Illogical Reasons for Decriminalizing Marijuana
Source: Paul Hammel, “Ideas to ease pot laws just blowin’ in the wind,” Omaha World-Herald, 20 November 2012. People continue to promote illogical fixes to problems. Iowa Representative Bruce Hunter wants to decriminalize marijuana possession. His reason? “He is pushing decriminalization of pot because sending users to prison contributes to overcrowding. It also doesn’t make…
Read MoreI have a hard time stopping something I’m addicted to doing
Question: Hi there. I have an addiction to something I’d rather not say. (It’s not drugs ) haha. But it’s something I want to stop, but it’s so hard. I made a promise to God saying I will not do this addiction for one week. On the third day, I did it. I have broken…
Read MoreI keep repeating sins I’ve repented of. Am I really saved?
Question: I am 23 years of age and in need of some help and prayers. Lately, I have been faced with the question of if I am really saved or not and was wondering if I could get some advice on the situation. Also, I have been praying and praying and doing my best to…
Read MoreMarijuana Impaired Drivers
Source: “Cops ponder how to deter stoned driving,” Omaha World-Herald, 18 November 2012 Now that Washington and Colorado have legalized casual marijuana use, the concern has been raised about driving under the influence. “Marijuana can cause dizziness and slow reaction time, and drivers who are high are more likely to drift and swerve.” The question raised…
Read MoreHow can I stay spiritually stable?
Question: Sir, Please, can you give me some advice on how to stay spiritually stable? Because I am never stable in my spiritual walk with God. Today I am strong in the Spirit, tomorrow I am weak. This has bothered me a lot because I gave my life to Jesus two years ago, but I…
Read MoreDrinking in the New Testament
Drinking in the New Testament – Part 1Drinking in the New Testament – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 23:29-33 I. Consistently in the Scriptures, drunkenness is condemned A. I Corinthians 6:9-10 – A drunkard cannot inherit the kingdom of God B. Romans 13:13 – Carousing and drunkenness is improper behavior C. Few people argue that…
Read MoreYour notes on Ezekiel 24 were really helpful
Question: In working on my assignment for a Bible study in Ezekiel, I reached the point where the instruction was to “see what commentaries have to say.” I entered “Ezekiel 24” and “Parable” as search terms. I recognized your church and website’s name, among those listed, as a site we had used for its wonderful…
Read MoreIt’s not fair. My girlfriend decided to stop having sex
Question: Hello, I have a serious problem. I have been with this girl for more than one year, and she is a Christian as I am. But we have been having sex during this time and now she has decided to not do it anymore. We are the best lovers we can be, but she…
Read MoreIs getting a breast augmentation wrong?
Question: I want to get breast augmentation. Please help me. Is it wrong. Answer: Breast augmentation for a woman falls under the realm of cosmetic surgery. Such surgery is most often used to correct damage from injuries or diseases. For example, burns or cancer. As a way of restoring the look or function of the…
Read MoreIf Christ died for all, then that means all died. Do you really believe that?
Question: In your rebuke of Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, you used the passage of II Corinthians 5:4-15. “For the love of Christ compels us, that if one died for all, then all died.” If “all” means the whole population of the world, then the whole population has died (which in the context of scriptures have died to…
Read MoreDid Adam and Eve have six fingers?
Question: In my genetics class today, my instructor said that the dominant gene for the number of fingers on a human is six, meaning five fingers is a recessive gene. This startled me because does that mean Adam and Eve had six fingers, and if that was dominant, then wouldn’t everyone have six fingers? I’m…
Read MoreWhat is the “royal law”?
Question: I was doing a short study on James 2:1-13 in being brief, I said: “that the royal law is basically the law of Christ or the law of liberty which very much entails love.” Do you think I have done justice to the passage by just stating that? Answer: “Law” most often refers to…
Read MoreHow do I take care of my mother, husband, and children when I’m not well either?
