Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away),then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose.Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. (Deuteronomy 14:22-26)
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago. (Micah 7:18-20)
Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. (Lev. 25:9)
As I’ve said earlier in this series, I am not part of the “word of faith” movement and I am not a charismatic faith healer. I am an evangelical Christian who takes the Bible very seriously, believing it means just what it says.
In our series titled, What Does the Bible Say About Healing, we’ve been looking at reasons why prayers for healing fail. Today we continue with Part 3. Please don’t look at any one of these reasons as being necessarily applicable to you. Such a conclusion would be premature. Rather, you should see them as a set of diagnostic tools. A way to check your spiritual health, if you will, to see if any of them apply so you can take the appropriate action.
I’ve received some blow back from my studies on “What Does the Bible Say About Healing” and “Why Prayers For Healing Fail, Part 1”. People have jumped to the conclusion that I’m part of the Word of Faith movement (I’m not) or a charismatic faith healer (not that either, not even charismatic). For the record I’m an Evangelical who takes the Bible very seriously and who believes it means what it says.
People come up with all kinds of reasons why prayers for healing aren’t answered, most of them placing the responsibility on God. He’s not doing that anymore, it wasn’t His will, or His timing. He gave you your disease to help you become a better Christian. He did answer your prayer and the answer was no, and the list goes on.
Because of my middle daughter’s recent bout with cancer (victorious) I have had occasion to study the subject of healing again. In doing so, I’ve come to the conclusion that most people have formed their opinions about healing through hearsay and false teaching rather than from what the Bible actually says about it. So what does the Bible say about healing? Let’s find out.
In part one of this study we discussed five things the Bible says about the way God sees us now that we are born again. We’ll review these briefly and then see what the Bible says about how we should respond. Continue reading…
I’m convinced most Christians don’t have a very good understanding of how God sees us. I’m not surprised about this because it’s really hard for us to comprehend. God sees us so differently from the way we see ourselves and the way others see us, that there’s really no comparison. It’s like He and we are looking at two different people. And in a way that’s true because we can only see ourselves from our past experience, but He has chosen to see us now as we will be in the future when we’re with Him forever. So let’s set aside how we see ourselves for a moment and take a look at five things the Bible says about how God sees us.
It was the clearest message the Lord has given me in a long time. I was in bed and half asleep when it came to me. Fearful of forgetting it, I got up and made a bunch of random notes and then went back to bed. When they still made sense the next morning I decided it must have really been Him. Here’s the message I received.
Q. In light of recent developments in the Mid East, do you believe the build up in Syria is setting the stage for Ezekiel 38 or is this something unrelated. One thing that’s perplexing is that seeing that Persia will become part of the coalition how will Israel ever be dwelling at peace and unguarded so long as a sworn enemy like Iran remains a viable threat? Is this some sort of oxymoron or is there a logical explanation? What do you think?
Q. You say we are saved by what we believe and not by how we behave. I really would like to believe that but I also know that I made a profession of faith, went to a Bible teaching church, read my Bible every day, prayed, and thought I was living the life as a Christian but fell in to gross sin for a number of years then while still living in sin had a catastrophic event happen that left me no where else to go but flat on my face crying out to Jesus to save me and forgive me. I believe I was a false convert otherwise I would not have lived those years in a life of habitual sin. Isn’t that what this scripture teaches? I am confused.
Q. Once again, thank you for your continued words of wisdom. My question is regarding the sentence before each letter to the seven churches; “To the Angel of the Church, write.” Who is the Angel of the Church; is it an angel, a pastor, preacher, etc.” My understanding is these letters were to be read aloud to the church body. I don’t believe an angel would be standing in the church reading the letters, so I don’t understand who is the angel? I do so appreciate reading on your site daily for answers to questions and your wonderful articles.
Q. I know I am saved by grace through faith and Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I know my citizenship is in heaven and I am living for Jesus from heaven to earth (Colossians 3:3-4). I just feel like I have to be careful not to indulge in sin or drift away so I will “stay saved”, or stay a new creation in Christ or make sure that my spirit, soul and body is sanctified. It is this constant fear of going to hell that bombards me if I choose to live in sin or walk in the flesh (which I strive to live in the spirit). I want to live for Jesus since I am his son and I want to please him and serve him, but I feel like this issue of OSAS and Losing Salvation gets in the way of living for Jesus. I am so focused on that instead of living for Jesus and serving him because I do not want to find out that I can lose my salvation and it will be too late. I know there are scriptures on eternal security for the church age but I just do not want to be wrong since I have noticed about 95% of the church teaches you have to stay saved (and I get tired of arguing with them about it).
