"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not" Matthew 24:23 Considering we believe that our Lord has returned, how should we understand this verse so that we do not believe that the Christ is here? To whom can they say "this is the Christ" that would deceive us? Also: Matthew 24:36 says, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of heaven, but may Father only." What day is it that we don't know?
The answer lies in the context of Matthew 24. Jesus begins speaking to his disciples about the coming age. He warned about many coming in his name and deceiving many (verse 5). Then would follow wars, but these would not mean the end of the age had arrived. He said, “these are the beginning of [...]
What is the "river of the water of life, as clear as crystal" in Revelation 22:1,2? Is it an actual river? If so, how do we drink out of it?
The Book of Revelation is filled with symbolic references that depict wonderful things. Chapter 21 begins by describing a “new heaven” and a “new earth.” And yet Ecclesiastes 1:4 says, “…the earth abideth for ever.” These more literal statements tell us to look for the symbolism when studying Revelation. A new earth means a new [...]
What can we do when we’re sad or frustrated?
Nobody ever said life was easy! The Bible promises that in His future kingdom, “God will wipe away all tears,” (see Revelation 21:4) but until His righteous government is fully established in His perfect timing, sometimes we can feel sad or frustrated. The key is to not let these feelings overwhelm us. When we [...]
What does Paul mean by “the desires of the flesh?”
This phrase and its meaning come from Galatians 5:16-25:16 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if [...]
In Philippians and other books of the Bible, we are called to serve. How can we know we are not been taken advantage off ?
We do not always know when our service is misused by another. There are times when we can judge by the results we see, as in Matthew 7:16, “You shall know them by their fruits,” but we cannot judge the heart. For example, Saul of Tarsus certainly misused the gift of the Law, but his [...]
Who wrote the Book of Job? How did they know what was happening in the spiritual realm?
The book of Job is often credited with being the finest piece of literature in the Hebrew language. It is a poem, and scholars admit that no translation yet given does it justice. We are not told who God used as the author, but many assume it was Job himself. Some have assumed that the book [...]