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***NEW: Bible Basics 6A: Peripateology: the Christian Walk – now available (7/18/18)
*NEW: MP3 Audio Files (New: "Select Emails")
[posted 7/13/19]
Question #1:
Dear Teacher
Please take your time. I'll wait.
I've started going out to see about finding a job. Not a very hopeful endeavor
so far. Two possibilities facing me now are a reference to a security outfit
where I may get work as a security guard and a local government program in a
nearby local government area which will provide me with training in a craft for
three months at the end of which I should get some capital to start off on my
own. The latter will require me to apply to have my voting status reassigned to
that local government and possibly use a residential address there as well.
Besides, being a political thing, it is far from likely that I will get in and
even if I do, there are always stories about people either taking forever to get
the capital or not getting it at all. Still, I think I should try for it. The
former is, well, embarrassing but what does that matter if it is honest work? I
can only see that it has a potential to be a dangerous job and normally it is a
very poorly paying one. I may go out again tomorrow if I can afford to by then -
I'm out of money right now - to apply for it.
It occurred to me that the visible evidence of a split between believing
patriarchs and their unbelieving counterparts may have been that like Esau, the
logic of the latter was that the promises and the calling of God matter nothing
if we starve, so they would sell God's Truth for survival in this world (which
is incidentally an illusion itself since we all die eventually) and the former
believed instead that surviving in this world was meaningless and undesirable
unless it was done with, in and for God.
So, while Cain reacts to a slight by murdering his brother - which may indicate
that he thought that he was depriving Abel of something great in doing so - and
building a city - which may also indicate a thought for security and permanence
in this world and Nimrod builds a kingdom - along the same principles as Cain -
and Esau sells his birthright - because what good is it to him if he starved, as
his thinking went -, Abel spent the fruit of his labor on following God's Truth,
Noah endured ridicule to follow God's Truth and Jacob sold his pottage for a
shot at inheriting God's Promises (weird as that sounds, I think it was exactly
what he did). Moses counted the reproach of Christ of greater value than the
wealth and power of Egyptian royalty.
It seems that that was the dividing line all the time. In my life, I know that I
cannot see everything about other people's lives but if I judge by just what
they say, it would seem that the difference between me and many of those who
have been contemporaries to me at one point or another has been their dedication
to survival in this world and mine to learning God's Truth. Not that I am better
than them. It's just that I have always hesitated to throw myself into "life"
with abandon. I always felt a little stupid because of it. I didn't know what I
was looking or waiting for. I just didn't feel sure that what I was seeing was
the way to live. So I hesitated and threw opportunities away.
My business concept was my way to make up for all I had lost but even with it I
kept hesitating. I wasn't sure that I should do business this way or that way.
Something was just off about everything. Of course I know now that I was looking
at life all wrong. It wasn't that certain activities were wrong or right but
that things were in the wrong place. Once the Truth is put in its right place,
it seems to me like everything straightens out somehow. Life is not easier now.
Far from it. It is just easier to understand now and easier to bear too. And it
is so because I finally found the Truth.
The Truth is comforting. Far more so than I thought it was. It demands much but
it gives far more than it demands. In fact, it seems to me like what it demands
is a kindness on its part. For me, I can't be with the woman I love yet and it
hurts to see how that affects her sometimes. I can't provide for myself or my
parents or her. And all the possibilities I see for doing so are beyond me
somehow. To give my attention to the Truth appears to require that I
deprioritize all these things. But what if I didn't? There is a sense in which
all the hustling and running around makes life seem meaningful for many. To be
busy doing something whatever it may be keeps people happy to some degree
especially if that something makes all the above possible.
But I don't think there is any point in my life from the past to the present
when I could have lived that way without great concern and possible depression.
I have always felt that there was something more. So even though I can't do all
that now, to know why I can't and hold that reason everyday in my hands is very
comforting.
I told my fiancee a few days ago that although we love each other so much that
we wish we could have a long life together, what we will have in eternity will
far surpass the best we could possibly have here. I know that for both of us,
the "no marriage in resurrection" bit made us wonder just what could be better
in eternity than having each other in this special, exclusive relationship where
we revel in each other's attention. We really can't imagine what could be but we
couldn't imagine each other before we met each other and we surpass for each
other our best hopes and daydreams. She has told me that about myself and I know
that I had no concept that anything like her was possible when I met her. I
didn't even know to imagine anything like her, it was entirely outside my
experience. If that is so of something earthly, how much more something eternal.
That was what helped our Faith.
This is hard. I didn't imagine my life like this. But every time I think back
down the road that brought me here I can't imagine what I would change if I
could. Life is tough without a degree, especially a good one like I thought I
was capable of, but I would rather have it that way and be here with Ichthys and
better eyes everyday to read the Bible with. What if I had not dropped out and
continued in school out of fear of ruining my chances for a more comfortable
life? Perhaps I would have still come to the point of embracing the Truth with
less pain? I don't know. But I went the way I did then because I thought that
obeying God was more important than earthly security even when I was not sure
about what God was saying. I have believed loads of errors and I am sure there
is still plenty to root out. It was probably a lie then too that persuaded me to
drop out of school. I'll only know at the Resurrection. But that desire to learn
the Truth whatever it turned out to be and at whatever the cost may be is not
something I regret at all. That is why I don't see what I would change in my
past. I'm here. Here is where I wanted all those years to be. Here is where I
was looking for down every alley and around every corner I turned. I could never
prefer a life where I didn't search for this place. And certainly not one where
I don't find it.
Now that I'm here, I'm trying to be here in a way that shows my gratitude for
being brought here. I'm still not very good at it. Paul puts me to shame. You,
sir, put me to shame. I like to think that in time I could be like you and Paul
and Moses and David and Abraham but that may still be a long way ahead. I would
be very happy to shorten the distance though if doing so brings me that much
nearer.
To be able to spend every moment learning God's Truth and adjusting to it and
spreading it must be amazing. I can't handle more than a few hours at a time. I
get tired. And then for all my talk of following no matter the cost, I do get
caught in worry from time to time. I know that we all stumble but I wish for the
Day when I won't anymore. I wish I had finished my course already and can gaze
on His Face forever. It's very tough going here. But finally knowing Him for
sure and having such good companions as you, sir, is what makes it bearable.
It's like Jacob working seven years and they were as days to him because of his
love for Rachel (he did marry her a week after he married Leah though, didn't
he, or did he have to wait another seven years to be with her?).
I will be grateful eternally for the gift of you and Ichthys, sir, and for a
fiancee like mine who soldiers on in spite of the way things look all because of
that which eyes cannot see, and for dear brothers and sisters like Bartek. The
cost may be high but the reward makes it seem not like much to pay. And I have
not even seen the rewards of eternity yet.
Please forgive me for taking up so much time with all that. I don't think I
could have swallowed it back.
Yours in our priceless Lord Jesus Christ
Response #1:
I know you are having a hard time at the moment, but your witness is
inspiring. You are a good man, and more important than that a truly good
Christian man. You really do put the Lord first – and that is something
not easy to do at all.
I do worry that you are putting me up on a pedestal, as we say. Let me
assure you: we all have "feet of clay". I am inspired to try to focus
more and more on putting Christ first the way you are doing by reading
your stirring testimony.
When I was in seminary, I tried to be a security guard but it REALLY
wasn't for me. The Lord got me through without it, and I am most
grateful to Him for doing so.
I certainly don't know what to advise you, beyond affirming what you
have already decided is true, namely, that second guessing is always a
big mistake. This is a fight, and like all combat, eggs will be broken.
We do our best to dodge and duck and parry and punch the best we can,
but we aren't going to be perfect. If we can say when the fight is over
for that day that we have sincerely tried to put Christ first in our
choices, maybe not perfectly (none of us is perfect, after all) but as
best we could given our imperfections and the pressures we face, looking
at things with a cold dose of reality rather through rose-colored
glasses, that is maybe the best we can do. If we keep it up, good things
will happen in terms of the kingdom of God (even if sometimes they don't
seem so good in terms of the kingdom of this world).
I would like to be able to snap my fingers and find you a good job, or
even better open the floodgates of heaven for you and have the Lord dump
a huge financial boon on you. Of course I don't have that power. And no
doubt it is a very good thing too. If we can only influence things
materially in very small ways, the result is that we do show out true
hearts without at the same time turning other people's lives upside
down. If we had power or money or great possessions, we would be tempted
to benefit others in ways that might mess up what God has planned for
them. Obviously no one can "mess up" the plan of God, not even in the
slightest or smallest way. But if we think about it that is probably why
– at least one reason why – those who are truly walking close to Him
don't have the means to do anything mighty in the world's terms. But
blessedly we are given the means to be "mighty men" in spiritual things
to the glory of Jesus Christ. And there is nothing better than that, not
in this world where what we do for others spiritually is SO much more
important than what we might do for them materially, and not in the next
where spiritual effort now I am convinced will count for SO much more in
terms of reward than, e.g., giving money. And after all, even in terms
of the latter it is indeed the motive not the amount that counts (e.g.,
Lk.21:1-4). I also read this in scripture:
Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
Matthew 19:27-30 NKJV
Keep fighting the good fight, my friend. The Lord knows your heart and He knows what you need. Your part is to be patient. That is always hard indeed, but as James says . . .
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
James 1:2-4 NKJV
And thank you so much for your patience on your questions!
It is greatly appreciated.
Your friend in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #2:
Dear Teacher
Thank you so much for your encouraging email. I think I understand about
putting you on a pedestal. I always feel like you (and others)
overestimate me when you commend me the way you do as well. I do
understand that we all are weak and that where there is any good in us,
it is all God accomplishing it. Still, I can admire your own effort to
serve God to the best of your ability, to submit your will to Him. I
know that our model ultimately is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself but I
feel like He gives us teachers like you to show us that what He calls us
to is not impossible for us. So, I suppose I am saying that I am always
challenged and encouraged by you, sir. And it is a fact that I know no
teacher like yourself. I am grateful everyday for you.
Thank you, sir, for the admonition. I will continue to push forward as
our Lord gives me strength.
Yours in our precious Lord Jesus Christ
Response #2:
You're most welcome, my friend.
Keeping you in my prayers daily!
In Jesus our dear Savior,
Bob L.
Question #3:
Hi Bob,
It’s been a tough month and a half. My mom and I are having a hard time
adjusting to the “new normal”. Sometimes the sadness is overwhelming.
Even when you know it’s coming for such a long time you still can’t
really prepare yourself for the reality of not having that person around
anymore. If I think about it too deeply, or for too long a time, I can’t
help crying. Your certainty of my dad’s salvation based on my report has
been greatly reassuring, but the pain of separation is greater than I
ever expected.
We had the funeral that Friday. The conjunction of Passover and Easter
that weekend made everything more complicated. My mom and I only wanted
to do two nights of sitting shiva (Friday evening after the funeral and
the night after). However, apparently because it was Passover we
couldn’t officially call it “sitting shiva” so we had to call it a
“celebration of life”. That wasn’t a problem. Family was – getting
ridiculously legalistic, saying things like, “You’re supposed to sit
shiva for a week, not two nights. The two nights you’re choosing are the
first two nights of Passover and I’m supposed to attend a Seder. You
can’t sit shiva until after sundown. It’s Passover so you can’t have any
bread or anything else with leaven in the house.” There’s more I could
say about her, but I’ll save it.
It ended up being a good thing that a lot of people couldn’t come
because they were at a Seder. There were too many people at our house
for my mom and me to handle as it was. We had to escape to the basement
for a while to get away from everyone. The good thing was that people
sent us lots of food. We had enough food for 30 people each of those two
nights, plus three meals a day for my mom and me for the next week, plus
we had to throw out some fruit and things that went bad before we could
eat it all. And yes, we had bread. In fact we had a 4ft. sandwich show
up the first night, and two 3ft. ones the second. We also had lots of
cookies.
There were a couple of humorous moments that weekend. The rabbi the
funeral home provided was really good. He was meeting before the service
with me, my mom, grandma, and uncle in a back room to go over some
things and finalize what he was going to say. He then helped us with the
Keriah (tearing of the garment). What Reformed Jews do is pin a ribbon
on the chest and then tear the ribbon. So he was going around and
pinning these black ribbons on our chests (either on our suit jackets or
shirts), and as he was doing so he was talking to me about music (since
that was one of the things my dad and I bonded over the most). He got to
talking about The Beatles, and he brought up their original drummer,
Pete Best. As he was talking to me, he was pinning the ribbon on my
mom’s chest and he said, “Pete Breast--” We all cracked up laughing, he
got really embarrassed, and my mom, always quick-witted, said, “Can you
at least wait a week after my husband dies before you start hitting on
me?”
Then the next night, Saturday, my grandma’s eighty-year-old boyfriend,
who had a stroke last year but recovered remarkably well, stuffed up the
toilet in our bathroom. Not only did he stuff it up, he flooded the
bathroom and broke the toilet seat. My uncle and I cleaned up all the
water, and the next day it took my mom and uncle 45 minutes to unclog
it. Anyway, at the end of the night, when everyone was leaving and
saying goodbye, I thought he was going to say, “Sorry for your loss,” or
“sorry about your father,” like everyone else. Instead, he said slowly
and mournfully, “I’m sorry about your toilet.”
So my memory of that weekend will always involve “Pete Breast” and
“Sorry about your toilet.” The eulogies were good. My mom and I were
crying too much to read ours, so I had my cousin read mine and my mom
had her sister read hers.
We found a charity to take the wheelchairs and hospital bed. My uncle
took the minivan, which my dad used to drive and which then had the
wheelchair lift so he could go places, to his house and is going to sell
it for us (or if he can’t find someone to take it, give it to Kars4Kids
or something). Mom and I haven’t gone through all his stuff yet. Even
thinking about it is too difficult. It’s all just in closets and
drawers. We got a new couch for the living room where the hospital bed
was. Mom also got a home security system. It’s a really safe
neighborhood, but she’s never lived alone before. The dog had also never
been alone all day while my mom’s out at work. The dog still walks
around sometimes and looks for my dad over by where the bed was, in the
bathroom, by the sliding glass door where he’d sit and get sunlight
after lunch. She (the dog) looks in the spare room where the home health
aid would sleep. We’re all trying to get used to the changes.
On a different note, I’ve been reading some of the psalms in Hebrew to
practice “sight reading” (I used to be much better when I was in
preparation for my Bar Mitzvah). I’m also up to Lesson 34 in the Lambdin
grammar. I read Psalm 121 and found that I was actually understanding it
without having to look up many words, so I decided to do my own
translation. I sat down with just the BHS and BDB and came up with what
I have below (full disclosure: although I didn’t consult an existing
English version while translating, I had read this psalm in the NIV,
NASB, ESV, and KJV a couple of days before I did the translation). Can
you let me know how I did? I noticed I rendered verses 3 and 4 the most
differently from the various versions when I compared them afterward,
specifically preferring a fuller rendering of נוּם, admittedly for
lyrical poetic reasons, and what I read as the active participle שוֹמֵר,
also finding lyrical poetry in a more formally equivalent approach to
verse 4 than the other versions seem to have done.
Psalm 121 A song of Ascents:
1 I lift up my eyes unto the mountains.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the maker of heavens and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to falter.
Your keeper will not be drowsy nor slumber.
4 Behold, He will not be drowsy nor slumber,
nor will He sleep keeping Israel.
