What do you mean by saying fellowship is “a state of being?”
Question: I read your sermon outline on fellowship – it is very good. I have a question: you said that fellowship is a “state of being” and I do not understand what you mean. So can you explain it to me, please? People talk about “having fellowship” when they eat together, is it right to say that? Do I…
Read MoreExplaining Exodus 4:24-26
by Carey Scott “And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!”…
Read MoreWhy Do Good People Suffer?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Based on a lesson developed by Darrell Hamilton Text: Hebrews 12:4-14 Write on board: SIN DISCIPLINE GOLD I. We see and experience problems as we go through life. A. Sometimes we wonder why these things happen. B. If a person is trying to be good, why doesn’t God protect him from evil? II. First, what…
Read MoreAny suggestions on how to combat a proposal to ordain homosexuals in the ELCA?
Question: Thank you so much for your web site. The ELCA is presenting a policy for a General Assembly vote in August to approve the ordination of same-sex cohabiting individuals. I am a documentary producer and have offered my services to oppose the approval of this proposal. Have you any suggestions as to the best…
Read MoreWhy is “God” in Jonah 1:6 in lower case in some translations?
Question: Jonah 1:6 in NKJV & ASV show referring to God as “God.” The captain told Jonah to pray to his God. But in the NASB it refers to the Lord God Jehovah as “god.” Is this a typo with the printer? Why would the NASB show this? Could it be that the captain was…
Read MoreHow could my wife say she wants to repair our marriage when she has a court order against me?
Question: I am amazed at the way my wife asked you the question about us divorcing or not. On Feb 13, 2009, you received a question from her that left out everything that is important. I once served as a minister of a congregation. My wife and I did not have sex before we got married (and…
Read MoreI have a desire for sex and a fear of it at the same time. How do I handle it?
Question: I am a man 29 years of age. I was brought up in a very religious Christian family, and sexual relations were highly abhorred as a taboo. I grew up with this mentality and don’t know how to even relate to the opposite sex. Now, age (in terms of marriage) is telling on me.…
Read MoreAm I doomed to hell? Is it a sin to be gay?
Question: I am 20 years old. I am have been a sinner most of my life. I want to change my evil ways. Sometimes I feel my soul is doomed to hell to burn with Satan. I pray sometimes, but I still feel lost. I have one? I am bisexual. Is it a sin to…
Read MoreWhat happened before the Restoration movement?
Question: I have been discussing with a lady about the importance of worshiping God in “spirit and in truth.” I told her that the seed was planted in America according to the biblical pattern. Her question is “what happened to all the people between the time of the early church and the restoration of the church…
Read MoreA Simple Prayer
by L.A. Stauffer via The Jackson Drive Reporter, March 15, 2009. Bible students may be struck with amazement that a body of Jewish followers would ask Jesus to teach them to pray. These were men of a nation that grew up with prayer. It was a staple of their home life, it was taught in…
Read MoreIs it a sin to enjoy getting aroused from what I wear?
Question: I just enjoy wearing white nylon briefs. It makes me aroused, but nothing more than that. After arousal, I put them off and wear my normal shorts because it looks like a sin. Is it a sin or a psychological problem? Is it not normal? Answer: What you are doing is pursuing sensuality, which…
Read MoreHow do you justify using Acts 20:7 as binding the day but not the place?
Question: I just read your article, “When are examples binding?” and I must say the very idea that an example somehow becomes a command is a, well, stretch if you ask me. You used Acts 20:7 as your “example” for when we should meet together but you don’t use Acts 2:46 which tells us that…
Read MoreShall the Sword Devour Forever?
by Victor M. Eskew David was now the official king of Israel. However, Abner, the captain of Saul’s forces, was not in submission to David. He assisted in the establishment of Saul’s son Ishbosheth as king over all but the house of Judah. “But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth…
Read MoreWhy were the Israelites not to use diverse weights?
Question: In Proverbs 20:10 it reads, “Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.” This is also stated in Proverbs 20:23 with a reference to Deuteronomy 25:13 which reads, “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.” I know that “divers” means many…
Read MoreIs it right to deduct contributions from your taxes?
Question: Is it okay to deduct the money that is given to the church each week from your taxes when you file each year? Answer: The Scriptures teach that Christians should pay their taxes. “Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:7).…
Read MoreWhy wasn’t Rachel buried with Jacob but Leah was?
Question: Why wasn’t Rachel buried with Jacob but Leah was? Answer: Rachel died shortly after childbirth during a journey from Bethel to “The Tower of the Flock”, which is believed to have been in the area Bethlehem. “Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel…
Read MoreHave you heard of Dr. Leonard Horowitz?
Question: I have recently discovered a man by the name of Dr. Leonard Horowitz. I have seen his lectures and his DVD “In Lies We Trust” and I have been telling a lot of people about it. This guy has done a lot of good for people and preaches the gospel too. I wanted to…
Read MoreWhat Was Nailed to the Cross?
Text: Deuteronomy 4:1-14 I. I frequently run into odd ideas about the Old Law, especially when I bring up Colossians 2:13-15 A. Oh, most people will accept that Jesus’ death on the cross eliminated animal sacrifices, but they cannot believe all of the Old Testament came to an end. 1. “Surely you except the 10 commandments!” I…
Read MoreIs the Bible sexist?
