₦airaland Forum

Judging others means we form a firm opinion about others without knowing them enough. With a preset mind, we treat them to fit the notion we have about them.

Most of the time, we judge those struggling or doing too well. By letting them down in our minds, we create a sense of superiority over those we feel are behind us and find faults in those ahead of us to satisfy our ego.

Try to look beyond a person's appearance, situation or state of life. Understand and help those you see in need and learn from those who have succeeded.

ANSWER: This is a question that is near to my heart because my wife and I lost a daughter about 1 ½ years ago. I can tell you that it was probably the hardest and most heart-breaking event in our lives. I’m sure you will agree with that. As has been said many times, “A parent should not have to bury their child.” I can tell you how we handled our grief and hopefully that will be a help to you.

We were very thankful and comforted by the fact that our daughter was a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ. We were comforted by the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:8 which says, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” We were thankful to know that our daughter is now in the presence of the Lord. Along with that, we found comfort knowing that in the presence of the Lord, she is experiencing joy unspeakable. Psalm 16:11 tells us, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: IN THY PRESENCE IS FULNESS OF JOY; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” These thoughts did not immediately take away our grief, but they certainly made it easier to bear.

We were also helped by reading 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” This does not say that we will not grieve, but our grief is different from those who must grief the loss of an unsaved child. Our daughter was saved, so WE KNOW that we will see her again one day! That was such an encouragement to us!

One person I read about said they took comfort knowing their departed loved one was with the Lord, but they just wished they were still here with them. I understood that feeling completely. We sure wish our daughter was still here with us, but realizing she is with the Lord gives us great comfort and strength. During the time of our greatest grief, we clung to our blessed “God of all comfort” as we read in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, THE FATHER OF MERCIES, and THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT; WHO COMFORTETH US in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” What a comfort He was in our grief! My wife and I were remarking one evening that we thought we would be grieving harder and longer than what we were undergoing. We realized we were experiencing what we read about in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” That peace of God, which is beyond understanding, was working in our hearts to heal and comfort us.

I am resisting the urge to say, “I know how you feel” because..... (READ MORE) https://www.livingalter.com.ng/2022/12/question-how-should-christian-parents.html

Change is frightening for most of us because it brings us out of our comfort zone into a zone of uncertainty. Once we embrace and stop resisting the change, the transformation process can happen without much unease.

Sometimes we go through a significant change in our lives. Whether it is the beginning or an end of a new relationship, career, work or place, moving away from what we are used to always seems challenging until we find how beneficial change is for us.

Do not fear change; try to adapt to whatever situation life brings you. When we go through change, we explore our capabilities, meet new people and be in a place that sometimes can be life-changing.

[b][/b]ANSWER: In your question, I see two possible answers. First, does one have to be baptized in order to be saved? To that, I say, ABSOLUTELY NOT! Let us look at a few verses that speak to us of how to be saved.

• Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
• Acts 16:30-32, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.”
• Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
• John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

These verses (and many more) make it clear that salvation comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, apart from any works or acts. Paul the apostle said in 1 Corinthians 1:14, “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius.” If baptism was a requirement for salvation, would not the apostle have sought to baptize all he could? Rather, he sought to share the Gospel with all he could.

To look at your question in a different way, we consider, is baptism necessary for a believer in Christ to be obedient? To that, I say, ABSOLUTELY YES! Baptism is an act of obedience for the believer. Let us look at a few verses that speak to us of the importance of baptism.

• Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
• Acts 8:36-37, “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
• Romans 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

These verses show .... (READ MORE)
https://www.livingalter.com.ng/2022/12/question-is-water-baptism-necessary-for.html

QUESTION: What does the Bible say about going to a bar just to dance with your wife and friends?

ANSWER: My dear friend, thank you for wanting to know what Scripture says. I’m guessing that this activity is something that you and your family do enjoy, but either you or someone else has expressed a conscience about this activity. It is to your credit for sure that you are seeking the Lord’s mind, and I do believe that we should always seek the Lord’s will whenever making an important decision. I cannot point to a certain Scripture where the specific issue of going dancing in a bar is addressed per se, however, we do read in 1 Thessalonians 5:22: “Abstain from all appearance of evil”. Now, what does this verse actually mean? The McDonald Bible Commentary says: “Abstain from every form of evil may mean false tongues, prophecies, or teachings, or it may mean evil in general….Test all by the word of God…”.

