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What should I say when I hear someone give bad advice?
Question: Hey Jeffrey, What is the balance between expecting the world to just act like the world and take a stand? Like I know a guy who claims to be a Christian. He was giving advice about going through divorce to someone else and he said “getting a rebound chick is the key”. I’m sure…
Read MoreI refused to drink some “mystic” water and now the office thinks I may be a witch
Question: Hey Jeffrey, I need guidance. We had prayer and fasting at work, during which our boss asked for a bag of sachet water which he anointed with an oil that he said was given to him by God. He then said that whoever has an ailment of any kind should come and drink it…
Read MoreHow much obedience does the Lord demand of me?
Question: Hey Jeffrey, I have a problem understanding the nature of obedience to God’s laws. I read and hear that obedience is required for salvation, but no man (besides Jesus) has obeyed perfectly, so please help me understand the nature of the obedience required to please God and enter His eternal abode. Is part of…
Read MoreHow do I show my coworker that it is not faith alone that saves?
Question: Hello, I am in a discussion of the Bible with a man that I work with. He is Lutheran and I go to a church of Christ. His beliefs are that faith saves and continues to recite the verse from Ephesians 2:8-9. I’m sure you’re very familiar with that verse. I have shared with…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between praise and worship?
Question: I need a lesson from you about the difference between praise and worship. What is it that we mean when we say “let’s praise the Lord” and when we say “let’s worship the Lord”? Please help me in that area. Answer: Praise “And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time…
Read MoreDoes God have a sense of humor?
Question: I have wondered many times if God had a sense of humor. I’ve watched many videos where Jesus had conversations with many people. During some conversations, people admit that Jesus had this sweet, soft type of humor behind some of his remarks. So this brings me to the question, does God (the Father, Jesus,…
Read MoreI’m trying to turn my life around, but it just doesn’t feel like when I was first saved
Question: Thank you so much for taking my question. Many years ago, when I was about 18 years old, I was saved. My life was completely changed at that moment, and I remember how for weeks following, I would go outside at night by myself and look up in the sky and contemplate God, in…
Read MoreWhy did Peter follow Jesus?
Question: Why did Peter follow Jesus? Answer: Peter followed Jesus first because his brother, Andrew, told him that he and John, Peter’s fellow fisherman, had found the Messiah (John 1:41-42), so initially, he went out of curiosity. When he met Jesus, he was given a nickname, which indicated what kind of man he would become.…
Read MoreWho were the twelve tribes scattered abroad?
Question: Good day sir, I was wondering, if the church replaced Israel, then who was James writing to in James 1:1 when he said the twelve tribes scattered abroad? Answer: “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings” (James 1:1). The book of…
Read MoreDid God give Moses the commandment to circumcise?
Question: In John 7:21 when Jesus says, circumcision is not of Moses but of “the Fathers,” is he implying that God never gave Moses the commandment of circumcision? I know that this command is written in Genesis 17:10. However, Jesus seems to be implying that this law never came from Moses. Answer: “Did not Moses…
Read MoreCan a woman serve as a church’s secretary or treasurer?
Question: Is it right to make a Christian sister the church secretary? Can a sister also act as the treasurer? Answer: First off, you will not find a position of secretary or treasurer mentioned in the New Testament. The closest you will get to a treasurer is that Judas used to keep the money box…
Read MoreWas the collection in I Corinthians 16:1-2 really worship?
Question: The church I attend teaches that the collection in I Corinthians 16:1-2 is not part of the worship service. They say Paul commanded that to help the church in Jerusalem, not to worship by giving. What is your comment about that? Answer: The same giving is discussed in II Corinthians 8 and 9, where…
Read MoreHow do I talk to an uncle I suspect of being homosexual?
Question: I have seen things that make me suspect my uncle is gay. He is also very feminine. I have seen on his phone him searching for gay porn and in gay chat rooms. I know if my grandmother found out she would be devastated … unless she already knows. The reason I’m telling you…
Read MoreNeither of us has been good, but now that my girlfriend is trying to improve her faith, she is pulling away from me
Question: My girlfriend and I have been together for six months. We have a past as well. We are both believers in the Lord and have been for a while. We both have children from past relationships, prior to becoming believers. We are currently struggling with our relationship, in part because we both have backsliding…
Read MoreHow can we know Jesus forgives mortal sins we are traumatized over?
