Archive for 2009
How do you explain praying God’s will and not your own?
Question: How can I best explain to someone about praying God’s will? Her sister is deathly ill and she just keeps praying for the sister to be cured of cancer. I told her she should be praying God’s will, not her own. She doesn’t understand and I am not sure how to explain it. She…
Read MoreIs our college Bible study group operating in a scriptural manner?
Question: I recently was baptized into the church of Christ. I have been attending services at a local church of Christ for over three years, but being raised in a Catholic environment I wanted to learn more before being baptized. Within the past year I joined the Christian Student Center at the college I attend,…
Read MoreWhat did Jesus expect of Peter when he said to feed his sheep?
Question: Our Lord Jesus in John 21 tells the apostle Peter to feed His sheep three times. What role was Peter being told to assume? Is it that of an elder? Which sheep was our Lord talking about? Is it the other apostles and disciples or the church that was going to be established at Jerusalem?…
Read MoreI got drunk, visited a prostitute and really messed up my life. What do I do?
Question: I am a 26-year-old male and a Roman Catholic. Last month I was celebrating my birthday and I had planned a simple day for myself with my roommates: have a few drinks and dinner. I prayed for this to be my year with the help of God, and I went to the chapel to…
Read MoreWhy do we use songs by writers who did not believe the truth?
Question: The part I am not really understanding is why we choose to use songs by Fanny Crosby or Isaac Watts etc. They didn’t even believe the truth. Using the words of false teachers in praise to our heavenly Father? There are other choices. I will be continuing to pray and study this subject. I…
Read MoreDifferent Views of Truth
by Shane Williams via The Lilbourn light, Vol. 9, No. 11, March 2009. Isn’t it interesting that two people can see the same thing and come away with two different conclusions? The same thing can be said concerning what we hear or what we read. When the twelve spies were sent to explore the Promised…
Read MoreQuestions about the use of funds given to the church
Question: Having read your articles and also was a member of the conservative church for 24 years I have some questions. The conservatives say it is ok to use the Lord’s money for a $20,000 yard but wrong to give a sinner some food from the treasury. Really? It is ok to rent a place to…
Read MoreHow could a just God put a man in a place where he is unable to hear about Jesus and then send him to hell?
Question: From your sermon “The Lost Who Never Heard the Gospel”: “If people could be saved without going through Christ, then why would God have sent him to die?” Then is it safe to say that this God you say is a just God of love would create a human being, place him in a location where…
Read MoreCurses!
by Steve Klein Today we have experts and scholars on every subject imaginable – from global warming to cotton farming. Timothy Jay is an expert on cursing. He’s made quite a study of it, written two books about it, and talks about it often to his students at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts where…
Read MoreWhy is the Qur’an different from the Bible?
Question: Even though I live in a very conservative Muslim society, I grew up in a somewhat liberal Muslim family. Furthermore, my Muslim upbringing was unique due to my father’s and mother’s serious involvement in Islam. I personally do not consider myself very religious. However, throughout all this time I never doubted the fundamentals of…
Read MoreIt is getting hard not to have sex. I want to marry my boyfriend, but I don’t want to give up my independence. Can we get married so we can have sex, but still live apart?
Question: Didn’t people get married during or soon after puberty in Biblical times? It seems like it would be a lot easier to abstain from premarital sex if people were getting married as teenagers. In our society, people usually get married in their mid to late 20s, 10 or more years after sexual maturity. People…
Read MoreWho wrote II Kings?
Question: Who wrote II Kings? Answer: I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, and II Kings are actually one long book that became divided into four parts. Scrolls can only hold so much before they become unwieldy. The books are thought to be the work of a series of prophets. Such makes the most sense since…
Read MoreConsistency and Character
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 2, December 1951. Reputation and Character Character is what we are. It is the sum total of qualities that distinguish one person from another. Reputation is what is said about us — that which others think we are. Character and reputation are sometimes the same: perhaps…
Read MoreConsider the Cost First to Lessen the Debt Later
by Kent Heaton The burden of debt robs happiness and joy from life. In our economic crisis, our world has been propelled into a dark period of hardship, sadness, and depression. As many have spent their time enjoying whatever the heart finds to do the day of reckoning brings about the reality of life unbridled.…
Read MoreCan two homosexuals truly love each other?
