Re: Mark 8:22-26. Jesus, as Creator of everything,could have healed this guy all at once without even touching him. So He must have had a reason for doing it in stages like that, and for putting it in the Bible. What is it? Many thanks for your wisdom & patience.

I have a question regarding the Church’s purpose. I was in Church on Sunday, and I heard my pastor speaking on the purposes of different churches. For example, some churches teach prosperity as their main outreach, that is what they do. He said that our church’s main purpose was to seek the presence of God, which to our church is even more important in saving the lost. This somewhat confused me. Shouldn’t the main purpose of every church be to spread the Gospel and save the lost? What is the main purpose of the Church?

I understand that murder is wrong and God deplores it. Is there a case when someone deserves what they get? I’m referencing abortionist Dr. Tiller’s murder. I do not think this was a good thing, but there are reports he has aborted over 60,000 fetuses. Does Genesis 9:6 apply to this situation? What does this verse mean?

In today’s world and in my opinion, it seems as though the word “disciple” is being flaunted as a “bait” word to attract ” a lot of fish”. And yet my conclusion of what I see is that, a lot of “churches” consider going to church, taking “discipleship” classes, maybe doing some community service, etc. as a way to become a disciple. It’s almost like to become a disciple, it’s okay to have your cake and eat it too. It’s like they’re all saying, Luke 14:33 doesn’t really mean what it says.

“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Is this to be taken literally or spiritually? For many years now I’ve long desired(spiritually) to be a “true disciple” but don’t consider myself one becasue I have not denounced all that I have (physically). And I get so frustrated when I hear Pastors in particular saying that “we will make disciples out of you” and yet, church goes on as it always has. Please help as my prayer is to be able to really share the real Truth in this matter with others.

I join the thousands of others in thanking you for clarifying Biblical issues. My question concerns confusion about the difference between the Lord’s ‘permissive’ will and His ‘directive’ will. For example, I think that the Lord directed the result of the recent U.S. presidential election to accelerate the demise of the U.S.

Your site is very informative and a blessing. I have a question regarding the account in 2 Samuel 14:27 which states that Absalom had three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar (his sister had the same name, 2 Sam. 13:1). Then we read in 2 Sam. 18:18 that Absalom says “I have no son to carry on my name,” so he named a monument after himself. How can this be understood?

In your latest post I noted this statement: ” But the people disobeyed God’s commandment to go forth and replenish the Earth, setting about instead to build a great city and a tower to protect themselves from another flood. They also used the tower to study astrology, a corruption of the Gospel that God had written in the stars using the names of 12 constellations.” I’ve never heard of a Gospel in the stars. What does that mean?

Thank you so much for your commitment in sharing God’s word! My question concerns Micah 6:16. The NKJ version reads,

For the statutes of Omri are kept; All the works of Ahab’s house are done; and you walk in their counsels, That I make you a desolation, And your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people.

My question is who is Omri? What is his historical Old Testament significance? I am familiar with Ahab and understand his and Jezebel’s wickedness but who is Omri?

We are wondering who the 7 shepherds and eight principal men in Micah 5:5 are. I typed Micah into search and found some information in a question about an Assyrian anti-Christ.

It’s great to have a Bible teacher to ask when you have a question. Thanks for all the time & effort you put into this.

This is a quote of yours from a question about the rapture still being 300 years away and I have a question regarding it.

“Finally, we should note that in this passage the concluding event is the restoration of the Kingdom for Israel. It has nothing to do with the Rapture of the Church which can happen at any moment. Using his calculations and beginning at the Resurrection, Hosea’s prophecy of Israel’s restoration will be fulfilled around 2032, within the window of time I’ve previously established of 2018-2037.”

Does this mean that the rapture wouldn’t happen until 7 years before 2032? Approximately 2025? That seems like a LONG ways off!!

And another question: You have said you don’t think the rapture would occur on a Jewish Holiday, which Pentecost is, but I don’t understand that. If He didn’t come on a Jewish Holiday, how would they know for sure if He was truly their Messiah? And the church was born on Pentecost, which is a Jewish Holiday, why wouldn’t it be raptured on a Jewish Holiday?

Thanks for all your wisdom!! I can’t wait to meet you when we get to Heaven!!