I recently received a text question, “I read a blog post concerning the question, ‘What does the Bible say about how we should give to help the person who will not help themselves? Am I enabling them to continue their lifestyle?’” This is surely one of many examples of “where the rubber meets the road”…
What Does it Mean to be Filled with the Holy Spirit?
A brother from Kenya asked a deeply practical – but intensely theological question: “How does a person become filled with the Holy Spirit?” Let’s try to understand what being filled with the Spirit means, and let’s examine Scripture to discover how to obtain it. We will tackle this challenging question because You Asked for It.…
What is Faith?
A brother posted greetings this morning and writes, “Please help to answer the following question: What is faith?” What a powerful question that involves so many things! Faith is a word that we use almost every day, but perhaps we use it in so many settings that it can lose a little of its impact.…
Does God Predestine Our Choices?
One of the most difficult concepts in Scripture is introduced and developed in the beginning verses of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Understanding the word “predestine” creates a challenge. The passage (Ephesians 1: 4-12 NIV) tells us that God chose us from before the creation of the world, and that He predestined (προορίσας, PRO-OR-IH-SAS) us…
Are Physical Ailments the Result of Personal Sin?
A person asked last night about a particular verse in the fifth chapter of John. Does John 5:14 teach that physical ailments come because of our sin and unfaithfulness? Is this the correct interpretation? Let’s first look at the verse and then establish something of an immediate context and a broader, biblical context in which…
Is There an Unforgivable Sin?
A question came wondering if there could be a sin so evil and heinous that it would be an unforgivable sin? Would God consider it impossible to forgive? This deep and thoughtful question haunted people through the centuries. The wonders and implications of the quandary continue to echo into our culture and settings today. “Is…
What Are the Qualifications for an Elder?
A brother recently sent a text message and asked, “What are the qualifications for an elder?” What are the qualifications for an elder in the church? Let’s spend some time thinking about the answer because you asked for it. The term “elder” has been used through many centuries and by many cultures. An elder exercised…
What is the Meaning of New Wine Skins?
The other day, I received an email asking for some clarification on the meaning and teaching of one of Jesus’ parables about new wine skins. Let’s take a look at the letter, then we will discuss Jesus’ general usage of parables, the context and setting of the particular parable, and a look at its application…
Are Natural Disasters a Form of Punishment?
It really was just a matter of time. People often make a correlation between pain and punishment. Yesterday I received an email posing a question related to the coronavirus. Today I received a related question. The first article addressed the issue, “Is the coronavirus a punishment found in the ‘seven seals’ mentioned in Revelation?” Today’s…
Where is God When I am in Pain?
The rat-at-tats sound more ominous each time the footage is replayed on television. The sound makes pain flood the soul. A lone gunman opened fire into a crowd gathered for a country music concert in Las Vegas late at night on Sunday October 1st. Since that time authorities have confirmed 59 deaths and over 500…