Question of the Week

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, May 3rd, 2019

What are the pro’s and con’s of the Hebrew Roots Movement?

Like most Christian movements, there’s people in the Hebrew Roots who start with something good and take it too far.
The good that the Hebrew Roots Movement starts with is a desire to not neglect 2/3rds of their Bibles and understand the full counsel of God’s word. The name Hebrew Roots is a desire to make sure we know what Bible Jesus was reading when He fulfilled every promise in it.
The problem is when they either make the same mistake in the opposite direction and abandon the New Testament entirely, or start treating others and themselves as if they were under the Old Covenant. This not only results in serious misrepresentation of both Covenants made to Israel and the World through Christ, but also makes the mistake the author of Hebrews warned his audience about in settling for a shadow of Christ when we have the substance of everything the Old Testament points us to.
At best, it’s not settling for less when hearing the full counsel of God’s word. At worst, it settles for less than what Jesus provided us in having a right relationship with God through His mercy.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucsonWatch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, April 26th, 2019

What does Hebrews chapter 1 have to say about angels?

Angels, or literally messengers, are described throughout the Bible with three very consistent rules about them.
1. They are not physical beings. The can appear as such if it is appropriate, but they do their best work under cover.
2. They are not our masters or slaves. They serve God the same way we do, but in the capacity they were created to.
3. They are not Jesus. Angels worship Jesus. Angels don’t share God’s authority and status. Angels were created at a point in time.
Angels are amazing creatures, but they can’t hold a candle to the one who created us both. And it’s on Him our attention should be focused.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucsonWatch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, April 12th, 2019

If the gift of tongues can be a private prayer language to God, why is the gift of interpretation also necessary?

The gift of tongues is like any other spiritual gift. It’s given for a reason. It’s purpose is given in God’s word. And it’s source is God Himself. Tongues is no exception. However, before we discuss what tongues is, we have to clarify what it isn’t. The mental condition known as “Glossolalia” is where someone is whipped up into such a mental frenzy that they start spouting off random words without being aware of it. That is not or ever has been what the Bible calls the gift of Tongues. There are two separate kinds of uses for this spiritual gift that requires two different things in order for it to actually be Tongues as the Bible defines it. You are speaking with the intention to communicate in a language you don’t know. If it’s in prayer, Paul clarifies to the Corinthian church that an interpretation will always accompany it or it will serve no purpose. Likewise, when the gift of tongues was practiced outside the church to non-believers in the book of Acts, everyone listening understood the language as their own and understood every word. Either way, a legitimate use gift of tongues will always include an interpretation.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucsonWatch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, April 5th, 2019

Does the Bible show Jesus supports Abortion in Revelation 2:23?

The question itself is inflammatory rather than looking for a genuine answer, but one will be provided nonetheless.
The passage reads; “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
There are several things to note in the passage in order to understand why the question can’t be genuine. First, Jesus is speaking to a church in Asia Minor that had allowed false prophets to influence their behavior in a way that directly rebelled against Him. The false prophets themselves were going to be held accountable, and if the church didn’t turn from their false teachings, they would join them. That is as plain as the passage could possibly be taken. Narrowing in on the passage that says, “I will kill her children with death” only worsens their argument. People who argue for abortion do so hoping to prove that it’s moral to do so. Yet if we allow that this passage is speaking of the unborn or newborn, it calls it killing and causing the death of children. That doesn’t help their case. This is what then solidifies our own. Whose children are they? 3 verses prior, Jezebel is mentioned. Queen Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Samaria, was a historical human being who lived 800 years before Jesus and one decade short of 900 years before the writing of this book. Unless we believe that the Bible was inaccurate in reporting Jehu having her thrown out a window to be eaten alive by dogs, and she somehow managed to survive for almost a millennium to influence this church, she’s a symbol for her legacy of introducing and enforcing Baal worship in Israel and murdering the people who stood in her way. If the mother is a symbol, it’s reasonable to conclude that her children are as well. It is almost as unwise to read the last book of the Bible before being familiar with the first 65, as it is to take the objections of internet atheists seriously.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucsonWatch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 29th, 2019

How do we come to the conclusion that when the Bible mentions the “Angel of the LORD” it is referring to an appearance of God the Son before His incarnation?

