Search Results

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

A guest speaker came to our church with an interesting insight on the Lord’s Prayer. Taking line by line, he showed us how to turn it from something we know by heart and can recite without thinking into an impassioned personal discussion with the Lord that can last as long as we want.

How are believers supposed to treat verses such as: “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:15) Is it guaranteed that the Holy Spirit will be successful in the sanctification process to rid us of habitual unforgiveness? If not, would the Father not forgiving us affect our salvation?

My understanding of fasting is not eating anything, neither food nor water. I mean not putting anything in your mouth that will go to your stomach. Now I read some of your responses on fasting and I’m puzzled to a point of slight disagreement. You mentioned Daniel fasting for 21 days but I don’t see in the Bible that being declared as fasting. To me, that was just Daniel’s decision to avoid eating defiled food offered to idols by Babylonian King. Fasting to me is purely not eating anything, and if someone is not eating certain foods while eating others that’s not fasting.

My question concerns the letter to the church by James, especially James 2:14-2:26. This sounds to me like a works based salvation and not only faith based. It seems to me the letters to the Jewish Christians puts forward a work based salvation and the letters by Paul a faith based salvation. Is not the letters written to the Jewish Christians written to those that will be in the great tribulation? If you look at the salutation it does not mention the church but the tribes of Israel.

How do we tell the difference between God’s confirmation and coincidence? Or wishful thinking? I know that He uses other people a lot of the time, but is that the only way? Any insight you have would be much appreciated.