What Do I Need To Know About Baptism?
February/12/2020 04:46 PM Filed in: Christian Faith | Christian Life
Baptism is an exciting moment in the Christian life. It is the biblical way to publicly declare our faith and trust in Jesus. If you are considering baptism, here are some of the important things you need to know… Read More...
Is It Wrong To Cohabitate Before Marriage As Long As You Are Not Intimate?
April/19/2017 10:22 PM Filed in: Marriage | Sex and Dating
The answer to this question depends somewhat on what is meant by “living together.” If it means having sexual relations, it is definitely wrong. Premarital sex is repeatedly condemned in Scripture, along with all other forms of sexual immorality
but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. Acts 15:20 (ESV)
What Is Purgatory?
February/12/2016 02:22 PM Filed in: Christian Faith
The Roman Catholic church teaches about place of punishment after death called purgatory. The Protestant church doesn’t teach it. Where did purgatory come from? The doctrine developed during the Middle Ages and was cemented into the official teachings of the Catholic Church during the reformation when the reformers protested it's teaching because it wasn’t found in the Bible. At the council of Trent, which culminated in 1563, the Catholic church declared the existence of purgatory an official teaching of the Catholic church and those who reject the doctrine of purgatory were accursed.
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What Would Jesus Do With The Super Bowl?
January/23/2016 11:45 AM Filed in: Christian Life
Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner. The Super Bowl has become an unofficial national holiday with 114.4 million people tuning in for the game. The Super Bowl is not just famous for football. It is also famous for its witty commercials. In previous years, the game featured 71 commercials with a cost $4.5 million per 30 second slot.
The Super Bowl is also the second largest day of food consumption in our nation. The only day we eat more is Thanksgiving. During the Super Bowl, Americans will eat 1.23 billion chicken wings, 615 million chickens, 28 million pounds of chips and down 8 million pounds of guacamole.
The game has become an annual celebration we enjoy with our family and friends. While most watching that Sunday claim they gather for the football, one in every five admit they watch simply to be with friends.
Is there anything Jesus would have us to do with this fun-filled football Sunday? What would Jesus do with the Super Bowl?
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The Super Bowl is also the second largest day of food consumption in our nation. The only day we eat more is Thanksgiving. During the Super Bowl, Americans will eat 1.23 billion chicken wings, 615 million chickens, 28 million pounds of chips and down 8 million pounds of guacamole.
The game has become an annual celebration we enjoy with our family and friends. While most watching that Sunday claim they gather for the football, one in every five admit they watch simply to be with friends.
Is there anything Jesus would have us to do with this fun-filled football Sunday? What would Jesus do with the Super Bowl?
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What Are The Basics Of Baptism?
January/05/2016 10:15 PM Filed in: Christian Faith | Christian Life
What is Baptism?
Baptism is a public immersion of a believer under water. It is generally performed in the presence of other Christians. It is a public picture of identification with Christ's death, burial and resurrection being the source of your life. The Bible tells us, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, that Christ died for our sins, he was buried and rose again. In Colossians 2:12, it tells us baptism is a picture of our identification with Christ's death, burial and resurrection being where we place our confidence for forgiveness of our sins and relationship with God.
Read More...NOTE - Baptism doesn't make you a Christian. It is a public declaration of what you believe. Baptism is like a wedding ring. It is the outward symbol of the commitment you made before God in your heart.
Why Do We Celebrate Christmas on December 25?
December/16/2015 09:54 AM Filed in: Christian Faith
The exact date of Jesus’ birth is unknown. The Bible does not give specifics on the date of either Jesus' birth or conception. In the second century A.D., a Roman Christian historian named Sextus Julius Africanus calculated Jesus’ birthdate to be December 25 (nine months after Africanus believed Jesus was conceived). In spite of the assumptions made in Africanus’s line of thinking, the date was widely accepted.
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What Is Kwanzaa And Should A Christian Celebrate It?
Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chair of African Studies at California State University, Long Beach. Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. Karenga’s original concept was to provide African-Americans with a time to focus on the cultural heritage and values of Africa and to provide an alternative to Christmas. Karenga drew from a number of different African harvest festivals, Black Nationalist ideology, and other cultural influences to create the seven “Nguzo Saba,” or principles of African heritage. Each of these principles is represented by a physical symbol, one for each day of Kwanzaa. Read More...
What came first, the chicken or the egg?
September/17/2015 09:07 PM Filed in: Christian Faith
Evolution is considered by many to be scientific fact. Every National Geographic program reminds us that we live in a world created by random chance over 5 to 20 billion years. While most Christians do not believe in evolution, they struggle to believe God created everything in six literal days.
In an effort to reconcile the difference between high school biology and the church youth group, many Christians attempt a compromise. A common compromise is theistic evolution or the day-age theory. This theory claims that each day of creation corresponds to billions of years in the evolutionary cycle. The Bible is considered true as long as the days of creation are not literally true. Is this what you believe?
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In an effort to reconcile the difference between high school biology and the church youth group, many Christians attempt a compromise. A common compromise is theistic evolution or the day-age theory. This theory claims that each day of creation corresponds to billions of years in the evolutionary cycle. The Bible is considered true as long as the days of creation are not literally true. Is this what you believe?
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How Do I Balance Work, Church And Family?
