There are many people who do not want to obey God or trust his eternal plan for salvation. God has sent his only son to die for all of us on the cross because the scriptures tell us this. You cannot trust your ways for Salvation, but you must place your complete trust and faith in Jesus. We must give Jesus complete control of our life after we are saved and then we must read God’s Word and put it in our heart and then we will grow in his grace and knowledge of the word. Jesus has instructed us to go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Jesus said to teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. What a loving savior we have in Jesus. It has always been my desire to serve him and to help build up God’s Kingdom and praise his holy name. Below is a list of some important questions and answers that some people are concerned with and would like to know.
1) Do children have guardian Angels? Yes, it appears they do. It also appears that all believers have Angels that watch over them too. (Psalms 34:7), (Hebrews 1:14), (Matthew 18:10)
2) How did Judas die? Some believe that, Judas was hung by the neck, and while being left hanging, the rope broke, causing him to fall headfirst and bursting his stomach open. While other believed Judas hung himself and fell on a sword, causing his stomach to burst open. (Matthew 27:5), (Acts 1:18)
3) What does “fallen from grace,” mean? This does not mean you have fallen from salvation, and are now lost. This means you have fallen from the way of salvation. The way of salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8); if you add the keeping of the law, then Christ is become of no effect, and you are fallen from grace, and cannot be saved (Galatians 5:2-4). Salvation is a gift of God and cannot be earned by works, but must be received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-10).
4) Does foreknowledge determine predestination? Yes, first Peter 1:2 says; “we are elect (chosen) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”. Foreknowledge that we would believe or have faith in his son (I Peter 1:3). Foreknowledge is in eternity and predestination is in time after we believe (Ephesians 1:5-11). We are predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son (Philemon 3:20-21), (I John 3:2) to an inheritance (Ephesians 1:5-11), (I Peter 1:4) reserved in Heaven.
5) When and who will be raised from the dead? The time of this resurrection is at the appearing of Jesus Christ in the clouds (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). This appearing is called the rapture (catching away). This event is the next prophetic event and may happen at anytime. This is not the second coming of Christ to establish his kingdom, which happens seven years later after the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-30).
6) Who will be resurrected? All the believers that have died since the resurrection of Christ at his appearing in the clouds. What about the believers that died between Adam and Christ? These Old Testament believers will be raised at the end of the Tribulation when Christ will come back to the earth to establish his kingdom (Daniel 12:1-2). Notice that when Jesus Christ returns with the souls or spirits of the believers to be reunited with the body (I Thessalonians 4:14). If we have not died before he appears, we will be changed (I Thessalonians 4:17) into a resurrected body to meet Jesus Christ in the air (I Thessalonians 4:17).
7) What does the bible say about fortune telling? (Deuteronomy 18:10-14) All fortune -telling is an abomination to God (Deuteronomy 18:12). Any fortune telling like Astrology, Palm reading, talking to the spirits of the dead, reveals a lack of faith in God for the future. Anyone who lives by fortunetellers are opening themselves up for demon possession.
8) How large was the ark, and how could it hold thousands of animals? The ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Its carrying capacity equaled 522 railroad stock cars (each of which can hold 240 sheep). Only 188 cars would be required to hold 45,000 sheep – size animals, leaving 334 cars for food and supplies. Today it is estimated that there are 17,600 species of animals, making 45,000, an approximation of the number of animals on the ark. The ark would have held as much as 125,000 animals (Genesis 6:15).
9) What was the tower of Babel? (Genesis 11:1-9) The tower was a means that the people could worship the gods of the heavens (stars, moon, sun, plants). The word Babel, means “gate of God.” The people offered up sacrifices and worshiped false gods in the first heathen temple (tower.) They worshiped the creation, instead of the creator (Deuteronomy 4:14-19; 17:2-5; Romans 1:18-32.) Because of this false worship, God scattered the people by confusing their languages so they could not continue together.
10) Is cremation an acceptable burial for Christians? (Amos 6:10) This is God’s judgment upon Israel that they would be defeated, and that their enemies would even burn up their bones. When cremation was used in the bible, it was not a normal burial, but one of judgment. Since we believe that God will resurrect this body some day (I Corinthians 15:35-58), we should not dishonor this body by burning it up. Granted God will rise up a body that has been cremated as well as other bodies that have been buried or cast into the sea. Cremation is a heathen act of sacrifice that does not believe in the resurrection of the body.
11) What does the term “God took him” mean? (Genesis 5:22-24) This means God removed Enoch from this earth and took him to Heaven. Enoch is a type of the people in the rapture that are taken up (I Thessalonians 4:17) without experiencing death. (Hebrews 11:5) says; “By faith Enoch was translated (taken up) that he should not see death.” Enoch prophesied the Second Coming of Christ (Jude 1:14.)
12) Do all children go to Heaven at death? (II Samuel 12:23) David had comfort that at death he would see his child again. A child has no willful sin of its own, and will not be condemned. The faith of children is a picture of the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3), (Matthew 19:4).