Now, I believe 1 Thessalonians 5:22 refers to not only false doctrine, but also to “evil in general,” just as MacDonald noted above. I don’t know if you use alcohol or not, but honestly, this in itself is an issue for many true believers on the Lord Jesus. I personally do not believe that the use of alcohol in moderation is evil in and of itself. And indeed, you yourself may not consider the use of alcohol in moderation, nor dancing in a bar (or anywhere for that matter) as evil, but there are other brothers and sisters in Christ that surely do, and these might be stumbled or tempted to violate their own faith principles by the example that you set for them. For the sake of loving care for others, I believe that the Scriptural principle would be that we abstain from any activity such as drinking and dancing in a bar, or indeed in front of other Christians who might have a conscience about this, for the sake of charity and care for others. I will suggest to you that you carefully and prayerfully read Romans 14:13-23, and that you be willing to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit in terms of what you choose to drink or the activities you participate in before other Christians who may have a conscience about these matters. For convenience, I’ll cite a couple of these verses: “But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died” (verse 15); “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (verse 17); “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (verse 19); and “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak” (verse 21).

Read more.... https://www.livingalter.com.ng/2022/11/question-what-does-bible-say-about.html

QUESTION: Can two divorced persons get married to each other?

ANSWER: Before we seek to answer this, it’s good to remind ourselves that God hates divorce. In Matthew 19:3 the Pharisees asked the Lord Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” The Lord immediately drew their attention to God’s design for marriage in the very beginning and He insisted that it was intended to be permanent with these words from verse 6, “What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” The world around us mocks God with their flippant attitude towards marriage and divorce, and the Christian does well to take marriage and divorce seriously.

The Lord went on in this exchange with the Pharisees to give one exception to the rule. In verse 9 He said, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” If one spouse is unfaithful to the other by an act of fornication, which in this case means “adultery,” the marriage bond is broken and it is grounds for divorce. The innocent party would not only be justified in divorcing their unfaithful spouse, they would also be free to remarry. So, the answer to your question is YES, two divorced persons could marry each other if their former marriages ended as a result of adultery, and they were the innocent parties. But outside of this exception, divorce is NOT permissible, and if one does divorce their spouse for any other reason and then remarry, they would be guilty of adultery.

There is one other “possible” cause for divorce and remarriage. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth on ... (READ MORE)
https://www.livingalter.com.ng/2022/10/question-can-two-divorced-persons-get.html

QUESTION: Over the years I have been reading the story of Jacob in the book of Genesis and I can’t seem to understand something. When the Bible says he wrestled with the angel, was it a physical fight?

ANSWER: As we shall see, this was indeed a “physical fight” with a “Man” who is also called an “Angel” and Jacob realized during the wrestling match that the Man/Angel was none other than God Himself. This interesting account is in Genesis 32:22-32 and we will break this down to see what we can learn.

Verses 22-24: “And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.” There is no reason not to believe that this was a “literal wrestling with a Man” that went on all night long. Notice how the word “Man” is capitalized. Why is this? Ah, because this was no “ordinary man.” In Hosea 12:4 we read, “Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; he wept, and sought favor from Him, he found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke to us.” Hosea is describing this same wrestling match and he calls the Man “the Angel.” This was not any “ordinary angel” for it is indeed “THE Angel of the Lord,” which is a name the God took when He appeared to men at times throughout the Old Testament. Hosea goes on to say that Jacob “sought favor from Him” which also tells us this was God Himself, for no one would ask a mere angel to bless him. Let’s read on and this will become clearer.

Verses 25-29: “Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’ But he said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me!’ So He said to him, ‘What is your name?” He said, ‘Jacob.’ And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.’ Then Jacob asked, saying, ‘Tell me Your name, I pray.’ And He said, ‘Why is it that you ask about My name?’ And He blessed him there.” As we read this carefully, we see that it was actually God that wrestled with Jacob and that Jacob prevailed, even though God put the socket of Jacob’s hip out of joint. Jacob may have lost the “physical fight” but he did win a “spiritual victory” since he was determined to cling to the Man/Angel until he was blessed by Him and God did bless him! He changed his name Jacob (which means “supplanter, deceiver”) to Israel (a Prince with God). Jacob’s “new name” became the name of the nation which would be born through him! Again, Jacob lost the wrestling match, but he was awarded a spiritual blessing because in faith he held on to the Lord and asked Him to bless him. In other words, he was “pleading for God to show him grace” and that’s exactly what God did! This teaches us, dear fellow-believers, that even though we are “weak in ourselves,” we can be “strong in faith” and cling to the Lord for His blessings which He, in His bountiful grace, loves to bestow upon us.

