I need a dumbed-down version about divorce and remarriage
Question: I was wondering about a book called A Review of Homer Hailey’s The Divorced & Remarried Who Come To God by Weldon Warnock. Have you read it or know the author? He takes a stand against Homer Hailey’s, but I was wondering your opinion on it. I still need the divorce and remarriage issues explained to…
Read MoreHow can I believe the Bible when science has proven it wrong?
Question: That was an interesting article about the possible age of the earth. I am a Christian, but I still need some answers so I can feel comfortable about where I stand. So, if I understand it correctly, there is scientifically proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, undeniable truth that the earth is much, much…
Read MoreWhy did Moses strike the rock twice and what was Aaron’s participation?
Question: Why did Moses strike the rock twice and what was Aaron’s participation? Answer: “So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,…
Read MoreCan we worship and praise the Holy Spirit?
Question: A question was raised in class about worship and praise to the Holy Spirit. Can you give any passages that say we are to do so? I couldn’t find any that give a specific yes or no. There are some that infer it and we can be condemned by blaspheming Him. Answer: Worship is…
Read MoreThe Found Tribes of Israel
by Edwin L. Crozier, via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 4, Jan. 27, 2008. One of the most common mistakes made about Biblical history is the supposedly lost tribes of Israel. We know God divided the descendants of Jacob into 13 different tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Ephraim,…
Read MoreForgiveness (North)
by Phillip North via Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 8, Aug. 2008. Much has been preached and written on how mankind, especially Christians, should and must practice forgiveness. No doubt it is a command, not a mere option. Jesus said, “But if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if…
Read MoreThe “Folly” of God
by Ethan R. Longhenry This was not the expected script. The time, of course, was right. Four grand empires had been prophesied (cf. Daniel 2, 7); Babylon and Medo-Persia were long gone, the age of the Greeks was over, and Rome was now in power. He was supposed to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2);…
Read MoreThe Flood and Baptism
by Frank J. Jamerson via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 13, March 30, 2008. Many of the teachings of the New Testament were prefigured in the Old Testament. The Old Testament story is the type and the New Testament lesson is the antitype, or that which is prefigured. One of these types is the flood.…
Read MoreFinding Grace (McCrary)
by Mark McCrary via Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 11, Nov. 2008. Man fell because he rejected God. Rejection is a painful thing, isn’t it? When others push us away, they are really saying we aren’t what they want; that we do not satisfy them. And, when we are rejected, aside from being hurt, we may…
Read MoreCan a church receive funds from non-believers or an organization?
Question: Thank you very much for your web site. I find it both educative and encouraging. Can I trouble you, my beloved brother, with some questions? Can a faithful congregation receive aid for the needy in the congregation from a non-believer or an organization? Can a faithful brother solicit relief aid for a church from…
Read MoreThe Faith of Toleration
by Todd Chandler via Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 7, July 2008. Right and Wrong … Fewer People Like to Think in Those Terms or Listen to Those Who Do. The business of drawing lines is risky and a quick way to get labeled judgmental, self-righteous, or hateful. So, a more peaceful option becomes popular. The…
Read MoreEmpty Faith
by Carey Scott “My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don’t do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you?” (James 2:14, CEV). There are a lot of people going around and calling themselves a Christians. Yet their actions do not…
Read MoreThank you for explaining topics like sex so clearly from the Bible
Question: I’m not completely sure who responds to “Questions,” but I would like to say thank you! I am a Catholic and I can’t say thank you enough. In my church sex and such is taboo. They never open up and talk to us so clearly like I found in La Vista Church of Christ’s…
Read MoreI wish you could experience speaking in tongues first-hand
Question: I have been reading your sermons for years and using some of them in my own examples. I enjoy reading your thoughts and ideas on the Scriptures. The one thing that you are missing in the text about Speaking in Tongues is the experience of hearing it first hand and seeing it work to…
Read MoreWhy not make a point about the folded napkin, even if it wasn’t a tradition at that time?
