Sustainable 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 MoreWhy is there a conflict between Acts 7:15-16 and Genesis 50:13?
Question: Hello, I have some questions about the New Testament, which I hope you can clear for me. I became very interested in the New Testament, and I saw some verses in the Bible which seem to contradict the Old Testament. For example Acts 7:15-16 says, “Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and…
Read MoreWhy do some use King James English in their prayers?
Question: Why do some men, in their public prayer, use King James English? In their minds do they think it shows reverence or holiness? Answer: The King James Version was a popular translation for almost 400 years, so its language has stuck in people’s minds as religious or biblical language. But at the time it…
Read MoreI am highly impressed with the depth of information available on this site
Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, I am a member of the Lord’s Church. I am highly impressed with the depth of information available on the La Vista Church of Christ website. God bless you for the good work being done. I landed on your website as I searched for information on church hymnals. Keep up the…
Read MoreWhat is the bema judgment?
Question: I enjoy your website. I have been reading what you have on there about the rapture. It helped me to answer one of my student’s questions. Now he has asked me about the Bema judgment. I never heard of it. I looked it up on the net, but I need to know the truth…
Read MoreWhat does it mean that grace and truth came by Jesus?
Question: Hello Jeff, I came across these beautiful words from John 1:16-17 “And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Can you explain, what does it really means that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ? These beautiful…
Read MoreHow do you stop saying bad words?
Question: Okay, I read Careful What You Say, and I have to ask: what do we say when we can’t say any of those words? What if I’m trying to stop, but it’s such a habit it slips out sometimes, out loud and even in my head? I say it even if I don’t mean to.…
Read MoreI haven’t been respectful to my parents in the past. Am I condemned because of this?
Question: Greetings to you. I thank God and the Lord Jesus Christ for His unending love and His grace and mercy that has saved me and had given me life, making me experience the greatness of His love and His righteousness in me. All the glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving belong to Him…
Read MoreWhat is “the hope of His calling”?
Question: Dear brother, Thank you for your web site. It has been most helpful to me as I struggle to share with a person who believes in “Once Saved Always Saved.” Can you enlighten me as to what it means in Ephesians: “the hope of His calling”? Does it refer to heaven? Our resurrection on…
Read MoreWhat is “the hope of His calling?”
Question: Dear brother, Thank you for your web site. It has been most helpful to me as I struggle to share with a person who believes in “Once Saved Always Saved.” Can you enlighten me as to what it means in Ephesians: “the hope of His calling”? Does it refer to heaven? Our resurrection on…
Read MoreIs it wrong to read books like Fifty Shades of Grey?
Question: Hello. I have a question about books like Fifty Shades of Grey. Though I have no interest in reading them, I have a few friends and family members who do. I was wondering if reading things like that would be wrong? and if so how could I tell them that it is wrong? Are…
Read MoreHow can I check my own understanding if I misunderstand the Bible?
Question: How can I check my own understanding in comparison to the Bible, if I misunderstand the Bible itself? Answer: “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). The first point to realize is that the Bible is understandable. Yes, people do twist the teachings of God,…
Read MoreDo I talk to my former daughter-in-law about her sins, even if it may mean I’ll lose access to my grandchildren?
Question: My former daughter-in-law divorced my son after affairs with other men. Both my son and she are members of the church. The man she is currently involved with lives in another state, as does my son. She recently told me she has him stay in her home when he visits her. This past weekend,…
Read MoreI just found out my husband committed adultery while he was overseas
Question: I’ve been married for about five years. My husband just returned from another country after being there for a year. We had rough spots, and while he was there, he started drinking and partying a lot, which he said he did to pass the time. I stayed in my country with our kids and…
Read MoreShould homosexuals adopt children?
Question: What does the Bible teach on gays adopting and raising children? Answer: The question, knowingly or not, attempts to balance sin with righteousness. Homosexuality is a sin, see Notes on Homosexuality for a list of verses proving this point. An adoption is a righteous act. Our relationship, as a Christian, with God is described…
Read MoreI keep going back into my old sins. Do I need to be baptized again?
Question: Hi, I was recently baptized for a second time because I felt that my first baptism was invalid because I wasn’t truly converted and turned back to my old ways too quickly. But with this baptism, I feel that I didn’t repent before I was baptized because I went back to my old ways…
Read MoreI can’t accept that my girlfriend is not a virgin. What can I do?
Question: I can’t accept my girlfriend because she isn’t a virgin. I know her past because she told me everything. I have also done sexual things. it is not fair that I can’t accept her. I am also addicted to pornography. I have tried so much to get out. Each time I fall I get…
Read MoreYou all have done marvelous work with your website and have excellent material
Question: Hello, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, You all have done marvelous work with your website and have excellent material. It’s always good to see a church of Christ being steadfast in delivering the true word of God. There are many churches of Christ that have fallen away from the Gospel. I have…
Read MoreCould I have gotten my girlfriend pregnant when my penis touched her vagina?
Question: Yesterday I just touch my penis against my girlfriend’s vagina. I don’t think there was any sperm out from my penis, and I did not try to put it into her vagina. So, I want to know: is there any possibility of her becoming pregnant? Answer: The problem is that when a man is…
Read MoreCan you have sex before marriage if you are in a committed relationship?
Question: Some Christians, such as myself, do believe in sex before marriage if in a committed relationship. Answer: Jesus asked, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Here you are directly violating the Lord’s command, and pretending that you are following Christ. “Do you…
Read MoreWhere is a passage that says the innocent can remarry?
Question: Hello, I have a serious unanswered question that’s been bugging me since I was asked to seek the truth. I used to work for a company where there was a man. We had a few talks and pleasant conversations when we had time. I tried to help out when I could. Not long before…
Read MoreHow do I get freedom from a spanking fetish?
Question: Dear Sir, I realize that spanking children during childhood establish a spanking fetish in them. I have this problem. On the Internet, I know many girls and boys who masturbate after being spanked by their parents. They also masturbate when they see their parents spank their brothers. I know a teacher who satisfies herself…
Read MoreI want to repent. Can you tell me what I need to do?
Question: I am a sinner. I have suffered too much in this life. I have committed too many sins. The reason why I am writing to you is that I want to give my life to God. I love my boyfriend so much, and I told him my darkest secret, but I am scared that…
Read MoreParenting Newborns: Learning Patience
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ParentingNewbornsLearningPatience.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 5:6-11 I. Many changes comes to a family when a child is born A. Preparation is made for the coming years B. With a newborn, it is the parents, not the child who have much to learn C. We could speak of love, devotion, but the lesson needed most is…
Read MoreMy boyfriend and I can’t stop sleeping together.
Question: I have my ex. He is a strong believer. He was actually called to be a minister of God’s word. I also want to be a minister of God’s word. The thing is we had sex, got a baby and I aborted it. Now we can’t stop sleeping together. I love God most and…
Read MoreWho raised Obed?
Question: I just finished Ruth. In Ruth 4:16, it states, “Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse”. There is a footnote in the NASB that says the term, “laid in her lap” is an example of taking “as her own”. So, did Naomi or Ruth raise Obed? Answer:…
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