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The First Beatitude in Psalms
by Warren E. Berkley The book of Psalms opens with a beatitude. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful,” (Psalms 1:1). This is a description of a life centered on God. Those who live…
Read MoreStrike the Rock?
The children of Israel were desperate for water and were crying out to Moses, “Why have you brought us out here to die of thirst?” God told Moses to take his rod and “strike the rock,” and “water will come out of it, that the people may drink” (Exodus 17:3-6). Did God do this just…
Read MoreAnother Addiction
by David Gibson Getting Hooked It’s amazing how many different ways Satan has to enslave us: drugs, alcohol, tobacco, overeating, gambling, etc. Our adversary knows how to get us hooked and keep us hooked. Satan has been entrapping even more with another highly addictive practice, using Internet pornography. How many thought when they started where…
Read MoreThe Last Days
by Ron Boatwright The apostle Peter says in Acts 2:16-17, “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘ And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall…
Read MoreOvercoming Doubt
by Mark McCrary Text: Matthew 11:1–12 Ted was a faithful Christian. He served in the church, raised his kids to love God, and prayed with conviction. But when his child was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, the inner questions began. Why would God allow this? Is He really good? Over time, Ted’s solid belief began…
Read MoreBaptism and Jesus Blood
by Dub McClish Despite the most explicit statements of Scripture to the contrary, most Protestant denominations deny that baptism is a condition of God’s forgiveness of our sins. Some reason that acceptance of such would equal salvation by one’s own works. Others reject the necessity of baptism because of their erroneous dictum of salvation by…
Read MoreDoes Heaven Really Hear?
by Dan Gulley Charles Swindoll tells about a Ziggy cartoon. “Ziggy is standing, looking up at a mountain. The sky is dark, and there’s one cloud up there. Ziggy says, ‘Have I been put on hold for the rest of my life?’ ” Swindoll continues, “Sometimes prayer feels like that, doesn’t it? ‘Will You ever…
Read MoreSermon Openers: The Preface and Introduction
by Clay Gentry Preachers, you invest countless hours in developing your sermons – exploring passages, mastering the text, writing memorable points, crafting powerful statements that make an impact, and setting the right tone. However, all this effort can be wasted if the congregation isn’t engaged from the beginning with a thoughtful introduction. We’re not talking…
Read MoreFour Characteristics of Faith
by David Gibson To say that faith is a significant theme of the Bible is an understatement. What better place to begin than the great Faith Chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11. In this chapter, the noun “faith” is found 24 times, and the verb “believe” is used once. Hebrews 11 could be called “Case…
Read MoreWhat Is Apostasy?
by Kyle Pope via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 The word apostasy means, “1) Abandonment or renunciation of one’s religious faith or moral allegiance… 2) By extension, the abandonment of principles or party generally” [Oxford Dictionary of the English Language, Vol. 1, p. 390]. It is derived from the Greek word apostasia, meaning “a defection…
Read MoreAn Overruling Providence
by Earl Kimbrough via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 Robert Milligan, in writing about the nature of God in the Scheme of Redemption, warns the reader not to be wise above what is written, for all we can know of Him comes through revelation (Matthew 11:27). There are some things even here that…
Read MoreDon’t Be a Thief!
by Mike Johnson via Seeking Things Above, Vol. 6 No. 2, May 2025 Ephesians 4:17-32 is one of many passages in the New Testament that describe the transformation that is supposed to occur when a person becomes a Christian. The Bible tells Christians to put off the old man, i.e., our former sinful conduct, and put…
Read MoreIn Advance
by David Gibson by Judy Baxter on Flickr.com Some troubles are avoidable, some are not. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells of two builders (Matthew 7:24-27). Both build a house. A violent storm slams both houses. One house stands firm. The other falls. The difference? One had been founded on the…
Read MoreHelping Christians Addicted to Pornography
by Steve and Bette Wolfgang via “The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible: Truth Lectures for 2005,” Truth Publications, 2005, pp. 84-126; quotation from pp. 116-117. Bette and I have been speaking and writing for decades about the dangers of pornography, beginning at a time when it seemed that virtually no one else in the…
Read MoreSecond-hand Potential
by Zeke Flores I don’t like waste. I try to use up everything I buy until it’s run into the ground. Only when I’m sure I can’t get any more use out of it will I discard it. That goes a long way towards explaining why my garage looks the way it does; it’s full…
Read MoreLife Isn’t that Way
by Zeke Flores You might wish you had never had any trouble. No doubt, life would be a lot easier without any distress, affliction, or sorrow. But life isn’t that way. Because we often make dumb decisions, because many circumstances are unforeseeable, and because people are, well, people, there are bound to be uncomfortable situations,…
Read MoreSatan
by David Gibson How much do we know about Satan? Second Corinthians has quite a bit to say about him. What does Paul say in this letter about our enemy, the devil? Knowing how Satan works is essential. “… so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his…
Read MoreA Look Behind the Fig Leaves
by Sam Dilbeck In recent years, many have claimed that society dictates what is modest. Their arguments go something like this: “During the Victorian Age, it was considered immodest for a woman to reveal her ankle or wrists in the presence of a man. Moreover, in many Middle Eastern countries, women are required to wear…
Read MorePreach It Anyway!
