Aren’t there animals in heaven?

Question: According to your previous answer to the question raised in regards to animals having souls: you said, they have souls but will go down to the earth when they die. Human spirits will ascend to Paradise. Here is my question: What about the animals found in heaven according to the book of Isaiah 11:6-9;…

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My parents object to my becoming a missionary

Question: Hi, I am currently a senior in high school. I have been considering the idea of becoming a preacher sometime in the future. I am considering doing some mission work before committing to the pulpit role. My parents are not in great support of the idea of mission work. They are concerned about how…

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Will faithful Christians face judgment on Judgment Day?

Question: Hello, I am a member of the church of Christ. Will faithful Christians face judgment on Judgment Day? If yes, is giving an account and being judged the same thing? Answer: Judgment is based on both the good and the bad that we have done. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat…

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What is speaking in tongues?

Question: What is speaking in tongues and what does it prove? Answer: In Acts 2:5-12 the apostles were speaking in a way that people from 15 different nationalities were able to understand the speakers in their own tongue.  Since the hearers heard a language that they understood, it stands to reason that the language of…

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Can’t I just worship with different congregations each Sunday?

Question: Good evening Minister, I have been a member of the Lord’s church for over five years. I’ve been a faithful member; however, I had some concerns about some things that were going on in worship. I left my home-based church where I felt like I was ostracized because I’m a single woman. I began…

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Your points are concise, plausible, and substantiated by the Scriptures

Question: I wanted to say thank you, at least for the two articles of yours I have read so far. I have been raised in what I would presume would be considered a “moderate” congregation of the church. I have some family members that attend a more “conservative” congregation. For the record, I have a…

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Your site is one of my favorites

Question: Hello, I just had to thank you again for your site. I consider it a favorite. I loved your article on Matthew 24. I think it is right on. I am in what you might call an institutional church of Christ. Thanks again. Answer: I’m glad you are finding the material useful in your studies.

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My husband’s family is denying him a traditional marriage

Question: I have been having this dilemma and do not know how else to proceed. My fiancé and I had a civil marriage with the consent of both parents. A year later we were to have a traditional wedding (as I am African) and then a church ceremony. Long story short, my fiancé’s parents withdrew…

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What a blessing you are

Question: What a blessing you are. May God bless you for the work you are doing. Love to see answers to my problem through reading your articles. God bless you. Answer: Thank you for the kind encouragement.

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I am learning quite a bit from the sermons

Question: Thank you very much! I am learning quite a bit from the sermons, and I thought the series on Drinking in the Old and New Testaments was excellent. It provided more clarity on Jesus turning the water into wine than most other things I have seen or heard. I plan on checking into some of the…

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I can’t stop sleeping with prostitutes

Question: Hello sir, I read your article, and I felt I could tell you my deepest secret. I started sleeping with prostitutes some years back and have been fighting seriously to stop it. The problem is I have begged God for forgiveness on several occasions; yet, I fall again. Sir, I am tired of begging…

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Thank you for teaching the truth

Question: I am in my sixties. I was raised in the church of Christ. I am now a chaplain at our local prison. I want to thank you for teaching the truth that indeed will judge all mankind. Answer: Thank you for the encouragement.

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Is it supposed to be brothers or brothers and sisters?

Question: Hi Jeff, In Acts 6:3, some translations say brethren, some say brothers, and some say brothers and sisters. Which one is correct? Did the men of the congregation choose the seven or was it the whole congregation? Thank you. Answer: Like many languages, the male gender of words is used when talking about a…

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Why did the Israelites add an extra week to the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

Question: Hello, I’m from a church of Christ. I, of course, believe in worshiping after the pattern in the New Testament. How would you harmonize II Chronicles 30:23 with this? This text appears to show the Israelites adding seven additional days to the Feast of Unleavened Bread with God accepting it. There is no apparent…

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Can parents annul their daughter’s marriage?

Question: Please Minister, Can it be right for a parent to annul the marriage of their daughter based on disrespectful behavior shown toward them by their son-in-law? Can a married woman divorce her husband based on the same reason? Answer: A marriage covenant is between a husband and wife (Matthew 19:4-6). Parents are not a…

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Should we pray to cover ourselves with the blood of Jesus?

Question: Is it OK, while we pray, to cover ourselves with the blood of Jesus? For example, we cover ourselves with the blood of Jesus for protection. Do you remember the Passover when a lamb’s blood was used for protection against death? In that same way, better blood that speaks more than that of a…

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Each time a friend visits money goes missing

Question: Each time a colleague visits, my money goes missing. Twice he has visited and twice my money has gone missing. What should I do? Answer: I would say there is a strong probability that your colleague is using drugs. First, put your money in a safer place. Second, stop inviting this person into your…

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Did Mary lead prayers? Did people receive all the gifts of the Spirit?

