5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE

What do you do when you are trying to make a difference, and you come across a person who tries to question your faith?  I mean that the person I am referring to has made a lot of satanic-type comments.  What do I do?

Sincerely,
Cat Got My Tongue

Dear Cat Got My Tongue,

It depends on how they are questioning your faith.  If someone has specific and honest questions about your Christianity, God expects you to be ready to give them honest and Biblical answers (1 Pet 3:15).  However, if someone is just trying to provoke you and be argumentative for argument’s sake… the Bible has another answer for that – don’t throw your pearls before swine (Matt 7:6).

I believe that you have to be baptized to go to heaven, but the church I might go to believes you don’t have to be baptized to go to heaven.  IF I join this church, and I still believe it in my heart that you have to be baptized, will I still get in to heaven even though the preacher who baptized me doesn’t?

Sincerely,
Asking For Directions

Dear Asking For Directions,

The church needs to be the pillar and ground of the truth in the local community (1 Tim 3:15).  If a congregation isn’t teaching the totality of what Jesus’ Word says, He promises to spit them out of His mouth (Rev 3:16).  Baptism is necessary for salvation (1 Pet 3:21, Mk 16:16, Acts 2:37-38).  If a church doesn’t teach baptism, it isn’t teaching salvation.  If a congregation can’t be trusted to preach and teach the truth about what it takes to become a christian… it can’t be trusted.  Whenever you join yourself to a local church, you are pledging your time, effort, and reputation to them.  Are you sure you want to attach yourself to a group that you wouldn’t trust to teach you about salvation?  If you would like help finding a faithful church in your area (that does properly teach the Bible), e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org, and we would be happy to help locate one for you.

I have a question about Jewish people.  I have heard of people saying that they are Jewish, but what is the difference between them and other churches?  I know this is a big question, but it has been on my mind for a few days, and I know that your answers are from the Bible, and I can trust you.  Thanks and keep up the good work.

Oh, I forgot to add one last thing, I have heard somewhere before (I think) that maybe Jesus was Jewish; is this true?  Thanks for the help, guys!

Sincerely,
Who’s A Jew?

Dear Who’s A Jew,

Jesus was a Jew because He lived under the Old Testament Law.  The Old Testament Law was given by Moses (Jhn 1:17).  The Old Testament was God’s contract with the nation of Israel (also known as the Jewish nation).  Jesus was born an Israelite.  Jesus came and fulfilled the Old Testament law by living a perfect and sinless life (Matt 5:17).  Through Christ, we have a new law… the New Testament (Rom 7:4).  Modern Jews follow parts of the Old Testament (the Jewish religion of today has veered away quite a bit from the law given by Moses), but they never follow the New Testament because they don’t believe Jesus was the Savior.  Today’s Jews are still waiting for the Messiah to come and bring them peace and prosperity.  Jesus was rejected by the Jewish leadership (Lk 9:22).  If you look at a Jew’s Bible, it will only contain the Old Testament because they are still waiting for a Savior that has already come.

Why would you say that angels could aid us, but not the Holy Spirit?  Where are the verses that specifically tell us the Holy Spirit does not act outside of scripture?  Seems like the Holy Spirit doesn't have a role any longer if that is the case, because scripture isn't living, but already written.  Is one third of the Godhead dormant?

Sincerely,
Where Did He Go?

Dear Where Did He Go?,

We here at AYP have never meant to imply that the Holy Spirit wasn’t able to help us – just because the Holy Spirit doesn’t perform visible miracles such as the parting of the Red Sea or the instantaneous healing of the lame, doesn’t mean He isn’t active.  Since the Holy Spirit is God (1 Cor 2:11, Gen 1:2) just as much as Jesus and the Father are, He is capable of being involved in our lives in a variety of ways.  The Holy Spirit’s primary task was to bring the gospel to mankind.  As you mentioned, He is why we have the Bible, and that is how the majority of His impact is made upon mankind.  Here are some examples of things that the Holy Spirit does through the Word:

1. He shows us God’s love for us (Rom 5:5).
2. He teaches us how to be born again (Jhn 3:5).
3. He dwells in our hearts (Rom 8:9) as we allow His words to lead us (Rom 8:14).
4. He bears witness for the saved before men (Rom 8:16).
5. He tells us what is on God’s mind (1 Cor 2:10).

By inspiring the writers of the Bible, testifying of their divine authority by miracles, and preserving their words through all history, the Holy Spirit has made Christ’s sacrifice available to all of mankind.

The Holy Spirit also actively does a few things that don’t directly relate to the Bible.

1. He makes sure our prayers are understood (Rom 8:26).
2. He intercedes for us with God (Rom 8:27).
3. He acts as our guarantee from God of eternal blessings (2 Cor 5:5).  One way to think of this is that God sent Him to be with us- sort of like a downpayment on His promise to spend eternity with us in heaven.
4. He grieves when we sin (Eph 4:30).

There can be no doubt that the Holy Spirit is actively preserving and distributing God’s Word, watching over our lives with providential care, and intimately caring about how you live and where you will spend eternity.