“A Grassroots Movement of Cooperation and Unity by The People of God”

Letters From Jim

Jim O'Brien

Better Than Medicine

Hi Friend, On the rare occasions that the television is on in our house I am amazed at the frequent advertisements for prescription drugs.  It’s the disclosure of side effects following the sales pitch that is staggering.  Can a disease be worse than the side effects of taking the drug?

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Jim O'Brien

Beacon of Freedom

Hi Friend, To say that Washington D.C. is the capitol of the United States does not adequately credit the universal influence of such a great city.  For over two hundred years it has been a beacon of freedom to huddled masses around the world suffering under the tyranny of despotism.

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Jim O'Brien

New Government

Hi Friend, Have you ever discovered something new that had been right in front of your eyes for years? Something so plain you wonder “why” you ever missed it in the first place. That happened to me many years ago when I was reading Matthew 19:28. An upright young man

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Jim O'Brien

Whose Opinion Matters Most

Hi Friend, Of all nations on earth that exist or ever have existed there is not one with a history as illustrious as that of Israel.  That’s because Israel was formed by God as His own country.  Most people know of the nation that exists in the Middle East today,

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Jim O'Brien

The Faithful Servant in the Atomic Age

Hi Friend, It was the turn of the millennium for my one and only visit to the Mother Land where I was invited to speak at the Feast of Tabernacles in York, England.  Among the impressive sights were the remnants of ancient civilizations.  Ancient to me was Freedom Hall in

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Jim O'Brien

Simple Taxation

Hi Friend, Does it bother you just a little when the men and women in Congress announce that they have passed a bill which will cost the American citizen a trillion dollars—or two or five?  Tax Freedom Day is the day that the money we earn goes into our pockets

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Jim O'Brien

The Perfect Classroom

Hi Friend, The aeronautical instructors at Florida Institute of Technology used to pepper us with stories of death and destruction.  Every session, whether ground school or flight training, had stories of what could happen if you did not do something the right way.  Sometimes we would leave the classroom thinking

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Jim O'Brien

Christian Ecomonics

Hi Friend, Does Christianity have a positive impact on the economy of a nation?  If biblical teachings lay the foundation for a financially viable country, then national leaders ought to encourage citizens to embrace Judeo-Christian ethics.  In fact, colleges and universities should require students to study the Bible to learn

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Jim O'Brien

The Happy Christian

Hi Friend, If you, as a Christian, get a little depressed seeing the world around you becoming increasingly corrupt, take heart. A study by two doctoral candidates at the University of Illinois in Champagne/Urbana says Christians are happier than atheists. When you’re having a bad day just remember that it’s

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Jim O'Brien

Freedom of Speech

Hi Friend, The tendency for each generation is to think the world has always been the way it is when their generation arrived on the scene.  It is nearly impossible for a millennial to conceive of a world without a cell phone, a computer or internet, or central air, or

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Jim O'Brien

Natural Law

Hi Friend, One of the fascinating things about piloting a private plane is the marvel of natural law.  No matter how many times my hands grasped the yoke of the small Cherokee 140, as I lined up at the end of the runway and pushed the throttle full forward, it

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Jim O'Brien

The Price of a Flag

Hi Friend, She was an unforgettable person—even years later she is emblazoned on my mind.  Her name was Goerta, whom I met while walking the dogs—or the grand-dogs, since we were dog sitting while the kids were on a business trip. I noticed an older lady making her way to

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Jim O'Brien

The Prophet Who Lied

Hi Friend, Aimee Semple McPherson is not familiar to most people today even though she was the first of the radio prophets—and THE first female radio evangelist.  In the ‘20’s her sermons were heard across America every Sunday night. In the early days of radio there was only one frequency.

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Jim O'Brien

America’s Golden Goose

Hi Friend, June is reported to be the month for marriages.  Over the years our congregation has celebrated many.  The brides were beautiful, the grooms were handsome, and the families were beaming with pride. It is the way it’s supposed to be! What is so important about marriage anyway?  Why

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Jim O'Brien

Staring Truth in the Face

Hi Friend, It’s been said that if all the statements attributed to Abraham Lincoln were compiled into one work, there would be more quotes than he could have said in his lifetime.  We are forced to conclude that Lincoln did not say all the things people have attributed to him. 