5 The LORD is your keeper.
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 By day the sun will not smite you,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil.
He will keep your soul.
8 The LORD will keep your going forth and your coming
now and forevermore.
Taking things one day at a time, yours in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Response #3:
Great job on Psalm 121! Nothing to correct here. Were this a test in one
of my classes I'd give it an "A+". Of course I don't teach BH at U of L.
The woman who does occasionally do so had it cancelled out from under
her last time around for low enrollments. And I've only got four signed
up for first year Greek next fall so far – could use some prayers there!
I understand about the power of grief, believe me. And it is indeed much
more potent when the person in question passes before what we consider
the "right time". I lost someone very near and dear my own age in
graduate school, and it really set me back in a number of ways. We do
have to remember, however, that God knows the real "right time". The
plan is perfect. How could it be otherwise since He is perfect? The best
we can hope for under such circumstances is that we may have no regrets,
not because of a lapse on our part, and not because the person is not
saved. Your dad accepted Christ – so no regrets there. And he did so in
no small part through your efforts – there is great comfort in that.
I can only glean from what little I know, but it occurs to me that your
dad, given who he was and his particular background, was only going to
come to Christ through the combination of a loving family guiding him
and circumstances such as he suffered towards the end which likewise
showed him the necessity of doing so. In other words, if the two options
were a healthy dad living many years into the future with you who would
never come to Christ, or what actually happened, while this is very
hard, the result of what actually happened is that you and your mom will
have your dad forever. Perfect plan. Doesn't mean we don't have to play
our part in it fighting through tears very often indeed. But that is
part of the plan too. It demonstrates our Lord's love, mercy and grace
to us in our hour of trouble, something impossible on the other side
where there will never be tears ever again (Rev.7:17; 21:4).
(5) Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. (6) He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
Psalm 126:5-6 NIV
Thank you for the update. I really appreciate it. I'm keeping you and
your mom in my prayers every day.
Your friend in Jesus Christ who is the resurrection and the life.
Bob L.
Question #4:
Hello Professor,
How are you sir? And your family? I do hope and pray that the Good Lord
continues to bless you and your wonderful efforts to enlighten us, His
flock, in His word.
It has been a long since time we last corresponded and I wanted to let
you know that I am still around and I continue to study (get taught) the
Word through your Ichthys.com. I do sometimes have questions to ask you
but normally I find (on searching through ichthys.com) someone else had
already asked that same question and been adequately enlightened!! I do
thank God for YOU, Sir! Example: This morning while studying I got to
1Timothy 2:15NIV and I was stuck there, uncomprehending Paul's words
about women being saved through childbearing .......! so I checked the
TNIV, NASB, KJV and could not find any enlightenment. So I went to my
Olive Tree software and checked through the ASV where I got some light
because the CONTEXT of 1Timothy 2:15 is much better there, since from
line 13 to 15 it is just one sentence (punctuated of course), but you
could see Paul means that "for the believing woman childbirth -though
painful- would be accompanied by the Lord's watchful, merciful eye &
blessing".
1Timothy 2:15NIV:
But women will be save through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
ASV:
For Adam was first formed, then Eve; and Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression: but she shall be saved through her child-bearing, if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety.
Well guess what, I THEN decided to search through Ichthys only to see
that the whole topic had been adequately explained there, by you. I
cannot appreciate your teaching enough.
Well I did want to keep in touch with you and let you know that I try my
best to grow through reading and getting taught the Word of God. I
continue to correspond with Bartek and now Pastor Omo, all thanks to
your introducing them to me (or me to them?!) .
I pray for you often; I thank God for all of you.
In our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom THERE IS Salvation,
Response #4:
It's good to hear from you, my friend. Our friend Bartek has been
keeping me abreast of your situation, and I have been praying for your
success (is there anything you'd like me to add to the prayer request
for you at Ichthys?).
It's very encouraging to hear your positive tone here, and also to see
that you are continuing to grow and progress in your Christian walk.
Good for you!
Thanks also for your very encouraging words here. They mean a lot.
Keep fighting the good fight, my friend.
Yours in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #5:
Hello Professor,
It was good to get your prompt reply. The teaching that we are to carry
on despite the difficulties was a difficult one to understand in the
beginning but I have understood its import and meaning because of
surviving through some pretty tough and scary situations. Faith in my
Lord got me through and is getting me through. So I carry on, knowing
that the Lord will hold my hand no matter what.
About prayer; I lead a cooperative union and we do have problems (lots
of them), so please pray for the success of our projects; we breed
rabbits for meat and we want to start a farm to grow sunflower and
maize. We have some difficult negotiations with a bank loan, some snags.
Well I wish you a good, relaxed weekend even though I realise how busy
you are!
In Jesus our Lord,
Response #5:
It's my pleasure, my friend.
I have updated the prayer request for you on Ichthys and will be keeping
you and your situation in my own daily prayers as well.
Your courageous attitude is a joy to my own heart!
Keep fighting the fight for Jesus Christ, my friend – therein lies great
eternal reward even if things are sometimes "tight" here and now.
In our dear Savior.
Bob L.
Question #6:
Hello Bob,
I just wanted to drop you a line. It's my birthday tomorrow and I was
feeling a little sad about it as I don't really have many friends
anymore due to relocating, changing as a person, losing a lot of
confidence and having to cut some toxic people out of my life.
I do consider you a friend though. I know you've never met me but I get
a great deal of joy from reading your writing and your messages and you
have been very compassionate and understanding like any great friend
would be. It has meant a lot to me.
God bless,
Response #6:
Happy Birthday!!!
I certainly am also pleased to consider you a friend.
I'm very much enjoying your readings and your very well thought out
video accompaniments. Please keep up the good work! As your body of work
gets bigger and time goes by, more and more people will find your
channel.
I do also pray for you for your joy in the Lord (Jn.17:13; Rom.14:17;
Gal.5:22; Phil.1:25; 1Pet.1:8). Sometimes when things are tough, it's
hard to be joyful, but in such times at least we can always have great
peace in the Lord as we rest in Him in faith (Is.26:3; Jn.14:27;
Rom.5:1; Eph.2:14; Phil.4:7; Col.3:15; 2Thes.3:16; 1Pet.1:2; cf.
Heb.4:9-11). And on that great day when the Morning Star dawns for us,
we will only ever know joy that surpasses anything we have ever known on
this earth and forevermore.
So please take pains to have a peaceful and joyous day – remembering
that Jesus is our peace and our joy . . . and our hope of all the
wonders to come.
Your friend in Him,
Bob L.
Question #7:
Hello Bob,
I have just finished listening to the "angelic prehistory" of your
"satanic rebellion" series. I am often moved to tears by the beauty of
God's plan and the promise of the New Jerusalem. I can see why so many
people call it your magnum opus. You have really given great glory to
God in your work. It really helps to listen to it, to help me understand
the wonders of the Lord and Our Father.
Hearing of Our Father's patience for us makes the Holy Spirit in my
heart leap for joy. I am quite new to real Bible study and I am left
breathless of the beauty of it.
Thanks again Bob,
Your friend,
In our Lord's loving forgiveness,
Response #7:
It's always good to hear from you, my friend. I hope you had a wonderful
birthday! That was certainly my prayer.
Thanks awfully for your kind and encouraging words. I suppose I'm
responsible for these materials but I always feel nervous taking credit
for them (Ps.115:1), because I know that anything actually good therein
is the result of the Spirit's work (the blemishes are all mine). Sure,
we put ourselves in the Spirit's hands and that requires blood, sweat
and tears – but the power of anything done spiritually is from Him, not
us.
When you say "listening", I take it that you are taking advantage of the
"Ryan the Robot" MP3 files. Good for you! I'm very grateful to my friend
Chris B. for doing all this work. All I do is post the files after he's
labored over them. It really has added a great dimension to this
ministry.
By the way, I'm VERY impressed with your
scripture videos on YouTube (linked at Ichthys). The film choices
are very nice; they make me think about these things in interesting and
encouraging ways.
Do feel free to write me any time.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #8:
Hello Bob,
Thank you very much for your prayers. I had a wonderful birthday spread
over three days!
I went to the cinema then took a cruise boat across lake Windermere and
then drove around to a lovely chapel in Hawkshead, next to the school
where William Wordsworth studied. I enclose a photo of his name carving
into his school bench! Apparently this was common practise for the
students to do! Not exactly encouraged by the master but tolerated.
I also went for a day cycling through Delamere Forest with my sister and
still have the bruises to prove it! I am very blessed! I had a wonderful
week of lovely gifts, kind thoughts and surprises. I want to thank you
for the scriptures you sent me. Each one was a true gift and gave me
great joy!
Due to my busy week, I had to put a few things on hold including the
bible readings but I shall endeavour to get back into it again now that
the days have returned to normal. I am really glad you are enjoying
them. The Good Book is so perfect in every way that it needs no form of
adornment but I hope to frame it in a modern setting so that people
might think on the teachings whilst doing everyday things such a driving
to work, cooking dinner or shopping. I hoped that depicting these things
that we all do whilst reading the sacred texts would give our actions in
this modern world a vital context as it relates back to the Word. The
Bible is always there with us everyday, becoming more and more relevant
to our times not less so.
I was listening to your MP3s again last night whilst trying to relearn
knitting. I have to say that I almost dropped my knitting when I reached
the Genesis Gap! I am completely new to all this as well as large
portions of the Bible. Even though I have often read and understood post
modern novelists who jettison backwards and forwards in time without
missing a beat, I really struggled to take it all in through the audio
(mainly because it is such a hugely new topic for me that I was both
dazzled and dazed by this new information!). I think I need to refer to
your written notes for this part. I was also reading a letter on your
site about dinosaurs and the fossil record and I realised there is a
huge amount to unpack so I will need to slow down to gain a more
comfortable comprehension. There are so many things that are a huge
revelation to me such as there being more than one Eden and the three
heavens that I really need time to digest it all. It is so wonderfully
beautiful to discover for the first time! So fascinating and enriching.
How much of the Bible do you believe is written in parables or as
metaphor? For me, more and more, I believe the writings to be factual
accounts of the history of Creation. Some people believe that evolution
and the Bible can peaceably coexist. I am tending to lean towards a
legalistic Creationist reading. I know that others have speculated on
evolution being on a micro not macro level and not interspecies but only
within species. They often cite differing breeds of dog as the main
example of this.
Anyway, there is much to think on and as always I would appreciate your
take on this when you have the time.
Keep up the great work my friend.
In our loving saviour, Jesus Christ,
P.s I just wanted to add, I know that the nephilim were drowned in the
flood but there are many people who talk about there being a nephilim
bloodline who are now in positions of great power. I believe that human
beings are sinful enough without the influence of hybridity or genetic
tampering. Could it be possible that the nephilim have been bred into
humanity again post flood? With regards to Noah and the rainbow, I feel
very uneasy about the symbol being used for the LGBT movement. I don't
like to think it but it seems to be a mockery of God's covenant.
Listening last night about Satan misjudging God and assuming that his
loving grace would not be able to enact punishment, I feel that this is
visible in human behaviour now. It is almost as though people are
taunting God by saying "You cannot flood us, you cannot destroy us, you
promised". Sometimes I see Christians warning others of sin nature and
they are rebuked with the spirit of forgiveness being turned on them.
This seems in line with Satan's folly that a loving and forgiving God
cannot punish. I am trying to understand where Satan and his followers
are now? How do they have influence on earth? Does it mean that they are
invisible entities working on earth at the moment? I read somewhere that
Freemasons worship lucifer and that they are actively working on the
world to bring about the End Times. I know that this is all preordained
by God as part of his plan but is it possible that the elite powers who
are part of freemasonry are puppets on the earth working for Satan? It's
remarkable to think that Satan still thinks he has a chance to win this
battle. I guess that shows the power of sin once you are fully in the
grasp of it. I am sorry Bob, I have seemed to go on far longer than
intended and I don't want to take up too much of your time over this.
There is so much to think on!
Thanks again so much for your time and friendship!
God Bless you,
Response #8:
Thanks so much for the update.
It is always very clear when the Bible is using imagery and metaphor (to
anyone with a bit of experience in literature in general and the
scriptures in particular). And you are correct that this is certainly
not what is going on with the seven days of re-creation. The universe
had been around for an as yet unknown to us considerable time when it
was blacked out in judgment and later refurbished by the Lord. He could
have done the latter instantly, just as He created everything instantly,
but the seven days are symbolic of many things, not least of which is
the pattern for human history that they made possible (with each day
representing one of the millennial days that make up the time mankind is
given before the end). Here are some links on this:
On the nephilim, the flood absolutely destroyed any trace of these
hybrid creatures. On top of that, the "mechanism" by which they were
created was also crushed when the Lord apparently confined those who had
been involved in the Abyss (Jude 1:6), a horrible fate for these
creatures of light even after having turned to darkness (Lk.8:31).
However it is true that antichrist will be one of these, being the son
of the devil (Gen.3:15); and because the beast is able with such
alacrity to bring the seven of the ten kings of revived Rome into his
alliance after the Tribulation begins, with the other three acting
surreptitiously on his behalf even as they are ostensibly supporting the
ruler of the southern alliance with which he does battle during the
first half of the seven years, it seems likely that these are also
"produced" in the same way.
The audio files are terrific, but Chris B. had to make some
accommodations at my request such as not including all of the verse
references (hard to look up when one is listening in any case); and
sometimes a good deal of clarifying information is to be found in the
footnotes which are also not present in the audio (for good reason at my
suggestion). So, yes, some things are better studying from a written
text, or at least most certainly do benefit from being reinforced that
way.
I think your approach to these videos is inspired and greatly
successful. I've put in a "plug" on the email posting page, so perhaps
you'll be getting a bit more traffic soon (it's certainly well
deserved).
I'm thrilled to hear you had such a nice birthday!
Your friend in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #9:
Hi Bob, My wife and I found out today that she has invasive ductile breast cancer. Please put her name on the request for prayer list. We are trusting in God for deliverance from/through this situation. Also I am very thankful for all the prayers from you and the saints for my situation in the healing of a painful skin disorder....some good news here...the rash is currently gone even though I am still having itching. God is good! I'm really going to be glad when I get my new , perfect body (the list of my ailments literally goes from head to toe). I have been praying for you as well as those mentioned on the request list. I can't thank you enough, Bob, for all the work you are doing for the Lord in ministering to all of us, so as to understand and grow spiritually in our walk with our Savior. Please let me know of any special prayer requests that I can pray for. Your friend,
Response #9:
While I'm happy to hear that your condition has gotten some better (I
have been praying for you), I'm sad to learn about your wife. I will
most certainly be keeping her in my own prayers as well, and have also
just now placed her on the prayer list as well.
Nothing is impossible for Him who "heals our diseases" (Ex.15:26;
Ps.103:3).
Thanks for your good words and especially also for your prayers, my
friend.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #10:
Hi Bob. We got the great news yesterday that my wife's cancer treatments (chemo & radiation) following surgery were successful! Thanks, Bob, and all the friends at Ichthys who have kept her in prayer during this battle. And mostly thanks to God for His love and kindness to all of us. Please keep her in prayer as she will need to be on a blocker drug for the next 5yr. along with periodic monitoring. God is so good to us! Keeping you as well as those on the list in prayer that every need will be met. Your friend,
Response #10:
Wonderful news!
