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O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.

“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,

Could you please explain to me the simplicity of “Breaking of Bread” of the early church compare to the diversity of modern denominations? Of what I understand, it is a get together on the first day of the week, Saturday evening or Sunday morning. How did the first church actually kept Jesus’ commandment? Did Jesus command us to make this remembrance a ceremony or simply sharing our faith in a pot luck about Christianity?

Where does the Bible say the Father, Son & the Holy Ghost is one person?

I’ve read different views and commentaries on the Book of Life plus Scripture and some of it sounds kind of “predestinationalist”.

In the Old Testament, people talked about “blotting out of names from the book that God had written. Is this the same as the “Lamb’s Book of Life”?

A passage in Rev. 13:8 NASB refers to those who’s name has not been written from the foundation of the World in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. I think it means the book of the Lamb who has been slain from the foundation of the world.

Anyway, would you comment on the “Book of Life”, when the names are there, whose they are, how they get there, do you have to be an overcomer to stay there? etc.

God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the “gods”: “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Where should a church be drawing the line in the use of visual arts in Christian worship?

Our worship director indicated that he is going to be bringing more visual arts into worship so that there are additional means for the range of worshipers to express themselves in worship since some make connections visually. He thinks our church is too focused on head knowledge and not enough on expressive worship.

When we came to Christ, we were thrilled to have a church where the Word of God of God and the Holy Spirit were the focus. One concern is whether the Word will be de-emphasized in any way through this move to the visual or the senses.

I don’t want to be overly dogmatic because I love expressive worship. I know we are cautioned about visual representations in worship through the second commandment. But honestly, I don’t know where the line should be drawn in this area. What are your thoughts?

I am a totally born again, sold out to God Christian. I know in my heart that Jesus is coming back soon. I dream about being able to boldly witness to the many people that God puts on my heart but when the time comes I just lose courage. So what I do is pray for their salvation instead. I am so discouraged about this. I do not want to stand before the Lord and have Him say that since I was ashamed of Him, he is ashamed of me. I would appreciate your counsel and prayers about this.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Brother. Your site is such a blessing to me.

My question is can we have an impact on someone’s salvation through our prayers? I have always believed that we could, after all, Jesus said to ask anything in His name and it will be done, it’s certainly in His will and two or more have prayed and claimed it. I just read your response to “Can we save the dead” and now I am wondering if my prayers will help.

I have two daughters, neither of whom are believers. I have spoken in depth with my oldest and she just doesn’t “buy into” Jesus. I pray that they will come to know the Lord before the Rapture. I admit that I am not always a great example to them, I am impatient and do other sins that I ask God to forgive me of. The problem is they don’t see that I am forgiven and redeemed at the cross – they only see me as an imperfect person. But, all this aside I am a loving, frustrated mother.

No one looks at a tree growing out of a crack in the rock high above the desert and calls it the devil’s work, but many extol it as a miracle of God’s creation.

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; this is a decree for Israel,

My friend’s very elderly mother lost her husband last year and has now being diagnosed with lymphoma in her face. I mentioned this to my pastor and he led our congregation in prayers for her speedy recovery from this dreadful condition. It was all could do not to leap out of my seat and protest that none of her family wants her to recover. She is 86 years old and worn out with grief from caring for and then losing her lifelong partner. Recovery from this disease will only leave her waiting for another disease to take her, because, after all, no amount of prayer is going to turn the clock back and make her life span indefinite.

Is it wrong to pray for someone to die quickly from a condition, to pray that they don’t have to suffer the horrors of chemotherapy pushed upon them by ‘wellmeaning’ doctors? Are we required always to pray for people to recover from possibly terminal disease even if it means they will be left deformed and crippled? It seems so illogical – almost contrary. Why is it that even really solid Christians still seem to think that dying is the worst thing that can happen to a person, when it seems to me to be the start of REAL life?

Please put me straight before I say something and upset someone!!

Jack, I can always count on you to answer my questions in a way which helps me to understand.

I am currently reading ‘The Problem of Pain’ by C.S. Lewis and in one respect, I am understanding and in another respect, I feel very confused. My mind is trying desperately to wrap around the concepts presented here.

