Question:
Can a female perform the role of a pastor?

Answer:
Yes. The Scriptural meaning of the gift of the pastor does not necessarily mean public speaking. It was more the one-on-one word of encouragement and exhortation as a shepherd of sheep. A pastor is a person who watches for our souls, with such concern as if they would have to give account to God for us (Hebrews 13:17). Shepherds often have to get down on their knees to care for the sheep, and there is much prayer needed in caring for the Lord’s people. A woman can do all these things that a pastor does. The
saints are told to “know” them (pastors) who care for God’s people (1 Thessalonians 5:12), and those who feed the church of God that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). We need spiritual food daily from the Word of God. There is so much junk food that we need to avoid if we are going to be healthy Christians.
The Lord is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). We are taught to cast all our care upon Him for He careth for you (1 Peter 5:7). He is the example for the pastor or elder who is “among” (not over) the flock of God. As Christ laid down His life, so we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren by feeding (or tending) God’s precious people (1 John 3:16).We should not look down our noses at men who are appointed pastors of churches. Many of these pastors are saved, and we are thankful for all they do with the Lord’s strength. We do not hate the pastors, but the Lord says that He “hates” the deeds and doctrine of those who set themselves over and conquer the Lord’s people, taking a place that only the Lord should have over His people. (In Revelation 2:6, 15, the word “Nicolaitanes” means conquerors of the people, or clergy over the laity.) We respect and pray for the so-called pastors who have missed these important principles of God’s Word, but we would dishonor our Lord if we would go along with them.

Question:
When preaching, why is the preacher not more lively?

Answer:
I am not exactly sure what the inquirer has in mind when they say
“lively.” I will assume they mean “more enthusiastic” and “expressive in their words.” To be sure, one should be enthused about what they are preaching about, whether it be the gospel to the unsaved, or truth for fellow-believers. But one’s enthusiasm may not be expressed according to what we think it should be. There was not a more zealous preacher of the gospel than the Apostle Paul and yet let us see the manner of his preaching when in the city of Corinth: “And I brethren, when I came to you, came NOT WITH EXCELLENCY OF SPEECH OR OF WISDOM, declaring unto you the testimony of God…and I was with you IN WEAKNESS, and IN FEAR, and IN MUCH TREMBLING. And my speech and MY PREACHING WAS NOT WITH ENTICING WORDS OF MAN’S WISDOM, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). We can surely believe that Paul was in dead earnest when he preached to them, but he avoided eloquence and anything which would draw attention to himself and distract from the theme of his message, which was Christ crucified (v. 2). He was not like many of today’s televangelists who strut across the stage like a proud peacock using all sorts of fancy words.
Now I am not saying that it is necessarily wrong to exhibit some excitement while preaching, but it had better be emotion produced by the Spirit of God, not by the idea that you must perform for those who are hearing the Word preached. I have seen tears well up in the eyes of earnest preachers when the sufferings of Christ were being spoken of and I believe they were produced by the Spirit of God. On the other hand, I have seen men laughing and joking while preaching the Word and it was evident that pride was at work resulting in mere entertainment (if you can call it entertainment). So then, we do want to see men speaking in earnest (which may or may not be with a lot of expression), but we should shun the desire to see a “lively” preacher who is merely seeking to draw attention to himself.

Question:
If one person is set as head of a gathering, will that be taking the place of Christ?

Answer:
There is a danger of this happening for God has set Christ as Head of the church (Ephesians 1:22, 23). There is also the danger of the Holy Spirit being displaced, for He is to send forth God’s servants (Acts 13:4), and control the activities of God’s people (Acts 15:28). We are to gather unto only the name of Christ (Matthew 18:20), and the Spirit of God should lead through the Word (1 Corinthians 14:15). Sad to say, not all the Lord’s pastors do their job. In Jeremiah’s day they scattered the flock instead of feeding them (Jeremiah 23:2).

Question:
Doesn’t the Bible say that every woman should have her head covered when praying or prophesying? Yes, 1 Corinthians 11:5. So does this mean only in a church service? or everywhere?