May/09/2015 11:20 AM Filed in: Christian Faith | Christian Life
It wasn’t long ago some were predicting the main challenge for our generation would be too much spare time. For example, in 1967, testimony before a Senate subcommittee claimed that by 1985 the average work week would be just twenty-two hours. Instead we went the opposite direction. Today Americans lead the industrialized world in annual work hours. In 1967, the average employee worked 1,716 hours a year. By the year 2,000 that rose to 1,878 hours a year.
With so much time needed for work how can we balance our work, church and family life?
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With so much time needed for work how can we balance our work, church and family life?
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Should A Christian Tithe Off Miscellaneous Income, I.E. Inheritance, Gifts, Winnings, Tax Refunds, Legal Settlements, Etc.?
February/25/2015 05:35 PM Filed in: Christian Life
Whether or not a Christian should give a percentage of an inheritance—or for that matter any source of income—to the church or other Christian ministry is the subject of debate within the Christian community. There is also the question of whether or not an inheritance can even be considered income. As for the amount of our giving, some in the Christian church have taken the 10 percent figure from the Old Testament tithe and applied it as a “recommended minimum” for Christians in their giving. Some say give on what you make before taxes (gross income) and others say give on what is left over after taxes and deductions (net income). Much debate and argument on the details of tithing and giving have needlessly occurred, sometimes even splitting churches and dividing Christians from one another.
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It should be remembered that the tithe was a requirement of the Mosaic law in which all Israelites were to give 10 percent of everything they earned and grew to the Tabernacle/Temple (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5). In fact, the Old Testament Law required multiple tithes which would have pushed the total to around 23.3 percent, not the 10 percent which is generally considered the tithe amount today. But the Bible is clear that tithing was part of the Mosaic Law for the nation of Israel, not for all mankind. Just as Christians are not required to sacrifice animals or observe the ceremonial laws regarding washing and other rituals, neither are we required to give a set percentage of our income, regardless of how it is acquired.
The New Testament references giving in 1 Corinthians 16:1–2 and there we find the principle for giving for Christians. Paul exhorts the Corinthians church to set money aside “for God’s people,” to do it on the first day of the week, and to save it and set it aside in keeping with the income of the giver. “Income” is not defined, except that in the King James Version, the word is translated “as God has prospered him.” From this we can say that inheritance, gifts, winnings, tax refunds, legal settlements, etc. are part of being prospered by God and should be included in income. But again, the amount of the inheritance to be offered is not defined. Another principle for offerings is found in 2 Corinthians 9:6–7 where Paul again exhorts the Corinthian believers to give generously from their hearts, each one deciding before God what to give. Paul explains that it is not the amount or the percentage or the source of the income, but the attitude of the heart that is important to God. Each should give “cheerfully,” not as one under the compulsion of a legalistic mindset or the requirements set down by others. We should never give to get, never give to be noticed, and never give to be spiritually rewarded. If we are in fellowship with God and at peace with our giving, then all is well. As with all things, wisdom should be sought from God, who has promised to give it generously (James 1:5), just as we are to generously and cheerfully give back to Him.
Portions in this post taken from Got Questions: Bible Questions Answered
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It should be reThe New Testament references giving in 1 Corinthians 16:1–2 and there we find the principle for giving for Christians. Paul exhorts the Corinthians church to set money aside “for God’s people,” to do it on the first day of the week, and to save it and set it aside in keeping with the income of the giver. “Income” is not defined, except that in the King James Version, the word is translated “as God has prospered him.” From this we can say that inheritance, gifts, winnings, tax refunds, legal settlements, etc. are part of being prospered by God and should be included in income. But again, the amount of the inheritance to be offered is not defined. Another principle for offerings is found in 2 Corinthians 9:6–7 where Paul again exhorts the Corinthian believers to give generously from their hearts, each one deciding before God what to give. Paul explains that it is not the amount or the percentage or the source of the income, but the attitude of the heart that is important to God. Each should give “cheerfully,” not as one under the compulsion of a legalistic mindset or the requirements set down by others. We should never give to get, never give to be noticed, and never give to be spiritually rewarded. If we are in fellowship with God and at peace with our giving, then all is well. As with all things, wisdom should be sought from God, who has promised to give it generously (James 1:5), just as we are to generously and cheerfully give back to Him.
Portions in this post taken from Got Questions: Bible Questions Answered
Is It Possible To Love A Person Without Liking Them?
February/18/2015 05:19 PM Filed in: Christian Life
The Bible tells us that God’s will is for us to love other people. We are called to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27) and even to “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27–28).
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How Can I Resist Temptation?
February/11/2015 12:44 PM Filed in: Christian Faith | Christian Life
Nelson’s Bible Dictionary defines temptation as “an enticement or invitation to sin, with the implied promise of greater good to be derived from following the way of disobedience.” Resisting temptation begins with knowing that Satan is the supreme “tempter” (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5) who has been tempting mankind since our Creator placed His first two children in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3; 1 John 3:8). Ultimately, however, we know that Satan’s power over Christians has been effectively destroyed as the war has already been won through our Savior’s death and resurrection which conquered the power of sin and death forever. Nonetheless, Satan still prowls the earth looking to drive a wedge between God and His children, and his temptations are unfortunately a daily part of our lives (1 Peter 5:8). Yet with the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s Word to help us, we will find ourselves effectively resisting temptations. Read More...
How Can I Organize My Life?
February/04/2015 01:46 PM Filed in: Christian Life
February is a busy month. Most of us are making plans for spring. We are making lists and planning our schedule. We can already feel the anxiety of all that needs to be accomplished. How can we get it all done? Here are a few tips on how to organize your day for maximum productivity. Read More...