This is precisely what we've been praying for. Praise the Lord! He is
good! His mercy endures forever!
I've updated your prayer request and my personal prayer list as well.
Keep fighting the good fight for Jesus Christ, my friend!
Thank you so much for sharing this great news. We rejoice in Jesus'
Name.
Bob L.
Question #11:
Hello Dr.,
Hope that you are well, no complaints on this end. I have the MP3’s for BB-3A
ready for you. In your DropBox.
It’s ben a busy time here, in the past month I demolished and rebuilt the rear
deck, finished replacing the windows on the house, took care of the Spring
planting, mulching, and watering, and spent some time out of town at an
Amusement Device Inspection class for my day job. While I’m far from done with
everything on my “to do” list I’m happy with the progress.
How are things with you? I’ve prayed that you would get a break from jury duty
as well as for your general well being and the Lord’s will to be done. Time is
short and it goes by quickly, certainly don’t want to spend it sitting around a
government office building when you have more important things to do.
The good Lord willing I should have the next batch of audio files for you in
about a month.
Thanks for Ichthys, I’ve been enjoying “Church” over the past weekends.
Rev.22:20
All the best,
Response #11:
Thanks for the new files! All loaded up and tested. Seems to me that you
are getting better at training Ryan too! Thanks!
Glad to hear that you are getting things done this summer.
Thanks for your prayers on jury duty. It was over in two weeks and I did
get a lot of time off during the stretch which I used to get some of my
summer projects done. Managed to get a nasty does of poison ivy clearing
out runners under the butterfly bushes though. I've been making my peace
with walking and am starting to get back into some kind of reasonable
shape. The "thing" seems to be getting gradually better, though the pace
seems glacial. I don't heal up as quick as I used to, that's for sure!
But God is good in healing me up and I appreciate the progress. I have
hopes of getting back into jogging someday but time will tell whether or
not this summer will a prudent time to try [update: currently jogging
again daily and about 60% recovered].
Things at work continue to be problematic. KY cut the budget again and
the college is going to have bear up under another five percent cut for
the coming AY. Haven't heard what the ramifications are going to be yet.
I've only got four people signed up for 1st year Greek, the lowest
number at this point ever and WAY below the cancellation line. I did
more and more aggressive advertising for the class this year than ever
before, so I'm not sure what's going on, but I trust that the Lord has a
plan. Could use some prayer on this one though! [update: Greek "made"
last year; low enrollments this year so far too, though better than last
year so far – prayers appreciated!]
I appreciate your upbeat and positive attitude as always, my friend. We
serve under THE perfect Commanding Officer, the Lord of Hosts Himself,
so whatever happens we do know for sure that He is in control and
working it all out for the right ends.
I pray for you and your wife daily.
Your friend in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
And p.s., I just received a nice email from a lady in England who loves
"listening".
Also, my usage numbers in terms of gigabytes has gone way up since you
started producing these MP3s – so others are listening too!
Thanks!
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #12:
Thanks for letting me know about our sister in England who enjoys the
audio files. The way I see it if they help only one person in their
spiritual growth then it’s all worth it. And so far there’s at least two
that I know of, myself and this sister in England! We have no idea how
the Lord May use a well prepared Christian, and I’m grateful for the
opportunity to play a small part in helping any brother or sister who
has the desire to learn and grow.
The digital accent of the reader may take a little getting used to for
some, however, personally I have no problem with it and I’m on my third
“digital” reading of The Coming Tribulation. Ryan’s voice has become a
familiar friend for me and after initially reading the series I find the
audio version offers an easy way for me to keep it fresh. There are more
polished digital voice programs available but they come with high price
tags, contracts and monthly fees, which I can’t afford. I was able to
purchase the software I use for a one time fee, but now that’s not even
possible, the company has transitioned to the contract model with
monthly fees as well. Glad I got it when I did, but of course the Lord
had a hand in that.
Sorry to hear about the continuing problems at the college, I’ve had and
will keep you in prayer on this. The Lord is definitely with you and
your ministry, stay close to Him and His peace.
I can relate to your poison ivy incident. Got a nasty case myself
planting thirty six bare root burning bushes. While I was poking those
little sticks in the ground i didn’t notice the poison ivy that was
starting to sprout behind them and broke out on me legs and arms
something fierce. Just shortly before that I got ate up by chiggers and
ticks, so I’ve been one itchy and scratchy dude for awhile, thankfully
that’s all starting to clear up.
Hope you are able to get back to running someday soon, but in the
meantime there’s no shame in walking. We do the best we can with what
the Lord gives us.
Thanks for the opportunity to help out with the audio files at Ichthys.
I’m looking forward to getting into the Hamartiology section, it’s been
about a year and a half since I read it so it’s definitely time for a
refresher. I should have something for you in about a month.
Rev. 22:20
All the best,
Response #12:
The pleasure is all mine, my friend. I'm very glad you were able to get
the software before it all got overtaken by this offensive model. I have
always resisted subscriptions for software. Software is a tool. I don't
want to take on a subscription for a pair of pliers. I'd rather build a
forge and make my own if it ever came to that.
I've had a good number of positive reports about this option and as I
say I can tell from the much greater bandwidth I'm consuming that plenty
of people are downloading them.
Hope your bites and poison ivy clear up soon! Both things seem to take
an inordinate amount of time to get better on my end – so I'm glad I'm
only dealing with one set at the moment (no more short sleeves working
in the yard).
My best to your better half – keeping you guys in my prayers every day
(thanks so much for yours!).
In Jesus our dear Savior,
Bob L.
Question #13:
Hi Bob,
I hope you are doing well. I haven't heard anything from my friend since
the last time I wrote to you and I'm trying not to worry. I'm praying
for her every day and I know I can trust that the Lord has it all in
hand.
As I was reading this weeks email postings on Fighting the Fight I was
thinking about how the Lord has disciplined me through the injury I
suffered. Although His discipline hasn't been pleasant and it has been
extremely hard it was very much needed for my deliverance and I praise
Him for it, (for this prodigal son of mine was dead, but he has come
back to life. He was lost, but he has now been found).
I really believe that not only was the discipline needed to get me out
of harms way and back on the right track (or I should say back to the
narrow way), but I also feel that it's good training for me. There's
been lots of physical training for me to do to try and get healthy
again, but it has been great spiritual training as well. His particular
discipline for me has been tailored very well to me. I had always loved
my sport and exercise and overnight that was taken away from me. I could
hardly walk let alone exercise or play any sport and not only that it
left me unable to work. It's been 3 years now and I still have quite a
way to go but I'm still loving the Lord and working hard at getting
better.
I was reading Hebrews 12:1-13 and I can honestly say I haven't treated
the Lord's discipline lightly and I definitely haven't lost heart. The
fact that this is a sign of His great patience with me and His deep love
for me is very very precious to me. At least I know I truly am His
daughter. Sometimes I find it really hard to comprehend His love for me.
Verses 12 and 13 say Therefore, pick up those hands hanging slack at
your side, put some strength back into your weak knees, and make
straight tracks for your feet, so that even though you fell down, what
you sprained might not be twisted completely out of joint, but might
instead work its way back to health.
This made me smile when I read it because I badly injured the cartilage
in both my knees! After the injury I've had to fight very hard to get
stronger again. The doctors and physios told me that the injury I have
is very hard to heal and can take months and in some cases years to get
better. At the beginning I had to eventually come to some acceptance of
what had happened and where I was. It has taken a great deal of
patience, determination, self-discipline, focus, a positive attitude,
perseverance, endurance and flexibility in reducing, increasing or
changing my exercise. It has taken a fighting spirit and I don't say any
of this in any way to boast (the Lord is the only one I will boast in,
He is glorified in my weakness) and there are many many people who have
gone through far far worse than I have. I say it because it's what you
have to do if you want to get better. I've had many set backs along the
way especially in the beginning. The only exercise I could do to start
with was to build up my walking again very slowly. I couldn't even do
the exercises the physio gave me because they would make my knees worse
so I had to find out how many steps I could walk each day and build it
up very slowly over months. I went out walking every day with my Husband
(he's been very supportive), and we walked in all kinds of weather -
sun, wind, rain and it even started snowing one day! He would walk at
snails pace in front of me and then wait for me to catch him up. If I
pushed it too far one day say by walking an extra 500 steps it would
ruin the progress that had taken me weeks and weeks to make. If I went
out on my own people would stop and ask if I was ok because they could
see I was struggling but I knew I had to get out there every day if I
was going to get better. If I wanted to go upstairs I had to sit on the
stair and push myself up with my arms one stair at a time - great for
building up the muscles in your arms! If I just rested and didn't move
my knees would stay the same and then eventually feel worse from lack of
movement (much like our walk with the Lord if we don't keep moving
forward and growing in Him we'll begin to fall backwards).
I've come a long way now and we decided to walk 3 miles to see how fast
I could walk it. This time my husband had to run to keep up with me - so
funny but we celebrated the progress I'd made. I have a lot of muscle
atrophy in my legs and so I'm at the stage now where I'm trying to build
the muscle back up in my legs but again it's got to be slow and careful
but I'm getting there. I've had to be patient for a long time but it's
all in the Lord's time and I have to hang in there and continue to be
patient. The next challenge will be trying to find employment again.
The best thing in all of this though has been the hours and hours I have
been able to spend in studying the Lord's word and growing closer and
closer to Him each day. Time I would never have had if I'd still been at
work. I've absolutely loved it. The Holy Spirit has given me such a
hunger for His word and I can't get enough of it. If I'm not studying
your teaching Bob or reading the bible myself, I'm listening to Curtis's
lessons while I'm cooking or doing the housework (I need to dig in to
the old testament more though and I plan to write to Curtis to thank him
as well; link:
Bible Academy).
So I've had a terrible time of it physically and a real blow financially
but spiritually it has been amazing - transformational. I have to say
though that the Lord has really looked after us. We were in the process
of moving house and the company my husband works for were looking for
voluntary redundancies. Three of the men decided to take the redundancy
and my husband decided to carry on with the house move. It has worked
out very well for the three that left, our house move went smoothly and
the Lord has blessed us with a very quiet home, lovely neighbours and
the company my husband works for is really busy now with lots of work
coming in.
I remember one physiotherapist once saying that basically the exercise
equipment is there to use, the professionals are there with their expert
advice and guidance and it's our job to show up every day and do the
work and if we're committed to doing that then we'll reach our goal in
the end. That's great advice for the physical but I really think we can
apply it to our walk with the Lord as well. I recently read something
you wrote Bob and you said,
"We are here to grow strong in the Word, to run the race for Jesus once
we have grown and to help others do the same. The truth along with our
acceptance and application of it in the power of the Spirit is the key.
But learning the truth, believing the truth, applying the truth and
ministering the truth is not easy. It takes effort, it takes humility,
it takes a willingness to change one's thinking and behaviour, it takes
faith and courage to believe, it takes great self-discipline to keep at
it and it takes great self-sacrifice all along the way, especially once
the ministry phase is reached to do so (and we are all called to
minister to Christ's body)".
I really believe that what started off as I thought to be only divine
discipline has also been spiritual training for me. Doing it physically
is one thing but I really want to continue to do what you have said
above. I believe there is a reason the Lord has disciplined and tested
me in this way and I want to use it for His glory and to one day somehow
help my brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm not sure yet what my
spiritual gifts are or what ministry the Lord has in store for me but
I'll keep "showing up" every day and I'll keep putting the work in for
the Lord and I'll keep seeking Him. I know the importance of taking it
one day at a time, one step at a time and not trying to run before I can
walk. Whatever ministry the Lord has for me is one that I need to be
fully prepared for and ready to do. I'm so looking forward to it -
whatever it may be!
If I can I'd like to encourage others not to surrender to discouragement
no matter how tough things are. Be strong in the Lord and trust Him
because He will never let us down. Have that readiness to work and keep
moving forward for the Lord.
Our God is so good. He is so so good.
You're in my prayers every day Bob.
With love in our precious Lord and Saviour Jesus
Response #13:
Thanks you so much for your inspiring email! I am continuing to keep
your friend in prayer. These things often take time. We will not give
up.
As to "I'd like to encourage others not to surrender to discouragement",
with your permission I'd like to post this email of yours (anonymously).
I am sure it would be as encouraging to others who read it as it was to
me. It's the perfect example of how to respond to trouble in a godly
way.
Thanks for your prayers and good words, my friend. I'm eager to see what
the Lord has for you down the road as well!
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #14:
You're very welcome Bob and thank you for your prayers. It's very kind
of you especially because you're so busy. I really do appreciate it.
It would be great if you could post my email whenever you think it's
best. It's a tough old life sometimes and we all need to help each other
out as best we can.
Take care.
In our precious Jesus
Response #14:
Thank you so much! I usually run about at least six months behind in
putting things up, but occasionally topicality concerns speeds things
up.
Your willingness to help is greatly appreciated. I'm particularly
encouraged by your success through tenacity – and God's grace – in
getting yourself back into shape. I've had this joint/hip/back problem
for going on a year now, and it's kept me from running altogether (took
me WAY too long to get that little "message" and I probably made the
thing much worse by keeping at it way too long). But now I'm walking a
good deal and it seems to be getting ever so slowly some better. Don't
know when I'll be able to run/jog again, but I've gotten to the point of
getting good exercise walking so that is a true blessing. Your
experience gives me added hope. God is good!
I'll be praying for you on this and also on the job front.
In Jesus our dear Savior,
Bob L.
Question #15:
Hi Bob,
It's great that you like running as well! Just very frustrating when
these joint problems stop you from being able to run. I can really
relate to you there. It's really good that you can get some exercise in
by walking now. Mine is an overuse injury. I used to work in a building
which had 3 flights of stairs so I was climbing up and down them
throughout the day at work and then doing my running etc on top of that.
I kind of forgot that I wasn't quite so young anymore and maybe needed
to be more careful.
I know what you mean about not listening to that little "message". I did
the same but this was even after the injury. I knew I had to move but I
did too much to start with and probably did more harm than good. I had
to find out how far I could walk without causing too much pain, stick
with that for 2 or 3 weeks and then very slowly increase it. I walked on
the flat for a long time and then started tackling some hills which made
it more challenging. It was very tricky to get it right in the early
stages but once I'd made a certain amount of progress it got easier. The
most important thing I learnt was to listen to what my body was telling
me and make the adjustments. It's really hard especially when you're
used to being active. Your mind wants to do one thing but your body says
no I'm not ready yet. Walking has been great and has got me so far but I
need to build up my quad muscles now to help support my knee joints. I
can do squats but not pain free yet so I'm going to try cycling (just on
a stationary bike). I'm not really in to cycling but it's good for
building up the leg muscles and good movement for the knees. Joints like
and need movement. Stretching has helped me as well.
It's been trial and error for me really and being very gentle and
careful when I've tried anything new. I'm really happy to have given you
some added hope. With time and care but most of all with the Lord's help
you'll continue to make more progress. Stick with it Bob!
I was happy and relieved because my friend sent me a text this morning.
She sounded fine and asked if we could meet up at the weekend. I'm just
glad I didn't drive her away by standing up for the truth the last time
I saw her. As long as I can stay in contact with her that's good. As you
said Bob these things can take time. I'm willing to be patient, to wait
for as long as it takes but most importantly to be guided by the Holy
Spirit. I'll watch and wait for any opportunities He sends my way and
until then I'll just keep loving her and praying for her.