The key to interpreting anything in the Bible is three-fold, pun intended. First, Context. Second, Consistency. And third, Clarity. When coming across passages that mention the Angel of the LORD, we need to examine the passage with these three principals in mind like we would in any work of writing. What do the verses leading up to and following the passage tell us about who is talking? Would interpreting the passage that way negatively affect other key truths in the Bible as a whole? Does the literal sense make sense? Let’s look at three examples to see this in practice.
In the book of Genesis chapter 22, we see the third verse mention God telling Abraham to offer his only beloved son on a specific mountain as a sacrifice. When the Angel of the Lord appears right before Abraham is about to obey God’s command, He stops the knife and repeats to Abraham the promise God made to Him in Genesis 12 as now official. And even more so, The Angel of the LORD tells Abraham that this is going to be the case because he obeyed His voice. Who told Abraham to offer his son again? The Angel of the LORD or God? It’s almost as if this passage is stating they are one in the same.
In the book of Judges, the soon-to-be mother of Sampson is praying to God for a child. This is noteworthy given the spiritual state Israel was in during this time in their history. The Angel of the Lord comes to her and her husband with a positive answer on one condition. The child they are to bring into this world is to keep the Nazarite Vow for his entire life. Then in reaction to this messenger, Judges chapter 13 and verse 22 states that they have seen God. No further encounters apart from the Angel of the LORD took place in the chapter, and if this claim was incorrect we have several examples in the book of Revelation where angels who were incorrectly treated as God take the time to immediately correct the person who is worshipping them. Since both Manoah and his wife both affirm this Angel of the LORD as God and aren’t corrected, could it be that they were in fact correct?
In the gospel according to Matthew, Jesus has physically incarnated as a human baby with his earthly parents. An Angel of the LORD appears to Joseph in a dream and warns him that Herod is going to try to kill the child. As per his instructions, they flee to Egypt until the tyrant’s death and escape a major tragedy predicted in the book of Jeremiah. The Angel of the LORD doesn’t make any claims about himself that are comparable to God, isn’t treated or regarded as God by Joseph, and obviously wasn’t Jesus Himself since He was now currently limiting Himself by adopting human nature.
Other examples can be given. The Commander of the Army of the LORD appears to Joshua and accepts worship. Daniel sees a vision of a Glorious Man, but the Angel who delivers the message clarifies that he is named Gabriel and not YHVH. The Angel that accompanied Moses and Israel through the Wilderness had God’s name in Him. Etc. The passages are plainly understood that when an Angel claims the sort of things only God could rightly claim, He’s either truly representing Himself as God or He’s no angel of God. Only someone with a prior agenda would try to spin the passages another way to dismiss what is plainly being said.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucsonWatch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 22nd, 2019

Is it true that Esther was betrothed to Mordecai rather than simply related to him as the Old Testament text says in English?

When someone claims that there is a major difference between the original Hebrew and the modern English translations, this is usually the best they have to offer when asked to give an example. There is no passage in scripture that couldn’t be understood in its proper context without an understanding of the original languages. With that said, the claim that Esther was bethrothed to Mordecai rather than simply adopted by him is an assumption made by the tradition that since Esther was orphaned, it would have been possible that Mordecai took him into his family through marriage. This however, is not a detail we are given or conclusion we’d come to from the text alone. It is nothing more than a deviation from the main point. The Amalekites continued to be a threat to Israel going all the way back to Exodus, and now they were going to be dealt with forever through Esther. Looking beyond the bible for rabbit trails that lead to shaky, if not outright false, conclusions are only going to end up wasting your time.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucsonWatch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 22nd, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 15th, 2019

Who raised Jesus from the dead?

