I would like to know about the fruit on the tree of life in revelation 22:2. Is this a spiritual fruit we as GOD’s children will take of ?

As always, I echo the thanks of many countless others who are blessed by the Lord through your faithful service to Him. I have a question that I have been pondering for a while now, and I seek God’s wisdom through you about it. I wonder if it is possible to long too much for the rapture and deliverance from this brief blip in our eternal existence.

I know that where our treasure is, there our heart will also be. I also know that prioritizing eternity with God will bring a crown when that time comes. I worry though that in hoping for the rapture the way I do, I am somehow neglecting lessons learned or responsibilities or opportunities that need to be fulfilled here during this Earthly life. I am still serving in the ministry God has placed me in, still working at my job, still paying my bills, still going about the act of being human, but I find myself deeply longing, waiting, anticipating the rapture, looking forward to it more than anything else my days may bring. Is this somehow wrong – can one be so intent on the Heavenly future as to neglect the present?

It has been my experience that we have a great God and it is not our great prayers or positive thinking that works miracles but God moving to answer our prayers. And so I have never understood the need for groups of people to pray together about any particular issue. I know that whenever two or more people join together in prayer the Lord is there with them and this is a blessing I can understand anyone wanting to enjoy, but it does not make the outcome any different than if one person prayed, does it? Am I missing something here?

Do you have any scriptures at hand that proves beyond doubt that God’s wrath starts at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week and not half way through the 70th week?

I was watching a pastor on a satellite channel, and he states there was a creation on earth before Genesis. He also stated that the serpent seduced Eve, and became the father of Cain. This just doesn’t pass the smell test to me. Where did this come from?

What is the meaning behind the Story of Jacob and his all night wrestling match which results in his dislocated hip?

In our Bible Study tonight we were studying about the return of the Lord Jesus. We were asked if we believed His return was eminent and I said Yes. My friend Eric said no. I was sharing with Eric after the study, about how I have come to believe that if we trust Jesus completely that he will provide our every need in the times to come. That led him to say how Jesus says in Matthew 24 that He will hide us in the mountains during the tribulation. I said, Christians will be raptured by then, and that speaks to the Jews in Judea.

Then he read to me Matthew 24 and asked me, “how I can believe that those verses are for the Jews when Jesus is speaking to His Disciples using the personal pronoun “You” and that the disciples are the church?’ I did not know how to respond. I know that Jesus is talking about the Jews, but how do I explain this? I told him that there is something about those verses that can be explained and that I would ask Jack Kelley.

I would first like to say thank you for all you do on this website. It has truly been a blessing to me in my life. I work the kind of job in which I am not able to attend church every Sunday. I am a nurse and I work every other weekend and most Wednesdays. It is very nice to have a way to get small devotionals in to feed my spirit.

I have a problem though. I love my husband and he is a good man. I feel he is unequally yolked with me and it gets worse the more I go to church and want to be involved with the Lord. He will go with me when I am able though he always lets me know he only does it for me. He also doesn’t believe in tithing to the church. He has gotten to wear he will tithe; but I know it is not with a open heart. I feel like he resents me for it. I am constantly getting looks when I read my bible or spiritual books in my own home. He thinks I am a fanatic. And that believe it or not is very painful and heartbreaking. I no longer feel connected to him emotionally. I no longer desire him. I pray for him and for God to open his eyes. I also pray for myself to have those feeling for him again. It is just very hard to see a future for us when I am going forward and he is not in his relationship with Christ. I have brought this up to him and we have had many arguments on this topic.

I feel like I am wasting my time. I don’t believe in divorce, but I don’t want to live my life disappointed and unfulfilled. He says he believes in God and is Saved but not the Church. He says he doesn’t feel the need to go to church that he can worship God anywhere. I agree to some extent. But I also believe it is good to worship and feed your spirit. As a Christian I yearn for that and want more of it. I just don’t understand why he doesn’t.

The bible says it’s appointed once unto EVERY man to die; since all of humankind must die, how can there be a rapture? The rapture would mean no physical death which contradicts what’s stated in Hebrews. Can you please clarify this for me?

I have been a member of my Southern Baptist Church for 18 years since moving away from my hometown. Over the years, we have grown from 700 to now averaging around 3500. We have two worship services , one traditional with some mix of traditional and praise hymns. The second service is contemporary complete with band which includes electric guitars, drums, bass etc. I grew up loving Clapton, Alman Bros, etc. So its not that I do not like rock music. My question is concerning Contemporary Worship.

Yesterday I went to the contemporary service because my daughter is a Senior in highschool and was being recognized during the service. When the service started, I felt repulsed. It was so loud and the words seemed repetitive and grew louder. The music vibrated thru my bones. I felt like I was at a rock concert only I was in church. I know that some large churches are moving toward a more contemporary style to invite more people to come. I get it, but I am not sure it’s hitting the mark I have set as a standard most of my life. Can you offer any study for me, or help me know what God says. I have read much about worship, but this loud rock music style in church concerns me.