Answer:
First Corinthians 11:5 reads, “But every woman THAT PRAYETH OR PROPHESIETH with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head.” The question of WHERE the woman prays or prophesies is not the subject of the verse. Thus, we must take the verse as it stands and conclude that WHEN a woman prays or prophesies, she should have her head covered. This would surely include the setting of the assembly meetings (for a woman prays silently there), but it would also include praying at mealtime, before studying her Bible, before going to sleep at night, etc. Prophesying would definitely EXCLUDE the assembly meeting, for only men are to speak when the assembly is gathered together (1 Corinthians 14:34). But there are times when women are led to prophesy (see Acts 21:8, 9) and when they do, they are to have their heads covered.

Question:
How should one dress when attending a church service? Should we not dress differently when coming to a meeting than the way we dress for work? Is there any Scripture that tells us how we should dress?

Answer:
I think that we should wear our best clothes and I say this because we should show reverence to God. He should be very important to us and we should want to look our very best. If the President or Vice-President were to invite us for a visit, we would have on our very best clothes and look very neat and clean. How much more important is God to us?

We, as Christians, should dress a lot differently when going to meeting than the way we dress for work, mainly because we need to reverence God. In days gone by, I’ve heard a lot of the older brothers and sisters say that they would only wear the very best clothes when going to meeting. However, today, this is not the case. We must also remember that we are being watched by others around us that may or may not be Christians. If they see us in a nice dress or suit, they most likely know where we are going and that is a very good testimony for us. Even children know how we should be dressed for meeting. Here is an example:
It was a Tuesday night and it was a very hectic day 4C: for me. Meeting started at 7:30 p.m. and my daughter Kristin had on just an ordinary dress that she wears all the time. I did not have the time to change her and as we were getting ready to go she said to me, “Mommy, where are we going?” I said to meeting. She said, “But Mommy I have to change and put on my Sunday school dress,” and she was not satisfied until I changed her. She was just three years old at the time. I believe that we should all have this kind of attitude when we are dressing for meeting. We should want to dress different because we love God and because of all He has done for us. After all, He deserves our very best, doesn’t He?
I know of one reference in the Bible along this line, and that is First Timothy 2:9,10, which reads as follows: “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided (-or plaited] hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”Of course, we have to use our discretion when dressing but let us always remember that we should show reverence unto God and that others around us are constantly watching us, and the way we dress may either help or hurt our testimony.

Question:
What is wrong with having a pastor?

Answer:
We are told in Ephesians 4:11, 12 that Christ “gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

Who gives pastors? Christ since His resurrection gives gifts to men (v.8). So a pastor is a gift that Christ gives to a few of His people. A pastor is someone who shepherds or cares for God’s people. It is largely a private work, one-on-one. But Scripture never speaks of “a pastor,” (one pastor) of a congregation or assembly. It always speaks of “pastors” (plural), more than one for each assembly.
Having a pastor over a congregation hinders the priesthood of all believers in Christ to participate in worship and ministry of the Word. First Peter 2:5 and 9 says that all believers are part of a “holy priesthood” to offer up sacrifices to God, and a “royal priesthood” to show Christ to all mankind. Each born-again Christian, not just a select few, is a priest to show Christ to God and to man.
The Scriptures give no man, or group of men the authority to set up a person to be a pastor over a congregation. According to the Scriptures, a pastor is one of the gifts that Christ alone can give. And He gives the gift of a pastor to more than one of His saints in an assembly for the good of all. The gift of a pastor is only one of the many gifts that Christ gives to His assembly.Even though a person is selected by men to be the pastor of a congregation, that person can only use the gifts God has given to him. If he has the gift of the evangelist, souls will be saved. If the gift of a teacher, souls will be fed, if the gift of a pastor, souls will be cared for, but no man has all the gifts, and so everyone in a congregation will be lacking what the Lord desires for each assembly of God’s people, if one man is asked to do everything.

Question:
Is it wrong for a husband, whose wife has committed adultery and has a divorce, to remarry? Is he not innocent?

Answer:
I believe we can infer from Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 that one would be free to marry if their spouse was unfaithful and a divorce was procured. That divorce and remarriage was not God’s original intention can be seen from Genesis 2:21-24 and Matthew 19:4-6. But with the introduction of sin came the possibility of dissolving the marriage union through adultery. The act of adultery results in a new union (see 1 Corinthians 6:16) and can therefore be the ground for the dissolution of the former union. If the innocent party decides to have the marriage dissolved, it would have the same effect as if their spouse had died. In other words, they would be free to remarry (see Romans 7:3 and 1 Corinthians 7:39).