The topic of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is not only the historical foundation of the Christian faith, but the doctrinal demonstration of the Trinity in action apart from Creation itself. When the Bible describes God’s nature, we are told that there is one and only one God. Yet within this one God, there are three and only three unique centers of consciousness known as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We recognize these persons within the one being that is God because they all share the traits and make the claims that are exclusive to God alone. The power to give life is within those prerogatives that are exclusive to God alone. Scripture tells us in Romans 6:4 that the glory of the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Yet on the same authority Jesus Himself said in John 10:17-18 that He had the power to lay down His life and take it up again. He even goes on to claim that He, God the Son, is the Resurrection and the Life in Revelation 1 and John 11. And yet the facts don’t end there. Romans 8:11 states that the Spirit also raised Jesus from the dead and now lives in those who believe His promises. This is important to understand because the Spirit is not the Son nor the Father. Likewise, the Son is not the Father or the Spirit. All members of the Godhead were involved in Jesus’ resurrection, and thus the Trinity in all its fullness was the one that made our salvation from sin possible.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucson

Watch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 8th, 2019

What is the most effective way to minister to Muslims?

Muslims, human beings made in the image of God who have been deceived by Islam, need the gospel like everyone else. Fortunately for those of us trying to share the gospel with them, their belief system is little more than an intellectual attack on their founder’s misunderstanding of our faith. Muslims who genuinely care about the truth don’t need any more coaxing into a worthwhile conversation than a single sincere statement. “I believe Jesus is God and the Bible is the Word of God. Do you have an opinion?” Their faith not only instructs, but demands of them to object to this vehemently. This will then lead you to one of seven objections their apologists have trained them to ask in order to lead us to their faith. With brief and direct responses to each of these objections, you will not only shore up your own faith against the claims of multiple cults at once, but turn aside what they’ve been assured are unanswerable objections to our faith. Study and know how to respond to the following objections, and you can walk into a conversation with your Muslim friends completely prepared and able to stay on the topic that will make all the difference in eternity.
1. The Bible has been corrupted.
2. Where did Jesus say “I am God” or “Worship Me”?
3. We respect Jesus. Why don’t you respect Muhammad?
4. How can God die? (Eat food, sleep, etc)
5. The crucifixion is unjust.
6. The Trinity is a contradiction.
7. Muhammad is prophesied in the Bible.
With a direct and biblical response to each of these claims, 90% of he work has already been done. Give to every one an answer who asks us a reason for the hope that is within you, and continue to make yourself available to them as friends.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucson

Watch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 1st, 2019

What evidence supports the Gospels as reliable history?

This question is one worth answering because the evidence is not only readily available, but also because the majority of skeptical scholars have to acknowledge it even if it goes against their assumptions. First, we need to clarify what evidence is. Simply put, it is something that makes something else more likely to be true. If that’s what we’re looking for, what counts as historical evidence? People, places, and things that fall in line with the history someone is trying to prove would fall into this category. With the names we are given in the gospels, we can conclude it was written during the time Jesus is claimed to have lived in history. Their names would include; Herod the Great, Caesar Augustus, Quirinius, Herod Agrippa, Pontius Pilate, Caesar Tiberius, Ananias, and Caiphas. All of these people are verifiable historical figures that are all mentioned in the Gospels to help set the date. Likewise, the places mentioned aren’t fictional at all. Judea, the Roman Empire, Samaria, Galilee, Jerusalem, Asia Minor, and geographical details that fall in line with other 1st century writings about these areas also fall in line to make the gospels more believable based on the evidence we have available. But most significantly, we also are told a lot about when it was written in history because of what isn’t mentioned. According to Jewish historians, the destruction of Jerusalem was the most horrific event for a Jew, Christian or otherwise, to ever imagine. This took place in 70 AD. Since the authors of the gospels were all Jews or came from Jewish sources, the fact that they never record the Temple’s destruction says a lot about when it was written. Based on this we can conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the Gospels were written during the lifetimes of the people who saw Jesus firsthand. That is the next salvo of evidence to prove the Gospels as reliable. They identify themselves all as eyewitnesses of everything they recorded. And these same people all endured lives of torture, persecution, and death showing their sincerity. To dismiss this as deception would only hold water if the writers of the Gospels weren’t the eyewitnesses themselves. Unfortunately for the skeptic, we also have the writings of early church fathers like Polycarp, Clement, and Ignatius who knew one or more of the eyewitnesses and affirm/quote/treat the four Gospels all as history given by the eyewitnesses themselves. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but handled properly would lead anyone to conclude the gospels are historically reliable.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucson

Watch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, February 22nd, 2019

Why and how did Paul raise Eutychus from the dead in Acts 20?

