Notes
The Evidence of Nature
by Elton Trueblood, The Logic of Belief, p. 158-159 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 1, March 1996 “The chief strength of atheistic naturalism has lain in the notion that the material world needs no explanation, external to itself, that it is, indeed, a perpetual motion machine, which had no beginning and will have no end. But…
Read MoreFound: A Legendary City that History Forgot
from U.S. News and World Report, December 4, 1995, p. 10 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, March 1996 They lived, legend said, more than 4,000 years ago, mining ore and worshiping a god that lived in their fabled capital, Urkesh. Modern history remembered their contemporaries—the Sumerians and the Semites—but it all but forgot the Hurrians…
Read MoreAdventures with Alaskan Dinosaur Bones
by Margaret Helder, Creation Science Dialog, Vol. 21 No. 3 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, March 1996 Sponsored by Creation Research Science Education Foundation, five men went to Alaska in July 1994 to collect unfossilized dinosaur bones. They included John Whitmore (Associate Professor of Geology at Cedarville College, Ohio); Mike Liston (outdoor and rescue specialist);…
Read MoreCan Random Events Create Order?
by Michael Talbot, “Mathematical Evidence of the Existence of God,” p. 195 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, March 1996 From Beyond the Quantum: “David Ossekon chided his fellow mathematicians for ever popularizing the issue of monkeys and typewriters. The basic mathematics behind the notion that, given enough time, a group of monkeys would eventually…
Read MoreLoving God Leads to Loving Your Neighbor
“Again and again the message of the Old Testament is that if you choose the wrong gods you will end in social decay. Biblical monotheism, far from an abstract creed, affirms that only when God is properly honored will society be just and compassionate. Modern western society, reaping the fruit of two centuries of systematically…
Read MoreAre Actions Alone Sufficient?
by Matthew W. Bates from Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Baker Academic, 2017 Similarly, the gospel cannot be reduced to behaving in a cross-shaped manner or to social programs. Saint Francis of Assisi is often remembered to have said, “Preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary.” This is a clever saying (although its…
Read MoreA Center of Certitude
from A Place to Stand by Elton Trueblood via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 The most pragmatic reason for seeing that Christ is the most dependable reality is the evidence of changed human lives. When we consider Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, we are in the realm of the empirical…
Read MoreThe Discovery of the Mount Sinai Manuscript
from True or False by David Otis Fuller, ed., p. 71 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 This famous Codex (with facsimiles of the handwriting and with an account of its discovery) is published in full in Dr. Scrivener’s work entitled ‘A Full Collation of the Codex Sinaiticus’ (1864). Constantine Tischendorf, a noted German…
Read MoreThe Impact of Jesus
Excerpted from If God Came by Jim McGuiggan, p. 101-102 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 Take a moment and think about it. How did the son of a Jewish carpenter manage to affect our world so powerfully? How many millions of church buildings and edifices have been erected to his name in…
Read MoreInerrancy and Figurative Language
by J. M. Boice via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 3, September 1995 “Some people say, ‘If you believe in inerrancy, you have to take every statement in the Bible literally. (You must believe] that God has a heart, perhaps even that God has wings’ (Ps. 17:8). This is foolish… It is based on the error…
Read MoreExtrabiblical Mentions of Biblical Characters
by Stuart Steinberg Here is a list of inscriptions discovered that mention various figures in the Hebrew Bible. There are several dozen inscriptions—mostly seals, ostraca, plaques, and royal stelae—that mention individuals named in the Hebrew Bible. Below is a concise list of the key inscriptions and the biblical figures they mention, with approximate dates. Key…
Read MoreNotes on Light
by Terry Wane Benton “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?” (Psalms 27:1). “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous” (Psalms 112:4). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalms 119:105). “The…
Read MoreNotes on False Teaching
Psalms 119:29 “Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Your law graciously.” Psalms 119:104 “Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.” Psalms 120:2 “Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue.” Proverbs 4:2 “For I give you good doctrine: do not forsake my…
Read MoreNotes on Why God’s Judgment Through the Bears Was Righteous
by Terry Wane Bento (based on an AI-generated list) The “children” were not little kids The Hebrew word נְעָרִים (na’arim) can refer to: young men, servants, military trainees, adolescents, or adults (e.g., Joseph at 17 is called a na’ar). The same word describes Ishmael as a teenager, David as a warrior, and Solomon as a…
Read MoreNotes on Foreigners
The Resident Alien The Hebrew word is gerim. These are people who live within Israel’s borders, often as refugees or laborers. Leviticus 19:33-34 “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you…
Read MoreDaily Verses for Overcoming Lust
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton A young man was struggling with pornography and called me to discuss how to deal with it. He mentioned that he did better when he was a part of a program that had him read a daily passage and discuss how it applied to his problem. The problem was that a…