I'm definitely going to write to Curtis as well and tell him how much I
appreciate his ministry and teaching and how much I have been helped by
it. I love his American accent. If I listen to him for too long I'll
start picking it up!!
I'll keep you both and your families in my prayers.
In Jesus our precious Lord and Saviour
Response #15:
That's great news about your friend. I'm happy to hear that the
relationship continues. I'll keep this in prayer.
Yes, I had a similar issue on the other side a few years back and rested
it until it got better, then resumed. Worked fine. But then several
years after that, I had a real problem with my shoulder. So I rested it.
And I got a "frozen shoulder" because I wasn't exercising it. Don't ever
do that. It took months of physical therapy of the most excruciating
pain until the thing was freed up again (even worse than when that M60
tank crushed my ankle and I didn't get anything for the pain until the
surgery twelve hours latter). So "learning that lesson" I kept running,
but for this other joint, whatever it is, apparently that was the
opposite mistake. Oh well. We endeavor to persevere.
I'm walking about as fast as I'm interested in walking and about 4-5
miles a day, but the "thing" will have to heal up entirely before I can
run again.
Thanks again for your encouragement and the inspirational example, my
friend.
And thanks so much for your prayers!
In Jesus Christ our Lord, the One who "heals all of our diseases"
(Ps.103:3; cf. Ex.15:26),
Bob L.
Question #16:
Hi Bob,
I hope all is good with you and your family.
I've had some more family issues to deal with and I have asked the Lord
for wisdom to help me work my way through it. I think I'm handling
things better each time something like this crops up but if you don't
mind I could do with a bit of reassurance.
Since I've been totally committed and serious about my relationship with
the Lord I have noticed that my relationship with my family and my
friend have been really shaken up. Being totally loyal to Jesus who IS
the truth has proved to be divisive. I always knew the truth was
divisive but I can actually see it happening in my own life now.
As you know I've had to distance myself from my mom for the sake of my
own health after years of her emotional abuse and indifference towards
me. I have re-read some of your previous emails and they have helped me
when I have felt guilty about doing this. My decision has been met with
some resistance from my dad and my sister and they're not very happy
with me. My dad divorced mom when we were kids and he later told us that
"she was like a chain around his neck" and he couldn't live the rest of
his life like that. He said he felt enormous guilt at leaving his four
children but he just couldn't live with mom anymore. Despite this he has
always told us that we should just accept mom the way she is because
she's always been like it and she'll never change. He always said we
should just ignore her bad behaviour and continue to help her out (she
never remarried). So basically we were to keep taking the abuse. As much
as I will love and honor my dad, I am my heavenly Father's daughter and
I will love, honor, worship and OBEY Him. I told my dad last week that I
had endured the abuse since I was a child and that I couldn't do it
anymore.
This was never going to be easy and it's been on my mind a lot. I'm not
prepared to gloss over mom's sin anymore or to make it easier for her to
sin by keep opening myself up to being mistreated. If I enable that kind
of behaviour then surely I'm saying it's ok. I don't want to be
indirectly taking part in that sin. We're told not to participate in the
sins of others but to keep ourselves pure. We all have to take
responsibility for our own actions and choices and there are
consequences that come with them. I made some terrible choices and
suffered the consequences but it brought me back to the Lord. As hard as
it is I'm not going to try to rescue mom from any natural consequences
because the Lord might use them for good - nothing is impossible for
Him.
My sister has always been closer to mom and they've helped each other
out over the years. She has problems as well. She has two children with
different fathers - she separated from both. She's taking
antidepressants and is just about to start counselling for an alcohol
problem. I could go on and on but I'm sure you get the gist.
Dad phoned me last week asking me to invite her round to my house for a
chat and I think to give her some support. We've all tried to help her
in the past but nothing really seems to make any difference. It's not
that I don't want to help but I also have the foresight to know that
close contact with my sister could lead to contact with mom and I can't
do that right now. I also thought about 1 Corinthians 5:11. Sometimes I
feel like I'm being unloving but I'm dealing with a pretty dysfunctional
family here. Rather than phone her I sent her a text message to say if
she needed any help just to give me a ring. She text back and said thank
you and I haven't heard anything since which doesn't surprise me.
The thing is Bob, both my mom and my sister know the truth. They've
heard the Gospel, were saved at the same time as me (well I think they
were!), attended the same church and pretty much fell away at the same
time. I'm the only one in my family who has come back to the Lord.
My friend mentioned meeting up a few weekends ago after I contacted her
and nothing happened in the end. I think she might be a bit wary (I'm
really not that scary!) after I warned her about the dangerous and
unbiblical contemplative prayer her church was encouraging.
I have to laugh Bob - it's all coming at once. As hard as it's been
though I know who is Lord of my life and it isn't my mom or my dad or my
sister or my friend - it's my precious Jesus. I think the Lord is
working on some really deep stuff in my life but through all these
recent days of uncertainty and pain He's been right there with me. Is
this all part of the cost of discipleship? This is what I have very
happily and willingly signed up for and I really hope by making a stand
for righteousness and the truth that I am glorifying my Lord through it.
Is this also what Jesus meant in Matthew 10:34-39?
The abuse that I had glossed over for years and tried to downplay
(probably denial) has been brought right out into the open by the Lord.
I can see it for what it really is now. For once in my life I have
someone on my side - I have God on my side and if God is for us who can
be against us.
Thank you so much for listening again Bob. I'm really trying to do the
right thing and please our Lord.
Your friend in Jesus
Response #16:
It's not a surprise to me that you are getting "hit" with opposition.
That is something I very commonly see when believers decide to commit to
getting serious about spiritual growth and living their lives for the
Lord. And it is not just because those around them see the change and
often resent it or fail to understand it (cf. 1Pet.4:4); the evil one
and his forces are never happy to see anyone in the army of the Lord
begin to get involved in spiritual combat as we are supposed to do – so
they oppose it. As one wag remarked, "when you start getting a lot of
flak, you know you're close to the target". That is true, and important
to remember in spiritual terms. If everything is going swimmingly it may
be because we are not doing our job and therefore not coming in for
Satanic resistance. Not that growing believers aren't given periods of
rest and refreshment – praise the Lord we are! But we are also allowed
to be tested in order for the truth we are learning to be tempered like
steel in our hearts as we hang tough with it even when our good moves
come in for such flak.
You said, "I'm trying to do the right thing and please the Lord". Amen!
That is the standard and that is the approach. Don't ever second guess
or look back about that. When it is clear what the right course is,
stick to it. The evil one in tandem with our sin nature will always try
to make us feel guilty about doing the right thing. And it is not so
hard for that to happen since life is messy and in areas of complicated
application of truth there is always room for second guessing. But there
is also no point in second guessing. We do what we do as unto the Lord,
making the best decision we can based on the right priorities and we let
the chips fall where they may. The fact that we may not be 100% perfect
in our application only means that we are human beings living in the
world. But believers who are trying, as you are, to do the right thing
(grow, progress and help others – walking in the world as He would have
us to do), are going to be WAY closer to the top of the percentile scale
than those who are floundering and foundering making no real progress
and allowing themselves to swept to and fro by guilt and false teaching
(Eph.4:11-14).
So stick to your guns, my friend. The Lord has a plan for you and He is
in process of carrying it out. These tests will pass and your will pass
them as you hold fast to your trust in Him to bring you through.
Keeping you and your family situation and your friend in my prayers
daily.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #17:
Hi Bob,
Thank you for your reassurance. Your experience and knowledge has really
helped me again. It's just what I needed to hear.
So if I'm getting flak then I'm close to the target - I love that. It's
not that I enjoy the flak but it's a sign that I'm making an impact for
the Lord which is what is most important to me. If everything is falling
down around me but I know for sure I'm doing what He's asking me to do
then I'm at peace. If He's happy then I'm happy.
I hear you loud and clear - to hang tough with it and stick to my guns.
Whenever I know the direction I am to take (which I do) I mustn't allow
guilt or doubts in and a biggy for me is not to allow anything to
distract me. Stay alert and keep my eyes focused on the Lord and
continue to trust Him through this test. It really is a faith building
exercise and I REALLY get it now. It sounds a bit weird but I'm glad I'm
being tested because it's all part of growing in Him and that's what I
want. It's what I need to strengthen up. I might not be saying that so
easily when the next test comes along!
I tell you something else though Bob, there's a lot of healing going on
as well. I'm feeling the Lord's unconditional love for me rather than
conditional love, His acceptance rather than rejection. I feel worthy
instead of worthless, I feel like He believes in me, like He's really
rooting for me. I'm not a non-person anymore but I'm valued and cared
about. I'll always carry the scars but that's no problem, I can do that
with His love and His grace to help me through.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
There's a lot of good that's going to come out of this in time and it's
not just for me but for my brothers and sisters in Christ too.
I'd better shut up now and let you get on. I can't half waffle on - I
wrote quite a few words to Curtis a couple of weeks ago to say thank you
to him for his ministry and shared my testimony - I bet he still hasn't
finished reading it - poor Curtis!!!
Always grateful to you and for you.
In Jesus our precious Lord and Savior
Response #17:
I want to write back in more detail, but I've been occupied with the
editorial for
BB 6A: Peripateology.
And it's FINALLY posted (at the link)!
This exposition of the Christian walk is something I think you will find
very helpful for your current battles.
Your friend in Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #18:
No problem at all Bob. I've had a quick skim over peripateology and I
can see already that it's going to answer a lot of my questions. It's
perfect timing for me. Thank you so much for all the obvious hard work
you have put in - I really appreciate it.
If you don't mind I just want to quickly say this to you. It's been
quite a week for me. As I was reading my bible last night the Holy
Spirit couldn't have been any more clear, powerful or direct in His
encouragement, reassurance and guidance. He couldn't have made it any
clearer to me to rejoice in the Lord and to praise Him for the victory
and the deliverance He has given me. It was such a wake up call. I
realise that I've been spending way too much time dwelling on the
situation and as you know desperately wanting to do the right thing. I
suddenly felt such a deep joy inside. It's hard to explain how it felt
but I ended up in tears (happy tears) and I have peace inside today.
It's been a really draining time but I just want to keep His words in my
heart and rest in Him. All I want to do now is to get my head down and
start studying your exposition of the Christian walk because if I can
learn as much as I can it's really going to help me going forward.
I know you've been praying for me Bob and the Lord has heard those
prayers - thank you so much.
I don't want to take up any more of your time so please, please don't
worry about replying. I just wanted to share this with you.
Your friend in Jesus
Response #18:
I will certainly keep praying for you. Your obvious joy in the Lord is a
great encouragement for me. That is something many Christians struggle
with, but all you have to do is to read David's psalms and see that even
in the midst of the darkest trouble he was ever joyous about his
relationship with the Lord. We can have that too. We NEED to have that
too (there is a good deal about that in
BB 6A);
seeing you already deploying the truth to that end is a real tonic.
Keep up the fight, my friend!
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #19:
Hi Bob,
Be kind and gentle with those "cranky" knees! Hope the rain gave them a
rest day yesterday.
I've still got six weeks to go at work. Four day weeks - Monday to
Thursday. My last day is Thursday 1st August. I've been keeping an eye
on other vacancies that come up but I think I need to be careful about
what I apply for. I need to get the balance and priorities right -
working and looking after the family and home but also the health
(cranky knees!) side of things. Doing things the way the Lord wants me
to do them. I'm praying about it and trusting Him and thanks for your
prayers too, Bob.
I'll definitely be praying for those enrollment numbers to pick up for
you. And I remember you saying that when you start back every fall after
a summer of research but no teaching you REALLY feel it (I think I've
got that right?). So I'll be remembering that in my prayers for you too.
Bob, you said to me recently when I mentioned about me being in a
"bubble" that the truth cannot help but change everything about the way
we look at the world. Everything you said is exactly what is happening
to me and I'm relieved that I am able to talk to you about it because I
know you understand. It's impossible for an unbeliever to understand
these things. You said that I'm not closing myself off, but I am opening
myself up to what is really glorious and eternal. I just wanted to say
thank you for this because it was a real help to me. My eyes are very
much fixed on the unseen and these things are becoming more and more
clearer to me - more magnified. It has surprised me just how much and I
wasn't expecting it.
I've got more to share with you about this but I'll leave it there for
today. Thanks again for everything, Bob.
Your friend in Jesus
Response #19:
Thanks for the update on the job situation. I think you're right and
prudent to be careful. Family is pretty much a full time job in and of
itself.
I'm always encouraged to hear about your good spiritual perspective, my
friend. As you say, it gets a little lonely being around a world of
people who "don't get it" so it's nice to hear from those few who do.
Appreciate the prayers! Keeping you in mine day by day as well.
That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
1st Timothy 4:10 NIV
In Jesus our dear Savior,
Bob L.
Question #20:
Hi Bob,
You're doing a grand job of keeping me stocked up with "gleanings" -
it's really kind of you!
I've been re-reading the BB's and still learning so much. New things
jump out at me each time (and not just typos!). I'm concentrating hard
and stopping at times to grasp it properly and let it all sink in
deeply. I love Him, Bob and I think as you said in one of your emails
He's getting BIGGER and BIGGER to me.
I have four more weeks to go on this current "gig". I had a good day at
work today. Thanks to the Lord, I seemed to be the only one who was
feeling fine today. A lot of the dentists and nurses were stressed out
or not feeling well. Throughout the day they were coming to me and
telling me how they were feeling or what was bugging them. My boss has
been very stressed for a few weeks now and has been telling me about
some of his problems too - home and work. So I've been giving them all a
listening ear and lots of support. Strange really but I've been doing my
best for the Lord and for them. Nice that they feel comfortable enough
to talk to me about these things.
I hope you're coping ok in the very hot weather. If I was in Louisville
now I'm pretty sure I'd be keeling over! Hope the nasturtiums that you
planted were ok.
I'm very grateful for your friendship too, Bob. It's very much just me
and the Lord but I'm continuing to press forward and draw closer and
closer to Him. There's nowhere more loving or more safe to be.
Praying for you every day.
Your friend in Jesus
Response #20:
It's wonderful to hear from you always, because you are always fighting
the fight with joy -- rather than complaining and whining (of which I
hear plenty, believe you me!). Your example demonstrates how much a true
"joy in the Lord" can carry us over the rough parts. We have to go over
them anyway. Why not do it with joy because we are trusting Him and
looking to our eternal future? I'm also thrilled to hear that you are
being given opportunities to let your light shine in this way. Believers
who are whiny don't get opportunities like that – or if they do, they're
likely to blow them. You are a good witness for Him in every way, and I
pray daily that you will begin to see more and more fruit for your
labors.
Nasturtiums doing OK – having to run the sprinkler. It's a banner year
for blooms, but stuff not attended to wilts and dries up pretty quickly.
Keeping you in prayers for the "right" next thing.
In Jesus our dear Lord,
Bob L.
Question #21:
Thank you so much, Bob for your lovely words. I keep telling myself that I need
to give you a break and write less often because I'll be starting to get on your
nerves. But I love writing to you.
The closer I get to the Lord, the more I love Him. When I think about what He
has done for me and what He wants me to do while we're still here and what we
have to look forward to when we're finally with Him and each other, it kind of
doesn't leave much time or room for complaining and whining. I'm too distracted
with HIM and full up of joy and anticipation! And this has definitely helped to
carry me through all the rough times. And trusting Him too. That no matter what
we're going through He loves us, He wants the very best for us and that all
things work together for good to those who love Him.
