Is it wrong to have images of animals or men for toys?
Question: Are stuffed toys, teddy bears, barbie dolls, and so on related to witchcraft? In Deuteronomy 4:4-18 it mentions graven images. Is this really referring to teddy bears, stuffed toys, and so forth? As I believe, these verses are related to idols that people worshipped. Teddy bears, stuffed toys are only toys and not represent…
Read MoreAre Christians individually married to Christ?
Question: Does the Bible talk about individuals being a bride of God or a bride of Christ? It is my understanding that the church as a whole is the bride of Christ, and I think it is not accurate to say things “I am married to God” or “Christ is my husband.” I know it…
Read MoreCan the adulterer marry again and that marriage be acceptable to God?
Question: Hello and God bless, I have some questions that I hope you can address. I am a born-again Christian who has suffered through a divorce. This divorce was not my desire, as I absolutely believe in marriage vows and the concept “until death do us part.” I want always to make the right choices,…
Read MoreIs God sending me signs?
Question: Does God send us signs? I have known this guy well for five years. He and I just clicked so well, and when we are together everything is so easy. However, he lives in a different state, though he still comes back to visit me and his family. We have talked about being together…
Read MoreI don’t know if I should wait for my wife to come back or move on
Question: Hello, I came across your web site while searching for answers on adultery. To try to make it short my wife and got married at a very young age. We felt that it was the correct thing to do because we had moved in with each other. A few months after getting married she felt…
Read MoreWhy can’t I remarry if I fought the divorce?
Question: If my wife files for a divorce and I fight it because she is not divorcing me for adultery and the courts give her her way, am I not allowed to remarry even if I fought it and was forced to allow her a divorce? Answer: There is only one exception given that allows…
Read MoreIf “two become one,” do they lose their identity?
Question: In Mathew 19:5, how do they become one? If they are one and yet they are two, do they lose their identity? Answer: In Matthew 19:5, Jesus is quoting: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). The Hebrew…
Read MoreDid God create darkness or did it always exist?
Question: Genesis 1 speaks of darkness existing over the waters before creation. Was darkness something made or has it always existed? Did God create the initial darkness before He separated the initial light from darkness? I’m asking because a friend asked me this question. Also was God not light? So why was there a need…
Read MoreWhat is meant by God’s ways being higher than man’s?
Question: It says in Isaiah 55:9, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” I don’t completely understand. Answer: You will run across people with all sorts of excuses as to why they are convinced God would never forgive…
Read MoreHow can the new covenant be different from the old if there are so many similarities?
Question: In Jeremiah 31:31-34, it says God said he’d make a new covenant that was not like the old one, but the new covenant had similarities to the old one. Thanks for your time. Answer: Jeremiah 31:31-34 is discussed at length in Hebrews 8-10. God is still God, morality remains the same, so it is…
Read MoreI’m not certain if I should go through with this
Question: I am 24 and facing a serious problem managing my thoughts. I know you are a preacher and expect you to help me with Scripture. Several years ago I fell in love with a sister at a distant congregation. I exposed my mind to her, but then I was afraid. Later I called off…
Read MoreI recently found out my ex-wife was married before we married. Is my second marriage proper?
Question: Hello, I was married to a woman I recently discovered was married previously. She never told me that she was married, for if she had, I would not have married her. In less than a year, she divorced me for irreconcilable differences. About two years later, I married again. My wife and I have…
Read MoreWhat are “the times and seasons?”
Question: Would you please make a short explanation of Acts 1:7? What is meant by the “times and seasons?” The duration of the Kingdom? Thank you very much. I appreciate your website and use it often. Answer: “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the…
Read MoreWhy can’t my sister get baptized?
Question: In a second marriage where a non-Christian is wanting to become a Christian but was divorced for reasons other than adultery, is the sin the adultery or the remarriage? I am asking this in the context of repenting. Do you repent of the adultery in this second marriage or repent of the divorce and remarriage and…
Read MoreWill Jews be judged under the law or the new covenant?
Question: Will Jews be judged under the law or the new covenant? Answer: There is only one covenant in effect today. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Everyone is judged according to Jesus’ teachings. “He…
Read MoreDoes II Peter 3:8 mean God’s days are different from people’s days?
Question: “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day” (II Peter 3:8). I don’t understand this verse? Didn’t you say that God’s days and people’s days weren’t different? Answer: “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come…
Read MoreEvidence of Pardon: How Can I Know I Am Saved?
by Kenneth E. Thomas Christianity is a system of faith, but it is not a leap of faith. Our faith in God is founded firmly upon the evidence of His existence found in His creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). “Because what may be known…
Read MoreThe Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 39 I. It was a rickety wagon that the man was using. He had been moving goods for many years and was quite good at it. This family needed to be moved across town, so he piled their worldly possessions onto his wagon. The last load made quite a…
Read MoreWhere does it say that if you reject Jesus you will spend eternity in hell?
Question: Where in scripture does it say that if you reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God you will spend eternity in hell? I have searched high and low and cannot find it. It does state in Revelations that if you are found with the mark of the beast you will go to hell.…
Read MoreWhy would a person choose to suffer as a homosexual? It can’t be a choice
Question: I must respectfully take issue with the manner in which you answer various questions on your web site in an attempt to refute the assertion that homosexuals do not choose to be homosexuals. You repeatedly cite the lack of any evidence of a genetic predisposition to homosexuality as proof that homosexuals do, in fact, choose their…
Read MoreWas Matthew only clarifying what Jesus said on the Cross?
