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Prayer
by Jeff Wolverton Sentry Magazine, June 2002 Prayer involves a God-man relationship: man speaking to God. In prayer, the thoughts of man are communicated to the infinite mind of God. God is the Benefactor and man the beneficiary. Prayer is indispensable in leading man from earth to heaven. Prayer involves a God-man relationship, but more…
Read MoreOrnery Cows and Longsuffering
by Glen Young Sentry Magazine, June 2000 Once, when I was growing up, my dad traded a hog for a cow. I didn’t think at the time it was a very good trade. The old cow suffered from what was called ‘holler horn’ and besides, I did not relish the chore of milking. Now, ‘holler…
Read MoreOn Earth, as It Is in Heaven
by Doy Moyer We pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). When we pray this, we are also praying that God’s kingdom, God’s rule, “come” not in the sense of Acts 2 or even in the sense of judgment, though both manifest His kingdom; rather, we are…
Read MoreNourishment
by Jefferson David Tant The pictures of little Emma before and after receiving nourishment are typical of a huge number of starving children in impoverished nations around the world. Manna Pack is the product of “Feed My Starving Children,” and was the work of Cargill food scientists and colleagues from General Mills and Pillsbury, who…
Read MoreWomen Participating in Bible Classes
by Matthew W. Bassford Recently, I’ve been engaged in an email discussion with a brother on the subject of women participating in our Bible classes. He sees inconsistency in many congregations between Bible classes, in which women may read Scriptures, make comments, etc., and worship services, in which they are required to remain silent. He…
Read MoreWhom Do We Fear?
by Doy Moyer Peter wrote to Christians who faced persecution. Along with persecution and threats come the fears and anxieties of what may happen. We face intimidation and are worried about the outcome. Peter knew what that felt like. He denied Christ three times when faced with intimidating circumstances. When he wrote this epistle then,…
Read MorePut Forth the Effort (Campbell)
by Bart Campbell Sentry Magazine, June 2000 Thomas Edison has been considered by some to be the “King of Inventors.” He once made this statement. “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Edison was responsible for the inventions of the incandescent lightbulb, the gramophone, and moving pictures. But Thomas Edison claimed that his achievements were…
Read MoreChristianity, Marxism, and Social Justice
by Wilson Adams Marxism is an atheistic and materialistic ideology -nothing exists beyond what we see. Christianity, by contrast, holds to an ultimate and infinite Power (God) – our Creator and Redeemer. CIRCA 1865: Karl Marx (1818-1883), philosopher and German politician. (Photo by Roger Viollet Collection/Getty Images) Marxism says there’s no such thing as a…
Read MoreJacob Blesses His Sons
Some thoughts on Genesis 49 by Jefferson David Tant Prophecy and its fulfillment present some of the strongest evidence of the inspiration of the Scriptures. This presents a strong challenge to those who seek to deny that the Bible is of Divine origin. The apostles also recognized the significance of prophecy, as so often they…
Read MoreSubjective or Objective?
by Kenneth Frazier Sentry Magazine, June 2000 The two terms, “subjective and objective,” are defined by the dictionary as follows: Subjective: Relating to the subject of mental states, the ego; proceeding from or taking place within the thinking subject: opposed to objective. Objective: Having independent existence or authority, apart from experience or thought. Under the…
Read MoreLearning Life’s Lessons
by Norman Harber “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no…
Read MoreLord’s Supper
How the Lord’s Supper Should be Done (I Corinthians 11:23-26) Paul mentions again his inspiration. The source of his teachings come directly from Jesus (Galatians 1:11-12). Thus the memorial feast was never the idea of men wanting to commemorate the death of their Savior. This was the command of the Lord to his followers. The importance…
Read MoreThe Rest of Stephen’s Sermon
by Matthew W. Bassford Acts 7:2-53 contains the longest sermon in the New Testament by anybody but Jesus. The speaker is Stephen, on trial for his life before the Sanhedrin, and he is accused of a number of crimes. According to Acts 6:11-13, he is accused of blaspheming God and Moses, speaking against the temple…
Read MoreWhy Is Sex Outside of Marriage Wrong?
