If you grew up (as I did) in a mainline, denominational church, you likely heard a benediction every Sunday as the service was dismissed. What I heard frequently was the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:24-26….… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2025-03-10 14:53:482025-03-10 14:55:45The Power of Benediction
I seem to write and work best if I have something going on in the background, and even if the volume is very low, this often means I have a news channel playing on the television…… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2025-03-10 14:29:082025-03-10 14:55:52Where is the Fire?
Over Christmas break of 2024, I spent some time going through a classic work entitled The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax by Richard Sibbes (1577-1635)…… read more
Quando Lisa e eu estávamos na Austrália em agosto (2024), uma história nos foi contada por um crente do sudeste do Pacífico. Alguns anos atrás, um grupo cristão queria realizar uma celebração em uma praia específica, mas teve a permissão negada com base em sua fé. Em vez disso, foi dito a eles que teriam que se reunir nas montanhas em um local diferente e menos desejável. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2025-03-06 14:27:432025-03-11 06:08:49Indo Além da Desilusão e da Decepção
I often question how accurate certain surveys are, but if the responses cited below even closely reflect reality, it is a reminder that we have a lot to do to make sure that those who hear us have a strong doctrinal foundation…… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2025-03-04 15:36:162025-03-10 15:40:25We’ve Got Work to do!
In February of this year (2024), I had the privilege of speaking for four days to pastors at the annual convention at the Association of Protestant Churches in Antalya, Turkey (described as Attalia in Acts 14:25)…… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2025-03-01 15:22:182025-03-10 15:34:52In Search of the Real St. Nicholas
This week (February 18-21, 2025) I’ve been teaching a second-year course on “Church History” at Charis Bible College in Woodland Park, Colorado..… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2025-02-18 14:56:042025-03-10 15:06:11The Life of Fred Francis Bosworth (1877-1958)
This past Saturday (January 25, 2025), I had the great pleasure of visiting the birthplace and childhood home of Helen Keller with Pastor Tony and Tara Collins..… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2025-02-01 14:30:062025-03-10 14:40:59Visiting Helen Keller’s Home
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2024-12-23 15:40:572025-03-10 15:46:51The Power of a Visit
When Lisa and I were in Australia in August (2024), a story was related to us by a believer from the Pacific southeast.Some years back, a Christian group was wanting to hold a celebration on a particular beach but were denied a permit based on their faith..… read more
Peter declared in the last days that “. . . your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). Not everyone will have a vision or a dream, but God said these things would happen as He decides to do them.… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Marvin Yoderhttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngMarvin Yoder2024-10-15 14:35:202025-03-06 14:41:34Keys to Understanding Visions and Dreams
I was recently privileged to visit the Lawrence County Historical Center in New Castle, Pennsylvania, the hometown of Ira D Sankey. Sankey was the song leader for D. L. Moody, the great evangelist…… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2024-10-07 15:49:182025-03-10 15:59:25Making Each Other Better
One of my favorite subjects to teach is teamwork, and while that is a tremendously important topic, we should never forget the power and significance of “one” and of individual effort. .… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2024-09-13 11:28:482024-09-13 11:28:48The Significance of One
Have you dreaded standing up to receive an offering in your church? Are you secretly dissatisfied with the results you have had in receiving offerings? Perhaps you’ve thought to yourself, “There’s got to be more to receiving an offering than what I have been doing. … read more
In this article, I’m going to address “hard-to-understand” verses in the Bible. Maybe you’re not aware of any, and you believe you have perfect clarity and understanding regarding every spiritual matter. If that’s you, you probably won’t benefit from this article. But for everyone else — those who sometimes scratch their heads because they don’t fully understand something they read in the Bible — I think this article will be beneficial. .… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2024-08-28 10:29:252024-09-04 10:37:36What About That “Hard-to-Understand” Scripture?
