Your site is very informative and a blessing. I have a question regarding the account in 2 Samuel 14:27 which states that Absalom had three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar (his sister had the same name, 2 Sam. 13:1). Then we read in 2 Sam. 18:18 that Absalom says “I have no son to carry on my name,” so he named a monument after himself. How can this be understood?

In today’s world and in my opinion, it seems as though the word disciple is being flaunted as a bait word to attract a lot of fish. And yet my conclusion of what I see is that a lot of churches consider going to church, taking discipleship classes, maybe doing some community service, etc. as a way to become a disciple. It’s almost like to become a disciple, it’s okay to have your cake and eat it too. It’s like they’re all saying, Luke 14:33 doesn’t really mean what it says.

“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Is this to be taken literally or spiritually? For many years now I’ve long desired (spiritually) to be a “true disciple” but don’t consider myself one because I have not denounced all that I have (physically). And I get so frustrated when I hear Pastors, in particular, saying that “we will make disciples out of you” and yet, the church goes on as it always has. Please help as my prayer is to be able to really share the real Truth in this matter with others.

I have a question regarding the Church’s purpose. I was in Church on Sunday, and I heard my pastor speaking on the purposes of different churches. For example, some churches teach prosperity as their main outreach, that is what they do. He said that our church’s main purpose was to seek the presence of God, which to our church is even more important in saving the lost. This somewhat confused me. Shouldn’t the main purpose of every church be to spread the Gospel and save the lost? What is the main purpose of the Church?