Question:
What about dating?

Answer:
Only go out with those that we wouldn’t mind marrying. The first date is a potential marriage. If we set the Lord always before us (Psalm 16:8), and have purpose of heart to please Him, then He promises that He has nothing but the best for us (Matthew 6:33). “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not WITH HIM also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32).

Question:
When meeting “new” Christians (new to me) almost always the question rises: “To which church/denomination do you belong?” My answer is “None.” I know I am a Christian and am in fellowship with other Christians that gather unto the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, but while I may understand this, they often do not. Sometimes people are just interested in this to have an idea of your background (to put us in a neat little category), not to have a lengthy discussion on church truth. How should I respond?

Answer:
What I usually say is that “I go to a place where a group of Christians gather unto the name of the Lord Jesus and we study God’s Word, worship God, and seek to be led of the Holy Spirit in all our meetings and fellowship together.”

There are a lot of different things you can say such as: “We are a local representation of the body of Christ, the church, as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:2. In addition to spending time together praying, worshipping God, and studying the Bible, we also have gospel meetings. These are designed to show unsaved people of their lost, ruined condition as hell-deserving sinners and that they can be saved eternally and fit for heaven by believing that Jesus took their sins on Himself when He died on the cross.”

Question:
Does serving the Lord mean that we can’t have fun anymore?

Answer:
We’ll find that we can have more fun. For “In the Lord’s presence are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). We will enjoy those pleasures in the glory with Him, and we can enjoy His presence now, and thus get a little taste of the pleasures He has even now as we obey Him and thus walk with Him.

Question:
Where in the Bible does it suggest that men should wash dishes?

Answer:
I am not aware of the Bible telling us about men washing dishes, but here are verses that tell us how men wipe dishes—which may mean that they dry them after they are washed:

“Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down” (2 Kings 21:12, 13).
In the verses above the LORD says that He will judge Jerusalem and Judah like “as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.” It is interesting that when a man wipes a dish he turns the dish over so he can look at the side of the dish he is wiping. It seems that women don’t do this!
This way of wiping a dish shows that the Lord knows precisely what He is doing when He judges, and especially so when He judges His beloved earthly people Israel, for He addresses Himself as “the LORD God of Israel.” We see this carefulness in the detail He gives throughout Revelation chapters 6-19 where He tells precisely how He judges this world in the soon coming day.

Question:
How can we stand up to friends and peers?

Answer:
We are instructed to “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9). See also Psalm 31:24 and Philippians 4:13. We have nothing to be ashamed of, and the Lord will take care of us if we are doing what He wants (Matthew 10:28-31). God has given us the spirit of power and love (2 Timothy 1:7).

It is important that we let the Lord take over in our lives. We can always pray to God arrow prayers like Nehemiah did while he was talking to the king (Nehemiah 2:4). Our life is a matter of obedience. Who are we going to obey? Satan or the Lord? Our testimony should be compatible with where we are. Example: Can we go to a worldly function like a dance, and witness to others about Christ?
We have to have a purpose in our heart to stand for Jesus (Acts 11:23), and then He will give us the strength we need. We should have no wishy-washy feelings for the Lord. We have to stand fast, and keep our ground, and we need purpose of heart to do this (Philippians 1:27, 28). We have no strength in ourselves but the indwelling Spirit will give us the strength if we yield to Him. We need to know the Scriptures, and if we depend on the Lord like we should, He will help us remember these Scriptures to combat the enemy.
The main thought as to standing for Christ is to purpose this in our hearts like Daniel did. The Lord honored him for that (Daniel 1:8), and the Lord will protect us in every situation as well for the power is there in the Lord (Matthew 6:26, 34). Daniel had the right PRIORITY—God first; he PURPOSED in his heart to please God; PURITY—he didn’t want to defile himself; PROVED—God was first and foremost; and he PROGRESSED—in his Christian life.
Young people have many temptations to take a “little peak” at the evils, but the evils are vacuums that suck us in. Let us concentrate on the things that are profitable to the Lord (Philippians 4:8). We are not under law, but we should want to strive to be taken up with, and do those things that are really profitable (1 Corinthians 6:12). What’s profitable to the Lord, are things that are going to last in heaven forever! Much too often we might trade things of heaven for a pleasurable season of sin. We’ll be in heaven much longer than on this earth. If we set out hearts on the Lord he’ll fill the void that we think we have for being a Christian. We need to focus on Jesus in heaven–this fills the void and makes our life beautiful.
If you have friends, introduce them to Jesus. If they don’t want H find a new friend (James 4:4).