And the verses that I always remembered from my unnecessary "dunking!"
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Phil 4:4)
I have the strength to endure all things in the One who empowers me to do so
(Phil 4:13)
Always grateful for your prayers, Bob and you're in mine too.
Your friend in Jesus
Response #21:
Thank you !
I'm happy to hear from you any time, my friend. Your obvious love for
the Lord and clear spiritual progress are very encouraging to me. Amen!
If we are really thinking about Him and all He's done for us, there's no
room for negative attitudes or actions. Keeping that perspective when
the going is tough is not the easiest thing to do, so I rejoice in a
good Christian friend who is doing it so well!
Best wishes for the rest of the week ahead (taking some time out here
for a few more projects).
Thanks so much for those prayers – keeping you and your family in mine
as well, day by day.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #22:
Bob,
I do not write you very often. I would ask you more questions, but every
time I think that I have something to ask I end up finding the answer on
your site already. It is really a great site. Today I started reading
the new
Peripateology: the Christian Walk and I really like what you have
created. It is really well done. Hopefully I can at some point in time
help someone like myself looking for answers and show them your site. I
have tried with some people but it seems they really don't want to go
that deep. They seem to be just happy going to church once a week and
that is it. I can't get enough of all that you written. Thank you Bob.
And I thank the Lord for guiding me too you.
Your brother in Christ our Lord,
Response #22:
It's good to hear from you, my friend!
Thanks for these good and encouraging words. Your analysis and
description of the typical Laodicean believer is, of course, right on
the money. My old mentor used to call these types the "nod to God
crowd", happy to get it all over with in an hour or so on Sunday. Sadly
too, there is almost nothing served up on Sunday – as if a person
getting a meal once a week got served up cardboard . . . and kept coming
back for more! The most aggravating thing to me is that these types tend
to be very smug about their application to the point of giving honorable
Christians who are not satisfied with this substandard approach a very
hard time because they don't do things the same way.
The judgment seat of Christ is going to be interesting (prepare for many
bonfires).
Your friend in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #23:
Hello Mr. Luginbill. I hope you are doing well and are in good health.
Getting right to the point, I have been struggling with temptation a lot
lately. One would come, I would go to God about it, then a few minutes
or even seconds later it would come right back. Other times I would go
to Him and the temptation/ temptations wouldn't come back until a few
hours later. So I am being totally bombarded with so many temptations
every day. I am very much aware that I will have to suffer to overcome
habitual sin, and that doing so can, as you have said in some of your
responses throughout your site, take "time and pain" . So far I can
attest to that. It is so stinking hard! I literally begin to grit my
teeth. I know you said before that a Christian who is actually engaging
and not sitting out this race is more of a target on satan's radar, and
therefore heavier enemy fire is to be expected, but is, if I may call
it, "excessive temptation" a sign that perhaps I'm not letting it go,
aka not desiring God as much as I should, or perhaps as is often the
case a sign I am doing the right thing?
Many a times I find myself hesitating during temptation, even though I
don't want to. Its sort of like a tug of war between my flesh and my
spirit. No surprise there. As of late I've been trying to figure out
what "crossing the line" is in this case. Like, when it says in the
Bible "do not even give a thought to sin", does that mean that if I
thought about the temptation I have sinned? What about if I dwell on
them for some time, but then resist? Both I know are terrible ideas and
can be catastrophic, but are they sins in themselves? Again, I know that
should be avoided at all costs, but I ask because in times past I have
done this, but then I would go on to give them up to God. But then I
would think about this later in confusion. I would become afraid, asking
myself, "but what if I did sin just because I let the temptations stick
around in my head too long before I decided to give them up to God? And
so I would be left with fear because I don't want to go around thinking
I didn't sin or if I really didn't then vice versa.
I hope all this wasn't too confused. Thank you for your time and
patience.
In Christ,
Response #23:
I'm sorry to hear that this struggle is particularly difficult at
present, but please don't lose heart. All things pass. It's very
tempting to let ourselves imagine, when we are under any sort of stress
or pressure or pain or temptation, that "this will NEVER end". But it
always does end, one way or another – or at least it changes. And in any
case, the Lord always makes a "way of escape" for us to endure, get
through, and eventually come out from under all tests, trials and
temptations (1Cor.10:13). So we have to have faith, trust in the Lord,
that if we keep doing the right thing it will indeed all work out for
the absolute good (Rom.8:28).
In terms of temptation itself, it is not a sin to be tempted. Temptation
my be thrown at us quite apart from any culpability on our part
whatsoever. Our Lord was tempted by Satan and we know that Jesus was
completely without sin, before, during and after. James explains the
process very precisely:
(13) Let no one say when he is being tempted, "I'm being tempted by God!" For God has nothing to do with evil temptations, nor does He tempt anyone. (14) Rather, everyone is tempted by his own lust, being dragged away [by it] and enticed [by it]. (15) Then, should lust conceive (i.e., should the person give in to it), it gives birth to sin. And sin, should it be fully carried out to the end (i.e., should the person give in to a life of sin), produces death (i.e., spiritual death, the death of faith).
James 1:13-15
The upshot of the above is that lust is something we need to tamp down
entirely. Our sin nature feeds off temptation and tempts us in return.
The more we fail to say "no", or rather "NO!!!", the
longer we wait until we do so, and the more we allow ourselves to be
exposed to things we know can potentially cause us trouble, then the
more difficult saying "no" becomes and the less effective too. We have
no problem saying "no" to things we think are disgusting or things which
are really not terribly tempting to us personally. But when it comes to
our personal areas of weakness (and we all have them, even though we are
all different), the tendency is to be less prejudiced against these
things that stimulate lust and lead to intensification of temptation.
Put it this way. It's better to blast the enemy with artillery 5K away
from the perimeter; if we don't, it's better to blast them with mortars
500 yards away; if we don't, it's better to machine gun them down 100
yards out; if we don't, it's better to shoot them down in the wire . . .
but if we don't do any of that, we're going to find ourselves fighting
with bayonets and in hand-to-hand combat. The problem with that is that
it gives the enemy too much of an advantage. No one can win at bayonet
fighting and hand-to-hand combat over and over again without being
injured at least. In the analogy, oftentimes the individual soldier or
Marine doesn't have a say in this. But we are the commander of our own
free will, and in fact we don't even have to set up shop in the
temptation zone, most of the time. When such temptations are in fact not
entirely avoidable or not entirely our fault (or if we have let down
somewhat – no one is perfect), the farther off we blast them, the better
it will be for us.
If the enemy takes the hill, we have failed. If, as James says, we allow
ourselves to be "tempted by our own lust" (which is bad), and then to be
"dragged away [by it] and enticed [by it]" (which is worse), it won't be
long until "lust conceives" – that is the worst because that constitutes
failure.
If we fail, we are in the wrong and we need to reexamine our process in
all this. In fact, if we are finding ourselves in too many hand-to-hand
and bayonet situations, even though we haven't technically failed, we
are certainly ripe for it and need to reexamine our process.
In all such things, we are the commander of our own free will – so we
are absolutely responsible for all we do and fail to do. Since that it
the case, if we are having "problems", it usually means we are not being
tough enough on ourselves, and that we need to intervene in response to
the temptations that plague us earlier on and with more authority.
If we are having trouble with drinking too much when we meet our friends
after work at the pub, then maybe instead of agonizing over how many
beers is too many we just simply need to stop meeting our friends after
work at the pub. In fact, if we are having problems in this regard,
maybe we just need to stop drinking period.
If movies tempt us, maybe we should give up movies, etc., etc. It's not
a question, moreover, of "giving up things for Christ", as if this were
some sort of independent virtue. There is no point in giving up movies,
e.g., if they do not in fact tempt us (although there are much better
uses of our time and resources to be sure). But we do have to be smart
about this. If music of some sort is a stumbling block to us for
whatever reason, better not to listen to that type of music. We are
responsible for everything we do, think and say. This is a fight, a
fight to the finish. And if we are going to make our lives count for our
true Commanding Officer, Jesus Christ, then we really can't afford to
allow non-essential things to trip us up, plague us and take away our
peace, ruin our Christian witness, and stunt our spiritual growth.
It all comes down to choices – and if we are choosing overall what is
pleasing to the Lord, to grow, progress and produce for Him, then all of
the other choices we make, like giving up things that compromise us and
work at cross purposes to what we have set ourselves to do, will be
easier to make as well.
There is a GREAT deal of information and guidance on these matters in
posting I wrote you about, BB 6A (see especially the link
"Testing and Temptation").
I'll definitely say a prayer for your victory in this, my friend!
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #24:
Hi Mr. Luginbill.
I know I already asked you about this but this question popped up in my
mind again. Would the below statement be correct? I ask not because I
agree or disagree with it, but because I don't quite understand it. I
don't mean to sound dense, but I do know that if a man wants to become
wise he must humble himself and become a fool. The link essentially says
dwelling on bad thoughts is the problem.
I'm happy to tell you I have become more serious with my walk. The more
time one spends focusing on it the better. Its only been a few
days/weeks, but I can tell you that I really can see the difference in
my thought process when I spend more of my day in the word and in
prayer. All temptation is to be answered with NO, and there must be a no
tolerance policy.
P.S. I have begun reading your work on peripateology. I look forward to
continuing through it.
In Christ
Response #24:
Good for you, my friend! I agree with your conclusion . . . and so does the scripture:
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
Titus 2:11-12 NIV
"Just say 'no!' " is the biblical position. And remember, we have the
Holy Spirit in us. If we accede to His will, following through on saying
"no" is easy – because He is omnipotent. Do we ever feel it's not easy?
Then we are not really saying "no" but "maybe no" (big difference),
and/or not really relying in fighting the fight on His power which is
absolute.
As to the quote, I don't agree, but it really doesn't matter. I refer
you back to my defense of the hill analogy. It's really a moot point as
to how the hill was lost if the hill was lost. That is to say, it really
doesn't matter how culpable we were before we sinned if we ended up
sinning anyway. What we can say is that the slightest lack of resistance
or cooperation with the Spirit makes it harder to win the fight.
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #25:
I've thought about it doc Robert because I was able to spend much time
with the Bible when I was still teaching compared now when my life is
almost spent at work because of pressures and on-going non-stop
activities in the office. So at some point I was able to think that my
current job seems like a devil's trap, hence I've thought about
resigning. I'm afraid things may get worse.
Thank you so much for your efforts in reaching out my dear friend.
Thanks again for the prayers. Please continually pray for me & my
family.
God bless you doc!
Response #25:
I can appreciate your situation, my friend. A few years ago I narrowly
escaped becoming chair of our dept. That would have been a disaster for
the ministry. Resigning has never been an issue: I have to provide for
myself and my family.
I will continue to keep you in prayer on this. The Lord already has a
solution. It's just up to us to wait patiently for Him to reveal it.
That is the test of faith.
Hang in there, my friend!
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #26:
Hello Dr. Robert. Thanks for your heartfelt response.
I am no longer teaching. I resigned from it and transferred to an
office, thinking it would be easier & thus I will have more time for the
more important things. But unfortunately it is not the case. It has been
tougher and more time demanding. I have to work my fingers to the bone
every single day. My time with the Lord is also very limited now
compared before because of the pressures of my present job.
With all the things happening, I wish to resign again and seek another
venture. After all, this current job still couldn't pay my very large
loans which have been bothering me for quite a while now.
It is really tough my friend. But thanks doc for your prayers. It is
very much appreciated.
Hopefully I can stop all this stuff which wouldn't contribute a single
thing come judgment time and my spiritual life in general. I am so tired
of it all, of all this nonsense. but I have no choice but to work in
order to provide food in the table.
I wish I can stop all of this and just concentrate on serving the Lord
which is all that matters!
Thanks again my friend. God bless you & your family!
From the heart,
Response #26:
It can be helpful to remember that we are evaluated on the basis of what we have and are able to do and how we deal with / use what is at hand, not hypotheticals. So if we have only twenty minutes of potential free time a day and only through sacrifice at that, and use much of that time in the service of Jesus Christ, that represents a true labor of love for the Lord. On the other hand if we are all of a sudden made rich to the point of having all of our time liberated and spend twice as much time as was previously possible (forty minutes), that clearly does not represent the same level of sacrifice, and the Lord surely knows the difference:
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
Mark 12:41-44 NIV
So be pleased to hang in there with the Lord, my friend, and do what you
can, when you can. Even a cup of cold water offered in the Lord's Name
will receive its due reward (Matt.10:42); and every bit of Bible study
you do, even if all you can do is a few minutes a day, will contribute
to the good. It's a common thing for believers under pressures and
restraint to say to themselves "because I can't do it this way I'm not
going to do it at all". That is a trap. Doing "everything" under "better
circumstances" is almost always a null set in actual Christian
experience. But something is always better than nothing, especially if
it has to be scratched out under pressure – because it demonstrates the
resilience of our faith.
I'll be keeping you in my prayers for all this, my friend.
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #27:
Hello Professor,
I have reached out to Dorota after a long period of quiet which followed
my question about her faith back at the beginning of June.
As I wrote to you then, I went on an evangelical offensive with her and
was disheartened by her lack or response even in the face of her severe
illness which means that probably only a short time is left. Her cancer
is not curable and it has spread all over her body.
BUT PROFESSOR - IT LOOKS THAT SHE JUST GOT SAVED!
What she wrote bears all the marks of a genuine faith in Christ. She
told me about the peace that came to her when she finally understood -
and it seems accepted also - that salvation only comes through faith in
our Lord and not in our own works. She already started to explain it to
her daughters. This is quite incredible.
I am ashamed at the fact that I got disheartened by what I saw. I did
pray, but it seemed to me that the case really could have been lost.
Professor, I hope this is true and it does look that it is. And if it
is, then what a day.
In the grace of our Lord,
Response #27:
That's terrific news!!!
I have been praying for Dorota . . . and I will keep it up!
[update: our sister Dorota has gone to be with the Lord – please
continue to pray for her daughters]
Good job, my friend. You persevered when others would have thrown up
their hands. I'm very proud of you . . . and thrilled for her.
A happy day indeed! God is good.
In Jesus our dear Savior,
Bob L.
Question #28:
Fortunately, I have not had to bother you with questions because I have
been able to find answers on your excellent website.
I cannot tell you how much I use and enjoy your website. In this day of
ever more socially correct teaching coming from present day Churches, at
the expense of what our Bible truly teaches us, it is a true blessing to
have this site. As time consuming as this is, please know that
everything you do is most appreciated and helpful.
Blessings,
Response #28:
Thank you!
Your good words are most encouraging, my friend.
I appreciate it.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #29:
Hi Dr. Luginbill,
In Genesis 3:6, why do you think 'with her' doesn't mean that Adam was
literally present with Eve as she was tempted?
On vulgarity, I asked before, but you said it depends. So I was thinking
to give you two example my grandmother said to me:
One was when my grandfather asked: What happened to the pretty young
girl I married?
Her: Same thing that happened to the nice slim sailor I married.
Second was a guy at the plant insulting her appearance and she responded
by insulting his manhood below.
I know Christians would hate that, but in the work place – especially
blue collar – men will chew a girl up if she is all beta and submissive,
and will keep doing it unless she snaps back. Is it wrong to do so?
