Ask a Bible Teacher
Jack answers your questions on a variety of Bible topics. Updated daily. Have a question? Send it to questions@gracethrufaith.com
Hearing Him Speak
Q. I’ve heard and read many stories of people describing instances where they’ve felt the Lord’s presence during prayer or they’ve felt God “place something on their hearts” or they’ve heard Him speak to them. I am somewhat new to my relationship with Christ, but I have yet to experience an interaction with Him like these. I do spend time on my knees in prayer daily and I know he hears me because I’ve witnessed many answers to prayer. Is it normal that I haven’t had one of these one-on-one experiences with the Lord then?
A. With practice, Christians can acquire the ability to know when the Lord is “speaking” to them. Most often this involves developing a sensitivity to His gentle prompting, sometimes referred to as the Lord “placing something on our heart.”
You can learn to do this by acting in faith whenever you think He’s prompting you. For example, if you’re walking past someone asking for a hand out and you feel led to give something, ask the Lord if He’s speaking to you. If the feeling persists, act on it even if you’re not totally sure. Remember, you’re acting in faith and the Lord will always honor that.
Keep in mind that the Lord will never ask you to do something that’s wrong, or that is not consistent with His word. Over time you’ll become confident in your ability to know when the Lord is “speaking” to you. In John 10:27 Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”
Tags: Christian Life
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- The Prayer Of Jabez
- How Long Can I Go On This Way?
- Still More On tithing
- Worried and Anxious
Celebrating Jewish Holy Days
Q. I asked someone why they believe we must still keep the Sabbath and all of the Festivals of the Old Testament. My understanding of Scripture is that when Jesus came, He was the fulfillment of all of this and we no longer have to practice them. Below is the response I received. I would really like your input.
“Referring to keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Most fail to understand that both the Sabbath and Holy Days actually point toward Jesus Christ not away from Him. A proper understanding of the Holy Days remind us that He is returning again soon.”
A. I’ve answered questions like this before, but it bears repeating. In Colossians 2:16-17 Paul wrote,
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
He was saying that while these these holy days were pointing toward the Lord’s coming, their continued celebration is not mandatory. You can find similar advice in Romans 14:5 where he wrote:
One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Studying them to see how they pointed to the Lord can be a powerful experience, and there’s nothing wrong with voluntary observance. But claiming that their continued celebration is mandatory is not consistent with Scripture.
Tags: Holidays
Related Posts:
- Celebrating The Feasts
- The Lord’s Day
- Saturday Vs. Sunday Sabbath
- Our Sabbath Rest
- Unlawful On The Sabbath, Follow Up
Timing Of The Two Witnesses
Q. I noticed recently that you believe that the 3.5 years that the 2 witnesses are on earth during Daniel’s 70th week does not correspond to the 1st 3.5 years but overlap to 2nd half. Please give me scripture that leads you to that conclusion.
A. The 2 witnesses first appear in Rev. 11:1-12 before the 7th Trumpet sounds. But the Great Tribulation doesn’t begin on Earth until Rev. 13 . Also, after their 1260 day ministry they will be killed and their bodies will lay in the streets of Jerusalem for 3 1/2 days, during which time people from all over the Earth will celebrate (Rev. 11:7-10). This will have to happen sometime before the Great Tribulation ends. Therefore I conclude that the ministry of the 2 witnesses will begin before the Great Tribulation starts and will be over before it ends.
Tags: End Times, Great Tribulation