by Perry Hall “I’ve been told sex outside of marriage is wrong. Why?” That is a question I got asked recently. “God said so” is one answer, but not as meaningful as others. Why did God say so? Is there a “why” behind the “what”? Surprisingly, two answers are different for believers than for unbelievers.…
Read MoreThe Silence of the Scriptures and Why We Sing
by Edward Pratte In the New Testament, some things are required and some things are prohibited. Everything else falls into the realm of the things which are permitted. As one focuses more closely on the things that are permitted, the silence of the Scriptures soon becomes a major concern. What about the silence of the…
Read MorePropaganda Wars – Controlling the Narrative
by Terry Wane Benton There was the truth that Jesus was, in fact, raised from the dead, and then there were the opposition forces who needed to keep the nation from converting to Jesus. They wanted to stay in control of the crowds and keep their wealthy pockets padded. To lose control to Jesus would mean that…
Read MoreThe Difference Between a Man and a Dog
by Jeffery Kingry Sentry Magazine, June 2000 Mark Twain once quipped, “If you find a shivering, starving dog, take him home to your hearth and make him prosperous, he will not bite you if you attempt to pick him up. This is the main difference between a man and a dog. ” Photo by Jordan Koons…
Read MoreThe Deity of Christ
by Charles N. Spence, Jr. Sentry Magazine, June 2000 One of the principal points of the Christian doctrine is the deity of Jesus Christ. If Jesus was just an ordinary man, though perfect he may be, his death could never benefit the entire race of sinful man. Some faiths actually believe and teach that Jesus…
Read MoreCan We Judge?
by Jefferson David Tant One of the most well-known and most abused passages in the entire Bible is Matthew 7:1: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” So many times, if any criticism is offered concerning any religious practice that does not measure up to what the Bible says, the retort comes,…
Read MoreThoughts About True Freedom
by R.L. Whiteside (1869-1951) “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). People who long for freedom usually know little of what it is nor do…
Read MoreFaith Is Active
by Floyd Chappelear Sentry Magazine, June 2000 “Faith is always active,” the speaker declared. “It is never passive, but always indicates a spirit of obedience,” he quickly added. He is not the only preacher I have heard who has said such a thing, nor will he be the last. There is something in the concept that…
Read MoreLord Send Me
by Dixie Bowman Sentry Magazine, September 2002 The Scriptures abound with acts of kindness, humility, and love. As always, Jesus is our best example. When He washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:4-17), it first appears as an act of kindness, which, although kind, was intended as a lesson on humility and servitude. “For I have…
Read MorePremillennialism Examined
by Jefferson David Tant One of the popular doctrines among some denominations is the idea that Christ came to the earth with the view of establishing a kingdom on the earth. But this was prevented when Satan caused Christ to be crucified, thus thwarting God’s plan. The church was then set up as a temporary…
Read MoreTell Me What To Do, Lord
(But Do Not Expect Me To Do It) by Carey Scott “Who say, Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come to pass, that we may know it!” (Isaiah 5:19). There are several observations that…
Read MoreWhose Job Is It to Help Wash?