Hope everything is good,
Response #29:
On Genesis 3:6, no,
Adam was not present when the serpent tempted Eve (see the link:
scroll down to Q/A #8).
On your grandma, I don't see anything wrong with example #1. As far as
standing up for oneself, women in such situations definitely need to do
that. How they do it is between them and the Lord. We can all think of
things that are wrong to do (taking the Lord's Name in vain, for
example); but in such circumstances I would want to leave the specifics
to the individual and her conscience.
In Jesus our dear Savior,
Bob L.
Question #30:
Hello Bob,
I'm sorry for such heavy subject matter at an early hour last night.
[details omitted] After I emailed you I had one terrible "dream" after
another of demons attacking me. I have never experienced such an evil
attack in all my life. Non- believers would say it was bad luck to have
so many nightmares but it was definitely entities as I felt it in the
room After I kept waking up. Am I damned now? I have been praying
throughout today about it and I can't stop crying about it. When I went
to my last therapy session, the therapist went over the allotted time by
half an hour to do a "visualisation" exercise with me to help me with my
separation anxiety. He seemed really keen to do this and it felt like he
had this strong intense power over me like a Mesmer type power. I felt a
very heavy and physical energy in the room and an intensity. I don't
know why I went along with it as I have heard before that visualisation
has occult ties but I guess I suddenly felt pressured in the moment and
of course I wanted to get better. The visualisation was about taking out
the part of your brain that had negative thoughts and talking to it. I
was to also give it a colour. I saw it as blue and then I suddenly felt
scared and called on the Lord in my mind. I saw Jesus as part of it and
he was holding me and protecting me. Was this a deception or was it
really Jesus? Has the therapy opened me up to evil spirits? If this is
the case then I am happy to cancel it all here and now. I know it will
mean MASSIVE pressure and resistance from my boyfriend and my family as
they say they have seen a difference in me and have attributed it to the
therapy but the truth is that I've been pursuing God at the same time.
When I told them that, they ignored it and told me "No it's the
therapy!!" My family and my boyfriend don't believe in the healing power
of Jesus but I do now. I don't want any type of attachments or reliance
on anything new age. My dad and my sister nag me all the time that I
should be doing meditation and yoga but I keep resisting and telling
them that neither are of God and will open you up to the spirit world.
The problem is that they don't believe there is a spirit world. In the
past, I didn't either. They don't really believe in Jesus the same way
that I do. My dad told me to "Not bother reading the Old Testament but
to just stick to the Gospels". I was really shocked that he said this!
He said there are too many contradictions in the Old Testament and also
lies(!). Why would he say that? Wasn't Jesus the living fulfilment of
the Old Testament? It scares me that my family say these things about my
faith. I believe in every single word of the bible, is this wrong? They
say that this is too legalistic. Yesterday my mum said that it is fine
to get a divorce and remarry in the Catholic church as long as you got
divorced in "a different church". She said that same sex marriage is
fine now because the church allows it! I told her that man changes but
God doesn't. I get tied up in so many knots talking about Christianity
to my parents that I worry that instead of witnessing to them, they are
making stumbling blocks to my own faith. Meanwhile my sister is pursuing
new agey things and reading Harry Potter and watching Star Wars and
those are where she gets her morality from, not the bible. She thinks
that all the religions coming together to form one religion is a great
thing! She thinks it's all warm and fuzzy and about peace! I despair
Bob, I really do. All I want to do is serve our Lord God heavenly
father, through my walk towards Jesus, to pursue spiritual growth so
that I can more confidently witness to others without shaking my own
faith foundations. Will Jesus forgive me what I blurted out in that
moment of panic and confusion? I don't want to do anything that would
offend my Lord Jesus who I love with all my heart. How can I protect
myself against spiritual attack? Do you think my therapy has left me
open to attack? If so, would I be forgiven for seeking therapy. All I
want to do is please God, that is all I want to do. Whatever I have to
change in my live or give up to do that, I will do and I will do it
gladly. I would even turn away from my most cherished earthly attachment
for him. Finding the father through Jesus is the only truth I have ever
experienced in my life and it has meant more than silver and gold to me.
In our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ,
Response #30:
Apologies in advance for the brief response, but Saturday is "posting
day" and I've been at this a long time (it's getting late in this time
zone).
First, please remember that Jesus died for every one of your sins and
mine. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven a believer and no sin that
is not forgiven a believer just as soon as we come to the Lord with it
in prayer of confession.
Second, I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing opposition. That,
however, is standard for all believers who are turning back to the Lord.
The evil one is quick to oppose any lost lamb trying to come back to the
Shepherd's call, especially in the early going. And the Lord in His
perfect way allows a certain amount of such opposition in order to test
the genuineness of heart on the part of the Christian in question.
I have no doubt personally that your desire to walk closely with the
Lord and to please Him is genuine. It is also true, however, that
pleasing Him is doing what He really wants from us and not what others
say He wants from us or we wrongly imagine in the absence of truth He
wants from us. What He wants from you is what He wants from us all: to
begin to grow consistently in the truth by taking it in day by day; to
follow that truth, believing it and applying it to your life more and
more consistently, passing the tests that come; and to help others do
the same once spiritual maturity is reached.
Many of the things that you describe here are not new to me. But I want
you to know that the devil is powerless to do anything to you whatsoever
unless the Lord allows it, and the Lord will only allow things that test
your mettle, not things that might actually harm you in some
supernatural way. We cannot resist the devil by shouting at him; we can
only effectively resist him by ignoring him and whatever he sends our
way and concentrating on the truth instead.
Fact: you are a child of God protected by Him.
Fact: as long as you believe in Jesus Christ, nothing can snatch you out
of His hand.
Fact: the evil one and his followers are powerless to touch you in any
significant way if you are truly following the Lord and putting Him
first in your life. They can only buzz around and annoy like gnats: the
Lord has made complete provision for whatever befalls.
So you have every right to ignore all bad dreams and spit out all doubt
and all fear. For the Lord is your mighty fortress, and all the powers
of hell together cannot move Him an inch.
I do realize that there are other things here you may wish to discuss,
but the above seemed to me to be the most important to get to you ASAP.
I'm going to give you some links on some of these issues. Please do read
them. Don't hesitate to write me back about any of the above (or about
some of what you've shared), but also please keep in mind that the "R/x"
for all such concerns in continued, consistent spiritual growth through
hearing and believing and applying the truth of the Word of God.
Spiritual Warfare IV: Demons, Demonic Influences and Satanic Methodology
What does the Bible say about Dreams and Visions?
Dreams, Visions, Miracles, Exorcism, Tongues, and False Prophets
In Jesus Christ who is all sufficient for us for whatever He has called
upon us to do in this world.
Bob L.
Question #31:
I am only telling you this because I don't have anyone else to tell. My
grandmother is trying to encourage me to go to HR to make my team write down
things I don't hear (and end up getting into embarrassing situations because
they don't tell me things). But I know she wont be paying for food if I lose the
job. And neither will the male members of my family. Unlike other millennials or
baby boomers, I can't go back to my parents if I fail. It is easy to be a
feminist when you have all these men to rely on. Am I wrong to put my head down
and submit? I think it would be the same thing if I had to get into another job.
And all the time spent at HR, stressing out, getting another job if I have to, I
wont be spending on God.
I think everyone has their lines. And up until now, mine have been much further
back than most. My line is with God. I don't stand up for myself in regards to
certain abuse. But when my parents-who I am terrified of-tried to pressure me to
take communion when I wasn't ready, I dug my heels in and did not budge. God is
my line. I don't know that I should move it forward to this like she wants.
Response #31:
I think it's pretty inconsiderate of your "team" not to make sure you
are getting what you need. If a member of my team were confined to a
wheelchair, I wouldn't bound up three flights of stairs to the
conference room with the able-bodied huffing and puffing afterwards and
start the meeting before the person who had to take the elevator got
there. That is just common courtesy. Not waiting probably also
constitutes creating an unethical workplace and a hostile work
environment for that disabled person. In other words, it's wrong
morally, but probably also wrong legally.
That doesn't mean, however, that HR is going to take the person in the
wheelchair's side. In fact, in most organizations I have observed, been
conversant with, or been in, there is an awful tendency to support the
abuser over the abused. I'm not sure why that it is, but it has
something to do with defaulting to the person in authority (and in
cowardice taking the path of least resistance).
I have also helped out those who've "taken a stand", and I can tell you
that in each and every case there is a high price to pay, even if
victory is forthcoming in the end (which can be up to three or four
years later). And you are absolutely right when you conclude that such
fights take away from the time we have to spend in the Word and with the
Lord. They also cost us in many other ways.
So everybody has to make their own decisions on this sort of thing. The
fact that you are right and in the right will not prevent others from
doing you wrong.
But of course the most important thing is that the Lord is capable of
redressing all of our wrongs if we trust in Him (Ps.146:7; Prov.21:1).
That doesn't mean that we should do nothing (David fled to the desert
and was given to put together a band of like-minded warriors until the
time came when the Lord removed Saul . . . many years later). It does
mean that we positive Christians have to have the mindset of trusting
the Lord first and doing what we feel is right or necessary only second.
Sometimes He means us just to wait. Sometimes He means us to fight –
with His strength and support. The how and the where and the when are
decisions we are given to make in the Spirit. These situations test us,
and if we choose to go through the fire (sometimes we have little choice
as in David's case), they try us and they temper us. What we choose to
do is a demonstration of where we are at spiritually both in terms of
spiritual common sense (in avoiding unnecessary trouble by trusting the
Lord to help us make it through in situations where that is right thing
to do) and our spiritual courage (when action is clearly called for and
when we are led by the Spirit to act).
I am sure I don't know what is right for you to do. And as you clearly
see as is obvious from your email neither do your loved ones. You are the
one who has to make the decisions AND live with the consequences. There
are always consequences.
Keeping you in prayer on this.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #32:
Thank you.
I think it would be like this most anywhere I would end up anyway. And I
know it doesn't last forever, as you said. I am sorry if it didn't work
out for your friend/s.
I am going to go read ICHTHYS. Have a good night.
Response #32:
You're welcome!
It always works out with God. But that doesn't mean the road is an easy
one, merely an ultimately blessed one.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
P.S.: If you haven't noticed or already done so, please check out the list of wonderful ministry offerings on the Special Topics page, including postings by Bartek Sylwestrzak (*series on Mary now complete!), Christian Vassallo, John Jackson, "Bible Readings by Emma", Bible Reading Log by Christian Vassallo (helps for reading through the English Bible), The Holocaust: A Biblical and Historical Examination (Future Implications) by Fred London, the Expanded Index to topics found at Ichthys, and, most recently, Foundational Principles, by Odii Ariwodo.
A special word of thanks to all who have been praying for this ministry. The Lord has brought about a great deliverance for me and mine. I am forever grateful to Him, and also to all of you who have been faithfully interceding for me and for this ministry.
The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.
Exodus 15:2
Addendum: 12/24/16: I also want to thank everyone who has been praying for my family and especially for my mother. She passed away yesterday morning at the age of ninety-six. Considering the sad shape she was in, it was a blessing that the Lord took her when He did. She died "full of years" in the company of those who loved her, and now she is with the Lord – and nothing is better than that (Phil.1:23; Rev.7:17; 21:4).
Update on Urgent Prayer Request For Vau (5/29/19):
Hello Brother Bob, Vau passed this morning. He is now with our Lord. Please continue to lift our family up in prayer.
Sister Shevetta Washington
More Prayer Requests:
More E-mails: Complete archive of previous emails: Ichthys' Emails
Politics versus Spiritual Growth III
Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation IV
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry VII
Legalism, Past, Present and Future IV
New Testament Interpretation VII
Eschatology Issues XXIV: the 'Rapture' et al.
Believers in the World VIII: Coping with Family
Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief IV
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations XI
Spiritual Gifts and False Teaching
Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers VI
New Testament Interpretation VI
Old Testament Interpretation XII
Apologetics, Ministry and False Teaching
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry VI
Church: The Biblical Ideal versus the Contemporary Reality II
Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief III
The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions VI
Interpretation, Application, Exegesis and Ministry
Baptism: Water and Spirit VIII
New Testament Interpretation V
Apathy, Atheism, Cults and False Teaching
The Battlefield Within II: Combating anger, fear, blaming God, blaming others
Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation III
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry V
Paul the Apostle: Aspects of his Life and Ministry II
Old Testament Interpretation XI
Mutual Encouragement in Christ VII
The Transitional Era of the Book of Acts and its Unique Spiritual Gifts
Old Testament Interpretation X
The pre-Trib 'Rapture': so called 'imminence' and other false proofs refuted
Encouragement, Spiritual Testing and Spiritual Growth III
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations X
Legalism, Past and Present III: Sabbath observance, tithing, dietary regulations and other issues
Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief II
Old Testament Interpretation IX
Christology Questions IX: Christ and His Church
Mutual Encouragement in Christ VI: Perseverance
Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation II
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry IV
Fighting the Fight V: Dispatches from the Laodicean 'Front' II
Old Testament Interpretation VIII
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry III
New Testament Interpretation IV
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations IX
Peace, Reconciliation and Salvation
Mutual Encouragement in Christ V: Soldiers of the Cross
Old Testament Interpretation VII
Dangers of the Pre-Trib Rapture False Teaching
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations VIII
The Infinity, Magnitude, Glory, Providence and Plan of God
The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God IV
Nephilim, Antichrist, the False Prophet and the Mark of the Beast
The Trinity and Messianic Legalism II
Annihilationism, Universalism, Hell and Judgment II
Politics versus Spiritual Growth II
Culture and Christianity XVII: Humor, Self-Defense, Pacifism and War
Culture and Christianity XVI: Alcohol, Money and Dietary Issues
Dreams, Visions, Miracles, Exorcism, Tongues, and False Prophets
Calvinism, Catholicism and Ichthys
Apologetics, Legalism, Cults and Philosophy
Mutual Encouragement in Christ IV
Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers V
Faith and Free Will in Trial and Testing
Free Will and God's WILL in Salvation
Jobs, Money, Finances and Giving: What does the Bible say?
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry II
Mutual Encouragement in Christ III
It is Better on the Other Side
Christology Questions VIII: The Deity, Humanity and Life of Christ
The Lives of the Apostles and the Writing of the New Testament II
Biblical People and Places: Eve, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Hagar, Esau, Joseph and more
Biblical Anthropology V: Body, Spirit and 'Soul', Present and Future
Satan, Antichrist, the False Prophet and the Mark of the Beast
The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions V
Prophets, Prophecy, and False Prophets
Christology Questions VII: The Life and Spiritual Death of Christ and Holy Communion
The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God III
Culture and Christianity XV: The Bible vs. some Sensitive Social and Political Issues
Christology Questions VI: Christophany, Deity and the Spiritual Death of Christ
Encouragement, Spiritual Testing and Spiritual Growth II
Fighting the Fight IV: Dispatches from the Laodicean 'Front'
The Resurrection Body and our Eternal Future II
Blindness, Disease and Healing
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations VII
Encouragement, Spiritual Testing and Spiritual Growth
Judaism and Legalism in the church-visible
Confronting False Groups and False Teaching III
The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions IV
Old Testament Interpretation VI
More Questions on the Book of Hebrews: Melchizedek, Esau, and the 'Impossibility' of Being Restored
Believers in the World IV: Making Godly Choices vs. Following Man-Made Rules
Guilt, Sin and Victory through Spiritual Growth
Confronting False Groups and False Teaching II
Politics versus Spiritual Growth
Christian Struggle, Perseverance and Deliverance
The Bible and the Natural World
An Extended Conversation on the 'Unpardonable' Sin
Eternal Realities: Real Heaven, Real Hell
Eschatology Issues XII: Babylon, Armageddon, Israel, 2026
Ministers, Ministry, and Preparation for Ministry
Evangelism in Principle and Practice II
Gospel Questions X: Glory, John the baptist, the hidden talent, the Kingdom of God
Matthew Questions, verse by verse
Politics and Political Action on the Eve of the Tribulation
Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading IV
Mutual Encouragement in Christ II
Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers IV
Culture and Christianity XIII: College, Dating, Marriage and Friendship
Eschatology Issues XI: Trumpets, the Millennium, the Time of the Tribulation and the Resurrection.
