From our Pastor
Newsletter Articles
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!
November 2024
As I write this article, we are ten days away from the general election of 2024. Once again, we see the polarization within our country and the division between the two majority parties. One thing is for sure, it doesn’t take long for someone to give you an opinion of what they think or how they are voting. In 2016, I wrote an article when Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were running against each other. I want to share some thoughts of that article with you for 2024.
I Timothy 2:1-4 challenges us as believers to pray for our leaders who are in authority. Notice it mentions “kings and all who are in authority.” In Paul’s day they didn’t have the freedoms we have today in America. They couldn’t vote on whether Nero was a sorry emperor and kick him out of office. The fact that we do have free elections makes me think that Paul would have included praying for the opportunities that we have to choose leaders who will be in authority. Would he have us to pray for godly leaders to be put into authority to help lead our country? I think so. Unfortunately, both Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are imperfect individuals and have shown bad judgment in decisions they have made and words they have said.
So, I am going to pray for this future leader that will be President our country. I am going to pray that whoever it is will be a committed Christian. I am hoping that their faith is more than just words and that they have a reverence for the Word of God. I will pray that they be more concerned about what God says in His Word than the human polls of sinful men.
I am also going to pray that this person will surround him or her with godly men and women who will give wise counsel. Proverbs 12:15 says, the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. The people around our President are just as important as the individual elected. Who will have our new President’s ear? Will they counsel our new President to do what is right or what is politically expedient?
Another area of prayer concern is the rapid moral decline within our nation. I want our new President to be on the right side of God’s Word and not history. The issues of abortion, transgenderism, men playing in women’s sports, border security, national security, and the support of Israel are paramount to the future of our country. Psalm 33:12 reminds us that “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”
Finally, I will be praying that our new leader will have a precious regard for religious liberty and freedom that are clearly in our Constitution. I will be looking for decisions and words that will signal whether the new President is committed to Christians living out their faith as they choose, or will this person try to force me to change my beliefs with the changing views of our culture. So, as you can see, we have a lot to pray for between now and November 5th!
Bro. Jim
September 2024
I have shared with you recently about the tragic events of the gospel music group, the Nelons and their deadly plane crash back in July. The crash killed seven people including three members of the group, Jason Clark, his wife Kelly Nelon Clark, and daughter Amber Nelon Kistler and husband Nathan. Three others including the pilot, and his wife were also killed. According to data from a program called FlightAware, the plane the Nelons were flying lost control and crashed in northern Wyoming.
The National Transportation Safety Board has not released an official report, but the data concludes that the automatic pilot ceased to function, and the pilot was having trouble controlling the plane before it descended at a high rate of speed. Many believe that the plane may have broken up in flight before crashing.
We hear the term “out of control” for different events in life. Pilots can lose control of a plane, and drivers of cars can lose control. It comes down to managing the vehicle in a safe, reliable manner. When a person loses control of a vehicle, it can produce disastrous consequences.
When the term “out of control” is used of a person, it means that the individual has allowed circumstances to spiral in their lives and things are out of control. The enemy, Satan, is good about tempting people to do things in excess. When Paul uses the term “self-control” in Galatians 5:23, he uses a word that refers to the mastery of one’s own desires and impulses. The flesh is strong, and we must be careful as Christians to not “gratify the sins of the flesh.” The vices that Satan uses to spiral people out of control can be anything from alcohol to drugs. He also uses appetites and passions to trip us up. Pornography is rampant in our society and has caused problems within marriages. It has also caused sexual abuse among our youth and children. Weekly, we hear about someone who has been arrested for child pornography.
Romans 13:14 instructs us regarding this issue. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. To be controlled by the flesh is to be “out of control.” Let your spiritual clothing be the attributes of the Spirit; “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Whatever causes you to be “out of control” get rid of it. Stop being with close friends that lead you into violating your principles and ethics. Stand firm in the faith! The lessons of being “out of control” can be deadly!
