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Why Such a Divide in America?
by Terry Wane Benton There is a huge divide in our country. I look at the huge divide between the right and the left in American politics, to say nothing of the huge divide in religions that claim to believe in Jesus Christ. Why are we so deeply divided? Part of the reason is that…
Read MorePlow to the End of the Row
by Gary Henry via WordPoints “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God'” (Luke 9:62). Whatever the project, the finish is better than the beginning. Outcomes matter most in life, not just intentions or struggles. To the churches in…
Read MoreDemons Believe and Tremble
by Hugh DeLong Text: Mark 5 Ok, Ok… so I start with a quote from the book of James, but it is apropos as we read about the incident involving Jesus and the demon-possessed man of Gerasenes. Here they are called ‘unclean spirits’ but Matthew calls them demons (Matthew 8:31). Some questions arise in that…
Read MoreWho Is the Holy Spirit? (Campbell)
by Kyle Campbell The Holy Spirit is a distinct member of the “Godhead” (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9). The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4), and He is distinct from the Father and the Son (John 14:26; Acts 10:38). He was active in creation (Genesis 1:2, 26-27; Job 26:13; Psalms 104:30). He was given…
Read MoreHow do you know you are in the right church?
Question: Hello there, I am getting on here as I have many questions about God, the church, salvation, and the Bible. I was baptized into Christ just over a year ago, and while I understand that Jesus built one church and when I was baptized the Lord added me to that church, the state of…
Read MoreNot Divorcing
by Zeke Flores The local newspaper, where we used to live, had an interesting column one morning. It was about a married couple, Blanche and Jake, who’d been married for about 50 years. They were quite happy, and at first, I thought it would be a typical love story of two people growing old together.…
Read MoreBeware the Hands of Esau
by William V. Beasley via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 3, September 1993 Rebekah and Jacob conspired to deceive Isaac and, thereby, to obtain the blessing intended for Esau (Genesis 27:1-29). God has never tried to whitewash the character of those who serve Him; He presents the bad along with the good. Both Rebekah and Jacob…
Read MoreDoes God pursue those who don’t keep their vows?
Question: Hello, dear pastor, I have a question for you. Today, while I was reading the Bible, I read Deuteronomy 23:21: “You must not delay in repaying your vows to the Lord your God, for the Lord your God will seek you back, and you are guilty if you do not pay them.” As I read…
Read MoreThe Loser’s Limp
by Ron Adams via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 3, September 1993 I recall that several years ago, I heard a guest speaker refer to the ’loser’s limp.’ This phrase, he said, described the feigning of a handicap as the reason for not acting appropriately or not performing as required. All of us know when we…
Read MoreSerpent Voice
by Terry Wane Benton It is surprising that the adversary of God and man, Satan, could use a serpent and project words through such a creature, but he had such power to trick Eve (Genesis 3). She was not discerning enough to know that evil was at work, undermining the character of God and the…
Read MoreIt’s a New Day
by Doy Moyer One sobering thought is that children are coming into this world now who will live to see the 22nd century, assuming the Lord does not come first. I had grandparents who were born in the 19th century, and this connects back even further. Not only does time fly, but generations span across…
Read MoreThe Spirit or the Letter?
by Michael Thomas The apostle Paul said he and his fellow apostles were “ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (II Corinthians 3:6). He said this in reference to the work they had been given as gospel preachers, and how…
Read MoreThe Sovereignty of God (Benton)
by Terry Wane Benton I recently saw someone suggest that Calvinists would change John 3:19 to read: “And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, but I sovereignly chose not to regenerate them, so they had no choice but to love darkness instead.” This would need to be the reading if…
Read MorePropitiation
by Terry Wane Benton “Propitiation” is not a word used very often anymore, but it has to do with “appeasing” the righteous wrath of someone. In the case of humans who have sinned against the Holy Creator, justice needs to be satisfied, righteous anger appeased. Jesus is the propitiation needed. Notice that the “propitiation” was…
Read MoreFathers Raising Godly Children
by Chad Carter Over the years — now having passed 62 of them — I’ve observed that the men who have raised godly children, though differing widely in personality and disposition, tend to share many of the same traits and practices. The most significant commonality among them is a clear and deliberate intent to raise…
Read MoreSpectators or Worshipers?
by Cleve Stafford It would be in the interest of everyone who requires church to be entertaining to remember the following: God is not interested in spectators. He is not honored by emotional highs that disappear by Monday morning and remain hidden until some band or light show raises them again the following week. He…
Read MoreRadical
by Al Diestelkamp via THINK, Volume 33 No. 1, January-March, 2002 The word “radical” has come to have more than one meaning. Initially, it meant “from the root.” Somewhere along the way, it began to be used as a synonym of the word “extreme.” When used as an adjective to describe a person’s beliefs, it…
Read MoreConservative or Sound?
by Steve Dewhirst via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 3, September 1993 All humans are forced to communicate by the medium of words. Words convey ideas and concepts; they are tools for expressing our thoughts to others. But words are frequently imprecise, and we are sometimes careless in saying exactly what we mean. Frequently, we assume…
Read MoreSplitting a Church or Working Out Your Salvation
by Jim Ruff via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 3, September 1993 It is a serious matter to be a party to “splitting a church.” Christ demands unity and peace (I Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:3). Our salvation is also a serious matter (Matthew 16:26), and we are each responsible for working out our own salvation (Philippians…
Read MoreBy Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them?
