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I spend hours on the articles you present on your website and thank God for the many things about the Bible that I learn from these. I also am grateful for you allowing for copies to be made of these articles, which I also find very helpful because I distribute these to my friends and also prepare sermons on them for my local church.

I have a question that I need some guidance from the Bible on, which I now ask you to kindly help give some answers to. What are the principles of God that govern the management or use of money by a Christian? I note that you refer to these as ‘Biblical admonitions for fiscal responsibility’ in your answer to a question under ‘Financial Debt & the Rapture‘.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24, KJV)

My question is, in the context of this verse, exactly what does taking up one’s cross refer to? Does it mean bearing infirmities or illness, and if so, how does this square with your articles regarding healing?

Your website has been such a blessing to me. I just read a question from a brother who said that he wasn’t experiencing the joy that we as Christians are supposed to have. I can so relate. It is so difficult to feel joy with all that is going on in this world, with so many perishing, especially when they are family. Also, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to me that most of the Church is asleep. I lost a son two years ago and am not sure where he is. He knew the Lord, but at the time of his death he wasn’t walking with the Lord.

My Dad passed away in May. He had heard the truth and I do know that because of many, many prayers on his behalf, he could have called on the Lord with his dying breath, like the thief on the cross.

Sorry for taking so much of your time before getting to my questions. First: if we are to live by faith and not by our feelings, then what is joy? Second: in 1 Cor. 6:9 lists those who will not inherit the kingdom. What if those people are born again Christians?

If I pay my taxes cheerfully and the government gives the money to the poor does that count for part of my tithe?

My question is about fasting. I know that there are examples in the New Testament of people fasting, but I’ve never had a pastor ever teach about it. How should we fast? When? For how long? How often? How does it work? What is it’s purpose? Please teach me about this subject and how I should incorporate it into my own life and walk with God. Thank you, as always, for all of your hard work.

Maybe you’re familiar with this goldsmith “idea”. The Lord is our Goldsmith and troubles, sufferings in a believer’s life meant to be His melting pot so we can be purified and formed to His likeness (as the goldsmith recognizes himself in the pure silver). It’s a very popular validation in christian circles for sufferings and hardships in a believer’s life. What do you think about it? Is this just a man made “christian urban legend” or biblical?

I have a question about our faith. I am asking where our faith in the Bible as the Word of God comes from. I have only found this statement in the New Testament in one of the epistles, basically reading that all scripture is the Word of God. So I have two questions. One is that I am hesitant to believe that the author of the epistle considered his letters to others, as well as the letters of his contemporaries, or even the Gospels themselves, which were still being written, as scripture. Wouldn’t he only be referring to the Old Testament

Which leads to my second question. If we then have to take the rest of the Bible as the Word of God on faith, then, from an objective point of view, how is this faith different from faith put into anything else?

I want to obey my parents and show them respect, but sometimes it feels like their expectations are unreasonably high. When I was a child I could understand. But now that I’m 25, it feels like a huge burden as they are refusing to let me go. What does the Bible say about obedience to our parents? Does it mean we must follow every command they issue? What is considered “respect and honor?” How far can they go in terms of demanding respect and honor? How far must I go to make them feel respected and honored? I would greatly appreciate some insight as I really don’t want to disobey the 5th commandment.

I am saved and attend a great church, but lately I have been battling with fear. I search in the word of God for verses on fear and I read that we should not be afraid but somehow I continue to do so. I have tried to not fear some things and I find myself in the same place. I know the word of God, I know that he is faithful. So why am I afraid, why is the fear still there? I’m tired of fearing these things, I want to let them go.

What is it that I’m doing wrong. Please, it drives me crazy when I know that God is forever merciful and loving. Why? I don’t understand why I feel this way. I have made him my savior and I’m his child. I’m tired. I want to let go. I have prayed about it. I really have. I have cried myself to sleep sometimes because I don’t want to be afraid. If God offers peace what is wrong with me? Help me please.

I just got around to reading “The Way It Was Meant To Be” and just wanted to say you’ve got to be careful making it sound like we are never to confront sin in others. Some like to call it “judging”, which is a favored term for those who shy away from possibly offending a brother or sister over doing the right thing and in a loving manner helping/correcting them. It’s not “judging”. The Bible tells us to confront sin. Jesus did it often. One example was the woman at the well. He didn’t just chat with her and then say “have a nice day”. He confronted her with her sin and told her to sin no more. There are times when believers are to do the same. When they don’t, they can easily be construed as approving of the sins being committed around them.

In Matthew 18:22 when Jesus said to forgive 70 X 7 times do you think he might have had a reason for using this particular number?

I know we are supposed to pray for our enemies, but I run into trouble on what to pray about? Can you give me a sample prayer for the way you would do it? I’m thinking of people who are enemies of our Country foreign and domestic.

