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Scientists Who Reject the Theory of Evolution
by Terry Wane Benton Many scientists have opposed evolution, responding that it is a false theory without evidence. Among them are: David Berlinski, a mathematician, molecular biologist, and philosopher, is one of the most famous critics of evolution. He sees it as something promoted among people under the name of science and fact, while in…
Read MoreNot Faith Only
by Terry Wane Benton When they say Romans speaks of salvation “by faith only”, they have a different Bible than I have ever seen. Romans speaks of “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5), but never puts “faith” and “only” together anywhere. It speaks of people who “knew God” but “they did not glorify Him as God”…
Read MoreOur Sure Hope
by Gary Henry “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope” (I Timothy 1:1). Jesus Christ is “our hope,” as Paul wrote to Timothy. To the brothers and sisters in Colossae, he said that the good news of the gospel is “Christ in…
Read MoreLessons from the “Limited Commission”
by Samuel Matthews “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease… These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into…
Read MoreRemember Who You Are and Whose You Are
by Donna Faughn I’m thinking back to a time several years ago when our children were still living at home with us but were old enough to go out with friends or attend a church activity without us. I can still remember, to this day, what was said to them almost (if not every time)…
Read MoreThe “Hidden” Parts of the Body
by Heath Rogers The prophet Elijah was at a low point in his life. He had abandoned his post and run away from Israel. When asked by God why he was away from Israel, the prophet said that the children of Israel had forsaken God’s covenant, torn down His altars, and killed His prophets. “I…
Read MoreGod or the Deities
by Hugh DeLong As we begin the letters to the churches of Asia, again I share a couple of brief quotes from DeSilva’s ‘Unholy Alliances’ (pgs. 11-12). Concerning Ephesus, he wrote: “Another prominent facet of the life of their cities, and indeed the corollary of the first, involved the many cult sites of the traditional…
Read MoreJesus Was Born in a House, Not a Barn
Reexamining Luke’s Birth Narrative by Clay Gentry The birth of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, is one of the most remarkable events in human history. It was the moment that the eternal “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Yet, paradoxically, the historical moment of the Incarnation happened in some of…
Read MoreUnregulated Desires
by Chadwick Brewer “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (I John 2:16). Our desires come from God. He created desire between a husband and wife. He created beauty in this world for us to…
Read MoreAnxiety
by Terry Wane Benton When your nerves are frayed, and you are afraid of what is going to happen in view of what you just lost, it can consume you with stress, worry, and anxiety. I believe that God helps us through things even when we cannot see any hope at the moment. I’ve been…
Read MoreWho Are the “Sons of God” Who Married the Daughters of Men?
by Mike Johnson via Seeking Things Above Genesis 6:1-4 says: “Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. …
Read MoreConfusion and Transgression
by Sewell Hall via Seeking Things Above Have you ever heard anyone say, as an explanation for some sinful action, “I have become so confused I don’t know what is right anymore”? As a rule, the person who says such a thing has had clear convictions but has acted, or is about to act, contrary…
Read MoreListening to Children
by Naomi Works In the last few years, God has blessed me with the opportunity to spend a lot of time with children of all ages in all kinds of settings (Bible studies, homeschool co-op classes, crafting sessions, everyday life, etc.). I can’t even begin to express how many lessons I’ve learned through all these…
Read MoreChanging Preaching Content
by Gardner Hall In his book Reviving the Ancient Faith, historian Richard Hughes documents a noticeable shift in the content of preaching among “mainstream” churches of Christ in the 1960s and 1970s. The early 1950s featured speakers on the nationwide “church” program, “Herald of Truth,” who emphasized compliance with “the plan of salvation,” adherence to…
Read More“Once Saved, Always Saved” Refuted: Can a Christian Fall Away?
by Terry Wane Benton Christians (those truly “saved to begin with”) can: Depart from the faith (I Timothy 4:1) Wander away from the faith (I Timothy 6:10) Swerve from the faith (I Timothy 6:21) Abandon our faith (I Timothy 5:12) Make a shipwreck of our faith (I Timothy 1:19) Fall from grace (Galatians 5:4) Desert…
Read MoreWhat Jesus Sacrificed
by Doy Moyer Jesus Sacrificed His Body The sacrifice of Jesus is vital to salvation (Ephesians 1:7). Yet it was not just the death of Jesus that saves us; the resurrection was necessary to defeat death and thereby offer us the hope of eternal life (I Peter 1:3-5). To be sure, Jesus sacrificed His body.…
Read MoreGod Gives Before They Come?
