My 21 yr old son was raised Baptist but now has recently been going to a Pentecostal church. This makes me a little uneasy because I believe that they believe things that are not quite right such as believing that you can lose your salvation. Baptists believe that “once saved always saved”. Now I realize that denominations are a man made thing and that you can certainly be saved and not be Baptist. Am I right in my uneasiness or wrong?

A follow-up question to the kosher question I recently posted: regarding the Council of Jerusalem and the four edicts sent to the Gentiles and its applicability today, how what does it mean to avoid eating blood and things strangled and how can we avoid that today?

I understand that in keeping kosher, to avoid blood would require either broiling or soaking in saltwater to remove any residual blood, but are we expected to do that today? Inevitably, there seems to be trace amount of blood in precooked meat. Also, I understand that the prohibition from things strangled may pertain to avoiding eating meat from animals that have been inhumanely slaughtered. How can we be sure in today’s world? If the blood and inhumane slaughter avoidance is to be taken to the nth degree today, how does that apply to buying meat from the market or even eating out?

Thanks so much for your ministry and the time and energy you devote to it. I have a question about the faith of Abraham.

Romans 4:10-20 says that Abraham did not waver in his faith, in regards to the Promise. I believe that this is true. Clearly, he believed in the promise of a son in order to continue to do the things that are necessary for a couple to have children. Doing this even unto very old age.

What I’m trying to understand better is why Abraham took Hagar when she was offered.

I’m just trying to reconcile how saying his faith in a promised son didn’t waiver with his decision to be with Hagar for the specific reason of producing a son. Is it that GOD doesn’t expect our faith to be perfect to be acceptable? What was GOD looking at when He said Abraham’s faith did not waiver? I think understanding this better would help me understand the state of my own faith better.