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Even a Caveman Can Do It
by Zeke Flores Remember the old insurance commercials that claimed to be so simple, “even a caveman can do it”? We had become so “politically correct” that no one wants to insult anyone else, so Geico came up with a victim they were sure we could poke fun at with impunity, since there are no…
Read MoreChrist Redeemed Us from Law?
by Terry Wane Benton A brother argued to me that Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from law.” Actually, the verse says that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, and the context tells us that it was the Law of Moses (Galatians 3:19). But He did not redeem us from His righteous…
Read MoreBut God . . .
by David Gibson When troubles mount, as they often do, we need the assurance these passages offer us: “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions . . .” (Acts 7:9-10). “And when they had carried out all that was written…
Read MoreThe Other Ethiopian Eunuch
by David Gibson Most Bible students know the conversion story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-39. But how many know the story of an Ethiopian eunuch named Ebed-melech? His heroic actions are recorded in Jeremiah 38:1-13; 39:15-18. Courageously countering evil Because Jeremiah was proclaiming the truth God told him to preach, his enemies threw…
Read MoreI Need to Find Myself
by Zeke Flores Remember the “I need to find myself” craze of a decade or two ago? People were off on spontaneous and sometimes irresponsible adventures to “find myself.” A cynic might have simply pointed to that person and said, “There you are, I found you!” In his book “In Search of Myself,” D. R.…
Read MoreVengeance Is Mine
by Terry Wane Benton God said that we are not to take vengeance into our own hands. Vengeance is the Lord’s. “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them” (Deuteronomy 32:35 NKJV). God is…
Read MoreThe Fruits of Personal Evangelism
by Joe Collins In Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15-16, Jesus commanded all disciples to go and preach the gospel and teach all nations. For centuries, men have been fulfilling this commandment. Christians often become discouraged when they cannot see all of the results from their labors in personal evangelism. Perhaps the greatest success that anyone…
Read MoreWhen restoring what I took, do I need to mention my name?
Question: Hi! First, thank you so much for the questions and answers you provide. I find the information super helpful. I’ve had a chance to review questions similar to mine, but I would like to ask a few specifics. The overall theme of my question concerns repentance and restitution. For some background, I am a…
Read MoreStaying a Christian
by Don Wright Becoming a Christian is one of the easiest things you can do. It has often been said, and I think it is true, that the only thing easier than becoming a Christian is not becoming a Christian. God has made His plan of salvation simple enough for all to comprehend and obey.…
Read MoreWhat Sort of People (DeLong)
by Hugh DeLong In II Peter 3:10-12, Peter affirms that our destiny lies in new heavens and a new earth. The things of this present heavens and earth will pass away, be burned up, dissolved, melted. This new home will be the home for those who are holy and godly. Their lives are lived in…
Read MoreThat Wise Bird
by Gary Henry via WordPoints.com “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Our possession of two ears and only one mouth is not an accident. Since we learn more by listening than talking, listening is more valuable from a practical standpoint, but…
Read MoreWhen Your Brother Is Overtaken in a Sin
by Heath Rogers The Parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a man who is ambushed, stripped, beaten, and left for dead (Luke 10:30-37). The first people to find him are his own countrymen, but they pass him by. It is the foreigner, a Samaritan, who stops and helps. We are ready to judge the…
Read MoreControl Your Tongue
by Luiz Felipe Lima De Albuquerque “From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some young men came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go away, you baldhead!” they said. “Go away, you baldhead!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them…
Read MoreThe Question of God Repenting or Changing His Mind
by Terry Wane Benton A skeptic thought he found a flaw in the Bible and the God of the Bible. He believes the following is a contradiction in the Bible: Does God change his mind? “For I am the Lord; I change not” (Malachi 3:6). “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither…
Read MoreCheck Your Soundness
by Terry Wane Benton To be sound is to be solid and healthy as opposed to weakened and sickly. There are six areas mentioned in the book of Titus that we need to examine in ourselves. Are you: Sound in the doctrine you believe and practice? (Titus 1:9; 2:1): Is your belief solidly built on…
Read MoreThe Future Resurrection
by Terry Wane Benton Clement of Rome, early in the second century, it is believed, wrote a letter to the Corinthians and spoke of the future resurrection. There was no thought that AD 70 was the resurrection. That idea is of recent origin, and it is wholly false. Clement wrote: “Let us consider, beloved, how…
Read MoreMorning, Midday, and Evening
by Gary Henry via WordPoints.com “Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour” (Acts 10:9). The practice of praying at set times is an old and honorable custom. And despite our modern disdain for anything that isn’t spontaneous, the habit of praying at the beginning, the middle, and the end of…
Read MoreForewarned Is Forearmed
by David Gibson He had so much to tell them and so little time. It was Jesus’ last night with His disciples before the cross. Knowing what lay ahead, He wanted most to prepare them for the hardships they would soon be facing. The value of warnings He warned them that their enemies would oppose…
Read MoreDoes It Cost Too Much?
