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I’ve been thinking today about looking for signs in our life to get answers for things. I’m starting to lean to this being a dangerous way to try to figure out Gods will. I’m not saying all signs are wrong, e.g if you have a vivid dream relating to something specific you or someone else is going through, then it should be respected and considered. Or if a prophecy comes your way, then it should be weighed up. But, if you, let’s say have some kind of decision to make, and you start to look for signs or patterns in your life to give you an indicator as to what you choose, then you can be letting yourself be open to deception, because if you want to find signs for something, you’ll probably find something whether it’s true or not. And so rather than looking for signs for a decision of some sort, we make the best decision we can with whatever resources we have (without forcing our eyes to see signs), and trust that God will bring things to blessed place. Years ago I was looking for signs that my ex girl friend was the one for me, and I saw many signs that seemed even miraculous, but it turned out she wasn’t the one and we parted ways. I think because I wanted her to be the one, I was optimistic in looking for signs that implied she was the one, and, as a result I found many, but was deceived, and then left confused. Perhaps signs can be found when looking back at something, after decisions have been made? Wondering what people think?

Hi all, I need to do a talk soon and I’m going to talk about the Holy Spirit being in us. The angle I want to approach it from is simply that I just want to convey how incredible it is that we have the spirit in us. But I feel overwhelmed with this truth, that the spirit is in us, and that it’s almost incomprehensible. So I’m wondering if anyone has any thoughts, I really want to just make an impact on the truth that God is in believers

Thanks so much everyone. One thing I have been thinking is that it seems there needs to be 2 things that happen for healing to come. 1. That God wants and is giving the green light for a person to be healed. 2. A person to pray for the person to be healed, which requires faith of a certain size. When these two match up, it happens. How does that sound? I know I’m may be oversimplifying it here thought

Thanks for all your help everyone. I know God is not always going to heal people in the moment, but in this scene in Matthew 17, I’m not really sure what it is teaching us. The disciples said to Jesus ‘why could we not cast it out?’ And Jesus said because of their little faith, so their faith must have been smaller than a mustard seed. We can say God doesn’t always heal someone for his reasons, but in this case we see he wanted to because Jesus did it. Meaning, healing was blocked from the disciples, implying there’s something not right on their end. And by this point they have been around Jesus a while now, seeing many amazing things, yet of all people on planet earth, even they didn’t have the right faith?! I know there is treasure in these verses but I just can’t find it yet

Thanks so much for this. But one of my issues with these verses in matthew 17:14-22, is that Jesus seems to rebuke them for having little faith, as in, there’s things they are not getting, hence the lack of healing the boy, which makes me think there are things that I’m not getting when I pray for healing for someone, meaning it’s on me, it’s an issue on my end

In matthew 17:14-22 Jesus heals a boy with a demon, and says to his disciples that they have little faith because they could not heal the boy. I just don’t feel I understand faith in this sense. I have prayed for people with what I felt was a mustard seed size amount of faith, and the healing doesn’t come, this has happened many times. So it seems my faith must be even smaller than a mustard seed, or not even exist at all? I know God is not going to heal someone every time, but the amount of times I have tried and also seen others do the same, and I see nothing happen. So when Jesus says you only need faith the size of a mustard seed, and I see nothing happen, I just don’t know what else to do. Can anyone help?

If God is omnipresent, would it be fair to say that God is with us as individuals, in our past, present and future at all times? So in a sense, he is with me right now 5 years ago, with me this moment now, and with me just now 5 years in the future?

There have a been a few occasions in the last year or so, where I have heard of people, including myself, who have a good and close relationship with God, but for some reason, God withdrew his presence from them for a time, maybe as a way of testing them, so see how much they want him back (not saying that’s the reason but just my theory as to why God may do this). Anyways, does anyone know any verses or stories that talk about this? I may kick myself if some are listed and I already knew them. Thanks so much