Question: Hi, I am a 41-year-old with severe anxiety, panic, and depression with disrupted sleep patterns due to this condition. Several years ago my mother sustained an injury while at one of my siblings’ homes due to a fight that occurred as the result of drugs and relationship issues. My mother has lost a lot…
Read MoreMy girlfriend has been raped in the past and every time we get intimate, her fears come back. I don’t know what to do.
Question: So here is my ultimate dilemma in life: I am currently following God’s lead to pursue this amazing woman. She is just incredible to me and she means the world. She is several years older than I am. We both are Christians — she was saved when she was 19, me since I was…
Read MoreDid the Church Come Together for a Common Meal in Acts 20?
by Greg Gwin A question has been asked about ‘eating’ in Acts 20:6-11: “And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread,…
Read MoreAdultery: An Outdated Crime?
Source: Ethan Bronner, “Adultery: Ancient crime still on many states’ books,” The New York Times, reported in the Omaha World-Herald, 15 November 2012. The core of Mr. Bronner’s article is that adultery laws are no longer enforced and have been removed from half the state’s books. The reason most other states have not removed the laws is…
Read MoreWhen a person doesn’t know the wrong you did, is confession required?
Question: I have committed adultery many times during the past 30 years of my marriage and in many instances lied to cover up my absence. During the last year or two, I have earnestly started to read the bible and now feel extremely guilty about my past poor behaviors. Since I have become more familiar…
Read MoreShould I tell my ex-wife I cheated on her?
Question: I feel really bad. I’m with my ex-wife whom I was married to for over ten years. I went out with some buddies and got drunk. I made a mistake and cheated on her with a one-night stand. Does the Bible say tell the Lord and repent or does it say I have to…
Read MoreDoes the fact that “blasphemed” is in the aorist tense make a difference?
Question: Hello, I have looked at Luke 12:10 in Greek. I have been trouble by this because “blasphemed” appears to be in that past tense in English and in Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible. In Greek, the tense is Aorist participle. I am not sure exactly what that means. In Mark 3:29 and Matthew…
Read MoreMy boyfriend committed adultery and is now divorced. Am I doomed if I marry him?
Question: This is hard for me to come out and ask this, and I need this answer because I think my salvation is very important. I’m young and I mean 21. I have not been married and met a man. We have been together for about two years. He loves me very much, and I…
Read MoreMy girlfriend’s past keeps haunting me and it makes me angry. What do I do from here?
Question: Lately, the past between my girlfriend and I have been randomly haunting me when I least expect it. I would ask my friends for their input, but I don’t feel that they would give me the answer I seek without being bias. I wanted to go to my church and confess these thoughts; however,…
Read MoreMy mother is dying because she won’t take her medication and says God will heal her. What do I do?
Question: Hello, My mom is a cancer patient and recently she had a liver transplant. She went through multiple surgeries and has to take medication every month. But one day she decided not to take any medication and stopped going to appointments altogether. She put her life in God’s hand and hopes that God will…
Read MoreMay God guide you
Question: May God continue to guide all members of the La Vista congregation, especially now that church is facing her worst enemies. Answer: Thank you for the encouragement.
Read MoreI love that you have a repository for answers to many thorny questions
Question: Greetings! I have written before expressing my appreciation for your web site. I especially expressed how appreciative I am of the question and answer or Ask section. I love that the Lord’s church offers a repository for many thorny and often taboo subjects you have tackled. It is, I believe, so vital that the Lord’s…
Read MoreIs My Baptism Valid?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Periodically, someone will approach me concerning his baptism. A. Doubts have crept into his mind as to whether his baptism was valid – whether he really was a Christian or only pretending to be one. B. Generally those with doubts were baptized young in life. Events have happened that show them they are…
Read MoreSustainable Agriculture Opposed
Source: “Amid uproar, college euthanizes farm ox,” Omaha World-Herald, 12 November 2012. “Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and enhances rural communities” [“What Is Sustainable Agriculture?”]. Sounds…
Read MoreRecreational Use of Marijuana Approved in Two States
Source: “Marijuana tourism: A budding industry?” Omaha World-Herald, 12 November 2012. As predicted, the push for legalizing marijuana under the guise of medical need was merely a rouse to get recreational use legalized. Both Colorado and Washington have voted to legalize the use of marijuana in their states so long as the drug is bought and…
Read MoreHow can I figure out the truth when so many people disagree?