Q. My son is 11 years old and has high functioning autism. He does average in school, poorly in social settings, and excels in the area of art. While he is not mentally disabled (therefore “unaccountable”), he is not quite fully “there” either. He seems to understand enough but when I try to tell him about Jesus, it’s like I’m talking to a wall. At Sunday School he just sits there silently without interacting with anyone, even the teacher. When I talk about Jesus, he forgets everything I said within a matter of minutes even when I explain it as if he was five. When we pray, he never has any idea how to pray so I have to lead him every time. He is very underdeveloped. I’m so scared for him. I want to know he is saved. If the rapture happens in our lifetime, I want him to be included. He is my heart and it terrifies me that I will fail him in the one area that matters more than anything. Spiritually, what can I do other than pray? I just bought some children Bible story books so I am hoping those will help him learn but nothing has worked yet.
Q. I really need your advice. Briefly, my had wife several affairs and I forgave her each time but she finally divorced me and married another man. They moved into a house 10 minutes away. After 5 years of living in the same neighborhood with them, I had a nervous breakdown and had to leave town. Now it’s 35 years later, and my son bought this house from his mom and lives there with his wife. He has asked me to come and stay with him. I miss my son so much, but the thought of spending time in that house makes me feel physically sick and spiritually disturbed. I have forgiven my ex wife, and in the last 3 years have started praying regulary for her salvation. Jack I can forgive but not forget as I’ve suffered such pain and loss. As a Christian I have forgiven as best I can, but I can’t bear the thought of moving into the home of the person who abused me? Does this mean my forgiveness is not complete? Thank you for your advice Jack.
Q. Hello pastor Jack. I suffer from extreme intrusive thoughts. These thoughts can be blasphemous, or doubtful, or sometimes pure evil. My greatest fear is being rejected by God, and considered unforgivable by Him. And some tell me “These thoughts aren’t yours. So long as you fight against them, and don’t agree with them, you have nothing to worry about.” And then I think okay, yes, that makes sense. But then I worry: *Am* I fighting against them? What if I absentmindedly agree to an evil thought, or let it sit too long? Then the thoughts come back again, and I find myself evaluating my feelings towards the thoughts as well as the thoughts themselves. “Was that a hint of admiration? Was that a bit of assent? Did I just agree to something I should not have?” I’m sorry for bugging you with this, sir, but I’m a trainwreck right now and need some definitive answers from someone more knowledgeable of the Bible than I am. Would you say that I am in fact condemned? Or is there hope even for me?
Q. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so we would not perish but have everlasting life? While Jesus was on the cross he asked God while he had forsaken him? He prayed to his father in heaven? No one comes to the father except through him. I understand the concept that Jesus and his father are as the same. I’m not understanding why he is called the son of God but yet you say he is God.
Q. If the church is supposed to reside in the New Jerusalem, then how can it also reign with Jesus on Earth? How can the church be leaders of the temple when the Jews will still be under the temple law during the Millennium? If we are at the temple, who is in the New Jerusalem? Below is what you wrote when you responded to the question entitled “Pillars in the Temple.” I’ve also read “The Coming Temple” that you wrote which says that the Jews will be in Israel and the Church will be in the New Jerusalem. Can you clear up the confusion? Are we going to be in both places? “Rev. 3:12. Here’s the picture: during the Millennium the church will be kings and priests who reign with Jesus on earth. Isaiah 2:3 tells us that during that time the law will be the temple law. And we will be esteemed as leaders of the temple. Never leaving or forsaking its principles.”
Q. Hi Jack, In Revelation 3:12, Jesus says, “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore.” Though this reference is made in a letter to the Church at Philadelphia, I know that this is not a function of Church Age believers, but would seem to point to tribulation martyrs. I cannot find a reference to this in any of your other writings. Could you please clear up my confusion? Thanks, Ginny Peek Sent from my iPad
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