Questions and Answers

I was searching through the net when I came across your blog, I read how you dealt with another person, it was quite straight and you did not sooth the message to make it go easy. see this is what I want now in my life, I have kept on doing the same sin over and over. this really frustrates me now since I don't know how to stop. With your wisdom, please help me to understand Christ message better so I can be able to defeat temptations. its really taking a toll on me. How do I stop this persistent sin?

hi, what do u think abt Simon? It looks like he really believed the gospel and became a christian... But why r apostles telling him like he will go hell even if he believes? and why do they say that God will only MAYBE forgive him, even if he repents of his sins? GBU! :) Peter

Peter sent this to me, but I was unable to get my response back to him because of a bad email address. I hope he checks back and finds this here.

Hello Peter! How are you today?

I want you to know that I love you very much!! :) You are such a reality of God's grace to me. I love your style, too. Please know that you don't have to walk on eggshells with me, okay? I know the validation thing may seem as if I examine every word you might say to try to figure you out, but it's much different than you think. I am looking for the validation of God within you ... and believe me, it shows!!! When somebody is looking for the validation of man it also sticks out.

Hello Jim, I hope all is well with you! I have one question about your article on 2nd Peter 2:20. You said in your last paragraph (2 Peter and the False Teacher): Dave

What needs to be considered is whether Peter was claiming that they had actually "escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" or if these were some of the trademarks of the false teachers themselves that Peter was exposing in their true light.

Can you share with me when you have some free time your position on Hebrews 6:7-8 a little more in detail please. I do know that thorns and briers had to do with Israel as it was quoted several times in the OT (Isaiah). So many are quick to make "burned" to be hell fire when NOWHERE in Hebrews was a hell even mentioned as I can't figure out why such people like forcing strange meanings into Scripture. Others make it the Bema seat that our works will be burned and that I cannot buy into either.

This writer contacted me after having read the following article on confession.

This was altogether a surprise and a welcome surprise. Your premise that the audience UNDERSTOOD his message is the door for understanding. I am disposed to accept your view. It is plausible and resonates. I WANT to believe it. Thank you. JJ

Hello jj!

Good to hear from you again.

I have pieced together an email discussion concerning First and Second Corinthians, especially in view of the section about the immoral man in 1 Corinthians 5. Some of the discussion overlaps and even jumps around quite a bit. I hope you can follow it well enough.

So I started going through the scriptures, and I felt good in Romans, but in I and II Corinthians I got completely hung up.

Hi Jim, I am hearing that there are certain personality types that just don't connect and cause civil war essentially. When I hear that I have to admit that my sense of what I know of Christ says that this is something that is essentially earthbound, this view point anyway. Why? Well because if that were the critirea for getting along or even loving one another who then who need the miraculous Spirit we have been given? Is not the reason mostly rooted in the mentality that we are still dipping back into the old well of the worldy mindset ?

It happened while I was trying to do something else

After having seen the impact a question and answer page had on another web site, I had hoped one day I might get enough email requests to create a small Q&A section when I built my own web site. When I finally did build my first site somewhere around '97, I created it primarily as an outlet for my growing collection of writings, especially the Shovelation. I figured a Q&A page would merely supplement the writings I planned to keep up on.

Jim, Hello there my friend! Seems there are always many questions. So this is what has been on my mind lately. Now we know that anyone in Christ is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come. And now we only see ourselves and others according to the new in Christ. So here is my question..... I believe there is a scripture that says that we confess our sins one to another....which from what I understand is just for peace between family members. Which makes sense.............

Where in the NT does it even say that the believer is "convicted" by the Holy Spirit? I've found or been shown verses that are said to be the same as conviction of the believer...but the word conviction itself was not used. anonymous

That's a good question. :) Now as usual, I will address more than what is asked. LOL.

Hi Jim, I seem to be obsessively focused on sin and it is really getting me down. If we have a choice between sin and good how can i choose what is right because when im like this i always seem to choose wrong, in other words what do i say to myself at that time? Also, do i have to feel guilty for sin because if so then i'm going to feel guilty all the time with my obsessions? e.g 'continual sin'. If there's things that you haven't changed yet do you have to feel guilty until you do?