Question: Hi, I’m just enquiring if you can help me. I read comments about sin on your site. My question is: How can we know Jesus forgives mortal sins we are traumatized over? Answer: The Roman Catholic church uses the term “mortal sins,” instead of just saying “sins.” Even though the Roman Catholic religion makes…
Read MoreThe Cultural Problem with Truth
by Doy Moyer The truth shall set you free (John 8:32). To borrow an idea from another well-known statement, had it not been for the truth, I would not have known lies. Oxford’s word of the year in 2016 was “post-truth.” That should not really be a surprise. For decades Postmodernism has eaten away at…
Read MoreHow do we deal with erring brethren?
Question: I’m looking for clarity on “liberal church associations.” If I’m a conservative (non-institutional) brother, am I to fellowship with those who worship in a liberal church? Here is my view and please correct me if I’m in error. As a Christian, I believe that outside of a worship setting it is alright to fellowship…
Read MoreHow can you know if the person to whom you lied knows that you lied to her?
Question: How can you know if the person to whom you lied knows that you lied to her? Answer: You are asking the wrong question. You are worried about whether you were caught in a lie. What you really should be concerned about is that liars end up in Hell. “But for the cowardly and…
Read MoreWhy were Michael and Satan arguing about the body of Moses?
Question: I have a Bible question about Jude: Why were Michael and Satan arguing about the corpse of Moses? Answer: “Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body…
Read MoreCan a woman divorce her husband because he hid the fact that he was impotent?
Question: What can the church do in a situation where a sister says she has been deceived by a brother who is impotent? He concealed the matter until he had married the sister. Can the sister marry another person since she desires children and was misled? Answer: The short answer is, “no.” She married the…
Read MoreI caught my fiance lying and now I can’t trust him
Question: Hi and good day, My fiancé and I have both been Christians for some years now; however, I strongly believe that he has a problem with lying. He lies and makes others look bad, and he looks like the victim. Accidentally, I found out the truth about a matter, and only when I confronted…
Read MoreI appreciate your consistent quality of answers to questions
Question: Brothers, I appreciate your consistent quality of answers to questions. Saturday, I searched Google for “Is Teknon in Titus 1:6 singular or plural?” The top result was La Vista Church of Christ. My brothers with simple, easy-to-understand answers at the top of Google’s list. It brings me joy (and a bit of envy –…
Read MoreIs time just an invention of man and doesn’t really exist?
Question: Hey Jeffrey, I talk to these new age types of people, and I’ve heard them say multiple times that time doesn’t exist but is an invention of man to keep track of things. How does one respond to that? Didn’t time begin once God began the creation? Answer: Yes, the Bible starts out, “In…
Read MoreWhat is the meaning of “pipes prepared in thee”?
Question: In the book of Ezekiel 28:13, what is the meaning of “pipes prepared in thee”? Did Satan have musical instruments as part of him? Did he have a harp as part of his body? Answer: “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and…
Read MoreI find your article on why suicide is a sin to be completely unsympathetic and untrue
Question: I feel compelled by God to send you these words of enlightenment. As a Christian person who suffers from deep depression (on medication and under a doctor’s care), I find your article to be completely unsympathetic and untrue. There are many, many other Christian writings out there that contradict what you have written. To me,…
Read MoreWhat is meant by the dividing asunder of soul and spirit?
Question: Can you explain Hebrews 4:12, especially the phrase: “the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow”? Answer: “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and…
Read MoreWhen did Jesus become the Son of God?
Question: Hi minister, I do not believe that the Bible contradicts itself; hence, whenever I sense a contradiction I call it confusion. Now I am a little confused because I do not know when Jesus became the son of God. This is because some passages of the Bible say he became the son by virtue…
Read MoreIs there any mention of God the Mother in the Bible?