Question: This is part of the problem I’ve been having: If something is part of the Old Law then why don’t Jews today try to make homosexuality a death penalty in places like Florida, Israel, or anywhere there’s a large Jewish population? It is this inconsistency between people and what’s said in the Bible that…
Read MoreShould I confront my friend about his language?
Question: There’s a friend I have who was recently baptized. He was taught about baptism, and we left him alone, and he eventually made the choice without any pushing of any sort. He knows cursing is wrong, and he doesn’t curse around me. Well, he does euphemistically. But that’s a huge improvement from what he used to…
Read MoreParenting Toddlers: Love and Security
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ParentingToddlersLoveAndSecurity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 3:13-26 I. Toddlers A. A wonderful age. 1. Everything is a new and fresh delight 2. Curious about everything a. Often into things forbidden, not because of maliciousness b. But curiosity with what is behind this, with what happens with that? B. Beginnings of communications 1. Relief! You now have clues as to the child’s…
Read MoreAre exceptions made for those who are unable to be baptized?
Question: If we are told that to be saved we must be baptized by being dunked in water, how or what allowances do you make for the sick, bedridden, old, or too young, who cannot go into the water and dunk their head? Answer: The argument is flawed because it seeks to find some exception…
Read MoreThank you for your material on Catholicism
Question: Mr. Hamilton, You do not know me, nor do I know you. I have never visited your church, nor will I ever. I live several states away; thus, our physical meeting will most likely never take place. Despite all of this, I would like to offer a personal “thank you”. “Why” do you ask?…
Read MoreWas the death penalty for homosexuals only referring to hell?
Question: Does Deuteronomy 20 really say that we should kill gay people? I was always under the idea that it was saying God was going to kill them by sending them to hell when they died because they knew better and refused to change. Am I right? It came up in conversation and I was…
Read MoreWould confession and repentance remove the death penalty under the Old Testament?
Question: If you break one of the Ten Commandments, does it mean that you sinned? Of course, the consequence, I believe, is death, correct? However, if you confess what you did and repented, then God forgives you and you don’t have to die, correct? Answer: Each of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament carried…
Read MoreConversions from a Funeral Sermon
by Etim Abidiak via For a Better Understanding, Vol. 50, No. 5, September / October 2012 Four weeks ago, I preached at the funeral of a late brother who served the Nigeria Police and was of the rank of Inspector. His name was Mbre Jack. His funeral was attended by many policemen and women such as…
Read MoreWhy do some people not feel guilty for their sins?
Question: Hello, I just wanted to ask about a question that’s been bothering me for a while now. I understand that when a person does something wrong, they will feel guilty about it (usually). From a Christian’s point of view, it’s often the Holy Spirit’s discipline that makes one feel guilty. What about psychopaths though?…
Read MoreHow does a medical staff member deal with the needed examination of private areas?
Question: How do medical students, like me deal, with a private part examination of the opposite sex or same-sex sometimes? Answer: “And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need” (I…
Read MoreCan a man give a woman permission to lead a part of the worship service?
Question: This past Sunday something very disturbing happened in our worship service. Our song leader said that he as a man in the church was giving permission to a woman to lead a song. I was very disturbed by this because I don’t believe that a man has the authority to usurp what God has…
Read MoreCan there be such a thing as a good lie?
Question: Good day, This issue of lying has been bothering me for quite some time now, and I felt I couldn’t keep it to myself. Jesus said in Revelation 21:8 that all liars will go to hell. Are there good lies? For example, if I am faced with a threatening situation in which a man…
Read MoreTax Payers in San Francisco Now Fund Sex Change Operations
Source: “Gender spenders: San Francisco to foot bill for sex changes,” FoxNews.com, 09 November 2012 San Fransico has long been noted as a town lacking in moral restraint. Now, residences of this town are being told they must fund sex-change operations. Actually, this is a misnomer. A person cannot change their sex. Their DNA remains the…
Read More