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Christians on the Internet
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 I am a computer illiterate. Not because I cannot read, but because I rarely read the manuals which come with the operating programs. (This is because the manuals are most often written by people who assume you already know all about your computer and…
Read MoreThe Church That Isn’t
by Steve Dewhirst via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 Language is our best friend and worst enemy. On the one hand, it’s flexible and accommodative, allowing the conveyance of a concept without being overly technical. Yet it’s this very ease of loose language that finally blurs the same concept. After years of assuming,…
Read MoreThe Emotional Issue of the Origin of Life
by Kenneth W. Ledbetter via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 Strolling through the Virginia woods in the springtime is a pleasant experience. It renews our appreciation for the abundance and beauty of God’s creation, especially when we take time to “consider the lilies of the field…” (Luke 12:27) as Christ did. If we…
Read MoreLeeann Warren Redeems the Time
Author Unknown via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 I saw her in August of 1984 and immediately recalled our first meetings. She had been a little girl then, visiting our congregation, and she was shy. That was over a decade ago. Leeann is now a student at Florida College. She studies hard for…
Read MoreExpensive Stubbornness
by Perry D. Hall via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 Between two farms near Valleyview, Alberta, you can find two parallel fences, only two feet apart, running for a half mile. Why are there two fences when one would do? Two farmers, Paul and Oscar, had a disagreement that erupted into a feud.…
Read MoreCompassion
by David Gibson Students of the life of Christ are familiar with the references to His compassion toward the spiritually needy, the physically hungry, the two blind men, the leper, and the widow whose son had just died (Matthew 9:36-38; 14:13-14; 15:32-38; 20:30-34; Mark 1:40-41; Luke 7:12-17). In addition, we have three of Jesus’ parables…
Read MoreOrder
by Edwin Crozier When the church comes together, we know the meetings, assemblies, classes, and studies should be conducted with decency and order (see I Corinthians 14:40). When Paul wrote to Titus, he explained that the entire church should be kept in order. This order would be completed on Crete by appointing elders, also called…
Read MoreGod, Who Never Lies
by Edwin Crozier We have hope of eternal life because the God who promises eternal life never lies. Obviously, no human was around to hear God promise before the ages began or from time eternal. Paul’s point is not that we can find a quote of God before the beginning making this promise. His point…
Read MoreMan Does Not Live by Bread Alone
by Hugh DeLong During the wilderness wanderings of Israel, God provided food for them. Sustaining such a large group of people would be impossible for men (even men like Moses), but not for God. How many there were we do not know for certain, but it states there were 605,550 men of fighting age. Add…
Read MoreFaith, Knowledge, and Hope
by Edwin Crozier Paul had a three-part mission for his work as a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. He did that work so God’s elect would grow in faith, in knowledge of the truth, and in hope of eternal life. What a great rubric for our work as teachers in Christ’s…
Read MoreStoring Up Treasures in Heaven
by Edwin Crozier On the surface, it may have seemed Paul had moved on from talking about a relationship with money. But I Timothy 6:17-19 brings us right back to it. Having explained to Timothy how the craving for money had ruined other teachers and Christians and then directed Timothy in the more positive pursuits…
Read MoreGod’s Character Remains the Same
by Zeke Flores “God is not a man, that He would lie, nor a son of man, that He repent” (Numbers 23:19). Balaam tried to curse Israel, but he couldn’t. God had already blessed them. No human plan could override God’s promise. Balaam learned that God’s word is steady and unshakable. This is a powerful…
Read MoreAre We Compromising on Morality?
by John Exum There are times when God’s people need encouragement, and there are times when we need honest self-examination. This is one of those times. As we look around at our culture, it is obvious that morality is no longer guided by the Word of God. Sin is celebrated, biblical convictions are mocked, and…
Read MoreRevisiting Temptation
by Zeke Flores “God said to Balaam, ‘Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed'” (Numbers 22:12). Balaam knew what God said, but he kept entertaining the idea of going with Balak’s messengers. He wanted God to change His mind. Balaam’s struggle wasn’t confusion; it was desire. He…
Read MoreFight the Good Fight of Faith
by Edwin Crozier “Flee these things,” Paul tells Timothy. Which things? He says this in the context of warning Timothy about the love of money and the craving to be rich. Don’t just avoid it. Flee it, Paul says. Instead of pursuing riches, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. After all, these are the…
Read MoreThe Love of Money
by Edwin Crozier The number one enemy competing with God for control of our hearts, minds, and lives is not Baal, Molech, Zeus, or Jupiter. It is, no doubt, money. Money seems to make life easier. It promises security and protection. It claims to give happiness. It certainly gains a following. And it is visible.…
Read MoreAgree with the Sound Words of Jesus Christ
by Edwin Crozier “Teach and urge these things,” Paul tells Timothy. He’s already told him the purpose of this letter is so folks will know how to behave as members of the church of the living God, which is the pillar and support of the truth. He’s also told Timothy he needs to pay careful…
Read MorePhilemon, Onesimus, and Paul
by Hugh DeLong How do you respond when you read something in the New Testament that you have trouble agreeing with, or that you’re unsure whether you would, in that situation, obey? I will not give you my list, but over the years of learning and growing as a disciple, there have been such passages!…
Read MoreBeing a Disciple
by Hugh DeLong Paul wrote: “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men” (Titus 3:1-2). To be a disciple of Jesus, we must live our lives according to His teaching.…
Read MoreBelieving Thomas
by Kenny Chumbley via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 Have you ever had an unflattering picture of yourself circulated about—one you don’t think looks like you at all? (While writing this opening sentence, the thought occurs to me, “Is there such a thing as a flattering Floyd Chappelear picture?”) Has a report about…
