False Predictions & Transcendent Faith Rev. Tony Cooke Aren’t you glad that the experts aren’t always right! Lucille Ball’s drama instructors wrote to the fifteen year old girl’s mother and told her that her daughter had no talent and was too introverted to make it in show business. Albert Einstein’s Munich teacher told the ten-year […]
Faith and Medicine by Tony Cooke Question: I was diagnosed with a certain disease and have been taking medicine for that condition. I have recently been learning about Divine healing. I am very excited about what I am hearing, and I am trusting God for healing. My question has to do with the medicine I […]
The Extravagant Dimensions of God’s Love By Tony Cooke Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus that they (along with all of us) would “be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height” and “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may […]
EXPECTANCY + ACTION = RESULTS By Rev. Tony Cooke God wants us to live with a great sense of expectancy. However, we need to keep in mind that great things don’t just happen. They occur when we walk with God and cooperate with Him. The Apostle James was known for being a very blunt and […]
An Exalted View of God Tony Cooke In Psalm 50, God addressed those we might call pseudo-believers. He said they were reciting His decrees and pretending to obey His covenant (verse 16, NLT), but He addressed their compromise and worldliness, saying, “You thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and […]
Why You Don’t Have to Confess Sins (You Didn’t Commit) Tony Cooke Click here to watch the video intro to this article. I am so thankful for 1 John 1:9 (and the rest of 1 John as well) which says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins […]
Which Parts of the Bible Does Your Doctrine Make Invisible? Tony Cooke I was recently pondering all of the conflicting views that Christians have about a wide variety of doctrinal issues. While I believe that unity regarding the essentials of faith is…well, essential, it never ceases to amaze me how many become hyper-rigid over doctrinal […]
A Divider, Not a Uniter Rev. Tony Cooke At the beginning of his first term in office, President George W. Bush made an appealing pledge to be “a uniter, not a divider.” Regardless of one’s political affiliations or preferences, most people would agree that uniting all people, with their diverse opinions, beliefs, and philosophies, is […]
Diamonds in the Rough Rev. Tony Cooke I recently visited with a pastor who went through some rough years as he grew up. His mother was a determined woman who trusted God, and in spite of his misbehavior, she would say of her son, “My son is a wise son who makes his mother’s heart […]
The Grinches – Dealing with Difficult People Rev. Tony Cooke You are probably aware of “The Grinch That Stole Christmas.” He was a mean-spirited creature who was determined to ruin Christmas and rob the joy of the people in Who-ville. Even though the Grinch was able to steal their toys and gifts, he found that […]
Zebras, Ostriches, and Corporate Grace Tony Cooke When believers think of God’s grace, they often think in terms of how it affects them personally. God certainly has grace for each of us individually, and He desires that His grace fully impact every area of our personal lives. But God’s grace is not just for me; […]
DO YOU HAVE A “DISCIPLE” OR “CHURCH” MENTALITY? Rev. Tony Cooke We just recently conducted a “second generation” In Search of Timothy seminar. This seminar builds on the concepts presented in the book and in the original seminar. One of the principles we cover in this new seminar involves an observation a minister friend recently […]
Christocentric By Tony Cooke I like that term. It simply means that the Lord Jesus Christ is at the center. If Scripture teaches anything, it teaches that Jesus is supreme, pre-eminent, and central in all things. Colossians 1:16 and 19 in the Message version refers to Jesus and says that “…everything got started in him […]
The Strange Case of Brother Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Rev. Tony Cooke You’ve probably never heard of “Brother” Jekyll before. For this article, I’ve made a slight adjustment to the title of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel that was first published in 1886. In Stevenson’s book, Dr. Henry Jekyll is a seemingly good, polite, decent, and […]
BONES IN THE BODY By Rev. Tony Cooke Various Scriptures remind us that the Church is the Body of Christ in the earth. For example, 1 Corinthians 12:27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” Ephesians 5:30 tells us, “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of […]
The Blood Still Speaks This is an illustrated sermon. It not only includes a message, but also involves a dramatization of a courtroom scene portraying the victorious redemption brought to the believer through the shed blood and broken body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Cast Pastor: _____________________ (wireless headset) Judge: _____________________ (mic at Judge’s table; […]
Birth and Growth Tony Cooke I recently saw what I thought was an interesting quote by the late Dallas Willard, and I posted it on Facebook. His statement was: "In many seeker-sensitive churches, the focus is on getting people to confess Christ as a basis for going to heaven when they die. I don’t want […]
How Precious is This Book? By Rev. Tony Cooke “So great is my veneration for the Bible that …the earlier my children begin to read it, the more confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society. I have for many years made it a […]
Benefits and Benefactors Rev. Tony Cooke Everyone likes benefits! One of the great insights students of the Bible receive is that God offers benefits to His children. A prime example is found in Psalm 103. Psalm 103:2-5 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, […]
Beautiful Giving by Tony Cooke During the Christmas season, much is said about giving, and rightly so. “For God so loved the world that He gave…” is perhaps the most profound and sublime statement in all of Scripture. Jesus gave totally and completely of Himself, and thank God that He did. We have life today—eternal […]
Beautiful Balance Tony Cooke Do you remember trying to learn to ride your bicycle without training wheels? In a word, you were trying to achieve balance. You wanted to stay upright and make forward progress, and you didn’t want to fall to one side or the other. Balance is a beautiful thing. It’s troubling if […]
Bearing False Witness Tony Cooke In the Bible, the first time the phrase “false witness” is used is in the Decalogue—the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:16 says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” The last time the phrase is used is in Paul’s epistle to the Romans (13:8-9): “Owe no one anything except […]
There’s an App for That Tony Cooke If you’re the least bit tech savvy, you’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “There’s an app for that.” In January 2011, the American Dialect Society named “app” the word of the year for 2010. An app is a software program that you use online or on mobile devices. […]
Note from Tony: We wouldn’t think of using the following excuses to neglect making a house payment, yet these same kinds of excuses are used by individuals who neglect to tithe. Eight Reasons Not to Make Your House Payment A Parable by David Sumner 1. The only time I ever hear from the bank is […]
Seven Unders That Will Put You Over by Rev. Tony Cooke Introduction People are continually looking for that special something that will give them an edge in life. They are looking for an advantage, something that will raise them to a higher level of living. People don’t want to be “under the weather,” “under pressure,” […]
