Archive for 2007
Which one are you in The Revelations of Saint Bridget of Sweden?
Question: [I received this solicitation to view a web site. I decided to clip a few statements from the beginning to illustrate some points about false prophecies. Grammar errors were not corrected.] He who reads these Revelations which Saint Bridget received inspired in the Holy Spirit from Christ, learns to Fear God in the right way, to…
Read MoreI’ve been sleeping with my fiance. I know it is wrong, but will God still love me?
Question: My fiance and I were sleeping together. One day I had sexual intercourse with him, though I know that is wrong in the sight of God. For the past few weeks I talked to one of the older women of the church because I would like to have deliverance, but, unfortunately, I was not…
Read MoreIndividual-Group Distinctions
by Bryan Sharp I Timothy 5:16 tells us, “If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.” (ESV) This one verse is a gold mine of practical application because, in this one verse,…
Read MoreIs life not meant to be enjoyed?
Question: I still have some things troubling my mind. I always wanted to try my best and enjoy life as much as I can, obviously with God. But lately, in church and from reading the Bible, some things really confuse me. For example like how Jesus told us that if we wanted to be perfect…
Read MoreIs it sinful to download movies or songs from the Internet?
Question: Like many people, I download movies and music and I was just wondering if that is considered stealing and therefore is a sin? Answer: Just because someone makes a movie or song available on the Internet, it does not imply that they had the right to do so. The Internet is not policed directly…
Read MoreWho wrote the second set of tablets?
Question: Context: Exodus 31:18 and 32:16 make it clear that God wrote the first set of tablets of the covenant. Moses broke those tablets (Exodus 32:19). Question: In Deuteronomy 10:1-5, Moses (talking about the second set of tablets of the covenant, not the first set that he broke) says God wrote on the tablets. Likewise,…
Read MoreYour article on homosexuality was a little harsh, but it’s dead-on
Question: I was googling around, and I stumbled upon one of your web pages which I found extremely helpful: Should Churches Accept Homosexuality. I just wanted to say thank you for having it up on the web for all to see. Homosexuality and “Cafeteria Christians” are important issues in the world today, and I think the…
Read MoreWhy follow God’s word when we can lean on salvation and be covered for a disobedient life and be forgiven anyway?
Question: It appears from several Christian writers and ministries, that even if my wife did remarry and live in adultery, the sin of divorce or adultery is no less forgivable than any other sin in God’s eyes. So it would appear, as unfair as it may seem to other Christians, believers who have been saved…
Read MoreHow can I overcome my evil thoughts even though I am Christian already?
Question: How can I overcome my evil thoughts even though I am Christian already? Answer: I’ve always been amazed at how many people think that Satan gives up and goes away just because a person has become a Christian. Satan isn’t going to stop tempting you with sin (evil thoughts), he is going to work…
Read MoreWill God forgive me if I continue to sin?
Question: I would like to know if God will forgive me if I sin? What if I asked for His forgiveness, but there are times that I am still doing the bad things, such as sleeping with my fiance though we are not yet married? There are times I realize that I have done something…
Read MoreWhat is meant by “one will be left and the other taken”?
Question: Where it says one will be left the other taken away, (always mentioned by people with the rapture and stuff). I was wondering what was your take on that verse. Answer: The same illustration is used in two different contexts, though the overall meaning of the illustration is the same: “But of that day…
Read MoreThe Importance of Thoughts
by Bill Crews If you are concerned about your character, your conduct, your life, and your destiny, then be concerned about your thoughts. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The heart is the mind, and the mind is the center of thoughts. “For as…
Read MoreIt seems obvious to me that Nicolaitans refers to the clergy system in the Roman Catholic Church
Question: Regarding the word “Nicolaitan”. Indeed many definitions from lexicons simply say something that doesn’t really lend any specific information to what it means. However certain things should be glaringly obvious here from the start. It’s mentioned twice. Romans Catholics claimed it was just some short-lived sex cult with some guy Nicolas at the helm.…
Read MoreWhy did John call Jesus the Messiah and then later ask if he was the one?
Question: Will you please help me understand these two confusing statements? In John 1:29-31 we read that John pointing out to Jesus tells his disciples that He (Jesus) was the promised Messiah `The Lamb of God`. But in Luke 7 – 19:20 we read that John while in prison sends his disciples to ask Jesus…
Read MoreThe spirit cannot be God
Question: [Note: This has been severely reduced from the original because it was too long and filled with twisted usage of the Scriptures. I am only presenting a summary so you can get the gist of the arguments made.] The spirit cannot be God. If your congregation is singing praises to the holy spirit, you…
Read MoreI can’t seem to stop thinking about sinful things. What can I do?
Question: I came across your site today and have been able to get my answers to a lot of questions I had from there. I am a new believer and my faith is about one and a half months old. I have been exhilarated at the beginning of the faith. But now it has become…
Read MoreWhy wasn’t Naomi concerned that her daughters-in-law might marry ungodly men?
Question: I’m preparing to teach the book of Ruth for the first time. In fact, to even study it! I’m a bit confused as to why Naomi insisted that her daughters-in-law not go with her to her homeland in Judah when Moab was a land full of idolatry. If her daughters-in-law married men there, would…
Read MoreAre the new heaven and new earth been already made or will they be created in the future?
Question: Are the new heaven and new earth been already made or will they be created in the future? Answer: This is a question that leaves me wondering whether an answer one way or another will make any difference in how you and I must live our lives on this earth. In the Old Testament,…
Read MoreBy what name shall we address the Father?
Question: By what name shall we address the Father? Answer: God, the Father, refers to Himself by a variety of names. The implication is that one name alone is inadequate to describe His nature. The sermon outline, “The Name of God” for a list of names and their meanings. When you address your parents, I…
Read MoreIs it right for my wife to live apart without divorcing me?