Read MoreThe Myth of Spontaneous Generation
by Kenny Chumbley via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 See if your child’s biology textbook says something like my high school biology textbook (Modern Biology): “The myth of spontaneous generation… Pasteur’s decisive defeat of spontaneous generation…So it was that Louis Pasteur substited a proved and valid concept, biogenesis, for a theory which had…
Read MoreZion, the City of the Great King
by Bob Hutto via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 When David consolidated his reign over both Judah and Israel, he and his men took Jerusalem from the Jebusites, including the fortress at Zion. David built his palace there and moved his capital from Hebron. From that time forward, Zion was known as the…
Read MoreMy Death and Restoration
by Earl Kimbrough via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 Many people have had close brushes with death. This would be traumatic anywhere, but to approach the gates of eternity on a foreign shore is surely a supreme fear. J.W. McGarvey experienced such during his six-month excursion to the Middle East in 1879. The…
Read MoreWhat I Learned from My Daddy
by Bobby Graham via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 As the oldest son of Leon and Mary Graham, I learned much from them. Natural learning occurred daily in life’s laboratory, where God’s Word was stressed, and right living was the natural product of this teaching. I never doubted Daddy’s love, though I confess…
Read MoreBeing Sensible
by Hugh DeLong Be Sensible! Paul demanded this of older men (Titus 2:2), younger women (Titus 2:5), and younger men (Titus 2:6), and then of all disciples (Titus 2:12). But what does that mean? Basically, it means to have a sound, self-controlled, well-governed mind that produces wise, restrained, godly behavior. It is not merely “being…
Read MoreWhen Your Children Leave Home
by Brandy L. Pack Some of my friends’ children are becoming independent, moving out, or getting married. They asked me for help dealing with this transition. It was a question that caught me off guard a little. I have three faithful children, and two of them are living independent lives. I also have two children…
Read MoreThe Unsearchable Riches of Christ
by Terry Wane Benton “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8-9 NKJV). A man who had first thought Jesus was a fool who misled people and fought against His church had an…
Read MoreSound Doctrine
by Russ Bowman “But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Sound doctrine – healthy teaching – is vital. It is the task of men like Titus – evangelists who declare the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it should be the aim of everyone who aspires to follow…
Read MoreDo I have a right to this woman?
Question: I am writing because we both sincerely desire to know God’s will. We are not looking for someone to simply approve our relationship or tell us what we want to hear. We are asking for biblical guidance, even if the answer is painful. Our situation has become emotionally, spiritually, and morally complicated, and we…
Read MoreNo One Can Snatch Them
by Terry Wane Benton In John 10:28, Jesus points to the safety of staying within range of the Shepherd’s voice. “My sheep hear my voice,” and this hearing sets the stage for the next claim: “no one shall be able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” The Father’s hand is the pen, the…
Read MoreRules for Detecting Apocrypha
by Ron Halbrook via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 (I am regularly asked why the Apocrypha of the Catholic Bible should not be considered a legitimate portion of God’s word. Several years ago, Rpn Halbrook presented the following material to the Bible class he was teaching in Athens, Alabama. Brother Halbrook has given…
Read MoreLeslie Diestelkamp Has Died
Author Unknown via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 (Most of you knew Leslie Diestelkamp and what a wonderful saint he was. He has gone on to be with the Lord after a lengthy illness following a stroke. The following is a letter from a father to his children who are away from home.…
Read MoreMisinformation
by Jeff Smelser via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 No informed individual can rationally claim the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. There are people who try to make such a claim, but these fall into two categories: the uninformed and the biased representatives of the homosexual community. The latter are engaged in a…
Read MoreI’m Only Human
by Ney Rieber via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 When someone uses the phrase “I’m only human!” you can be pretty sure that they are getting ready to do something inhumane. What do we mean when we say “I am only human?” Most often, “I’m only human!” is used to describe a person’s…
Read MoreTeaching Other Faithful Men
by Hugh DeLong Having preached now for over 50 years, one of my favorite instructions on preaching is II Timothy 2:2: “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” I think this may have been the…
Read MoreThe Discipline of an Athlete
by Lee Wildman via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 Paul used examples from athletics to illustrate principles by which Christians are to live. His readers, especially those in Greece and the surrounding areas, knew very well what it meant to be an athlete in the 1st century. Let’s look at some of those…
Read MoreThe Faith of Abraham
by Jeremy Paschall via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 In the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God has revealed His power to save mankind from sin (Romans 1:16). It is not a salvation based upon the works of men (Ephesians 2:9), requiring that they “earn” their way with sinless obedience (Romans 3:20), for then…
Read MoreSuppositions Without Support
by David Gibson Jumping to conclusions John the Baptist warned the Jews, “… do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father …” (Matthew 3:9). Simply depending on physical descent from Abraham without the faith and repentance God requires is a baseless assumption (see John 8:37-42, 44, 47; Romans…
Read MoreThe “Let Us” Admonitions in the Book of Hebrews
by Rowland Gbamis “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16-NKJV). The book of Hebrews addresses Christians who, after years of serving the Lord, began to drift from the truth and were in danger of hardening their…
Read MoreHumility Among God’s Children
by Rowland Gbamis “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (I Peter 5:5 KJV). In a world that celebrates self-promotion, personal branding, and the relentless pursuit of recognition, humility stands…
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