With your help, I now believe the Church will be raptured before the Great Tribulation. Some friends have asked me questions about this. I need help with some of them so that I can explain my view point clearly.

1. How many resurrections are there in the bible? Is it only 2, as mentioned in Rev. 20 or more? 1 Cor 15:23 says that Christ is the firstfruits of the first resurrection, then those who belongs to Christ at His coming (actual first resurrection). If so, how does the resurrection in 1 Thess Chap 4 fits in since it is not the first and second resurrection?

2. Since all will be raptured, then what is the purpose of preparing for His coming? isn’t it going to cause Christians to slacken and just wait to be raptured?

3. Joel 2:31 says that there is a blackout before the Day of the Lord (the wrath of God as shown in the 7 vials?), Mat 24:29 says that the blackout happens after the GT and Rev 6:12 mentions the blackout as the sixth seal. If so, then the sequence is GT, blackout, then the Day of the Lord. So does that mean that the GT happens before the sixth seal and Christians must go through the GT to be killed as martyrs so that the number can be completed as mentioned in the fifth seal?

I concur that the work of the Cross was and is sufficient to remove the stain of sin in any and all souls, but what happens with those repetitive sins that are not repented of (turning away from)? OSAS gives argument to the devil’s claim in Job that Job only does it because he has no choice. God did protect his life that he might repent and be forgiven for it, but it would have been Job’s choice to do so.

I believe salvation will come at the end of this life and no being can forcibly take that hope from you, but life is your profession of faith in Christ. Faith is action not mental acceptance. James ask the question “Where’s your faith if you are not living it?” Can a belief that shows no trust save a person? How can you claim to wish a person well while you, having what they need, will not give it to them?

When God called me into the ministry of the Gospel, He did so from Isaiah 58:1, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” It is not my desire to prove you wrong and myself right but that it is only the righteous (obedient, sometimes through repentance) that will inherit the kingdom. If I am wrong then we have not lost anything, but if I am right, then some will loose everything.

I am so blessed that I’ve found your website, reading topics about corporal punishment really enlightened me regarding this issue being imposed in the homes. But how about in schools? Do administrators and teachers have the right to impose corporal punishments as detentions to the students? Forms like squatting, raising of both arms while standing for a long period of time (20 min-1 hr), staying under the sun, missing snacks and luches, staying in the stockroom as sanctions. My kids are enrolled in a christian school and they uphold to their belief in Proverbs 23:14. They have abolished spanking as punishment but now replaced it with squatting and raising both arms for a long period of time. Some of the children doesn”t want to go back to school anymore because of these kinds of detention. Hope you can shed some light on this. Thank you and God bless!

Could you help me better understand Judges 11; specifically, Judges 11: 30 – 40. I simply cannot comprehend God allowing Jepthah to offer up his only daughter as a burnt offering. What is the message of this chapter? Thank you in advance for your help.

Last week I learned of a statement made by the Quartet rejecting the right of the Israeli electorate to change negotiating positions via the ballot box, etc. And a well known prophecy teacher has an article on his website about the economic crisis – he points out that it started on Sept.29 (2 days after the Quartet’s statement) and that the market fell 777 points. Do you think this economic crisis could be a judgment on the nations participating in this “cursing of Israel”? It is also very interesting that Iraq appears to be the main nation not effected. Thank you for your time and learned responses.

Thank you for your article about healing, Pastor. I have been struggling with a lot of health issues lately. I read a very good book by (a well known Christian author) , where he mentioned that many people believe that in some cases adult males struggle with health issues in their 30-s and 40-s, because of a life long relationship struggle with their mothers. This description most certainly fit my case. I think my health issues may come from that. At the same time, I read your article on healing in faith. I want to believe that I could get healed. Last Sunday I went to church and the pastor offered an anointing and prayer for healing (bodily and in terms of relationships). I felt moved to come and get anointed with oil. I explained to him that I needed to be healed both ways. However, I didn’t think about my relationship with my mother at the time, but with my wife because we struggled that week.

You know, I’m a born again Christian (a Messianic Jew technically speaking), I believe the Bible 100%, but I didn’t get healed that day. Well, my relationship with my wife got a lot better, but I didn’t get well. Why? And most importantly, how can I believe going forward? How in my case I can possbly believe that I can get healed in faith if that already didn’t happen?

As always, I respect your insight into the Lord’s word for our life and thank you for your time in ministry.

What are your thoughts around the whole contemporary service movement which seems to be growing and growing? In fact, I am part of a growing one now working on the sound team (technical end). I have read several articles by authors who feel that this type of worship, which focuses a lot on the experience and setting, is not biblical and may be offensive go God. I surely would never anger the Lord by doing something deliberate against his wishes and up to this point feel that I have been led to do this type of work for the church. The past does a great job with the message holding very tight to the truth in scripture, not candy coating anything. The music is the only difference between services.

I am so disappointed! Since there was no rapture on rosh hashanah, even tho everything seemed to point to it with the eclipses, what do we wait for now? Does that mean there is no chance for 2008? What is the next date you guys think it points to? I want to cry…I was SOOO hopeful!

You claim to have the gift of healing. I have trouble believing this because the gifts of the Holy Spirit are usable when needed. If someone is gifted in teaching it is evident as the person teaches. If a Christian is gifted in mercy, that is also evident. The recipient of these gifts does not require faith to receive them. Why didn’t Paul just heal Timothy of his stomach problem? He told him to drink wine instead.

The world markets are crashing – sure does look very similar to Revelation – smoke rising – and no more trading. Also – The passage that tells of the mark of the beast so you can’t sell or buy unless you got the mark. IS this where we are heading sooner rather than later?