The BIG Picture (Q&A)

COMMENT Good judgement requires us to see others as Jesus saw the wicked Samaritan. Jesus didn’t say the Samaritan had to become a Jew nor had to believe in him. Instead, he called the Samaritan GOOD, right where he was because of the loving act he performed for his enemy. Theology is on the back burner to the two great commandments, loving God with all your heart by loving others as yourself. Forget your theology and let love be the primary function of your ministry. No need to tell others what they must believe or not believe, it will be evident what you believe when nothing but love flows from your lips. May you find the peace that passes all understanding—including theology—by loving others. MY RESPONSE I’m 100% in agreement with your statements; love of course is the fulfillment of all other commands. Nevertheless, besides giving one’s life for another, the greatest act of love is to share the grace gospel with others. The gospel provides the hearer with the opportunity to find Ch...

Phil.2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. There are a few things we must put into context in order to properly understand what Paul says here to the Philippian church about 'working out their salvation'. 1. The Jews had to add works to their faith in order to be inherit salvation The very essence of the law was built on a foundation of works. This is why the book of James hammers home the need to prove your faith with works . Even the need to endure in these works was needed to be able to enter into the Kingdom. Matt.24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. The Jews had to obey the law and prove their faith to be counted worthy. They had to pick up their cross and foll...

Answer Request: Since we have so many denominations, and so many different ways of worshipping within Christian world alone— which one is doing it correctly? The Worship that the bible speaks of— God is looking for worshippers who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. All denominations think they are correct, but what does God say? This is a sensitive question because everyone trusts and believes they worship correctly, but let us not focus on the many voices and opinions, but rather the that REALLY counts ... what does God's word say about it? The following content is compiled from a larger online study by Arthur Licursi and can be found on his website here . What does Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (us), write about worship? It might be surprising that in his 13 epistles he only mentions the word "worship" 3 times. 1 Cor. 14:25 (KJV) And thus are the secrets of his (the unbeliever's) heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face...

My response to this question is specifically in context to judging others (especially believers) by your own standards. Many of us know the concept that when you point your finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you. The moral is that we are never in the position to judge a person based on their moral actions because if it were not for the grace of God and personal circumstances or choices, we would be in the same boat as they. We all belong to the human race and we all are ravaged by sins imperfections. Paul says it well, Rom.14:4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. The problem with judging others is that we can never know the true circumstances that drove that person to do what you judge them for! What motives did that person have to do that deed? What desperate situation was that person facing? Are your moral standards truly of higher value than theirs ...

The word 'repentance' , in the biblical context, translates simply to, 'a change of mind' . We cannot read any more than that into the word. The change of mind is motivated by God's good news that a person can be reconciled to God. So, if a person believes the good news of God, they ultimately have changed their mind from unbelief, and repented . Originally, it was Israel that was called to repent. Throughout the Old Testament and the Gospels, the prophets would bring the message of God to the Jews and provide the conditions of repentance. In the Gospels it was John the Baptist, Jesus and later, the 12 apostles, which called Israel to repent, for the King had arrived and the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Today, repentance is used widely in Christian circles. The problem however is that it is not understood correctly! The word has lost much of its original meaning and most people think it means penance. What is penance? Penance is defined as any act or a set of acti...

Eph.4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Apostles Apostles along with prophets were foundational positions or offices (Eph 2:20). A qualification to be an apostle was to have seen Jesus in the flesh (Ac 1:22; which also included Paul, 1 Co 15:8-9; Ga 1:1; 2:6-9). Not only must a person with the apostolic office have seen the resurrected Lord Jesus personally, but he must have been personally commissioned by Jesus as an apostle (Acts 1:22; cf. Ga 1:1, 12). The office of the apostle disappeared when those personally commissioned by Jesus died. Jesus personally chose apostles with the office. These men had the authority to perform "signs and wonders" (2 Co 12:12). Some apostles had the apostolic gift but not the office. The idea of an apostle is a sent one. By application this would refer to missionaries...

