Should we marry now or when we are in a better financial situation?
Question: My girlfriend and I intend to get married in the future and want to wait until we are in a better financial situation to marry. Also being in a long-distance relationship would mean that if we did marry, we would be unable to live together straight away just yet. But I’m in fear of…
Read MoreShould I keep waiting for God to find me a husband?
Question: I have questions regarding marriage: My mom wants me to get married so badly, she even got me a fiance. Nevertheless, I am a Christian and I want to wait on the Lord for the right person He has for me. I am 25 years old. My mom just wants to have grandkids. She…
Read MoreWhat is the spirit within us? What are the roots of your teachings?
Question: Thank you for your fabulous web site – I am slowly working my way through your teachings of the Word. Judging by the sheer volume of material you have on your site I can only imagine how busy you must be. If you have the time I would like to ask you your teachings…
Read MoreThe Age of Miracles
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 47, Nov. 21, 2008. Question: Most of the older members of the church tell me that the age of miracles has ended. But I can’t find anyone who can give me the passage of Scripture that teaches that. Can you provide me with the Scriptures? Answer:…
Read MoreWhat is the “free gift?”
Question: I’m having a little trouble with this passage and hope you can shed some light on it for me. Romans 5:12-21 talks about a “free gift”. What is it? Who brought it? What does it do for us? Answer: “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s…
Read MoreI just want to thank you for the time and effort you put into the web site’s Bible art section
Question: I just want to thank you for the time and effort you put into the website’s Bible art section. This has been helpful for me as I am writing some Bible class materials. Some of it I can’t use directly, but I have an artist who can get ideas from the old pictures. Perhaps we…
Read MoreAll Things in Common
by Bryan Matthew Dockens It has been argued that socialism is a divinely approved economic system exemplified in scripture. Proponents point to two passages as evidence of their claim: “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had…
Read MoreLittle Lies
by Rusty Miller “Buy truth, and do not sell it” (Proverbs 23:23). Of all the things God desires most, none has suffered more in recent times than honesty. The lie is no longer something to be scorned; in fact, “everybody lies” is the most common excuse heard when someone is actually caught in a lie.…
Read MoreThe Weight of the Nails
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/WeightOfTheNails.mp3 Text: Psalm 139 I. For a book as concise as the Bible, it contains a surprising amount of detail A. Detail that many ignore B. So much detail that Reader’s Digest once took it upon themselves to produce a condensed version of the Bible, for which they were justly ridiculed. C. I Corinthians 2:12-13 – God selected…
Read MoreAre Christians commanded to only sing the psalms?
Question: I recently was made aware of an old acquaintance who is now part of a house church. In a message he sent to me giving a short explanation, he said, “…after a lot of study, I have come to the understanding that we are only authorized to sing inspired songs from the book of…
Read MoreYour collection of pictures is invaluable
Question: Thank you for creating this invaluable web site full of public domain Bible illustrations! I have used quite a few of them in my free children’s Bible lessons on www.martydonnellan.wordpress.com. You rock! Marty Answer: Thank you for your kind words. I don’t often post notes which contain links to other sites, but I’ve looked through…
Read MoreDoes God hear the prayers of those who are not yet saved?
Question: I am writing, after reading your article, wondering your understanding of the Scriptures that point to God willing not to hear because of sins or God not hearing a sinner’s prayer, or even yet, God hears open to the prayers of the righteous? From those Scriptures I arrive at the following conclusion: God is aware…
Read MoreI had unprotected sex with my boyfriend a few weeks ago and now I’m not feeling well. What could be wrong?
Question: Hi. This the first time I have felt like this. My boyfriend was here a couple of weeks ago and we had unprotected sex. Six days later I started feeling dizzy, not eating a lot, and everything smells bad. I’m not in the mood to do anything and underneath my belly button, it’s hard.…
Read MoreIs the antecedent of “it” “church” or “rock” in Matthew 16:19?
Question: A little help, please. Where Matthew records; “….and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” What is the “it” referring to? I have heard some say it was the “church.” Others, that it was the “rock,” Christ. According to your studies of the Greek definition, what is the “it”? Answer: In Greek, a…
Read MoreDo you think God would judge us by our lives?
Question: did you really think that god would go by our days? have you takin a look at what was made? Read the bible again if you wan to go by that cause he says no one will life past a day seems to me not on even the oldest in the bible seems to…
Read MoreHow could the Revolutionary War be justified in light of Romans 13?
Question: Can I ask your thoughts on something? Just a little while ago I read: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights,…
Read MoreWho did Aaron lead to the promised land?
Question: Who did Aaron lead to the promised land? Answer: Aaron was a leader in Israel, one of many actually. “These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each one representing his father’s house” (Numbers 1:44). However, he wasn’t the one in charge. God…
Read MoreIs it “away from the presence of the Lord” or “coming from the presence of the Lord” in II Thessalonians 1:9?
Question: Like always, I have a question. In II Thessalonians 1:9 it has a commentary on the bottom. The verse says, “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,” then in the footnotes, I found in my Bible and on Blue Letter…
Read MoreShould I ask my girlfriend to marry me when we tend to argue a lot?
Question: I have a question which you may know a little about. In my relationship with my girlfriend, we tend to argue a lot. She will say something and I will explode or vice versa. This has left me without peace and asking if this relationship is God’s will. I wanted to ask my girlfriend…
Read MoreDo you believe it scriptural to offer the Lord’s Supper at an evening service in a separate room from the remainder of the congregation after the invitation but before a closing prayer?
