Ask The Pastor
July 2007
With all the bad things that go on in today’s church, is there a possibility the church age is coming to an end? My feeling is these types of situations that happen should encourage us as believers to draw closer to God and not look to man for the answers, but to God. Harold Camping of Family Radio is teaching that we should be leaving the churches because the church age is coming to an end. What are your thoughts on this? It's so confusing.
Hebrews 10:25 makes it clear what we should be doing in these last days. It says: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
We should not be in church less as the time of the return of the Lord approaches, but we should be together in fellowship and worship more. And besides that, the church age will only end when we are taken to be with the Lord. (See I Corinthians 15:51-58; I Thessalonians 4:15-18.) Even then we are called to church assembly. (See Revelation 7:9-11; 19:9.)
I encourage you to read Ephesians 4:8-16 which tells us how to avoid being tossed to and fro by strange doctrines, and then I would turn the above-mentioned radio show off!
"God loves a cheerful giver." We are givers and tithers, and blessed by God, but finances are tight right now because my new job does not start until next month. For now, we are using our savings to pay bills and tithe. I am having a problem with being a receiver. Our children are going to camp. I can take the bill money and pay for it, or we can take the offer of a sponsor through the church and use the money we do have to pay the bills until the new job starts.
Galatians 6:10 states "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” I love doing good to all men, but please address the issue of being a recipient, as the one who is receiving “the good”. Is pride preventing me from being a receiver rather than the giver in this particular instance?
I would have to answer yes. It appears that pride is preventing you from receiving the blessing offered you. Receive the sponsorship and be blessed!
I know it must have taken a lot of faith to get Only Believe Ministries started from almost nothing. Did you fast or do anything special for God to answers your prayers in such an amazing way, or was it just simple faith? I'm trying to take my faith to the next level!
It was simple faith, along with praying, fasting and speaking the Word. You can do the same to attain what God has for you to do in the Kingdom.
What is regeneration of the Holy Spirit? Is it essential for salvation?
Regeneration means to be renovated. II Corinthians 5:17 says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." This is regeneration.
It is also known as the baptism of the Holy Ghost. (See I Corinthians 12:12-13.) This is when the Holy Ghost totally covers you and renovates you, the result being the change of your spirit from death to life. (See Galatians 4:4-7.) You then cry "Abba, Father!"
Yes, it is essential in order to become a son of God, one who is saved and born again.