Archive for 2009
Will faith and hope still exist in heaven?
Question: I have a question from I Corinthians 13 about faith, hope, and love with the greatest of these being love. I have led public prayers in which I prayed something like this “to bless us with faith, hope, and love. For one day we will close our eyes in this world and sleep, but…
Read MoreCould you explain why Leviticus 27:29 says a person set apart had to be put to death?
Question: I am doing a Bible study about Jephthah, and I really liked your article. I did have one question about the verses in Leviticus which spoke about redeeming or ransoming something devoted to destruction. In Leviticus 27:29, it says, “No one who may have been set apart among men shall be ransomed; he shall surely…
Read MoreGo Often Askew?
by Jim Ward via The Lost River Bulletin, Vol. 59, No. 1, Jan. 2009. Robert Burns, the Bard of Scotland, was also known as the “Ploughman Bard,” because he earned his sparse living as a farmer. One day while plowing, Mr. Burns destroyed a nest of a mouse. He marked the event in a poem…
Read MoreThank you for enlightening me about why sex before marriage is wrong
Question: Your sermon on sex before marriage really enlightened me regarding today’s relationship failures. I have been divorced for several years and been with the same guy off and on who will not commit to me. I have been through a lot in these past years and had a ground-breaking moment just over a month ago. I…
Read MoreGod’s Line of Measurement
by Shane Williams via The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 10, No. 6, Oct. 2009. It is true that you cannot define a word by using the same word to describe it. It just doesn’t work. You can’t explain a term by comparing it with itself. It would do little good to describe “repentance” as what happens when…
Read MoreI kissed a married woman. Does that mean I can never marry in the future?
Question: I have committed a horrible sin. I am single and have never been married. I was baptized a long time ago. I recently passionately kissed a married woman. I knew she was married when this happened. Afterward, when I snapped out of it, I felt horrible. I contacted her the next day, explained that…
Read MoreDo you realize that you quoted from a false teacher?
Question: I have just come across your sermon “What is God’s will for me?” I was disturbed by one thing. You have used a quote from a David Jay Jordan article. David is an avowed anti-church “missionary” whose goal is to basically bring all believers out of churches. He believes that all churches are evil…
Read MoreGod Is Able
by David Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 12, March 20, 2009. Times are hard right now. The economy is in a major recession, with no end in sight as I write this. Many people are facing factory layoffs. Many are looking at foreclosures and still others are thinking of bankruptcy. Maybe you are not…
Read MoreGod Expects Us to Think
by Steven Harper According to a well-known American philosopher, “A man full of faith is simply one who has lost (or never had) the capacity for clear and realistic thought” [H.L. Mencken]; another one said, “What has religion to do with facts? Nothing” [Robert Green Ingersoll]; and “Star Trek” creator and producer, Gene Roddenberry, said,…
Read MoreWhat do you think about offering wafers with the communion bread?
Question: I am conflicted about a matter in regard to the Lord’s Supper. I have been asked to prepare the communion next month, and along with this was the request to put wafers along with the bread in the trays. I have humbly submitted to our very fine elders that I have some difficulty in…
Read MoreI’m scared of the thoughts in my head
Question: After days of researching everywhere to know if I am truly safe because I thought I had committed the unforgivable sin, which is the sin of having blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, I found out that I did not because to truly commit that sin, you must have your heart hardened so much that…
Read MoreWhat if your spouse left you? What do you do now?
