Ask Your Preacher - Archives
A Building Not Made With Hands
Thursday, November 30, 2017Can a church or congregation be decorated with statues of goblins and gargoyles?Sincerely,
Architectural Interest
Dear Architectural Interest,
Your question brings up a common misconception in today’s society. When we look at how the Bible uses the word ‘church’, it never refers to a building – it always refers to a group of believers. In fact, the word ‘church’ comes from a Greek word which literally translated means ‘the called out’. The church is the group of people that have heeded Jesus’ call to repent and be baptized (Matt 28:19-20).
It is the misidentification of the church as a building that has led to increasingly ornate and filigreed places of worship. Goblins, gargoyles, stained glasses, crystal, mahogany woodwork, and a thousand other extravagances have been placed within buildings because people have been taught that the structure is what is important… it isn’t. The people are what matter – christians are the house of God (1 Tim 3:15). The church, assembled christians, can meet anywhere they want. They can meet in a park, a warehouse, a home, a rented building, or a purchased church building. It doesn’t matter what the location is; wherever two or more christians are gathered together, God is there (Matt 18:20).
Day 237 - 3 John
Wednesday, November 29, 20175 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom
A Hands Off Approach
Wednesday, November 29, 2017Is it okay for me and my girlfriend to do stuff together (like sexual stuff) without having intercourse?Sincerely,
Dating
Dear Dating,
There is a difference between romantic acts and sexual acts… and sexual acts are for marriage only. There is a line between a gentle kiss of affection and a lustful kiss of sexual appetite. Until marriage, it is important that you and your girlfriend avoid lustful situations altogether. Paul told Timothy to “flee youthful lusts” (2 Tim 2:22), and 1 Thess 4:5 warns against the “passions of lust”. Don’t defile the beauty of the marriage bed (Heb 13:4) by jumping into lustful activities before your vows. If you do get married, there will be many blissful and happy years to enjoy each others’ physical attentions… and if she isn’t the one, you won’t later regret keeping yourself pure for your wife.