Question: I am surprised by your criticism of the folded napkin of Jesus. I read through the article several times and I do not see any contradiction with the resurrection of Jesus when one highlighted the significance of the folded napkin. Any exegesis being done on any events or occurrences recorded in the Bible should…
Read MoreWhat gives you the right to teach that homosexuality is wrong when you can’t be sure you’re right?
Question: I’d like to let you know straight away: what you are doing is so incredibly wrong that it cut me to the quick. I don’t have any problems with people believing in God. But I do have a problem with those guys who think that they have to spread the most terrible parts of…
Read MoreThe Emerging Church – The New Face of Heresy
by Wayne Jackson Recently, Charles Colson, a leading evangelical writer, pointed out: Last June, a Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey found rampant doctrinal ignorance among American Christians. Fifty-seven percent of evangelicals believed people who follow religions other than their own can enjoy eternal life. The results were so unexpected that Pew repeated…
Read MoreHow do I tell a friend that Benny Hinn cannot heal her blind child?
Question: I know a person who has a blind child. This person wants to take her child to Benny Hinn because she believes her son will be healed through him. I know this is not true, but I need Scripture to back it up. I feel so bad for her because she wants so badly…
Read MoreHow do I keep my thoughts from wandering during my prayers?
Question: When I try to pray, I cannot always pay full attention. My mind wanders many times. I am cautious about my prayers, but I still drift away in my thoughts. Answer: When you read through the prayers recorded for us in the Bible, what becomes noticeable is that most of them are short and…
Read MoreDoubting Your Salvation
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 8, Feb. 20, 2009. QUESTION: Would you please explain I John 3:20,21? ANSWER: John wrote: “Because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, we have boldness toward God” (I John 3:20,21).…
Read MoreWhat about the American Indians, prior to their contact with Christianity? Could they have been saved?
Question: I was wondering if the American Indians in America prior to 1492 were saved despite their isolation from the rest of the world. Answer: You might as well also ask about the people prior to Christ. The Israelites had God’s law, but most of the world did not have the laws of God written…
Read MoreDon’t be Hoodwinked!
by Allen Dvorak via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 10, Mar. 9, 2008. Our word “hoodwinked” is actually a falconry term. We use it to mean “to deceive,” but Webster notes that the word also means “to blind by covering the eyes.” The falconer must hoodwink his falcon. At the beginning of training, the bird…
Read MoreI have OCD-Religion and obsess over bad thoughts. Is there anything you can do to help me?
Question: I have a serious and tormenting question. I am a member of the church of Christ and have been for a while. Four years ago I was diagnosed with OCD-religion. This is a mental illness which produces unwanted and intrusive bad thoughts. I have been in pure misery and have been paralyzed by fear…
Read MoreCan you recommend any books to further study Ezekiel?
Question: I’ve stumbled upon your web site doing a search for study resources on Ezekiel. I’m impressed with how thorough your notes are and I’ve bookmarked this site. Thanks for all the work you’ve put into this. Do you have any books you would recommend for further study? Answer: Thank you for your kind words. I…
Read MoreWhat is the point of the story of Elisha, the 42 youths, and the bears?
Question: I do not quite understand the story in II Kings 2:23-25. What is the point there? Is it okay for a prophet to curse somebody in the name of the Lord? How about other believers of God? Can they curse somebody in the name of the Lord? According to the Bible, will those children…
Read MoreWhat can I do about my teenage son’s obsession with diapers and his hiding food in his closet?
Question: I have a question regarding my teenage son’s obsession with diapers. I have found out he has been on inappropriate web sites about diapers. This has been going on for about three years that we know of. The school found he was on a diaper site, and in fifth grade, we found a diaper…
Read MoreHow do you explain praying God’s will and not your own?
Question: How can I best explain to someone about praying God’s will? Her sister is deathly ill and she just keeps praying for the sister to be cured of cancer. I told her she should be praying God’s will, not her own. She doesn’t understand and I am not sure how to explain it. She…
Read MoreIs our college Bible study group operating in a scriptural manner?