Sin according to the Bible: Hamartiology II
Angelic Issues VI: Cherubs, Guardians, Elders and 'gods'
Sin according to the Bible: Hamartiology I
Bible Chronology, Aramaic and Interpretation
The Trinity and Messianic Legalism
Anger, Anthropopathism, Eternity and Divine Motives
Unbelievers, Free Will, and the Plan of God II
Christology Questions V: the Baptism, Temptation and Spiritual Death of Christ
The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God II
Believers in the World III: Prosperity Gospel, Tithing, Cults and Legalism
Faith, Hope and Love: Virtue in Spiritual Warfare
Finding a Church – or Something Better? II
New Testament Interpretation III
Faith vs. History, Archaeology, Philosophy
Believers in the World II: Confronting False Groups and False Teaching
The 144,000 and the Two Witnesses of the Tribulation
Predestination, Free Will and False Teaching
Love, Marriage, and Divorce: Marriage and the Bible III
Interpreting Dreams and Analyzing Prophetic Claims
Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading III
Eschatology Issues IX: Amillennialism, Trumpets, and the Seven Days
Spiritual Warfare IV: Demons, Demonic Influences and Satanic Methodology
Atheism and Gnosticism: Denying the Truth about God
Sin, Salvation and Forgiveness: Claiming the Mental and Spiritual High-Ground
Struggling with Salvation . . . and Relatives
Ministry and the Ichthys Ministry II
All about Ichthys II: Mutual Encouragement in the Lord
The Book of Job and Christian Suffering
Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers III: Creationism, Neanderthals, Fossil Record
Christology Questions IV: Jesus' Birth, Baptism, Early Life, and Kenosis
Third Party Testimony III: Near Death Experiences, Revelations and Tongues
Third Party Testimony II: Charismatic Claims of Visions, Dreams and Prophecy
Third Party Testimony I: We Believe God and His Word – Not People
God Heals - in His way (not our way)
Sanctification, Separation and Restraint
Finding a Church – or Something Better?
Culture and Christianity X: Military Service, College, Politics, and Race Relations
Contemporary Churches and Women Preachers
Culture and Christianity IX: Politics, Tithing, Music, Crucifixes, Alcohol, and Gambling
Biblical Anthropology III: Soul versus Spirit, "Soul Sleep", and the Interim Body
New Testament Interpretation II: Who is equal? Grace in vain. Unequally yoked.
Aspects of the Crucifixion II: Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?
Aspects of the Crucifixion I: Carrying the cross, trials and rooster crow.
The Canon: Content, Chronology, and Criticism
Spiritual Warfare III: Peter's 'Angel', Saul's Death, and Strange Events
Old Testament Interpretation IV: Gehazi's Leprosy, Tyre's Destruction, and Immanuel
Nephilim, Fallen Angels, and Genesis 6
Sin, Atonement and Forgiveness II
Sin, Atonement and Forgiveness I
Annihilationism, Universalism, Hell and Judgment
Noah, the Flood, and the Nature of Animals
The Tribulation: Timing of, Preparation for, and Conditions in
Eschatology Issues VIII: Revelation, Tribulation and Judgment
Antichrist: the Mark, the Number, and the Identification of the Beast
Satan's Revolt and the Tribulation to Come
Old Testament Interpretation III: The Name 'Jacob', the Mark of Cain, Jeshrun.
Old Testament Interpretation II: Urim and Thummim, the Bronze Serpent, the Ark.
Being Saved: Security, Apostasy, and the Sin unto Death
Fighting the Fight III: False Teaching, Local Churches, and the Truth
Fighting the Fight II: Struggling with Sin, Doubt, and Severe Testing
Fighting the Fight I: Accountability, Faith, Sin, Forgiveness, and Reward
Dispensations, Covenants, Israel and the Church II
Dispensations, Covenants, Israel and the Church I
Witnessing: Cults and Christianity II
Witnessing: Cults and Christianity I
Ministry and the Ichthys Ministry
Spiritual Growth, Church-Searching and "Discipling"
Unbelievers, Free Will, and the Plan of God
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations VI
Paganism, Idolatry, Mythology and the Occult
The Lives of the Apostles and the Writing of the New Testament
The Essence of God and Deity of Christ
Parables and their Interpretation
The Meaning and Purpose of True Christian Assembly
1st John: Text and Interpretation
Perseverance in the latter days of Laodicea
Prayer: the Persistence, Purpose and Power of.
Paul the Apostle: Aspects of his Life and Ministry
Gospel Questions VII: The Wedding at Cana et al.
Israel, 'Lost Tribes' and the Star of David
Israel and Antichrist
in Eschatology
Explaining and Defending the
Trinity and the Person of Christ II
The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions III
The Geography of Heaven, Hades and 'Hell'.
The Resurrection Body and our Eternal Future.
Christ the First-Born, High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek.
Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading II
Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading
Hermeneutics, Typology, Christophany, Theophany and Anthropopathism.
No, Hebrews does not teach that you lost your salvation.
Gospel Questions VI: the Long Ending of Mark et al.
Judas and the Betrayal of Christ
Doubting Salvation and Questions of Sin
The 144,000: God's Seal vs. the Mark of the Beast
Atheism: Putting Truth to Death
The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions II
The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions I
The Law, Love, Faith-Rest and Messianism
Sin and Salvation, Confession and Forgiveness
Have I Lost My Salvation? (III)
The Battlefield Within: Fighting the inner spiritual Struggle.
Putting Christ in Christmas: Loving Jesus, the Star and the Magi, Wonderful Counselor.
Healing, Miracles, and Dreams: Sorting the Wheat from the Chaff by biblical Means
153 Fish: Explaining some Difficult New Testament Passages
Kenosis: Our Lord's Self-Limitation during the 1st Advent
Biblical Anthropology II: 'Soul sleep', & dichotomy vs. trichotomy
Biblical Anthropology I: The Nature of Human Beings and Human Life according to the Bible.
Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers II.
Culture and Christianity VII: Jury Duty, Witnessing, Biometry, Military Service et al.
Culture and Christianity VI: Halloween, Holidays, Aliens, and Christian Applications.
Angelic Issues V: Michael, the Angel of the Lord, Christophany, demons, cherubs, and Satan's revolt.
Angelic Issues IV: Satan's Revolt in the Plan of God.
All about Ichthys: Mutual Encouragement in the Lord.
Fallen Angels, Demons, Nephilim, and the Devil's Methodology.
Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief.
The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God.
Communion and the Spiritual Death of Christ.
Israelology, Anti-Semitism, the Remnant, Gentiles, Lost Tribes, Jewish Myths.
"Soul Sleep" versus our true Heavenly State.
Christology Questions III: The Angel of the Lord, the Lamb Slain, monogenes.
Angelic Issues III: Demons, Satan, Elders, Female Angels and Guardians.
Against Universalism III: Unbelievers in the Plan of God.
Waters Above, the Firmament, and the Genesis Gap.
In Need of Guidance and Encouragement.
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations V.
Servants, Slaves, Disciples, and Ministers.
Evangelism in Principle and Practice.
Scripture versus Personal Experience.
Calvinism, Covenants and Catholicism.
Culture and Christianity V: Temporal Authority vs. Biblical Application.
False Doctrine of Absolute Eternal Security III.
The Dangers of Messianic Legalism IV: Unclean and Impure?
Things to Come III: The Wrath of God and the Fate of the Beast's Army.
God Works All Things Together for Good.
The 7 Trumpets, the 7 Kings, Nephilim, Antichrist and Revived Rome.
The Coming Tribulation and the Kingdom of God.
Sin, Confession and Forgiveness.
Mutual Encouragement in Christ.
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations IV.
Eschatology Issues V: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons".
Ichthys and Contemporary Christianity.
Gospel Questions V: Help my Unbelief, Respecting our Enemies, etc.
The Two Witnesses of the Tribulation: Moses and Elijah.
The Apostles, the Jerusalem Council, and Legalism then and now.
Aspects of the Christian Walk: Gambling, Lying, Christmas, Judging, Worrying, et al.
Believers in the World: Using our Free Will to Respond to the Lord
John's Water-Baptism versus the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The City of David, the Star of David, Solomon's Wisdom, and the Song of Solomon.
The Israelites at Kadesh and 'not entering the Land of Promise'.
Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers.
Sin and Spiritual Transformation.
One Baptism: the True Meaning of Peter's Words at Acts 2:38.
Apostasy and the Sin unto Death, the Conscience and Sanctification.
The Plan of God and Individual Salvation (excerpt from BB 4B)
In Your Anger, do not Sin: Ephesians 4:26 and the Sin Nature
On the Firing Line: Encouragement in Christian Trials
Eschatology and the Old Testament
Prayer and our Walk with Jesus.
Issues of Canonicity II: Aramaic, Enoch, KJV, and the Pastorals
Bible Vocabulary and Bible Word Studies
Satan, his Demons, and the Gnostics
Antichrist: Alive and Well and Living on Planet Earth?
Our Eternal Future: Life after Death for Believers in Jesus Christ
Giants and Nephilim, Sumerian Myths, and Sea Monsters
Free-Will Faith and the Will of God
The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy: explaining James 4:5.
Free-Will Faith in the Plan of God.
Putting the Word of God First.
The False Doctrine of "Soul Sleep" II.
The False Doctrine of Absolute Eternal Security II.
The Dangers of Messianic Legalism III
The Dangers of Messianic Legalism II
The Dangers of Messianic Legalism.
Mega-Churches, Emergent Christianity, Spirituality and Materialism.
Epignosis, Christian Epistemology, and Spiritual Growth.
Jephthah's Daughter, Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage.
Christian Unity and Divisiveness.
Death, Martyrdom and Resurrection.
Blessing, Cursing, and Prayer.
Fighting the Good Fight of Faith.
Only-Begotten, Mother-of-God, On-this-Rock: English-only Interpretation is Dangerous.
The Greek Text of the New Testament and some Issues of Textual Criticism.
What does the name 'Christian' mean?
Christians Beware: Internet Frauds and the Need for Spiritual Discernment (part 2).
Christians Beware: Internet Frauds and the Need for Spiritual Discernment.
Spring Special: The Millennial Regathering and Purging of Israel.
Last Things and Last Judgments
The Local Church and Personal Ministry IV
The Local Church and Personal Ministry III
The Local Church and Personal Ministry II
The Local Church and Personal Ministry I
Aspects of the False Doctrine of Institutional Security
Chronological Order of the Books of the Bible II
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations III
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations II
Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations I
Satan and the Existence of Evil.
The Holy Spirit: Blasphemy against,
Restraining Ministry, and Gender.
Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Growth
Christian Love, the Golden Rule, Christian Military Service and Self-Defense.
Issues of Canonicity: Apocrypha, Enoch, and Inspiration.
Church: The Biblical Ideal versus the Contemporary Reality.
Numbers, Letters, and the Mark of the Beast.
Gospel Questions I: Jesus' Life, the Gospels and Cherubs, and who Wrote Matthew.
Naaman, Nero, Nineveh, and Senacharib.
The False Doctrine of Absolute Eternal Security.
Choosing Hell: Questions about Salvation and the Love of God.
The Route of the Israelites in Crossing
the Red Sea.
Some Issues of Transmission,
Translation, and Transliteration: The Camel and the Needle, etc.
Aspects of the Life of Christ:
Jesus' siblings, the man born blind, et al.
Redemption, the Blood of Christ, Christ our Passover, and The Passion of the Christ.
Eschatology Issues II: Angelic bodies, heaven and hell, Satan and the Nephilim, etc.
The Book of Job and Biblical Interpretation.
Some Questions about Eternity.
Who Controls our Thoughts and Emotions?
Sleep as a Euphemism for Death.
Literal Hell.
The Timing of the Resurrection.
Dispensations, the Church, the Rapture, and the Destruction of the Universe.
Christianity versus Contemporary Kitsch.
Purpose Driven Life, Oprah's New Age Religion, et al.
Lot, Esau, and Cain: Learning through
Negative Examples.
Against Universalism II: Only
Believers are Saved.
Against Universalism I: Free Will and the
Image of God.
The Seven Edens and the Eden of Adam and Eve.
Opposition to the Genesis Gap from the Creation Research Institute et al.
The Beast: Some Questions about Antichrist.
The Book of Revelation: Some Questions.
Red Hot or Lukewarm? Bible Teaching versus Sermonizing.
The Last Judgment and the Great White Throne.
Christology: Some Questions on the Life of Christ.
Train up a Child in the Way he should Go.
Unbelief and its Consequences.
Explaining and Defending the Trinity and the Person of Christ.
Free Will and Faith under Pressure.
Bible Interpretation I: Academics, Versions et al.
Faith in the Word of God: the Basis of all True Worship.
Aspects of the Resurrection II.
Faith and Encouragement in the midst of Fiery Trials.
Jethro, Amenhotep, Iraq, the Catacombs, and the KJV.
Eschatology Issues: The Fig Tree, Ezekiel 38, Joel 3, and the Trumpets.
Christ the Rock, the Rooster's Crow, and the Cross.
Applying Faith II: Production, Forgiveness, Circumcision, Truth over People.
Applying Faith: Eating, Drinking, and Vacation.
The Tree of Life, Communion, and the Virgin Birth.
Can Prayer Be Offered From Heaven? & Some Genesis Questions.
Walking the Path of Faith through the Light of the Word of God.
Salvation on the battlefield, truth revealed to infants, and damnation.
Preparing for
Tribulation.
Divine
Sovereignty and Divine Judgment.
Should Christians wear Jewelry?
The Events Surrounding the Birth of Christ.
Zechariah,
Demon Possession, Marriage,
Spiritual Experiences,
and Bible Prophecy.
No Grounds for Divorce?
The Shape of the Universe, Hominids, and the Genesis Gap.
Taking Personal Responsibility: Interest, Bankruptcy, Gambling, and Employment.
The Seven Churches, the Judgment Seat of Christ, and other issues in Eschatology.
The Canonicity of the book of Hebrews.
Great White Throne, the Last Judgment, and the Outer Darkness.
Political Action versus Biblical Christianity.
Study Tools and Methodologies.
The Gospel and the Kingdom of God.
Pursuing a Deeper Relationship with Jesus and Christian Epistemology.
The Origin and the Danger of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture Theory.
The Divinity of the Spirit and the Percentage of those who are Saved.
Should Christians ever consider getting a lawyer?
Pastoral Authority, Popes, Pat Robertson, and Pelagianism.