Abraham Lincoln once remarked, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” He had probably seen people who were motivated positively by challenges and setbacks, and others who were corrupted by success. Don’t get me wrong. .… read more
When a person is called to preach, the urgency of that call (especially in the early years) can be all-consuming and all-important. If a person lacks maturity and perspective, the call to preach can seem so important that all other aspects of life seem to pale by comparison. Hopefully the young preacher will grasp the idea that other issues are vital as well — such areas as character development, building healthy relationships, and giving proper attention to the practical areas of life.… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2024-08-19 13:18:442024-08-20 13:19:10God’s Amazing Plan for Non-Preachers
Something believers need to strongly consider these days is the issue of authority, and more specifically, God’s authority. A fundamental question every human being must answer has to do with whether or not they will submit their lives to God’s rule and reign.… read more
When people travel, even domestically, they’ve got to be aware of the time zone they are in. If you travel from New York to California, you will experience a three-hour time difference. If a person hasn’t adjusted, they might be hungry for lunch when it’s really time for breakfast.… read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2024-08-07 14:18:192024-08-07 14:18:19Living in the Right Time Zone
Are you ready for change? Some are afraid that things will change. Others may be afraid that things won’t change, or at least, that they won’t change in the way they want them to.… read more
While vacationing in Indiana last week, I visited the home of Billy Sunday (1862-1935) in Winona Lake. At his wife Nell’s request, it has been kept just the way it was when they lived there. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2024-07-15 08:21:152024-07-17 19:33:15A Visit to Billy Sunday’s House
One of my early recollections in life pertains to my grandfather going after a good-sized nest of bees (or wasps) that was attached to a garage type of building next to our house. I watched in amazement as he used a broom to dislodge it. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2024-07-01 14:18:592024-07-11 12:35:31What Does it Mean to Preach “The Whole Counsel of God’s Word?”
Some of the highlights included seeing a copy of an original Gutenberg Bible (printed around 1454), one of 21 known to survive. An archivist also showed me a hand-written copy of a letter from Jonathan Edwards to his mother. Edwards enrolled at Yale when he was 13 years old and became a leading figure in America’s great awakening. I also saw a handwritten letter from George Washington in which he thanked Timothy Dwight (see below) who later served as Yale’s President. … read more
Never Alone
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeIn 1897, a lady named Ludie Pickett wrote a song entitled “Never Alone.” The lyrics include:..… read more
The Power of Benediction
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeIf you grew up (as I did) in a mainline, denominational church, you likely heard a benediction every Sunday as the service was dismissed. What I heard frequently was the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:24-26….… read more
Where is the Fire?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeI seem to write and work best if I have something going on in the background, and even if the volume is very low, this often means I have a news channel playing on the television…… read more
No Throw-Aways
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeOver Christmas break of 2024, I spent some time going through a classic work entitled The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax by Richard Sibbes (1577-1635)…… read more
Indo Além da Desilusão e da Decepção
/in Articles in Portuguese /by Tony CookeQuando Lisa e eu estávamos na Austrália em agosto (2024), uma história nos foi contada por um crente do sudeste do Pacífico. Alguns anos atrás, um grupo cristão queria realizar uma celebração em uma praia específica, mas teve a permissão negada com base em sua fé. Em vez disso, foi dito a eles que teriam que se reunir nas montanhas em um local diferente e menos desejável. … read more
We’ve Got Work to do!