Answer Request: Can the evilest person alive be forgiven and saved? What about a traitor can they be forgiven and saved? It says God can save the vilest person, is that true? The salvation that God offers through Jesus Christ is unconditional. Please note what I say. God's grace is only available through Jesus Christ, BUT when we receive that grace, it is unconditional. This grace is free and given in unlimited amount irrespective of who you are and what you have done. This means that if a person (irrespective of their life; how good or bad they were, what their crimes or sins were, or what they have done) makes a choice to respond to the grace gospel and believe that Jesus Christ is their ONLY hope, they will be saved and come into right standing with God. It is important to understand God's grace, and what His grace means, in order to comprehend this. God's grace is so far above what we as people can understand based on what we see and experience in the wor...

Answer Request: Can we say "conscience" is an impact wired into every human as a result of the fruit of the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" that Adam and Eve ate in the garden of Eden? Although the Bible does not provide confirmation on such thinking, I can agree with it in a logical way. The knowledge of good and evil that we received by partaking of that tree in the garden would certainly have imparted a spiritual compass of right from wrong innately within us. I can see how the conscience could be connected to this event and its result.  The Old Testament does not say much more on this topic but Paul does provide us with some more insights. The New Testament portrays the conscience as a witness. Paul says the Gentiles have consciences that bear witness to the presence of the law of God written on their hearts, even though they did not have the Mosaic Law, Romans 2:14-15 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained...

The firmament deals with the structure of the present heavens and earth, Genesis 2:1. In the present heavens and Earth there exists a three (3) heavens structure. Let's look at Genesis 1:6 again and more closely: Gen.1:6-7 "And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so." On the second day of the regeneration, the Lord God "divided" the waters (plural) of the great "deep" into two (2) parts, with a "firmament" in the midst. According to Genesis 1:10, both the waters that were upon the face of the earth and the waters which He placed above the firmament He called "Seas": Gen.1:10 "And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good." We know ...

Unlike some other languages, modern English employs the words "you" and "your" as both singular and plural forms of the second person pronoun. This can make the use of the pronoun "you" confusing. Is it singular, or is it plural? Modern English speakers often use clarifying phrases such as "you two," "you people," "all of you," or "you all" when they mean "you" in the plural rather than the singular. Both the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Koine Greek of the New Testament maintain the distinction between the singular and plural forms of "you" that have been lost in modern English. This presents a problem in modern English translations, whereas in Old English, the distinctions were clear. The uses of "you", "ye", "thou", and "thee", in the King James Bible, are not arbitrary choices. They clarified meaning.  ...

Answer Request: Will God be a just Judge in the future if He punishes unbelievers and sinners with a quick second death on the day of judgment that will last only a few seconds and minutes depending on how serious the sin is? Each believer has a different interpretation of what happens after death and what it means to be cast into the lake of fire at the second death. Although I have my own interpretation on these issues I will not diverge into those details as they are irrelevant, irrespective of what interpretation one holds. The bottom line to this question is not how quickly or not a person will last in the second judgement, or if it is an eternal hell of suffering or an instant destruction of the soul and lifeforce of that person. The bottom line is that God is not just ABSOLUTELY just, but that He is JUSTICE personified. Every person throughout history will have had many "moments" occur in their life where they became aware of God and His existence, (Rom.1)...

A person that blatantly sins and does not feel bad about it is (1) either not saved, or (2) they have responded to the gospel but have a badly seared conscience (1Tim.4:2), or a rebellious mind that desperately needs to be renewed by the life and love of the Word of God. To start answering your question, I must draw your attention to the fact that we have the known moral (or universal) sins like, murder, stealing, adultery, bearing false witness, coveting, etc. The Bible is clear that these are sins and any spirit-led believer will know that they sin if they do these, whether they feel bad or not! But, what about sins that are not clearly listed in the Bible? How do we actually know "what is sin?" In other words, if you do not know you are sinning, you will not feel bad! Right? If you are not being convicted of doing wrong, by that 'bad' feeling, then are you actually doing wrong? Well, no ——unless its those moral sins listed above! So, to answer "what is sin...

