Bible Questions Blog

Fasting

12/2/2023

Introduction. Fasting is a subject many disciples know very little about. While most Christians have read Esther’s request for a three-day fast before she went to the king or Ezra’s fasting to seek God’s favor for a safe journey to Jerusalem, few sermons are preached on fasting today. If asked, what answers could we give about when to fast or if fasting can still be done today?

Israel was commanded to fast every year on the day of atonement. God knew fasting would help them to afflict their souls. So on this one day a year as the High Priest was to enter the Most Holy Place, God wanted them to fast. They were to afflict their soul (fast) from sunset to sunset. Thus, while the high priest was killing the bull and the goat, entering the most holy place, and confessing their sins over the scapegoat, the entire nation of Israel had begun their fasting the night before. God knew that as this day dawned, their growing hunger would help keep them focused. Each time they thought of eating, they would remember this was the day of atonement and they could not eat until sunset. As the hunger grew more and more acute, the truly holy and faithful ones went one step further as they used that hunger to heighten their feelings of persistent pleading along with godly sorrow, repentance, and true remorse over their own sins that were being confessed that day.

In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work... For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you... you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, (Lev. 16:29-30; 23:26).

Are We Listening to Abel?

10/31/2023

Introduction. The first account of worship being offered to God ended with great tragedy. Abel was murdered and Cain left God’s presence never to serve Him again. (Gen. 4:1-24). Since the “way of Cain” is now a sign to identify a false teacher, and Abel is “still speaking” to us about his “more excellent sacrifice,” it is very important to assess whether we are listening to Abel or straying into the way of Cain (Heb. 11:4; Jude 3-4, 11). God made it very clear in this account that He will not accept just any type of worship man might want to offer to Him. “And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering.” (Gen. 4:4-5)

While many have sought the reason why God rejected Cain from the events recorded in Genesis, God did not reveal the full truth until the writing of Hebrews and First John. While explaining why Cain killed Abel, the Holy Spirit also revealed why God rejected Cain’s offering: “we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.” (1Jn. 3:12). Cain murdered Abel because his deeds were evil and Abel’s deeds were righteous. The actions of Cain prior to the murder were evil. God rejected the offering because it was evil, but what made it evil?

Truly My Disciples (part 2)?

10/1/2023

Introduction. All who consider themselves disciples of Jesus loudly proclaim their belief in His teachings. They say they trust in His promises and they love Him with all their heart. Yet the dividing line for many was given by Jesus as a challenge to all believers. To know we are truly His disciples, we must accept everything He taught as absolute truth.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn. 8:31-32).

How can any true disciple of Jesus say: “it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere” when Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven?” (Mt. 7:13-23). These two statements contradict each another. The one spoken by Jesus is truth and the other spoken by man is a lie. They distinguish the true disciple and the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Jesus drove this point home when He said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46)

Disciples are the learners and Jesus is the Teacher or Rabbi. Disciples must learn in submission or they are not disciples. This Rabbi has “all authority in heaven and on earth.” (Mt. 28:18). Our respect for that authority determines both the validity and depth of our discipleship.

Truly My Disciples (part 1)?

9/1/2023

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn. 3:16).

Introduction. This passage is one of the most quoted in the New Testament. It is a wonderful and refreshing passage, giving great peace and comfort to those seeking salvation. God didn’t want anyone to perish and gave Jesus as a Savior. Faith is the difference between everlasting life and perishing: “for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (Jn. 8:24). While some use this passage to proclaim faith alone will bring salvation, we must also take into account Jesus’ warning that it takes far more than a token faith. To those Jews who had already placed this faith in Him, He warned that only those who abide in His word after believing are “truly My disciples.”

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn. 8:31-32)

His words at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount also warn about abiding in His word: “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock,” but not abiding in His word, we do “not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” Jesus doesn’t want to be misunderstood. Hearing and believing His words are only a foundation on sand if we don’t do them.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount gives a description of genuine disciples. Only those who “hear,” “believe,” “abide in” and “do” these words “are truly My disciples.” This sermon should be a high priority to those who are “truly My disciples.” Doing these words puts us squarely on the foundation of rock. He began by proclaiming the blessedness of eight character traits. Those who are seeking to become poor in spirit, mourning, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers and persecuted for righteousness abide in His word and are genuine disciples.

The church of Christ as Seen From Heaven

8/1/2023

Introduction. Jesus commanded that the gospel be preached to every creature (Mk. 16:15-16) in every nation (Mt. 28:18-20). This is evangelism and is the most fundamental and primary role of every local church. Then, after they were made disciples, these new converts and babes in Christ needed to be taught to observe all things that Jesus commanded. This is edification and is also one of the fundamental roles of the local church. But in a local church, we only get a tiny glimpse of what is actually being done in the church over which Jesus is the head.

There is more to the church of Christ than what we see where we are members. When Jesus said that He would build His church, He was speaking of something far greater and glorious than we can understand. The church Jesus built was founded on the rock of Peter’s confession:” “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He is the Word who was with God and was God. He is eternal, omnipotent, and dwells on an equality with God. What He built is complex and glorious.

The church Jesus built is the “greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not of this creation.” It is “the true tabernacle that the Lord erected and not man.” It is difficult for us to grasp the amazing power and glory of this church that Jesus built unless we see it from heaven’s side.

