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Why did Elihu tell Job that his suffering was a chastisement from God?
Question: In Job 33:19 Elihu tells Job that his pain and suffering are a chastisement from God. What did Job do to cause God to put this sickness upon him to start with? Thank you. Answer: Elihu scolds Job for complaining that God has caused him to suffer without explaining why. “Why do you complain…
Read MoreThe lesson “The Loss of a Loved One” really hit home with me
Question: I wanted to say how great the sermon was on The Loss of a Loved One by Christopher Scott Wyatt. It really hit home with me. I have recently lost my mother three months ago, and she was a strong Christian. We both are members of the church of Christ. Mr. Wyatt is an outstanding…
Read MoreCan I be forgiven for denying Christ?
Question: I’m currently 13 years old, but when I was 12. I would tell my grandmother “I don’t believe in God” deliberately because I wanted to make her angry, since I was angry. I didn’t know it was bad to say that. I actually regret it so much that I’m about to cry writing this.…
Read MoreCan demons rape women?
Question: I have severe anxiety and a fear of demons. It’s been ongoing for over a decade. One time my brother made a comment that demons can rape women. Is this true? Of course, now I’ve been googling it and I read a bunch of scary stuff, people saying that it is true and it…
Read MoreI wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying your site
Question: I wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying your site. I found it while seeking the answer to how Paul learned the Gospel, which you covered just perfect for me (I am writing a research paper on Paul’s conversion for a college class). Since you did such a good job answering that I…
Read MoreDo I wait for my boyfriend to marry me?
Question: I am in my thirties. I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for 15 years now. We have a child who is 8 years old now. My boyfriend left for another country when I was four months pregnant. I went through my pregnancy and had our child in his absence. My child…
Read MoreCan I be forgiven of the sins that I committed after saying the sinner’s prayer?
Question: I got saved by saying a sinner’s prayers at 19. I spent most of my twenties high-handedly sinning and being agnostic or universalist – I believed all religions were partially true. I read the Bible and Quran occasionally for inspiration. Three years ago I started going to a Baptist church and had true faith…
Read MoreI got sidetracked by your article on jealousy and used it for a lesson in my Bible class
Question: Dear Sir: I just want to express my thanks for the La Vista website. I am a member of the church of Christ. I preach and teach from time to time and have had the occasion to use your website for research many times. Today, I was preparing for tomorrow’s Sunday School lesson in…
Read MoreI had a similar question about the ministry of the Holy Spirit and your answer was spot-on
Question: I wanted to thank you for your answer on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I had the same question about why couldn’t the Holy Spirit come and your answer was spot-on and clarified correctly that question for me. Thank you for your obedience to God’s work and blessings. Answer: I’m glad to hear that…
Read MoreCan giving a warning about a false teacher be gossip?
Question: I was reading an article written by someone on your website about the subject of gossip. Gossip was condemned by the person who wrote the article. But, what about if you’re exposing a false teacher, whether they’re well known by others or not? I believe that we should raise awareness of a wolf in sheep’s…
Read MoreDoes Galatians 3:28 support gender diversity?
Question: Hi Mr. Hamilton, I’ve found out that a large number (possibly a majority) of my friends are LGBTQQIAA+. Some are genderqueer, transgender, gay, lesbian, pansexual, and asexual. A very large percentage of my year group is not straight or cisgender. I know that having homosexual sex is wrong. Should I rethink my friendship with…
Read MoreWhat does I John 5:7-8 mean?
Question: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” (I John 5:7-8 KJV). What does verse eight mean?…
Read MoreWere the Kenites descendants of Cain?
Question: Who were and who are the Kenites (Hebrew word meaning children of Cain, the first murderer)? Answer: Names are not often unique to a single individual. There can be more than one Cain in world history. Thus, at best you can say that the Kenites trace their origins to a patriarch named Cain, but…
Read MoreAre Romans 2:4 and Titus 2:11 talking about two different types of grace?
