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Questions & Answers

Here you can see some of the questions that have been submitted. All questions and answers are anonymous.

If you wouldlike to submit a question please click on the "Ask Lisa" link and fill in the email form. Thank you.

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Question: I have read that in the world today there are over 400 different churches that claim to be Christian. There are Baptists, Lutherans, United, Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, etc., etc., etc. Since there are so many different churches that claim to be Christian and yet they all differ in doctrines, beliefs and teachings - which one is the true church instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, when He said: "thou art Peter and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell will never prevail against it!" Matthew 16:18. Note: that our Lord said church and not churches and that His "true church" would never be destroyed - which means that it is still among us - which one? "One Lord, one faith, one baptism" Ephesians 4:5

Answer: Peter was the disciple that Jesus loved and Peter also loved Jesus. The love of Jesus for ALL mankind is what led Him to the cross, and it is the truth of the meaning of the crucifiction of Christ that the gates of hell can never prevail against. The true church is not a building or a denomination but is made up of people who have admitted their sinful, fallen state and have asked Jesus to save their lives and to become their Lord.

In Matthew 22: 37-40 it states, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment and the second is like it 'you shall love your neighbour as yourself ' on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

The spirit of religion (doctrine without love) has overcome a lot of the body of Christ, and Jesus rebukes the church for this in Revelation 2:4, "nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."

The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13, that unless we have love, everything we do is pointless, and amounts to nothing.

Micah 6:8 says, "He (God) has shown you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

We tend, in this day and age, to be more focused on what others are doing rather than what we ourselves should be doing in obedience to God. We need to get back to having a personal, loving relationship with Jesus the same way that Peter did.

God does not want us ignorant about what goes on in the world. He even warns us in Matthew 10:16, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." We are required to boldly pray about what we see.

I'm wondering if you, or any other readers, do not have a church family of your own, and I would like to extend an invitation for you to join mine. I guarantee, like all healthy-growing families, that we will eventually get on your nerves, but I can also guarantee that we love and defend each other.

The body of Christ, the True Church, is made up of many members, and we must sacrifice 'self ' daily to be a part, and to allow others to be a part, of the body of Christ.

Lisa

Question: Is biblical prophecy to be taken literally or as metaphoric and symbolic?
Answer: Modern 'prophets' speak in riddles, mumbling one vague sentence after another, but the God of prophecy speaks in order to be understood, believed and obeyed.

Jeremiah 40:3 in the NIV says, "and now the LORD has brought it about; He has done just as He said He would."

For one example, in Genesis 16:12, an angel prophesied that Hagar's son Ishmael, the son born to Abraham through his wife Sarah's maid, would be: "a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."

The Jews trace their ancestry back to Isaac, while the Arabs count Ishmael as their father. The hostility predicted so long ago continues to boil.

The deadliest terrorist attack in modern history occurred on September 11, 2001, when nineteen "sons of Ishmael" snuffed out the lives of almost 3,000 guiltless victims. Their associates have declared war on the west and are using the most advanced means possible to force the world to submit to their hate.

Striving to equip themselves with modern weapons of mass destruction, these religious fanatics think they please God by killing all that stand in their path of world conquest. Their evil touches even the most innocent among us.

What might have happened if Abraham and Sarah had taken God at His word and just waited for Isaac? How might things be different today if they decided against interpreting the Lord's prophecy in any other way than literally?

At the least, their experience ought to teach us to proceed slowly before we ever decide that, in order to avoid a 'ridiculous' scenario, we must interpret bible prophecy symbolically or metaphorically.

A hundred-year-old man and a ninety-year-old woman having a baby together? Sounds ridiculous to me. But "the LORD has brought it about; He has done just as He said He would."

King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the warrior made of different types of material in Daniel 2:32-33 was symbolic but Daniel's translation and the dreams execution were literal.

About 500 biblical prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal way so it is logical to assume that the remaining biblical prophecies will be fulfilled in the same manner.