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me” (John 6:37). The Calvinist takes this to mean that God arbitrarily chooses a person and programs them with the ability and determination to “come to Jesus” at some point, so that they are “eternally saved.” I heard a Calvinist…
Read MoreFor No Reason
by Terry Wane Benton In Psalm 69:4, David was disturbed that people hated him “without a cause.” Why do people act this way? Why do people reject and hate others when there is no call for it? He could understand it from some people if he had hurt them in some way, but feeling snubbed…
Read MoreComing Up to Our Potential
by Morris Norman via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 4, December 1992 Every normal child born has a potential that needs to be tapped and pointed in the right direction. God determined before the foundation of the world to have a people that are holy and without blame. In Christ, we can reach that potential. Jesus…
Read MoreInventors of Dragons
by Jefferson David Tant via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 4, December 1992 In the days of yore, when fierce dragons wandered to and fro on the face of the earth, there was often great fear in the land, as the dragons were wont to capture fair maidens and make them a delicious dessert. But these…
Read MoreLet the Church be the Church
by George DeHoff via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 4, December 1992 The business of the church is to preach the gospel of Christ. It exists for this purpose. Without the gospel, men are lost. The gospel is God’s power unto salvation (Romans 1:16). There is nothing else that the church does that some other organization…
Read MoreStraight Ahead Lies Yesterday
by R. L. Craig via The Expository Review, January 1982 The title above is a book written several years ago by Harry Rimmer. As I remember (I first saw the book in 1945), Rimmer’s theme was that almost everything repeats itself. Indeed, this has been the truth concerning nations. Look at Israel. God appointed a judge…
Read MoreDivision in a Local Church
by Robert L. McDonald via Expository Review, November 1984 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.…
Read MoreTestimony
by Hugh DeLong As you begin reading I John, note (and memorize) these opening verses. They tell us why John was writing and what he was writing about. He had lived with Jesus for 3+ years. He had left his career as a fisherman to become a fisher of men. He has left his home…
Read MoreNine Types of Atheism
by Perry Hall Emotional Atheism: Many have experienced personal harm in their lives. They are dealing with the “problem of evil”, not from a philosophical perspective, but from daily pain. For example, the loss of a child, parent, or spouse. Hypocritical Religious Atheism: This paradox in terminology comes from their experience of judgmentalism within churches.…
Read MoreNothing Impossible
by Clifton Angel Jesus comes down from Mount Hermon (see Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-42). Peter, James, and John are with him. They witnessed the transfigured Christ talking with Moses and Elijah about his coming death (Matthew 17:1-13). It was so magnificent that Peter wanted to worship all three of them, but God the…
Read MoreSave Me, That I May Observe Your Testimonies
by Edwin Crozier Sometimes you just need to talk about Scripture with other people. This past week, I was involved in a Bible study with several men in the area discussing Psalms 119:145-149. I was absolutely stunned by what I learned. The psalmist wanted to do right. According to Psalms 119:145-146, this psalmist wished to…
Read MoreDon’t Hide Behind Your Prayers
by Clay Gentry We’re called to be people of prayer. Jesus Himself taught that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). However, if we are honest, sometimes our prayers are merely a pious way of being inactive. It is easy to hide behind the sincerity of prayer, shielding ourselves from action.…
Read MoreDo You Know Jesus?
by Zeke Flores Do you know Jesus? Or do you know about Jesus? Those are two very different things. Lots of people know about Jesus the same way they might know someone by reading their biography. It may include many of their interesting personal characteristics or incidents from their lives. But it’s not the same…
Read MoreBecoming Your Enemy
by Micky Galloway Paul wrote the Galatian letter to those who had been influenced by Judaizing teachers who had bound, as necessary to salvation, certain aspects of the Law of Moses. Paul indicted some of them, “Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the Law; ye are fallen away from grace” (Galatians…
Read MoreLoose Cannons
by Kevin Cauley Reading the news today, I came across an article about one of the presidential candidates, in which one of his former military commanders said he was a “loose cannon.” Just the other day, one of our members was telling me about a man who claimed to be a “loose cannon” religiously; we…
Read MoreAre Christians Obligated to Debate Everyone Who Disagrees with Their Teaching?
by Becky René Whenever a Christian shares biblical material—whether by posting an article, forwarding a devotional, writing something of their own, or commenting on a passage—there will always be someone who disagrees. This is not unusual. It is simply part of living in a world where people differ in background, maturity, understanding, and interpretation. The…
Read MoreUntil Death Do Us Part
by R. L. Craig via Expository Review, January 1983 “Do you take this young woman, whose right hand you now hold, to be your lawfully wedded wife; her, to cherish her, in sickness or in health, in prosperity or adversity, for better or for worse; do you promise to be true to her, forsaking all others…
Read MoreLawful but Not Expedient
by Leon Odom via Expository Review, March 1983 In I Corinthians 6:12-13, the apostle penned these words: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but…
Read MoreAdvice to Younger Preachers (McDonald)
by Robert L. McDonald via Expository Review, April 1983 When I first began preaching, in the late 40s or early 50s, I looked to older preachers for any help they could give me. I was delighted to hear them reminisce about their many experiences and problems encountered. Over the years, I have looked back on…
Read MoreJesus Understands
by Bill Boyd The Church of All Nations stands on the west slope of the Mount of Olives. It is said to be built over the very stone where Jesus fell on his face and prayed. Just outside of the church, in the courtyard, is a grove of ancient olive trees. The place is usually…
Read MoreMisapplying the Exaltation of Israel
by Terry Wane Benton The “blessing” of Israel (Genesis12:3) as God’s favored nation was conditional on the nation of Israel obeying God (Deuteronomy 27:11- 28:2). He clearly told them that if they did not obey God, they would be cursed and destroyed, and no longer be “My people” (Hosea 1:9). But God held out a…
Read MoreThe Charismatic Movement in the First Century
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol 18 No. 4, December 1992 One must be impressed with the miraculous operation of the Holy Spirit in the first-century church.. The apostles, for instance, were told they did not need to plan ahead with respect to what they were to speak, for the Holy Ghost would guide their…
Read MoreWhy I Am Thankful to Be a Bi-vocational Preacher — And Why You Might Consider It
by John W. Boyd I love gospel preachers. I admire men who devote their full vocational lives to ministry, and I am grateful for the sacrifices they make for the kingdom. This article is not an argument against full-time preachers in any way. Instead, it is simply a reflection on why I am personally thankful…
Read MoreTwo Men Plan Their Schedules
by Bill Hall via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 Two men plan their schedules for the coming year. The first man plans his schedule around his service to the Lord. The second man gives little thought to his service to the Lord and will try to fit his service to the Lord into…
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