Question: I recently was baptized into the church of Christ. I have been attending services at a local church of Christ for over three years, but being raised in a Catholic environment I wanted to learn more before being baptized. Within the past year I joined the Christian Student Center at the college I attend,…
Read MoreWhat did Jesus expect of Peter when he said to feed his sheep?
Question: Our Lord Jesus in John 21 tells the apostle Peter to feed His sheep three times. What role was Peter being told to assume? Is it that of an elder? Which sheep was our Lord talking about? Is it the other apostles and disciples or the church that was going to be established at Jerusalem?…
Read MoreI got drunk, visited a prostitute and really messed up my life. What do I do?
Question: I am a 26-year-old male and a Roman Catholic. Last month I was celebrating my birthday and I had planned a simple day for myself with my roommates: have a few drinks and dinner. I prayed for this to be my year with the help of God, and I went to the chapel to…
Read MoreWhy do we use songs by writers who did not believe the truth?
Question: The part I am not really understanding is why we choose to use songs by Fanny Crosby or Isaac Watts etc. They didn’t even believe the truth. Using the words of false teachers in praise to our heavenly Father? There are other choices. I will be continuing to pray and study this subject. I…
Read MoreDifferent Views of Truth
by Shane Williams via The Lilbourn light, Vol. 9, No. 11, March 2009. Isn’t it interesting that two people can see the same thing and come away with two different conclusions? The same thing can be said concerning what we hear or what we read. When the twelve spies were sent to explore the Promised…
Read MoreQuestions about the use of funds given to the church
Question: Having read your articles and also was a member of the conservative church for 24 years I have some questions. The conservatives say it is ok to use the Lord’s money for a $20,000 yard but wrong to give a sinner some food from the treasury. Really? It is ok to rent a place to…
Read MoreHow could a just God put a man in a place where he is unable to hear about Jesus and then send him to hell?
Question: From your sermon “The Lost Who Never Heard the Gospel”: “If people could be saved without going through Christ, then why would God have sent him to die?” Then is it safe to say that this God you say is a just God of love would create a human being, place him in a location where…
Read MoreCurses!
by Steve Klein Today we have experts and scholars on every subject imaginable – from global warming to cotton farming. Timothy Jay is an expert on cursing. He’s made quite a study of it, written two books about it, and talks about it often to his students at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts where…
Read MoreWhy is the Qur’an different from the Bible?
Question: Even though I live in a very conservative Muslim society, I grew up in a somewhat liberal Muslim family. Furthermore, my Muslim upbringing was unique due to my father’s and mother’s serious involvement in Islam. I personally do not consider myself very religious. However, throughout all this time I never doubted the fundamentals of…
Read MoreIt is getting hard not to have sex. I want to marry my boyfriend, but I don’t want to give up my independence. Can we get married so we can have sex, but still live apart?
Question: Didn’t people get married during or soon after puberty in Biblical times? It seems like it would be a lot easier to abstain from premarital sex if people were getting married as teenagers. In our society, people usually get married in their mid to late 20s, 10 or more years after sexual maturity. People…
Read MoreWho wrote II Kings?
Question: Who wrote II Kings? Answer: I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, and II Kings are actually one long book that became divided into four parts. Scrolls can only hold so much before they become unwieldy. The books are thought to be the work of a series of prophets. Such makes the most sense since…
Read MoreConsistency and Character
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 2, December 1951. Reputation and Character Character is what we are. It is the sum total of qualities that distinguish one person from another. Reputation is what is said about us — that which others think we are. Character and reputation are sometimes the same: perhaps…
Read MoreConsider the Cost First to Lessen the Debt Later
by Kent Heaton The burden of debt robs happiness and joy from life. In our economic crisis, our world has been propelled into a dark period of hardship, sadness, and depression. As many have spent their time enjoying whatever the heart finds to do the day of reckoning brings about the reality of life unbridled.…
Read More