My question is concerning Matthew 14:28. I understand why the disciples were terrified out on a boat during a storm and why they would not be expecting Jesus to come walking by and thought it was a spirit. Peter showed tremendous faith by stepping out of the boat to go to Jesus. The scripture is “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water”. Why did Peter say IF it be thou? Would he not have been 100% sure before taking that first step?

I am a Christian who shared the Gospel to a co-worker and was he was not satisfied with my answer. His question is why God created & allows Satan to exist & cause so much pain, death & suffering, especially if He knew that he would do this. He is a Vietnam veteran ( Marines) who seen much action. Would you please help me to learn the biblical truth to better answer his & anyone who asks me this question?

Question–Eph.5:18, says “Do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery………” and there are at least 10 or 12 more references on this topic. I was taught that consuming alcohol was a sin. I don’t think there is a reference to directly support this but the Bible does discourage this practice.. As a medical practitioner I have witnessed the terrible consequences of drinking to excess, and therefore do not participate in this practice.

I am troubled by the condoning of drinking by many pastors almost to the point of encouraging this practice!!! They will point to the fact that Jesus must have supported this because he made water into wine!!! However there are even some Bible teaching pastors that are alcoholics.

I know that when God made a covenant with Abraham, he was defining his descendants as a people set apart for Himself (the Jews). I believe that it was through the Jews that God would reach the rest of the world, first by using His relationship with them to be a witness of His love, then ultimately through our Beloved Saviour Jesus Christ.

If the law in the form of the commandments had not yet been given, how did the people at that time know what was sin? It is written that faith alone can please God and this is why Abraham is named ‘the father of faith’, but what was the fate of the those who didn’t know God and didn’t have the law to point them in the right direction? Also, were Abraham’s descendants – up to, including and beyond the time of Moses – aware that the only way to Heaven was through the Messiah and was this awareness due to the fact that they knew they were a chosen people?

Thank you in advance – it truly is a blessing to be able to ask you these things!

A popular Bible teacher teaches that there is some prophetic significance in the Kingdom Parables i.e. the mustard tree is only normally 4 ft. high and for it to hold the birds of the air was a prophecy of the church falling into Roman Catholicism and getting abnormally large and harboring pagan practices. Can you explain this teaching with a little more detail? I didn’t quite follow it for all of the parables. Thanks so much for your patience.

I’m hoping for a bit of clarification. Rev 20:5 states that the Tribulation Saints are part of the first resurrection, occurring after the second coming. Yet, if the dead in Christ are resurrected at the Rapture (1 Thes. 4:16), how is this not the first resurrection as it will occur at least 7 years earlier?

Thank you for this blessed site. It has greatly enriched my knowledge of the Bible. My question or rather query is that can a woman baptize anyone? I recently came across a friend who said that a woman she knew baptized another woman. I find this Biblically incorrect for I have not come across this anywhere in Scripture. Can you answer this query for me?

I was wondering if you could help me on a dilemma I am having. Since the bible already tells us the fate of Israel and its people, how do we word our prayers to God when we pray? Every night I say a prayer but I never quite know what to pray for. I always include Israel when I pray because I am so worried about the evil that is closing in on them. Any help you could give me on this would be greatly appreciated.

I have placed my faith in the saving power of Jesus’ sacrifice and therefore I am standing on the promises found in Scripture regarding salvation. However, I am troubled by my inability to find joy in life. I am amazed by persons at church who always seem so happy … who walk around with perpetual smiles on their faces. I know that we live in a sinful and imperfect world that is full of trials … just watching the way people (even professing Christians) treat each other wears me down. I LONG for the rapture or even my own death (though not enough to take an active part in producing it). What am I missing?

My husband and I are retired and are financially stable, as the Lord has blessed us. My husband is not a Christ Follower. I have a sister who is 10 years younger than I, and has always been dependent on our parents for at least partial support and housing. She has been in and out of several unsuccessful marriages and has 4 children who are grown now, but are also very unstable. My parents are both deceased now, and now she is frequently approaching me for financial help. I have been helping her, but there seems to be no end to her needs. What does the Bible say about my responsibility to support her? My husband is at the end of his understanding.