I have seen this pattern over and over: A gifted speaker and leader starts a church that is a great little church with a tight group of believers who enjoy warm fellowship with each other and are excited about following God,…. then over time, as the attendance grows, the church begins to polish up it’s program. Soon the once down-to-earth and accessible pastor starts to upgrade to more formal attire as the attendance swells, the worship team (gag) gets fancier, and then the building fund starts.

When the new building, which everyone is praising God for, is finally erected with it’s sound system and ample rooms for the added staff and programs, the whole enterprise is transformed into something that is far different from what it started out as – and it is not better, just fancier. ( I used the word”enterprise” on purpose). And the pastor, who no longer has time to counsel and console people personally due to all the administrative duties he has now created, starts to delegate these duties to associate pastors and others. It’s like the whole emphasis becomes the church and the program and the new glossy … whatever.

I hate going! I miss the fireside chats and people getting a lump in their throat when talking about King Jesus and the day we will see him. What’s wrong here?

Is it appropriate to ask the Lord to strengthen our belief? And if we can ask Him to do this, how does He go about it?

What is meant by “The Kingdom of God is here or at hand”? I never heard Jesus mention this, what does that mean? Also, Jesus was always living in the kingdom of God on earth, are there lessons for us to learn or how do we relate the kingdom of God to those examples whereby he healed the sick and feed the thousands?

What do you think the importance of fasting is with faith? Calls to fasting and prayer used to be more common. Now I hear of calls to prayer, but fasting is left out.

I wonder if there is a correlation between your messages of faith healing and miracles and the type of worship that is unique in fasting. I’ve never seen anyone healed myself, but last year I fasted for the first time in my life and the Lord sent me on a 30 day journey to Jerusalem when I fasted about it. A couple of days ago I fasted for a single day for the Lords intervention in my business and the moment I committed to it, the Lord intervened and my request was granted even though I had to follow through and fast as I promised until the time I had chosen had expired. I know its not as simple as that, but could there be something to our lack of faith or our lack of fasting with our prayers?

Re: Forgiven But Still Condemned. Christ died once for all and the justice of God was satisfied on the cross ~ for all mankind. So technically, yes, the debt has been paid, but as you correctly pointed out, unless we individually accept Christ’s propitiation, it remains unclaimed. From God’s point of view, the sin debt has been paid. It remains for each individual to make it effective.

I think of it as a heavenly ledger ~ both sides of the books are balanced as far as God is concerned. In eternity, there will be no unpaid sin debt for God to have to ignore. The ‘books’ will balance, as His righteousness and justice have been satisfied.

At a bible study the other day, we discussed the fact that Jesus paid everyone’s sin debt. What we disagree on is this. The people who don’t accept the gift of Jesus Christ will either go to or are in hell, but are their sins forgiven? The reason they are condemned is because they didn’t invite Jesus into their life. Are their sins forgiven even though they are condemned?

My hubby and I have an argument going like this. I feel it is wrong for a church to have a perspective worship team member, nursery worker, etc…to have to fill out a application form like when applying when one is looking for a job? My hubby says it is perfectly okay.

I have seen the apps and they ask about your past. Well, what if you were an alcoholic (like our pastor used to be) and then became born again and the Lord took the addiction away. Why should they have to put that down? Is it any of our business? I realize in today’s world we need to be careful but I thought the church was a different place than the world. Please answer this one!

I have a question about something you wrote that the law of double jeopardy isn’t a man made law. Tell me where in the Bible this comes in to play? I do think one needs to live (ultimately) to present our bodies a living sacrifice. Revelation says that Jesus is coming back for a spotless, perfect church. I realize no one is perfect, but we must strive towards the goal. I don’t want to live and say “Yes I sinned Lord, but I accepted you as my savior before that so that’s null and void.”

Why would he say in Matthew that many will come to me saying Lord, Lord; I have done many miracles and wonders in His name, but His response is turn away from me you workers of iniquity? I think we need to always bear in mind the Lord. For as Paul wrote, there is but one sacrifice for us, lest it be like we sacrifice him twice, which is not possible. He was warning us of falling away.

If even after we accept the Lord we sin, we must still repent, right?

In the end who am I to judge another’s beliefs? I cannot judge lest i also be judged.

My ultimate goal is to reach souls, and give my testimony of how the Lord delivered my husband and myself from certain death. I want to walk worthy of the calling. I apologize, if i seem offensive. I’m wanting to seek truth.

If every sin was paid for at the cross, why do some people have to go to hell? If Jesus was punished for their sin, why must they also be punished? It seems like double jeopardy to me.

Hello and thank you for such a wonderful site. Once we are in Heaven, will we learn the answers to all the questions we have regarding why things happen the way they do on Earth, and why certain events in our life turned out the way they did?