God bless Jack, and thank you always for what you do.

My question is simply, how do we reconcile eternal security, (Once Saved Always Saved) with verses like “work out your salvation through fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). My pastor whom I love very much and support does not believe in OSAS and he brought up this scripture in making that defense.

I have a question … some churches have the Lord’s Supper for all the saved and invite all the saved to join in for the Lord’s Supper. Some churches have closed communion where only saved members of that church are invited to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Which way is the right way?

Somewhere on the web a couple of years ago I read a story about a muslim Turk, Suleiman the Magnificent. I believe the story goes that he walled up the Eastern Gate in 1530 in defiance of a tradition of Christians who preached of a day when Jesus would return to Jerusalem and walk through the gate.

However, it turns out that his blocking the gate only fulfilled scripture that says the gate would be “walled up” and that “no-one” would enter through it again until Jesus Himself does upon his return.

I have read that scripture before (the walling up art), but I don’t remember where I read it (at I think thats what its referring too). Anyway, story goes that a muslim ruler after Suleiman hears of the Christian’s prophecy that no one would enter the Eastern Gate except Jesus when he returns and he decides to prove all those pesky Christians wrong by ordering the removal of the blocks from the wall. However, during the night before the project was to begin he died in his sleep (whoa). The project never took place the to this day the Eastern Gate is still walled up.

Have you ever heard of this? Any truth to it?

I was wondering about the way you answered a question about what God allows in a person’s life. I had always understood that God does have to allow testing and trials like he did for Job, giving His permission. And telling Peter that Satan would sift him. Or Joseph being used to save the nation of Israel, didn’t God allow that situation or maybe even cause it?

If God doesn’t allow these things, then it sounds like He is not in control, or not involved, and that scares me worse than thinking He is allowing it for a purpose I cant understand. Please help me understand!

I have recently had some problems with two brothers who think we should confess our sins to each other according to James 5:16 whereas I believe we confess only to God because only God can forgive sins! The KJV states faults whereas the majority if not all other versions of the bible state sins in the verse in James. What is the answer? Does it matter?

In Daniel 8:21, the angel Gabriel explains that the king of Greece, Alexander the Great, is represented by the shaggy goat in Daniel’s vision. Knowing that scripture doesn’t just give information this detailed for no reason, I was wondering why Alexander the Great is represented as a goat, and is there any significance in the fact that the goat is shaggy?

Your website has added so much to my life.

I have a question, which I hope will make sense. My sister and I have had several conversations on something she said a Sunday School Teacher told her when she was in grade school. She said the SC teacher told her that the end times would not occur until every one was “one color”. I told her I have read most all end times prophecies, and I had never read any such thing. She also told me that “suicide” was the one unforgivable sin, again which I told her I had not read that in scripture. I discount both of these things she has heard from her SC teachers.

Can you help on these two issues?

I asked a friend at church what Joseph and Mary did with all the gold and precious spices the wise men gave to them when they came to worship the Lord. She told me that Jesus was not a poor man, that He wouldn’t have called up His disciples to leave their families poor and unfed, and that He wore the clothes of a rich man otherwise why else would the soldiers gamble for His clothing. This goes against everything I’ve known. I don’t think it’s a correct view. How could Jesus teach about forsaking money and possessions, yet be a rich man? That would have made Him a hypocrite, and that’s impossible.

I am trying to balance tithing vs. paying off debt. My question to you is, do I not tithe at all, and focus all my available funds towards debt? Do I split the debt payments and tithing? Or do I tithe 10% and use what’s left over pay towards debt?

I recently read an article in which the author referenced the “Prayer of Jabez.” (1 Chron 4:9-10) He concluded that “God will not give us what we want just because we pray a certain prayer 3, 4, or even 1,000 times a day. When we do this we are putting our trust in the prayer instead of God, and it becomes a form of idolatry.” I had never thought of repetitive prayer in that way. I know there are several religions that have their prayer rituals and chants. What are your thoughts on this?