Verses 30-32: And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: ‘For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.’ Just as he crossed over Penuel, the sun rose on him, and HE LIMPED ON HIS HIP. Therefore ... (READ MORE)
https://www.livingalter.com.ng/2022/10/question-over-years-i-have-been-reading.html

QUESTION: Can people in heaven see people in hell? I asked this in reference to the rich man and the beggar.

ANSWER: Thank you my dear friend for this very interesting question. I do not believe that this parable indicates that those in glory are looking at things on the earth nor in hell. Now, it does appear that the rich man in this parable was able to see Lazarus in heavenly bliss, but could not communicate with him directly. We read in Luke 16:23: “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” Thus, we can clearly gather that the rich man, after death, is in fact in Hades and in torment, and that he is fully conscious of his situation. He is able to look out and see father Abraham, and Lazarus in his bosom, but he only calls out to Abraham. We are not told here that Lazarus looked out and saw the rich man, and the only communication is between Abraham and the rich man, and not with Lazarus himself. I believe this to be important because that place where Lazarus is said to be, Abraham’s bosom, describes a place of heavenly bliss. Lazarus does not have his body in heaven (that does not happen until the Lord Jesus returns to the clouds in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18); but clearly his spirit and soul are there in heaven awaiting the resurrection. When the children of God die, they are immediately taken to heaven. This is a place where there is no more sorrowing. It seems to me that if those who are with Christ were able to see those in hell or on earth, there might be plenty of events to concern or discourage them. In heaven, there will be no sorrow or crying, as we see in Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Thus, I believe that those in the glory are not able to see those in torment…nothing that would bring sorrow or worry. On the other hand, I do believe that in heaven, there must be an awareness of when a sinner comes to Christ (see Luke 15:7).

But now, I do want to clarify what I believe to be the thrust of the Lord Jesus’ message when He spoke of this event. As we read in Luke 16, this rich man apparently was all about his riches, and indeed, in the time of our Lord Jesus, the Jews in Israel did apparently feel that riches on earth were a sign of God’s favor. Clearly, this rich man despised the poor, and Lazarus was exceedingly poor and sick.

His behavior concerning the need of Lazarus for relief clearly shows that the rich man had not the least spirit of kindness nor generosity towards the poor, and I believe this was the heart of the lesson for the Jews of that time, and certainly for us today who may be blessed with riches by God. Riches and social status are not to be used as the sign of God’s favor, but rather are blessings from a gracious God, and these blessings are not to be used for self-aggrandizement, nor are one’s blessings in material things to be hoarded for one’s own pleasure. Rather, there is a responsibility to use such blessings graciously, as the Lord Jesus has taught us to do. The child of God is expected to be kind and generous to the poor, and to use our God-given resources to bless those who have need, rather than to hoard our riches to ourselves and scorn the poor (see James 2:6-8; 15,16). Thus, when the rich man died, he went to
torment, not because of his wealth, but rather because.... (Read more)
https://www.livingalter.com.ng/2022/11/question-can-people-in-heaven-see.html
[color=#006600][/color]

QUESTION: What is the difference between God and Lord?

ANSWER: The word “God” is the Greek word THEOS in the New Testament. The word THEOS also denotes a “Deity,” which is synonymous with God. The Bible teaches us that God is a “Supreme Being Who is eternal,” which means He never had a beginning, nor will He ever cease to be. Psalm 90:2 speaks to this, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING, You are God” (NKJV). This verse also teaches us that God is the CREATOR, which is also confirmed in the first verse of our Bible: “In the beginning God CREATED the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Besides being ETERNAL and the CREATOR, God has three Divine attributes. He is: 1) Omnipotent (all-powerful), 2) Omniscient (all-knowing), and 3) Omnipresent (present everywhere). And finally, “God is one God who at the same time subsists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (see Matthew 28:19). God is “NOT three Gods,” but “three Persons who are CO-EQUAL and they all share the same Divine attributes mentioned above.” They also have the same nature of LOVE, as we see in 1st John 4:8 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is LOVE.” And they all have a HOLY nature, as we see in 1st Peter 1:15-16, “But as He who called you is HOLY, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.” This is also taught in 1st John 1:5, “God is LIGHT and in Him is no darkness at all.” Finally, because all three Persons are God, they are each “called God.” The Father is called God in 1st Corinthians 8:6, “Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him.” The Son is called God in John 20:28, “And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!” The Holy Spirit is called God in Acts 5:3-4, “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit….You have not lied to men but to God.”

