I came across a story in Judges chapter 19, about a Levite and his concubine. Understanding 2 Timothy 3:16, what is the lesson in this story? Did she bring this on herself? Should the Levite have listened to her father and stayed one more night? Was the Levite at fault too? Why was she cut up and sent to all the coasts of Israel?

What do you think about Tony Blair being confirmed as a Roman Catholic and now that he will be stepping down as prime minister, he is being proposed as the Middle East envoy to solve the peace issue with Israel and the Palestinians, I.E. the Middle East’s peace promoter, and then along with this the EU agreed last week on a new constitution to set the EU into motion for World dominance and solutions to the World’s problems…..Then there’s Russia, Iran, China, N. Korea, Venezuela along with the other middle eastern countries all against Israel at this very moment. In regards to the end times, does this seem to play into the scenario…your thoughts please.

I thank God for your website. You have me a little confused though. You and Hal both talk as the lion is at the door and surrounding Israel. The whole Arab world armed by America. Damascus going bye-bye?

My question is how can this possibly continue until the end of seventy years from 1948 or 1967. Please Jesus come!

You have already cleared my mind on so many points of conjecture that I feel like I am imposing but!!!!!!!!! All praise to Jesus and all my thanks to you.

I don’t know much about them (apparitions) but I know that those in Fatima, Lourdes & Medugorie were first witnessed by children. If these apparitions are from the devil, why would the Lord allow innocent children to be deceived and deceive so many people? We are told that to children belongs the kingdom of God, we are to accept faith like children and most important of all, the angels of the children behold the face of God (Matthew 18:5-10).

These days we are witnessing various (proven) healings in Christian Churches. Can the devil be linked to healings? we are told in the Bible that the Lord Jesus expected people to believe in Him as a result of the healings He performed. Healings are a sign that God is with the person in question. The Jews knew that the devil could not do the wonders that Jesus did. In John 10:21, it was commented “can the devil open the eyes of the blind?”… in addition to various other comments made regarding casting out devils. Can it be assumed that if such healings are taking place, they are from God or should we doubt in them and link them to the devil? can the devil do such things??? Please i would appreciate having biblical references – if any – showing the powers of the devil esp. in healings that take place within God’s people.

I’ve been reading about how Jesus said all who are not willing to pick up their cross and follow Him are not worthy of Him and also II Timothy 3:12 That all who desire to live a godly life will suffer persecution. I have told the Lord that I desire to surrender my will to Him and want to follow Him completely. I want to carry the cross I am given. What if I’ve deceived myself into believing I am doing this when actually I am not? I do not suffer persecution. I’m a disabled lady who is housebound unless I have help from the husband to get to the car. The surgery I need for my hip was denied due to my weight. I’ve had difficulty all my life trying to lose weight; from the time I was a child. This to me is not persecution in Christ Jesus.

Am I disobedient because I do not lose weight when this has always been a problem for me? Am I deluded into thinking I am a Christian when possibly I am not? Will the Lord say to me He never knew me one day? I am sorry if some things it would seem I should know better but I am easily upset. I came from an abusive childhood and have PTSD and depression and anxiety. When I read Scripture like this all the compassion and mercy I thought I saw in Jesus is gone.

First I would like to say that my wife and I find your essays to be very insightful. Our question for you is this, do animals go to heaven? We looked at another site that says it shows proof that they do and gave us a few verses we could look at. However, a couple of them we were able to disprove when we read the verses before and after what they had given us.

Something I’ve been concerned about lately (to the point of severe distress) is the arguments I’ve heard against images of Christ, and how that is clearly in violation of the second commandment. Arguments I have heard include that Aaron and the Israelites created the golden calf to be representative of THE God, not a non-specific pagan one and that God was clearly against ANY representation of himself since in Deuteronomy it’s pointed out that no one saw the face of God on Mt. Horeb and that in the New Testament it says that the Godhead cannot be likened unto gold or stone. I’m familiar with the iconoclasts and am very much afraid for the people I care about who genuinely love God, but have images of Christ (although they do not worship the images) in their homes. Even my church has a drawing of Christ in the sanctuary. I don’t want to be idolatrous. (I’ve also heard that to represent the symbol of the cross is sinful –I’m talking about the empty cross as well as a crucifix.) What do you think about these issues?

Re: The paradox of the great commission (so to speak). I have my own view on this but you seem to be very knowledgeable so I am interested in your ideas. Before Jesus people lived under the law but I assume that only applied to the Jews since there were people before Moses and the law. My question is about what happens to the people before Moses or people during Moses time or people during Jesus time and people after Jesus that have never heard the gospel message? I have heard it said that all are saved that have not heard the message but if that were true then we should leave them in the dark, etc.

I used to be able to hear God not in audio but I always knew when he was talking to me but after a medical issue I cannot hear him anymore and it is very bothersome. The medical issue was the worst time of my life although it turned out just to be stress. Since that time I have felt so abandoned. It was the only time in my life that I felt Jesus actually left me and said your on your own. It has been about 6 months and I have not felt like that “Praise God” but he has still not revealed or communicated himself to me the sameway he used too. I know he loves me (and he knows I love him), I know I’m forgiven, and I know the end is soon but should I be worried about this? Maybe I failed a test when I was sick?