Every so often I come across a negative statement about Free Masonry. I have a very close Christian friend who is also a Speculative Mason. What is it about the Masons that causes (Religious?) people to be suspicious? hateful? distrustful? Am I reading too much into those negative comments? Thanks and God Bless, I look forward to your questions and answers daily, and I’m learning a lot.

I find myself often just flush with greed. I have much; I have more than enough financially and I have advanced to a healthy old age. Yet I seem to have the idea that, “if I had more I could contribute more to God’s work in the world.” Yet by most giving standards I do give far more than a tithe. I mean much more. Got any suggestions as to what is wrong with me? Is it just a worldly attitude? God forbid that an old person would be guilty of that!

I just read your weekly article,” What kind of life can we expect “. I agree with what you said, but I worry that I am being one of the greedy ones. When we give, in the back of my mind I am excited to see how God is going to bless me. Also it just makes me happy to give to others. I have never given without wishing it could be more. We own our farm and do not have any debt, so I am not looking for anything. I am just excited to see how God is going to work. Can you make sense of what I am asking?

Grace Thru Faith has been such a blessing to me and I gain so much information from your knowledge of the scriptures. I have a question that has been bothering me for some time now. There are several people close to where I live who have not had a job in years and live on SSI. I am retired and live on SS and have cut expenses as much as possible but I still tithe. From time to time, one of these people will come to me and ask to ‘borrow’ money. I’m not a stingy person but when these people come to me for money, I feel like they think I’m a soft touch and I feel like I’m being used. Getting the ‘loan’ paid back isn’t the issue. I realize that our Lord wants us to be generous but when does being generous become being used?

James 2: 1-13 appears to be an admonition primarily against showing partiality to the rich in any given church. Is there also an underlying principle implied not to show partiality or favoritism in any way, shape or form towards anyone in the Body for any reason (not just the wealthy)?

The leader of a Bible study I attend uses Listening Prayer exercises in our homework and in her presentations. I have had some major breakthroughs using this form of prayer and feel like I finally have a real two-way relationship with God by listening to Him at the end of my prayer. I ask Him to let me hear only His voice. I have tried to research Listening Prayer, but can’t find much about it. Is it a false teaching?

The Word says, “Be ye filled with the Spirit” and “walk in the Spirit.” So I’m not sure what it means in Matthew 5, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Can you enlighten me?

Matthew 5:3 says “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” This almost indicates those poor in spirit will go to Heaven while I have always believed to go to Heaven you must accept Christ as your savior which would indicate one must have spirit.

For the past 9 years my emotional, mental & physical health has been suffering from all of the stress & losses I have suffered. I stopped going to church & went cold toward God because of the pain, anguish & grief I have suffered for so long. My heart is broken. I have been having serious doubts that God even exists as I heard only silence when I reached out to God over & over for intervention & healing. I have thrown myself into the Word, reading many good Christian books & have sought counsel from friends & a Christian counselor for the past 6 months. I can’t even find a mustard seed of faith. I have doubts all day long about if God even exists. I don’t know what else to do. I don’t want to ever give up but it is such a difficult struggle. Is there anything you can suggest beyond what I am doing now? I have been filled with anger & rebellion toward God as to why he did not help me. Any help you can give me would be so appreciated. I am running out of hope!

I know that Jesus’ death on the cross paid the price for all of my past, present, and future sins. And I know that nothing I have done or ever can do could help me earn my salvation. It’s already been done by Jesus. My question though is this: Does God get angry or upset with us believers for things we do or times of doubt? I know all I need is to repent/ask forgiveness but I still wonder if we do things that make him mad and want to discipline us the way a loving dad would their own son?