Jamaica Patois Wisdom – Pride
by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…
Read MoreYour website kept me from sinning
Question: I was searching on Google and found this website. I was scared that if I did something with oral sex or that other touching stuff if I would be committing a sin. Your website gave the answer and stopped me from planning or doing that stuff before marriage. So thank you for answering my…
Read MoreYour articles are very helpful when I am sharing the gospel
Question: Good evening, As your sister in Christ, I wanted to thank you for your articles. They are very helpful when I am sharing the gospel and contending for the faith. I hope that this email serves to encourage you to keep up the good work. Answer: Oh, it definitely does gladden my day. Thank…
Read MoreDoes a former homosexual have to marry a woman to prove he is no longer a homosexual?
Question: I have heard you say that homosexuality is not genetic and that the behavior can be changed. Does this mean I must become a heterosexual and prove it by getting married to a woman before God will let me into heaven? Answer: No. Marriage is not required of anyone. It is only required if…
Read MoreWe Lost the Surprise Somewhere
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I remember watching Mayberry RFD and related shows most of my childhood. Poor ignorant Gomer Pyle who worked as an auto mechanic was a notable character. But I can still recall my shock when I found out that Jim Nabors, who played Gomer, could sing — not casually, but with a…
Read MoreI ruined my reputation, and now I can’t move past it. What am I to do?
Question: Six years ago I ruined my reputation and many burned bridges; irreparable damage. To this day I haven’t forgiven myself and neither have those who I’ve offended and hurt. No one will accept my apology; no one. The gossip has gotten so bad, that I’ve relocated several times in order to start fresh and…
Read MoreMy heart was full of joy visiting your website
Question: My heart was full of joy visiting your website, and I was blessed and encouraged so much. Thanks. Answer: Thank you for the kind encouragement.
Read MoreIf I know someone is abusing the welfare system, should I report it?
Question: I am very concerned about our national debt, and the abuse of the welfare system. I am a Christian and want to know if it is my place to report the welfare abuse of two individuals who live in my area or to just let it go. Answer: I wrote the Welfare Fraud Department…
Read MoreHow can I be 100% sure?
Question: I am starting to build more faith but I am still not 100% sure that God exists. I go to church and everything and I feel terrible to admit this. How can I be 100% sure? Are you 100% sure? Will I ever get there? I’m just scared that I never will be able…
Read MoreWhat was the Lord’s reasoning for showing Elijah the wind, earthquake, and fire?
Question: What was the Lord’s reasoning for showing Elijah the wind, earthquake, and fire in I Kings 19:11-12? Why does the text say the Lord was not in the wind? Answer: “Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong…
Read MoreDo you have to believe in Jesus to be saved from your sins?
Question: Do you have to believe in Jesus to be saved from your sins? I mean, what if you were really trying to love your neighbor and do your best but you just kept looking at Christianity (very open-mindedly) and just kept thinking it must not be true? Could an all fair, all-loving God really…
Read MoreMajor Problems in Moral Purity
by Leslie Diestelkamp Truth Magazine II:8, pp. 2-3, 21 May 1958 Truth Magazine II:7, pp. 2-3, 23 April 1958 Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify the Father which is in heaven.” By doing good the Christian bears fruit which, to the people of the world,…
Read MoreHow can I strengthen my faith?
Question: My faith is really low, and I feel empty. I pray as often as I can but I haven’t been going to church for quite some time, but I’m going to start going this coming Sunday. My questions are: How do I strengthen my faith and form a strong relationship with God? I have…
Read MoreMy husband says he wants to divorce me in order to have a polygamous marriage. What do I do?
Question: I am a Christian. I am writing because my husband wants a divorce. He has stated to me that he believes that he should be able to have more than one wife and live under one roof with them. I really think that he doesn’t believe that, but he just wants to be able…
Read MoreDo you have other studies for young adults?
Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton, I just wanted to personally thank you for loading your Bible studies and documents online so that young couples, such as me and my boyfriend, can access them. My boyfriend and I have really been on a strong track to strengthen both our relationship and our spiritual relationship with Christ. We…
Read MoreCan I have sex with a woman who is willing and cannot get pregnant?
Question: I got married to an unfaithful woman. I guess having it her way counts as unfaithfulness? My dad and others where we were living did not want us together as she: Had 16 boyfriends before me Did not pay her rent or telephone bills Had a lot of medical problems that she told me…
Read MoreSheep in the Pit — What Do You Do?
by Eric M. Hamilton via A Whisper After the Fire Is it possible to come across a situation where the right thing to do would be to let something evil happen? Or would the wrong thing to do be to let a good thing happen? It may seem ridiculous that questions like that should even be…
Read MoreThe A.D. 70 Doctrine
by Tommy Thornhill I sincerely believe “The A.D. 70 Doctrine” to be another in a long line of perverted gospels that has plagued the Lord’s church since I began preaching in May 1953. As a young preacher, I never dreamed that disgruntled and false brethren could dream up so many false doctrines. Since that time…
Read MoreTwo Women
by Linda Maydell Sally Sally (not her real name) had just heard the gospel, and she realized that she was not saved! Sally really wanted to be baptized. However, what troubled her was that she first needed to repent (make a commitment in her heart to stop sinning). She knew if she were baptized without…
Read MoreWhat do we do about the children’s father who doesn’t care for them well when he has them?
Question: I need your help. My fiancé and I are members of the church of Christ. We are dealing with a test right now. My fiancé’s ex-husband isn’t a Christian. The kids live with her, but they get to see him on the weekends. He likes to pawn them off on other people when he…
Read MoreI am no longer committing sexual sins, but should I get myself checked or just trust God to answer my prayers?
Question: I was one of those Christians that if you were to ask me if I died today would I go to heaven, I would say yes. But I was still in fornication, drinking, etc. And I would of went to hell thinking I was living right. I’ve let go of all of that and…
Read MoreAre we not to ask God for what we want to have?
Question: I thought prayer is about telling God about everything, such as how your day went, what you want to achieve, what you hope for, etc. But now I see that it is not actually that. For example, on one of the questions, I see that asking something that is only for your pleasure is…
Read MoreHow do I put Ezekiel 3:18-21 into practice?
Question: Hello again. I have gotten baptized, making a move to a more sound church, and have helped those closest to me in some Christian matters. However, I am still wondering how to live out Ezekiel 3:18-21 when I see so many people out in public that I don’t really know sinning. I especially don’t…
Read MoreWas the spirit that came to Saul at En Dor a fallen angel?
Question: Hi, Reading through your questions in 2011, on 01/13 you speak about the spirit who visited Saul. What was the spirit? I’ve often wondered myself and having checked various sites on the web, many actually favor a fallen angel. Why is that? What does the Bible account actually say? Answer: “And Saul perceived that it…
Read MoreNo More Men
Source: “‘Men’ edited out of law in Washington state,” Omaha World-Herald, page 4A, 4 February 2013. Lawmakers in Washington are removing all references to men from their laws. Dairymen are now called dairy farmers, freshmen are now first-year students, and penmanship is now handwriting. The claim by Sally Clark, one of the instigators, is “But language…
Read MoreHow do we decide how much to give once we are married?
Question: I am a member of the church of Christ. I’m a firm believer in giving 10% even if we aren’t commanded. My fiancé gives less since she doesn’t make as much as I do. My question is: Once we get married should we continue giving individual offerings? Another question is: When the Jews gave…
Read MoreI feel like a failure because I didn’t go to college when I had the chance
Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, I happened to come across your church’s website and decided to write to you in hopes of finding an answer. For more than a year now, I have been struggling to find my calling in this world. I know everyone has a different calling in the world, yet I feel that…
Read MoreWhat can I do? My ex-husband is about to marry his mistress
Question: I need your help. My ex-husband is marrying his mistress. According to the church, they are “shacking up” and need to be right by God. They getting married is the right thing to do, according to their church. I have departed from my husband (he divorced me), hoping we someday he will see his…
Read MoreBy What Authority Do You Do These Things?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ByWhatAuthorityDoYouDoTheseThings.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 21:23-27 I. The Book of Judges discusses the ups and downs of the children of Israel in following God. A. It quickly becomes apparent that there are more downs than ups. B. Most telling though is how the book ends – Judges 21:25 C. Here was a society that didn’t follow…
Read MoreDoes it bother you that kids are killing themselves because you teach against homosexuality?