Is Door-To-Door Evangelism Effective?
January/28/2015 11:37 AM Filed in: Christian Faith | Christian Life
Whenever door-to-door evangelism is mentioned, people invariably think of Jehovah’s Witness or Mormons. While only a tiny proportion of Mormons undertake two year missionary work, all Jehovah’s Witnesses are expected to take part in the door-to-door work. They are referred to as “publishers.” They have to report their activity, which includes the number of hours spent each month going from house to house and in conducting Bible studies with interested people. Read More...
How Do I Respond To A Mother-In-Law Who Is Overbearing Or Controlling?
January/21/2015 11:24 AM Filed in: Christian Life | Marriage, Sex and Dating
A meddling mother-in-law that intrudes into the lives of her son/daughter and son-in-law/daughter-in-law is what the Bible calls a “busybody” (1 Timothy 5:13). The meaning of the Greek word that is translated “busybody” in the 1 Timothy passage means “a self-appointed overseer in other men’s matters.” Overseeing is what some mothers-in-law are engaged in. This kind of behavior is annoying, very frustrating, and contrary to God’s plan for the family. Read More...
Should A Christian Play Video Games?
January/14/2015 11:00 AM Filed in: Christian Life
God’s Word does not explicitly teach whether or not a Christian should play video games. The Bible’s principles still apply today regarding the best use of our time. If a specific activity is controlling our lives, we should break away from it for a time. This “fast” could be from food, movies, TV, music, video games, or anything that distracts our attention from knowing and loving God and serving others. Read More...
How Should A Christian View Bodybuilding?
January/07/2015 10:02 AM Filed in: Christian Life
Moderation is perhaps the governing concept for a Christian view of bodybuilding/weightlifting. First Timothy 4:8 teaches,
for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 (ESV)
Read More...What Happens After Death?
October/17/2014 12:56 PM Filed in: Christian Faith
As I type, I sit at my mother’s bedside. Cancer is winning the battle. Soon she will with the Lord. What will happen when she draws her final breath? Within the Christian faith, there is a significant amount of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some hold that after death, everyone “sleeps” until the final judgment, after which everyone will be sent to heaven or hell. Others believe that at the moment of death, people are instantly judged and sent to their eternal destinations. Still others claim that when people die, their souls/spirits are sent to a “temporary” heaven or hell, to await the final resurrection, the final judgment, and then the finality of their eternal destination. So, what exactly does the Bible say happens after death? Read More...
Why Become a Church Member?
September/04/2014 11:14 PM Filed in: Christian Faith
Membership is a public statement of one’s commitment to a church. It is a statement of belief in what the church stands for and indicates a desire to be actively involved. There are a number of reasons why a growing Christian should move beyond church involvement to becoming a member.
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Why Do Mormons Baptize The Dead?
July/20/2014 06:02 PM Filed in: World Religions
Maybe you have seen the commercials for Ancestry.com. It is the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world. As of December 2013, it held records on 12.7 billion people. It is headquartered in Provo, Utah and was begun by two Mormon graduates of Bringham Young University. Why are the Mormons interested in your dead relatives?
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Why Do Mormons Practice Polygamy?
July/20/2014 05:57 PM Filed in: World Religions
Mormons are famous for polygamy. Joseph Smith had 49 wives, including some he took from other men. Bringham Young had 25 wives. It was Joseph Smith’s adulterous advances that led four disillusioned converts to start the Nauvoo Expositor, the newspaper that led to Smith’s downfall. Bringham Young stated the Mormon position on polygamy plainly.
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Is Speaking In Tongues Evidence For Having The Holy Spirit?
July/13/2014 09:34 PM Filed in: Christian Faith
There are three occasions in the book of Acts where speaking in tongues accompanied the receiving of the Holy Spirit—Acts 2:4, 10:44–46, and 19:6. However, these three occasions are the only places in the Bible where speaking in tongues is an evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book of Acts, thousands of people believe in Jesus and nothing is said about them speaking in tongues (Acts 2:41, 8:5–25, 16:31–34, 21:20). Nowhere in the New Testament is it taught that speaking in tongues is the only evidence a person has received the Holy Spirit. In fact, the New Testament teaches the opposite.
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How Do The Contradictions In The Bible Compare To The Contradictions In The Quran?
July/11/2014 12:18 PM Filed in: World Religions
What contradictions are you referring to in the Bible? We believe the Bible is God’s Word and is flawless in the original writings. Archaeology has only served to prove the Bible right, not demonstrate the Bible in wrong. From textual criticism we know the copy of the Bible we hold in our hands is 99.9% accurate to what was originally written down. There is no doctrinal question that is debatable because of textual ambiguity.
The Quran is a completely different type of book. Rather than being written by multiple authors in multiple languages and fitting together in agreement, it was written by one author and written down hundreds of years after his life. It is filled with contradictions. One resource I ran across pointed out over 100 internal contradictions in the Quran. Here are a few. Remember the Quran claims in Surah 39:23, 28 to be free from all contradictions.
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The Quran is a completely different type of book. Rather than being written by multiple authors in multiple languages and fitting together in agreement, it was written by one author and written down hundreds of years after his life. It is filled with contradictions. One resource I ran across pointed out over 100 internal contradictions in the Quran. Here are a few. Remember the Quran claims in Surah 39:23, 28 to be free from all contradictions.
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Do Muslims Believe They Don't Have Free Will Or That Everything They Do Has Been Predicted?