Question: I have read your article about “Is divorce a sin?” I have one question: What if your spouse left you? I was not a fornicator and begged him not to divorce me. We were married for nearly ten years. I have been divorced now for over five years now. I was baptized last year and have been struggling…
Read MoreGive Me that Good ODD Religion!
by Steve Klein Churches of Christ are typically viewed as “odd” by denominational folk. Two of the main reasons for this view are that churches of Christ don’t use instruments of music in worship and they don’t celebrate December 25th as the birth of Christ. While these things seem odd to members of modern denominations,…
Read MoreI need a dumbed-down version about divorce and remarriage
Question: There is a book I was wondering about called A Review of Homer Hailey’s The Divorced & Remarried Who Come To God by Weldon Warnock. Have you read it or know the author? He takes a stand against Homer Hailey’s, but I was wondering your opinion on it. I still need the divorce and remarriage issue explained…
Read MoreIn Christ
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/InChrist.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Colossians 1:24-29 I. What does it take to be successful? A. Earl Nightingale, in The Successful Communicator, told of a time when he was flying to a meeting to deliver a motivational speech to a group of sales people. It turned out that the man next to him on the plane…
Read MoreHow can I believe the Bible when science has proven it wrong?
Question: That was an interesting article about the possible age of the earth. I am a Christian but still need some answers so I can feel comfortable about where I stand. So if I understand it correctly, there is scientifically proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, undeniable truth that the earth is much, much older…
Read MoreWhy did Moses strike the rock twice and what was Aaron’s participation?
Question: Why did Moses strike the rock twice and what was Aaron’s participation? Answer: “So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,…
Read MoreCan we worship and praise the Holy Spirit?
Question: A question was raised in class about worship and praise to the Holy Spirit. Can you give any passages that say we are to do so? I couldn’t find any that give a specific yes or no. There are some that infer it and we can be condemned by blaspheming Him. Answer: Worship is…
Read MoreThe Found Tribes of Israel
by Edwin L. Crozier, via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 4, Jan. 27, 2008. One of the most common mistakes made about Biblical history is the supposedly lost tribes of Israel. We know God divided the descendants of Jacob into 13 different tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Ephraim,…
Read MoreForgiveness
by Phillip North via Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 8, Aug. 2008. Much has been preached and written on how mankind, especially Christians, should and must practice forgiveness. No doubt it is a command, not a mere option. Jesus said, “But if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if…
Read MoreThe “Folly” of God
by Ethan R. Longhenry This was not the expected script. The time, of course, was right. Four grand empires had been prophesied (cf. Daniel 2, 7); Babylon and Medo-Persia were long gone, the age of the Greeks was over, and Rome was now in power. He was supposed to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2);…
Read MoreThe Flood and Baptism
by Frank J. Jamerson via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 13, March 30, 2008. Many of the teachings of the New Testament were prefigured in the Old Testament. The Old Testament story is the type and the New Testament lesson is the antitype, or that which is prefigured. One of these types is the flood.…
Read MoreFinding Grace
by Mark McCrary via Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 11, Nov. 2008. Man fell because he rejected God. Rejection is a painful thing, isn’t it? When others push us away, they are really saying we aren’t what they want; that we do not satisfy them. And, when we are rejected, aside from being hurt, we may…
Read MoreCan a church receive funds from non-believers or an organization?
Question: Thank you very much for your web site. I find it both educative and encouraging. Can I trouble you, my beloved brother, with some questions? Can a faithful congregation receive aid for the needy in the congregation from a non-believer or an organization? Can a faithful brother solicit relief aid for a church from…
Read MoreThe Faith of Toleration
by Todd Chandler via Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 7, July 2008. Right and Wrong … Fewer People Like to Think in Those Terms or Listen to Those Who Do. The business of drawing lines is risky and a quick way to get labeled judgmental, self-righteous, or hateful. So, a more peaceful option becomes popular. The…
Read MoreEmpty Faith
by Carey Scott “My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don’t do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you?” (James 2:14, CEV). There are a lot of people going around and calling themselves a Christians. Yet their actions do not…
Read MoreThank you for explaining topics like sex so clearly from the Bible
Question: I’m not completely sure who responds to “Questions,” but I would like to say thank you! I am a Catholic and I can’t say thank you enough. In my church sex and such is taboo. They never open up and talk to us so clearly like I found in La Vista Church of Christ’s…
Read MoreI wish you could experience speaking in tongues first-hand
Question: I have been reading your sermons for years and using some of them in my own examples. I enjoy reading your thoughts and ideas on the Scriptures. The one thing that you are missing in the text about Speaking in Tongues is the experience of hearing it first hand and seeing it work to…
Read MoreWhy not make a point about the folded napkin, even if it wasn’t a tradition at that time?
