Angels and Other Spiritual Beings
Text: Daniel 10 I. Men have long been fascinated by angels A. There is a bit of mystery involved because not much is written about them B. Yet what we do know leaves us in awe of these beings II. What are angels? A. The words for angel in both Hebrew and Greek simply means “messenger.” 1. First, and foremost,…
Read MoreI want to do right, but I am weak
Question: Hello, I am writing to you about my life. I am in my forties. I have always known that I am a complete sinner. I want to do good, but weakness gets in my way. When I was young I was introduced to pornography. Recently I walked away from it and I am trying…
Read MoreIs viewing movies with brief nudity a sin?
Question: Is viewing movies with brief nudity a sin? The church doesn’t condemn viewing non-sexual movies. However, the Bible does seem to address nudity as shameful, but I don’t believe it condemns it either. I understand that lusting is a sin. Does the Bible say anything about looking at somebody nude? Isaiah did march for…
Read MoreIs it fair that we have to wait five years to get married?
Question: This is regarding marriage I guess. What is considered married? Do you have to have a ceremony? Do you have to sign papers? Do others have to be present? Or is it simply two people making a commitment to each other? I am desperately ready to marry my boyfriend and start a life. In…
Read MoreWere elders only needed for a limited time and in limited places?
Question: First, greetings in Christ, and may His peace be with you. I’m a brother and find your site very useful! I do have an issue on this page: Can a church be scriptural without elders? At the beginning of the commentary, there’s a sentence that goes: “Obviously there can be congregations without elders, else Timothy…
Read MoreWas Cain conceived by Satan?
Question: [Since the author believes himself wise, I left the original note unedited.] Who ever said that Cain is Adams’ son and not the devil or Satan the Dragon or what ever name you want to use is out of there mind Very simply first check the Hebrew manuscripts and you’ll find that Eve had…
Read MoreCan salt be used in unleavened bread?
Question: This morning I was talking with a fellow Christian when she mentioned that we need to be careful about the unleavened bread used in the Lord’s Supper because several months ago someone had purchased what was stated on the box as “For Passover Use,” but it was not completely unleavened. She stated that in…
Read MoreModest Dress
Modest Dress – Part 1Modest Dress – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 2:9-10 I. Some people seem to be resistant to the idea that God is concerned with matters in this physical life. A. They hold a nebulous idea that God only deals with spiritual matters — ideas such as love, joy,…
Read MoreLet Love of the Brethren Continue
by Jefferson Davis Tant Gospel Guardian – June 1, 1967 The most enduring quality in this world is that of love. The great apostle who suffered so much at the hands of false brethren, who was repeatedly imperiled by the elements, who was savagely persecuted by misguided zealots, who was forsaken by fellow workers, who…
Read MoreMaking Bricks of Mud
by Robert F. Turner Paul was set upon by a mob and then dragged from their hands by the police. Falsely charged, he spent two years in Jewish prisons and was then sent to Rome to appear before Caesar. His traveling days ended, and threatened with death by savage beasts (II Timothy 4:17), we could…
Read MorePainless, Pointless, Profitless Preaching
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. Guardian of Truth, October 19, 1995 The doctor, looking at the routine test results, announces to the patient, “Hey, man, give me five. Have I got good news for you? Your blood pleasure is super. Your pulse rate is fantastic. And, man, what a fabulous gall bladder. It is beautiful…
Read MoreIf we can’t get married, we will commit suicide
Question: My age is 25 years old. I love a woman. She has two boys. We both are ready to get married, but she has not been separated from her husband. She is drinking alcohol every day and at home. Even when she had a baby in her womb, her family had killed them. I…
Read MoreShould I marry a man who is not a virgin?
Question: Hi, Blessings to you! I’m having a difficult time accepting someone’s past. First I’ll start with that I’m a Christian, not a perfect one, but I do strive to be the godly woman God encourages me to be. As a Christian and follower of Christ, I should never shame someone over their past nor…
Read MoreTumbleweed Christians
by Jefferson David Tant Tumbleweeds are a familiar sight in the western United States. A tumbleweed is a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants. Once it is mature and dry, it detaches from its root and then is blown across the landscape by the wind. “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” is…
Read MoreJesus: “Public Enemy Number One”
by Larry Hafley How do we explain the Jews’ hatred of Jesus? What motivated them to kill him? If I had been a Jewish lawyer, here is the case I would have presented. (Let the reader understand that what follows is based upon the ignorance and envy of the day (Matthew 22:29; 27:18; John 5:39).…
Read MoreGodly Fathers
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/GodlyFathers.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreDo the redemption laws only apply to firstborn sons?
Question: In your article on Jephthah’s vow, you used the verses Exodus 13:2, 12-15 that all firstborn children belong to God, and as such Jephthah couldn’t redeem her. But I’ve heard commentaries saying that these verses only talked about males. Is there something I’m missing in this? Thanks in advance and God bless. Answer: “Consecrate to…
Read MoreWhen I confessed my adultery, I lost my marriage
Question: This isn’t a question. It is in answer to something you wrote to someone about adultery. Sadly, I went to a mature Christian and was told to confess. I have wrecked a 25+ year marriage and my kids are devastated. Answer: I’m sorry to hear this. Sadly, I can’t undo the damage already done.
