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Did Jesus tell the Essenes not to eat breakfast?
Question: Is it true that Jesus told the Essenes not to eat breakfast? If so, why? Answer: I was puzzled by the nature of the question since the Essenes are not mentioned in the Bible, though some claim that the Zealots (of which one apostle was once a member) were a branch of the Essenes,…
Read MoreWhich one translation would you recommend?
Question: I have been searching for articles online regarding which English version of the Bible would be best (most accurate) for me to purchase and use to study. I happened across your web page: Which Bible translations are the best? But I don’t think one version was actually picked out above the rest, although many were…
Read MoreIf a woman has surgery to become a man, does God see her as a male or a female?
Question: I have written to you before and was well satisfied with your answer. I believe you do a wonderful work on this site for God. My question is: We were discussing Chasity Bono at work, who is about to have surgery to become a man. As far as we know she has been living…
Read MoreCan you explain why you talk about benevolence, but then say the church isn’t always involved?
Question: I saw your web site while doing some study on a series of messages this weekend I am doing on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. I found your message on The Three Philosophies of Life. I have heard from others that same approach to the parable. Do you know where the idea of “Three…
Read MoreCan those who teach institutionalism or liberalism be called brethren?
Question: Can you please help me? I am a preacher of the gospel who is striving to teach and practice the truth. I respect the God-given work of the church and I do have a problem with churches doing what is not authorized in the Bible as far as using the church funds. Is it…
Read MoreCould all the bad things happening to me just be bad karma?
Question: I have a question about my relationship. I have three children out of wedlock by two different men. I am currently with my youngest two’s father for the last seven years. My question is: I have always heard of karma. My children’s father and I got together seven years ago while he was in…
Read MoreWhat should I do for an ex-Christian who is trying to care for a grandchild?
Question: I am helping an elderly lady financially, who has taken on her granddaughter. Her granddaughter’s dad was killed and her mom lost custody due to drugs. I suppose she is considered an orphan. I discussed with grandmom the need to become a Christian. She said she was baptized into the Lord’s church years ago…
Read MoreI know God has forgiven me, but I had committed adultery and I can’t forgive myself
Question: I went looking for answers on the web because I too had committed adultery, but it was many years ago when I was young. I was a virgin at the time – very naive about matters in regards to men and women. I was born into a strict Italian home with a harsh Dad…
Read MoreAm I sinning if I enjoy vacations and meals with a man who left the Lord’s church for a denomination?
Question: I have been studying your sermon outline “Withdraw Yourselves.” I have a friend who was once a member of the Lord’s church. He is now a member of a denomination. Your outline says that you cannot withdraw from a non-Christian. II John 10-11 says, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this…
Read MoreWill our dead bodies be physically raised on the last day?
Question: I’ve had someone ask me about where the soul goes after death and how that correlates with the resurrection. I looked up articles on your site and was able to answer most of her questions, but one still remains. In Luke 16:19-31 we, of course, read the account of the rich man and Lazarus, gleaning the spiritual…
Read MoreDid Elisha strike the water once or twice?
Question: In II Kings 2:14, do you believe Elisha strikes the water twice with the mantle of Elijah or just once? Answer: “Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water,…
Read MoreI caught my husband committing incest. We are now separated, but I’m being told I owe him sex. I don’t plan to return to this man, so do I owe him sex while we are separated?
Question: My husband and I both attend the same church but we are separated. I have no intention of reconciling with him. I have been separated from him before and took him back after he stated that he was born again and was a “changed man”. We moved back together, had rocky times, but I…
Read MoreThere are so many religions that I am confused thinking that one is right and another is wrong. What should I do?
Question: I was just pondering over an article written on the differences between Catholicism and Christianity. I was raised Catholic and my whole family is Catholic. My grandmother is very adamant about her faith and spends the major part of her day in service, prayer, community service, etc. She believes in the Ten Commandments, the Virgin Mary,…
Read MoreWhy is life unfair?
Question: Where does the Bible say that life is unfair? Why is life unfair? Who made life unfair? I don’t understand. I get so tired of hearing this every time someone says that something is unfair. Answer: “Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart…
Read MoreDo spirits exist?
