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You quoted in your recent psalm commentary from a friend: “Maximum trial, maximum grace.”

Is this true in the case if the trial or trials is/are caused by our sins? ( If we turn to the Lord for help asking for His forgiveness. If He’s not tired of me always doing something horribly stupid and then asking for His help!)

I’ve read the arguments about the people who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple being Assyrians. How can we be sure they weren’t?

I’m 17 years old and moved from Cincinnati into Austin Texas, which is a very liberal area. I’m having a lot of trouble adapting because I feel its so hard to really be proactive with my faith and get the word out, because I’m experiencing enough persecution as it is. Granted I do reach out to people here and there, but its hard to do in high school .

But as I’m reading you’re articles I feel encouraged because it brings to attention how stupid we are to worry so much about this life and what people will think of us, instead of focusing on the next life. It’s great that you tackle your subjects in a non-denominational sense and just focus on what the Bible says.

I have a question. I’m really worried about leading people astray. I feel the need to help people, and teach them the word of God, spread the faith, but I’m afraid of misleading someone unintentionally. Through misquotes or something of that matter, because I think the Bible says those who mislead people will face harsher judgement. So what’s your input on that?

Last Sunday our pastor was preaching on Psalm 23 and part of his message hit me as another answer to the OSAS issue. He said that when the Psalm refers to the security of a sheep in the Shepherd’s care “for His name’s sake”, it is referring to the fact that sheep are by nature unable to care for themselves and will wander into trouble, and when they do, it’s the shepherd’s responsibility to rescue them.

To be saved, it is not sufficient just to believe in God Whose existence can be inferred from nature. “Simple belief” in the existence of God does not meet the criteria for salvation according to Christian doctrine.

We must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, his substitutionary and propitiating death, and his resurrection, as payment for our personal and individual sins. How, then, does a person who “absolutely, positively never heard of Jesus” (title given to the article) have a choice to be saved?

I have a question bout Balaam in the book of Numbers. He was obviously a legitimate prophet in the sense that he spoke with God. But I am wondering why it is God gave him that gift, why He gave him permission to go then got mad (though I do understand that there is God’s perfect will and permissive will). And lastly if God was in a relationship with Balaam shouldn’t it have been to further His plan in which case wouldn’t it make sense that God would have been already trying to get Balaam to join Moses or aid in that effort in some way? I was just curious about these things and I know none of them are explicitly answered in scripture, but wondered if maybe there were any traditions associated with them. Thanks for your help.

First of all, thank you for your wonderful website.

I have a question about Matthew 5:39, where it says “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also”. By this, shouldn’t we all be pacifists? Doesn’t this mean we should dismantle our armed forces, take no action to prevent Iran becoming nuclear, and just roll over and let it nuke us? Doesn’t this mean that fighting against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in WWII, we were doing the wrong thing, and the right thing would have been to let them conquer us? That Israel resisting Hamas’ attempts to obliterate it is wrong? That we should take no forceful action to defend ourselves or anything else, ever?

RE: Zechariah 12:2-3. My Bible notes say this passage is talking about before a battle right before Armageddon but it certainly does seem to describe how the World is feeling about Gaza and Israel right now. What do you think?

My brother recommended your web site and I have found comfort in your responses. My question has to do with why does God require innocent blood to be shed? Thank you in advance for any thoughts you share on this topic.

As Christians are we to celebrate Passover in like manner as the Jews, instead of Resurrection Sunday, so called Easter? Or is Passover for the Jews only?

You said that there is no sex in Heaven because there is no procreation, however, there is much more to sex than procreation. I can’t imagine going through eternity without the intimacy my wife and I have. The physical contact of cuddling, caressing and our intimate conversations. When we go to Heaven are we to be denied the love that we had for our partner in this life?