13) What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Ghost? (Acts 1:5), (Acts 11:16) The phrase, “Baptize with the Holy Ghost” was used only by John the Baptist, identifying Jesus as the one who would “baptize with the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 3:11), (Mark 1:8, (Luke 3:16), (John 1:33). Jesus identified the time of this baptism at Pentecost (Luke 24:49), (Acts 1:4-5). This baptism was administered by Jesus to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-45), (Acts 11:16-17). This was a one time “baptism of the Holy Ghost” to the Jews and Gentiles alike (Galatians 3:28), (Ephesians 3:6), (Colossians 3:11). The believers today do not receive the Holy Ghost by baptism, but to the Jews and Gentiles that first formed the church.
14) Did the apostles receive the Holy Ghost here, or at Pentecost? (John 20:22) They received the Holy Ghost here after his resurrection, and before Pentecost. This is the fulfilling of Christ’s promise to send another Comforter after his death (John 14:16-20), (John 15:26), (John 16:7-14). At Pentecost, they received the power of the Holy Ghost to carry out the Great Commission (Luke 24:49), (Matthew 28:18-20).
15) Are our sins remitted through water baptism? (Acts 2:38) NO! Sins are not remitted through water baptism. Our sins are remitted through the blood of Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:28). We have remission of sins by believing on Christ (Acts 10:43), (Romans 3:24-26). For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). (Acts 2:38) says; “Repent (believers, turn from sin to Christ) and be baptized (water baptism by immersion, and this is a symbolic of death and resurrection of Christ) for (because of) the remission (forgiveness) of sins.” You get baptized because your sins are remitted by the blood of Christ; not to get your sins remitted through water baptism.
16) Can a person become a Christian and still remain a homosexual? (Romans 1:24-32) NO! When a homosexual becomes a Christian, he becomes a new creature (II Corinthians 5:17);”Old things are passed away; behold all things become new.” We are a new creature (Galatians 5:22-24); not living for the lust of the flesh (Galatians 19:21). A saved person may commit sin, but will not live in sin.
17) Who was the fourth person in the fiery furnace? (Daniel 3:19-25) The fourth is described by Nebuchadnezzar as a man, as the Son of God (Daniel 3:25). In verse 28, Nebuchadnezzar said that God had sent his Angel. Angels are referred to as both men and sons of God. The, “his Angel” refers to the “the Angel of the Lord.” The Angel of the Lord is God OR Christ (Genesis 31:11-13). Again in (Daniel 6:22) God sent his Angel to shut the lion’s mouth when Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den.
18) What were the names of the two men that did not die and they went to Heaven? (II Kings 2:1-11) Elijah is one of two people in the bible that never experienced death and the other was Enoch (Genesis 5:22-24.)
19) Is there more than one God? There is Only One True God. There are many false gods. Satan is called the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4). Idols are called gods (I Corinthians 8:4-6). Devils or demons are called gods (Leviticus 17:7), (Deuteronomy 32:17), (Revelation 9:20.) Men are called gods (John 10:35), (Acts 14:11). (Isaiah 46:9) say; “I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there is none like me. This one true God is represented as Jehovah in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament.
20) What does the number, 666 mean? (Revelation 13:18) This will be the identification of the last world kingdom. If you do not take this identification mark, you cannot buy or sell, which means you die. If the government finds you without this mark, you will be killed or beheaded (Revelation 13:15-17), (Revelation 20:4.) If you take the mark of the beast, you will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 14:9-11.)
21) Has Satan the power to give life to an image? (Revelation 13:11-15) NO! But he does have the power to deceive them that dwell on the earth by wonders and miracles (Revelation 13:13-14; II Thessalonians 2:9.) Remember, Satan is the deceiver that deceives the whole earth in the Tribulation Period (Revelation 12:9.) Satan is an imitator of God in that he tries to duplicate the resurrection of Christ by giving apparent life to the Anti-Christ (Revelation 13:3-12), and to the image (Revelation 14:9-11.)
22) What does, “Abomination of desolation” mean? (Matthew 24:15) This phrase refers to a prophecy in (Daniel 9:27.) The Anti-Christ will make a peace covenant with Israel for one week (7 years), and in the midst of that week (3 ½ years), he will break this covenant and cause the sacrifice given in the temple to cease. He will further desecrate the temple by establishing himself in the temple and demanding everyone to worship him as God (II Thessalonians 2:4.)
23) Does the serpent represent Christ? NO! (Numbers 21:6-9) The serpent is not a type of Christ. The serpent is a type of Satan (Genesis 3:1), (II Corinthians 11:3), (Revelation.2:9.) The serpents in (Numbers 21:6-9), represents the judgment upon the Israelites for their sins. Christ on the cross represents God’s judgment upon Christ for the sins of the whole world (II Corinthians 5:21), (I Peter 2:24.)
24) Is salvation all faith, or faith and works? (Romans 4:5-6), (James 2:17-20) Real faith produces a salvation that will produce works (Ephesians 2:10.) Our salvation rests fully on our faith in the finished work of Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 10:9-10), (I Corinthians 15:1-4), (Hebrews 9:11-28.) We are saved by faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), whether it is baptism, church membership, reforming, good deeds of benevolence, praying through, holding out or enduring unto the end. When (James 2:20) says; “faith without works is dead,” he is saying, their faith is dead. We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works (Ephesians 2:10.) True faith will always produce fruit (Matthew 7:17-20), (Matthew 12:33-35.)
Note: I pray that these Scriptures on the bible have helped you in your bible study and understanding of Gods’ precious Holy word in the Bible. Please feel free to pass them on to other people if they have helped you.
Your, Brother in Christ
Frank Rose