Question: I was wondering, can you explain loving someone as in I Corinthians 13? My friend I disagree regarding whether homosexuals love each other because the basis of their relationship is sin; there is nothing good about it. They might be nice to each other, get each other things, and be self-sacrificing in certain areas…
Read MoreDo you know of the baptism of fire?
Question: Do you know of the baptism of fire? Answer: See: Please explain the “baptism of fire.” Question: [unedited] So do you want to know how it is done? It has to do with following in the footsteps of Christ and the commitments you make along the way… for me I chose to take Jesus place…
Read MoreAre all sins equal? Is no sin greater or worse than another sin?
Question: I have heard sin is sin and no sin is greater, heavier, or worse than the other. Is this scriptural, if so where is this found, or is this old hearsay? Answer: If you are looking at it from the ultimate result of unrepented sin, all sins lead to the same consequence — an…
Read MoreIf God gives us talent, then can we not use that talent to worship God?
Question: I witness the following conversation between two brothers and it went like this: Brother A stated, “We are not to worship or praise God on this side of the cross with instrumental music.” Brother A went on to state “This applies to the first day of the week during corporate worship or praise and…
Read MoreIf a person is in an unscriptural marriage, must the person divorce before becoming a Christian?
Question: Do you agree it is scriptural if a non-Christian who was previously married but got divorced for unscriptural reasons and was re-married and wants to become a Christian has to get divorced before they can be baptized? Answer: Can a person become a Christian while remaining in their former sins? “Certainly not! How shall…
Read MoreIf the whole church makes decisions, how is it organized?
Question: I read the reply by Ney Rieber, to the question posed by one that was having a problem reconciling with a congregation that does not have elders. These questions come to mind and I hope you can help answer them when you have time or maybe point me toward a similar question you have answered.…
Read MoreWhy did John doubt?
Question: In Matthew 3:13-17, John the Baptist meets Jesus and is resistant to baptizing him because he “seemed” to know that he was the Messiah and he thought that Jesus should baptize him instead. Did John see the clouds open up and hear God’s voice? Later, in Matthew 11:2-6, when he was in prison he…
Read MoreWhy did Jesus die as he did? Is there significance to the separation of the body and the blood?
Question: Why did Jesus choose to be beaten in a Roman palace, to carry the cross all the way through Jerusalem and be crucified in Golgotha? Why, through this act, did Jesus emptied all his blood from his body and poured it all over the way to the cross? Why was this same action first…
Read MoreCongregational Independence
by Doy Moyer The Scriptures teach local congregational independence and autonomy. What does this mean? The body of Christ (universal terminology as in one body, Ephesians 4:1-3) is not some interconnected web of congregations; rather, the body is composed of individuals (see I Corinthians 12:12-27). Individual Christians ought to seek out other Christians in their…
Read MoreThe Church: Yours, Mine, or the Lord’s?
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Feb. 6, 1976 Questions: Isn’t it true that the present-day church of Christ was begun in the early 1800s by Alexander and Thomas Campbell? Was there any organization of your church from the first to the 18th centuries? On what basis can your ministers claim that salvation can be obtained only through…
Read MoreI disagree with ‘Is Gambling Sinful?’
Question: I am a 16-year-old boy. I’ve grown up in the church and I hope to get a degree in Biblical and Religious Studies when I graduate college. I feel that I am more intelligent and mature than most boys my age. Having said this, I disagree with “Is Gambling Sinful?” on many points. Hopefully,…
Read MoreChurch Recreation
by Keith Camp Recently I received an invitation to a facility that provided “ping pong, walking track, concerts, basketball, weights, pool table, board games, banquets, refreshments, etc.” No, the invitation did not come from the local Boy’s club. It came from a local church. Increasingly churches have begun to take on the atmosphere of social…
Read MoreIt seems like I argue with my boyfriend every other day. How do I get peace in my life?
