Blogs by Leland Maples

When I walked into the Big Spring Federal Prison Camp 25 years ago next month, I had no idea that God was going to change everything about my life. I had no burden for inmates…I was only going to teach a Bible class in prison because I could not get out of it. For six years I drove 120 miles round trip every Friday night for that class. The last two years of the six we drove back over on Saturday afternoon after visitation to work with the families. It was during this time that the prison system began to expand at a rapid pace. When we started into the prison in Big Spring, it was the only...

I have been thumbing through my Bible trying to find verses that instruct us to sneak up on lost people. Today’s mainline churches are going incognito and wearing camouflage! When a law enforcement officer goes undercover, he does so to impersonate the bad guys. Why would a Christian do that? As best I understand it, God wants us to “come out from among them,” not imitate them.

Recently in our newspaper there was an article about Christian (?) rock (an oxymoron, if I ever heard one.) One of the musicians was quoted, “We’re Christian…but we don’t want to be labeled.” As far as I know...

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

The Bible has always been fairly specific when it comes to naming sin. Today we have crafted euphoric terms to define sin. We have the "unauthorized use of a motor vehicle" instead of car theft. Whether the speaker be Paul, Jesus or another, they called sin...

Valentine's Day is a religious holiday that only one religion connects any religion to it. The background and research is so flimsy that Valentine could have been one of three saints or no saint at all. The holiday is depicted by boxes of candy, red hearts, little make believe angels called cupid (angels in the Bible have no wings.) Nothing about salvation, heaven, hell, resurrection, the cross, etc., are connected to this day. Even though Valentine Card sales are only #2 in regard to Christmas cards, the day does not leave much impression outside of erotic, romantic or frivolous.