Question: I had a question regarding something that is not necessarily “scriptural,” but I believe can be connected back to Scripture. My question is basically: “Do ghosts exist?” Now, this question is more complex than it appears. By “ghosts,” I am not necessarily referring to souls of dead people stuck on earth (the secular definition),…
Read MoreThank you for the old-fashioned Bible storybook illustrations
Question: I just found your site, with the old-fashioned Bible storybook illustrations. I want to thank whoever went to all the trouble to put these pages online! This was exactly what I was looking for, for our VBS stories this year. Answer: You’re welcome.
Read MoreThe change in food laws was an act of the Roman Catholic church
Question: I was reading your article you had done concerning Animal Rights and the Bible, and upon reading it you stated that the Most High had given Israel food laws, and then stated the Most High changed the food laws in the book of Acts. Sir, that teaching is totally false and because the Roman Catholic…
Read MoreCan you explain Hebrews 13:16 in terms of fellowship?
Question: So now I am having trouble with Hebrews 13:16. He says, “But to do good and to communicate forget not”. The words “to communicate” are the word Koinonia (fellowship). So he is saying “But to do good and to fellowship forget not”. So what does he mean by telling them to fellowship? Other translations…
Read MoreWe have strong feelings for each other, but how do we know if we are made for each other?
Question: My problem is that I love a person, well, we both love each other, but he is a year younger than me; I’m 20 and he is 19. We indulged in sexual touching, but soon we realized that we were sinning. We do not do it anymore. We seriously are repentant about our past…
Read MoreWhat kind of skin did God make for Adam and Eve after their sin?
Question: I found this article interesting and informative, but wished to correct one piece of information. God didn’t kill any animals to clothe Adam and Eve, that Bible quote is referring to Him creating our skin. Because after eating from the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve realized they were naked — so they couldn’t have been clothed…
Read MoreWhy are older people so much nicer and more respectful than young people?
Question: Every time I attend worship, older people like me more than people my age. Why are older people so much nicer and more respectful than young people? There are no young people as nice and respectful as older people. I wish our young people were nice like older people. Answer: “Let your speech always…
Read MoreCan you explain Philippians 3:10?
Question: I am still studying all about fellowship. It is a very interesting study. Now I think I understand what you have been saying that fellowship (koinonia) is a noun and it helps to think of it like we do the word “friendship.” So if two people are friends, they are friends based on their…
Read MoreYour rhetoric regarding the Church of the Nazarene is wrong-headed and malicious
Question: I am a minister in the Church of the Nazarene and take offense to your article about the church. Interestingly I was raised in the Church of Christ until I left home in my late teens. Your rhetoric regarding the church is wrong-headed and malicious. It does not help the cause of Christ to bash…
Read MoreIs it wrong to make a decision about what is right or wrong based on what you think a cartoon character would do?
Question: Is it sinful to base your life on a cartoon? Let’s say you’re being tempted, but to help you get past your temptation you think about what a hero on a show would do. Would that be sinful? Answer: A lot would depend on the cartoon I would think. Behind every cartoon is a…
Read MoreWhat are the four faces of Jesus?
Question: What are the four faces of Jesus? And how are they related to the present-day church? Answer: The phrase is not used in the Bible, but it is how some modern writers refer to the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each gospel is addressed to a different audience and, therefore, addresses different…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between courtship and dating?
Question: What is the difference between courtship and dating? I don’t see any difference. Answer: Dating in American culture is when a boy and a girl see each other regularly and go out on outings together, one-on-one. The purpose is to get to know each other and to decide if each wants the other as…
Read MoreHow do I find a girlfriend in the United States?
Question: I am a 20-year-old boy. I don’t have any girlfriend and I want to find a nice girl, say between 18 and 45 years of age, from the United States of America or another American country. So what should I do to find her? Answer: Let me first warn you, there are a number…
Read MoreHow do Luke 21:16 and Luke 21:18 harmonize?