Question:
What were the names of the three disciples who were on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus?

Answer:
Peter, James, and John were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration according to Mark 9:2.

Question:
Is there such a thing as a coincidence? The definition of a coincidence is a happening that has no direction behind it. It is not organized.

Answer:
We are told in Ephesians 1:11 that God “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” If there is such a thing as a coincidence then this verse is not true. God is behind everything that happens. God allows things to happen. Things don’t just happen by chance. God often put us in places where people need Christ.

David said: “My times are in Thy hand” (Psalm 31:14, 15). Things happen at times to teach us lessons. The choices we make are not God’s fault. He allows us to make these choices though. “We ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:15). The attitude of Christians is important. We will have peace if we realize that the Lord controls what happens.

Question:
The word “coffin” is used only once in the entire Bible. Do you know who was buried in this coffin?

Answer:
Thanks to my trusty Concordance, I found Genesis 50:26 to be the only verse that includes the word “coffin.” Joseph was buried in it.

Question:
Can someone truly be saved and never show any fruits for Christ?

Answer:
Every saved person “shall have praise of God” in the glory (1 Corinthians 4:5). If someone says he is saved but does not live it, we have the responsibility to challenge his faith. Say to him: “Show me your faith without your works!” This is something that cannot be done. Then tell him, “I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).

Question:
Is there anywhere in Scripture that says when our loved ones go to be with the Lord, that they are aware of what is going on here on earth?

Answer:
The only Scriptures I know that might help somewhat are Luke 15:7, 10. Verse 7 says, “Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth” which may mean that everyone in heaven (including our loved ones) are aware when someone is saved on earth. Also, verse 10 says, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Saints in glory are probably in the presence of the angels so the saints may be the ones who are rejoicing. I don’t know of any verses that say our relatives can see what we do every day, but we can bring them joy and especially the Lord Jesus joy if we lead some soul to Christ.

Question:
Does John 15:6 mean that if one does not bear fruit that he will be cast forth, or cut off from this life?

Answer:
The Lord says in John 15:6: “If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

The Lord is speaking in verses 1-5 of His disciples, true believers. In verse 6 He is speaking of a mere professor: the graft into the vine did not take. It was only attached to the vine outwardly nag a branch,” and so cannot bear fruit for God. Such a one is fit only to be burned in the Lake of Fire.
In verses 1 & 2 we see that even true believers who aren’t bearing fruit might have to be “taken away” in death as some were in the assembly at Corinth (1 Corinthians 11:30).
The Lord purges His branches so they will bring forth more fruit. The new growth of the grapevine must be cut back or it won’t bear fruit. So we must be pruned of self so we can bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23).

Question:
Will we know our loved ones when we get to heaven?

Answer:
1 Corinthians 13:12 says: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” I take the last portion of that verse to mean that we’ll recognize other saints in glory that we have known in this life and that they will recognize us.

Question:
Why the “if” in Colossians 1:21-23?

Answer:
Colossians 1:21-23:
21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.The “if” is a challenge to all who profess to be Christians to show others that they are saved. God only knows our hearts, but we can show others that we are saved by our lives. Continuance in the faith is the most conclusive proof of the reality of our confession of Christ. If we are truly saved, we should show it to others by faithfulness in our lives. If someone turns away from the truth, we are right to wonder if they have ever been saved. A saved person may stray in his walk and we would not know he is saved, so that only the Lord would know that he is His (2 Timothy 2:19). There’s a difference between our standing (before God) and our state (our walk).

Question:
How should one dress when attending a church service? Should we not dress differently when coming to a meeting than the way we dress for work? Is there any Scripture that tells us how we should dress?