Read MoreThe Need for Book, Chapter, and Verse
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/NeedForBookChapterAndVerse.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Do we really need book, chapter, and verse? A. Frequently practices are justified by the absence of Scripture. “It doesn’t say not to.” B. The argument is taken so far as to say, “There is no book, chapter, and verse for having book, chapter, and verse.” C. The point of saying we need…
Read MoreFoundations of the Lord’s Supper
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/FoundationsOfTheLordsSupper.mp3 by Alan Feaster
Read MoreYour answer to the man who slapped his pregnant wife was horrible
Question: You have an answer on your La Vista Answers page to a husband who slapped his pregnant wife twice that goes on for three paragraphs about the wife being at fault. In the end, it casually mentions that violence isn’t the answer, but that should have been at the top first and foremost. This is…
Read MoreUnless the Lord
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/UnlessTheLord.mp3 by Alan Feaster
Read MoreCould you tell me who King David’s mother was?
Question: Could you please tell me who King David’s mother was? Thank you so much. Answer: The name of David’s mother isn’t recorded in the Bible. It is mentioned in Jewish traditions, recorded in the Talmud, where it is declared to be Nitzevet. Whether this is accurate is impossible to determine. There are many occasions…
Read MoreDid I waste my time saving myself for my wife?
Question: Hi I have an issue that’s been eating me up for a while. I love my wife. She loves me. I don’t want to lose her and I’m sure she feels the same. The problem is about history. We were both virgins before we got married. However, she “did stuff.” She was involved with…
Read MoreI found an answer to something I often wondered about in Daniel
Question: I often wondered why Daniel was made third in the kingdom and found the answer on your site. Thanks. Answer: You’re welcome.
Read MoreTraits of the Unhappy
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TraitsOfTheUnhappy.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 27 I. Back in 2014 I ran across an article by Tamara Star, titled “Seven Habits of Chronically Unhappy People”. A. The author’s conjecture is that unhappy people establish habits that keep them miserable. B. These aren’t one time or infrequent events but the ways they basically view life II. A…
Read MoreGiving to God
by Dan R. Owen, Ph.D. via The Gospel Advocate, June 2017 Since the time of Abraham, dedicated followers of God have given of their wealth to the One who provides all wealth. God blessed Abraham with much and Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek, priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:20). Jacob, an heir to the…
Read MoreWhy continue to drift aimlessly through life?
Question: Dear Jeffrey, You wrote once that suicide never solves anything. But putting that aside (because that comes with its own baggage), what if all you ever were meant to do was accept Jesus authentically and be saved — that’s all God ever had planned for you? There is no other plan. One may sincerely hope…
Read MoreI thought I loved a man, but I don’t. How do I break up?
Question: Sir, Unknowingly I fell in love with a guy who is divorced. He is more than ten years older than I am. He divorced his ex because she was an unbeliever. She wanted to separate from him. The guy is near my home. He has struggled a lot in his life. I was attracted…
Read MoreHow do I come to the point where I don’t feel like wasted space?
Question: Hello, I truly enjoy the insight given on your website. I am normally a very positive person, and when I’m around people I am the one encouraging them to keep going, to keep pushing forward. However, when I am alone and I allow myself to think for enough time, I really don’t see what…
Read MoreMankind’s Worse Habit
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MankindsWorstHabit.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreWhat Do I Owe to the Church?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/WhatDoIOweToTheChurch.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreHow do I know I won’t fall into fornication again?
Question: I seem to be struggling with my Christian life. I keep dabbling in fornication, which is always painful for me, so I don’t even know why I do it. I also noticed I don’t have a lot of Christian friends around. I can’t seem to actually find any friends, even in my church. I…
Read MoreWhy We Gather Together
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/WhyWeGatherTogether.mp3 by Alan Feaster
Read MoreThe Natural Comes Before the Spiritual
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/NaturalComesBeforeTheSpiritual.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 15:35-49 I. It’s spring and gardener’s are out putting seeds into the ground, looking forward to crops of fruits, vegetables and flowers. A. Yet, no gardener puts in a seed expecting the seed to get bigger. The seeds stop being seeds, they “die” if you will, and become…
Read MoreIs the KJV the Only True Bible Version?
by Ethan R. Longhenry via De Vibro Vitae There has been some discussion in the world today, even in the church, that there is one Bible version which is the only true version, the Authorized or King James Version. Is this so? How can we determine which Bible version is better, if any? Let us explore…
Read MoreDoesn’t the Bible say we will live on earth after the millennium?
Question: Hello, I read your article about Jesus not ruling on a physical throne on earth because the earth will perish. Well, the first earth will perish because at the end of the millennium Jesus will make a new one and the eternal city will come down from heaven to the earth. Read the Bible. The final…
Read MoreThe People of God — Their Attitude Toward the Social Order
by Ed Harrell Throughout history, in relating themselves to the world, the two options which Christians have most often pursued were to vigorously strive to control the world or to disdainfully withdraw from it. Some have dreamed that they would make their society “Christian,” necessarily defined in cultural and nationalistic terms, and have passed laws,…
Read MoreFalse Ideas Regarding Death
by Wayne Jackson Each day of our existence we are reminded of the grim reality of death. It haunts us. We know so little about it. In fact, we know almost nothing regarding this ultimate physical experience, except for what is revealed in the Bible. But the biblical information is limited, and so false notions…
Read MoreReaction to Heresy
by Irven Lee via Truth Magazine, December 3, 1970 “Heresy must needs come” (I Corinthians 11: 19). Paul said, “I know this,” when he warned the elders that wolves would enter the flock (Acts 20:29-32). Peter said, “There shall be false teachers among you” (II Peter 2:1-3). John said, “Many false prophets are gone out…
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