Is hypnosis wrong?
Question: Is hypnosis wrong, or does it depend on the environment and person doing it? Why is it wrong for a spirit-filled Christian? Answer: Hypnosis, as defined by the Mayo Clinic is: Hypnosis, also referred to as hypnotherapy or hypnotic suggestion, is a trance-like state in which you have heightened focus, concentration and inner absorption. When you’re…
Read MoreIs there redemption for a person who has been in multiple marriages?
Question: What’s the fate of a man or woman who has married twice, have discovered the church of Christ, and are convinced it’s the only true way? Can the person be baptized? Brethren in my congregation says there’s no redemption for such a person because of the person’s past marital life. Answer: Redemption is available…
Read MoreThank you very much to the La Vista church for very good topics on your web site
Question: I just searching around and found your lovely website. I read some pages. My English is not that good, but I try to read. I want to say thank you very much to the La Vista church for very good topics on your website and to encourage you guys. We are in a different…
Read MoreWho is the one man among a thousand and why couldn’t a woman be found?
Question: What does Ecclesiastes 7:28 mean? Who did Solomon refer to as the one upright man? Was it himself? Did Solomon manage to find a good wife, as some verses from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes seem to suggest not? If yes, how could he love them but not seem to trust or find them good? Can…
Read MoreHow do I get over being afraid to do things in the church services?
Question: I have a real problem. I am very fearful of doing things at church eg. reading, exalting, etc. Here is the real problem: if I know that I am going to do something at church or called on without knowing, I do not go church. Honestly, I do not want to be like this.…
Read MoreI am convinced that the vast majority of the world never opens a Bible
Question: After reading a lot of your responses, I am amazed at how well you handle some of the questions proposed to you. The more questions I read from people the more I am convinced that the vast majority of the world never opens a Bible. My prayers go out for you. If we ever make it…
Read MoreWhat if you feel that a particular church is not suitable for you?
Question: What are the suggestions if one cannot afford monetarily to attend church, or feels that a particular church is not suitable for him? If he does private bible study, is this enough? Does he have to go through the baptism ceremony? If a Christian continues to study other religions and philosophies, is this against…
Read MoreYou should be spreading the joys of Christian living rather than taking excerpts from the Bible
Question: Your web site is filled with messages of hate and judgment. Your ministry should focus on love and spreading the joys of Christian living rather than taking excerpts from the translated Bible as a rule book for life. Spread love, not hate! Note: I find it interesting that I received both a letter in…
Read MoreIs it appropriate to have PowerPoint presentations during sermons?
Question: Is it appropriate to have PowerPoint presentations during services? Personally, I find it very helpful in keeping up with Bible verses during the sermons, but I wonder if God approves it. I don’t know how the brethren feel. This is something I have been wondering about since I began going to the church. Answer:…
Read MoreWhat authority do we have to lead a prayer?
Question: What authority do we have to lead a prayer? Where in the Bible does it talk about this practice? Answer: I Corinthians 14:26-33 tells us the importance of church services being orderly. People are not to be talking at the same time. In that same discussion, there is mention of someone saying “Amen” when…
Read MoreWhat does “delight yourself” mean?
Question: What exactly does it mean in scripture when it says, “delight thyself” and how does the Lord delight himself in us? Who were some of the people in the Bible that delighted in the Lord, and who did the Lord find delightful? Answer: The phrase appears twice in the Bible: “Delight yourself also in the…
Read MoreWhen did baptism for the remission of sins start?
Question: In the “Articles” section, under Baptism, “Answering Arguments Against Baptism”. You state that “Baptism for the remission of sins did not begin until the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37-38), so the thief (and Jesus) lived under the law of Moses.” Please read Mark 1:4: “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism…
Read MoreI have a problem with controlling and avoiding masturbation
Question: How are you today? I am e-mailing you because I have a confession to make as well as an act of sin I like to address. So please bear with me. I am trying to live my life God’s way after many years of shunning Him. But I want to confess that I have a…
Read MoreHow do I keep from giving in to my five-year-old?
Question: I have a five-year-old, soon to be six. Her whole life I have pretty much gave in to her, and I see that this has only hurt our relationship. She is a very good kid but all too often throws a fit to get her way. My biggest problem is I show my anger.…
Read MoreWho died first, Jesus or the thief?
Question: Who died first, Jesus or the thief? Answer: “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers…
Read MoreI keep committing sexual sins. Will God still forgive me?
Question: I consider myself a Christain. But I keep committing sexual immoralities, and I ask God for forgiveness every single time. But I know it is wrong, and I keep doing it. Will God still ever forgive me? Answer: “”But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all…
Read MoreWhere does Christ ever mention homosexuality … in the red letters?
Question: Where does Christ ever mention homosexuality … in the red letters? Answer: You place a false restriction on your question because Jesus said to the disciples (in red letters): “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me” (Luke 10:16). Thus,…
Read MoreWhy can’t we see God?
Question: Why can’t we see God? Answer: Adam and Eve died to God because of their sin. They once had direct contact with God because He walked in the Garden with them (Genesis 3:8). Mankind lost that close relationship, and it will only be regained when sin is destroyed. “And I heard a loud voice…
Read MoreThanks for “In the World but Not of the World”
Question: I have read your sermon “In the World But Not of the World.” Thanks for the message. Answer: Thank you for taking the time to be encouraging. I appreciate it.
Read MoreWhat books would you recommend reading in the Old Testament?