Question: Good day, Titus 2:11 speaks about the grace that brings salvation, meaning unmerited favor. Does Romans 2:4 talk about a different grace, where God cares and supplies to all human beings so that they would want the grace mentioned in Titus 2:11? Thanks. Answer: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to…
Read MoreWhy isn’t the Lord’s Supper taken as the last meal of the day?
Question: Why is the Lord’s Supper taken early in the day on Sunday and not in the evening? After all, supper is something that is taken in the evening. Answer: In English, “supper” refers to the last mean of the day. The memorial in which we remember Christ’s death is referred to as the Lord’s…
Read MoreAre all addictions sinful?
Question: Hi, I’m still confused about I Corinthians 6:12, where it says, “I will not be enslaved by anything.” To me, it sounds like all addictions are sinful. I know we talked about this, but I’m still confused. Answer: In I Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul gave a list of some sins that can keep a person…
Read MoreIs it tempt or try?
Question: In Matthew 4:7, it seems to say something different in two translations. The ESV: Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'” The NKJV: Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'” Which translation is…
Read MoreIs a single person who commits adultery prevented from getting married?
Question: There is much discussion and teaching within the church about divorce, adultery, and remarriage, but something I’ve never heard discussed is what about the person who commits adultery, but who wasn’t married? The Bible is clear that a spouse who commits adultery with someone else is not eligible to remarry another if that married…
Read MoreI don’t trust my boyfriend enough to marry him
Question: I grew up in a Christian family. I did choose to be baptized at age of 11 or 12, but now that I’m older I find myself reading the Bible for my understanding and find myself in a tough situation that will cause me to not inherit the kingdom of heaven. For this reason,…
Read MoreThank you for your article on religious obsessive-compulsive disorders
Question: Hello, I would just like to thank you for your article on religious obsessive-compulsive disorders that I just stumbled upon. For years I have been suffering from this condition without realizing that it was a real condition, and thinking that I was the only person who had some of the thoughts you listed. I couldn’t…
Read MoreDoes God hate gays and bisexuals?
Question: Does God hate gays and bisexuals? Answer: May I ask my own question? Does God hate thieves? What you are implying in your question is that who a person chooses to have sex with somehow innately defines who the person is. God doesn’t see it that way. People can change and God has gone…
Read MoreYour site showed me how wrong I was. Yesterday I was baptized for the forgiveness of my sins
Question: Good morning brother Hamilton, I am a 23-year-old male. Recently I have been doing a lot of research and searching the Scriptures. I had stumbled upon scriptures, like Romans 9, and eventually ended up taking the stance of predestination and faith alone. It was not that I wanted to, but I did not know…
Read MoreIs masturbating a lack of self-control?
Question: I found some of your insights on the subject of masturbation quite amazing. As an evangelical, we are taught to develop spiritual disciplines of which self-control is one. In fact, in Galatians 5:22 the apostle Paul highlights it as one of the fruits of the Spirit. To this effect, it is argued that, if…
Read MoreWhy is Stephen charged with blasphemy if Jesus did say that the temple would be destroyed?
Question: In Acts 6:14, Stephen is charged with saying that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place. How is this a false statement if Jesus was speaking of the destruction of the temple in Matthew 24? Thank you. Answer: The charge against Stephen was, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and…
Read MoreI know fornication is wrong, but I don’t want to see my boyfriend in hell
Question: Hello, I have a question that has really been weighing on my conscience and my heart. This may be very long and I apologize, but here it goes. I have been dating my boyfriend for four years now. We are both currently in college. We most definitely have the intention of getting married. Unfortunately,…
Read MoreDo I have to marry him because we had sex?
Question: I am in my early twenties, a newly born-again Christian and a Protestant. I am in a relationship with a Catholic guy for over five years. We did have sex and he has been loyal to me all these years. He is also a violent and angry person. As I grew in Christ, I…
Read MoreWhat exactly is sodomy?
