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Send your questions
and/or comments to
Ron@FridayStudy.org.
Answers/replies will
be sent to you by
Pastor Ron and/or by
our Pastoral Staff.
God bless you and
thank you.
____________________________
My new tenant is a lady
(in a certain religion) who has to have a biopsy. I told
her I would pray for
her and she said
"thank you." She
commented that "it
was in the temple
already." Since I'm
not very familiar
with her religion
and she was quite
upset with her
condition, I did not
go into asking
questions or have a
conversation about
it. I know when we
we tried to go into
her temple but were
told we could only
go at tour times. So
we never got back to
go. I have heard
that they are part
of a "cult". She is
a very sweet lady
and I want to know
what to say to her
without offending
her religion. I
would like to put
her on my prayer
chain for her biopsy
on Sept. 9th.
thanks, Diana
Diana, I have met
fine people in her
religion, and since
they look to Jesus,
it may be that some
unknown percentage
of individuals in
that group will be
with us in eternity.
But the religion
itself has an
important missing
ingredient – the
blood of Christ.
When I attended a
marriage a couple of
decades ago, the
minister of that
religion droned
on-and-on for what I
thought was an
unnecessarily long
period of time. I
picked up their song
book from the rack
on the back of the
pew in front of me
and leafed through
it. I noticed there
was no mention of
the blood of Christ
or of His death on
the cross or the
fact that He died
for our sins. He was
portrayed in those
songs as a Teacher,
Preacher, Guide,
Example, and so on.
I think you can be
one of them, but look
with all your heart
to Jesus, He will
save you. But if you
strictly look to
their religion and
attempt to please
God by following its
rules, you’ll miss
God’s best. We are
not saved by our
good works; we are
saved by the grace
of God, made
operative through
faith in His Son. --- Pastor Ron
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Ron, I am trying to find a short verse on GRACE... Do you have
any suggestions? Thank you. Kathy
Dear Kathy, I like
the Lord’s response
in 2 Corinthians
12:9 as a short
statement
on God's grace: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Or you
might try Ephesians
2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved.” --- Pastor Ron
____________________________
I am reading your study in Genesis. You present
the Bible like it
is, but why don't
you present other
theories about what
it means? M.
Dear M. Yes, there
are indeed many
theories about the
Bible. Our
intention is to
present the
Scriptures simply
and with clarity.
Where questions
arise about meaning,
we intend to let
other Scriptures
(not merely human
theories) give us
understanding.
Where theories are
important, however,
we will include
them. --- Pastor Ron
____________________________
Were Adam & Eve real people? Or are they a
kind of parable? -
Don.
We're about to start
a study in the Book
of Genesis that will
examine Adam and Eve
in depth.
You'll be able to
look at their lives
in this
verse-by-verse study
and decide if they
are real or not.
Watch for that
study. --- Pastor
Ron
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How did your on-line church begin? - Judy
I taught a Friday
morning (6:00 AM)
Bible study in a
factory for 5-years.
It was called the
"Friday Study."
Some of the
attendees asked me
to start a church.
I took their request
to the Lord,
concluding, after
prayer, that there
were a lot of church
buildings already
and it was not for
me.
Surprisingly the
Lord seemed to be
presenting the idea
of an "internet
church." I
told the attendees,
2-weeks later, what
I thought was the
Lord's intention.
One of the men, Mark
Behrens, built a
website and we
reserved
FridayStudy.org and
FridayStudy.com.
This was and is the
First Church On The
Net. We are
approved as a church
and our outreach is
especially to those
who cannot and will
not attend a
traditional church.
In Africa, there are
churches that meet
"under the trees."
We are a 24/7 church
that meets
electronically - "on
the net."
-- Pastor Ron
____________________________
Can you tell me why in Exodus chapter 9 God
speaks of the death
of the Egyptian
cattle and yet in
the plague of hail
the cattle are
mentioned again as
being in the fields?
Thanks so much for
your time and
trouble. -
Patty
Dear Patty, What a
great question!
