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I have a question about confessing our sins. Since the Bible says that anything that is not of faith is sin, it would seem that we sin oftentimes without even realizing that we’re sinning. And it would seem that we’re in sin more than we’re out of sin. With that in mind, we’d have to spend almost every waking moment confessing our sins in order to be back in fellowship with God on a continual basis. Do you think God really wants us to spend that much time confessing sins?

Paul placed a lot of emphasis on the need for the old man/flesh/carnal man/self to be crucified. What is your take on this, knowing that whatever you yield your members to, his servant ye are, and more over shall we continue to sin because we are under grace?

A question that was asked of me and I would like to hear your opinion. I attend a United Methodist Church that preaches the Word and salvation. But it has a few quirks that do not set well with me. About 5 years ago our Pastor took on the practice of offering Ashes during the Ash Wednesday service. I asked him about it and also asked where in scripture it says to do this and he told me it was a sign of being a repentant Christian in a round about way and that there where no scriptural references to it. But he did point to the old testament practice of ash and sack cloth when repenting.

I was saved in a non denominational church. And have only been with this Methodist church for about 10 years. So I had never been exposed to this practice before. And I have refused to take the Ashes because I equate this with non believers that do it for show. What do you think of this practice of giving ashes?

When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. Why was it, O sea, that you fled,

Because my sister is a non-believer, and accordingly will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, my question is will she know WHY she’s in Hell and understand that had she just accepted Christ as her personal savior she would be in Heaven? And because she’s a good, kind, generous, and giving person, will her punishment be less than say someone who murders or molests children? I continue to pray daily for her salvation because I know what’s coming.

This question deals with Is.43:10. If you do a quick read of Is.43:10 it almost sounds as if God himself was formed. This can’t be, can it? Wouldn’t that negate his being eternal, past and present? Appreciate your thoughts.

There are so many versions of the bible out, NKJ, NIV, etc to name just a few, and then there is the Catholic Bible with the Apocrypha. How do we know that we have the right books in the bible? Maybe that’s why there are cults out there that state that the bible has been changed and by man. Could you explain why certain books are in our bible and why there are certain books that were not accepted and why is it that the Catholics have additional books that the Protestant world doesn’t? Are those “missing books” not the word of God?

I have thoroughly enjoyed your series on The End Times According to Isaiah. Each week I print the next part off and study carefully. We are also studying the Book of Isaiah in my Sunday School class. But we have differences in opinion. Some in my class think that Isaiah was prophesying in the 700’s BC to events which later occurred between the 600’s BC up to the beginning of the first century AD. They have difficulty applying Isaiah to “end time events” soon to come. How can I reconcile Isaiah’s prophecies to both Israel’s times of trouble before Jesus’ birth and also to upcoming “end time events?” Is there scripture to support God’s prophetic judgments through prophecy to equally apply to past history and the future?

The Bible says that if we are saved then we will show good works. So what are good works? Is it not sinning, or is it helping an old lady across the road? And if it is helping an old lady across the road well, I’m going to say that unsaved people do that!!

Thank you for this ministry. I have grown in my faith and understanding from reading your articles. I was reading Luke 13:6-9 and I realized I had never read about (or heard discussed/preached about) the meaning of this parable. I recognize the man who owned the vineyard was God, and the visiting the tree over three years’ time was Christ’s ministry on Earth, but I wondered who might the vine dresser of the vineyard be? Also, when the vine dresser asks to be allowed to “dig around it and fertilize it,” what does that infer? I notice there’s no time period mentioned for waiting to see if this action produces fruit before the decision is made to cut the tree down. Is that a reference to the Church Age?

Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore.  From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.  The LORD is exalted over all the nations,

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

The foiled assassination plot against the King can be likened to your salvation experience. Remember, due to Mordecai’s timely warning the two officers who plotted the King’s death were discovered and sentenced to die. Most translations of my story say they were hanged,

I heard from my pastor years ago when he preached on the story of Joseph that God put him in bad (difficult) situations and says God will sometimes put us in bad situations. I have read Q&A on your website and you state that God does not put us in bad situations. In the story of Joseph, I believe he was hurt badly and deeply though God was not the cause of his problems nor did He put him in situations like that. But I believe He allowed him to be sold into slavery and put into prison and God used his bad situations and turned them around for his good (Romans 8:28). Do you think God put Joseph in these situations or allowed these bad things to happen to him?

When we are raptured, where will we land, after meeting Jesus in the air? Heaven? The New Jerusalem? Neither?

Years ago, before I was a Christian, I hurt a family member. Since I came to faith in Jesus, I have repeatedly asked for forgiveness. The person refuses to forgive me, and has basically disowned me. I have asked the Lord for forgiveness for my past many times. But this person continues to express hatred toward me. This has caused great anguish, and I ask you, how do I reconcile this burden? The family member is not a Christian.

Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

In Acts 8 : 3 we see Saul persecuting believers in Christ and sending them to prison. What legal authority did he have to do this? What is the main reason why he did this ?

I was listening to a radio program the other night and a non-religious commentator made a statement that the angels murmured against God when God made man and he was not talking only about the fallen angels. He also made the comment that the angels do not really like us that much. I have searched the Scriptures and I can not find anything to support this view.

I would like to ask if it is possible that the number 144,000 is a symbolic number fullness? It seems to me that in Revelation 7:4 is the symbolic figure of all Israel, and in Revelation 14:3 is a symbolic number fullness of the Gentiles.

Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.  Great are the works of the LORD;  they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds,  and his righteousness endures forever.

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

As I mentioned last time Mordecai is my cousin, although he’s so much older than I am that he actually remembers life in Jerusalem before the Babylonians destroyed it. When my parents died he took me in and raised me as his own.

I’ve heard countless arguments from various Christians about not consuming alcohol. And, while I totally understand Christians choosing not to drink alcohol at all, the only verses in the Bible I can find regarding alcohol, is the sin of drunkenness. This, personally, isn’t an issue for me because I don’t drink alcohol at all. But, then there are those certain religious groups who say that even the consumption of caffeine (soda and coffee) is sinful.

Their argument is that we shouldn’t be putting anything into our bodies that alters our state of mind/being. Because our body is a temple, it should be left as pure as possible by avoiding caffeine and alcohol altogether. I don’t really agree with this, because I’m thinking this is more of a man made rule and not anything they’ve pulled from the Scriptures. When I try to tell these Christians that the only sin is drunkenness (as mentioned in the Bible), they’re adamant about the consumption of any of these drinks is sinful and we should stay away. Should I consider donating my coffee maker, or are these Christians placing their own meaning on certain scriptures?

I was reading one of your articles and you indicated that Christians who believe they will be saved have to be Born Again. I was under the impression that all Christians who call upon the name of Jesus will be saved. But it seems the article indicated that Christians can be Christian in name only. Does this mean that they will not have eternal life.? My understanding, in the article, they will be left behind at the Rapture. I am a Catholic, from a child on and believe the Lord Jesus died for our sins. I have since been Born Again, but would I have been saved without coming to the Born Again status?

In Gen chapter 6 it appears that before God commissioned Noah to construct an ark he had three sons. However, in Gen 11 it is stated that two years after the flood subsided, Shem was then only 100 years old. That being the case, how can so many preachers state that Noah took 120 years to build the ark? It seems to me that this 120 years claim is based on verse 3 of chapter six. Please give your mind on this matter.

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.