Question: What books would you recommend reading in the Old Testament? I read Genesis, Leviticus, and Numbers at the beginning of my turn to God and Jesus Christ. I was just haphazardly picking books at random then. Answer: What I would recommend first is reading are the books on practical, everyday wisdom. Proverbs – Proverbs…
Read MoreThanks for the great website
Question: Thanks for the great website that I have found and the great material you have placed on it. Answer: I’m glad you found the site useful.
Read MoreWhen does a thought become a sin?
Question: I am sorry to bother you again with another letter, but I have a lot on my mind. If you remember I had written to you a few weeks ago about a bad thought I had in a moment of frustration about selling my soul. Again I know that the thought was wrong, but I…
Read MoreHow can it be said that homosexuals and lesbians practicing sexual touching such as hand jobs is sinful?
Question: I read your articles based on I Corinthians 7:1-2. I am left confused. First, how does 1 Corinthians 7:1-2 mean sexual touching? John MacArthur stated that it means actual physical sexual intercourse. I don’t really agree with his interpretation due to the fact that the word touch seems to be sensitive. However, I am still…
Read MoreIs it wrong to send a note honoring a man on his birthday?
Question: A brother in Christ is having a birthday this coming Sunday. His wife has planned a surprise party to be held in the church building after the evening worship. She has asked that we should all write a message to be included in an “honoring note” to her husband. The preacher is collecting these…
Read MoreDoes God want us to ask questions?
Question: Does God want us to ask questions? Answer: God invites people to ask good, honest questions. ” “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD” (Isaiah 1:18). Christianity is taught by reasoning with people, which implies answering people’s questions. “As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath…
Read MoreWhy would kings name their children after other kings?
Question: One thing I still don’t understand is how the kings intertwined and started naming their children after relatives, which is very confusing. Why would kings do that when the entire pride of a king rests on the fact of all they have accomplished in their reign and in the hope that their lineage will…
Read MoreIf there are no tears in heaven, then what about our memories of those who did not make it?
Question: If there are no tears in heaven, does this mean one will not be sad if their closest family and friends were not believers and not in heaven? What about those same people whom we did not share the gospel with — some because we were not converted then, others because of family disputes?…
Read MoreHow can I tell if I am right or wrong?
Question: How would I be able to judge if what I am doing is right or wrong? There are some things that are not in the Bible, or let us say there are things that the Bible does not fully cover as a topic. A good example can be pornography. Although the Bible doesn’t say…
Read MoreA Thing Which Ought Not to Be Done
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The newspapers and talk radio have been commenting about a lawsuit in Blair, Nebraska. It seems that a young man of 16 got a young woman of 15 pregnant. She did not realize it until she was 23 to 27 weeks into the pregnancy. Her family urged her to get an…
Read MoreI’m confused by the story of Athaliah
Question: Okay, so in II Chronicles 21, we’re told that Jehoram was a very bad king and walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, so God sent a message to Him through Elijah stating that God would take away Jehoram’s children, wives, and possessions, and furthermore He would make Jehoram very sick until…
Read MoreIs my congregation sinning by not being frugal?
Question: I have read the following writing by John Woolman, which touches my heart: Friends in early times refused on a religious principle to make or trade in superfluities, of which we have many testimonies on record; but for want of faithfulness, some, whose examples were of note in our Society, gave way, from which…
Read MoreCan a Christian criticize society?
Question: Can a Christian be a social critic, such as a lawyer or a journalist dealing with a corrupt government? How far can he go in criticizing? Answer: John the Baptist ended up in jail because he told the current ruler that he wasn’t properly married. “But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning…
Read MoreShould I divorce? Can I remarry?
Question: I am in need of your assistance, please. Your insight and views would be most appreciated with regards to my current situation. I will try and keep things as brief as possible yet provide you with as much detail as I possibly can, too. When I met my husband, he was separated from his…
Read MoreRecreational Drug Use Is Sinful
by Bryan Matthew Dockens Recreational drug use is sinful because it violates the law. Under the current legal code in the United States, the recreational use of narcotics is strictly forbidden. The word of God requires obedience to the law: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except…
Read MoreYour website is nicely written, to the point, and impartial
Question: I have recently viewed your web site over a few issues and I wanted to thank you and the congregation for such a fine web site. Your writings are nicely written, to the point, and written in such a way that shows one clearly what the Bible teaches and what it does not with…
Read MoreIs it wrong for a church to be incorporated?
Question: If a Christian does not want to attend an incorporated church because he says it’s wrong, is it right for him and his wife to worship alone on the Lord’s day because he says an incorporated church is in sin, and he cannot find a church that is not incorporated? Answer: A person cannot…
Read MoreWhat is included in porneia?
Question: Hi! I have been studying sex and the Bible. What I am really confused about is that the Bible does not mention oral sex or mutual masturbation. It only mentions anal sex and vaginal sex. Thus, how are oral sex and mutual masturbation a sin? How is it sexual intercourse? In Greek, porneia means…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between Pentecostals and Baptists?
Question: Hi, I have a question about the differences between the Christian religions. I started going to a Pentecostal church. I love this church. I got baptized in this church, but I moved to a different city so I started to look for a Pentecostal church. I found one near my house but after going…
Read MoreKeep the fire burning
Question: I thank God I came across this site. Keep the fire burning and even more knowing that God is our rewarder and our exceeding great possession. Love you guys. Answer: Happy to be of service.
Read MoreWhy was stoning used as an execution method?
Question: I’m just wondering if there’s a significance in stoning as a means of execution in the Bible. Christ was on the cross because that was the worst way to die and it was a prophecy fulfilled. How about stoning? Why not drowning or burning instead for example? Answer: If you are asking why Jesus…
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