Question: I am surprised by your criticism of the folded napkin of Jesus. I read through the article several times and I do not see any contradiction with the resurrection of Jesus when one highlighted the significance of the folded napkin. Any exegesis being done on any events or occurrences recorded in the Bible should…
Read MoreWhat gives you the right to teach that homosexuality is wrong when you can’t be sure you’re right?
Question: I’d like to let you know straight away: what you are doing is so incredibly wrong that it cut me to the quick. I don’t have any problems with people believing in God. But I do have a problem with those guys who think that they have to spread the most terrible parts of…
Read MoreThe Emerging Church – The New Face of Heresy
by Wayne Jackson Recently, Charles Colson, a leading evangelical writer, pointed out: Last June a Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey found rampant doctrinal ignorance among American Christians. Fifty-seven percent of evangelicals believed people who follow religions other than their own can enjoy eternal life. The results were so unexpected that Pew repeated…
Read MoreHow do I tell a friend that Benny Hinn cannot heal her blind child?
Question: I know a person who has a blind child. This person wants to take her child to Benny Hinn because she believes her son will be healed through him. I know this is not true, but I need Scripture to back it up. I feel so bad for her because she wants so badly…
Read MoreHow do I keep my thoughts from wandering during my prayers?
Question: When I try to pray, I cannot always pay full attention. My mind wanders many times. I am cautious about my prayers, but I still drift away in my thoughts. Answer: When you read through the prayers recorded for us in the Bible, what becomes noticeable is that most of them are short and…
Read MoreDoubting Your Salvation
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 8, Feb. 20, 2009. QUESTION: Would you please explain I John 3:20,21? ANSWER: John wrote: “Because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, we have boldness toward God” (I John 3:20,21).…
Read MoreWhat about the American Indians, prior to their contact with Christianity? Could they have been saved?
Question: I was wondering if the American Indians in America prior to 1492 were saved despite their isolation from the rest of the world. Answer: You might as well also ask about the people prior to Christ. The Israelites had God’s law, but most of the world did not have the laws of God written…
Read MoreDon’t be Hoodwinked!
by Allen Dvorak via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 10, Mar. 9, 2008. Our word “hoodwinked” is actually a falconry term. We use it to mean “to deceive,” but Webster notes that the word also means “to blind by covering the eyes.” The falconer must hoodwink his falcon. At the beginning of training, the bird…
Read MoreI have OCD-Religion and obsess over bad thoughts. Is there anything you can do to help me?
Question: I have a serious and tormenting question. I am a member of the church of Christ and have been for a while. Four years ago I was diagnosed with OCD-religion. This is a mental illness which produces unwanted and intrusive bad thoughts. I have been in pure misery and have been paralyzed by fear…
Read MoreCan you recommend any books to further study Ezekiel?
Question: I’ve stumbled upon your web site doing a search for study resources on Ezekiel. I’m impressed with how thorough your notes are and I’ve bookmarked this site. Thanks for all the work you’ve put into this. Do you have any books you would recommend for further study? Answer: Thank you for your kind words. I…
Read MoreWhat is the point of the story of Elisha, the 42 youths, and the bears?
Question: I do not quite understand the story in II Kings 2:23-25. What is the point there? Is it okay for a prophet to curse somebody in the name of the Lord? How about other believers of God? Can they curse somebody in the name of the Lord? According to the Bible, will those children…
Read MoreWhat can I do about my teenage son’s obsession with diapers and his hiding food in his closet?
Question: I have a question regarding my teenage son’s obsession with diapers. I have found out he has been on inappropriate web sites about diapers. This has been going on for about three years that we know of. The school found he was on a diaper site, and in fifth grade, we found a diaper…
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