I read your article where you explain how Matthew 24:36-50 is not about the rapture, and I have to say that what you wrote makes absolute sense. I have a question about Matt. 24:36, 42, 44, 50 and Matt. 25:13. They clearly state that the day and the hour of the 2nd coming are not known. But the length of the Great Tribulation will be known and then the Lord will return. You mention a period of time between the end of the tribulation and the 2nd coming of Christ. Is this spoken or taught in other parts of the Bible? Or is it just a conclusion you reached by analyzing the scriptures which say that nobody knows the day or the hour?

I know you’re a firm believer in OSAS. I had an uncle who preached the gospel in his church, led many to God over the years, had a great testimony in the church and community. Somewhere along the way, he fell into a grievous sexual sin. He got found out, left the church, walked away from God. He made fun of those who continued to follow God. Are you telling me that he was saved and when he died he went to heaven?

I have confessed my sins to God and repent and grieve over committing sins I fully knew were sins. I’ll admit He already knew them anyway. I can certainly understand confessing adultery to a spouse because he/she is the one sinned against. But what about other sins like abortion or pornography? Do you publicly tell your family members in order to confess?

You made a comment on one of the questions about the Parable of the Sower relating to the third kind of seed sown where thorns choked out the seed making it unfruitful. You summed it up by saying we’re saved because of what we believe not because of how we behave. Though I understand in principle, saved by grace, not by works, doesn’t what we believe produce how we behave? I have always understood that a true believer will always bear some fruit. Isn’t it possible that the group you referred to as “Most born-again Christians in the US today fall into this category”, profess to be Christians but in actuality are not true believers?

In John 8:10-11 Jesus is quoted: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Was Jesus really saying, “If you continue in your sin of adultery, I may not be here to save you again from stoning?” In reality we can not stop sinning all together until we are perfected in heaven.

For another question: John 10:30 Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” Does this mean that when Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after his death, he in fact raised himself from the dead? I believe the Bible says that God the Father raised him but he is God also.

In Revelation 5, John weeps bitterly (or convulsively) for no one is found worthy to open the scroll. The passages are clear that nobody in Heaven, on Earth, nor under the Earth was (or is) worthy. Where then was Jesus before He appeared and took the scroll? John seems to indicate that the Lamb appeared freshly slain. So was John taken back to crucifixion? It seems while Jesus was on the cross bearing sin, He wouldn’t be technically worthy. Or was John in the future, and at the time John was weeping Jesus was in transit to the Father and was not found at that particular moment.

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you (John 14:2).

Recently I had someone object to my belief that Jesus was referring to our eternal home in the New Jerusalem when He said this.

In Joshua 5:13-15, Joshua met a figure that appeared out of nowhere with a sword in his hands. Joshua asked who is he and he answered he is the Commander of the Army of lord, Joshua fell and worshiped him. Since angels like Micheal doesn’t need human to worship, that figure couldn’t be an angel. Maybe you can enlightened me on this point.

I believe in justification being a one time thing. But people in my small group say you have to be sanctified also and that takes time. Could you please expand on what sanctification is and whether it’s something we do or God does. I would like to know how long sanctification takes and how do we know when it’s been completed enough to now feel confident that we’re going to make it to glorification.

There is a believer I know who will behave with great respect for God’s word and direction most of the time. He’s prayed for remarkable things and has seen astounding works of the Lord in his own, and others’ lives, but once in a great while he will go off into willful sin, without any excuse. He knows Jesus is the son of God, and he knows when he asks for forgiveness he receives it. After 30 years of doing this, he thinks sinning and then asking for forgiveness and then just repeating the process, is making a mockery of the Lord’s work. Now he thinks God is so mad at him he is losing the will to live. Could you offer insight?

The phrase “the fear of The Lord” is used many times in the Bible. For example, Proverbs 1:7 tells us that “the fear of The Lord” is the beginning of knowledge. But, what exactly is “the fear of The Lord” as it is used in Proverbs 1:7 and other places?

Why The Shift Of Pronouns In Zechariah 12:10? I recently been more aware of this type of change in scripture. I believe there are so many hints that go unnoticed in the Bible that make me so thankful to some scholars who research such things