Hi Lisa,

What kind of spiritual guidance are you looking for? Do you have in mind guidance on how to develop or move forward spiritually in life? Or do you have in mind guidance on some very personal and specific life issues?

If it's the first kind of guidance you have in mind then I can help you. Simply post your question or query here and I'll do my best to reply.

If it's the second kind then really you need some face to face dialog time. Obviously, this will need to be local to you and ought to be with a pastor or mature Christian who regularly gives spiritual guidance on specific personal life issues.

Hi Ginger, The often quoted and so-called "scriptures about women preaching" are not actually about women preaching at all. When the Greek text is looked at (and the context of the scripture are acknowledged) they are seen to be about wives hushing up in church so the meeting/service can proceed without unnecessary disruption. See 1 Cor. 14:33-35.

It needs to be recognised that when it comes to the apostle Paul's writings about women and ministry in church it is difficult to make much of them because he moves between two points of view on the matter. For example, in 1 Timothy 2:12 he writes he doesn't allow them to teach but in Titus 2:1-4 he exhorts that they should be teaching. Ultimately, I think his word on women as Christians has to take precedence - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28.

By the way, a discussion like this should be on the Questions/Counsel page of this web site instead of this interaction page.

Hi Ginger, Women played a major role in the early church. The church at Sychar in Samaria was started by a woman - see John 4:39-42. The first person commanded by the Lord to proclaim the fact of the resurrection was a woman - see John 16-18.

Hi Colin,

I have had some difficulty understanding exactly what you are asking in this question.

Perhaps you are asking for advice on what to read in the Bible as a new Christian. The best place for a new Christian to start in the Bible is with the Gospel of Mark. This Gospel will quickly give you an overview of the life of Jesus as He lived and ministered it on Earth.

After this read the Gospel of John. This Gospel will give you the words of Jesus in a very intense and powerful way. In reading this Gospel you will start to grasp how, what and why Jesus was ministering.

After this read Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. This will introduce you to the "every spiritual blessing in Heavenly places" that you have received through Christ.

Hi Colin,

Every man has sexual thoughts, its called being in a body as a human male. However, we don't have to allow our thoughts to rule our actions and we don't have to allow thoughts to continue without end. We have the ability to stop thoughts and control actions.

Hi Colin,

Sometimes good decisions are hard decisions to make but part of maturing as a person and as a Christian is in making those hard decisions and in making the decision choosing what you know on the inside is right.

Making the right decision when it needs to be made always leads to a future benefit, blessing or reward.

Hi Colin,

How wonderful to hear you have found God through Jesus Christ! May you grow in Christ and discover the grace and blessings given us in Him.

This eternal salvation you have now received is the beginning of your new life with God. It doesn't mean you are now immediately able to behave perfectly but it does mean that Christ has broken your bondage to sin and you can now start to move away from it by His grace and the strength His Spirit gives you in your inner man.

Your new life in Christ is one you are to live by His grace and His power. You can't work up goodness but you can receive it from God as you look to Him in prayer and meditating on His Word (the Bible's promises and counsel).

What's the next step? I suggest you work through my on-line Christian nurture and growth course. This Bible study course provides the foundation for spiritual life, growth and victory. Every class in the course shows you how to practically apply the teaching given. The Bible study classes are in six stages with three classes in each stage. The link below takes you there.

Hi Kirsty,

I'm sorry to hear of this tragic event.

To work through this you are going to need to start handing over to God all you emotion and anguish of heart and mind. You do this in prayer following the guidance and counsel given in Philippians 4:6-7 and Psalm 62:8.

Hi Peter,

You've asked a good question. The answer is that what is written in Deuteronomy 28 and what we refer to as the curse of the law is actually the condition man had been living in since the Fall and is a detailed breakdown of what God declared was now upon man because of Adam's sin. See Genesis 3:16 - 19.

In other words, what you hear of in the passage we refer to as the curse of the law was nothing new but was a reiteration of the condition man fell into because of Adam's sin.

Jesus, by giving Himself as the Lamb of God sacrificed on the Cross, redeemed us from the horrible consequence of sin, that terrible price that had come upon us through sin. Gal.3:13 - 14.

Hi Aaron,

The answer is no. The Virtual Church web site does not attempt to replace "the gathering of yourselves together".

Hello Dada, Some people in some societies marry by some form of arrangement and it is accepted that they may well not ever be in love with each other. They come together in marriage solely on the basis of a covenant agreement to uphold each other as life long partners and have children. In those societies this regularly seems to work out fine for them.

In Western society, however, there is an aspiration to marry the one you are in love with and live married life in love with that marriage partner. It seems to me that to enter into marriage without feeling you are really in love with the one you are marrying is to run the risk of reaching a point in your marriage where you are regretting having married. You are likely to be feeling you've missed out on the opportunity of experiencing the intensity of truly being in love.

For this reason I do not recommend getting married to someone you are not in love with. I believe some married couples do fall in love with each other after they are married but I do not believe one should get married simply thinking that love will come later. In my opinion you would need a very strong reason and, as Christians, a very clear leading of the Lord to marry someone you were not in love with.

Hello Rev JB, I can understand your difficulties in moving your church forward in this area. The question really needs to be asked though, where does the the church stand on the Holy Spirit? It is going to be extremely difficulty to convey to the church an understanding of Christ dwelling and moving in worship if they don't appreciate or even acknowledge the Holy Spirit moving among them.

The principle reason for this is that the foundational Bible passage for the type of worship you are wanting is Ephesians 5:18-20. Therefore, to have this foundation as an accepted truth and sort after experience you have to teach a belief in and an appreciation of the filling to overflowing of believers with the Holy Spirit. With this there needs to arise in the church an anticipation of the tangible manifestation of the Holy Spirit among them.