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Civil Rights or Sinful Rights?
by Ron Nelson via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 The Centerfold is a gay and lesbian newspaper distributed in Central Florida. In the September 1992 edition, the managing editor had this to say in an article entitled, “Moral Breakdown or Value Readjustment, The 1992 Election”: “When the United States politicians speak about ’Family…
Read MoreDon’t Be Confused
by Garreth L. Clair via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 Today, there are approximately 300 different religious groups in the U.S.A. Since there are so many different religious grogps, many people are confused as to which is right and whether all are right, The truth of the matter is that Christ built only…
Read MoreFeeling Special
by Terry Wane Benton Why wouldn’t I, if I am thinking right? I am “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2). God’s elect are “his own special people” (I Peter 2:9). Everyone is not chosen. Many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 20:16). If you are among the elect,…
Read MoreBuy the Truth and Do Not Sell It
by Bill Robinson There Is No Honorable Life Without Truth There is a verse in Proverbs that reads like a command given to a merchant. “Buy the truth, and do not sell it” (Proverbs 23:23). The picture is of a man at a market. He will pay whatever it costs to get the truth into…
Read MoreWas the Law of Moses Abolished?
by Samuel Matthews Loved ones, a great deal of confusion exists in the religious world concerning what spiritual law man is under today. Some say the old law still is binding—all of it. Others say that most of it has been abolished, but some of it is still in effect. Many simply pick and choose…
Read MorePersistent Awareness
by Zeke Flores “Command the sons of Israel that they bring you clear oil … to make a lamp burn continually” (Leviticus 24:2). The lamp in the tabernacle was to burn continually. It symbolized God’s presence and Israel’s ongoing worship. The people supplied the oil, and the priests kept the flame alive. There’s a picture…
Read MoreMy Burden Is Light
by Terry Wane Benton When Jesus said His burden is “light”, He did not mean that all of His commands were easier in nature than those under the Law of Moses, but that His are “light” because you are first “yoked” as a team and now you can “do all things through Christ who strengthens”…
Read MoreAppointed Times
by Zeke Flores “Yahweh’s appointed times … these are My appointed times” (Leviticus 23:2). Leviticus 23 outlines Israel’s festivals. These weren’t random holidays; they were God-designed rhythms that reminded the people of His goodness, His provision, and His presence. God built celebration, rest, and remembrance into their calendar. We need rhythms like that, too. Life…
Read MoreHow to Handle Romans 14
by Hugh DeLong In studying this chapter, the tendency that appears to me is to drag all disagreements among disciples into this context, including things specifically condemned by the scriptures. Yet, there are plain declarations in other scriptures that put boundaries on our understanding of the limits, at least some of them, on the application of Paul’s teaching here.…
Read MoreSovereignty and Predestination
by Terry Wane Benton The sovereignty of God would mean He controls what happens, but it does not mean He is always causing everything to happen. If God causes (directly) everything to happen a certain way: He causes us to think and do evil, sinful things. God denies this (James 1:13). We are not creatures…
Read MoreI Wonder About a Lot of Things
by Bill D. Hallstead via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 adapted from The Christian Chronicle, August 1994 I wonder why people who punish a child for lying will tell the same child, “Just say I’m not home.” I wonder why people who can get to work by 7:00 or 8:00 can’t get to church…
Read MoreConsecrated
by Zeke Flores “You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you, for I Yahweh, who sanctifies you, am holy” (Leviticus 21:8). Leviticus 21 focuses on the priests and the standards God set for them. These weren’t rules meant to crush them; they were reminders…
Read MoreThe God Who Does No Wrong
People have been railing at their Creator and Provider since Bible times. Accusing God “You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ By saying, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.’ Or by asking, ‘Where is the…
Read MoreLive Differently
by Zeke Flores “You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am Yahweh your God” (Leviticus 20:7). Leviticus 20 is intense. It lists serious sins and their consequences. But the heart behind it is God calling His people to live differently. Not because He wanted to scare them, but because He wanted to…
Read MoreThe Morman Church
by Samuel Matthews “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto…
Read MoreTherefore According to Romans 12
by Hugh DeLong “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what…
Read MoreThe Pulpit Belongs to the Gospel
by Bill Robinson A pulpit is a small piece of furniture that carries a large responsibility. It is not a stage for personal taste, not a platform for political conviction, not a podium for the latest cultural trend, and not a chair from which to dispense opinions about romance, relationships, or any of the thousand…
Read MoreBaptismal Regeneration?
by Terry Wane Benton I have been accused from time to time in believing in “baptismal regeneration” because I believe baptism is the moment of salvation (Mark 16:16; Colossians 2:12-13), remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16), and regeneration (Acts 2:38,41; Titus 3:5). But like many topics there is a misunderstanding because people have their own…
Read MoreCan One Work Toward His Salvation?
