Thanks for publishing Abraham Smith’s writings
Question: I just wanted to thank you for publishing Abraham Smith’s work on your web site. He is an incredibly gifted writer! I think it’s amazing how he correlates modern issues with biblical scripture. Thank you for putting it out there for all to see! Answer: It is always a pleasure to publish good material.…
Read MoreHow can Christians gather and not be the church?
Question: We have addressed several people on the subject and I went to the computer and found different ones saying the same thing. My problem was I just couldn’t figure out how we could not leave the building and still not be assembled. The church is the called out and when we are gathered in…
Read MoreI found lots of useful material on marital relationships on your site
Question: I live in the Philippines and am a devout Catholic Christian. I am writing this to thank you for your web site. I accidentally found it. I was looking for an article or materials to be used in my presentation related to relationships specifically between a husband and wife. There is a lot of very useful…
Read MoreWhy was I lied to about finding a wife?
Question: I see that you are of the Church of Christ. I don’t know much about the Church of Christ. I was raised Baptist and for the last ten years, I have been in the Pentecostal faith. Of course, I love all my brothers and sisters in the Lord. My story is a unique one,…
Read MoreMy research says that Matthew mistranslated “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”
Question: I am sorry I am going to have to agree with the guy who questioned you on “Could Jesus have said “My God, my God, for this I was kept?”. Yeshua, the Son of God, AKA Jesus Christos, Jesus Christ spoke Aramaic and while Matthew was a Greek scholar, he merely recorded the words of…
Read MoreWhat do you do about helping the downtrodden?
Question: Hi, I noticed something through your home page description and the social gospel question answered that makes me have a question for you: What do you do about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting sick and imprisoned? (Matthew 25:31-46) And what do you do about selling your possessions and giving to the poor (Luke 12:33) and the…
Read MoreShould the poor be helped if it makes our life harder?
Question: I have a penchant for helping the poor. But I came across an article titled “Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor” and it was really interesting. Here is an excerpt: “If we divide the world crudely into rich nations and poor nations, two thirds of them are desperately poor, and only one…
Read MoreShould my friend pursue a relationship with a boy who had sex in the past?
Question: This question is for my friend’s situation: A boy recently started to pursue more-than-friends moves on my friend. She’s liked him on-and-off for three years, but in those three years, he’s had a girlfriend. She just found out that the boy had sex a few times several months ago with his girlfriend. Since that…
Read MoreHow can I help my boyfriend with his sexual desires?
Question: I’m 25 years old and a Christian. I am in my first relationship as a Christian. My boyfriend is a backslider. We had sex once. I know it was wrong. I repented and I believe God has forgiven me. I am not going to do it again until we are married. I have downloaded…
Read MoreIs God’s greatness just as unsearchable as the number of His years?
Question: I have a question for you. I am researching a passage and I would like your input. “Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out” (Job 36:26). Is Job’s friend, Elihu, telling us here that God’s greatness is just as unsearchable as the number of…
Read MoreHow do I make my relationship more God-centered?
Question: I know romantic relationships should be God-centered, but I’m having trouble doing this with my boyfriend. He’s a Christian, but not too strong of a Christian. I tried to put God into our relationship by suggesting reading a Bible chapter together each day. We read only two times. I wanted to pray with him…
Read MoreWhy is the Hebrew word for “bless” in Job 1:5 translated as “curse?”
Question: My Bible has a footnote on Job 1:5 that says the word “curse” in this passage is actually the Hebrew word for “bless.” I don’t understand this. Answer: “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the…
Read MoreI have concerns about the Catholic church’s teachings on celibacy for priests, women’s status in the church, and the condemnation of homosexuality
Question: Perhaps I can ask you about one more thing that troubles me. I have always been rooted in the mercy of Jesus and his compassion toward others. I will call attention to behaviors but do not pass judgment on others. That said, I recently came back to more fully embracing my Catholic faith. However, I…
Read MoreHow long did Job suffer?
Question: During our midweek services the question was asked; “How long did Job suffer?” According to Job 2:13, it lasted for 7 days and 7 nights. But then I read Job 7:3 and the implication is months. What are your thoughts? Answer: We don’t know. Job 7:3 says, “So I have been allotted months of…
Read MoreHow do I let go of remembering my sins?
Question: Last year I went through some trials and became discouraged. I had a led a fairly solid Christian life until I turned away from Christ and the Jesus I knew for a period of time. There were serious illnesses and disorders in my family and knew three young people who died recently, one by…
Read MoreWhat do you say about guilt by association in regards to fellowship?
Question: What do you say about guilt by association in the fellowship problem? We have some friends who worship in a congregation that had someone at their lectureships, although they do don’t support marriage with intent, and when he speaks they didn’t go to support him. Now we do not believe this person’s doctrine, but…
Read MoreWhat do you think about people praying in front of schools?
Question: Some of my friends, during the holidays, are going to colleges and praying in front of the colleges. Is there any use in doing this? Answer: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that…
Read MoreWhat prompted you to start your question and answer section?
Question: I am a regular follower of your site and have learned a lot by seeing how you answer the questions. If you don’t mind me asking, what prompted you to start such a question and answer format? I’ve never run across anything quite like it. Answer: The question and answer section began when I…
Read MoreWas Isaiah born in Jerusalem?
Question: I was told that Isaiah was born in Jerusalem but cannot find the passage to verify it. Is it true? Answer: We know that Isaiah lived in Jerusalem because the places he was sent to and those who were sent to Isaiah all were in the area of Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:3; 22:15; 37:2). We…
Read MoreDoesn’t sex create a marriage?
Question: Hello, it’s me, the same girl who had sent you a message before asking about sex without marriage. I know God’s laws, and I know he made them in order to keep us safe and happy. The thing is, the person and I have already done it, we’ve had sex. Now Jesus said that when…
Read MoreWhy don’t you quote noted animal rights activists?