Concerning the trinity. When I read most of the verses that people use to “prove” the trinity, I do not see the same thing. When Jesus says ” if you’ve seen the son you’ve seen the Father”; and “the Father and I are one”; I always took that as meaning that they are very similar. Kind of like when someone says that your son is a chip off the old block. Could those verses like in John ch. 1 have been mistakenly copied or corrupted on purpose? I read a book about how other societies had their version of the trinity before Christ was even born. I want to say that I’m not taking anything away from Jesus and what he did for us. I truly believe he is God’s son and that he died for my sins and rose from the dead. He is my savior! It’s just that if the trinity is so hard to understand, maybe it’s because we’re trying to read it into the scriptures.

Just when I think I have finally understood and accepted OSAS, someone comes along and throws me a curve ball and steals my joy. Please help me understand 2 Peter 3:17, as that is the most recent curve ball thrown at me!!!

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. –2 Peter 3:17

I am hoping that you can clear an answer you gave, where you state “… that in some way we don’t understand He gave up His God-like powers when He came to Earth and became fully (and only) man.” However, in one of your earlier answers, you state “Spirit led study will bring one to the conclusion that Jesus is God, and Hebrews 1:8 the Father is quoted as calling Jesus God, and the fact that Jesus is God in the flesh is well documented.”

Please forgive me if I seem somewhat confused, but it seems to me that in your answer to me you say that Jesus was only a man and not God in the flesh, but in the other answers you cite Jesus as being God as well as Man in His human form. Of course, Jesus was fully God and Man, that is why I cannot understand your first quote above.

I have been told that the ancient Rabbis call the first 4 books of the Bible the Song of Moses. They also believed that the verses in this group of books could be numbered for the years of life on earth. Each verse says something about what is going on on earth in that co-responding earth year. I also understand that there are some verses that we have in our Bible that the Jewish Bible does not have; so we have to take that into consideration. All this is very confusing and kind of far fetched. What are your thoughts on this?

While visiting a local church, we were introduced to the idea of “a 2nd work of grace”. We were told that you can obtain perfection through sanctification while still on earth, at which point you no longer sin. Instead, you only make mistakes. In addition, you can lose your salvation before you are perfect but, you can also be saved again. This goes against everything we have ever studied and we just don’t buy it. We would appreciate your comments.

I read your article “And There Was Evening And There Was Morning”, where you say you are OK with an old earth. How is this possible? In Exodus 20:11 and Exodus 31:17 the word of God is very plain that God created the earth and sea and heaven and everything in it, in six days and rested on the seventh day. Therefore if we have been here just over 6,000. years, then so has the earth. You and I believe that these six days were 24 hour days. God created the earth mature as He did Adam and Eve. The earth would look and everything would appear old, but was only created just over 6,000. years ago. So in essence we have a young earth.

Please let me know what you think of the quote below. Truly there is much on the net of the last days….

“Many of us have read the famous quote of our Messiah in the four gospels when he declared that his second coming would come at a time “that no man knows.” But how many of us knew that he was actually making a reference to the Feast of Trumpets? The Feast of Trumpets is known by Jews as “The Day That No Man Knows.” And why is it called this? Because it is the feast that can only be determined by the sighting of the new moon, and so “no man” can calculate the exact day or hour of when this feast day will begin.”

I have come upon some verses were Jesus refers to His Father as ‘My God’. Rev 3:12 is a Good example. Having had past experience with people who don’t believe in the trinity is a text they pounce on! “If Jesus was God”, they say, “Then how come he is calling his Father ‘My God?” What’s the best answer to that text?

It is difficult for me to understand how Jesus, in heaven prior to coming to Earth as a babe, being God, the second person of the Trinity, did not know about end time events prior to His coming. I have always believed that Jesus (God) was/is All Knowing, so why or how is it that He had to be told by the Father? This really has be confused and somewhat unhinged. He created the Earth and all but had no knowledge of end times? Before coming to Earth as a babe, was he not of “man form” in Heaven? Thank you for your help.

The book of John says that John The Baptist told the disciples that he didn’t know how Jesus was until the Spirit came in the form of a dove, but Mathew says that John stopped Jesus before the baptism to say he should be the one being baptized. I’m confused…if John The Baptist new enough to stop Him before the baptism, then how is it that in John he doesn’t know who He is until the dove?

Re: Luke 21:36. Please tell me what this verse means “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Again and again I see this verse associated with the Rapture but then that would imply if I don’t live a godly life I could be passed by, right? Or is this verse associated with the second coming? I do know I feel a great deal of stress inside every time I read it as I become afraid that I won’t be acceptable when the Lord comes for His Church.

I’ve carried a strong interest in Bible Prophecy for a number of years now. I’ve noticed of late some slight diversion as to the identity of the fourth beast of Dan 7. The traditional view has been that it is the Roman Empire and that we will soon see an end time revival of that empire. Another more recent view has been that the fourth beast is the Islamic Empire that began with the Ottoman Empire and has continued to this day. I believe that those holding this view reconcile the Roman Empire as an extension of the Grecian empire (through the 4 divisions that came out of this empire). I believe that those holding this view also acknowledge the Roman Empire as being one of the 7 heads of the beast identified in Rev 13. This more recent view has also led several to strongly suggest that both the beast and Antichrist must come from the East and that the Antichrist will be an Assyrian.

Unfortunately, my understanding of world history is not very strong. Was wondering if you could offer any thoughts on this.