My Husband and I were having the discussion on prayer. How do you explain to someone that even when God already knows the outcome of something, he still wants us to pray. Can you please explain this?

I know your site well enough to know that you say “You are saved by what you believe, not how you behave.” Though I completely agree with you, I still run across Biblical “scholars” that say things like this:

“I spent most of my younger years believing I was a Christian, but one day a born again believer explained what it took to be a Christian and I realized I had been wrong for years; I had swallowed the lie. There must be a conversion from a life of sin to a new creature who repents and turns from sin.”

I know that as God’s children, we should strive to be more Christ-like every day, but this sounds like another example of belief plus works. Would you agree?

What part does repentance have in becoming saved? We often read we must just ask for forgiveness and believe in Jesus.

I have a question about Revelation 3:10, I understand post trib rapture believers say that Revelation 3:10 implies protection while through but not removal from the tribulation. Pre-tribbers claim the word “from” in the Greek [ek] means “out of.” Therefore, we claim we will be physically kept “out of” the tribulation. Post-tribbers claim that the meaning of “ek” would more accurately be translated “out from among,” or “out of the midst of.” They say this is how it is defined in the Greek lexicons. In Rev. 3:10, the object is the tribulation. In order to come “out from among” the tribulation you must first be IN the tribulation.

We have a new pastor and he has been very persistent about how the congregation praises the Lord. He wants everyone to raise their hands, shout and move about. Many in the congregation, including me, don’t always feel comfortable doing this. From time to time, I have raised my hands to the Lord but I don’t do it all the time. I was raised singing the old hymns and they speak to my heart and soul but the new pastor is insisting on singing the newer contemporary songs. The newer songs seem very repetitive to me and they go on and on without seeming to have an ending. What I need to know is…does the Lord expect everyone to raise their hands and shout to show praise to Him? Is He disappointed when I don’t do this? This really bothers me and I don’t want the Lord to be unhappy with the way I praise Him.

I have learned from reading Gracethrufaith that Matt. 24 is about the surviving Jews at the end of the tribulation. However I am wondering about your opinion concerning Matt. 24:49. These people were judged by what they had done. My wife and I are invited to an Octoberfest party and it does give me pause to know we will be eating and drinking with drunkards. I feel if we don’t go it will send a message that we are too good to spend time with old friends. I know this has nothing to do with my salvation however I want to do what is pleasing to the Lord. Any thoughts how God views these things is greatly appreciated.

I have been an avid reader of your blog and books for many years – Thank you for the great amount of learning that you have provided to all of us. Today at my weekly church service I was listening to my pastor talk about the wonderful story of grace that the bible explains, and then he asked a question that made me really think. He asked the congregation, “Where are we currently in the wonderful story of the bible?” He then opened the bible to the page that was just between Jude and Revelation. Do you think is this correct? Are we just in the before or just into the beginning of Revelation?

I have a question on Romans. What does Paul really mean in Romans 7:25 where he said that “with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin”. Does this mean that even though he can’t outwardly keep the law that pleases God as long as he has the will of wanting to do what is right, it is already a mode of serving the law of God?

I have a question about the Garden of Eden. I heard a well known bible teacher say that Jerusalem could be the same place where God established Eden. He made some interesting parallels like In Genesis 2:8 where it states that God planted a garden toward the east of Eden. Directly east of the Temple mount is the Garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of olives. What are your thoughts on if Jerusalem is Eden?

I saw an article about the date 10-10 having a biblical reference for the number 10. I know the number is supposed to stand for world completion, is there anything to this? The number 4 being for the world and the number 6 being for man, is 10-10-10 just a coincidence? Thank you for all of your insight and dedication, without you I would be somewhere out in left field.