Question: Good day, Is there any mention of God the Mother in the Bible? I have to prepare for a group that is going to convince me from the Bible that it does teach about God the Mother. Answer: I’m assuming you have run into members of the World Mission Society Church of God. This…
Read MoreWhen did people start calling God, “Abba Daddy” or “Papa?”
Question: What are your thoughts on calling God “Abba Daddy” or “Papa?” In reading the thoughts of others and their reason for using this phrase, I was wondering when this came about. Answer: The phrase “Abba, Father” came about when Jesus called out to God in an hour of need before his crucifixion. “And He…
Read MoreIs it wrong to give a bribe in a country where bribery is prevalent and demanded?
Question: Please, is paying a bribe to someone who demands it before justice is practiced a sin? The public sector and almost every institution in my country are choked with extortioners and people expecting bribes. Employment in the public sector is found by paying something to politicians and “middlemen” before one is given employment. This…
Read MoreWas Timothy’s father an Aramean?
Question: In Was Timothy’s father a non-believer? you said, “In the end, I think all you can state is that Timothy’s father was of Greek nationality.” But Acts 16:1 (translated from Aramaic Peshitta, based on Younan) says, “And he arrived at the medintha [city] Derbe and at Lostra. Now there was there a certain talmida [student]…
Read MoreCan plays and skits about Bible stories be used to teach children during a VBS?
Question: Can plays and skits about Bible stories be used to teach children during a VBS? Answer: A Vacation Bible School (VBS) is basically a gospel meeting for kids. The Bible shows teaching being done in a variety of ways: A fig tree was killed (Matthew 21:21), Idols and worldly poets were cited (Acts 17:23,28), Children…
Read MoreI learned a lot from your post about avoiding sex before marriage
Question: Hello, I have read the post on avoiding sex before marriage. I have learned a lot. I hope that I will be able to stick to what the word says and that my relationship won’t fail because we are trying to stay pure. Thank you for the advice. Answer: You’re welcome.
Read MoreI recently slept with a guy. Is there any hope for me?
Question: Hello Sir, I’ve sinned against God. I am gay. I slept with a guy just recently. Please, is there any hope for me to inherit God’s kingdom? I’m really confused. Please help me. Answer: The same passage that says that homosexuals cannot inherit the kingdom of God also says that fornicators, adulterers, and drunkards…
Read MoreHow could Ananias give Paul the Holy Spirit?
Question: If Paul was an apostle, he was supposed to receive the Holy Spirit from another apostle or directly from God, yet he received it from a disciple. I thought only apostles had the ability to give the Holy Spirit. Answer: “But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of…
Read MoreWe just don’t feel connected with this church
Question: We have attended our current congregation for several years. Good sound teaching, but we don’t feel a connection with anyone. My wife has wanted to try other congregations, but I don’t like to change. Recently she has been ill and has not felt like attending for over a month, and no one even asked…
Read MoreIs a church secretary or treasurer a permanent position?
Question: I want to know whether a church secretary, treasurer, etc. once appointed or chosen to that post is permanent, or they can be rotated on a tenure basis. Answer: There is no such office in the church as a secretary or treasurer. Duties, such as these, are usually filled by deacons. If there is…
Read MoreIn regards to fellowship halls, it seems you gave two different answers
Question: I was reading through some of your questions and answers regarding fellowship halls. I’m a little confused. In one post about the subject, someone asked if they could still worship as long as they didn’t attend the meal. The answer was yes and Revelation 3:4 was cited. In a different question, someone asked about using the building…
Read MoreExcellent job in preaching the truth in love
Question: Greetings brother in Christ! Just wanted to let you know I stumbled upon your site while doing some Bible research. I appreciate your Q&A section and articles. Excellent job in preaching the truth in love. Answer: Thank you for the encouragement.
Read MoreI’ve suffered from OCD too
Question: I was searching for answers to my mental condition, and I came across your site. I read the story of a person who was worried about a certain problem. I’ve suffered the same thing since 2007. I’ve been on medication since then. The medication does help, but it’s not a cure for OCD thoughts,…
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