Question: In Was Matthew originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic? you stated: This verse is one of several in Matthew which shows that Matthew was originally written in Greek. You see, if it was written in Hebrew or Aramaic as has been recently popular to claim, there would be no need to explain Hebrew or Aramaic phrases.…
Read MoreDid the Hebrews hear the cries of the Egyptians when the death angel passed?
Question: Did the Hebrews hear the cries of the Egyptians when the death angel passed? Answer: “So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Then he called for Moses…
Read MoreThe Providence of God (Thornhill)
by Thomas Thornhill Anyone who studies the Bible carefully comes face to face with the providence of God. His hand is seen in events that unfold throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. If one really believes the Bible one will also believe in the providence of God. Yet, many who see God’s hand in…
Read MoreWill God give me my heart’s desire?
Question: I prayed to God to show me my future wife and he did. He showed me a dream. After a while, I asked Him to interpret the dream and He sent an angel to me in a dream. The angel looked like a normal human and had no wings or white clothes. He said,…
Read MoreHow do I give up sin and develop self-control?
Question: I am a man with more sins than Saul himself. I have stolen, lied, committed adultery, told my girlfriend to get an abortion with my firstborn son, helped kill in the war in Iraq, manipulated, and probably every other thing in the book. I am addicted to the lust of the flesh and I…
Read MoreWow, a church that believes in the true word!
Question: Wow, a church that believes in the true word! Thank God for you and the brethren. I was just blessed and “holy thrilled” reading the first lines of your introduction: “The La Vista Church of Christ, located on the south side of Omaha, Nebraska, has no bowling league, no softball team, nor does it…
Read MoreDid biblical Greek have a “v” sound?
Question: In Understanding the Tetragrammaton: “Greek has no “h” save rough breathings at the beginnings of some words and does not account for the letter; Greek has neither “w” nor “v,” and it is very likely that a Greek listener (as were Theodoret and Epiphanius) would hear a “b” when a Jew said “v”” The Greek…
Read MoreWas God speaking through Balaam’s donkey’s mouth?
Question: In Numbers 22-24 (I think) the one guy’s donkey starts talking because God opened the donkey’s mouth, but does that mean that God is talking through the donkey, or did God just show the donkey how to talk? Answer: “Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What…
Read MoreWhy does God kill so many humans?
Question: Why does God kill so many humans? And why does this website try and make excuses for killing those humans? Surely such an amazing supernatural Creator could come up with a better plan than that. When I read about your God I find it hilarious. I really can believe the crazy, stupid, and ridiculous…
Read MoreYour explanation of the friend zone helped greatly
Question: Thanks for your answer “If you become best friends, isn’t there a danger of the girl not wanting to marry you because she only sees you as a friend or a brother?” The “friend zone” is one of the questions I have had on my mind for the longest time. You answered it in…
Read MoreIsaiah 1:18 seems out of place. Can you explain what it is saying?
Question: The first sentence in Isaiah 1:18 about reasoning together seems so out of place compared to what’s around it – at least to me. Can you help me understand the context a little bit better? Also if you know of any other passages that show God encourages us to use reason and test the…
Read MoreI’m shocked at your stance regarding 501(c)(3) churches
Question: The web site is excellent. Someone worked very hard on the design. My question is your church a 501c3 church or a free church? More and more I am finding many of the New Testament churches have signed up to be a corporation and be under the IRS rather than the Lord. Even the…
Read MoreDo I have to give my father a proper burial?
Question: Where does it say “honoring your father” means even to go as far as giving him a proper burial when he dies? Answer: “Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who…
Read MoreIf I don’t participate in activities that are scripturally wrong, then will I be all right?
Question: The worship is in spirit and truth. If I don’t take part in the fellowship hall activities, would I be in violation of God’s word by worshiping there? I made it plain to the elders I don’t believe in fellowship halls. Answer: The church in Sardis was not spiritually sound, yet Jesus said, “You…
Read MoreMy pastor says the girl I am about to marry will fail me spiritually. What do I do?
Question: I found a girl I want to marry. My pastor’s wife has told the girl that I am her husband. Now he told me not to marry her because she will fail me spiritually. We are preparing for our marriage. I don’t know what to do. She is born again. Answer: I would suggest…
Read MoreAm I forever lost or saved?
Question: I’m 17 years old and I’ve been trying my best to be a faithful worker for the Lord Jesus Christ. I really just wanted to say I love your website; it seems to be well put together and full of helpful articles and lessons. But I have quite a question to ask of you,…
Read MoreWas it right to suspend me from church activities after confessing that I was involved in fornication last year?
Question: I confided in my pastor that I was involved in fornication last year. He decided to suspend me from any activity in the church. I want to know this is right. Answer: Assuming that you repented of your sins, then not accepting a repentant brother back is also a sin. In speaking of the…
Read MoreIn John 3:36, should it be “does not obey” or “does not believe”?
Question: I was linking one of my web sites to “How does obedience relate to saving faith?” which has some excellent info. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36 NASB). I am wondering about this Scripture…
Read MoreI used your articles and sermons to compose a women’s Bible study. Thanks!
Question: Thank you for posting articles, sermons, etc. on your web site. I used several of them to compose a women’s Bible study. The insights and perspectives and scriptural references were very helpful. Thanks again! Answer: We’re happy to be of service.
Read MoreYour lesson on gluttony helped me with my sermon
Question: Greetings, I was just surfing the ‘net to expand a sermon series I’m doing on The Seven Deadly Sins. I ran across your page on gluttony, and it was quite helpful. Keep up the good work! Answer: Thank you for your kind encouragement.
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