The Lord of the Lizard Eaters (Saurophaganas maximus) is unreal. I call it Liz E.  The Liz E was discovered in Cimarron County over a century ago. Liz E was immortalized by the Oklahoma Legislature as our very own State Fossil back in 2000. (I have personal thoughts about our elected officials’ flights of fancy that are best left unwritten.)  Liz E was recreated for display by the Noble Museum of Natural History on the campus of Oklahoma University in Norman for all the world to see. Liz E was a great lord because it was the biggest meat-eating dinosaur fossil ever found in Oklahoma. Only it was not. It was not the biggest. It was not a dinosaur. It was never a lord at all.

It was all a hoax. According to the Tulsa World, after some deeper investigation recently by graduate student Andy Danison, of Oklahoma State University (of course), Liz E was found to be composed of a mixture of three different kinds of dinosaur bones. This launched a massive effort to find a real Oklahoma dinosaur fossil to fill the emptiness left to carry on the role of State Fossil. A new dinosaur fossil has been brought forth to assume the honor.

The Earthquake Lizard (Sauroposeidon proteles) was found near Atoka in 1994. Standing nearly 60 feet high, its bones are almost tree sized. E Liz, as I call it, would have been heard and felt as it wandered in search of its next meal. We have been assured this is a complete and genuine fossil. In related news from Oklahoma City, the State Mushroom has been picked.

Petty little lords and worthless golden gods litter the biblical story of redemption’s call to seek the truth found only in the one true God and expressed in Jesus, the true Lord of All. Frauds and shysters masquerading as the genuine thing beckon to us today. Worthless fakes will rob you of your livelihood, your life’s work, and your very soul. Only Jesus shows us the way, the truth, and the life. 

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Jesus is Lord!  So let’s experience the love and power of God together.

This year the Bicentennial Babies born in 1976 turn fifty. That makes those who are born in the U.S. this year, Semi-quincentennial Babies, which is easier to say than spell. The celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence a quarter-millennium ago is officially being called America250, although other groups are profiteering using similar names. On the back of the one-dollar bill are both sides of The Great Seal of the United States. At the base of the Pyramid, which represents the 13 foundational colonies, are the Roman numerals MDCCLXXVI, 1776. The Spirit of 1776 is what we celebrate each 4^th of July. Sadly, most Americans do not read the Declaration unless required to in school. It is a profoundly philosophical and moral document born out of the writing of Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense, which was first published January 10, 1776.

After reading the Declaration of Independence, which just takes a few minutes, I recommend an excellent book called Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters, by Edward J. Larson. You can also find Edward J. Larson on YouTube providing interview summaries of his book. Watch one. The videos are very similar and last about an hour.

The echoes of the Christian principles of liberty, equality, and justice for all permeate the Declaration. Although many of the signers were culturally blind in the “for all” part, this document set the tone and framework for the building of our nation as united states. The unalienable right to pursue happiness called for local representation to voice the concerns and choices of the people to their governing bodies. By 1782, some of the emerging state constitutions enshrined the “for all” principles into law. Those states declared that liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness for all made slavery obsolete. Freedom includes everyone. Equality elevates or demeans no one. Justice gives preference to no one. History teaches these principles are fragile and easily lost. Be vigilant.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Happy semi-quincentennial.  And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

There was a time some years ago while reading one of my favorite chapters of Proverbs, when a passage seemed to stand out. I know this story because I wrote down my experience. The verses impressed me as something I needed to pay attention to. I am uncomfortable when that happens because it means I am being spiritually convicted. The verses were, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow’—when you now have it with you.” (3:27-28)  One way to prevent Bible verses from convicting your soul is to quit reading the Bible. I know some people who do that. 

As I was walking to the local diner to have lunch later, a man sitting in the shade asked me for some loose change. I’m uncomfortable when that happens. He asked for the change so that he could have some biscuits and gravy for lunch. I think it was a heavenly set up, also known as a divine appointment. I invited him to join me for lunch. What else could I do? He took me up on my offer. As we walked in the diner he asked me what I did for a living. I told him and felt him pause for a second. I gave him the choice to either join me at my table or eat by himself. He chose my table. He ordered biscuits and gravy and a big glass of milk. I encouraged him to order eggs and sausage also. We ate together and he began to relax and tell me his story. He spoke in generalities at first, then a little deeper, and finally as the trust level grew, even more confessions. He guided the conversation, I mostly listened. At the end of the meal, he thanked me two or three times. I prayed for him, said goodbye, and knew I had been changed. (See also Hebrews 13:2)

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Keep reading the Word. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

On these cold snowy days, many find themselves pondering the big questions of life. Questions like: why am I so restless yet bored;  when will I grow up; why was I born at all; or why are my feet always cold? Sometimes the silly questions may reveal the most. The list can be endless unless we take serious time to find the meaning and purpose of our days. Seasons change and so do we. The circumstances of our lives today are in a different place than even five or ten years ago.   