by Jefferson David Tant And just what job am I writing about? Washing cars? Washing dishes? No, I”m writing about something infinitely more important than earthly tasks. I”m writing about “washing souls.” Paul wrote in Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men …” We are aware that “Christ…
Read MoreConsider the Source (Hardin)
by Jason Hardin In God’s Image Ezekiel 13 documents a fundamental problem that plagued people thousands of years ago and continues to be a dangerous pitfall. “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’” (Ezekiel…
Read MoreEleven Days Old
by Jefferson David Tant (Note: While going through some old documents, I came across this article which was written in 1990. It’s a bit nostalgic, but there are some good points worth considering even today.) It was my turn to babysit while the others were busy. As long as I sang to him while we…
Read MoreThe Characteristics of Acceptable Prayer
by Jeff Wolverton Sentry Magazine, September 2002 Acceptable prayer must be preceded by faithful, righteous living. Many Christians live spiritually indolent, impure lives and expect the mouthing of a few words of prayer from time to time to make all things right between them and their Creator. Needless to say, they pray in vain. If…
Read MoreSmile a While
by Jefferson David Tant Among the many things Jamaica is known for are the many little song ditties. In working there for over 30 years, my wife and I have come to learn and enjoy them. One that we enjoy and that is often sung after the closing prayer of a church service is “Smile…
Read MoreThe Bible in English
by Jefferson David Tant One of the great blessings we have is that we have the Bible, God’s Word, in the language of the common people — English. And we are thankful for those who provided this for us at a high cost. The story behind the translation is an interesting story. The very first…
Read MorePilate’s Revenge
by Jefferson David Tant The Biblical narrative telling the relationship between Christ and Pilate is interesting, and there may be some details that may escape the casual reader’s attention. So let’s take a few moments to dig deeper into the story. One question arises as to why the Jews brought Jesus to Pilate’s court. For…
Read MoreThe Only Eternal Kingdom
by Doy Moyer There is only one kingdom that is eternal. Only one that stretches across time, physical boundaries, nations, tongues, and earthly rulers. Only one that is not dependent in any way upon kingdoms of the world. Only one that does not advance through the shedding of blood or carnal warfare. Nor is its…
Read MoreSuppression of Truth
by Terry Wane Benton Pilate presents Jesus, saying Behold your king John 19:14-15 The whole effort by the leaders of the Jews and Romans against Jesus was to turn the tide of public opinion against Jesus. They staged His trials and execution on the cross to humiliate Him and end His influence upon the people.…
Read MoreTipping Point
by Wilson Adams What is the tipping point of the bowl of God’s wrath? I don’t know, but I know there is one. Sodom and Gomorrah had one. So did the immoral nations. So did His own people. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach…” (Proverbs 14:34). So, what is our hope? It’s…
Read MoreMabel’s Story
by Tom Schmidt (abridged) The state-run convalescent home is not a pleasant place. It is large, understaffed, and overfilled with senile, helpless, and lonely people who are waiting to die. On the brightest days, it seems dark inside and smells of sickness and stale urine. I went there once or twice a week for four…
Read MoreLessons from Illness
by Jefferson David Tant Some years ago, while recuperating from two emergency room admissions and two subsequent surgeries, there was been plenty of time to think and reflect on some lessons that such experiences can teach us. Lesson #1 – Life Is Uncertain We all have plans for great things we are going to do…
Read MoreHold to God’s Unchanging Hand
by Jefferson David Tant In many of our songbooks, there is a song by the title of this article, and the words were written by Jennie Wilson. The song’s first stanza says, Time is filled with swift transition Naught of earth unmoved can stand Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.…
Read MorePlurality of Elders
by J. W. McGarvey Sentry Magazine, September 2002 There is no proposition in reference to the organization of the primitive churches upon which scholars and critics are more perfectly agreed than that every fully organized church had a plurality of Elders. So nearly universal is this agreement that a man betrays an ill-balanced judgment or…
Read MoreA Father’s Gift
by Jefferson David Tant Fathers are often clueless about gift-giving for their children. That’s Mom’s job. But when we think of gifts, we usually think of material gifts—toys for toddlers, clothes, games, and sports equipment for teens. Or maybe the ultimate gift for a teen—a car! Many who are reading these words are prosperous by…
Read MoreWeak in Faith vs. Weak in the Faith
by Fanning Yeater Tant Gospel Guardian, 24 September 1970 To be weak in faith is not the same as to be weak in the faith. There are two kinds of “weakness” involved, and they are to receive different treatment from those who are stable in Christ. The first kind of weakness is that which afflicted…
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