Miracles in scripture always happen for a specific reason. It’s worth mentioning first and foremost that Paul wasn’t the only one to raise someone back to life. When the disciples were still with Jesus during His earthly ministry, they were all given the authority to do the following; 1. Heal the sick. 2. Cleanse the lepers. 3. Cast out demons. And 4. Raise the dead. These would be signs done in the name of Jesus so that those who saw them would listen to what Jesus and those following Him had to say. When God backs up your words with deeds, it gives them reasons to trust it. That is the very definition of faith. So when Paul raised Eutychus from the dead, we need to keep in mind some facts. Paul wasn’t the first/only Apostle to do this. He did it in the name of Jesus. He did it for a reason. And that reason was to show everyone there that the words Paul was teaching weren’t his, but God’s. Miracles in scripture, Old and New Testament, were always done to confirm and verify the messages of those speaking in His name.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, February 16th, 2019

Why is Song of Solomon in our Bibles?

Song of Solomon is in our Bibles to define a Godly marriage. Though Solomon wasn’t perfect later on, here are the details we are given.
Solomon and the Shulamite had a personal relationship with each other, sex was an aspect of their relationship that God approved of, they were committed to each other for life, and did so exclusively to one another in this relationship.
We later apply this to Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s reference through Paul in Ephesians for whenever they mentioned a Godly marriage.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, February 8th, 2019

Do All Religions Basically Teach the Same Thing?

1. What do you mean by basically? The essentials of each belief contradict each others, so essentially they are different.
2. Every religion claims to be true. That is either true or it’s false. If one is true and makes claims that exclude the others, then it alone is true and all of the others are false since they conflict with the truth.
3. Every religion teaches about Heaven, Hell, God, The Devil, Morality, Origin, and Purpose. Their teachings on those topics differ. Saying they are all the same because they address the same categories is like saying all school subjects teach the same thing since they all involve a teacher, students, a rubric, and a topic. Those topics, teachers, and rubrics are all very different when examined closely.Facts: Every religion makes claims that fundamentally exclude all others apart from itself.
1. Christianity:
God: One God with a unique nature, Father, Son, and Spirit. The Son became a man in a moment of history and showed that He is a God of perfect justice and mercy by judging all sin, but offering mercy at His own expense so a relationship with man could be possible again.
The Devil: An angel of great power, but an angel nonetheless. His influence isn’t the origin of evil, but he is the original being that separated himself from the source of everything good. He will ultimately face justice, but until then is used as the living example of exactly what the alternative is from a relationship with God.
Heaven: Where God is. Very little details are given in scripture. The emphasis is on knowing Jesus.
Hell: Separation from God. A state of torment, not torture, where you are given what you want if you refuse a relationship with God. This also excludes all of His good and perfect gifts. It is eternal.
Morality: God’s nature. Sin, or to miss, is falling short of that standard and requires the sacrifice of Jesus to redeem you from and restore you, heart and mind, back to God.
Origin: God created us in His image. We are moral, personal, and relational beings and reflect His spiritual attributes. Therefore, we are intrinsically valuable at a higher level than any other creature because of that origin.
Purpose: God created us for a relationship with Him. Restoration to that relationship is the ultimate goal and priority of the God of the Bible and where our ultimate fulfillment is found.