I believe everyone has their own divine purpose for life. I found there are at least three steps to discovery: 1) an openness to the Holy Spirit of God; 2) an understanding of your spiritual gifts; and 3) an honest review of your life thus far. The first step is the spiritual work of prayer, worship and the Word. The second step can be discovered in the many available spiritual gift assessment materials and the spiritual graces that give you joy. The third step may be the most difficult—an honest review of your life. Some find it helpful to write down some key insights. Review your life by decades or significant turning points, starting with your childhood.  How have you changed? Remember the spiritual insights that impacted you along the way. How have you recovered from hard things of the past? How have you spiritually impacted others? Be honest before God and yourself. 

  Try summing up your life purpose in one sentence. Everyone has a uniquely divine purpose for living at this time in history, at their current age, in their current circumstances. How you live that out involves your call from God, your faithfulness today and your vision of tomorrow. This is hard spiritual work. Excuses come easily. It is not too late for you. God has placed you here for a purpose. Discover why, then fulfill it.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Live out your divine life. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

I met a real prophet of God once. I do not believe he thought of himself as a prophet. He just sought to live what Jesus taught. In doing so he influenced the course of America’s history. His name was Will D. Campbell. Born to cotton farmers in rural Mississippi, he was ordained a Southern Baptist minister at 17, served in the medical corps in World War II, graduated from Yale Divinity School, drank moonshine with friends from the KKK and was the only white minister invited by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. A few months later he helped escort nine black students through angry crowds to school in Little Rock. He was in Birmingham in 1963 when the hoses were turned on the people. I met him in the summer of 1999.

Calling himself a “bootleg Preacher,” Will Campbell abandoned the politics of religion, yet he had a profound insight into the ways of ethical Christian living. True prophets of God cannot pastor local churches, theirs is a wider calling. He lived in rural Tennessee where he wrote his stories, believed that Christ died for the bigot and the devoted alike, and sought to bring reconciliation to all people. On his death in 2013, The New York Times wrote, (He was) a preacher without a church who presided at weddings, baptisms and funerals in homes, hospitals and graveyards for a flock of like-minded rebels that included Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dick Gregory, Jules Feiffer and Studs Terkel. Most of his scattered “congregation,” however, were poor whites and blacks, plain people alienated from mainstream Christianity and wary of institutions, churches and governments that stood for progress but that in their view achieved little. We met at a Baptist gathering where he had set up a couple of leather chairs, two small tables and some of his books. He invited me to sit with him, and he asked a lot of questions about ministry in Oklahoma. He autographed a book giving me the challenge to Fight ‘em off!  I took it as an encouragement to stand for the truth, no matter what.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Stand true. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/us/will-d-campbell-maverick-minister-and-civil-rights-stalwart-dies-at-88.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I have an old paperback book in my office called, The Gospel According to Peanuts, by Robert L. Short. It features many of the cartoon characters of Charles Shultz, but from the early years, before 1965. In one, Lucy has set up her 5-cent psychiatric booth to help Linus face his fears. Lucy tries to pinpoint Linus’ particular fear. “Are you afraid of responsibility? If you are then you have Hypengyophobia!” “I don’t think that’s quite it,” says Linus.  Lucy continues, “How about cats? If you are afraid of cats, then you have Ailurophobia.” “Well, sort of…but I’m not sure.” An impatient Lucy then says, “Maybe you have Pantophobia—the fear of everything.” “That’s it!” says Linus. The truth is we all have our worries and fears which too easily want to control us.

I am always moved by the words of Dutch resistance fighter, Holocaust survivor and Christian writer Corrie Ten Boom.  In her book Clippings from My Notebook, she writes: “Worry is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength—carrying two days at once. It’s moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” I attended a church luncheon in Tulsa many years ago where Corrie Ten Boom was the featured speaker. Her lesson that day came from a piece of needlework. When she held it up to show us, she displayed the back where all the threads were knotted and crisscrossed. She then held it above her head. She said that when she wondered about the suffering, hurt and all the confusing turns of life, she would remember that while we may only see the tangles and the knots, from heaven God sees the complete portrait of His love and purpose. Then she revealed the beautiful picture she was still sewing. “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Some of her other quotes include: “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” And this word about living in faith: “You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.” 

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Fear not. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

Reprinted from 2019

These have been very busy days of ministry, advancing the reach of our church. We experienced beautiful times of worship together each week, and served community meals weekly and on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s days. Our annual church meeting last Sunday, January 4, refocused the church budget to more fully address our church’s call to provide good food and groceries for our neighbors and opportunities for conversations and meaningful relationships to develop as we proclaim the Good News of God’s Love in a broken and hurting world. While still a challenge, the 2026 Church Budget represents an almost 12% decrease from last year.

