Reading the Bible:

June 2004 hi I have a friend who is an unbeliever but she is curious to what part of the bible she should read I don’t know of any particular verses to tell her could you help me thanks Jim Dear Jim: Tell your friend to start reading in the book of John. It’s not too long and she won’t get very far into it before she hears the gospel: John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

  Lying:

June 2004 What does the Bible say about lying? Very simply, the Bible says don’t do it, lying is a sin. Even the “little white lies.” It’s included in the Ten Commandments so God must feel very strongly about it. Most often in the Bible, lying is called “bearing false witness.” Jesus said that Satan was the father of all lies. John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Here are just a few of the warnings we have against lying: Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Prov 12:17 He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit. Prov 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. Prov 19:22 The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. Prov 24:28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips. Mat 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Tabernacle:

June 2004 Why was there only one entrance to the tabernacle? Everything about the tabernacle was a picture or symbol of Christ and the promises to come. The tabernacle was built to give the children of Israel a place to meet with God. Exo 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. I believe that there was only one entrance to the place where they would meet with God because it is a symbol of Christ. Just as there was only one entrance to the tabernacle, there is only one way to the Father; through Jesus. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. I hope that answers your question.

  Effeminate:

June 2004 1 Corinthians 6, verse 9 9: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, My problem is this:I am 50 right now, married she has two girls 15 band 16, I am surrounded by female stuff. I'm a male who came from the back ground of cross dresser, to estrogen and female hormone shots. I started when I was 30's, estrogen and female hormone shots. but wearing female clothes all my life, even when I went to school under my clothes. Or work, I had to wear something, when I didn't I would run home, and quickly change as a result of relief. I am a Christian now, I accepted the Lord in June of 1998 But I was still taking female hormones shots about a year, when I since I had to stop. Than I started taking Breast enhancers Vitamins. Anything I could get my hands on, and again I sense to quit. And just this week I was taking female pregnant vitamins powder. I have female breast 38b, I like to have 38c or d. but I know I'm not suppose to do it. I want to give it up, but inside of me wants to grow them more, I know it's wrong in the bible it says so, I didn't ask to be born this way. I was taking male hormones injections 200mg one shot every 3-weeks, but I quit because it gave me hair on my back, it's almost gone I don't want to have hair on my back, I like my body smooth, and my breast. Would I be wrong if I could take female hormones just to get them firm and fullness, I did it wrong when I first begun, I wasn't patient I was taking the shots 2 or 3 a month. I just sense that if they were as they should be I would be happy, and I could go on my walk as a Christian, I love the Lord. I want to make Him happy, and I did get one dream right, I am His bride. as of today I don't wear women clothes or am I taking anything in female hormones, I asked for, forgiveness and repented. The side effects of what I was taking makes my boobs feel heavy and pointing out through my t-shirt. They can't be hid, but that's fine with me. Pray for me. I am pleased to hear that you are no longer taking any hormones and don’t wear women’s clothing. Here’s the thing, we are all born into an imperfect world. The only two people in history that lived in a perfect world were Adam and Eve, and they still sinned. But since we live in a fallen world, we are subject to the imperfections that resulted from Adam’s sin. Babies are born everyday with birth defects, and you have told me that you were born with an extra chromosome that causes you to be effeminate in nature. Some people are born with a predisposition to drink to excess, or eat to excess, or a disposition to steal, etc. But we are ALL born with a disposition to sin. Everyone doesn’t commit the same sin, but everyone DOES sin. In your case, it isn’t a sin to be born with an extra chromosome, but it is a sin to give in to your baser nature and act out on those desires. We are told that we are to overcome the things of the flesh (desire to sin) and strive to be more Godlike, more like Jesus. When you were subjecting your body to all the hormones, you were “feeding your fleshly desires” not striving to be more like Jesus. Here are some verses that you should look at: Deu 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. So, you see, we are called as His children to be new creatures in Christ and to refrain from fleshly lusts. You mentioned 1 Corinthians 6:9 and the fact that the Bible says that effeminates will not inherit the kingdom of God. But you need to continue on and read the next few verses. That’s where the good news comes in: 1 Cor 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

  Fornication:

June 2004 Is it a sin for me to live with my boyfriend and not be married to him. I am confused. I am a divorced mother of two children. Am I living a sinful life of fornication by living with someone and not being married to them? Am I saddening Jesus because I divorced and then moved in with my boyfriend. I am confused as to what I should do. Thanks for your time!! If I were to tell you the it’s OK for you to be living with your boyfriend, I would be doing you a great injustice and I would be treading on the grace of God. The fact is that any sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage is a sin. The Bible is very clear about this. I have listed many verses on this subject on the What Does the Bible Say About ...Sex page. Jesus paid a very heavy price because of sin and for us as believers to disregard that, would indeed sadden Him very much. The Lord knows that sin is destructive and will cause us nothing but pain. Look at the following verse: James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. As to what you should do, if you really want to live a life pleasing to the Lord, you or your boyfriend should move out. Or, the two of you should get married. I know that this is a difficult situation, but the Lord will bless you for making the right decision.

  Violence:

June 2004 I am giving a lesson to teenagers about violence (dating violence) and I would like to have some Biblical scriptures to go along with the lesson. Could you recommend some? Thanks, Marie Here are a few passages that might help: Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Psa 72:14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. Prov 4:14-19 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. Prov 28:17-18 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. Isa 59:2-3, 6-8 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. … Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Ezek 7:11 Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them. Ezek 8:17-18 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. Ezek 12:19 And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. Amos 3:10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. Luke 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. I hope that helps some.

  Forty Days:

June 2004 What is the significance of forty in the bible? E.g why did Jesus fast for 40 days ? After his resurrection why did he hang around for 40 days? Could you kindly help me with these answers The time frame of forty days is found all through the Bible. It would seem that it is a period of time the Lord often uses for cleansing or growing closer to the Lord. The first occurrence is in Genesis when God caused it to rain for 40 days (Gen 7:4). He used 40 days of rain to cleanse the earth of all the sinful people that were rejecting the Lord. Moses was on the “Mount of God” 40 days and 40 nights (Exo 34:28). God spoke to him there and told Moses exactly what he expected from Moses and from the Israelites. This is how we came to have the Ten Commandments. Moses sent spies into the land of Canaan to see what the “promised land” was like. The spies spent 40 days there (Num 13:25). After their return, the people refused to go into the land and possess it because they were afraid of the giants living there. As a result, God caused them to wander in the desert 1 year for every day the spies were in the promised land, for a total of 40 years. Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. Later, the giant Goliath taunted the Israelite army for 40 days before David came forth and killed him. They had forty days to decide to trust the Lord, but they didn’t. Exactly the same as their forefathers who were afraid to go in a possess the land (1 Sam 17:16). Elijah lived in the wilderness for forty days on the strength of one meal that that Lord provided (1 Ki 19:8). The Lord gave Nineveh 40 days to repent from their sin (Jonah 3:4). Jesus fasted in the desert 40 days in advance of his time of temptation (Mat 4:2). He was here on earth demonstrating that he was in fact resurrected. He showed himself openly for 40 days (Acts 1:3). It seems that the pattern is that God will often use the time frame of 40 days to cause us to grow closer to Him, or to come to grips with our sins. That’s the way I see it. I hope that helps answer your question.