Archive for 2008
Mormonism is the restoration of all things
Question: Thank you for responding. My purpose is to come to an understanding of others, and their way of worship. If I offend you, I apologize. This is not my intent. It’s interesting to see how others interpret the scripture. I would like to continue with this discussion, and again thank you for taking the…
Read MoreCan a church choose men to lead when there are no elders?
Question: When there are no elders in a congregation and the church chooses certain men to lead, is this scriptural? Answer: I probably would need more information to answer your question. Much depends on what you mean by “lead.” During worship service, there are men who lead various parts of the worship. “How is it…
Read MoreDenominationalism Is Unnecessary
by Larry Ray Hafley Religious denominationalism in general and Catholicism and Protestantism, in particular, are unnecessary institutions. First, if they were essential, they would be found in the Bible. Christ would have spoken of them and told us how to sustain and support them. That he did none of those things shows they are not required…
Read MoreDid the folded napkin in John 20:7 mean Jesus was coming back?
Question: I received the following in regard to John 20:7. Is this true? Why did Jesus fold the napkin? This is one I can honestly say I have never seen circulating in the e-mails. Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this……. John 20:7 tells us that the…
Read MoreShould corporal punishment be allowed in schools?
Question: Many parents who use corporal discipline at home are opposed to its use in a Christian school. They feel that only the parent should administer this type of discipline when needed. I have always believed that the school should have the authority to paddle when needed. What are your views on this controversial subject?…
Read MoreIn Toil
Bryan Matthew Dockens Work is the common lot of all men. When Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden, the Lord God told the man, “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring…
Read More“Incredible” Beginning
by Andy Diestelkamp via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 30, July 27, 2008. The beginnings of things always intrigue us. We often mark them with great ceremony at the time if we anticipate their importance (weddings, ribbon-cutting grand openings, signings, etc.). We frequently research beginnings if only later do we realize someone’s or something’s importance…
Read MoreEternal Security
by Wayne S. Walker via Truth Magazine XXI: 2, pp. 28-29, January 13, 1977 One of the tenets of Reformed theology that John Calvin adopted and propagated was that of “the perseverance of the saints.” Often it is referred to as the doctrine of “once in grace, always in grace.” Or stated as a proposition, it reads,…
Read MoreWhat Scripture is most useful to challenge an atheist?
Question: When speaking to an atheist, what Scripture is most useful to challenge one to understand that God does exist? And how can I convince him that this God is merciful if he has lived life in a body wracked by pain? Answer: You are starting off on the wrong foot since an atheist does…
Read MoreCan’t instruments be an aid to singing?
Question: In one of your articles, you present the question: “Where in the Bible is instrumental music forbidden?” I’m pretty sure I understand the meaning behind the question and believe I have an answer. This is all based on King David and his musical worship with the lute. See, David played a mechanical instrument for…
Read MoreDoes a divorce because of forced sex in marriage allow for remarriage?
Question: I just read the article regarding whether marital rape is biblical grounds for divorce. This question is brought up at the end: “Meanwhile, what is the husband supposed to do? I think the answer is “wait.” If your wife were deathly ill, you would have no problem foregoing sex during her illness.” In my particular…
Read MoreDo you think it’s a sin not to go to church?
Question: Hi! I am 15 years old. I want to thank you for saving my soul! I accepted Jesus into my heart about two years ago and have been talking to him as a friend, a brother, a Savior and my Lord ever since. However, I have found myself struggling with lust, greed and other things.…
Read MoreLet me give you a real story of the problems I see
Question: Three members of a church of Christ have been shunning two others for two years for reasons unknown. One member spreads unfounded gossip about another woman using vile language. She later asked for forgiveness but never apologized. Some members lack the courtesy to say, “Good morning,” nine out of ten times. The minister, a…
Read MoreOne of my boys is starting to wet his pants when I give him a spanking. What should I do?
Question: I have a problem with one of my boys. A few times he has had a wet spot when being spanked. At first, I was shocked and thought I was overdoing the spanking and from the pain of the spanking that he had lost control, but it was not any harder or lighter than…
Read MoreHow did Simeon and Levi manage to wipe out Shechem?