In the other business at the meeting, our church has agreed to a ministry partnership, beginning this month, with a bi-lingual congregation, Preparing the Way Church, under the leadership of Pastor John Peńa and his wife Lisa. This active congregation is relocating from Broken Arrow, by way of 31^st and Mingo in Tulsa, to our area to increase their outreach to the Hispanic community. Many young families are included in this group of about 80 to 100. They are very excited. More details will be published next week.

Our Food Pantry Ministry room has been refurbished and reorganized with a new (for us) freezer and a combination refrigerator-freezer, and tables and shelving. Faith Stephens, our director, is hard at work developing new sources for obtaining consistently good food and produce. Our team is working to learn the systems for keeping up with needs of our neighbors and providing for follow-up and referrals. Volunteer training will be offered soon. The Clothing Ministry continues strong.

Thank you for allowing me to serve alongside some of the most faithful, hard-working people in the kingdom of God. All that lies before us must be bathed in prayer and met with faith. Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

I have a Bible passage to pray over you for this Christmas season. It is taken from a prophecy of the coming Messiah. It is a truth for today and promise for tomorrow.  

Arise, shine,   (name)   , for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  (Isaiah 60:1-2)

I am committing to pray these verses with your specific name in mind, as far as I know it. I invite you to pray this for those you know. There is nothing magic in this prayer. It is simply the majesty of God at work through the hearts of His people. There is deep darkness all around us. Our God, who is Light, has brought His light to us through Jesus, whose birth we are celebrating. Embrace the Light within you.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Your Light has come.  And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

What are your Christmas traditions? We all have them, whether we call them traditions or not. They may revolve around cherished ornaments, special foods, or gift-giving. Our church has the tradition of observing Advent with the lighting of the weekly candles and scripture readings. We also have the tradition of our 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with the observance of the Lord’s Supper. The Christmas Eve service includes carols and special songs, interspersed with Bible readings, and a reading of the Story from the Gospel of Luke. Following the Lord’s Supper there is the passing of the peace and light of Jesus. Another Christmas Eve tradition is the reception and the time to linger and enjoy the sweet fellowship, renewed friendships, and homemade goodies.

Christmas time is partly about being home with family and dear friends. The separation of miles and circumstances, heartbreak, or the loss of a loved one often turns this holiday season into a difficult time for many. When financial pressures, stressful relationships, and dreary days are added to the mix, darkness can blanket the soul.

You probably know someone who is quietly experiencing a sad or lonely Christmas this year. A Blue Christmas Service is the name given to a Christian time of prayer and reflection, usually held around the winter solstice, for those who have experienced grief and loss during the year. This year our Blue Christmas service will be Wednesday evening, December 17, at 6:30 p.m. following our community dinner. The Blue Christmas also acknowledges those who are separated from “home” at Christmas time, such as those in prisons, those in military service, missionaries, homeless, and the displaced immigrant neighbors. Join us, in person or in spirit, as we intercede for all who may be having a melancholy Christmas this year. In addition, our church will be providing dinner from 12 to 2 p.m. for anyone who would like to share a meal together on Christmas Day.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Spread peace and light.  And let’s experience the love and power of God together

If you were to ask our oldest grandson, Carter, to name his favorite restaurant, he would say, Raising Cane’s. He loves their chicken and their sauce, and their sweet tea too. His first job out of high school was at Raising Cane’s. When interviewing for the job, he sold the manager on the idea that Cane’s was the best chicken place anywhere, and don’t forget about the sweet tea. He still works as a part-time fill-in for them. Raising Cane’s advertises that they have one motto and one mission. Their motto is One Love. The one love is fried chicken. Their one mission is to serve the highest quality fried chicken possible. To that end they only serve chicken tenders and one set of sides, and of course, sweet tea.

Do you have a personal mission or motto? Creating a personal mission is not an easy task.  It involves knowing who you are, your place in God’s love, and the tug on your heart. It can become deep spiritual work, so most people do not attempt it. But if you are ready to take the next step of spiritual work, consider spending some time forming your own spiritual action plan. Your mission should be specific enough to stay on track, yet flexible enough to apply to most situations. It is best to keep it simple. The oldest personal mission statement I grew up hearing was this one: JOY—Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. Other examples are: Be kind to everyone I meet and myself. Treat everyone with compassion and respect. Create new opportunities. Be a person of prayer. The one I created for myself years ago is: Be a blessing to God today, and for generations to come.

Jesus reminds us of the two-fold commandment, which is a great starting point for developing our mission: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…And love your neighbor as yourself.  (Matthew 22:36-40). One Love. One Mission. 

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Live your love. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.