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeI often question how accurate certain surveys are, but if the responses cited below even closely reflect reality, it is a reminder that we have a lot to do to make sure that those who hear us have a strong doctrinal foundation…… read more
In Search of the Real St. Nicholas
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeIn February of this year (2024), I had the privilege of speaking for four days to pastors at the annual convention at the Association of Protestant Churches in Antalya, Turkey (described as Attalia in Acts 14:25)…… read more
The Life of Fred Francis Bosworth (1877-1958)
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeThis week (February 18-21, 2025) I’ve been teaching a second-year course on “Church History” at Charis Bible College in Woodland Park, Colorado..… read more
Visiting Helen Keller’s Home
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeThis past Saturday (January 25, 2025), I had the great pleasure of visiting the birthplace and childhood home of Helen Keller with Pastor Tony and Tara Collins..… read more
The Power of a Visit
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeYesterday, Lisa and I went to Cedar Point Church in Claremore and I’d like to highlight something we heard Pastor Rick Burke share..… read more
Moving Beyond Disillusionment and Disappointment
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWhen Lisa and I were in Australia in August (2024), a story was related to us by a believer from the Pacific southeast.Some years back, a Christian group was wanting to hold a celebration on a particular beach but were denied a permit based on their faith..… read more
Keys to Understanding Visions and Dreams
/in Articles by Others /by Marvin YoderPeter declared in the last days that “. . . your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). Not everyone will have a vision or a dream, but God said these things would happen as He decides to do them.… read more
Making Each Other Better
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeI was recently privileged to visit the Lawrence County Historical Center in New Castle, Pennsylvania, the hometown of Ira D Sankey. Sankey was the song leader for D. L. Moody, the great evangelist…… read more
The Significance of One
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeOne of my favorite subjects to teach is teamwork, and while that is a tremendously important topic, we should never forget the power and significance of “one” and of individual effort. .… read more
Biblical Insights on Receiving Offerings
/in Articles by Others /by Marvin YoderHave you dreaded standing up to receive an offering in your church? Are you secretly dissatisfied with the results you have had in receiving offerings? Perhaps you’ve thought to yourself, “There’s got to be more to receiving an offering than what I have been doing. … read more
What About That “Hard-to-Understand” Scripture?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeIn this article, I’m going to address “hard-to-understand” verses in the Bible. Maybe you’re not aware of any, and you believe you have perfect clarity and understanding regarding every spiritual matter. If that’s you, you probably won’t benefit from this article. But for everyone else — those who sometimes scratch their heads because they don’t fully understand something they read in the Bible — I think this article will be beneficial. .… read more
The Snare of Success
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeAbraham Lincoln once remarked, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” He had probably seen people who were motivated positively by challenges and setbacks, and others who were corrupted by success. Don’t get me wrong. .… read more
God’s Amazing Plan for Non-Preachers
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWhen a person is called to preach, the urgency of that call (especially in the early years) can be all-consuming and all-important. If a person lacks maturity and perspective, the call to preach can seem so important that all other aspects of life seem to pale by comparison. Hopefully the young preacher will grasp the idea that other issues are vital as well — such areas as character development, building healthy relationships, and giving proper attention to the practical areas of life.… read more
A Question of Authority
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeSomething believers need to strongly consider these days is the issue of authority, and more specifically, God’s authority. A fundamental question every human being must answer has to do with whether or not they will submit their lives to God’s rule and reign.… read more
Living in the Right Time Zone
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWhen people travel, even domestically, they’ve got to be aware of the time zone they are in. If you travel from New York to California, you will experience a three-hour time difference. If a person hasn’t adjusted, they might be hungry for lunch when it’s really time for breakfast.… read more
Facing Change
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeAre you ready for change? Some are afraid that things will change. Others may be afraid that things won’t change, or at least, that they won’t change in the way they want them to.… read more
A Visit to Billy Sunday’s House
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWhile vacationing in Indiana last week, I visited the home of Billy Sunday (1862-1935) in Winona Lake. At his wife Nell’s request, it has been kept just the way it was when they lived there. … read more
Easily Destroying a Hornet’s Nest
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeOne of my early recollections in life pertains to my grandfather going after a good-sized nest of bees (or wasps) that was attached to a garage type of building next to our house. I watched in amazement as he used a broom to dislodge it. … read more
What Does it Mean to Preach “The Whole Counsel of God’s Word?”
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeHaving established the church in Ephesus, Paul issued an emotionally-charged farewell to their elders and made this powerful statement.… read more
Remarkable Findings at Yale
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeSome of the highlights included seeing a copy of an original Gutenberg Bible (printed around 1454), one of 21 known to survive. An archivist also showed me a hand-written copy of a letter from Jonathan Edwards to his mother. Edwards enrolled at Yale when he was 13 years old and became a leading figure in America’s great awakening. I also saw a handwritten letter from George Washington in which he thanked Timothy Dwight (see below) who later served as Yale’s President. … read more