Question: In the context of Luke 21:5-19, how would you harmonize 16 and 18? If you take the figurative approach to 18, what do the hair and head represent? Literal? I look forward to your thoughts. Answer: Luke 21 is a parallel account to Matthew 24 and Mark 13, discussing the fall of Jerusalem. In…
Read MoreWould it be wrong to punch your friend if he agreed to being punched?
Question: If you were offered $100 to punch someone (no person in particular). So you get one of your friends and you say, “Let me punch you and I’ll give you $50.” If he says, “yes,” is it a sin? Answer: I’m puzzled about where this one is going. You see, I used to do…
Read MoreWhat do you suggest I do when my brothers are bugging me?
Question: What do you suggest I do when my brothers are bugging me? Answer: Having siblings is a blessing and a curse. It is great to have someone there to do things with, but because you live together they know all your weak points. If they want to irritate you, they know just how to…
Read MoreIf a person doesn’t follow God’s specific will for his life, he’ll end up in hell. How can you teach otherwise?
Question: I must question your answer in “How will I know that this is the girl God wants me to marry?” The Bible is remarkably clear that God has an intricate plan for our life, which includes specifics such as which college to attend, whom to marry, where to live, which car to buy, and…
Read MoreCan the church pay for things pertaining to the upkeep of the church building?
Question: Do you think the church can pay for things that pertain to the church building for things such as repairs or the lawn maintenance and work around the grounds to keep it looking presentable and then accommodations such as nursery items (baby bed, rocking chairs, books, maybe even toys, etc…), things that are simply conveniences…
Read MoreIf God gave us free will, why is it Satan can still tempt us?
Question: Okay, I don’t really know how to put this so here goes: If God gave us free will, why is it Satan can still tempt us? Answer: A good question. Free will means that God allows you to make choices in your life. God decided before making the world that He wanted people who…
Read MoreI married a woman in name only so she could become a citizen of my country. I have a girlfriend and a child by her. How do I fix this mess?
Question: I have a question. I married someone so that they might become a citizen of my country. I did not do this for money, but because I felt it the right thing to do at the time, although I was aware I might be misusing marriage as God intended. We have never been intimately…
Read MoreWhy did God prove He existed before but not now?
Question: My son has come to me asking questions about the church. He is a member of the church but has fallen away. His asking questions is a crack in the door I don’t want to miss out on. He’s asking why did God allow proof that He existed then, but doesn’t now. He said…
Read MoreMy husband cheated and I cheated. I lived with a man for years before the divorce was final. We eventually married, but did I have the right to marry again?
Question: As I read through some of your posts on adultery, one comes strongly out to me. I will explain my situation: I married a man. I didn’t talk to God or parents before it and we were kids, even as adults we were kids. Then we had a kid. He cheated, I cheated. We…
Read MoreI don’t practice witchcraft anymore because the Bible says it is wrong, but I still feel no evil acts are done by Wiccans. Am I wrong to feel this way?
Question: I am struggling with a bit of guilt. And some indecisions in my life. I am at this point, committed to God and His unchanging word. I have been in this same place in my life before. The problem is that I have, in even the recent past, gotten into Wicca and paganism. I…
Read MoreI disagree with your stances on the Sabbath and on masturbation
Question: I must disagree with you on two counts. First of all, I cannot agree with your stand on the Sabbath day. When Paul and the other writers write of various points, such as honoring parents, not killing, not stealing, etc. they are not establishing new rules but are quoting from the Ten, which their…
Read MoreCan a person give his contribution to his unemployed mother instead of to the Lord?
Question: As far as the collection goes, would it be wrong to take the money one would put in the collection plate every Sunday and give it to his unemployed mother, who is living with her daughter, which would be his sister, instead? Answer: What is happening is a person is trying to play one…
Read MoreDo you think this web site’s discussion of sex and the Bible to be accurate?
Question: I’d like you to check out this web site and advise me if you feel it is a “false prophet” kind of deal or if it indeed biblically founded. Check it out! It’s pretty interesting. Answer: It is nonsense of the worse sort. It is so ridiculous that I’m not certain the person is serious. Just…
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