Thank you for
writing. The word in
this context for
“cattle” is
interesting. It is
the Hebrew word “mikneh,”
which can mean
cattle, but it also
can be “flock, herd,
possession, purchase
(or) substance”
(Strong’s Hebrew
Dictionary). Not
necessarily cattle
only. The word used
for “all” indeed
means every one of
them. In Exodus 9:6,
ALL the livestock of
Egypt died. In
Exodus 9:7, Pharaoh
“sent… and not even
one of the livestock
of the Israelites
was dead.” Pharaoh
subsequently
hardened his heart
and Moses now warned
him that
unprecedented hail
was about to come
down on the cattle
and fields of Egypt.
There was an
exception, however –
“He who feared the
word of the Lord
among the servants
of Pharaoh made his
servants and his
livestock flee to
the houses” (Exodus
9:20). “And the hail
struck” (Exodus
9:25), killing
everything and
everybody. Your
question: If all the
cattle died in the
infestation of
Exodus 9:6, where
did the livestock
come from that died
in Exodus 9:25?
We know that it DID
happen to his
cattle the second
time because it’s in
God’s Word. But how?
Two possibilities:
1) The theologian
Matthew Henry spoke
about these
passages, stating
that when Pharaoh
“sent” to see the
“livestock of the
Israelites,” it may
have been “to
gratify his
curiosity,” or it
was “by way of
reprisal, to repair
his own losses out
of their stocks.” He
TOOK cattle from his
Jewish slaves in
Goshen and made them
his own. 2) There
was at least one
significant servant
of Pharaoh who
believed in the
Lord; maybe several
of them. We are told
he or they brought
cattle indoors the
second time, and if
they believed in
God’s Word the
second time, it’s
likely they did the
FIRST time as well.
Nothing is precisely
said, but there WERE
living cattle, which
means that 1) and/or
2) did happen.
-- Pastor Ron
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I’ve been blind since birth, and I believe that
in Leviticus or
Deuteronomy, it says
that disabled people
like the blind or
deaf had to live
outside the camp,
away from the
protection of the
congregation. Is it
true? Where does it
say that? – T.H.
Dear T.H.,
I looked in Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy, and
did not find such an
exclusion. Certain
groups WERE excluded
from the camp of
Israel, such as
lepers and those
with a venereal
discharge, for the
likely reason that
they could infect
others, but the
blind and deaf WERE
kept within the
protection of the
camp. In Leviticus
13:46 & context, it
indicates that the
blind WERE able to
partake of the
tabernacle of the
Jews, which was in
the center of the
camp, but they were
not to execute the
duties of the
priesthood. --
Pastor Ron
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What is the difference between worship and
praise? - jgwise
Dear jgwise,
Thank you for
writing. I have
researched "praise"
and "worship" in the
English, Hebrew and
Greek languages and
note much overlap
between them. The
one is often defined
by the other. But in
addition, I have had
lot of help with
such concerns. A
great helper is
Pastor Charley, a
mentor and friend. I
recall that he said
this about your
question: "I WORSHIP
God, lifting Him up
for who He is (He is
beautiful, awesome,
etc.). I PRAISE my
children for what
they have
accomplished."
Charley, of course,
also praises God for
what HE has done.
Charley continued,
as to “praise” and
“worship” - "they
are both branches of
the same tree."
-- Pastor Ron
____________________________
Dear Friday Study,
thank you for this
wonderfull
studies, my questions
are: 1, how
will God judge those
of our forefathers
that did not hear
the gosple and
other. 2, if a
man married two or
more wives befor
getting born again
will he divoice the
rest after he got
born again. 3, why
is it that some good christain died of
sickness after alot
of prayar have been
offered. 4, does
God destine any body
to be poor or sick
for life. Ikwuoma
Henry
Dear Ikwuoma Henry,
here are some
answers for you:
1, how will God judge those of our forefathers
that did not hear
the gosple and
other.
The cross of Christ
reaches forward and
backward in time.
Anyone of any time
who honestly has
reached out and
placed their trust
in God, will be
saved on the basis
of faith. That’s the
message of the life
of Abraham.
“Therefore it is of
faith that it might
be according to
grace… the promise…
is to those who are
of the FAITH of
Abraham, who is the
father of us all”
(Romans 4:16 &
context). Jesus
saves even those who
do not know His
name.
2, if a man married
two or more wives
befor getting born
again will he
divoice the rest
after he got born
again.
