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This Generation
by David Gibson Bad News! Jesus assessed the Jews of His day as “this adulterous and sinful generation” (Mark 8:38), “this evil generation” (Matthew 12:45), and “O faithless and twisted generation” (Matthew 17:17). Note the pejoratives: adulterous, sinful, evil, faithless, twisted. The Great Physician has pointedly and accurately diagnosed the fatal malady of our fallen human condition,…
Read MoreUnwritten Pains
by Chadwick Brewer “And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets” (Mark 1:19). In Scripture, there is not much exploration of the bond between James and John. That is not to say that nothing is implied or understood…
Read MoreChanging Their Glory for What Does Not Profit
by David Gibson Isn’t it sad? How people seek after what proves counterproductive, totally illogical, and ultimately defeating. “Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares…
Read MoreHandling Rejection
by Terry Wane Benton I suppose that we all feel rejection in one form or another. Even Jesus, the only perfect individual to ever live, was rejected. So, we have to expect it to handle it. It is sometimes very painful, especially when it makes no sense, and you know you have done nothing to…
Read MoreBabbling like Pagans
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 Charismatic tongue-speaking did not originate with Christianity. In fact, historians tell us that the ancient Greeks would get ״carried away in the spirit” and babble nonsensically as part of their worship of the gods. Jesus forbade his disciples to “babble like the…
Read MoreSinless Perfectionism
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 Some brethren are saying today that they believe the “walk” of the faithful saint is negated if he commits even a single sin inadvertently (or against his will). This, of course, would include the sin of teaching a point of error. I…
Read MoreDo Men Hold a Monopoly on the Business Meeting?
by Dale Smelser via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 21, 1987 Several articles by me recently on elders, deacons, and business meetings have led to numerous questions about women attending business meetings. I have noted that the business meeting does not have oversight. We cannot substitute another system to replace God’s designated system…
Read MoreYou Sin Too!
by Terry Wane Benton The discussion may explore a particular sin, with some arguing that Jesus never called it a sin. However, when one points out that Jesus did condemn it by supporting the Law and then sending the Spirit to guide the apostles who condemned it, the argument goes in another direction. Taking all…
Read MoreIn Control or Being Controlled?
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, we think we’re in control of our choices until we choose something that soon ends up controlling us. Sometimes, we strongly desire the wrong things, thinking they’ll fulfill us and make us more complete somehow, and never fully realize how they end up robbing us and leaving us emptier than ever.…
Read MoreWhat Would a Servant Do?
by Chadwick Brewer “But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among…
Read MoreThe Problem and Solution
by Doy Moyer Some people are particularly good at troubleshooting problems. Whether electronics, cars, or engaging in household fixes, some just have that knack for figuring out what is wrong and then finding the solution to fix it. We need people like this in service positions. We need them in businesses. We need them in…
Read MoreMany Infallible Proofs
by Terry Wane Benton “To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3 NKJV). Luke was convinced that the evidence for Jesus’s being the Messiah and Son of God was…
Read MoreCalled Preachers
by Joe Warlick, March 1904 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 3, September 30, 1988 Joe S. Warlick A called and sent ministry is the pride and boast of some religious people, and the experiences of the preachers who claim to have been called in a direct way and especially sent to preach the gospel…
Read MoreA Second Century Look at the Covering
by Jeffery Kingry via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 3, September 30, 1988 Quintus Septimus Florens Tertullian was born about A.D. 150-155 in Carthage, modern-day Tunisia. His father was a Roman Centurion in a North African unit of the Roman Empire. Young Tertullian was raised and educated in Carthage, a city of culture and education…
Read MoreGod HAS Spoken
by Terry Wane Benton “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His…
Read MorePatience in Bearing Fruit
by Zeke Flores The parable of the sower and the seed is popular, and for good reason. It’s not hard to see the various attitudes and personalities in the different soils offered in the parable. However, as Luke explains Jesus’s story, it’s the last sentence that is sometimes hardest for me. The reason is that…
Read MoreMiss Grace on Hospitality
by Marlene Smelser via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 3, September 30, 1988 Miss Grace: Can you say anything to help with the situation here? Few women ever invite visitors into their homes, and for all their hospitality and entertainment, no one seems to realize they would enjoy being entertained for a change. Kind Reader:…
Read MoreGospel Preachers: The “Whipping Boy”
by Ken Thomas via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 3, September 30, 1988 I started to call this article, “Open Season on Preachers.” Another title I thought of was “Preachers Are Fair Game.” You know already what the general theme of this article will be. While it is altogether possible that some of the problems…
Read MoreJoseph, The Other Father of Jesus
by Perry Hall via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15, No. 1, January 2015 God thinks fathers are so important; He gave Jesus one. Now, let me bore you with a few statistics: Young men growing up in homes without fathers are twice as likely to end up in jail as those from two-parent families. 63% of…
Read MoreRomanticizing Love
by Terry Wane Benton Different things come to mind when we think of “love.” We often think of love as a feeling of infatuation, where we are walking with our heads in the clouds with a romantic feeling toward someone. But, while that may be pleasant, it is not the kind of love God commands…
Read MoreSteadfast Persistence