The bible clearly lists various things as sins and therefore it is easy to know that these things are morally wrong. Things like, idolatry, greed, covetousness, lying, gluttony, complaining, murder, bribery, stealing, gossip, jealousy, adultery, etc. These and many more are either a violation of God's moral laws or a violation of moral and ethical laws set out by an authority like a government or ruling entity. Violating these causes you to fall into sin and probably face some form of consequences. But what about things that are not so obvious? Is smoking a sin? Is drinking a sin? What about anger, or not giving to the needy, or hurting someone's feelings? Do I sin if I choose not to go to church or if I want that extra piece of cake? What happens if I get a speeding ticket? Have I sinned in God's eyes for violating a law on the road? The list can go on and on, so the question remains, how do I know when something is a sin, especially if it is not as obvious, and not necess...

Answer Request: Can demonic possession or oppression leave a lasting effect on your mind and body even after being cast out? Being exorcized is a spiritual act. It does not have anything to do with the mind. It’s the same with getting saved. When God saves you, your mind is still filled with all your sinful acts and thoughts. After being exorcized, the demonic oppressions will be gone, but you will still have the thoughts and memories of the things before. The point I’m making is that it is up to you to renew your mind. The more you fill your mind and thoughts with the Word of God, the more His character and thoughts and desires will start to take precedence. Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things ar...

Answer Request: One thing I'm having trouble with is understanding how the Lord Jesus is FAR ABOVE ALL THINGS, yet we with Him? I'm not sure if I understand the context of this question, but when Jesus ascended into heaven he ascended in stages (as you probably know). He ascended into the clouds, then into that place above the brightness of the sun, then into that place FAR ABOVE ALL. This is in my view, the place at the right hand of God the Father in the 3rd heaven. We are joined to Him when He comes back down into that place above the brightness of the sun, that place from which the "Shout" will go out for us to meet with Him in the rapture. So, in the context of how the Lord Jesus is FAR ABOVE ALL THINGS, it is the place He occupies right now, at the right hand of God. Answer Request: And then seeing Him AS THE LAMB in Rev.5 and trying to see how the transition happens. Will we see that scene in Rev.5? Why or why not? N...

Answer Request: If you return to sinning ways but realize what you're doing is wrong and turn back to God, will the Holy Spirit still be in you? When we become Christians, by responding in faith to the grace gospel, we are immediately saved, and our spirit is regenerated. However, this does NOT change our minds (that are still filled with our ‘old' lifestyle and habits) and it does not change our flesh nature! Even as Christians, and even though we aspire to live a holy life, by walking in accordance to the indwelling Spirit, we still fall. Even the best of us fail in temptations and deceit. Sin will ever be present as we live in a sinful and corrupt world, and God knows this! His Word is there to help us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) and to strengthen us by filling us with truth, and part of our daily purpose is to soak in His Word and allow it to change us from within, but our Adamic nature will always be present, and sin will always be sneaking up on us. We...

We all know in part. Being a Bible teacher myself, we do the best we can to teach the Word of God as accurately and correctly as possible, but we are human and we interpret the Word based on our own life experiences and based on how we ourselves have been taught. The bottom line is this: We can learn from those we trust, but as the student, we need to take what we have been taught and confirm it by searching the scripture for ourselves, to verify that what we have been taught is true. The Bible actually instructs us to do this, Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. One thing that you must understand is that the Bible is unique to EVERY other book and human mind out there!!! It is the infallible words of God. T...

The answer to this question changes a bit if you understand that the Bible is the Word of God. So we could actually be asking, "How do you live according to God's Word, or the instructions of God?" . With this in mind we then need to ask, "What is God's instructions to me?" Asking it this way avoids the mind getting stuck in the idea that the Bible is a book, and even worse, a book of rules!!! This is what most people think of the Bible and why many get stuck in a pattern of living by rules and traditions. Let's get back to the question, "How do we live according to God's instructions?" If we see the Bible as God's instructions, we must ask, "What instructions are for me?" You see, the Bible is a book that spans millennia and the instructions in it are not all applicable to us today. God's instructions to Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness are not for us as it was in a different time and under different circumstan...