This is brilliant and so helpful, will read this a couple of times

I’ve been reading Matthew 13 today, parable of the sower. I noticed that in the 4 examples Jesus gives of the way people respond to the knowledge of the kingdom of heaven, they seem to progress from the first one as someone who doesn’t understand the message of the kingdom, all the way to someone who produces a crop 100 times what was sown. My question is, can a person progress from one of these examples, to the next one? Eg the if you were in the second category (the seed that feel on shallow soil), could you, over time, progress to the third category (the seed that fell on thorns) and then to the fourth eventually? Can this be progressive, or, is the category you fit into, set for life? I understand some of this question may sound a little naive at times. Thanks

I’m reading matthew 8:28 onwards. I would think the demons didn’t die with the pigs, and they will be around until Jesus comes back. I don’t know much about the demonic, but I would assume they would prefer to have a host. So when the pigs died, any good theories on where they would have gone? Person to person? Thanks

Hi all, I have been listening to a great answer to this question from John Piper, and it has changed the way I look at these verses, I found it very helpful, here’s the link if anyone wants it, thanks all https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/does-god-promise-to-feed-and-clothe-christians

I have been reading Matthew 6:25-34 today. When Jesus said do not worry about what you eat and what you wear etc, am I correct in saying that this was addressed to believers? Because if you interpret it as being addressed to everyone, then you can make all kinds of arguments on how many people in the world today are starving, and if so how could Jesus make a statement like this? So would it be correct to say that this was for believers? If so, have you ever heard of a believer who genuinely sought God and was ultimately left without food or clothing? I personally have not, but wanted to get other opinions. Thanks

Thanks guys, you have all helped me. It still annoys me a bit, but I’ll move on from this now. I do wonder if he said this in a certain manner which would explains things more. Love

Thanks for your help all. But, I’m still not feeling satisfied. Jesus said ‘do not take an oath at all’. But there are still exceptions. I get what the exceptions are, and I get that there are silly kinds of oaths that shouldn’t be made, I get all that and can learn from what he is teaching. But regards of this, he did say ‘do not take an oath all all’. So if there are exceptions, then why would he say it black and white like this? Even if he happened to talk about it in more detail somewhere else, he said it still here in this black and white way. So I don’t get this😔

I’m reading Matthew 5, and in verse 34 Jesus teaches that you should not swear any oaths. In a commentary I read it said that oaths are permitted under certain circumstances, as long as they are not abused and used as a cover for deception. Not to say all commentaries are perfect, but it gave examples of people taking oaths in the Bible, including Paul. My main question is that if we are not to take this statement from Jesus as an absolute, then how do we know this when he does say it in black and white, to not take oaths. It doesn’t seem that the language he is using indicates that it’s not literal. It’s not the only time Jesus does this. So I’m left a bit confused as to how far I should take some of his statements. Hope this all makes sense, thanks

Thanks so much everyone this is really helpful😊

I have been reading Matthew 5:31-32 and Jesus permits divorce only from sexual immorality. In 1 Corinthians 7:15 Paul adds to this by saying that abandonment is another reason, I.e if married to an unbeliever that walks out, then you are no longer bound. I have some questions: Would you agree that this is the only two reasons for divorce in scripture, adultery and abandonment? If so, why didn’t Jesus also say abandonment? What if a women thinks she is marrying a believer, realises later that he isn’t, but he neither commits adultery nor abandons her, but, shows no love and affection and generally is not a good husband. 1 Corinthians 7:13 says a woman shouldn’t divorce an unbeliever. Is she not then trapped? Thanks

Brilliant! Thanks so much every that’s been really helpful

I never understood why in matthew 1:23 it says ‘they will call him Immanuel’ quoting from Isaiah, when he is to be called Jesus. I’m sure there’s a simple explanation. But anyways, Any ideas?

Ah of course! How could I have missed this. Thanks @Tzephanyahu keeping me right again

I’m reading Deuteronomy 29, and in verse 2 Moses said to Israel “Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land” Im confused by this, because by this point I thought the Egypt generation of Israel had almost completely died out, and that in order for them to enter the promised land, which was about to happen, the old generation had to die (for their disobedience). So how could Moses say ‘your eyes have seen all that the lord did to pharaoh’? Implying that he is speaking to a congregation who saw it Thanks

Thank you this is really helpful and clears things up for me

Ah sorry, I read your question wrong, yes I would have the same rules for the adopted

As Christians we no longer live under this system, but does the law not apply to non Christians?