by Zeke Flores Luke 11 includes an event in which Jesus’ disciples ask Him to teach them to pray. He instructs them in what we commonly call the Lord’s prayer (although technically, it’s the disciples’ prayer since Jesus taught it to them) and follows it up with the famous saying about asking, seeking, and knocking.…
Read MoreGive Him No Rest
by David Gibson In a not-so-familiar passage, God urges Israel, “You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest …” (Isaiah 62:6-7 NASB). In other words, keep petitioning God in your prayers for the good of His people. He will hear and respond! Persistence pays! Jesus strongly emphasizes the…
Read MoreThe Race
by Terry Wane Benton “The race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1) is the marathon of all marathons, the life-long run to finish without giving up. It is the race to receive the ultimate reward. The prize is more than worth the discipline, so the motivation to enter this race and finish should be…
Read MoreBalance
by Zeke Flores Now, there’s a concept. The more we need it, the more out of reach it appears. For instance, our political views have become more extreme and polarized. People on one end of the spectrum scream and holler for their side, while those on the other end scream and holler for theirs. And…
Read MoreBetter than Complaining
by Leslie Diestelkamp via Think, Vol. 2, No. 5, July 1971 Instead of always whining and complaining about the morals of the world about us, God’s people would do better to just demonstrate, in the pulpit and the pew, the qualities that are desirable. Let us say and do, preach and live moral purity of…
Read MoreThe Folly of Playing It Safe – Ecclesiastes 11:16
by Paul Earnhart via Biblical Insights, Vol 15, No. 1, January 2015 In Ecclesiastes 11, Solomon continues his admonitions to wise living when facing life’s uncertainties. He has frequently reminded us that we cannot know what will come after us (Ecclesiastes 3:22; 6:12; 8:7; 10:14). God’s providence is shrouded and beyond human wisdom to fathom…
Read MoreCollection for the Saints or Collection for Preachers?
by Sewell Hall via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15, No. 1, January 2015 A very respected and perceptive brother expressed the following in a note to the elders where he worships: “I am concerned that the collection for the saints’ is becoming ‘the collection for the preachers.’” Since others may have similar concerns, we offer the…
Read MoreWho Moved the Stones?
by David Gibson Only Matthew tells us that “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it” (Matthew 28:2 NASB). But when Jesus came to Lazarus’ tomb, He said, “Remove the stone” (John 11:39). It would have been easy for Jesus to move the stone…
Read MoreWhat Ever Happened to Preaching Repentance?
by Terry Wane Benton “The chief problem in America today is not getting people saved. It is getting people to realize they are lost” [Charlie Hainline]. So many churches and preachers seem convinced that their mission is first to make people feel good about themselves. They rarely, if ever, teach repentance (Luke 24:48). We need…
Read MoreReal Gold
by Joan Rieber via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 The gift-giving seasons emphasize a paradox. Stores and catalogs are full of things made of gold despite the extremely high price of this metal in recent years. Delicate design and fine workmanship raise the price of some of these articles even higher.…
Read MoreWe May Have Confidence
by Terry Wane Benton Everything is not up for question and doubt. There are some things we can know and be certain about. John says we “may have confidence” (I John 2:28) at His coming. He says, “By this we know that we know Him” (I John 2:3). We can pass from not knowing to…
Read MoreAre All Religions Right?
by Perry Hall I needed another car, so I did a test drive. Somehow, I managed to turn the discussion to the religious. He grew up as a Christian, married a Muslim, and said they are all the same because everyone worships the same God and are good people. There are undoubtedly many good people,…
Read MoreWhy I Left the Methodist Church (Jackson)
by Robert Jackson I became a member of the Methodist church in Charlotte, Tennessee, at the age of twelve. This was the result of being brought up in a Methodist family. I was taught that one should believe in Christ and then join the church of his choice, and his choice, as a rule, would…
Read MoreWho Can Stand?
by Ryan Boyer In Revelation 6, Jesus (the Lamb) is opening the scroll’s seals one by one. The first four are the famous four horsemen of the apocalypse. These are not only punishments against people who have persecuted God’s people but also wake-up calls and opportunities to repent (like the Egyptian plagues). They are also…
Read MoreCan I get married in the church?
Question: Hello, I have a question. It happened months ago, but I want to know about this concern. I was studying doctrine. I liked a brother, and I decided to go out with him. We were like boyfriend and girlfriend but never agreed to be in a relationship. That date went so far that we…
Read MoreFeminism: A New Faith
by Wanda Walker via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 There are numerous religious organizations in the United States and throughout the world, all claiming to serve God in some fashion or tradition. Their use of the Bible as God’s inspired word is minimal. Instead, most of these organizations attempt to set…
Read MoreThe Marriage Problem
by Lynn Trapp via Sentry Magazine, vol. 9, no. 11, November 30, 1983 (slightly abridged) Divorce is on the rise among Christians. The church has been and always will be affected by the society around it. Thus, as society approves more and more of divorce, the church will be swept along with the tide. People…
Read MoreThe Benefit of the Doubt
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, we say, “Give me the benefit of the doubt.” We want some leeway, some wiggle room, some consideration, some understanding. But are we willing to extend that same courtesy to others? The church and the world would undoubtedly be better off if we were as patient with others as we expect…
Read MoreThe Power of Preachers
by Chadwick Brewer “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.…And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom…I…
Read MoreSo Certain in Faith
by Terry Wane Benton Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O…
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