2. Islam:
God: One God with one essence. He can’t enter this world, eat food, or interact with man in any way apart from mediators like angels. You can’t have a relationship with Allah apart from a slave to master relationship.
The Devil: Not an angel, but a djinn/genie. He is not exclusively the enemy of all mankind, but merely one enemy to the Muslims from the truth alongside Christians, Jews, and Non-Muslims.
Heaven: A carnal paradise of wine, prostitutes, and everything else that Muslims are motivated by in the Quran and Hadith.
Hell: A carnal pit of torture that directly punishes you in specific ways for specific actions and given in explicit detail. The majority of the inhabitants of hell are women, and male Christians will be sent there for the sins of Muslims who have done enough good deeds to outweigh them.
Morality: At the beginning of your life, two angels are placed on your shoulders to record your good and bad deeds. At the end of your life, they will place their records of you on a scale and you’ll have the opportunity to climb a thread to a razor thin bridge to paradise. If your bad deeds outwiegh your good, or you fall at any time during this crossing, you will go to Hell. Good deeds aren’t based on Allah’s nature, but Muhammad’s example. This includes the morally reprehensible things he’s done. Child marriages, executing apostates and critics, and other things are justified in the Muslim world because Muhammad is their “excellent example” and the “walking Quran.”
Origin: Everything in Islam is explained by “Allah knows.” His actions and reasons for doing so simply are his own and according to the Quran, people shouldn’t ask questions about them lest they lose their faith and by extension, their lives.
Purpose: Your purpose in life is to submit to God the way Muhammad did. If you don’t, or don’t enough, you’re going to be killed by Muslims and punished by Allah.

3. Buddhism:
God: There is no personal God. The universe is the eternal and ultimate essence of which everything is and will return to once you become enlightened.
The Devil: There is no personal devil. The only thing that separates you from the divine is suffering (dukha) and the lifetimes you must die and reincarnate before you are enlightened and become one with the universe.
Heaven: There is no Heaven. Only the goal of one day not living in a world of suffering or happiness anymore.
Hell: There is no Hell. The worst fate of a Buddhist is to continue to live on this earth and suffer.
Morality: There is no morality. Right and Wrong are concepts absent from Buddhism. Good and Evil in the universe must be balanced. Therefore, if good happens, Karma demands evil must happen elsewhere. And Vice versa. That’s why a Buddhist’s goal isn’t to do good or evil for anyone. The most devout Buddhists lock themselves away from the world and do nothing but meditate to keep everything in balance.
Origin: Buddhism makes no claims about your origin. It only addresses where you are and how you get out of it through practical and moral indifference.
Purpose: Your purpose is to die and come back again and again until all of the good and evil you have done is undone by Karma and you are enlightened, never to exist again.

4. Hinduism:
God: There are hundreds of thousands of gods, all of which are unique and separate with their own agendas and attributes.
The Devil: There are hundreds of thousands of demons, all of which are unique and separate with their own agendas and attributes.
Heaven: Brahman is the ultimate essence and eternal nature of the universe that you eventually are assimilated into, like Buddhism, and become an impersonal part of everything and nothing.
Hell: Like Buddhism, a Hindu’s curse is to reincarnate. To live is Hell, and to stop coming back after working out all of your Karma is to escape Hell.
Morality: There is no objective morality in Hinduism. Due to the massive number of gods, good and not good are based on whichever god you choose to follow in pursuit of Brahman.
Origin: There is no origin in Hinduism. Time is a cycle that will continue forever, and never began.
Purpose: The goal of Hinduism is to escape this reality, like Buddhism, and through reincarnation accomplish this through the caste system or the favor of the god of your choice.

5. Paganism:
God: There are many gods, all of which represent a different aspect of nature.
The Devil: There is no specific devil, and at times the greatest enemy to your relationship with God is the god you are worshiping’s whims and moods.
Heaven: The Underworld, or a form of it, is where you leave the physical and become immaterial and enjoy a place where various pleasures can be enjoyed, carnal or otherwise. (depends on the cultural context of paganism. Wicca’s Summerland and the Norse realms of the Dead are carnal. Roman and Egyptian realms of the underworld are simply peaceful.)
Hell: The Underworld, depending on the whims of your god. You can be tortured forever based on the displeasure of your god on personal or legal levels.
Morality: Different gods have different standards. Therefore, since a person following one god could be deliberately violating every standard of another god, but doesn’t answer to them concerning morality, there is no objective moral standard for all people at all times.
Origin: It varies, but the common cultural assumption is that Chaos became conscious and started having kids with his wife. We just sort of happened along the way as the result of either battles between these superpowered kids or accidents that are no less explainable than they are.
Purpose: Since every pagan god is essentially just a bad habit with a name on it, the pursuit of pleasure.