Question: I have a question regarding Genesis 34:29. I was wondering how the two sons, Simeon and Levi, were able to carry captive all the women after they killed all the male Hivites? Would these two persons have enough binding material to bind a whole town? Also, how did Simeon and Levi kill all of…
Read MoreDo I need to renew my vows with my current husband since my former husband has died?
Question: I have spoken to several sound brethren who are elders and ministers in churches of Christ in regard to marriage, divorce, and remarriage. This is the situation that I addressed to them concerning myself: I was in a previous marriage with a man for twelve years. The man I was married to had a…
Read MoreFacts About Faith Healing
by Rick Duggin via Westvue Messenger, Vol. 29, No. 7, July 1986 Members of the Faith Assembly, an Indiana-based religious sect, have lost as many as eighty-eight members to treatable illnesses or injuries because they believe that going to a doctor is wrong. A federal and state study concluded that the mortality rate for their…
Read MoreThe Proper Use of Power
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ProperUseOfPower.mp3 by Bruce Irwin
Read MoreHow can I help my family now that the insurance funds are running low?
Question: I have a lot of family problems at the moment and am wondering if you can please guide me in the right direction? My family consists of my mom and my brother and I. I am the only Christian in my family. My dad passed away over a year ago and my family got…
Read MoreI Don’t Love Her Any More
by Greg Gwin A forty-year-old man, suffering through the classic “mid-life crisis,” sat down to talk to a preacher about his problems. He explained how his marriage of 20 years was no longer satisfying or fulfilling. Finally, he reached the ‘bottom line.’ “I just don’t love her anymore”, he said. “What can I do?” After…
Read MoreWhy doesn’t God restore my hearing?
Question: I have about a 30-40% hearing impairment. I don’t know for sure what has caused my hearing impairment. I have behind-the-ear hearing aids. I often get ashamed of wearing them in front of people that I have not known for a long time. It is so embarrassing when people say, “What is that in your ear?” It really…
Read MoreAre We Killing the “Old Man?”
by Robert F. Turner via Guardian of Truth XXX: 18, pp. 551, 567, September 18, 1986 The Roman letter has at least five propositions, affirmed and proven by the apostle Paul: Man stands justly condemned for his sins; Grace, not law, is the remedy; This grace is expressed in the crucified Christ; It is available on…
Read MoreLearning from the Vatican’s Reversal on Galileo
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton December 21, 2008, was the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of the telescope and the Roman Catholic church took the opportunity to announce once again that it had made a mistake in condemning Galileo. It is actually not the first time it has admitted to this mistake. Pope Benedict XIV had…
Read MoreThe Roman Catholic church doesn’t evolve, it realigns itself with the past
Question: I was just reading from your church website on what is wrong with the teachings of Catholicism, and I had a question regarding this particular quote: “As I mentioned before, the departure of the Catholic Church from the teachings in the Bible leaves a large number of differences. Apologists for Catholicism do not attempt explain…
Read MoreThe Gospel of Judas?
by Ron Lehde Tonight (April 9, 2006) the National Geographic Magazine is scheduled to present a television program that deals with an ancient work known as “The Gospel of Judas”. It is a 26-page manuscript (ca. AD 300) that is a Coptic translation of a Greek manuscript that is at least one hundred years older and…
Read MoreReflections on the “Gospel of Judas”
by Ethan R. Longhenry While The Da Vinci Code mania continues to develop and grow throughout the world and while “other gospels” and “alternative Christianities” have become popular, we now see revealed to us yet another “lost gospel,” the Gospel of Judas. The National Geographic Society has done a good job of marketing this discovery and is…
Read MoreThe Gospel Of Judas
by Boyd Jennings Were you alarmed to hear that another gospel has been discovered? Before we continue, let’s remember what Jesus told the twelve minus Judas. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). That’s why Paul wrote by inspiration of God—twice, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven,…
Read MoreHow to Save Your Marriage
by Rick Lanning in The Elgin Hills Examiner, Vol. 3, Nos. 11,12, Nov/Dec. 2008. It’s simple, really. I do not have to write a large volume, followed by a sequel, on all the details of establishing a good marriage. Although the shelves are stocked full of wonderful books on this subject (and I have spent a…
Read MoreHow to Avoid Having Your Faith Shipwrecked
by Steven Braman Let me tell you about my evening. I was eating dinner in Shanghai. I picked a little restaurant near the hotel called Johnny Moo. It is a knockoff of Johnny Rockets. Basically a ’50s-style burger joint. I had a cheeseburger, fries, and a banana milkshake. I had just settled in with my…
Read MoreIs it wrong to raise dogs for fighting?
