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Be an Example (Chappelear)
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 2, June 30, 1989 A mature man who had been preaching full-time for only a couple of years once told me that he picked five men to study before he began such work. He examined the work and lives of these five men to pattern himself…
Read MoreSubmission vs. Acquiescence
by Chadwick Brewer “And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” (I Samuel 10:24). Samuel was the judge of Israel for most of his life. Now that he was…
Read MoreDiscouragement or Encouragement
by Joe Works The Bad News I have a confession … I sometimes feel discouraged, and you may be my source of discouragement. I generally consider myself a pretty happy guy, so I hope my discouragement comes as a little shock to you. Social media, for me, is a place to see friends and lift…
Read MoreObervations on the Significance of Baptism
by Nathan Smelser I have a few observations on the oft-overlooked significance of baptism in the New Testament. When Paul writes to the saints and faithful brethren in Colossae, he repeatedly contrasts their formerly dead state with their present life in Christ. For example: “…having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were…
Read MoreControl
by Mark Chatfield via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 4, June 30, 1991 Several days ago, I went for a lunchtime walk near the Air and Space Museum in downtown Washington, D.C., near my office. I was considering the fine weather and fresh breeze. Suddenly, a sheet from the Washington Post skittered diagonally across the…
Read MoreWill Only Members of the Church of Christ Be Saved?
by Jeff Cavender via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989 While talking to some friends, I stated that I attended worship services at a local church of Christ when one of them asked, “Is that the group that believes that only the members of the church of Christ will be saved?” I…
Read MoreThe Narrow Way
by Chadwick Brewer “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). To enter…
Read MoreRewriting the Bible
by Tom Wacaster It seems that the 20th and 21st centuries will go down in history as the age when men sought to rewrite the Bible and present to men what they want to hear rather than what God wants them to hear. The modern versions [for the most part] are the product of an…
Read MoreCan We Be Sure We Are Saved?
by Sewell Hall via Gospel Guardian, 23 December 1965 Many people spend a lot of time worrying about whether they are saved. Some believe that salvation involves a miraculous “better-felt-than-told” work of God within their fleshly heart, and they spend a lot of time trying to interpret past events in their lives to determine whether…
Read MoreGrace and Repentance
by Doy Moyer We are saved by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:5). Salvation is not of ourselves but is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-10). That teaching should be front and center for us. Grace also has a context that should never be ignored. We don’t have the authority to define it however we…
Read MoreWomen in God’s Scheme
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989 An Amalekite, one of the people Saul had been commanded to destroy utterly (I Samuel 15:3), told David that he had killed the wounded Saul (II Samuel 1). David, acting hastily, ordered him slain without ascertaining the facts in the case. David…
Read MoreOpen My Eyes that I Might See (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989 The writer of Hebrews, in Hebrews 5:11-14, tells us that those full of age have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Most of us can understand how young Christians (spiritually young, that is) can be so easily mistaken…
Read MoreA Better Understanding of Hebrews 10:25
by David Gibson For a Bible passage to have the maximum impact, we must see how it connects with the Big Picture. The Scriptures speak of “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some” (Hebrews 10:25). How does this relate to God’s Grand Plan? Two verses before, it says, “. . .…
Read MoreA Study of Polygamy
by Dudley Ross Spears via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989 Polygamy is probably the least important issue Christians face today. Yet, issues associated with it are becoming more and more prominent as they relate to the general issue of marriage. Few, if any, would dare to justify a spouse with multiple…
Read MoreChristians and Bankruptcy
by Art Cornell via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989 On a recent visit to the Chapallear’s home, I told Floyd I was working for a bankruptcy judge. He asked me whether I thought a Christian could file for bankruptcy. I thought for a moment and replied that Psalms 15 says that…
Read MoreThe Church of Christ Is Not a Denomination, But It Became One Again and Again!
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989 There are certain axiomatic truths (that is, statements so certainly correct that none will deny them) concerning the church of our Lord. One is that the “Church of Christ is not a denomination.” Even the most jaded among the liberals will admit…
Read MoreThe Still Small Voice
by James P. Needham via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 One of the cardinal doctrines of Calvinism is “effectual calling.” Its basis is another cardinal doctrine of Calvin, namely, hereditary total depravity, that is, that every person is born guilty of Adam’s sin, which is so spiritually debilitating that one can’t…
Read MoreWithout Christ, All Are Lost
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, 1987 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). That love was shown by Jesus Christ when he willingly died for all mankind, even those who participated in his crucifixion. While we were yet…
Read MorePrayer and Devotion
by Larry White via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 We pray little because we desire little. A full soul, full of the world and fat on the plenty and pride of this world, will not be a praying soul. He requires nothing. The hungry soul longs for God, never resting, ardently…
Read MoreHonoring Men and Honoring God
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 We do not honor these men by merely naming a “holiday” after them. On the contrary, we honor them by incorporating into our daily lives the good principles for which they stood. We practice the things they taught us to practice. At…
Read MoreWomen, the Bible, and Necessary Inference
by Perry Hall When it comes to religion, people throw out common sense. That is one of my observations regarding hermeneutics, the way we interpret Scripture. For example, women use necessary inference as one of their main methods of communication. And yet, when interpreting the Bible – and someone mentions necessary inference – a common…
Read MoreFacts Are Stubborn Things
by David Gibson A Miracle No One Could Question It was a double miracle: a man lame from birth was healed instantly and could immediately walk without having to learn to walk. No lengthy rehabilitation. It was as if he’d never been lame a day in his life. Naturally, the crowds “were filled with amazement”…
Read MoreWhere Is Your Heart Set?