by Charles Spence via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). One of the most misunderstood teachings of the Bible is grace through faith. People have often cited Ephesians 2:8-9, excluding verse 10. The text is used to prove that man…
Read MoreHis People
by Hugh DeLong “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about…
Read MoreLove Your Neighbor as Yourself
by Zeke Flores “You shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh” (Leviticus 19:18). Leviticus 19 is one of the richest chapters in the book. It covers honesty, generosity, justice, compassion, and integrity. And right in the middle is this command that Jesus later highlighted: love your neighbor as yourself. This isn’t sentimental love,…
Read MoreConfession Is Made Unto Salvation
by Hugh DeLong Paul writes: “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Yes, one must…
Read MoreGod’s Right to Choose
by Hugh DeLong Turning the page from the end of Romans 8 and beginning our reading of Romans 9, we don’t forget all that we have already learned! Chapter 9 is about God’s sovereignty to choose. But the debate among people is: Who did God choose? What purpose did He choose them for? So, Robert Turner reminds…
Read MoreIsrael According to the Flesh
by Terry Wane Benton Romans 9 shows that there are two “Israels” under consideration before God, and that God has a right to reject anyone who does not meet His predetermined terms of acceptance. “They are not all Israel who are of Israel” (Romans 9:6). You can be of fleshly descent in physical Israel and…
Read MoreIntimidation
by Terry Wane Benton If you know you are speaking the truth in love, and you know God approves your message because you learned the principles you speak from God’s word, then don’t fear that people won’t approve or like you. Human approval is not the goal. God’s approval and helping broadcast His light in…
Read MoreThe God of Order
by David Gibson A place for everything, and everything in its place Occasionally, I visit a farm supply store in our town. Like other such businesses, there are rows of shelves neatly displaying merchandise by category: work and casual clothing, tires, tools, implements, and garden supplies. That is how it should be! Imagine going into…
Read MoreBoundaries
by Zeke Flores “You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor … in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you” (Leviticus 18:3). Leviticus 18 is full of boundaries. God was shaping Israel into a people who lived differently from the surrounding nations. Egypt represented their…
Read MoreThe Last Olivet Signal
by David W. New via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 The scripture records that Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives, a sabbath day’s journey from Jerusalem (Acts 1:9-12): “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And…
Read MoreA Verdict That Demands Evidence
by Don Truex by Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 Josh McDowell did students of the Bible a great service several years ago when he published his excellent work, Evidence That Demands a Verdict. As the title suggests, his thesis is that the evidence to support our faith in God, His Son, and the…
Read MoreOf Airplanes, Bicycles, and Christians
by Tim Stringer via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 Ever stop to ponder why an airplane stays in the air? Or why a bicycle rider defies gravity, balancing on only two wheels? The airplane flies, and the bicycle rider balances because they move. If an airplane’s speed drops below a certain point, the…
Read MoreExtra-Congregational Leadership
by Steve Dewhirst via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 “The elders who are among you I exhort…shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers” (I Peter 5:1-2). This is God’s formula for leadership in local churches. Godly men, meeting the Lord’s criteria in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1,…
Read MoreThe Merciful
by Terry Wane Benton “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7 NKJV). Obtaining mercy from God is a great blessing, but God intends to give it only to those who believe it is worth giving to others. If we do not become merciful in our character, then God is not interested in…
Read MoreWhat Should We Preach?
by Mike Schmidt via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 Much has been said and written lately about preaching and teaching. Some see a “new apostasy” underway, with this departure being fueled by a change in what is being preached. Some have taken lists of topics from meeting announcements and complained that there was…
Read MoreAtonement
by Zeke Flores “For it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before Yahweh” (Leviticus 16:30). Leviticus 16 describes the Day of Atonement, the most important day in Israel’s calendar. Once a year, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies…
Read MoreParental Sex Education
by Matthew Bassford via Truth Magazine, 9 September 2016 A few weeks ago, my family and I were on the way home from Wednesday night Bible study when the topic of conversation turned to pregnancy. Marky was being his usual loopy two-hours-past-bedtime self and asked, “When will Mr. Josh get a baby in his belly?”…
Read MoreA Commitment of Faith
by Doy Moyer I fear that, at times, faith today is seen as a weak contingency. We’re fine as long as we are convinced, kind of, but we are open to changing allegiances if the timing works. Faith may be seen as just what’s best for now, but we are really hoping for something more…
Read MoreTear Your Heart
by Clay Gentry It is a sound you never want to hear (especially when bending over), the sharp rip of fabric. It’s the sound of damage and potential embarrassment. In the ancient world, that sound wasn’t an accident; it was intentional. When life fell apart, an Israelite didn’t cry silently in a corner. They grabbed…
Read MoreNo Man Can Come Unless …
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus said, “No man can come to Me unless the Father draws him…” (John 6:44-45). This does not say or imply that “no man can believe in God” unless God does something to their depraved soul first. No! We can all believe in God, and none have any excuse if they…
Read MoreSeparated from Uncleanness
by Zeke Flores “Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them” (Leviticus 15:31). Leviticus 15 deals with bodily discharges, which is uncomfortable reading for most of us. But the point is clear: God was…
Read MoreNympha
by Edwin Crozier Once Paul starts listing names, we tend to read on autopilot, no longer paying attention. We might even quit reading altogether. After all, he’s done with the gospel-y stuff, right? There’s nothing to learn from a list of names. However, these people are examples for us. Often good. Sometimes bad. If we…
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