by Phillip Brannon I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to preaching the Word of God, some people cannot be pleased (this is also true in other areas). It is not possible to please everyone every time one preaches. Someone will be offended. If one preaches loud enough for everyone to hear,…
Read MoreWorship in Spirit and Truth
by Terry Wane Benton While it is true that worship must be in spirit (sincere and involving our hearts) and in truth (truly yielding to what God’s word says, not following the commandments of men), the text in John 4:20-24 seems to point to something more. The discussion with the woman at the well was…
Read MoreDivision and Animosity
by Zeke Flores The devil loves division and animosity among brethren. So, he does his best to keep it stirred up, and, of course, one of his best tools is sin. If he can get a Christian to sin, he can get another Christian to be convinced that that sinning brother can never rise above…
Read MoreLove, Service, and Obedience
by Doy Moyer We serve what we love, and we obey what we serve. What does that mean? It is possible to be coerced into obedience, but this is not love. However, when we love something or someone, we serve, and in serving, we obey. I believe the word “obey” and its cognates say more…
Read MoreThe Two Poles of the Second Commandment
by David Gibson It was Jesus Himself who identified loving God and loving neighbor as the first and second commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). It’s worth noting that the second commandment, like a magnet, has both a positive and a negative pole. The Negative Pole: “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder,…
Read MoreGod Talks to God but Not to Himself
by Terry Wane Benton How can God talk to God but not be talking to Himself? God is triune (three in one), which is what He revealed about Himself. In the beginning, God said, “Let Us (plural) make man in Our (plural) image (singular)” (Genesis 1:26). Who was God talking to? And why is the…
Read MoreAre nativity images wrong?
Question: Hello, Does Exodus 20:4 teach that various kinds of man-made images of a nativity scene that are often displayed at Christmas time are a violation of God’s commandment in Exodus 20:4? Also, does Exodus 20:4 forbid having any manmade images or anything displayed as decor in your home that depicts creatures that are in…
Read MoreYou Shouldn’t Have Said That
by Josh Blackmer There are some things you’ve said that you wish you could take back. What if you told them, and they were recorded in the Bible? For thousands of years, you would be remembered as the person who said that. Let’s examine some things that shouldn’t have been disclosed and their implications. Adam…
Read MoreLove Your Neighbor
by Terry Wane Benton The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” is a wonderful rule to live by, but even it can be misused. For example, politicians who have little to no regard for the rule of God will reach into the Bible when they think it makes a handy point they can use…
Read MoreCathetic Souls
by S.A. Thomas, R.N., B.S.N., B.B.A. via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 4, 31 December 1991 [Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a professional health-care provider who is a faithful Christian.] Cachexia is a term used to describe a “physical fading of wholeness” and a “progressive wasting away of the body.” Medically, this condition…
Read MoreWhy People Marry
by Morris Norman via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 4, 31 December 1991 Marriage is the greatest of all human contracts, save the covenant of grace. Marriages sometimes fail because those entering them are either inadequately prepared or are not sufficiently committed to the relationship. Some of the key elements of a successful marriage are careful…
Read MoreAre There Gray Areas?
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 4, 31 December 1991 Searching the Scriptures is a quality gospel journal with consistently thought-provoking and edifying articles. The issue for November 1991 is no different. Among the headings was “Musings” by J. Wiley Adams (p. 9), which will certainly stand on its own merits. In fact,…
Read MoreThe Profitable Way
by R. Andrew Parker via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 4, 31 December 1991 Let’s face it: traditionally, we have been a quarrelsome people. Wherever we can find an excuse to argue, we do. If we cannot find a relatively good reason, we will be sure to split a hair or two to find one. I,…
Read MoreThe Individual Member Versus the Church
by Charles Spence via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 4, 31 December 1991 As those who obey the gospel are added to the Lord’s church, they have a responsibility to join with disciples in their area. After his conversion, Paul sought to join the disciples who were assembling in Jerusalem. “And when Saul was come to…
Read MoreThink on These Things
by Terry Wane Benton You don’t want to get in a pattern of negativity that slowly drowns your mind in depression. So, what can you do? Turn off the negative input for a while. This can be the constant negative news on TV and social media, or it can be patterns of feeling sorry for…
Read MoreThe Need for Courage
by Zeke Flores C. S. Lewis said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” When Jesus called out to His disciples on a stormy sea and said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), He may have been alluding to…
Read MoreHe Takes Away the First
by Terry Wane Benton Hebrews 10:9 says, “…He takes away the first that He may establish the second.” What is the first, and what is the second? The first is the law of Moses and its system of animal sacrifices. Paul agrees in Colossians 2:11-16 that the old system with its food laws, sabbaths, circumcision,…
Read MoreSkewed Views of God
by David Gibson The Book of Psalms records several wrong views of God: No God “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt; they do abominable deeds . . .” (Psalm 14:1). How can someone say there is no God, in view of all the evidence to the contrary? “Design…
Read MoreArguments Against the Missionary Society
by Andy Sochor via Unmasking Sophistry, Vol. 5 No. 3, July-September 2025 In a previous article, we discussed the Missionary Society, which was the source of the first major controversy and division among those associated with the Restoration Movement. What began as informal “association” meetings evolved into formal organizations to which churches would send delegates, and…
Read MoreThe New Testament Principles of Giving
by David Banks Throughout the Bible, Old and New Testaments, the people of God have been required to give of their money and material possessions for various purposes. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel, under the Law of Moses, were required to give a tithe (tithe = 10%) of their grain, the fruit…
Read MoreHas the Glory Departed?
by Terry Wane Benton What’s in Your Heart? The ark of the covenant in Israel was symbolic. It represented the presence of the glory of God, was kept in the center of the Israelite camp, and symbolized the covenant of Jesus Christ. It was important to keep it protected from enemies. When the Philistines had…
Read MoreIs It So Hard?
by David Gibson Does the Christian life at times seem more than you can bear? May these thoughts from Hebrews chapter 12 encourage you! Others Have Overcome “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [the heroes of faith in chapter 11], let us also lay aside every weight, and sin…
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