Question: I was reading your article regarding if divorce is a sin. I have been studying this and other areas of sin and forgiveness, and I have a question to present. I have a personal interest in this topic as my Christian wife has left (abandoned) our marriage union and refuses to live together several…
Read MoreAre the new heavens and new earth been already made or will it be created in the future?
Question: Are the new heavens and new earth been already made or will it be created in the future? Answer: This is a question that leaves me wondering whether an answer one way or another will make any difference in how you and I must live our lives on this earth. In the Old Testament,…
Read MoreWhat is the history behind the articles on head covering?
Question: This summer my family and I joined the Church of Christ in Vienna, Austria, after having fellowshipped in Evangelical Churches for the last 20 years. Since the Church of Christ is rather new to us, I did some research about the movement, read a lot about Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell, as well as…
Read MoreIs there a distinction between forgiveness and redemption?
Question: First, I must say that your web site is fantastic! There is much cool stuff here that I wish I had more time to read. At Bible class last night, the issue of forgiveness vs. redemption and taking away sin came up. The issue, and my question, is whether forgiveness and redemption are the…
Read MoreIs Sunday the only day of worship or can we worship God any day?
Question: Is Sunday the only day of worship or can we worship God any day? I have read in the second chapter of the book of Acts, verse 46, that the Christians worshiped daily in the temple. Answer: “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they…
Read MoreHow to Raise a Heartache
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via The Auburn Beacon “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (Proverbs 29:15). Though I have been a father for many years and a grandfather for a few years, I still do not claim to be an expert on child-rearing. I…
Read MoreCan Christians Help Support the Salvation Army?
by Danny Pettus Christians are at liberty to support many things other than the church of our Lord, but false doctrine is not one of those things. You may have had someone come to your door selling this or that for a certain denomination. You might go to a store and be approached by someone…
Read MoreTelling Members They Are Sinning in Deliberately Missing Church
By Bob W. Lovelace Question: If you gathered together a list of excuses as to why members of a local church will “neglect” their collective duty to attend and participate in both the worship and works of the local church what would it include? From all over members who strive to fulfill their duty are…
Read MoreHow is Truth Determined?
by Oscar C. Miles What probably bothers me most about Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons is that they do not allow any possibility that they might be in error. It seems to me that they have been programmed to resist the possibility of fallibility in their organization. They believe that they are God’s organization and thus…
Read MoreWhat If the Jews Had Accepted Jesus?
I. Among premillennialists, those who believe that we live in an age prior to a thousand-year reign of Christ, there is a belief that Jesus’ first appearance on the earth did not accomplish everything that God intended. A. The Jews believed that the Messiah would come to re-establish the throne of David in Israel. The disciples believed…
Read MoreAre we sinning whenever we don’t think about God?
Question: Hi, Whenever I get free time I like to imagine random things. It has been kind of a hobby every since I was a child. I feel like writing a story sometimes with the ideas I get in my mind. However, my friend recently told me that whenever we don’t think about God we…
Read MoreAppreciation
Question: I would like to take this time away from my day to say thank you for providing the most informative and edifying web site. I, myself being a member of the church and suffering from ambulatory concerns due to in service-related medical conditions that inhibit me from going to services as often as I…
Read MoreIs the correct way to ask God for help is “if you are willing?”
Question: I was reading the Bible the other day. I forget which verse but I read something like ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean’ That verse made me wonder. Is that a correct way to ask God for something is to ask if He is willing, rather than make it sound…
Read MoreHow Does the Lord Open Hearts?
by Greg Gwin In Acts 16 we read: “And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of…
Read MoreHow Did They Know?
by Doy Moyer via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 7, July 1995. Fountains of the Deep Moses wrote, concerning the flood, that “all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Genesis 7:11). Then later he said that “The fountains of the deep and the windows of…
Read MoreHospitality — Why Bother?
by Julie Adams via Biblical Insights, Vol. 7, No. 5, May 2007 Why is it that the very idea of hospitality conjures up thoughts of fine china, matching napkins and a five-course meal? Perhaps it is our “Martha” mind that causes us to dread all that we think we have to do to show hospitality. Then…
Read MoreHow are the churches of Christ so similar to our beliefs?
Question: I’m a Messianic Jew. We believe the Jerusalem church is ours of course in conjunction with Acts 2. Yet the Church of Christ is so similar to our beliefs in the Torah of God. (Torah meaning God-breathed). Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. What relation is there of the Church of Christ to us? Answer:…
Read MoreIsn’t it true that Jesus did not have to eat the Passover lamb because he had no sin?
Question: I recently read your article “Was Jesus a Vegetarian?”. There is only a few things I would like to comment on. First thing, I eat fish and am not in any way involved with PETA. But Jesus would not have had to eat the Passover lamb, the lamb was killed as an offering because of sin, the…
Read MoreIs the Devil the apple that Adam and Eve ate?
Question: So is the Devil the apple that Adam and Eve ate? Answer: First, the Bible doesn’t say Adam and Eve ate an apple. That is an old myth from the days when people assumed that red fruits were poisonous. The tree was a unique tree called the tree of the knowledge of good and…
Read MoreWho was the only man in the Bible forbidden to marry?
Question: Who was the only man in the Bible forbidden to marry? Answer: “The word of the LORD also came to me, saying, “You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.”” (Jeremiah 16:1-2). The reason for this is that Judah was going to face gruesome death and…
Read MoreWhat does ‘Name it and Claim it” mean?
Question: What does ‘Name it and Claim it” mean? Answer: “Name it and claim it” is the slogan of the Positive Confession movement, which also goes by the name Word-Faith. At the heart of the movement’s teaching is that faith is what we say and not what we have in someone else. “The term “positive…
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