Giving Our Possessions to God

7/2/2023

Introduction. As God created the heavens and the earth, He did everything and made everything perfect and complete. So much so that when Paul later spoke to those in Athens, He told them that God is not “served with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” (Acts 17:25). It was only because God wanted us to have fellowship with Him that He asked us to bring some of “His own things” that we might help Him with His plans. Although He is not “served as though He needed anything,” it is a great honor for God to ask us to help Him. It is a wonderful blessing that God allowed us to be an integral part of His plans. Although He told Israel, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness”, yet He still wanted them to bring their sacrifices and offerings and work with Him. (Ps. 50:9-14).

Since God doesn’t need anything, the things He does ask us to give are only for our own best interests. Making sacrifices to God of our material possessions is one of the few ways we can show our love, devotion, gratitude, sacrifice, glory, faith and submission to Him. We are like a young child, wanting to give his parents a present, but having nothing of his own to give. Hence, by allowing us to give back to Him what is already His, we have been given an amazing opportunity.

The Head Directs the Body

6/1/2023

Introduction. As God planned and made each portion of His creation, He gave it a responsibility and a specific role, seeking the perfection of the whole. Everything had a role and as each did its part, the whole became perfect. On each day of creation, God saw that all that He made was good. On the final day, He saw the completed creation and declared it was very good. (Gen. 1:31). Birds were given a body to fly and fish were created to live under water. Even the sun, clouds and the earth were given bodies necessary to accomplish their work. The function of each body in the material creation never varied and never failed. They were dependable because having no will of their own, they only and perfectly did God’s will. Since God is faithful and they do His will, they too are faithful.

“Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides. 91 They continue this day according to Your ordinances, For all are Your servants.” (Ps. 119:90-91).

Man is different. He too was given a work, but had the freewill to do God’s will or his own. Adam and Eve were created to tend the garden and were given an ordinance not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As long as they did this the creation remained perfect. When Satan’s lies led them to break the ordinance and replace God’s will with their own, they died and the creation was cursed. (Gen. 2:17; Ecc. 1:1-15). Now crooked, lacking, groaning, and travailing, we see clearly that substituting man’s will for God’s only brought sorrow and loss. (Rom. 8:18-24)

Pray Without Ceasing

4/27/2023

Introduction. On the first day of school, a job, or at a new congregation, whenever we are meeting people for the first time, we begin as complete strangers. They know nothing about us and we know nothing about them. Over time, some strangers remain strangers. Others are only acquaintances to whom we say “hello” and ask about their health. A few become friends and even close friends. The difference is simple. It begins when we talk to them and share some things about ourselves. If they do the same, then the process to close friendships has begun. It begins tentatively and cautiously, but grows if we listen carefully to them and respond to their problems with sympathy. If we listen to their instructions, give and take advice, the barriers will slowly come down and we will feel safe to freely communicate our deepest hopes or fears to them. This is the basis of true friendship.

God encouraged us to make friends and close ties with those we know in this life. “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Eccl. 4:9-12)

Prayer and the “Amen”

4/1/2023

Introduction. All over the world, regardless of country or language, every public and private prayer ends with Amen. Prayers before Bible classes, in the worship assembly, in the home and at any type of gathering all conclude with Amen. If we know the history and meaning of Amen, then our Amen has an important purpose. Sadly, some may think that Amen simply signals that the prayer has come to an end. In some congregations, when the person wording the prayer says Amen everyone else also says Amen. The building is filled with Amen as everyone proclaims their hearty agreement. In other assemblies after the Amen is spoken publicly, people may echo Amen out of habit and know why, or there is only silence.

The purpose of this article is help us better understand the use and meaning of Amen. First, we will examine the meaning and proper emotions and attitudes that should be in our hearts when we say Amen. Second, we will assess whether Amen should be spoken aloud by all those who hear, or to simply be thought in the mind.

It is an interesting fact that Amen has seldom been translated. Although pronounced differently in some languages, it was Amen in Hebrew and Aramaic, Amen in Greek and Latin, and it is still Amen in nearly every language in the world today. It was introduced by God when He gave Moses detailed instructions that would make their visit to the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim as solemn as possible. When they arrived, they were to construct an altar out of stones and then “Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali … shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse.” God wanted Israel to curse with the Amen after each of the twelve laws God had told them to read

Discipline (part 2)

3/1/2023

Introduction. Jesus only made two references to His church while still on this earth. The first was a significant prophecy with His promise to build and protect her! (Mt. 16:16-19). Jesus kept His promise. He built the church and purchased her with His own blood. (Acts 20:28). Jesus “loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her.” (Eph. 5:25-27). The second is equally significant! All that Jesus has done to sanctify and cleanse her must be subsequently protected by His disciples. Jesus wanted all disciples to have His love and desire that the church be sanctified.

When sin’s defilement enters a church, Jesus commanded: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” (Mt 18:12-17). Other passages in the NT reveal how this command was fulfilled. When any disciple becomes aware of sin, whether a private sin as here, a public sin known even to those in the world (1Cor. 5), or any form of a disorderly and insubordinate walk (2Th. 3:6), Jesus demanded it be promptly and properly resolved and removed to keep the church sanctified.

The beautiful and touching parable of a lost sheep, sought and found, is the imagery behind this command. When a sheep goes astray, everything stops. All effort is directed to finding and restoring it. There is great joy on earth and among the angels in heaven when repentance restores a sheep. “‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” (Lk. 15:6-7).

<<Previous

Alan Hitchen