Question: Hi, I’ve been reading various parts of your website and have a question for you. I’m wondering how you feel about young people killing themselves when their churches condemn their gayness and, no matter how much they try, they cannot change to straight. You seem to say in one place that homosexuality is mostly…
Read MorePlease remove your homophobic statements
Question: Please remove your homophobic statements and blasphemy against the new world order from your website. Answer: I’m glad to hear that the truth and free speech bother you. I hope it will continue to do so. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires,…
Read MoreGiving and Taking a Rebuke
by Lance Blackburn Rebuke – to admonish, charge, convict; a stern correction Rebuking is a vital part of the Christian’s life This is true of giving and receiving rebukes Jesus often rebuked His disciples: Mark 8:33; Luke 9:55 Paul commanded Timothy and Titus to rebuke: I Timothy 5:20; II Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:13; 2:15 Wisdom…
Read MoreWhat do you say to a person who couldn’t marry because of the financial costs from the loss of insurance?
Question: I was listening to a conversation between two people describing the situation of a new believer, a woman with many physical problems and high medical bills. The woman has been living with the father of her children for 30 years. They are not married because his insurance would never accept her, so in order…
Read MoreHow do I choose a college?
Question: How do I know if I’m on the path God wants me to be on? I’ve been praying every night for a sign of where to go and what to pursue. I’ve looked into other colleges before but they’ve never worked out. It doesn’t surprise me though, I never prayed about any of them.…
Read MoreWhat do you do about a couple who disrupts the services of the church?
Question: What do you do with a brother who walks disorderly and who threatens others and his wife disrupts every service? If this couple is allowed to stay everyone else will leave as some have already. Can you offer any suggestions? We are to the point where we are planning on calling the police to…
Read MoreWhere does homophobia come from?
Question: Good morning, sir. Thanks for giving an answer to all those who ask and share difficult questions of life. I need an explanation on homophobia. How does it originate? What is it? What are its manifestations? How can one deal with it? Answer: Homophobia originates with the promoters of homosexuality to explain away why…
Read MoreI repented of my adultery, but my wife is still planning to divorce me. What do I do?
Question: My wife and I had a marriage that was in shambles. Instead of turning to the Lord, we continually relied upon ourselves. Our communication was bad, our respect for each other was low, and our intimate life was terrible to non-existent. Over the years I ended up having multiple affairs. Just last month I…
Read MoreWhat does it mean that God declared the seventh day holy?
Question: God blessed the seventh day. When God blessed the animals and human beings He said “Be fruitful and multiply.” Can this mean that God also said the same thing when God blessed the seventh day? Also, what does it mean that God has declared the seventh day holy? Answer: “Bless” means in this context…
Read MoreThe bishop at my church has been sexually harassing my wife
Question: Dear Minister, I came across your website, and really like your level of maturity in the way you are advising men in such intricate cases. First, please explain to me what was the context of I Corinthians 7:1? Secondly, my bishop, for a long time has maintained coarse jesting with women in our assembly.…
Read MoreWhat would you say to a young teenager who “sometimes feels weak” because he lost his mother?
Question: Hello, By way of counseling, what would you say to a young teenager who “sometimes feels weak” because he lost his mum? Answer: Life is filled with difficulties. You can either let them overwhelm you or you can overcome them. God allows Satan to bring difficulties into our lives because people can rise to…
Read More