6. Atheism:
God: There is none.
The Devil: The people who believe there is a God are the reason for everything they call wrong.
Heaven: There is none. Good deeds have no reward.
Hell: There is none. Justice for evil is a delusion.
Morality: There is none apart from the individual’s opinion.
Origin: In the beginning there was nothing, and it blew up.
Purpose: None.

7. Cults:
God: Your organization determines what is right or wrong for you on his/her behalf.
The Devil: Anyone who isn’t a part of your organization.
Heaven: Continued membership in your organization and community.
Hell: Separation and disassociation from your community in this life and the next.
Morality: Your organization determines what is right in God’s eyes.
Origin: Your organization affirms or denies the origin claims of other religions.
Purpose: To support and build up the influence of your organization.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, February 1st, 2019

Who is the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7?

This passage is a fantastic one in the Old Testament for clarifying the Trinity regarding the distinction between the Father and the Son. Without assuming anything, read the text plainly. A glorious figure is seen sitting on the throne and worshipped by angels. So far so clear. This is God because only God is worthy of worship. Especially the worship of angels. Then after the Ancient of Days is introduced, a separate figure described as “like a Son of Man” approaches the throne and is worshipped the same way as the Ancient of Days. This is where some clarification is needed. The term Son of Man is used to describe humans. It’s not necessarily a divine title, unless the context suggests otherwise. This individual that looks like a human is worshipped as God, yet distinct from the Ancient of Days. Hopefully it is clear that the Son of Man is Jesus. And with the process of elimination applied that leaves the Father and the Spirit. Going to other passages in the Old Testament for clarity, we see that when the Spirit is mentioned as a deity, there are no examples of titles apart from the Spirit or Spirit of God. If we also compare this to the New Testament, we see in Revelation 4 that a similar picture is shown to John the Apostle that he identifies as the Father. Therefore the Ancient of Days in this passage would most reasonably be identified as the Father, since the Spirit isn’t mentioned and the Son is recognized by another title separate from this Ancient of Days yet still worthy of the worship that only belongs to God.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucsonWatch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, January 25th, 2019

Do you have to believe in the Trinity in order to be saved?

This question sounds more complicated than it is because of how it is asked. If we believe in Jesus and through Him have salvation from our sins, we need to make sure it’s the right Jesus. If we are going to say anything about who Jesus is and how He is different from/relates to the Father and Holy Spirit, it needs to come through His written Word. With all of that said, where does the concept of the Trinity come from? It comes from the exact same place we get our understanding of salvation from. It would be inconsistent to believe in God’s definition of salvation but reject His description of His own nature. And in that the answer to this question is found. When the man who was crucified with Jesus recognized Him for who He was, that was all He was held accountable to in order for his salvation to be “legitimate.” Likewise, the Pharisees knew more about the Messiah than most pastors do today, yet consciously chose to reject it when it was being fulfilled right in front of them. Knowing information didn’t save them any more than the man on the cross. It was what they did with it. To whom much is given, much shall be required. If you enter eternity only aware of who Jesus is and what He did for you, then you’re only going to be held accountable for that. If you are aware of what scripture teaches about the nature of God and consciously choose to reject it in favor of a more popular position socially, then you’re going to be held accountable for that as well. This is the salvation issue. God won’t hold you accountable what you don’t know, but rejecting what you should.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, on 106.3FM Reach Radio

Email your questions:

questionsforhope@gmail.com

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucsonWatch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, May 3rd, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, April 26th, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, April 12th, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, April 5th, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 29th, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 22nd, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 22nd, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 15th, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 8th, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, March 1st, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, February 22nd, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, February 16th, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, February 8th, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, February 1st, 2019

A Reason for Hope Question of the Week, January 25th, 2019

Prince Road Location

Service Times

Office Hours of Operation

Meet our Pastor

What We Believe

watch & Listen Live!

Latest Tweets