Read MoreProfile of the New Age Movement
by Warren E. Berkley via Guardian of Truth Definition Built on the assumption that we are all divine beings with supernatural potential, the New Age Movement asserts that through knowledge, enlightenment, and meditation, we can discover our own divinity. Then, in concert with other “enlightened ones,” we can create a new world and usher in…
Read MoreThe Church in Two Senses of the Word
based on charts by Scott Mann via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 Universal Church The Relationship of Saints with God Members are enrolled in heaven (Hebrews 12:23; II Timothy 2:19) Consists of all saints, everywhere, living or dead (Ephesians 3:15; 5:27-29) Only the Lord adds to their number (Acts 2:47) Entrance…
Read MoreEarly House of Worship
Source: “Christians didn’t worship in houses? New study drops bombshell on religious archaeology,” StudyFinds.org, 30 August 2024. Early Christians “may have been more intentional in creating distinct sacred spaces than previously thought.” “One of the most striking findings was the removal of key features that defined Durene houses, such as the building’s cistern and food…
Read MoreNotes on the Epistle of Barnabas
Dated to around 130 AD. Based on who cites the document Based on what is cited in the document. “Furthermore He saith again; Behold they that pulled down this temple themselves shall build it. So it cometh to pass; for because they went to war it was pulled down by their enemies. Now also the…
Read MoreNotes on Self-Incrimination
The Law required two or more witnesses to a crime. A person admitting to a crime would be insufficient gain a conviction. Deuteronomy 17:6 “On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one…
Read MoreThe Holy Spirit: Indwelling and the Word
by Don Blackwell The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit God is in Christians Christians are in God (I John 4:11-16) Christ is in Christians Christians are in Christ (Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 3:17) The Spirit dwells in Christians Christians are in the Spirit (Romans 8:11; Galatians 5:16,25) The mind of Christ is in Christians (Philippians 2:5)…
Read MorePsalms 23, the Exodus, and Jesus
by Doy Moyer Psalms 23 The Exodus Jesus The Lord is my Shepherd Psalms 77:30; 80:1; 95:7 Ezekiel 34:23-24; Isaiah 53:6; John 10:11; I Peter 5:4 I shall not want Deuteronomy 2:7; 29:5 Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 4:11-13,19 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters Exodus 15:13; Numbers 10:33…
Read MoreNotes on the Poor
Equal Treatment Leviticus 25:35 Exodus 22:26-27 Deuteronomy 15:7-11 Deuteronomy 24:15 Proverbs 19:17 Proverbs 22:2 Proverbs 29:7 Equal Treatment in Court Leviticus 24:22 Numbers 15:15-16 Numbers 15:29-30 Deuteronomy 1:16 Daily Wages Leviticus 19:13 Deuteronomy 24:14-15 Jeremiah 22:13 Usury Exodus 22:25-27 Leviticus 25:35-38 Deuteronomy 24:10-13 Debts Exodus 21:1-6 Leviticus 25:39-43 Deuteronomy 15:1-6 Deuteronomy 15:12-18
Read MoreNotes on Weakness
Joshua 1:9 Nehemiah 8:10 Isaiah 12:2 II Corinthians 12:9-10 Philippians 4:13
Read MoreNotes on Stress
Psalms 23:1-4 Psalms 55:22 Psalms 94:19
Read MoreNotes on Illness or Sickness
Psalms 41:3 Psalms 73:26 III John 2
Read MoreNotes on Fear
Psalms 23:4 Psalms 27:1 Isaiah 41:13 John 14:27 II Timothy 1:7
Read MoreNotes on Finances
Proverbs 11:28 Proverbs 13:11 Ecclesiastes 5:10 Matthew 6:31-33
Read MoreNotes on Doubts
Psalms 14 Psalms 46:1-3 Proverbs 3:5-6 Isaiah 26:3 Romans 10:17
Read MoreNotes on Discouragement
Isaiah 40:31 Matthew 11:28-30 Philippians 4:13
Read MoreNotes on Disappointment
Psalms 34:18 Psalms 41:9 Proverbs 10:1 Isaiah 40:28-31 Jeremiah 29:11 Jonah 4:1-3 Matthew 8:23-26 Matthew 14:28-31 Matthew 16:5-11 Luke 22:59-62 Romans 8:28 Romans 8:38-39
Read MoreNotes on Depression
Psalms 27:5 Psalms 42:11 Lamentations 3:22-23
Read MoreNotes on Betrayal
Psalms 27:10 Matthew 26:47-50 I Peter 2:21-23
Read MoreNotes on Grief
Psalms 34:18 Psalms 42:11 Psalms 147:3 Matthew 5:4 John 16:22 Romans 8:38-39 James 1:2-4
Read MoreNotes on the Thief on the Cross
“In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, ‘He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now,…
Read MoreNotes on the Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
by Tommy Peeler Pharaoh’s heart was hardened (Exodus 7:13-14, 22; 8:19; 9:7, 35) Pharaoh hardened his heart (Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34) The LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:20; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17) Describe Exodus 5 in light of these three ways of describing Pharaoh’s hardness of heart. Is God forcing Pharaoh to…
Read MoreThe Godhead Dwells in Us
by Whit Sasser God Dwells in Christians II Corinthians 6:16 Ephesians 4:6 Philippians 2:13 I John 4:12-16 Christians Dwell in God I John 4:15-16 Christ Dwells in Christians Colossians 3:11 John 6:56 John 15:4-5 John 17:23, 26 Galatians 2:20 Galatians 4:19 II Corinthians 4:10-11 II Corinthians 13:5 Ephesians 3:17 Romans 8:20 Philippians 1:20 Christians Dwell…
Read MoreNotes on the Brevity of Life
Comparisons II Samuel 14:14 – Like water spilled on the ground I Chronicles 29:15 – Like a shadow, it will not stay Job 7:6-7 – Like a weaver’s shuttle or the wind Job 9:25-26 – Like a swift messenger, a swift ship, or a swooping eagle Job 14:1 – Few days, like a flower Psalms…
Read MoreNotes on Covetousness
Prohibition Exodus 20:17, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.” Psalms 10:3, “For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, And the covetous renounceth, yea, condemneth Jehovah.” Proverbs 28:16, “The…
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