share about their ministry. They are a faith-based recovery program bringing transformation into hurting people and communities everywhere.
Statistics tell us that one out of 10 individuals in the US have a drug problem. That can be everything from illegal drugs like meth to legal drugs like marijuana and alcohol. Every one of us knows someone or some family that has been affected by drug abuse. We also know that fentanyl is being smuggled across the border and is killing over 100,000 people a year in overdoses.
The RU Recovery Program has their “10 Principles for Overcoming Stubborn Habits” that is helping people throughout our country. The very first principle is “If God’s against it, so am I!” This principle is based on Galatians 5:19-24. This is the passage dealing with the deeds of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. In our text this past week in Philippians 2:15, Paul describes the sinful world we live in as “a crooked and perverse generation.” Satan has been twisting God’s Word and tempting people to live the opposite of God’s principles. Both words have the idea of twisting or making something crooked. We get our English word “scoliosis” from this Greek word. God’s paths are straight and narrow. He promises to lead us on the right path if we trust Him. (Prov. 3:5-6) Satan tempts us to follow his philosophy of “if it feels good, do it.” How many people have turned to drugs or alcohol to take away the pain that life throws at them? If we are to be controlled by something or someone, we must be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. Anything else is sinful and hurtful.
God’s Word was written to tell us what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right. And it must begin by admitting that you have sinned and transgressed God’s law. You must repent of sin. That means you must have a change of mind which leads to a change of action. Repentance is a U-turn that God allows. You turn from sin and turn to Christ who died on the cross for your sins. The gift of salvation is not cheap, but it is free. You must receive God’s free gift in faith trusting that God will lead you from this point on. We live in a crooked and perverse world. Are you more in line with the world or with Christ? Remember, if God is against it, so should you be! Get in line with God’s Word today!
March 2025
I attended the first Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee for 2025 at the new Oklahoma Baptist offices located in the Sonic Building in Bricktown. We were shown around the new offices and got a glimpse of what Oklahoma Baptists are doing through our state offices.
Brian Hobbs, the Baptist Messenger editor, is our contact person for the committee. We meet in his office area and he keeps us informed on what is happening about ethics and religious liberty. In his blog that he shared with us, he talked about how the state of Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 in the United States in many key categories. We are ranked 5th in the U.S. for beef production. We are ranked in the top 5 in energy production and 7th in wind energy production.
Unfortunately, Oklahoma leads in some categories that are not so good. We are 2nd in the nation for the number of casinos within our state. We are 1st in the number of Indian casinos within our state. Oklahoma is ranked 6th in the nation when it comes to gambling addiction, with the second most gambling machines per capita, according to research in “The Oklahoman.” 1 in 16 Oklahomans have a gambling problem. 59.4% of Oklahomans have gambled in 2024. We have trusted in “lady luck” instead of the Lord.
Oklahoma is truly a gambling hotspot in this nation. To compound matters, the State of Oklahoma’s lawmakers are on the verge of approving sports betting in our state. And our Governor Kevin Stitt has said that he would approve legislation that he says is fair. When it comes to the lottery, casino gambling, liquor by the drink, and medical marijuana, we always hear about how it is going to help raise money in the state and will benefit our schools. I heard that canard till I’m blue in the face. Sports betting is just another way to further entice our citizens to gamble and lose money. It is always the poor and those with less money that are preyed upon by the gambling industry. Guess how much the tribes made on Class III gambling in 2024? $3.47 billion dollars. That is a lot of Oklahomans and others losing money they can’t afford. And those people who are losing their paychecks at the casinos are showing up at our churches and asking for gas money and food.
If you are tired of this nonsense, please call Senator Tom Woods at 405-521-5576 and Rep. Josh West at 405-557-7415 and tell them to vote NO on sports betting. It is time Christians trust in the Lord rather than “lady luck.”
January 2025
As I sit at my desk in my office counting down the end of 2024, I cannot help but think about 2025. It will be here before we know it. In the wanning days of 2024, we are witnessing events that are shocking. We have had a heath care CEO murdered on the streets of New York City by an unstable young man. And to make matters worse, the accused murderer is being praised by people across this country. The CEO had it coming according to those who justify the alleged killer’s actions.
We have had another school shooting in Wisconsin. This time a Christian school by a teenage girl according to police reports. There are still questions about motive and the girl’s background and family after taking her own life after killing two people. We continue to read of a parent or parents killing children and vice versa. We had a mother come from Tulsa to Delaware County with her two kids in a car and ended up killing her two children before turning the gun on herself. This happened around the Thanksgiving holiday. What is happening to our culture?
As a volunteer chaplain for the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department, I am constantly made aware of the evil that is prevalent around us and among us. There will always be a battle between good and evil. As followers of Christ, we must continue to keep our spiritual eyes upon Jesus knowing the enemy is working overtime to attempt to disrupt God’s eternal plan. But He is a loser and will one day be cast into the lake of fire forever. When Jesus returns, He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. And remember the passage in Philippians 2:9-11 as it pertains to the end times: For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Yes, people who have ignored and abhorred Him will be on their knees confessing Jesus is Lord but it will be too late. But to those who adore Him, confessing Jesus is Lord will be the culmination in our journey of faith with Him. I hope you are getting in on a lot of practice worshipping Jesus here on earth because we are going to be doing lots of it in heaven! Keep your focus on Jesus in 2025!