July/11/2014 12:17 PM Filed in: World Religions
Muslims believe that Allah’s moral character is ultimately unknowable and his ways beyond understanding. They have know idea about God’s feelings towards them. Practically this means Muslims lack assurance of Allah’s forgiveness simply because they are not sure of Allah’s attitude towards them. Spend any time around Muslims and you will hear them use the phrase “In Sha Allah”, which means “if God wills.” In practice this means whatever happens is God’s will.
Muslims affirm that Allah leads astray whom he wills and he guides whom he wills (Surah 35:8). While the Quran lays great important on moral conduct, popular thinking is fatalistic.
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Muslims affirm that Allah leads astray whom he wills and he guides whom he wills (Surah 35:8). While the Quran lays great important on moral conduct, popular thinking is fatalistic.
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What Is The Connection Between Muslim Faith And Culture?
July/11/2014 12:16 PM Filed in: World Religions
Islam is a form of cultural imperialism in which the religion and culture of the seventh-century Arabia are raised to the status of divine law. In the West, there is a wall of separation between church and state. For instance, religious organizations can not set speed limits or determine public taxes. In Islam, this divide between sacred and secular doesn’t exist. This is why when you visit an American who converts to Islam they are wearing Arab clothing, listening to Arab music and eating Arab food. They will even say meal prayers in Arabic although they do not know the language. Read More...
How Many Muslims Live In The Lakes Area?
July/11/2014 12:15 PM Filed in: World Religions
I was not able to find statistics on Muslims in the Lakes Area. I did find eight mosques in Iowa. Three are in Des Moines and two in Cedar Rapids. While the Muslim population in Iowa is small, Islam is rapidly growing. There are over 500 mosques in the United States. There are more Muslims than Episcopalians. In North American there are now more Muslims than Jews. In England there are more Muslims than Christians. Read More...
Why Is It Commonly Said Islam Is A Religion Of Peace When There Is So Much In The Quran That Says Otherwise?
July/11/2014 12:13 PM Filed in: World Religions
Abdurrahman Wahid, the former president of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, in an essay titled “Right Islam, Wrong Islam,” agrees that a literal reading of the Quran leads to what is popularly called Muslim extremism.
History speaks for itself. Islam is not a religion of peace. The Quran commands conquering by the sword. Mohammed’s followers conquered by the sword. When Islam takes over a country the people are given three options. Convert to Islam, die or become a dhimmi and be enslaved into starvation. If Muslims were given the freedom to choose their religion, Islam would not survive.
Why do we hear that Islam is a religion of peace? Thankfully many Muslims do not read their Quran. If they did, they do not follow Mohammed and his practices literally. They are like many Christians who know a little of their faith and do not open their Bible.
Christianity is often portrayed as militant and imperialistic in place of Islam and the crusades are used as an example. Let me set the record straight. In the seventh century the Muslims invaded the Holy Land unprovoked to capture Christian lands. The conquest of Jerusalem in 638 stood at the beginning of centuries of Muslim aggression. Brutal subordination and violence became the rule of the day and by the ninth century many Christians left the Holy Land for Constantinople and other Christian cities. In 1044, the sixth Fatimid Caliph ordered the destruction of churches and the burning of crosses. Over the next ten years 30,000 churches were destroyed and untold numbers of Christians became Muslims to save their lives.
From the seventh to the tenth centuries, Muslims conquered two-thirds of the Christian world. It wasn’t until the eleventh century that Europe responded. It was hundreds of years of unrelenting violence and persecution that sparked the crusades. Thomas F. Madden, the world’s foremost authority on the Crusades, says, “The crusades were in every way a defensive war.”
Today the Western media portrays the crusades as an unprovoked imperialistic attach upon peaceful Muslims. In reality, the crusades were preceded by centuries of horrific Islamic invasions and widespread killing and cruelty against Christians.
I am not justifying some of the brutality of the crusades. I don’t want us to forget that the crusades began as a defensive war to fight of Muslim violence and brutality.
Today very little media attention is given to the growing influence American-based Muslim organizations are having on government agencies, the education system, the media, politics, the legal arena. The popular spin given to Islam is that it is a religion of peace when history and the new testify the exact opposite.
History speaks for itself. Islam is not a religion of peace. The Quran commands conquering by the sword. Mohammed’s followers conquered by the sword. When Islam takes over a country the people are given three options. Convert to Islam, die or become a dhimmi and be enslaved into starvation. If Muslims were given the freedom to choose their religion, Islam would not survive.
Why do we hear that Islam is a religion of peace? Thankfully many Muslims do not read their Quran. If they did, they do not follow Mohammed and his practices literally. They are like many Christians who know a little of their faith and do not open their Bible.
Christianity is often portrayed as militant and imperialistic in place of Islam and the crusades are used as an example. Let me set the record straight. In the seventh century the Muslims invaded the Holy Land unprovoked to capture Christian lands. The conquest of Jerusalem in 638 stood at the beginning of centuries of Muslim aggression. Brutal subordination and violence became the rule of the day and by the ninth century many Christians left the Holy Land for Constantinople and other Christian cities. In 1044, the sixth Fatimid Caliph ordered the destruction of churches and the burning of crosses. Over the next ten years 30,000 churches were destroyed and untold numbers of Christians became Muslims to save their lives.