Answer:
The only verses I could find on the subject were 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3,5. Those verses give the thought that we should not seek to draw attention to ourselves in the way we dress. However, the reason I dress up a little for meetings is because I want to show respect and honor to the Father and to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who promises to be “IN OUR MIDST.” When I think of the fact that my Savior, the King of kings and Lord of lords, is going to be at the meeting I’m attending, I want to be prepared to meet Him by having right attitudes, thoughts, and by wearing whatever apparel I think would bring the most glory, honor, and praise to the Lord Jesus (Revelation 5:12). This is not to be confused with coming to God for salvation, where we see plainly in Ephesians 2:8,9 that nothing we do, say, or wear has anything to do with becoming a child of God. I’m thankful we’re not under law (Romans 6:14) and that we don’t have to wear special meeting uniforms, but certainly this is a good subject to be exercised about.

Question:
What if somebody accepts Christ and then later leaves Him and leads a life not pleasing to Him?

Answer:
Those that are the Lord’s sometimes might stray, but they are still saved for the Lord keeps them. When praying to the Father Jesus said: “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition [Judas]; that the scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).

The Lord seeks to restore His people to happy fellowship with Himself, and God disciplines such, not as a judge but as a Father. “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6).

Question:
In Hebrews 7:7 it is said, “The less is blessed of the better.” In, I think, the Psalms, phrases as, “Bless the Lord O my soul” occur. If God is “the Source from whom all blessings flow” (He is), how can we bless Him?

Answer:
There are similar but different meanings to the word “bless.” And it depends on the context where the word is found as to what is meant when the word “bless” is used.

The first meaning of the word “bless” is “to praise, celebrate with praise, and acknowledge God’s goodness with desire for His glory.” The second meaning of the word “bless” is “to invoke or give blessing to a person.”
The Psalmist in Psalm 103, 104, etc. was praising, celebrating, and acknowledging “all His [the Lord’s] benefits” (Psalm 103:2), which is the first meaning mentioned above.
The second meaning is seen in what the Lord desires His disciples to do. “But I say unto you which hear, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Luke 6:27,28). To invoke or give blessing would be to tell them in love that you want their good, and pray for them. Instead of cursing, the Lord wants us to bless even those who curse us.
It is easy to see that we can bless God in the first meaning of the word “bless” for He is worthy of our praise for all He has done for us, but can we invoke or give blessing to God, who is certainly better than we are?
One thing is certain: we cannot give anything that we do not have to give, and we have nothing but what we have received from God (1 Corinthians 4:7). But God made our mouths (Exodus 4:11), and He made every part of us to praise Him (Isaiah 43:21). Someday in the glory we will see that all things were created by Him, and for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11). So He gets pleasure from even our praise.

Question:
What happens when we are saved?

Answer:
We “have passed from death unto life” for Jesus says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24, NKJV).

And there are no conditions: if you receive Christ you are saved, and if you do not receive Christ, you are not saved, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9, 10). When we believe in Christ we are saved and we are “in Christ,” and we have become members of the body of Christ. Christ is in heaven, so, God sees us as in heavenly places “in Christ” (Ephesians 2:6). He has given to us eternal life and we can’t give that gift back. Eternal life is forever. The work of salvation is God’s work, and we can’t put anything to it or take anything from it (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

Question:
One of my friends from school is convinced there is another life form on a different planet. By the words of Scripture, could this be true?

Answer:
There definitely is life in outer space for the Source of life, God Himself, is there. “God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). And God is everywhere, so no one can hide from Him. The Psalmist David asked: “Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there” (Psalm 139: 7, 8). Angelic beings are also “in heavenly places.” They are learning right now the “wisdom of God” through the Lord’s people as they gather together in the way the Scriptures tell them to (Ephesians 3:10).
 

But Psalm 115:16 tells us plainly that there are no creatures with intelligence such as man on other planets in the heavens. The words of Scripture are: “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath He given to the children of men.” Man soon realizes that outside the earth’s atmosphere he does not survive long. God furnished only the earth of all the heavenly bodies to suit man’s needs, and gave it to him to dwell there.
Man is a special creation of God, the highest of all God’s creations. He made man to represent Himself, and to show a resemblance of Himself, for we are told that man is made in the “image” and “likeness” of God (Genesis 1:26). It would have been an easy matter for God to create beings on other planets comparable to man in intelligence, suited to whatever environment may exist on such a planet, and beings that have endless existence as man has. But the problem with this lies in the matter of redemption.
If there were other beings comparable to man on other planets, and if they sinned, would not God desire their redemption? To redeem those beings would require an incarnation of Christ in their nature, whereas the Bible teaches that when Christ died and rose again for our salvation, He did not cease to be man but retains His human as well as His divine life. The apostle Paul wrote: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:5, 6). This makes it unlikely, if not impossible, for Christ to have assumed the nature of any other kind of being, since He is called “the man Christ Jesus.” And He will ever be a man throughout the endless ages of eternity.