Question: Thank you for taking my questions. We were discussing the upper room Wednesday night. Acts 1:13-17 mentions that Mary, Jesus’ mother, and other women were present. We were trying to determine if Mary herself was praying while all the people were there. I know some women prophesied back then. My option is she was…

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Does John 14:26 apply to Christians today?

Question: Hi Jeff, Does John 14:26 apply to Christians today? If not, why? Thanks. Answer: “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that…

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Is it wrong to pray to die?

Question: I am a member of the Lord’s church, and I would like to know if it is wrong to pray to die. I have had a couple of incurable health problems for years, and I just can’t take it anymore. It has robbed me of any chance at a good life here, and I’m…

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I don’t trust my boyfriend anymore

Question: I started dating a guy, who I believed had a strong passion for Christ and teaching others about him. We’ve been dating for less than a year, but I have come to realize how lustful he is, and how much he thought about sex and mutual masturbation. A few days into dating he began…

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How could Jesus’ baptism save before his death?

Question: I am a member of the Church of Christ. My son-in-law has decided to follow the Baptist teachings. I have done much study on baptism since his decision. I have studied many questions on your site. I am perplexed by your responses on one set of verses: John 4:1-2. You seem to say in…

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Should a man confess that he helped someone steal?

Question: Ten years ago a friend of mine committed a crime. He helped a homeless man carry a computer screen to sell it for drugs, even though he himself never broke in but helped carry it from the outside. No harm to anyone was done as it was empty and just after midnight. Anyway, he…

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Why was an unclean animal used to symbolize Jesus’ tribe?

Question: Greetings, According to Leviticus 11:27, the lion is an unclean animal because of its paw. Therefore, how is it that the lion (Lion of the Tribe of Judah) is chosen as a type of Christ? Thank you. Answer: Unclean animals are a classification in regard to food. “Nevertheless these you shall not eat among…

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Does a confession need to be taken before baptism?

Question: We are having a problem with words in our congregation. When you baptize someone should you say the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the remission of your sins?” Or should you just immerse them and say nothing? Also, our preacher does not…

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Why can’t two women or two men marry and become one flesh?

Question: Hello, I am a Christian and I struggle with homosexual feelings. One thing I’m stuck on is the statement that homosexuality is wrong because only a man and woman can become one flesh. Then I ask what is one flesh? And I get the answers… One flesh is having the same values One flesh…

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Does marriage bring forgiveness for fornication?

Question: I have read a number of things that you have written, and I find you to be very well-spoken, and you explain points very well in an understanding way. However, I’m still a little lost. I’m trying to find out if, when two people who have committed premarital sex are married, whether or not…

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How close of a friend can I be to someone who uses drugs?

Question: Hello Jeffrey, I hope you are doing well today. I have a question that I’ve always wondered about but never really been able to settle in my mind. Should a Christian hang out with an unbeliever? Obviously, Christians are not completely separate from unbelievers, but where is the line drawn? I have an old…

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Will sinners physically burn in hell?

Question: The Bible says after the judgment we who have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior will see eternal life, but those who did not will go and burn forever. I want to know what is that going to burn.  Is it the spirit or the flesh? Answer: I don’t know that I…

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What a wonderful explanation about Sabbath keeping

Question: Hello preacher Jeffrey, What a wonderful explanation about Sabbath keeping. Surely we have been fed hamburgers for a long time. Your website has made me fold my hands and keep quiet for a while, praying to God to make a way for me to meet with you, sit next to you, and receive this plain…

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What is Hades?

Question: Do I understand correctly that there is one place called “Hell” and another place called “Hades”? And Hades is where the souls of the dead go until the final day of judgment? Answer: The term Hades is a general reference to “the realm of the dead”.  By itself, it means nothing about what happens…

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Has God forgiven my friend who is living with a married man?

Question: Hello, I have a close relative who is in an illegal relationship. He was married, but he knew that the marriage was already broken. He was trying to fix the situation when he realized there was no more love in his heart for his wife. He then reunited with a long-time friend via social…

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We are having a really hard time not having sex before our wedding

Question: Hello, I have a question concerning sex before marriage. My fiancé and I are getting married in about four months, and we are having a really hard time with not having sex. Here’s why we are struggling so much. We are so ready to commit fully to each other and bring our lives together…

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What should I do to have my prayers answered the way that I pray them?

Question: What should I do to have my prayers answered the way that I pray them? Answer: I think the hardest thing to remember about prayer is that sometimes the answer is “no”.  We have the ability to ask for far too much and a father cannot always grant everything that a child could want.…

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