From the seventh to the tenth centuries, Muslims conquered two-thirds of the Christian world. It wasn’t until the eleventh century that Europe responded. It was hundreds of years of unrelenting violence and persecution that sparked the crusades. Thomas F. Madden, the world’s foremost authority on the Crusades, says, “The crusades were in every way a defensive war.”
Today the Western media portrays the crusades as an unprovoked imperialistic attach upon peaceful Muslims. In reality, the crusades were preceded by centuries of horrific Islamic invasions and widespread killing and cruelty against Christians.
I am not justifying some of the brutality of the crusades. I don’t want us to forget that the crusades began as a defensive war to fight of Muslim violence and brutality.
Today very little media attention is given to the growing influence American-based Muslim organizations are having on government agencies, the education system, the media, politics, the legal arena. The popular spin given to Islam is that it is a religion of peace when history and the new testify the exact opposite.
How Does Ishmael Relate To Islam?
July/11/2014 12:02 PM Filed in: World Religions
Mohammed claimed the Arabs are descendants of Ishmael and are the legitimate descendants of Abraham and children of God. Is it true?
In Genesis 12, when Abraham left Ur, he went West to what is now called Israel. It was in Israel that God made a covenant with him, he fathered Isaac, Ishmael and many other sons and daughters.
The Quran contradicts the Bible at nearly every point. According to Surah 2:119-121, Abraham and Ishmael did not dwell in tents in Israel but in the city of Mecca in Arabia. Together they rebuilt the Kabah and placed the black stone in the wall. It was Abraham who started the tradition of an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, throwing stones at the devil, etc. Abraham took Ishmael (not Isaac) to nearby Mount Mina to offer as a sacrifice to God.
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In Genesis 12, when Abraham left Ur, he went West to what is now called Israel. It was in Israel that God made a covenant with him, he fathered Isaac, Ishmael and many other sons and daughters.
The Quran contradicts the Bible at nearly every point. According to Surah 2:119-121, Abraham and Ishmael did not dwell in tents in Israel but in the city of Mecca in Arabia. Together they rebuilt the Kabah and placed the black stone in the wall. It was Abraham who started the tradition of an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, throwing stones at the devil, etc. Abraham took Ishmael (not Isaac) to nearby Mount Mina to offer as a sacrifice to God.
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What Does The Quran Say About The Role Of Women?
July/11/2014 11:57 AM Filed in: World Religions
A woman’s role is primarily the birthing of children. Men are allowed to beat their wives.
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Men are the managers of the affairs of women … those you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches, and beat them. (Surah 4:34)
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What Does The Bible Say About Dinosaurs?
May/31/2014 01:51 PM Filed in: General Questions
The topic of dinosaurs in the Bible is part of a larger ongoing debate within the Christian community over the age of the earth, the proper interpretation of Genesis, and how to interpret the physical evidences we find all around us. Those who believe in an older age for the earth tend to agree that the Bible does not mention dinosaurs, because, according to their paradigm, dinosaurs died out millions of years before the first man ever walked the earth. The men who wrote the Bible could not have seen living dinosaurs.
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Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
May/31/2014 01:38 PM Filed in: Christian Faith
Whether or not Christians should celebrate Halloween can be a very controversial topic. Some Christians celebrate Halloween simply by dressing up in a costume and having fun, seeing it as innocent and harmless. Other Christians are equally convinced that Halloween is a satanic holiday established to worship evil spirits and promote darkness and wickedness. So, who is right? Is it possible for Christians to celebrate Halloween without compromising their faith?
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How Do I Break My Porn Addiction?
October/02/2013 05:15 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Porn addiction is at record levels. The pervasive use of the Internet, ease of access to porn sites and advertisements that push nudity make porn hard to fight. 50 percent of men look at porn regularly. 25 percent of all Internet searches are porn related. A third of those looking at Internet porn are women.1
The results are devastating. Men and women are rotting sexually from the inside out as they drink from the toilet. Porn tears apart marriages. It emasculates men. It cuts off male leadership at the knees.
If this is you, what can you do to break free?
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The results are devastating. Men and women are rotting sexually from the inside out as they drink from the toilet. Porn tears apart marriages. It emasculates men. It cuts off male leadership at the knees.
If this is you, what can you do to break free?
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If The Sabbath Is Saturday, Why Do We Worship On Sunday?
September/05/2013 10:10 PM Filed in: Christian Faith
Semi-sabbatarianism followers, as early as the fourth century A.D., believed essentially as the sabbatarianists did, with the exception that they transferred its demands from Saturday to Sunday, the first day of the week (the day on which Christ arose from the dead). Theologians of that period, particularly in the Eastern Church, were teaching the practical identity of the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) and the Christian Sunday.
Interestingly, a legend recounted in the so-called “Apocalypse of Peter,” which dates back to the 2nd Century A.D. and is generally accepted as a false writing, transfers to Sunday all of the requirements of Sabbath worship. A man named Albertus Magnus added momentum to this growing movement by suggesting semi-sabbatarianism be divided into two parts: the moral command to observe a day of rest after laboring the previous six days, and the ceremonial symbol that applied only to the Jews in a literal sense. Thomas Aquinas elevated this proposal to the status of official Roman Catholic doctrine, which in time also gained favor with many reformed theologians.
Scripture never mentions any Sabbath (Saturday) gatherings by believers for fellowship or worship. However, there are clear passages that mention the first day of the week, Sunday. For instance, Acts 20:7 states that “on the first day of the week we came together to break bread.” Paul also urges the Corinthian believers “on the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income” (1 Corinthians 16:2). Since Paul designates this offering as “service” in 2 Corinthians 9:12, this collection may have been linked with the Sunday worship service of the Christian assembly. Historically Sunday, not Saturday, was the normal meeting day for Christians in the church, and its practice dates back to the first century.