 

God did not provide a Saviour for the angels who have sinned; He only provided the lake of fire for them (Matthew 25:41). Christ did not take on Him the nature of angels, but the nature of men, “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:16, 17). Such wonderful good news that God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for us, should cause each man to receive God’s wonderful Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as his own personal Saviour from his sins.

Question:
Can you lose your salvation?

Answer:
No. The Lord tells us in John 10:27-30: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

The Lord has put His sheep in His hand, and in the Father’s hand as well, which is a double security. So no one can be plucked out of the Saviour’s, and the Father’s hands (John 10:27-30). If you are truly saved, you are saved forever.

Question:
I have three suggestions:

(1) You can give them literature which is written to help new believers (such as the booklet “12 Helps for Young Christians” put out by Moments with the Book, P.O. Box 322, Bedford, PA 15522).
(2) You can invite them to a Bible study.
(3) You can tell them more about the Lord Jesus from your own personal experience in reading and studying the Bible. The Lord has given precious truths to you so you can share them with others. And the best way to keep a spiritual nugget is to give it away, because when we give it to others, it becomes more precious to us.

Answer:
Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the DIVIDING ASUNDER OF SOUL AND SPIRIT…” This verse tells me two things about the soul and spirit: (1) They are definitely two distinct things; and (2) They are very closely related.

Simply stated, I believe the Scriptures present the SPIRIT as the seat of the “mind” or “understanding.” First Corinthians 2:11 says, “What man knoweth the things of a man, save the SPIRIT OF MAN which is in him.” Thus, the “spirit of man” in the man is that part of him to which all intelligence is referred. It is not an “influence” or “a state of feeling,” but a conscious intelligent existence in the man, and that to which all his intelligence of human things is due. See also Proverbs 14:29 and Isaiah 29:24, and then Proverbs 29:11; Ezekiel 11:5; 20:32; and Daniel 5:20, where the word spirit is translated “mind.”
I believe the Scriptures present the SOUL as the seat of the “affections.” It loves (Genesis 34:8; 1 Samuel 18:1; Psalm 84:2); it hates (Leviticus 26:15; 2 Samuel 5:8; Zechariah 11:8); it has compassion (Judges 11:16; Job 30:25; Ezekiel 24:21); it lusts (Job 23:13; Psalm 10:3).
For anyone desiring to investigate this subject further, I would highly recommend the perusal of Mr. F. W. Grant’s book Facts and Theories as to a Future State, or the abridgement of that book titled: “Man and the Future State.”

Question:
Are there any conditions in which your name can be removed from the Book of Life?

Answer:
No. Look at Revelation 3:5. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”

The overcomer is every true believer: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4). So the Lord assures believer in Christ: “I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life.” What blessed assurance this is to every believer.

Question:

I am witnessing to my staff member how to be saved through the tracts, but if she does accept Him, how can I go on from there?

Answer:
I have three suggestions:

(1) You can give them literature which is written to help new believers (such as the booklet “12 Helps for Young Christians” put out by Moments with the Book, P.O. Box 322, Bedford, PA 15522).
(2) You can invite them to a Bible study.
(3) You can tell them more about the Lord Jesus from your own personal experience in reading and studying the Bible. The Lord has given precious truths to you so you can share them with others. And the best way to keep a spiritual nugget is to give it away, because when we give it to others, it becomes more precious to us.

Question:
Explain Revelation 22:19.

Answer:
Revelation 22:19 says: “And if any one take from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.”

This verse is an example of the importance of taking the Word as it is. The verse does not say that a person’s “name” is taken out, but that his “part” will be taken out if he takes away from God’s Word.
The correct translation of this verse according to most of the manuscripts is that his part is taken out of the “tree of life” (JND, NAS, ESV, NRSV) rather than the book of life (as in the KJV and NKJV). The tree of life is represented by the tree our first parents were forbidden to eat of when they were driven from the garden after they sinned. It is a serious thing to add or take away from God’s Word (Proverbs 30:6).