Q&A (Page 10)

Q.   With times being so tough, does God actually expect us to tithe? Are we being legalistic? What does the Bible teach? A.   Well, that’s quite an ask. Sadly this Mag can’t give a full-length study on your subject; however, full notes are available upon request. For the serious enquirer, the main Scriptures to consider are Gen 14:15-24, Deut 26:1-4, Mal 3:8-12 and Heb 7:1-10. In Gen 14 Abraham met Melchizedek as King of Righteousness, King of Peace and Priest of the…

Q.    I’ve had a serious moral failure and feel so bad that, though I’ve repented and the Elders and the Church have forgiven me, I can’t even get back to fellowship. What can I do? A.   Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times and even said that a rooster would crow to highlight his failure. Peter was offended that Jesus could even think such a thing of him, yet, lo and behold, it happened precisely as Jesus said…

Q.   Were the ‘sons of God’ (Nephilim) in Gen 6:1-4 fallen angels, and were their children from ‘the daughters of men’ demons? A.   While some would hold to these thoughts, there is no foundation in Scripture to validate the idea that fallen angels produced offspring with human women. Wild guesswork! Your Concordance will tell you that ‘nephilim’, the word used here, means ‘giant’, more precisely a huge man capable of being brutish and bullying. Goliath is a good example; see also the…

Q.   Why do I need to be baptised in water? A.   The most important reason is that Jesus Himself commanded His disciples to be baptised in water. The Lord Jesus instructed Water Baptism personally. If you are committed to Him, do His bidding. Water Baptism is a believer’s step of faith producing an act of obedience born out of a heart of love for his Lord. John 14:15   If ye love Me, keep My commandments. John 15:14    Ye are My friends, if ye…

Q.   This Submission thing confuses me and, in Marriage, even angers me. As a wife I always seem to get the rough end of the bargain! Help! What does God want of me? A.   Perhaps you should start by asking what God wants for you! The Bible tells that He wants only good for you and Jer 29:11 says His plans for you will give you hope and a great future in Him. It is not surprising that we have conflict with…

Q.   Is Speaking in Tongues necessary? A.   In an age in which this phenomenon seems to be dwindling, our emphatic answer is YES. And here’s why: It was GOD Who chose to evidence the initial infilling, or baptism, in the Holy Ghost by the Speaking in Tongues. He gave this as a GIFT, obviously to bless His Children. The principle of Speaking in Tongues is a firm introduction of the Believer to relate to God in the realm of the Spirit, rather…

Q. I sinned very badly and my Christian reputation has been damaged. What can I do to restore it? A. Your reputation has suffered obviously and my first thought is, before whom? If you are more concerned about what people think of you, than of your standing before God, then you need to repent before Him in sincerity. He gave you a Christian reputation; He maintained it while you walked with Him; only He can restore it. Anything less would…

Q. How can I resist the pressure to be sexually active? A. It’s true that we live in “this present evil world,” and are beset by incredibly strong forces – an ungodly Media, TV, Films, Press, Radio, Books, the Internet, etc., – peer pressure and a degenerated morality in a world that has become wickedly selfish and sex-crazed, setting norms from the very pit of Hell – and, of course, our own wicked hearts and fallen natures that happily subscribe…

Q.   Why are Christians so powerless in impacting the world? We’re not like the old pioneers of the Faith. What went wrong? A.   Satan’s purpose is to make us ineffective in believing and using the authority and truth of God’s Word. He foists on us a minority status, getting us to believe that Christians are irrelevant in this world. In Matt 5:13-16 Jesus says that we are to be salt and light in the world. Salt is for taste and a preservative. Light represents seeing and exposes what is in…

Q.    I hear some people ‘pleading the Blood’ and urging others to ‘apply the Blood’ to various circumstances. But I can’t find this in the Bible and ‘plead’ appears only once, in Isa 3:13. Am I missing something? A.   You’ve not missed it at all for there is no such doctrine or directive in God’s Word. Folks who pray that way may have picked up these expressions somewhere and adopted them into their prayers. They are doubtless sincere, but misguided. The…

Q.   What exactly is “the Vision of our Apostolic Brethren” which Golden Greetings aims to support and inspire? A.   Assemblies are wise to hear God’s direction from their Elders as they minister in close co-operation with Apostolic Brethren. Indeed they hear from God themselves but, in the wider context of direction, are team player with the Apostolic Brethren. It’s no secret that our Apostolic Brethren are constantly on the run from Convention to Convention, from Assembly to Assembly, in Golden Harvest Seminars,…

Q. I love music but I hear it’s ungodly. Didn’t God create music? Some churches sing so mournfully but I can’t believe God wants sad worship. Then I read what Rick Warren says in his book, “God loves all kinds of music because he invented it all – fast and slow, loud and soft, old and new!” Do you agree? Help, I’m confused! A. Music does come from God, and He created man with an ability to create and enjoy…