My wife is a member of a Baptist church.  I have never been a member at any church.  I hardly ever went, and if I did it was a different church every so often.  Her father is the pastor there.  I asked her the other day if maybe we could visit a different church and listen to some different preaching other than her father’s sometime.  I only asked if we could do this like once every three months or so.  She bluntly said, “NO!”  I asked why, and she said, “I’m a member of my church, and I won’t go anywhere else.”  I have to admit, this made me sort of upset.  What’s the Bible’s take on this????

Sincerely,
The Un-Baptist Son-In-Law

Dear The Un-Baptist Son-In-Law,

The Bible says that you must work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Php 2:12).  Regardless of your wife’s choices, you must make it a point to seek out and find the truth.  Not all churches are equal.  As we have said to people in other posts, denominationalism is wrong.  Baptist churches make Baptists, Lutheran churches make Lutherans, Catholic churches make Catholics, etc.  You want to find a church that teaches the Bible, not manmade doctrines.  There were no Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, etc. in Christ’s day… and that should stand as a warning to us about the dangers of adding things that Christ never intended.  We shouldn’t add to God’s law nor subtract from it (Rev 22:18-19).  We recommend you read “All For One” for more information about the blight of denominationalism.

You are right to want to look around and search for the truth (Lk 11:9).  It is important that we worship God in a way that is both zealous and obedient to the truth (Jhn 4:24).  Visit around, ask questions, and test the preaching of various congregations (1 Jn 4:1).  Make it your goal to find the truth… not simply a congregation that is enjoyable to visit.  Feel free to read “Finding A Church” and “Preacher Interrogation” to help arm yourself to ask the right questions and find a faithful congregation in your area.

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

Christians believe that Jesus did almost everything in fulfilling the prophecy here on Earth, and what He didn't do, He will do in His second coming.  Jews believe there is nowhere in the Bible that says their Messiah will come back a second time, so they just believe Jesus was some crazy guy.

Please, show me Scriptures on this subject.  Where in the Bible does it say Jesus will come back for a SECOND time… and do I have the general idea right?

Thank you so much for your time.  I don't know the Bible like I SHOULD.  But I'm going to fix that.  Thank you, again.

Sincerely,
Repeat Visit?

Dear Repeat Visit,

When Jesus ascended into heaven, the angels promised the apostles that someday Jesus would return in exactly the same way as He left (Acts 1:10-11).  The Scriptures are very clear that Jesus will someday return to claim His people (1 Thess 4:13-18).  You are right on the money with that part.

Jesus’ second coming isn’t the reason the Jews don’t believe He is the Messiah.  The reason they don’t believe He is the Messiah is because He died on the cross and never saved them from Rome.  The Jews expected a Messiah that would save them from their physical enemies and set up a powerful kingdom on earth.  However, Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, not a physical one (Jhn 18:36).  The Jews mocked Jesus while He was on the cross because they believed His crucifixion clearly proved He wasn’t the Savior (Lk 23:35).  In short, the Jews expected a physical king, and Jesus came as a spiritual king.  They never accepted Him because of it.

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

In Genesis 32:30, Jacob called the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”  Did Jacob really see God face to face?  Please explain.  Because John 1:18 says, “No man has seen God at anytime...”

Sincerely,
Look Me In The Eye

Dear Look Me In The Eye,

Jacob did not actually see God face to face; Jacob was simply using poetic language to describe the fact that he had wrestled with an angelic, heavenly being and survived (Gen 32:24-25).  God specifically told Moses that if anyone saw God’s face, they would die (Ex 33:20).  Jacob had come face to face with a spiritual being sent by God and lived to tell the tale (Gen 32:28).  That is all that is meant by the phrase “face to face”.