The word “Lord” is the Greek word KURIOS and it “signifies having power or authority.” We saw that God is a “Supreme eternal Being” who is the CREATOR who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere at the same time. The title “Lord” means He has “power and authority over all things”; He is the “LORD of His creation.” He has authority over inanimate creation (the heaven and the earth and the vegetable kingdom…see Genesis 1:6-19) and animate creation (animals, fish, birds and man…see Genesis 1:20-28). Each Person in the Godhead is referred to as “Lord.” Jesus (who is “God manifest in the flesh”…see John 1:1, 14; 1st Timothy 3:16) prayed to His Father in Matthew 11:25 and said, “I thank You, Father, LORD of heaven and earth….” We already saw in John 20:28 that Thomas called Jesus, “My LORD and my God.” And in 2nd Corinthians 3:17 the apostle Paul said, “Now the LORD is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Though every Person in the Godhead is Lord, we read in Acts 1:36 that Jesus is the one who God wants men to especially acknowledge as their Lord. Peter said, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Jesus, whom you crucified, both LORD and Christ.” This is especially borne out in Philippians 2:8-11, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.” So, not only is the Son of God “Lord” by reason of Him being God, but He is also “Lord” as a Man who humbled Himself and laid down His life on the cross to redeem sinners. Every sinner who believes on Jesus Christ gladly owns Him as Lord! We see this in Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Because He is the believer’s Lord, they gladly follow Him and obey Him, which is the truth illustrated in water baptism. In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said, “ALL .... (Read more)
https://www.livingalter.com.ng/2022/11/question-what-is-difference-between-god.html

QUESTION: How important is it to fellowship with other Christians? Is it okay to stay at home and stream the church services?

ANSWER: The Greek word for fellowship in the New Testament is ‘koinonia’ and is defined as partnership, (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction. The Lord created the church, the body of Christ, in such a way that we are incomplete without each other. All believers on the Lord Jesus Christ are in the body of Christ and have a role to play. 1 Corinthians 12:27 tells us, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” Speaking of Christ, we read in Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Christ is the head of His body, which is the church. All believers are members of His body and are dependent upon the Head to lead us. Through faith in Christ, we are not only related to Him, but we are related to each other as we read in Romans 12:5, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

As ‘members one of another’ we need each other and have responsibilities towards each other. Let us look at a few examples:

• Romans 13:8, “Owe no man any thing, but to LOVE ONE ANOTHER: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”
• Galatians 5:13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love SERVE ONE ANOTHER.”
• Galatians 6:2, “BEAR YE ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
• Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; TEACHING AND ADMONISHING ONE ANOTHER in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Wherefore COMFORT YOURSELVES TOGETHER, and EDIFY ONE ANOTHER, even as also ye do.”
• James 5:16, “CONFESS YOUR FAULTS ONE TO ANOTHER and PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Surely it is obvious that as fellow members of the Body of Christ, we need each other. We need personal interaction with each other so that we might minister to each other. Covid has changed the way we meet together. Many church groups, in order to minister to as many as possible, have begun streaming their services because of gathering limitations set because of Covid. This is a good thing, but the downside to that (surely the work of Satan) has been that many do not gather with fellow saints anymore. They have become comfortable listening to a sermon from the comfort of their own homes. This limits their ability to fellowship with and minister to fellow believers. As the Covid pandemic is seemingly decreasing, we should seek to gather with believers of “like precious faith” (2 Peter 1:1) on a consistent basis now.

We are instructed in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

If possible, we need to .... (Read more)
https://www.livingalter.com.ng/2022/11/question-how-important-is-it-to.html