Hi Jack, thank you for your site, I follow it every day. May be you could help me to understand where I am at with the Lord, and get back in fellowship with him. I am saved and have been for awhile now, and I have been following after Jesus as GOD. For my understanding of the Bible is, that Jesus is GOD just as GOD is Jesus just as GOD is the Heavenly Father and he is also GOD the Holy Spirit. I believe in worshiping Jesus and praying to him and by doing this I am praising GOD the Father. One day at church I told a senior deacon that I pray to Jesus and I got a response from him that I was doing something wrong. I explained to him that it was not some kind of replacement Theology, because Jesus is also GOD. Now when I pray to Jesus I am thinking in the back of my mind that I am some how robbing GOD the Father of the praise he so deserves but at the same time I know that GOD the Father is also Jesus, GOD the Son. I am sorry if this sounds confusing because it is hard for me to explain. I just want to worship GOD the best that I can and in a way that is pleasing and acceptable to HIM . Thank you for your time and thoughts about this.

I know of nothing in the Bible that explains the following, but perhaps you can provide some insight.

Why did our Lord use spittle and clay to heal the blind man instead of merely speaking the word? What lesson are we to learn from that?

When talking to atheists, I am often asked some very difficult questions. It becomes frustrating at times, but I need help on how to properly address certain things they bring up.

One question was one that I probably should expect from them, it goes like this “If God told you to kill someone would you do it?” and of course they bring up Abraham as an example. My response was on what basis do you ask this question? Are you assuming things about God?

Then they tell me its not a hypothetical scenario, and that I’m not answering the question. The thing is that I know they are trying to back me up into a corner. They also said this “Many people have killed because they heard the voice of God”. The conversation then becomes very frustrating, and they often go to make insults from there.

The other thing that I want to address properly is the laws. Christ was sinless and he fulfilled the law. However, atheists always bring up the OT laws-the Mosaic and Levitical laws and so forth, and ask why we don’t follow them. So, if the keeping of the Sabbath is brought up, -and Jesus mentioned if a sheep falls into a pit, will not the man lift it out- how do I answer to them if they say he wasn’t keeping the commandment.

In other words, did the original commandment even restrict works on the Sabbath to the detail the Jews took it as being, or was the Sabbath just a day where no work was to be done in “general”, for lack of a better word.

Any answers or advice would be great, I just want to make sure that I answer them properly.

I was wondering what your thoughts are Gehazi being pronounced a leper in 2 Kings 5:27 then his reappearance in 8:4 but no sign or further discussion about him being a leper. What happened to his leprosy?

I just read your response to the question titled “Working Out Our Salvation” and I was wondering about one thing. When you said:

“We should strive to be more Christ like in our manner of living. Not to earn something, for we’ve already received it, but to allow God to work in us according to His purpose.”

I believe you are mistaken. I agree with you, that we are not trying to “earn” our salvation, for salvation is by faith alone. However, in our daily walk (or race as Paul puts it) we are trying to earn our crowns, or treasures in heaven, and all the other glorious things promised by our Savior. So while the Bible is clear we cannot earn our salvation, when Paul speaks of earning something he is talking about rewards, not our salvation, or at least that is what I believe. In that respect I believe we are trying to earn something in heaven. Your Thoughts?

Having researched the “emerging church” movement, I am left confused regarding the teaching of a ‘man friendly Gospel’ that these churches have adopted. Some theologians believe this is wrong; that God is a Holy God and man in his sinful state is God’s enemy. Also, Psalm 5 says God hates his enemies, but Jesus tells us to love our enemies. Why does He tell us to do this if he doesn’t love them himself? Finally, I have always believed that we mustn’t judge or condemn, yet this seems to suggest a ‘man centered approach’. These same theologians believe that the real Gospel preaches repentance and a making aware of sin; that the only way to God is through the ‘narrow gate’ by living a sacrificial life. I’m not sure what all this means anymore. Is God a loving father, or a strict judge?

Greetings. Paul says in Phil 2:12-13: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

I would like to have your comments on these two verses in regards to salvation. Currently, I am still continuing to study on this topic, your opinion on Salvation is very profound. Why was he admonishing believers to work out their salvation with fear and trembling?

My question is on 1 John 4:12 where it states no man has seen God… but how do we reconcile this with what Jesus told Philip in John 14:9. This is how I interpret or understand this seemingly contradiction. 1 John 4 is a chapter that speaks to having love for one another and for God, verse 7 states that “beloved let us love one another for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God”.

This is conjecture but could John have meant here that the un-regenerated man void of the love of God has never seen Him. I feel that every time I look at one of my brothers or sisters I should see God/Christ in them. Remember to be re-born by the Spirit is to return to the original image that God created us to reflect and that is His image.

Thank God for you Jack, that people like my self can ask questions and get Spirit filled answers in return

My question pertains to who walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Was it God the Father? And if so, how can we reconcile that with no one ever seeing God? I feel a little stumped. I can understand if it was the pre-incarnate Christ but just want to make sure I am correct!!

I was having a discussion with someone who believes that when you are born again, God only forgives you for your past sins before you were born again and not your future sins. Is there a scripture that says or implies specifically that Jesus died for our future sins after being born again?