I have a friend who lived with his girlfriend for several years, had a baby and then they broke up. They are not Christians, although He believes in God and has recently shown interest in the Lord.

His girlfriend, who he was engaged to for several months but did not marry, called the police and had him arrested with a restraining order saying he held her down and forced her to take drugs. She is now seeking to get custody of their baby and prove he is an unfit father. He is torn up as he loves his baby so much.

As a Christian, I am struggling to know how to encourage him since he is my friend and he knows I am a Christian. He spent 6 days in jail and did some soul searching at that time. He is wanting to find some answers from me but isn’t really asking me the questions directly. I am finding it difficult because I don’t know the truth in his situation and I don’t feel the need to know but I am also struggling because in a way it seems much of it is reaping from a certain lifestyle. Any suggestions for how I can best encourage him without being condemning? I can’t find scriptures to give him for peace because those are generally directed to believers. I want to present him with hope…scripture please?!

I have a question about Genesis but first off I want to say thank you Jack for all of your help!

I am a college student and there is so much misinformation about Jesus and Christianity! I am taking a theology course on the Bible and the book that we read along with the Bible states that Moses did not write any books of the Torah and that in Genesis chapter 1 and 2 there is a conflict of how the order of things are created. The book says that in chapter 1 man and woman were created at the same time but that in Genesis chapter 2 man was created and then woman.

I was wondering if you could clarify this. This book also said that Isaac proclaiming Rebekah to be his sister is simply a copy cat story (that it never happened) of Abraham and Sarah can you help with this too? Thank you so much for your time and effort! God Bless!

God bless you and your continuing work. I have a marriage question for you from a pastor’s perspective.

When and how does an illegitimate marriage move from being cursed to being blessed by God? For example, a believing wife divorces her believing husband without biblical grounds, and then shortly remarries an unbelieving husband. Now the woman is dealing with all manner of abuse issues including physical. This woman has recently been attending our church, with all these initial events in her past, and her remarriage is about a year old. She is a sincere but immature believer, dealing with the consequences of her sin the best she knows how, while living in pain and anguish.

I am unsure of the right pastoral counsel to give her concerning her marriage situation. She is hoping that her current husband will give his heart to Christ, but is that all that is needed? What is her responsibility to God and to her previous husband with regard to repentance? Is it simply a matter of her confessing and all will be made well? I understand that through confession she can receive individual forgiveness and purification, but does that mean that God will then move to heal her marriage as well, or will her marriage remain under a curse no matter what?

I understand how we count years since our Lord’s death- EG, 1248ad, 1249ad, 1250ad, etc. How did we get the the “count-down” years before Christ was born? EG, 1250bc, 1249bc, 1248bc, etc? How was it that the ancients “knew” to count time downward to the promised, prophesied event of the coming Messiah?

I guess my question is, what was the starting point and how is it man knew to count downward? Very perplexing!

I have a question that’s been on my mind lately concerning Heaven and our mansion that’s mentioned in John 14:2. I was taught that this verse means each of us will have our own personal mansion. What does that say about our earthly family, particularly my wife. Will she have her own mansion? I know that the Bible tells us that there is no marriage or giving in marriage in heaven but can you explain to me how our lives will be in heaven if we’re all in separate mansions? What, if any, kind of social atmosphere will exist? Praising our Lord will be one activity, but will there be others as well?

We have Christian friends who allow their children to watch and read the Harry Potter series. How can we explain to them that this isn’t innocent children’s stories? God Bless you!

Thank you so much for your wisdom and insight into the Bible. In one of your articles I remember you saying that trib believers would have different eternal rewards than the Church. I think this was from the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, but I think I see it wrong.

It said that the church in Philadelphia would be made into a pillar in the temple of God, never leaving it and always being a servant there while those in the church in Laodicea would be seated on the right of God. I am most confused by this because the impression I got was that those roles would be reversed, unless all believers’ rewards are the same.

Thank you for taking the time answer our questions. I was reading Luke 11:29-30. It is the passage where the crowds asked Jesus for a sign, but answering them, Jesus said that no sign would be given them except the sign of Jonah. I’m a little baffled as to why Jesus would phrase it this way since He’d been doing miracles left and right all this time. Weren’t those signs as well?

I love the Lord and his word; today while reading Proverbs 16 the word heart struck me again. How can this be, does the heart think? Am I thinking too literally?

The sinners prayer, If you believe in your heart and confess with your tongue that Jesus is Lord.

Proverbs 16:1 To man belong the plans of the heart but from the Lord the reply of the tongue.

:21 The wise in heart…, 23 A wise man’s heart….

Thank you in advance for your help.

I’ve got a friend who I’ve been explaining Christianity to, now he’s listening and wants to know why Christianity is correct, over all the other religions.

He said, “What I also don’t understand is – with the hundreds upon hundreds of religions out there, all based in their own mythology and convinced of their own righteousness – how can you be so certain that YOUR religion is the correct one?”

Can you help me bring it home to him? I know the Bible is backed by prophecy that’s come true, but I don’t know how to say it right!