Question: What exactly is sodomy? My understanding is that it is oral sex with either the same sex or between man and wife, but I have had many arguments with other people who say oral sex is OK between married people. This is such an embarrassing topic, but I really want to hear your opinion.…
Read MoreWe use your Bible studies extensively
Question: Thank you so very much for all the information that is available on your site. We attend a church of Christ here and use your Bible studies extensively. There are very few strong churches of Christ left. Thank you for being one of them. Answer: Glad you are finding the material on the website…
Read MoreWhat is the penance for adultery?
Question: Hello, I would like to know what is the penance for adultery. If forgiveness is possible, does the “forgive and you shall be forgiven” apply? Answer: The idea that there are acts of penance done for sins is not taught in the Bible. It is merely a Roman Catholic tradition. See: Do we have to…
Read MoreIs it a sin to not offer an invitation at the end of a sermon?
Question: I understand there is a sin of omission, James 4:17. I attend a congregation where the preacher never preaches the gospel, hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized for the remission of sins. He preaches the truth and is very scriptural in all of his lessons; however, he very rarely, if ever, extends an…
Read MoreDid I act too fast when I broke up with my fiancée because she was seeing other men?
Question: I’m in my thirties and my fiancée is in her twenties. I’ve been in a relationship for three years with her, and we got engaged. She said I was the only one she was seeing, but within that period I forgave her twice for texting and dating other men. Yesterday, I found out that…
Read MoreWhy did Paul shave his head at Cenchrea and not at Jerusalem as was the custom?
Question: Why did Paul shave his head at Cenchrea and not at Jerusalem as was the custom? Answer: “Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a…
Read MoreWhy is Jeremiah referred to as the weeping prophet?
Question: Why is Jeremiah referred to as the weeping prophet? Answer: “Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! … I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, and for the…
Read MoreCan I be filled with the Spirit when I have a sinful past?
Question: Hi, good morning, I was looking for a particular topic online when I came across your page where you were giving advice about fornication, etc. However, I’m 21 years old, baptized at 11 years old, changed churches, and I’m now at my present church for several years now; anyways, I’ve been engaging in sexual…
Read MoreIs all sin premeditated?
Question: Is all sin premeditated? Answer: I was intrigued by your question. I am not sure what you exactly mean by premeditated and what boundaries to go by, but in the Bible, there are sins mentioned that people don’t realize what they are doing. There are also other sins where people just were not given…
Read MoreI’m confused by the apparent compilation of records in Genesis
Question: I have been reading your material in Genesis and find your conclusions intriguing on the book being a collection of inspired records that Moses made under the direction of the Holy Spirit. I am creating material for my daily Genesis podcast, so I want to ensure that I’m accurately portraying this part of your…
Read MoreI’ve been going through a lot and I’ve just had it with life
Question: I need help. I’ve been going through a lot right now. But here is what is going on: We couldn’t afford to stay at my original house, so we had to move into a smaller house. Money is really tight right now. We’re poor. I don’t know if God is doing it to us.…
Read MoreWhy did the false mother, after being offered the child by the real mother, suddenly declares she wants the baby dead?
Question: In I Kings 3:16-28, why does the false mother, after being offered the real mother’s baby, suddenly wants the baby dead? Answer: Two prostitutes lived in the same house. One gave birth to a son and the second gave birth to a boy three days later. However, the second woman’s child did not survive…
Read MoreHow do I teach others about difficult topics?
Question: Hello preacher, How are you? Fine, I hope. It may sound strange, but considering how much you’ve answered my questions and the frequency I read the site’s articles and sermons, I’ve got used to your writing style and kind of feel like you are a close friend of mine. Every time a doubt pops…
Read MoreIf I don’t have sex, he refuses to support me
Question: I have been living with my children’s father for ten years. I am a stay-at-home mom in my late twenties. I was baptized at my church camp. He’s upset with me all the time — before and after I was baptized. Well, I sinned. I had sex with him two weeks ago. The reason…
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