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Jim O'Brien

Freedom of Religion

Hi Friend, When religion and politics intersect it is often a disaster.  It is also inevitable.  Most Westerners don’t know that Freedom of Worship was permitted in the constitution of the former Soviet Union.  The USSR was officially an atheistic state, so it’s a bit shocking to learn this little-known

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Jim O'Brien

In GOD There is Hope

Hi Friend, A few times each week I drive by a sign whose message is unavoidable, not only for its location along my route, but also for the bright red letters against the stark white background that delivers the obnoxious message, “In Science Lives Hope”.  Obnoxious is not too strong

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Jim O'Brien

Keeping it Real

Hi Friend, The phrase “keeping it real” was once in vogue and still pops up from time to time.  My college philosophy professor might ask, “What is ‘real’ to the person making the statement?”  If you experience something with one of the five senses, it’s real. Is there a reality

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Jim O'Brien

Invisible Power

Hi Friend, Humans exist in a deceptive environment, protected from reality by layers of steel, brick, and mortar. Have you ever been outside during a thunderstorm? Camping next to the Snake River beneath the Grand Tetons once, I witnessed at close range the power of a huge thunderstorm. Separated from

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Jim O'Brien

National Day of Prayer

Hi Friend, As I write, it is the National Day of Prayer—a day to call upon God to intervene for our nation.  Throughout its existence America has observed days of fasting and prayer on many occasions.  Presidents Washington and Lincoln called on Americans to set aside a day to pray

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Jim O'Brien

The Gift of Language

Hi Friend, When our granddaughter Emma was three she told me that her head hurt. “I throwed up,” she said. “I throwed up twice!” she declared. She delivered this bit of information with equal amounts of sincerity and enthusiasm and I received it with a mixture of concern and joy.

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Jim O'Brien

One More Time, Moses was Right

Hi Friend, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” The news reported the story of a couple that dropped their elderly, wheelchair bound mother off at the airport to catch a plane.  The flight was cancelled, and the attendants called the family who returned 45 minutes later to

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Jim O'Brien

America’s Slavery

Hi Friend, Walking through a museum in St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in the U.S., I was intrigued by several books on the history of St. Augustine.  It was established in 1565, long before Jamestown, Virginia or Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts.  The writer used that otherwise ancillary fact to accuse

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Jim O'Brien

Who Will Judge the Judges?

Hi Friend, What would happen to a judge who ruled that a person MUST study the Bible?  In 1946 a juvenile with a history of problems faced Judge E.J. Ruegemer in St. Cloud, MN.  This time the juvenile had seriously injured an adult while driving recklessly. The judge could have

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Jim O'Brien

Fallacy of Self-Esteem

Hi Friend, When Saul of Tarsus recognized Jesus as the Messiah, he continued an observance that had taken place for over a thousand years.  It was Passover and, with some exceptions, it was much like the ceremony the Israelites had observed more than a thousand years before.  The differences were

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Jim O'Brien

God’s Repetition

Hi Friend, It may seem strange to some, but this season marks the beginning of the year.  Since it makes more sense for the year to begin in spring than in the dead of winter, God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites that the Passover season would designate the beginning

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Jim O'Brien

Narcissism versus Passover

Hi Friend, When the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy to warn him about how bad things would be in the “end times,” he penned an accurate analysis of our day.  Paul wrote that “In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves….” Following this

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Jim O'Brien

A Man to Stand in the Gap

Hi Friend, On December 25th, 1776, George Washington engaged his army in one of the most courageous and risky battles of history.  Had he lost the battle the quest for freedom would have been crushed.  The Declaration of Independence would have been nothing more than a piece of parchment to

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Jim O'Brien

The Call of the Prophet

Hi Friend, There was a time when a man by the name of Isaiah had a revelation from God. In our vernacular we might say, ‘The light bulb came on!”   Isaiah was excited about the message. It would change the world. He hurried for the door on his way to

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Jim O'Brien

Capital Crime

Hi Friend, There are crimes which rise to the level of forfeiture of life itself.  They are called capital crimes. One such, the sin of presumptuousness, is described in the Old Testament.  When a disagreement arose between citizens in which one suffered loss, they were to bring the matters before

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