Question: I love my boyfriend so much, but lately, we’ve been arguing every other day. I know I say hurtful things but I just can’t control my anger. I feel as if he just doesn’t understand me. It seems as if he doesn’t care. Sometimes I get so angry at him, even if it’s just…
Read MoreThe Children of One’s Youth
by Bryan Matthew Dockens The name Jamie Lynn Spears was unknown to me until the sixteen-year-old actress and younger sister of Britney Spears recently announced that she is expecting a child. This news has predictably brought increased attention to the issue of teen pregnancy. Allow me to submit for your consideration, however, that the problem,…
Read MoreChanging the Revelations of Mormonism
by Dudley Ross Spears via Valley View Church of Christ Web Site Realizing the importance of having correct copies, the leaders of the Church determined to publish them. Because the originals contained spelling and grammar errors, a Church conference moved that Joseph Smith should make the necessary corrections. (Far West Record, p. 16) This was the beginning…
Read MoreI want to see a girl, but I think God wants me here. What should I do?
Question: I have liked, probably loved, a girl for going on seven years, and never really tried to pursue her. There is a problem, she is definitely a desire of my heart, I do desire her, not in a lustful way, I just want to be around her. The problem is she is two hours…
Read MoreBy Any Other Name
by Glenn Hamilton Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman told of a distinguished minister, Dr. Howard from Australia, who preached very strongly on the subject of sin. After the meeting, someone remarked “Dr. Howard, you shouldn’t talk as openly as you do about man’s guilt and corruption as it may offend someone. And if our boys and…
Read MoreShame on Christians who think God ordained that they should eat meat
Question: To consume animals that begged for mercy in their own tongue is not conducive to manifesting the fruits of the spirit “as found in Galatians” in fact it is impossible to harm man or beast and still manifest such fruit. Those who are not merciful will be denied mercy themselves Matthew 5 Also, it is…
Read MoreWhere in the Bible Is Instrumental Music Forbidden?
by Jerry Fite Nowhere in the Bible does God explicitly forbid the use of instrumental music in worship. Some find implicit condemnation in Amos 6:1-5, where the prophet writes, “they invent for themselves instruments of music, like David.” But upon a closer contextual examination, one must conclude that the self-indulgent and insensate idolator is condemned,…
Read MoreConstantine created the King James Bible
Question: Left unedited. I read “The Origin of the King James Version” and find it very interesting but you never say anything about the actual origin of the King James Bible. In short, this version was created by Emperor Constantine in the year 325AD. At this time, he was losing his hold on his empire…
Read MoreWhat questions should brethren ask of a man wanting to preach for them?
Question: We have a couple of other men here who fill in with the preaching service occasionally and have asked me for suggestions that might help them improve. One of them has expressed an interest in possibly looking for a preaching job. So, I believe a “preacher training class” would be in order. The question I want…
Read MoreWhen God Told David, “No”
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/WhenGodToldDavidNo.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Samuel 7:1-17 I. David had gained a measure of peace in his reign. The battles had settled down. Now was a time to think about other things. A. David was embarrassed that he lived in a fine, solidly built house while God’s “house” remained a tent. B. It was David’s…
Read MoreHannah’s Prayer
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/HannahsPrayer.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Samuel 1:9-18 I. I Thessalonians 5:17 A. It is a short passage, but it isn’t short on meaning. What is meant “without ceasing?” B. Paul isn’t talking about a 24-hour a day, non-stop prayer. There are other things which must be accomplished in life. C. He is talking about prayer where…
Read MoreInherited sin has been taught for so long, if you teach otherwise you’ll confuse people about the Christ
Question: I am a believer, but I think many many believers cannot accept your point on the inheritance of sin. The original sin belief has gone on for so many centuries, this teaching is so common in almost every modern church, that to teach otherwise might harm the effort of teaching Christ to the world. I…
Read MoreDoes the use of parts justify the use of choirs and solos?
Question: Choirs and solo supporters say that the entire congregation must sing every word simultaneously. They say “If we can not have choirs and solos, you can not sing in four-part harmony.” How can I respond to them? Answer: Given the simple fact that men and women do not sing in the same range defeats…
Read MoreDid Amos curse those who introduced instrumental music into Hebrew worship?
Question: Is it true that Amos pronounced a curse upon those who, like David, introduced instrumental music into Hebrew worship? Answer: David did not introduce instrumental music into Israelite worship, God did. Long before David lived God commanded the Israelites to blow trumpets as part of their worship (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 10:10). Prophets used instrumental…
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