Question: I have asked you several questions in the past and really respect your opinions. I’m a freshman in college at the moment and in my English class, we are doing a unit on gender inequalities. The teacher (and other people in the class) think that the whole Bible is sexist because God is a…
Read MoreWhen Hard Hearts Need Hard Words of Truth
by Terry W. Benton The preacher was all alone in his stand for truth and right because the assembly had become so worldly, and now he was the “troubler in Israel”. He was so discouraged that he decided to quit preaching. He was miserable when preaching the truth because no one wanted or appreciated the…
Read MoreThat Preacher Offended Me!
by Harry Osborne What would you think of a preacher whose sermons offended people and were taken as insulting by the hearers? What if a preacher caused the audience to be filled with anger because of the hard things that he said? What if he went so far as to mock false beliefs? Regardless of…
Read MorePreaching Like Paul
by Bobby Witherington via Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 3, pp. 80-82, February 6, 1992 There are many books that deal with preaching. Some are excellent. Some are not worth the paper and ink they require. Some are downright dangerous. But there is one book that not only reveals the value of preaching; it also reveals what constitutes…
Read MoreHard Preaching
by Guy F. Hester Recently someone told me that I am a hard preacher. This could be either good or bad, depending on what is meant by hard preaching. In the context of the conversation, I took it as a compliment to my firm stance for my convictions. Many people deplore hard preaching that may…
Read MoreToning It Down
by Robert Turner A “Country Meeting” had gone exceedingly well, and elders from another community asked the preacher to work with them in a meeting the following year. He came at the appointed time and found his reputation had spread, and the building was packed. The elders met him at the car, told him they…
Read MoreAlexander Campbell as a Preacher
Theories on Preaching by Carroll Elis via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 11, September 1952. Preaching is not for a lazy man, a sick man, or a tired man. Preaching the gospel is work. The greatest use which can be made of the human tongue is in the proclamation of the gospel of Christ. Effective preaching…
Read MoreI would like to help the starving kids in Africa, do you know of a trustworthy organization?
Question: I really would like to send some money to the starving kids in Africa. Is this biblical and do you think that ‘Feed the Children’ is a good place to send this money too? If you know of a more trustworthy one, please let me know. Answer: “For you have the poor with you…
Read MoreWho was High Priest when David ate the showbread, Abiathar or Ahimelech?
Question: Can you please help me with this supposed contradiction? In Mark 2:23-26, Jesus talks about how David went into the house of God and ate the showbread “in the days/in the time” of Abiathar the high priest. In 1 Samuel 21, it says that David came to Ahimelech, not Abiathar when he eventually ate…
Read MoreHow can such a loving God condemn people who have never heard of Jesus or the Bible?
Question: I came across an old teacher of mine today and we started talking. She tells me I should join the service or go to college. So I started telling her my views of how I think that the Rockefellers and other rich families run this world and have influence in all the educational outlets and…
Read MoreAm I restricted to only marrying the boy I first had sex with?
Question: I was really having trouble ever since I had sex before marriage. I asked for forgiveness and I was terrified that I would not be forgiven, but tonight I went to church. I’m so happy to have learned and re-learned all of the things I have and I want to do right. I told…
Read MoreWhat was Isaiah’s sin?
Question: I am a Baptist Sunday school teacher and have a question about Sunday’s lesson. The title is “A Commitment to Change” and is taken from the book of Isaiah 6:1-8. My question is: What was Isaiah’s sin which necessitated the live coal being placed on his lips? I have read chapters one through five but…
Read MoreCan a person do good without God allowing him to do so?
Question: We were talking about God and grace and all that good jazz. We had a discussion about whether God is responsible for every good act done in the world. I disagreed with the statement because that would mean every good thing done would be credited to God. I am confused. Can someone do good without…
Read MoreSabbath
by Ethan R. Longhenry “Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy…
Read MoreHow can you say there is no symbolic meaning in the name “Hebron?”
Question: In light of II Samuel 5, I do not understand how you can say that the meaning of the word “Hebron” has no symbolic or deeper meaning in the Bible. Since David ruled from there for 7 1/2 years and then the leaders of the tribes asked him to unite Israel and rule over the…
Read MoreFrom the point of view of parenting children, what am I to learn from Luke 2:41-52?
Question: From the point of view of parenting children, what am I to learn from Luke 2:41-52? What principle did Jesus learn from this experience? To obey his parents at all costs? Or it’s sometimes acceptable to disobey them, especially if it means not prioritizing the will of our Heavenly Father? What should children learn…
Read MoreA Richly Blessed Family
by Bill Hall via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 15, April 13, 2008. “Pity the Smith family. Poor things, they have to keep the preacher every time the church plans a gospel meeting. And Christians are always stopping in at their place. And they are about the only people in the church that ever invite people…
Read MoreA Review of the Hymnbooks
by Wayne S. Walker Originally published in Torch, October 1988 Please understand that my review is of necessity going to be biased by my own view of what constitutes a good hymn selection. With that in mind, I shall begin by saying that I grew up using the old “brown book,” Christian Hymns II (edited by…
Read MoreIs it wrong to work in a Catholic hospital or work for a company that produces sexual themed movies?
Question: In your answer “Is it wrong to have a job that encourages others to sin?” I was wondering if you could give me some examples of this. I got concerned because I have a mother whose employer sends her to work some days in a Catholic hospital. (She is NOT Catholic by the way).…
Read MoreIs it a sin to go to a youth group or chapel service during the week?
Question: I saw that the church only met on the first day of the week to gather and worship. Does this mean that I sin if I go to youth groups on Wednesdays (while still going to church on Sunday), or if my school has weekly mandatory chapel services on Thursdays? Answer: There are various…
Read MoreRespect (Scott)
by Carey Scott “In that day a man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 17:7). A quality that is lacking in our society is respect. I think everyone would acknowledge such, but few think about it. Many wish it would return to our society,…
Read MoreDoes God condemn pedophilia, rape, or self-defense?
Question: I saw your web posting about “Animal Rights and the Bible.” I am glad to know there are people like you out there who can boldly say you hold God’s word as the ultimate authority. Many Christians today twist God’s word to fit their own feelings and forbid what God has not forbidden. I…
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