Question: Upon reading some of the content on your website (admittedly, not the majority, as it’s quite voluminous), I focused primarily on the animal rights content and the Roman Catholic Church Demonination section. I am curious because, upon doing a search, I couldn’t find any listings for Dr. Albert Schweitzer. His “Reverence for Life” philosophy would seem to be…
Read MoreHave you been able to convert people from liberal churches?
Question: I was wondering, have you had any luck converting those who use their buildings for recreation? I have a lot of friends who attend liberal churches of christ and I just wondered if you had any advice on how to correct. Thanks. Answer: Several of the current members at La Vista came out of…
Read MoreHow do I recover from pre-marital sex?
Question: I was reading your articles about waiting for marriage and why sex outside of marriage is wrong. Your advice is something I wish I had understood sooner. Unfortunately, I have already sinned sexually. Now I am trying to discern God’s will so that I may do what is right in His eyes. I have a girlfriend…
Read MoreDoes God require Christians to wear white, to not wear jewelry, and to not have facial hair?
Question: I have been going through your articles and was inspired by your teachings; the firm stands that you have taken on the Lord and to walk only in the Bible’s teaching and its ways and not to sway with customs and traditions. I believe, the Lord has kept this promise for you “And thine…
Read MoreWhat were the three things mentioned in the Bible that God wrote upon?
Question: What were the three things mentioned in the Bible that God wrote upon? Answer: “Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets” (Exodus 32:16). “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the…
Read MoreWhat do you think about the Catholic view of divorce?
Question: I read your web site today concerning divorce and the Bible. Clearly, God considers divorce a serious matter, possibly a sin. However, for years Catholics had strict rules about divorce and remarriage. It seems that Catholics were unfairly targeted as being too unforgiving or strict when it came to the laws of marriage. Actually,…
Read MoreShould a person go to deliverance services?
Question: What’s you take on deliverance? Do you think it’s advisable for a person to go to deliverance services? Once someone gives their life to Christ do they need deliverance? I am asking this on behalf of my friend. Answer: Deliverance services are not mentioned in the Bible, which should begin to give you a…
Read MoreA Thief Named Sin
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/AThiefNamedSin.mp3 Text: Psalm 38 I. Somewhere between 1 in 8 and 1 in 7 people will experience a robbery, either of their property or their person (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008) A. Loss of property is a violation of the person 1. You lose more than just valuables 2. You lose your feeling of safety 3. You lose your…
Read MoreWhat was Jephthah’s sin?
Question: What was Jephthah’s sin? Answer: If someone wanted to give a short answer to that question, his flaw was his rashness. “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes…
Read MoreWhat a Friend We Have in Jesus
by Ralph Walker, Jr. Joseph Scriven was born Sept. 10, 1819, at Seapatrick, near Dublin Ireland, into the wealthy family of Capt. John Scriven. Joseph’s hopes to follow his father in the military were dashed due to poor health. In 1835 he entered Trinity College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1842. During that…
Read MoreLife Beyond the Grave
by Clem Thurman in via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 23, June 5, 2009. The salient doctrine of Christianity is the teaching of Jesus Christ about life after death. Most religions have some kind of “hope” about life after death, but only Christianity offers real evidence of that hope and also carefully defines it. Christ…
Read MoreDid I drive my ex-girlfriend away from God?
Question: I’m 20, a Christian, and clearly unsure if I can make up for my possibly callous words. I was in a relationship until a few days ago. She and I had been together for about a month. Early on in the relationship, I was feeling some pressure in that she isn’t a Christian and…
Read MoreHow do I get a love for God?
Question: Hi! How do I get a love for God? The Bible says I need to love Him with all my heart and soul, but I only feel fear of the eternal consequences that come if I’m not obedient. I know the Bible says God is love, but I’m having a hard time with that…
Read MoreWhy is marijuana wrong when it is only a plant?
Question: You say marijuana is wrong even though it’s a plant and must have a purpose. I’ve found that it is really only illegal because of racism and because the medicine companies would lose money, but sugar comes from a plant too, and it can cause diabetes and other illnesses. So, if the Bible says…
Read MoreIs teaching that sin is not inherited misleading?
Question: Please go back to the Bible. What you say in this article is not in any way biblical and so is misleading. Sin is inherited. All are born sinful. The Holy Spirit is the way our hearts are opened to God. And I am not Salvation Army – simply an evangelical Anglican. We must…
Read MoreIs Moses’ name truly written in the Book of Life?
Question: I was reading Exodus 32:32. In the Book of Life, is Moses’ name truly written in it? Answer: “Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin-but if not, I…
Read MoreA Voice Heard in Ramah
by Doy Moyer There are no words to describe the horrors of the slaughter of school children and teachers. None. We struggle to find some sense in it, some meaning, some greater purpose, but we come up empty-handed. No philosophizing will help. We cannot even imagine that someone would walk into a school — a…
Read MoreUnread Letters
by Matt Hennecke via Think on These Things, April-May-June, 2009 A childhood accident resulted in poet Elizabeth Barrett becoming an invalid and a recluse. Despite her isolation, her early poetry drew the attention of Robert Browning who began courting her. He eventually asked for her hand in marriage and Elizabeth and Robert were married in 1846.…
Read MoreWhat does Matthew 13:12 mean?
Question: In Matthew 13:12 it says, “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” What does this mean? Answer: “And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”…
Read MoreUnitarian / Universalists
by Bob Lovelace First, understand that Universalism as a religion is a belief that all people will be reconciled to God. The New Testament does not teach, nor does the Old Testament, that eventually all people will be reconciled to God. Paul said when Jesus is revealed with His mighty angels it will be “In…
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