by David Gibson In the Bible, “heart” almost always refers to the inner person where we make choices, good or bad (Matthew 15:15:19; I Peter 3:4). D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones defines the heart as “the centre of man’s being and personality; it is the fount out of what everything else comes” [Studies in the Sermon on…
Read MoreHonoring Your Parents
by Perry Hall I have two adopted children whom we taught to honor their biological parents by praying for them. The greatest self-respect comes from my character, not theirs. I understand the difficulty of honoring parents who are unworthy. I am also called to love my enemies, and sometimes, that might include parents who deserve…
Read MoreSongs of the Saints: Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell
by Wayne S. Walker Anyone who has studied the history of the call for religious reformation and restoration in this nation in the early 1800s will certainly recognize these two names. Barton Warren Stone was born on December 24, 1772, near Port Tobacco in Charles County, Maryland. The preaching of James McGready converted him, he…
Read MoreWork
by Mark A. Turner As a pre-teen and a teenager, I had one way to get in shape each year. It would take one week. One week of walking up and down watermelon rows. Turning them over, picking them up, tossing them to the next guy, tossing them on a truck, or catching them from…
Read MoreThe Head of the Church
by Terry Wane Benton The church is described as the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head of that body. Thus, the church is a group of people so connected to Christ that the body does not act without a proper signal (authority) from the head. If the church acts without authority, the church…
Read MoreForgiveness in the Old Testament
by Tommy Peeler Were God’s people forgiven of their sins in Old Testament times, or were their sins simply “rolled forward”? Examining this question must begin with the Old Testament, not the New Testament Scriptures. I believe the Old Testament teaches that God forgave His people in the Old Testament. First, the Old Testament pictures…
Read MoreAudits
by Mark A. Turner In the program I am in, the agency decided to audit us. More than half a dozen to a dozen or more decided to retire. I remembered that over this past week. When people are audited and retire immediately, it’s interesting. I was the alternate representative in my district. My district representative…
Read MoreWhy don’t I feel faith?
Question: Hello, I have a question that I really have not been able to find answers to, and I do not dare to talk to anyone about it. Several years ago, I started going to a church because I was really convinced that God was sending me to do it. I had a lot of…
Read MoreRational Faith?
by Terry Wane Benton The faith we are to have in Jesus is based on testimonial evidence that has stood the test of time since it was first scrutinized in the first century. Each gospel writer (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) was quite aware of the scrutiny they were under when they wrote. John starts…
Read MoreMatthew, Mark, Luke, and John: Old Testament or New Testament? (Robinson)
by Garland M. Robinson If you reject the Gospel records of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (including Acts 1) being any part of the Lord’s New Testament, then you have to accept the conclusion that nothing the Lord said or taught while on earth is valid for the church today. That makes everything the Lord…
Read MoreStandards (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer Standards are common. The term can refer to a commonly accepted value, a recognized authoritative model, or something acceptable though not top quality (dictionary). In all these cases, there is a recognition that expectations of some kind are to be met and accepted by more than just an individual who might arbitrarily…
Read MoreHeaven
by Mark Chatfield via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 Several years ago, I saw a show on TV; it may have been Twilight Zone or something similar. A man died, and the show was about his afterlife. The program caused a good deal of thought about what heaven might really be…
Read MoreMay Women Serve as Priests?
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 The priesthood of the Mosaical dispensation was a special priesthood limited by the Law to certain males of the tribe of Levi. These ordained representatives of God had the exclusive right to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. Today, no such…
Read MoreThey Wish You Would Help
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all” (I Thessalonians 5:14). In so doing, the church of our Lord is the finest “support group” on the face of the earth!…
Read MoreWe’re Having So Much Fun … There’s No Reason to Be Religious!
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 Have you attended a religious service lately? Was it a service dedicated to preaching the gospel and edifying the saints, or did it more closely resemble a rock concert? Modern church services often appear to constitute little more than carnal entertainment. Can…
Read MoreTwo Essentials for Assurance
by Mark Nitz via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 One of our greatest needs in serving God is a feeling of confidence regarding our present acceptance by God and future home in heaven. Unfortunately, this assurance is sadly lacking among many of God’s people. Extremes are taken in both directions (“once…
Read MoreYour Preaching Is Offensive to Me
by Tom M. Roberts via Truth Magazine, Vol 43, 1999 “Then His disciples came and said to Him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’” (Matthew 15:12). The history of speaking “the oracles of God” (I Peter 4:11) is a history of controversy. There is an inimical and hostile…
Read More“How Beautiful Are the Feet” (Romans 10:15)
by Tom M. Roberts via Truth Magazine, Vol. 43, 1999 God did not entrust the gospel to angels, to supernatural beings, to higher life forms without foibles and feet of clay. Indeed, he entrusted the gospel to men. As an objective fact, this is rather astounding. The message of salvation is in feeble human hands!…
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