by Jeff Kingrey via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 3, September 1993 “Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good treecannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can…
Read MoreThe Philistine City of Gath
by Leon Mauldin via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 The first biblical mention of the city of Gath is in Joshua 11:22, contextually speaking of the giants (Anakim) who remained in the land after the initial conquest: “None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained…
Read MoreThe Ordinance of the Red Heifer
by Jerry King via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 Many of the ordinances contained in Moses’ Law make good scientific sense. For instance, some of the purity laws make good medical sense. But there are other ordinances contained in the Law that have no discernible scientific sense to them at all. Their efficacy…
Read MoreTo Spank or Not to Spank
by Jeff Archer via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 A friend of mine was called to the elementary school where his son was attending. The teacher was seeking help with his son’s misbehavior. When he arrived in the classroom, he pulled his son aside and reprimanded him for what had happened. At the…
Read MoreAvenge Our Blood
by David Hurst via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 2, June 1993 Vengeance is a greatly misunderstood subject in the Bible. Our understanding of the word is described with words such as retaliate and punish. Most of us view it as an undesirable trait. We fight feelings that desire to see someone get what is coming…
Read MoreBlack Becomes White
by Michael Davis via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 2, June 1993 From time to time, we may express our disapproval of those whose practices or demeanor are different from our own. For example, we may voice (or at least demonstrate) our objections to the conduct of some, or toward their attire, or at times even…
Read MoreHe Entered the Strong Man’s House
by Howard Reagan via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 2, June 1993 “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house” (Matthew 12:29). Before Jesus came into this world, all people of accountable age were under the…
Read MorePutting Adam Back Together
by Joshua Creel via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 Adam was broken; he was in pieces. Now, before you worry too much, allow me to explain that Adam is a statue – a very valuable statue. The Italian Renaissance master Lombardo crafted him from marble in the late 1400s. The statue has been…
Read MoreThe Extra Mile
by Michael Cawthorn via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 What comes to your mind when you hear the word extra? Maybe as a student, you were able to do some assignments or additional homework for extra credit. Perhaps, as an athlete, you had to run extra laps as punishment. As a parent putting…
Read MoreChurch Autonomy
by Steve Dewhirst via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 2, June 1993 The word autonomy is not a Bible term, but it is certainly a Bible principle. It means independent or self-governing. Universally, the church is under the headship of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:22-23); we are His body and must take directions according to His testament.…
Read MoreGranted Repentance Unto Life
by Terry Wane Benton A drunkard might repent of being a drunkard and hurting his family, but such repentance is not such a repentance that makes him right with God regarding all his sins. It is a needed repentance that helps his physical well-being and his family’s quality of life, but it is not God…
Read MoreThe Elephant in Mark 16
by Edwin Crozier Is It Even Supposed to Be There? Some of the newer translations, such as the ESV I commonly use, have made it abundantly clear there is a huge question about whether or not Mark 16:9-20 are originally part of Mark. Smack in the middle of the page, we find the message: “Some…
Read MoreSome Signs a Congregation May Be in Trouble
by Rufus Clifford III via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 Parents are constantly warned to be aware of signs that their child may be on drugs, alcohol, or depressed. Society spends thousands of dollars informing parents on how to detect these signs in their children. Have you ever considered whether it’s possible to…
Read MoreBut I Love Him — How Can I Remarry?
Author Unknown via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993 Perhaps because of our youthful foolishness, compounded by a fresh love and a new marriage, my wife and I discussed the possibility of remarrying if one of us passed away, even in the first week of our new life together. It was suggested by one…
Read MoreThe Church of Christ in the U.S. Is Dying!
by Gary Calton via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993 Not too long back, a friend of mine was attempting to secure a place to preach. During that effort, he visited a congregation that had a large sum of money in the treasury. As he and I discussed the lack of interest some churches…
Read MoreDoes Cleaning the Conscience by Jesus’ Blood Come Before Any Obedience?
by Terry Wane Benton Hebrews 9:14 says that He “offered Himself without spot to God,” and this was to “purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Does Jesus purge our conscience before we hear the gospel, believe it, repent of sins, and are baptized in His name “for remission of sins”…
Read MoreYour website has helped a lot
Question: Hello, I’ve written before. I preached for a couple of decades with no formal training. However, being an adult class teacher for most of my adult life helped a lot. We attend a small congregation. I retired from a large company, so I didn’t need a big salary. I never meant to get into…
Read MoreWhen Would I Split a Church?
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993 There are a few things that God hates. One of them is “he that soweth discord among the brethren” (Proverbs 6:19). That should be a sobering thought. Being responsible for a division is a terrible thing. On the other hand, what God desires for…
Read MoreToday’s Application of Parables
by Olly Harmon via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993 The other day, I took a good look at my surroundings and the house I have been left with, which had not been touched for over three years. Oh, yes, I had painted the outside and whacked off things that got in my way…
Read MoreI Commend You
by Kenneth A. Frazier via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993 “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). These were among the last words spoken…
Read MoreWill One Go to Hell Because He Is Not Baptized?
by Thomas Thornhill In studying with people about God’s plan of salvation, the title question has been asked more than once. How would you answer the question? My answer has always been “No!” Are you surprised? You may be thinking, “Doesn’t one have to be baptized to be saved?” “Yes, one has to be baptized…
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