Jacob stole Esau's blessing by deception. Why did God allow that?
The birthright belonged naturally to the eldest son of a family. In the case of Isaac, the father of Jacob and Esau, it included not only personal possessions, but also the covenant blessing that God promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:3) and passed on to Isaac. The Abrahamic Covenant was to be transmitted to Isaac’s son. [...]
I want to increase my spirituality. So, what can I do?
First, we need to examine our hearts. Have we completely given up our wills with all of our human hopes, desires, dreams and ambitions to God? Have we consecrated our lives to do His will? “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable [...]
Do our dead ancestors have power to influence and hurt us? I'm being called to become a Sangoma (shaman), but I don't want to because I love Jesus. I'm afraid to stop cultural practices for them. When I was growing up in South Africa, these ancestors caused strange sicknesses until people obeyed their wills.
Many today believe that the dead are not dead but are really more alive than ever. They do not realize they are believing the original lie taught by Satan disguised as a serpent, “that you will not die, but you will be like God” (Genesis 3:4-5). Satan uses scriptural parables and dark sayings taken out [...]
Who are the 24 elders in Revelation 4:4?
Revelation is a book of symbols. For hundreds of years, God has hidden their symbolic meaning until it becomes time for them to be understood. To appreciate the book of Revelation, a good foundational understanding of the Old Testament is necessary. Romans 15:4 (CSB), “For whatever was written in the past was written for our [...]
What is the meaning of Pentecost? (Australia)
The nation of Israel received the Law Covenant 50 days after the Passover in Egypt. Thus, historically, Pentecost (meaning 50) was very important. However, Pentecost in the New Testament is even more significant. Pentecost was the Greek name for a feast celebrating a wheat harvest observed by the Jewish people, called the Feast of Harvests [...]
1 Samuel 28:14-19 records a medium bringing the spirit of the dead prophet Samuel to talk to King Saul. How can this happen? Are dead ancestors alive and watching us?
No. Dead people are really dead. The vision that the woman medium saw and spoke with was not the prophet Samuel. It was a demon pretending to be Samuel.Remember a few years earlier, Samuel had said to Saul, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone [...]