The books 'The Merciful God of Prophecy' and 'How to Interpret Prophecy for Yourself' by Tim LaHaye gives some awesome information about prophecy.

Question: I have read that in the world today there are over 400 different churches that claim to be Christian. There are Baptists, Lutherans, United, Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, etc., etc., etc. Since there are so many different churches that claim to be Christian and yet they all differ in doctrines, beliefs and teachings - which one is the true church instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, when He said: "thou art Peter and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell will never prevail against it!" Matthew 16:18. Note: that our Lord said church and not churches and that His "true church" would never be destroyed - which means that it is still among us - which one? "One Lord, one faith, one baptism" Ephesians 4:5	Answer: Peter was the disciple that Jesus loved and Peter also loved Jesus. The love of Jesus for ALL mankind is what led Him to the cross, and it is the truth of the meaning of the crucifiction of Christ that the gates of hell can never prevail against. The true church is not a building or a denomination but is made up of people who have admitted their sinful, fallen state and have asked Jesus to save their lives and to become their Lord. In Matthew 22: 37-40 it states, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment and the second is like it 'you shall love your neighbour as yourself ' on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." The spirit of religion (doctrine without love) has overcome a lot of the body of Christ, and Jesus rebukes the church for this in Revelation 2:4, "nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13, that unless we have love, everything we do is pointless, and amounts to nothing. Micah 6:8 says, "He (God) has shown you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" We tend, in this day and age, to be more focused on what others are doing rather than what we ourselves should be doing in obedience to God. We need to get back to having a personal, loving relationship with Jesus the same way that Peter did. God does not want us ignorant about what goes on in the world. He even warns us in Matthew 10:16, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." We are required to boldly pray about what we see. I'm wondering if you, or any other readers, do not have a church family of your own, and I would like to extend an invitation for you to join mine. I guarantee, like all healthy-growing families, that we will eventually get on your nerves, but I can also guarantee that we love and defend each other. The body of Christ, the True Church, is made up of many members, and we must sacrifice 'self ' daily to be a part, and to allow others to be a part, of the body of Christ. Lisa
Question: Is biblical prophecy to be taken literally or as metaphoric and symbolic?	Answer: Modern 'prophets' speak in riddles, mumbling one vague sentence after another, but the God of prophecy speaks in order to be understood, believed and obeyed. Jeremiah 40:3 in the NIV says, "and now the LORD has brought it about; He has done just as He said He would." For one example, in Genesis 16:12, an angel prophesied that Hagar's son Ishmael, the son born to Abraham through his wife Sarah's maid, would be: "a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." The Jews trace their ancestry back to Isaac, while the Arabs count Ishmael as their father. The hostility predicted so long ago continues to boil. The deadliest terrorist attack in modern history occurred on September 11, 2001, when nineteen "sons of Ishmael" snuffed out the lives of almost 3,000 guiltless victims. Their associates have declared war on the west and are using the most advanced means possible to force the world to submit to their hate. Striving to equip themselves with modern weapons of mass destruction, these religious fanatics think they please God by killing all that stand in their path of world conquest. Their evil touches even the most innocent among us. What might have happened if Abraham and Sarah had taken God at His word and just waited for Isaac? How might things be different today if they decided against interpreting the Lord's prophecy in any other way than literally? At the least, their experience ought to teach us to proceed slowly before we ever decide that, in order to avoid a 'ridiculous' scenario, we must interpret bible prophecy symbolically or metaphorically. A hundred-year-old man and a ninety-year-old woman having a baby together? Sounds ridiculous to me. But "the LORD has brought it about; He has done just as He said He would." King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the warrior made of different types of material in Daniel 2:32-33 was symbolic but Daniel's translation and the dreams execution were literal. About 500 biblical prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal way so it is logical to assume that the remaining biblical prophecies will be fulfilled in the same manner. The books 'The Merciful God of Prophecy' and 'How to Interpret Prophecy for Yourself' by Tim LaHaye gives some awesome information about prophecy.