In one regard, Lewis states that God did not create us to love Him, rather He created us so He could love us. In another section of the book, not much further along, Lewis states that God does not need us. Because He is perfect, He needs nothing outside of Himself. Rather, He has made Himself need us for our own sakes, because beings that we are, we “need to be needed” and so He “needs” us out of Love for us, a perfect Love.

I hope I am making sense and quoting Lewis correctly. This is how I understand it anyway.

My question is this: Does anything we do here make God happy? Does He ever look down on us and smile? For if He truly does not need us beyond us needing Him, then does anything we do really affect His opinion of us one way or another?

I know the Bible mentions our good deeds being rewarded, if they are truly unselfish and thoughtful deeds, without thought to one’s own self or how it will benefit us. But does this mean at all that God is proud of us, or that we please Him in any way?

I just sat and cried after reading the book, without truly knowing why. Part of me understands and yet part of us does not and I guess that scares me and confuses me. Thanks for any insight.

I’m enjoying your mp3 studies, but have a question. In John, the verse about Jesus leaving and preparing a place for us with his Father, who has many rooms… Isn’t he speaking to his deciples who are Jewish? Then if he is speaking to the Jews I’m confused because if I understood the studies corectly the Jews are going to be on Earth with God, and the Gentiles will be in heaven. Please help me see where I’m confused.

Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us. Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

We have Christian friends who allow their children to watch and read the Harry Potter series. How can we explain to them that this isn’t innocent children’s stories? God Bless you!

Thank you so much for your wisdom and insight into the Bible. In one of your articles I remember you saying that trib believers would have different eternal rewards than the Church. I think this was from the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, but I think I see it wrong.

It said that the church in Philadelphia would be made into a pillar in the temple of God, never leaving it and always being a servant there while those in the church in Laodicea would be seated on the right of God. I am most confused by this because the impression I got was that those roles would be reversed, unless all believers’ rewards are the same.

Thank you for taking the time answer our questions. I was reading Luke 11:29-30. It is the passage where the crowds asked Jesus for a sign, but answering them, Jesus said that no sign would be given them except the sign of Jonah. I’m a little baffled as to why Jesus would phrase it this way since He’d been doing miracles left and right all this time. Weren’t those signs as well?

O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old- what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children;

Hi, I love your website. My question is on what works are our Rewards at the Bema Seat based upon? Is it our obedience to the Lord’s commandments on a day to day basis, struggling to be obedient in times of Temptation, etc. Or are they something different, like seeing a starving person on the street, and getting them a sandwich to eat, or giving someone some clothes that are in need? Or is it a combination of both?

Is being a church hopper and wanderer a sinful practice? For years I have been going round all the churches in different areas going from one to the other,and never settling anywhere for more than a few weeks at a time and it has now earned me a bad name. I’m known all over the place for being a wanderer and I find I am disliked for it.

What can I do about putting things right as I have recently become a Christian and have confessed of this sin before God, as well as all my others and have asked Jesus Christ into my heart and life to be my Lord and Saviour. I have been told that it is really wrong in Gods eyes to be going from church to church, and back and forth one to another. What are your views on this?

As always thank you for you willingness to share your thoughts on these matters. My question for you is how do we weigh out the contrast between Matthew 5:17-20 and Acts 15:19-20 (Also the majority of the message of Hebrews). I have a Messianic Jewish friend that dwells very heavily on the Matthew verses, but most denominational churches teach a theology of Grace (and rightfully so) but begin to neglect the law. Is it something deeper than just, “the rules never changed, but the penalty is gone”? I have a hard time meshing that with the lifting of the kosher dietary requirements that Peter had given to him from Heaven, to me that shows that the rule (at least in that case) was changed. I know this is one of those subjects that is easy to run too far to either extreme so I was hoping you could provide a scriptural balance for it. Thank you for your help.

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint.

I would like to know if you know what happened to the ark of the covenant. I know about the ark but I don’t know what happened to it. I know that they took the staff and the bowl of manna out but where is the ark?