Question: What is God’s word about raising dogs, such as pit bulls, on chains their whole life and selling them for fighting or fighting them yourself? Answer: In Hebrew society, dogs were a despised animal. They were domesticated for guard duties (Job 30:1). But the problem is that there were no leash laws, dog catchers,…
Read MoreMy wife left me six weeks ago and I am at my wit’s end
Question: Hello, My wife left me six weeks ago. My life has been a living nightmare since then. I really don’t know the real reason for her leaving. When she left, she told me that she didn’t think she should be here anymore and she thought she was attracted to women. I found out bits…
Read MoreI’ve committed adultery and I don’t know where to begin picking up the pieces of my shattered marriage
Question: I am a young wife who has committed adultery and I am unsure where to go from here. I have told my husband and we are trying to work through all of this, but I still feel like my husband and I are not meant to be together. I have just finished The Proper Care…
Read MoreIn regards to my income, what are the firstfruits that I must give to God?
Question: Can you clarify to me the first fruit I must give unto God in reference to my income? I get paid monthly. What will be my first fruit offering unto God? Answer: “Firstfruits” is a concept taught in the Old Testament. While the concept is carried over to the New Testament, it is not…
Read MoreHospitality
by Wendi Capehart In the lovely gardening memoir Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden, Mrs. Whaley writes about how she felt when she and her husband moved to Charleston after they had spent a short time in D.C. She says she had trouble adjusting to the social scene in Charleston. Everybody was related to everybody else,…
Read MoreHoly Days
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 24, June 13, 2008 Question: Does Galatians 4:9-11 refer to holy days (religious observance)? Or could it have a reference to such days as July 4th or our birthdays? Answer: The letter to the Galatians was written primarily to teach these new Christians that it was…
Read MoreAren’t your warnings against the Salvation Army going to cause more harm than good?
Question: After reading your article posted on your web site entitled “Can Christians help support The Salvation Army” I was very sad. I am a Salvation Army Officer (ordained minister) and I have worked for The Salvation Army for 8 years. I have many conflicting opinions regarding your comments made, however, I will say only…
Read MoreYou don’t understand the Catholic Church’s teachings
Question: I happened on your web site via a friend and read the response given to a gentleman about marrying a Catholic woman. I suggest that you click on to www.catholic.com and search for the correct answers about “Limbo” and “Annulments in the Catholic Church”. 99% of the people who are not Catholic are taught about the Catholic…
Read MoreYou don’t know the true reasons why I don’t attend!
Question: Well, I got the opportunity to read your article online about missing church. Seemed so self-righteous. God knows one’s heart and no man can judge another without true facts. You don’t walk in any one’s shoes to know in ordhttps://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/DeliberatelyMissingChurch.htmer to judge one correctly, that’s first and foremost. Secondly, I miss church once in a…
Read MoreI disagree with the idea that Satan can’t put thoughts directly into someone’s head
Question: I disagree with the idea that Satan can’t put thoughts directly into someone’s head. What about: John 13:2 “And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him,” John 13:26-27 “Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread…
Read MoreOut-of-Body experiences have to be true because I experienced them
Question: How are you doing? First off let me thank God for you and the very informative site you have put together. Also for having ministers such as yourself that have been blessed with the talent of teaching the gospel and blessed with spiritual knowledge and wisdom in Christ. Keep up the good work. Your…
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