Christians worship on Sundays in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is very important to remember, though, Sunday worship is not commanded in the Bible, and Sunday has not replaced Saturday and become the Christian Sabbath. While the New Testament describes Christians gathering and worshipping on Sundays, it nowhere states that Sunday has replaced Saturday as the Sabbath. They key point in all of this is that we are not to limit our worship to any particular day of the week. We are to rest in the Lord every day. We are to worship the Lord every day.
Quoted from: Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered
Where Was Jesus After He Died On The Cross Before He Rose From The Grave?
August/16/2013 10:23 AM Filed in: Christian Faith
Some people have said that after Jesus' death on the cross, he went to hell for three days. Some have even said that while Jesus was in hell, he was tormented by Satan. Is this true? Did Satan get a chance to torment Jesus?
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How Far is Too Far Before Marriage?
October/12/2012 06:25 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
So how far is too far before marriage? That is a great question. The Bible doesn’t have a verse that says a boy should never kiss his girlfriend. It doesn’t have a verse that says a young man and woman should not go for a walk in the park and hold hands. How far is too far? Many young Christians want to honor God in this area, but with the pressure of living in a sexuality saturated society and the growing biblical ignorance of many young adults, most young Christians just don’t know what the Bible says about premarital sex.
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Is Hell One-Size-Fits-All?
October/08/2012 03:42 PM Filed in: Christian Faith
Will the Lake of Fire be the same for everyone? After all, a sin is a sin. Isn’t one little sin enough to make us guilty before God? Many Christians confuse being guilty of sin with judgment for sin. As a result, they see no difference between jay walking and murder.
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Why Does the Catholic Bible Have More Books Than the Protestant Bible?
October/01/2012 02:18 PM Filed in: World Religions
This is a great question. The Catholic Bible includes the Apocryphal books. These are books written primarily during the 400 silent years between the closing of the Old Testament and the coming of Christ. The early church did not consider them part of the Bible. They officially became part of the Catholic Bible in 1546 when the Roman Catholic Church voted, at the Council of Trent, to include them as Scripture. For the 1,500 years before this, they were not regarded, by the church, as Scripture.
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Isn’t It Smarter to Live Together Before We Marry So We Know If We Are Compatible?
April/01/2012 05:51 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
This is a common question. It puzzles me. What is it that might be incompatible? If your personalities are incompatible, you need to get to know each other better, not move in. Are you wondering if you are physically compatible? Unless one of you is a guppy and the other an elephant, physical incompatibilities should not be an issue. The mechanics of intimacy are relatively straight-forward.
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I Am a Widow Getting Remarried. What Pitfalls Should I Avoid?
April/01/2012 05:51 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
When I was a young pastor, an older couple shared with me one particular pitfall of remarriage to avoid. I haven’t forgotten their words.
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My Husband Is Not Really Interested In Sex Anymore, But I Am. Now What?
April/01/2012 05:50 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
There may be a variety of issues behind this. As men age, their testosterone level decreases. In addition, if a man’s health begins to decline on account of obesity, lack of exercise or stress, his interest in sexual activity will decrease.
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At What Age Should You Start Thinking/Seriously Considering Getting Married?
April/01/2012 05:50 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
This is not a one-size-fits-all question but here are some general principles to help.
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As a Young Person in College, How Do I Stand Up For Myself When I Don’t Want To Take That Step In a Relationship, But Feel It Is What The Next Step Is. Is Any Form Of Sexual Action a Sin?
March/11/2012 05:49 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
I am not sure I totally understand the question when you say, “stand up for yourself.” It sounds like you are being pressured towards marriage but you are not interested/ready for marriage.
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Is There Just One Person God Wants Me To Marry?
March/11/2012 05:49 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Many young people are paralyzed with this question. They ask God for the Shekinah glory to shine like a halo around the head of the one they are to marry. They want to know without a shadow of doubt, they found the right mate. Last time I checked, men or women with glowing halos are hard to find. I wouldn’t recommend holding out for that option.
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How Does a Husband/Wife Cope With The Issue of Past Sexual Abuse When It Comes To the Marriage Bed And The Fears/Tensions It Leaves?
March/11/2012 05:48 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Past sexual abuse is particularly damaging to women. Previous sexual experiences cast a long shadow on present day intimacy. This is especially true if first sexual experiences are abusive in nature. A woman who is sexually abused can begin to associate all forms of sexual intimacy, even with a loving spouse, as abusive.
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How Do I Know If My Spouse Is The One God Wants For Me If We Met And Married When We Were Not Believers?
March/11/2012 05:48 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
This is an easy question. If you are married, you are with the right one! Marriage are not like cars, they do not come with a transmission that can move you backwards and forwards. There is only one gear and that is straight ahead! When you face marital problems, you focus on working through them, not escaping them and wondering if you married the wrong person.
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Is Divorce Ever An Option?
February/19/2012 05:47 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
There are biblically acceptable grounds for divorce. Experience has shown me these grounds are rarely met in most divorce cases. Since this is a complex issue where good biblical scholars disagree, I put together a few key biblical principles to help guide our thinking in this area.
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Is It Sinful To Put Your Daughter On Birth Control?