by David Gibson The parable is only one verse long, but what a lesson is packed in those few words! “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew…
Read MoreThe Paradoxes of God
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 A paradox is that which seems contradictory in fact or experience; hence, unbelievable. There are some profound paradoxes associated with God. For instance, God is sovereign, yet man has free will. Jesus was human, while remaining Deity. Man is saved only by faith,…
Read MoreReactionary Religion
by Allen Malone via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 God’s people of old went astray as they desired to be like the nations around them (I Samuel 8:19-20). They left the way of God because they were more interested in following the customs of others than in following God’s prescribed path. Regrettably,…
Read MoreFaith to Walk on Water
by Clint Gann via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 Over 75 percent of the Earth’s surface is composed of water. One of the first things God did in the creation was to separate land and water (Genesis 1:9). After man was placed on earth, God often used water as a teaching tool.…
Read MoreThe Necessity of Public Confession
by Floyd Chappalear “Question Concerning Forgiveness,” Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 Question: Will you please write something in Sentry regarding forgiveness? When is it scriptural for one to go before a congregation and ask for forgiveness, or let them know one has repented? This is not something done by another Christian, who,…
Read MoreElection
by Kenneth Frazier via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 John Calvin is well known for his views on election and predestination. Qualben’s “A History of the Christian Church” gives this evaluation of Calvin’s belief. “As a logical tonsequence, Calvin asserted that God had from eternity foreordained all things that should come…
Read MoreVolunteering for Service
by Edward A. Smith via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 As a young man, I often considered joining our nation’s all-volunteer military. Even though the pay was not great, the benefits and security certainly seemed to outweigh the chances of ever being involved in a major conflict. Reserve duty seemed even…
Read MoreEncouragement: Hebrews 10:19-25
by Steve Roe via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 When considering why people leave the church, it’s essential to look at the situation objectively. Before condemning those who have decided to depart, the first place we should look for answers is in the mirror. As we consider the reasons many people…
Read MoreA New Twist on Tongues
by James P. Needham via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 1 No. 18, 31 March 1992 I never cease to be amazed at the clever ruses hatched up by false teachers in their ungodly efforts to tickle the ears of the public and make merchandise of human souls (II Timothy 4:3; II Peter 2:3). When I think…
Read MoreOur Purpose in Living
by Hugh DeLong “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God”…
Read MoreI Struggle with Sin. Am I a Bad Christian?
by Mark McCrary Every honest Christian knows this question: “I’m struggling with sin. Does that make me a bad Christian?” The Bible doesn’t brush this concern aside. In fact, it describes exactly that tension between God’s call to holiness and our ongoing battle with sin. On one hand, God says, “Be holy, for I am…
Read MoreLess Than Nothing
by Gary Henry via WordPoints.com “As for the children of men, they are but vanity; The children of men are deceitful; Upon the weights they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.” (Psalms 62:9 Coverdale Bible, 1535) The Psalms contain poetry that is remarkably frank and vivid. Especially striking are its portrayals of godless living and…
Read MoreIs This Action Wise?
by Doy Moyer Answering the question, “Is an action right or wrong?” may tell us what to think, and there is a place for this. “Is the action wise?” However, it teaches us how to think, and this is something emphasized in Scripture. Scripture, then, is not about some checklist of do’s and don’ts. It…
Read MoreThe Burden of the Prophet
by Cleve Stafford “The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind…
Read MoreHave You Hung Up Your Harp?
by Terry Wane Benton Psalm 137 speaks about the Israelite Levites losing heart because they were now removed from their homeland and in Babylonian captivity. The reason they were taken captive physically was because they let the forces of evil captivate them in heart and remove them from God. Now the text says they were…
Read MoreBe Holy in All Your Conduct
by Hugh DeLong “But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct;…” (I Peter 1:15). Holy is from the same word in I Peter 1:2 that is translated ‘sanctifying’, which means ‘consecrated’, ‘purified’, ‘set apart’. When we become Christians, we are set apart unto God,…
Read MoreBy Works or Not?
by Terry Wane Benton An atheist thinks he sees the following verses as “contradicting” each other. Atheist: Salvation by Faith or Works: • Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith…not a result of works.” • James 2:24: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”…
Read MoreGod, Government, and the Bible
by David Gibson A vital principle of Bible study is that often one passage serves to qualify another. Together, they give a more complete picture of God’s will in the matter. For example, Christians are taught to obey the laws of the land (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). No exceptions? But what if a specific…
Read MoreWhen to Exercise Church Discipline
by Kyle Ellison The question of when to exercise church discipline is both agonizing and grueling, one that elders and members must grapple with from time to time. Elders feel the weight of this without a doubt, since they are charged with watching for the souls of those under their care. “Obey your leaders and…
Read MoreAbraham’s Informed Faith
by Clay Gentry God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac is arguably one of the most staggering tests of faith in the Bible. How could he trust God in the face of such a shocking demand? Abraham’s obedience was not an act of blind, desperate loyalty, but a calculated step of faith, fortified by a…
Read MoreDigging Through the Wall
by Cleve Stafford Some of the most uncomfortable parts of Scripture are the ones that feel a little too close to home. One of those moments shows up in the book of Ezekiel, in a vision that doesn’t get preached on very often, but maybe should. Ezekiel 8:7-12, “And he brought me to the entrance…
Read MoreWhat Hurts Us Can Also Inspire Us
by Gary Henry “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word” (Psalms 119:67). Painful experiences can help us, but only if we allow them to. “My brethren,” James wrote, “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let…
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