Some Questions on Church Polity.
Luther, Arminius, Calvin, Kant, Ironside, Tutu and Thieme.
Transmutation, Resuscitation, and Resurrection.
More on the Documentary Hypothesis and More on the Rapture.
Enoch's Walk with God and Some Questions in the Gospels.
The Influence of the Renaissance and Rationalism on the Church and Cutting off Arms in Malachi 2:3.
Eschatology
Questions.
Baptism and Following
Jesus.
The Cross, Sin, and the Devil in God's Plan.
More on: Spiritual Gifts; Hats & Hair; the Age of Accountability.
Who will populate earth during the Millennium? and Asking for Wisdom: James 1:5.
Was Judas Saved?, The Gospel of Judas, and Issues of Canonicity.
Is 'My Son' Israel or Jesus in Hosea 11:1? & How do you Prove Sin to Someone?
Did Matthew Write his Gospel in Hebrew?
Christian Crowns, Pagan Names, and the Time of the Cock-Crow.
Child-like Faith, Mark vs. Matthew, the Mahdi, and 'Who was with God in the Beginning?
True Orthodoxy and False Creeds.
Foot-washing, Bitter Herbs, Baptism, and Borrowed Faith.
Friday versus Thursday Crucifixion.
Jesus' Cursing of the Fig Tree, Apostasy, and 'Feng Shui'.
The Genesis Serpent, Using "it" to refer to the baby Jesus, and more on Tattoos.
Why did Jesus choose John over James to take care of His mother Mary?
Antichrist's 'desire of women' in Daniel 11:37 et al.
Do recent catastrophes have a divine origin?
Does God really want us to be sick and poor? Revisiting the prosperity gospel.
Why did our Lord Jesus arise from the tribe of Judah?
What will our relationship be in heaven with children who died young?
The baptism of the Holy Spirit as distinct from speaking in tongues.
The Grammar behind the Genesis Gap.
The Great White Throne Judgment.
Does God's choice of us eliminate our free will?
Why does God allow bad things to happen?
The Bible as "divine", roof prayer, and tattoos.
Character in Hebrews 1:3, et al.
"Are the children of unbelievers lost if they die before receiving Christ?"
"Is baptism necessary for salvation?"
"The nature of life after death."
"The personality of the Holy Spirit."
"The dragon of Revelation 12 and the talking idol of Revelation 13."
"Infirmities and Diseases in Matthew 8:17"
"The Leftover Baskets of Bread and Fish in John 6."
"Waiting for the Ascension" and "Amos 4:11".
Should Christians have a competitive attitude?
John "leapt for joy" in the womb - or did he?
Satanic Influence in Video Games and Television.
Moving Mountains: Matthew 21:21
Not a hair shall be lost? Luke 21:16 versus Luke 21:18.
The reign of antichrist: 7 years or 3 and 1/2 years?
"Doubts about the Nephilim in Genesis 6" and "Ezekiel 9:4 and the Mark of the Beast"
"Word Counts in the Bible", "Him whom they Pierced (Rev.1:7)", and "Necromancy".
"Waiting for a Savior" and "The Direction East in the Bible"
Is there a purgatory according to the Bible?
Your desire shall be for your husband: Genesis 3:16.
Have I committed the unforgivable sin?
Is the local church meant to be a patriarchy?
Why doesn't the Bible mention all of the prophets of the children of Israel?
Tohu in Genesis 1:2 and the Cause of the Darkness.
Why Doesn't God Prevent All Children from Dying?
Why were Christians being regarded as "evil-doers" in 1st Peter 2:12?
Phylacteries and the Mark of the Beast, and "What about Joseph?"
Assembly of the local church, and Jesus' use of "I AM" from Exodus 3:14 in John 8:58
The "burden of the Lord" in Jeremiah 23:32-40, and judgment for idle words in Matthew 12:36-37.
The importance of spiritual resiliency.
Does God use disease to discipline us?
Recovering from Cult Exposure.
Variability in Christian Testing and Personal Tribulation.
Is there any value to the Apocrypha?
The Communion
Ceremony outside of the
local church.
The Christian Walk, the End, and Tattoos.
Should Christians honor Sunday as the new Sabbath?
Chronological order of the books of the Bible.
Doubt, light, missed opportunities et al.
Corporate prayer in Matthew 18:19: "when two agree on earth".
What does the Bible say about humor?
The value of cumulative prayer.
Our Heavenly, Pre-Resurrection, Interim State.
How could a loving God order the destruction of the Canaanites?
Should Christians observe the Torah?
Church Polity and three other passages.
Tongues: does 'no man' understand?
The few saved, the door in heaven, visions of heavenly realities, and Christmas.
Christian suffering and spiritual maturity.
Aliens, antichrist, and eschatology.
Does exceptionally sinful behavior indicate that a Christian has lost salvation?
Should Christians celebrate Jewish festivals?
The Deaths of the 12 Disciples / Apostles of Christ.
Categories of Sin in Psalm 19.
Some brief answers on a variety of topics.
Pastoral Support, Pastoral Preparation, and the Purpose of Assembly.
Encouragement, Isaiah 6:11-13, and the Hope of Repentance.
Dinosaurs, the Nephilim, Noah, et al.
How much should we pay our pastor?
Is it wrong for me to celebrate Easter?
The Sealing of the Holy Spirit.
Visions of Angels: Colossians 2:18.
Waiting on God's timing: patience in testing.
"Your Throne, O God": Psalm 45:6.
What is meant by the phrase "the Lord's footstool"?
A conversation about divorce and remarriage.
Faith in the midst of the fiery trial.
Hebrews 10:26 again, and two other notes on Arthur Pink and the Greek word diakonos.
What is the correct translation of Isaiah 59:19?
Is the star of Acts 7:43 the star of David?
Some questions about Nimrod and Christmas trees, Tongues, and Healing
Is Jesus the only One ever to restore sight?
What happens to people who were born and died prior to the birth of Christ?
Which is better, the King James Version or the New King James Version?
What is the minimum necessary to be saved?
How can we know whose interpretation of the Bible is right (Part 2)?
How can we know whose interpretation of the Bible is right (Part 1)?
Psalm 22:1, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
The "Mind of Christ" in 1st Corinthians 2:16
Simeon and Simon, and the two crows of the rooster
Ichthys, saints, and the Last Adam
Does Hebrews 10:26 teach loss of salvation?
Eternal security: where does one draw the line?
Who are Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39?
How did John the baptist come to doubt Jesus?
Is Jesus literally seated on the throne at God's right hand?
Are the Celts the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?
Whatever happened to the "Genesis Gap"?
"The baptism which now saves you": 1st Peter 3:21.
What type of healing is being discussed in Isaiah 53:5?
The Origin of the Four Seasons
2nd Peter 3:5: Doubting the Tribulation
A Question about Ichthys books
Biblical Metaphors and Symbolism
Faith and the Pre-Tribulational "Rapture".
Bible translation and John 8:58.
Melchizedek and the high priesthood of Christ: two questions et alia.
The centurion and the Syro-Phoenician woman.
What is "heaven" like according to Christian teachings?
1st Corinthians 11: Hats or Hair?
Confession of Sin, Fellowship, and the Filling of the Holy Spirit.
A Miscellany of Questions and Answers (Nineveh, the beast, tongues, demons, Sadam, etc.)
Some Greek Questions in the Gospels (John 1:3; 2:19; 8:58; Luke 23:43)
Is Man trichotomous, and does that mean that salvation is three-tiered?
Christ knocking at the door in Revelation 3:20
The futility of memory without God and eternal life.
The meaning of Jesus' words, "I am" in John 8:58
What does the Bible say about Heaven and Hell?
Peace in 1st Corinthians 14:33
Salvation and Church Affiliation.
Several questions on the book of Hebrews.
Does the Bible prohibit women from preaching or teaching in the Church?
Should Christian leaders refrain from drinking in public?
How to use the Bible translations at Ichthys.
The Worship of Jesus: a proof of His divinity?
An Extended Conversation about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Is water baptism required for Christians today?
Are health and wealth a part of the gospel?
Will those in Hades be able to see Christ's return?
Feelings of Guilt about Remarriage.
Who are the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?
What does "the Word was with God" mean in John 1:1-2?
Three questions on three verses in Isaiah (Is.21:4; 28:10, & 66:24).
How important is education for a pastor?
Availability and use of Ichthys materials: several questions.
Is there any difference between demons and fallen angels?
Two questions about Judas Iscariot.
Three Questions about Tattoos and Salvation.
The Hebrew word for 'one' (`echadh) and the uniqueness of God.
Did the witch of Endor really conjure up the spirit of Samuel?
A Question about the "Waters Above".
Why did God the Father wait so long to send Jesus into the world?
How does being "slain in the Spirit" relate to being baptized in the Spirit?
How do you prove the existence of God?
Where does the Bible teach that Jesus is God?
Is it ever Justifiable to Tell a Lie (part 2)?
Is the Westminster Catechism a Good Reference Tool?
What does it mean "the spirit returns to God" in Ecclesiastes 12:7?
Is there any Connection between biblical Gemstones and Moral Characteristics?
Are Miraculous Gifts Operational Today?
Jesus Christ in the Old Testament (Christophany: Gen.3:8).
Can those in organizations which teach "salvation by works" be saved?
Is "helpmeet" a wrong translation in Genesis 2:20?
Cast thy Bread upon the Waters: What do the seven and eight portions in Ecclesiastes 11:2 mean?
Was Cain Satan's literal "seed"?
The Demon Possessed Girl in Acts 16:16.
The "Sin unto Death" in 1st John 5:16.
Is death just a natural part of human life?
Communion and the Blood of Christ.
What does it mean in 1st Corinthians 7:14, "the unbelieving husband is sanctified"?
The Re-institution of the Feast of Tabernacles in the Millennium.
Secular Documentation for the Exodus.
The false doctrine of "soul sleep".
The Author of Hebrews and Jesus' Perfect Completion of His Mission.
The Trinity in Isaiah 63:10-15.
How old was Jesus at the time of His crucifixion and resurrection?
Five Smooth Stones: 1st Samuel 17:40
How can we know the Bible is true?
Habakkuk's Prosperity Prayer: Habakkuk 3:17-19.
Jeremiah 31:22: "A Woman shall Compass a Man".
The New International Version of the Bible and some issues in Bible translation.
Is "the Prophet" of Deuteronomy 18:18 Muhammad?
The One True God and the Trinity in the Old Testament.
Are those in Hebrews 6:4 who "crucify the Son of God afresh" lost?
Are New Bible Translations Part of a Conspiracy?
What exactly is the "red heifer prophecy", and how does it relate to the events of the end times?
Where did the waters of Genesis 1 go?
Sin, Baptism, and the Book of
Revelation
Tithing
and the Book of
Life
The Dangers of the Prosperity Gospel.
English and the Tower of Babel.
The "Seven Thunders" of Revelation 10:3-4
The fate of the unrighteous dead in Isaiah 66:24
Who are the "sons of the kingdom" in Matthew 18:11-12?
Why does Judah get greater honor than Jerusalem in Zechariah 12:7?
How is the date of Easter computed?
What is the meaning of the 1290 days versus the 1335 days in Daniel 12?
What Church era are we now in?
Can you explain "help my unbelief!" in Mark 9:24?
What does it mean to "overcome" in Revelation chapters 2 and 3?
Are women required to wear veils or hats in
church?
Is the world
about to come to an end?
Does the Bible ever describe the earth as being round?
Pre-, mid-, or post-Tribulation rapture?
The origin and fate of the "giants" in Genesis chapter six.
Christian suffering - Christian encouragement.
Is speaking in tongues biblical?
Can you recommend a good commentary on the book of Romans?
The recipients of Peter's epistles.
Pre- or Post-Tribulation "rapture"?
Animal sacrifice in the millennium.
Is it ever justifiable to lie?
Who
wrote the King James version?
The meaning of the
divine name יהוה.
The so-called "documentary hypothesis".
The relationship between the books of Kings and Chronicles.
David's disastrous census of Israel.
Aspects of the Unseen Angelic Warfare and 666, the Mark of the Beast.
The 200 million strong demon army of Revelation 9:13.
Deliverance through Childbearing in 1st Timothy 2:15?
Some questions about the Tribulation.
More on divorce and remarriage.
What does it mean to "remember the Sabbath and keep it holy"?
The manner of the apostle Peter's death.
Wasn't Matthias the thirteenth apostle?
Forward progress necessary for salvation and spiritual growth.
The "seven days" of human history.
1st John 1:9 and
confessing sin.
ICHTHYS and the role of traditional Christianity.
Can you recommend a good survey for the Old and New Testaments?
Where can I find more information on the "Genesis gap"?
Is Church membership an issue in salvation?
Are these materials available for purchase as books?
What is your opinion of the Abingdon one-volume Bible Commentary?
What is the significance of the number "20" in the Bible?
The 144,000 of Revelation chapters 7 and 14.
What is your view on predestination?
The chronology of the date 2026.
Does baptism play a role in being born again?
Why does the devil have access to God while man cannot stand in His presence?
The structure of the book of Revelation.
What is your view of the rapture?
What is meant by the "10 days" of Revelation
2:10?
Dragons in the Bible?
Are there apostles in the
Church today?
What is the meaning of the
word "chosen" in
the Bible.
The Passover.
What are the most common Bible
names?
What is the biblical significance
of the number forty?
What does the Bible have
to say about witchcraft?
How can I protect myself from false teaching?
Didn't the devil know he couldn't defeat God?
Are the Masons wrong according to the Bible?
Six Questions.
Can the faith of
"backsliders" be
restored?
Are there biblical origins to
mythology?
What does the phrase "sides of the pit" mean in Isaiah 14:15?
Can prayer be offered in the name of the Son?
Is it valid to celebrate Christmas?
Can you give me some information on divine names in the Bible?
What is the significance of name changes in the Bible?
Is there a "gospel of Thomas"?
Is the nature of Man
dichotomous or trichotomous?
Will the temple be rebuilt in Jerusalem?
Does the Bible teach a literal Millennium?
What does the word "good" mean in Genesis?
Who are "the dead" who "rise first" in 1st Thessalonians 4?
Are the Greek tenses in John 7:34 correctly translated?
Is the devil "mad" to oppose God?
Does the Bible require supporting
the pastor
financially?
How
can Jesus be a man
and God at the same time?
How did people
atone for intentional sin
in Old Testament times?
What is the symbolism of the
Lamb of God in Revelation?
Can you recommend some word study tools for Bible study?
Can people who commit suicide be saved?
What is the difference between wisdom and discernment?
Marriage of Believers and Unbelievers.
Is hearing believing in John 6:35?
Is Paul describing himself in Romans chapter seven?
Is tithing required for salvation?
What is the evidence for the "rapture"?
Is there any validity to the "prosperity gospel"?
Who are the "Nephilim" in Genesis chapter six?
What does the Bible have to say about reincarnation?
Believing the Bible for Spiritual Growth.
Why was the New Testament written in Greek?
What about those who have never heard of Christ?
What about elders and deacons?
Eternal Security and "sinless perfection".
Eternal Security and "salvation by works".
Does the Bible teach ex nihilo
creation?
When did Jesus first know He
was God's Son?
Are there prophets today?
How could Christ have been three days and
nights in
the grave?
Do Muslims worship the One true
God?
What can I do about spiritual fainting?