February/19/2012 05:47 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
This is a great question. When a daughter is dating, parents are always concerned her boyfriend will not treat her with respect and purity. Parents are not only concerned their daughter could lose her virginity, they are concerned she will conceive a child out of wed-lock.
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Is Any Form of Sexual Contact Permissible? Can I Go By The Rule That As Long As Nobody Gets Hurt, It Is OK?
February/19/2012 05:46 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
The New Testament contains two letters Paul wrote to the city of Corinth. After examining these letters, it doesn’t take long to realize the city of Corinth was a city struggling with sexual sin. It was a city that housed the temple of Aphrodite. Worship in the temple involved use of one of the over one thousand temple prostitutes in employed. The nickname for a prostitue in the ancient world was “a Corinthian girl.” Fornication in Greek was nicknamed “Corinthianizing.” Without a doubt, this was a city caught in a web of sexual sin.
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How Do I Tell My Kids Premarital Sex Is Wrong When I Indulged In It Myself?
February/19/2012 05:46 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
This is not hard to answer. Simply tell your kids you messed up. You sinned and you regret it. You don’t want your children to make the same mistakes you did and pay the same, or an even steeper, consequences.
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What Should I Do If My Spouse Is Not Taking Good Care of Himself/Herself?
February/12/2012 05:45 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
First, be gentle when you talk with your spouse on this issue. Find the right time and do not speak in anger or frustration. When you talk, tell them what you find attractive about them beyond the physical. Praise them as a mate and friend.
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Is It Acceptable For a Wife To Wear Revealing Clothing At Home?
February/12/2012 05:45 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
As a general rule, men are highly visual. Men find revealing clothing attractive.
In the Song of Solomon, the Shulamite is protective of her charms in public. In chapter 7 of the book, she wears revealing clothing for her husband in private.
A husband is richly blessed by a wife that takes interest in being visually appealing to him. This kind of clothing should be worn for a husband’s eyes only.
Portions in this post taken from Mark Driscoll Sermon Archive
In the Song of Solomon, the Shulamite is protective of her charms in public. In chapter 7 of the book, she wears revealing clothing for her husband in private.
A husband is richly blessed by a wife that takes interest in being visually appealing to him. This kind of clothing should be worn for a husband’s eyes only.
Portions in this post taken from Mark Driscoll Sermon Archive
Why Did God Create Marriage?
February/12/2012 05:44 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
God created the institution of marriage to be a living picture that helps us comprehend the relationship of Christ to his church. Ephesians 5 unpacks this and challenges our 21st century understanding of marriage.
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What If a Job Comes Between a Couples Love Life?
February/12/2012 05:44 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Cindy and I understand this challenge. In the first year of our marriage, Cindy worked 12 hour shifts at night, while I attended school during the day. I remember asking her to listen to one of my first sermons in our apartment. I stacked cardboard boxes on top of one another in the living room to form a make-shift pulpit. It was 7:00 in the morning, Cindy just arrived home from work. She agreed to be my practice congregation as she slouched in a chair in front of me. Two minutes into my first sermon, she was sound asleep. That was not a good omen for the future! We knew jobs needed to change. They eventually did.
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How Often Should a Married Couple Be Intimate?
February/05/2012 05:43 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Sex is not like vitamins. It doesn’t come with a recommended daily allowance. That being said, the most vocal complaint in marriages is that it is not enjoyed frequently enough.
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What Do You Do When Your Husband Works Long Hours And You Have Little Time For a Date or Money for a Babysitter?
February/05/2012 05:43 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
This is a great question. The economy is not great. People just can’t go out to fancy restaurants. If mom is the primary care giver because you have kids and dad is the primary income, that means you probably won’t have a lot of extra income floating around. You have to be prudent with your money. Here are a few ideas:
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I Am Single, Should I Use a Dating Web Site Like Eharmony.com or Christianmingle.com
February/05/2012 05:42 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
The web brought a new dynamic to relationships. It is possible to meet and converse on-line with people you would never normally meet. While this new virtual reality provides exciting opportunities to meet Christians, it also provides a unique set of pitfalls. Here are a few things to remember when using the internet to meet new people.
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I Am a Wife Who Has Had Many Children. I Would Like to Get Breast Augmentation and/or Cosmetic Surgery For My Stomach. Is This Okay?
January/29/2012 05:41 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
This is between you, your spouse, your doctor and the Lord. There are health risks to consider. A woman should make this a matter of prayer, asking God to help her understand her motives. These kind of surgeries are not wrong in themselves. They are done for survivors of cancer and other deforming diseases. It is not necessarily wrong for a woman to have these types of surgeries if her intent is to please her husband.
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Can Someone Be An Openly Gay Christian?
January/29/2012 05:41 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
To answer this, it will be helpful to break this question down.
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Should I Tell My Spouse If I Look at Internet Porn?
January/29/2012 05:40 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Yes. This is a serious issue. Not only have you sinned against God, you have sinned against your spouse. Pornography will affects the intimacy in your marriage. Frequently, your spouse will be able to sense your distance and guilt. Pornography causes a spouse to suffer, even if it isn’t confessed to them.
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Is It Sinful to Be Sterilized?
January/29/2012 05:40 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Sterilization poses a significant issue if only because of how many people are resorting to it. Studies done in the 1970s show sterilization is the most frequently used form of contraception in the world, and as of 1979, the second most frequently used among Americans. By 1976, 30 percent of all widowed, divorced and separated women and single mothers aged fifteen to forty-four in the U.S. had been surgically sterilized. Nearly the same percent among all U.S. married couples had at least one partner sterilized. By 1977 nearly ten million persons in the U.S. had been sterilized. Those figures include an average of one million per year from 1974 to 1977.(1)
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If Wife Constantly Says “No,” Is It Acceptable For a Husband to Stimulate Himself?