Certainly, if that
man wanted to enter
the Christian
ministry, he would
have to consider 1
Timothy 3:2 – “A
bishop (pastor) must
be blameless, the
husband of one
wife…” A question
for that man would
be: what would
happen to that man’s
wives if he divorced
them? Would they be
forced into lives of
poverty? It’s
important in such
situations to “pray
without ceasing” (1
Thessalonians 5:17)
until God shows you
what to do.
3,why is it that some good christain died of
sickness after alot
of prayar have been
offered.
Last night, a
15-year old boy
named Robbie died.
His heart died, but
he had a successful
heart transplant at
age 4. At 14, he
needed another one,
but the medicines he
received to prevent
a rejection of the
heart, led to
lymphoma, a form of
cancer. Hundreds of
people were praying
for Robbie, but he
died. Jesus’
disciples asked Him
about a man “who was
blind from birth” –
“Who sinned,” they
asked, “this man or
his parents that he
was born blind?”
Jesus answered,
“Neither this man
nor his parents
sinned, but that the
works of God should
be revealed in him”
(John 9:1-5). Paul
said, “if we are
afflicted, it is for
your consolation and
salvation” (read 2
Corinthians 1:3-11).
Paul had come to
understand that if
we have problems it
may not be about us
at all, but so that
others may be
touched by the love
of God. One child is
born rich and
another poor. One is
born with cerebral
palsy or AIDs and
another is normal
and healthy. Is God
sovereign? Can he
heal those children?
Yes He can, and if
He does not heal the
Robbie’s of this
world, “it is
(somehow, in His
wisdom) for YOUR
comfort and
salvation.
4,does God destine any body to be poor or sick
for life.
Helen Keller was
born blind and deaf
and yet God sent a
lady named Annie to
Helen Keller and
taught her to
communicate. Helen
Keller blessed
millions with her
“words.” God has the
amazing ability to
speak to many out of
the suffering of
one. Our assistant
pastor at Friday
Study Ministries has
been blind since
birth. He reaches
thousands with his
Bible studies.
People LISTEN to
this disabled man.
Most do not
understand that our
real LIFE will not
be merely here in
this life, but in
eternity. At the
point when we see
the Lord
face-to-face, we
shall all be healed
– forever. “And God
raised up the Lord
and will also raise
us up by His power”
(1 Corinthians
6:14).
God bless you,
Ikwuoma
-- Pastor Ron
____________________________
What version of the
bible are you using,
With so many changes
are made and
important verse left
out how can we get
the hole story. From
what I read the King
James is the closest
to the Greek and
Hebrew writing. How
come all the other
versions are copywritten and the
King James is not?
--- Steve
Dear Steve, Thank
you for writing.
When I was in Bible
College, decades
ago, I had similar
questions and I’m
glad you asked. What
I did in college was
this: I carried a
number of different
translations to
every class I
attended. Included
were the King James,
New American
Standard, 1901
American Standard,
New English Bible,
and the New
International
Translation. I also
had a Revised
Standard, but it
didn’t fit into my
large briefcase. My
teachers were Greek
and Hebrew scholars
and it was my
opportunity to find
out which
translation was
best. I’m not sure
it happened, but
here’s what I found:
The King James is
best for
memorization because
of the beauty of the
language.
The 1901 American
Standard
surprisingly seemed
to be word-for-word
closest to the
original languages.
It caught the Greek
and Hebrew meanings
of words a little
better than the
others, but it was
an older version of
English and like the
King James, was
difficult to
understand.
The New
International
Translation was an
attempt to bring
idiomatic Hebrew and
Greek PHRASES into
English. It’s less
reliable for
individual words,
but better for
sentences.
The New English
Bible was the least
reliable, but it was
the version that led
me to Christ, so I
can’t complain.
Steve, they ALL have
strengths and
weaknesses, but ALL
are the Word of God
and are useful for
you.
The reason the King
James is not
copyrighted is
because it’s so old.
It’s in the public
domain. --- Pastor
Ron
____________________________
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study
Ministries
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org
Ron@FridayStudy.org
"While we were yet
sinners, Christ died
for us" (Romans 5:8)
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