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!
November 2024
As I write this article, we are ten days away from the general election of 2024. Once again, we see the polarization within our country and the division between the two majority parties. One thing is for sure, it doesn’t take long for someone to give you an opinion of what they think or how they are voting. In 2016, I wrote an article when Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were running against each other. I want to share some thoughts of that article with you for 2024.
I Timothy 2:1-4 challenges us as believers to pray for our leaders who are in authority. Notice it mentions “kings and all who are in authority.” In Paul’s day they didn’t have the freedoms we have today in America. They couldn’t vote on whether Nero was a sorry emperor and kick him out of office. The fact that we do have free elections makes me think that Paul would have included praying for the opportunities that we have to choose leaders who will be in authority. Would he have us to pray for godly leaders to be put into authority to help lead our country? I think so. Unfortunately, both Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are imperfect individuals and have shown bad judgment in decisions they have made and words they have said.
So, I am going to pray for this future leader that will be President our country. I am going to pray that whoever it is will be a committed Christian. I am hoping that their faith is more than just words and that they have a reverence for the Word of God. I will pray that they be more concerned about what God says in His Word than the human polls of sinful men.
I am also going to pray that this person will surround him or her with godly men and women who will give wise counsel. Proverbs 12:15 says, the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. The people around our President are just as important as the individual elected. Who will have our new President’s ear? Will they counsel our new President to do what is right or what is politically expedient?
Another area of prayer concern is the rapid moral decline within our nation. I want our new President to be on the right side of God’s Word and not history. The issues of abortion, transgenderism, men playing in women’s sports, border security, national security, and the support of Israel are paramount to the future of our country. Psalm 33:12 reminds us that “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”
Finally, I will be praying that our new leader will have a precious regard for religious liberty and freedom that are clearly in our Constitution. I will be looking for decisions and words that will signal whether the new President is committed to Christians living out their faith as they choose, or will this person try to force me to change my beliefs with the changing views of our culture. So, as you can see, we have a lot to pray for between now and November 5th!
Bro. Jim
September 2024
I have shared with you recently about the tragic events of the gospel music group, the Nelons and their deadly plane crash back in July. The crash killed seven people including three members of the group, Jason Clark, his wife Kelly Nelon Clark, and daughter Amber Nelon Kistler and husband Nathan. Three others including the pilot, and his wife were also killed. According to data from a program called FlightAware, the plane the Nelons were flying lost control and crashed in northern Wyoming.
The National Transportation Safety Board has not released an official report, but the data concludes that the automatic pilot ceased to function, and the pilot was having trouble controlling the plane before it descended at a high rate of speed. Many believe that the plane may have broken up in flight before crashing.
We hear the term “out of control” for different events in life. Pilots can lose control of a plane, and drivers of cars can lose control. It comes down to managing the vehicle in a safe, reliable manner. When a person loses control of a vehicle, it can produce disastrous consequences.
When the term “out of control” is used of a person, it means that the individual has allowed circumstances to spiral in their lives and things are out of control. The enemy, Satan, is good about tempting people to do things in excess. When Paul uses the term “self-control” in Galatians 5:23, he uses a word that refers to the mastery of one’s own desires and impulses. The flesh is strong, and we must be careful as Christians to not “gratify the sins of the flesh.” The vices that Satan uses to spiral people out of control can be anything from alcohol to drugs. He also uses appetites and passions to trip us up. Pornography is rampant in our society and has caused problems within marriages. It has also caused sexual abuse among our youth and children. Weekly, we hear about someone who has been arrested for child pornography.
Romans 13:14 instructs us regarding this issue. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. To be controlled by the flesh is to be “out of control.” Let your spiritual clothing be the attributes of the Spirit; “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Whatever causes you to be “out of control” get rid of it. Stop being with close friends that lead you into violating your principles and ethics. Stand firm in the faith! The lessons of being “out of control” can be deadly!