January/22/2012 05:39 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
The second part of this question is answered in another article on masturbation. The real issue is the first part of the question. Why is a wife constantly saying, “No” to marital intimacy?
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I Am Living With My Fiancé. We Are Having Sex. How Do I Talk To Him About Waiting?
January/22/2012 05:39 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Just tell him you are done having sex until you are married. I don’t care where you tell him or when you tell him, just tell him. Tell him today, not next week. I know he won’t like it. He needs to move out. You need separate places to live. Don’t tell me you can’t afford two separate places. You can’t afford NOT to honor God. The damage you are causing from your sin far outweighs anything it will cost in cash to live in abstinence until your wedding. If he can’t afford to move out, you shouldn’t be getting married to him because he is not prepared to take on the manly responsibility of a wife.
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Why Do Young Men Have Such Strong Sexual Desires?
January/22/2012 05:38 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
I like the way Mark Driscoll answered this question. To motivate them to grow up so they can take a wife. Nearly every man wants to have sex and has a strong sexual desire. Those desires should motivate him to study hard, walk faithfully with God, compete courageously in life, leave home and pursue a career where he can support himself and a family. Then, when God blesses him by bringing the woman he should marry into his life, he can marry her and be a blessing to her, not a burden on her.
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I Was Intimate With a Previous Woman. How Will That Affect My Future Marriage?
January/22/2012 05:38 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
The first thing to avoid is the false understanding that your previous sin won’t affect your marriage. Sin affects. That’s the nature of sin. It is destructive by nature. Can the affects of premarital sin be overcome? Yes. Jesus died to forgive sin and to make us into a new creation.
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What Are Some Common Reasons Marital Sex Is Not Enjoyable?
January/15/2012 05:37 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
What About Masturbation? I Can’t Find Anything In The Bible About This?
January/15/2012 05:36 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
In an effort to be helpful, let me address this both biblically and practically. First, we need to define it. Masturbation is genital self-pleasuring. I am not counting as masturbation genital pleasuring between a married couple. What a married couple does together is for their pleasure and freedom. What I am referring to by masturbation is self-pleasuring done in isolation, which is usually accompanied by unbiblical lust.
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What Can I Do To Stop Being Tempted Sexually?
January/15/2012 05:36 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Hebrews 4:15 tells us Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet he did not sin. Because Jesus was a fully human virgin male, we can safely assume that some of the temptations he faced were sexual in nature. Jesus never gave in to those temptations. He is our sinless and perfect God.
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Is It a Sin To Notice a Woman is Beautiful?
January/15/2012 05:35 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
At What Age Should a Parent Speak to Their Child About Sex?
January/08/2012 05:35 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
Christian parents should be the first to speak to their children on these issues. The best age to speak to a child on these issues varies but if a parent is to err, it is better to err by bringing up this subject too early than too late.
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What About Birth Control?
January/08/2012 05:34 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
The number of birth control options continues to increase, so has the need for discernment in using them. To help understand the options available, we can differentiate them by breaking them into five different categories.
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Is It True That God Will Not Hear the Prayers of Someone In Sexual Sin?
January/08/2012 05:33 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
If you are a Christian who has committed or is committing sexual sin, the shame and the guilt of your sin will certainly make you feel distant from God. Sexual sin does have ramifications for our prayer life and our relationship with God.
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How Do You Recover From Being Betrayed Sexually and Learn to Forgive and Trust Your Spouse Again?
January/08/2012 05:30 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
This is a huge issue. Restoration will not happen overnight. It needs prayer and patience to rebuild the broken trust. Sometimes you need someone beside yourselves, like a pastor or elder, to help walk you though this.
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When Will The World End?
May/19/2011 02:06 PM Filed in: Christian Faith
Maybe you have seen this billboard on the side of the road heading into Milford. Who is behind it? What do they think will happen this Saturday?
Harold Camping, the 89-year old founder of Family Radio, has warned that this Saturday the rapture will occur at exactly 6 p.m. in Jerusalem. After that, God’s Day of Judgment will begin.
If you think Harold is right, there are many unique options available this weekend.
Harold Camping, the 89-year old founder of Family Radio, has warned that this Saturday the rapture will occur at exactly 6 p.m. in Jerusalem. After that, God’s Day of Judgment will begin.
If you think Harold is right, there are many unique options available this weekend.
- You can skydive without a parachute in complete safety at 5:50 p.m. Jerusalem time (any takers)?
- You can finally afford a trip to Hawaii for the weekend. After all, you are only paying for a one-way ticket.
- This weekend is the chance for the shopping spree of a life time. By the time the bill arrives, you will be long gone.
- You are done with your diet forever. Immediately stop eating healthy! You will never have enough time to gain the weight.
How Far Is Too Far?
August/11/2009 08:19 PM Filed in: Marriage, Sex and Dating
- 1 Corinthians 6:9 - Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
- 2 Corinthians 12:21 - I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
- Ephesians 5:5 - For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
- Colossians 3:5-6 - Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 - For this is the will of God, iyour sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
- 1 Timothy 1:8-10 - Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
- Hebrews 13:4 - Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
- Jude 7 - just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
- Revelation 21:8 - But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, and for murders, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
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