Question: While researching this question, I stumbled across your web site. What a wonderful amount of information! Do you believe it scriptural to offer the Lord’s Supper at an evening service in a separate room from the remainder of the congregation after the invitation but before a closing prayer? My local congregation does this and…
Read MoreMust we confess our sins before eating the Lord’s Supper?
Question: Must we confess sin before eating the body and blood of Christ? What does “examine yourself” mean in I Corinthians 11:28? Answer: The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Jesus’ death. “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which…
Read MoreIs numerology satanic?
Question: I have a quick brief question: is numerology satanic or devil worshiping? Answer: Numerology is “the study of the supposed occult influence of numbers on human affairs.” Like astrology, numerology attempts to divine a person’s character and future. In numerology, it is based on numbers related to a person, wherein astrology is based on positions…
Read MoreShould my husband require his daughter to wear stockings and garters?
Question: My husband requires both me and our two daughters to dress in a conservative and feminine way. For me, tights are not allowed. It’s traditional stockings and a garter belt. I’m quite at ease with this, but he wants our daughter to follow suit, and I know there will be confrontation as she considers…
Read MoreI appreciate your stand for serving the Lord in the right way
Question: Brother Hamilton, I live in a small Texas town. May you continue to serve the Lord in Nebraska. I appreciate your stand for serving the Lord in the right way. May you have a wonderful new year. Answer: I thank you deeply for the encouraging words.
Read MoreIs Paul saying that only if we don’t work, then God will make us righteous?
Question: Is Paul saying in Romans 4:4-5 that only if we don’t work then God will make us righteous? Answer: “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for…
Read MoreDoes alcohol cook out when cooking with it?
Question: Does alcohol cook out when cooking with it? I’ve heard yes and no, so I am not sure. My sister got some barbecued Bourbon Chicken for supper. I didn’t’ think it had anything to do with alcohol, but I looked on-line and saw it does. If it doesn’t cook out of the food, then…
Read MoreHow do I deal with my insecurities?
Question: How would I go about understanding my insecurities and work on eliminating them or coming to terms with them? I realize that my insecurities negatively affect every relationship that I am currently in and ones that I have lost because of my issues. I don’t want to continue to carry them around with me…
Read MoreWhat does becoming “one flesh” mean?
Question: What does this mean: ”For this reason a man shall leave his father and leave his mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh”? Answer: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). This…
Read MoreCross Congregational Fellowship
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Christians do travel. This is an obvious statement, but it needs to be pointed out because it raises issues we don’t often consider. A Christian drops in on a congregation while in town for business. It is common for brethren to invite him over for a meal so they can get…
Read MoreHow can I help an abused girl who has been thrown out of her home?
Question: I’m a college student who’s a leader in my church’s high school ministry. One girl recently revealed to me, while on a mission’s trip, that she was abused by her parents, culminating in her being thrown out of the house at the age of 16. We talked and I assured her that God and…
Read MoreWhat other sites would you recommend reading?
Question: I am a vivacious reader. I really like this site. If it were not scripturally based I would not say that. When I get to the office in the mornings I usually eat breakfast and study for about an hour. You do a very good job. If I can understand it, then you can reach millions!…
Read MoreWhy do some of the pictures on your web site show Jesus with long hair?
Question: With no disrespect intended or meant, I wonder, after reading your excellent articles on “hair,” why you, in your Bible story pictures section, post pictures of our Lord wearing long hair? After reading I Corinthians 11, I personally believe my Lord would do nothing that would be shameful. It does seem to contradict your articles. Thanks…
Read MoreThank you for posting all the religious art on your site
Question: Thank you for posting all the religious art on your site. I often run across your site when I am looking for images for my sermons. Answer: Happy to be of service.
Read MoreIs it wrong to listen to rap or hip-hop music if it doesn’t contain anything about killing, drugs, or sex?
Question: I know Christians shouldn’t listen to secular rap or hip hop music, in which I stopped recently, but what if the song doesn’t contain anything about killing, drugs, and sex? Is it okay to listen to it? Answer: There is no prohibition on any particular musical style. The problem is that certain styles of…
Read MoreWhy are the lists in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 different?
Question: When I read Ezra and Nehemiah, I had some problems with the counting numbers recorded in both books. I believe the list of names in Ezra chapter 2 and Nehemiah chapter 7 are the same thing. But the number of singers and porters are different in these two books. While in Ezra 2:41-42 there…
Read MoreI appreciate your statements on your home page
Question: I am a Christian and a deacon. I was looking for pictures to use for a study on Ananias and Sapphira and ran across your web site. I appreciate your statements on the home page. We are a spiritual organization authorized by God and purchased by His Son. There is no need nor authorization for so many things that…
Read MoreSomeone upset that the Old Testament is no longer in effect
Question: do we read the same bible? But then again this is how things have to be for the prophecies to come to past the road to destruction is broad and alot of you people are on it you claim to be christians and luke 4:16 shows you live contrary to how christ lived you…
Read MoreHow many souls will fit in heaven?
Answer: All who are going. In describing those in heaven, John said, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Revelations 5:11). John is saying, imagine the biggest…
Read MoreIs it wrong to defend yourself?
Question: What if you are a Christian and someone attacks you after you walk away from them? Should you retaliate back or just take the assault? Most would just fight back. I want to know if it’s wrong in God’s eye to defend yourself? Answer: One does not retaliate, that would be vengeance. “If it…
Read MoreIf you can’t work due to illness, should you not eat?
Question: In II Thessalonians 3:10-12 it says if we won’t work neither should we eat. I always feel bad because I can’t work anymore. My wife and I are disabled and I can hardly count all the diseases I have and move only in a powerchair. Should we turn down any request to eat at…
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