Mark 12:30 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”.  What does the word ‘all’ mean?

Sincerely,
All For One

Dear All For One,

The word ‘all’ in that verse means ‘whole’.  The Greek word comes with the connotation of ‘the sum of something’s parts’.  For example, the ‘whole city’ means ‘every section of the city’.  God tells us to love Him with our whole heart, whole soul, whole mind, and whole strength – leave no corner of your soul and life untouched by His presence.

What is the meaning of “a thousand years with the Lord is as one day, and one day as a thousand years”?

Sincerely,
Tick Tock

Dear Tick Tock,

The verse you are referring to is 2 Pet 3:8.  When you put that verse in context, it is referring to how patient God is.  God created the world, and someday He will destroy it (2 Pet 3:11).  Mockers say that this will never happen because nothing cataclysmic has happened in their lifetime (2 Pet 3:3-4).  But in mocking God, they forget that things have changed throughout history.  One time God flooded the earth – that’s a big change (2 Pet 3:5-6), and someday He will destroy the earth by fire (2 Pet. 3:7).  Just because those events didn’t happen in our lifetime, doesn’t mean they didn’t or won’t happen.  God is very patient and gives mankind many years to repent and turn back to Him before the Final Judgment (2 Pet 3:8-9).

I am looking for a lesson on the authority of worshipping on Sunday as opposed to serving the Lord on Saturday.  After reading about the Council of Laodicea and seeing that after Christ died 300 plus years later, the church seemed to take a change.  Although I have heard lessons on this subject, it has been some time, and unfortunately, I need a refresher.

Sincerely,
Ready For The Weekend

Dear Ready For The Weekend,

Christians have always worshipped God on Sunday.  The easiest place to see this in Acts 20:7 where Paul met with a congregation to worship on Sunday.  Furthermore, local congregations are commanded to gather together and take up a collection on Sundays (1 Cor 16:1-2).  The pattern of the church meeting on Sundays is established very early in the New Testament.  Sunday worship is the Biblical pattern of worship – not Saturdays.

Hi, I was wanting to know if my wife and I will still be married in heaven?  I have been taught in the past that the Bible says you will know as you are known.  I always thought that meant that I would still be married to her, and I would still know my family because I know her as my wife.  Please tell me what you think and explain it to me!  Please respond ASAP.  God Bless!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,
A Married Man

Dear A Married Man,

You will not be married to your wife in heaven… but that doesn’t mean you won’t know her.  Even those in torments know those who are in Paradise (the rich man knew Lazarus – Lk 16:24).  You will know your spouse in heaven, but you definitely will not be married to her.  Jesus makes that very clear in Matt 22:30.  There is no marriage in heaven.

What are the keys to the kingdom?

Sincerely,
Locked In Confusion

Dear Locked In Confusion,

The keys to the kingdom are the teachings that provide access to salvation (which is only found in the church).  In Matt 16:13-15, Jesus asked His disciples who He was.  Peter told Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16-17).  After that statement, Jesus tells Peter that His church (which is the kingdom – Col 1:13) will be built upon the foundational rock of Peter’s statement that Jesus was the Christ (Matt 16:18).

After that statement, Jesus tells the apostles that they will be given the keys to the kingdom/church (Matt 16:19).  Keys provide access.  If you have the keys to a house – you can get in.  Keys to the car – you can drive it.  Keys to the kingdom – you know how to get into the church.  Jesus told the apostles that they would receive that key knowledge when the Holy Spirit came (Jhn 14:26).  The Holy Spirit gave the miraculous knowledge to the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  Consequently, the apostles have written down this knowledge for us to read (Eph 3:4)… so that we can have the keys to the kingdom, too.

Your take on the word of faith?  I am currently a member of a Four Square church with phenomenal growth, although they are moderate in context of extreme examples like Haggen, Hinn, etc.  I came from the Calvary Chapel movement which taught against this.  I have found discipleship and ministry involvement, but I still question the constant repeated claims of, “Speak this exercise, your faith is a force to change circumstances, don’t ever admit poverty, lack, sickness, etc.”  They are always alluding to financial blessings, sowing to reap, etc.  I see Biblical precedence, yet it seems a spin on what God intended to tell us through

His Word.  Declaring all God’s promises has not helped me keep my home, jobs, deliverance from bondage to tobacco, sin, and financial need.  Help me put this into perspective.

Sincerely,
More For The Money?

Dear More For The Money,

The theology that your church is ascribing to is called “the prosperity gospel” – and it is a lie.  The prosperity gospel doctrine teaches that the more faith you have, the more money, health, power, etc. you will receive.  They teach that all sicknesses, poverty, and suffering are caused by a lack of faith.  This is simply wrong.

Jesus suffered more than anyone – and yet He was perfectly faithful and never sinned (Heb 4:15).  When Jesus was asked why a certain man was blind, His answer was, “That God’s works could be revealed in Him” (Jhn 9:1-3).  That blind man wasn’t blind because He had sinned, He was blind because it gave God an opportunity to use him.  The apostle Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” (some sort of sickness) that God gave him… even though Paul was exceptionally faithful (2 Cor 12:7).  Job suffered at the hands of Satan BECAUSE he was so faithful (Job 1:8).  And last, but not least, God clearly states that we must suffer in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (Acts 14:22).

The idea that serving Christ will provide you with every physical blessing you could ever want is a perversion of the Scriptures.  It is a preaching that is based upon selfishness and the love of money – both of which God abhors (2 Tim 3:2, 1 Tim 6:10).  Christians should condemn and flee from this kind of false teaching.