If Jesus is the "only begotten son" of God, how do you explain Psalms 2:7 where God tells David, "You are my son; today I have begotten you"? Thanks.

Sincerely,
Looking For Psalm Answers

Dear Looking For Psalm Answers,

Psalm 2:7 is a prophecy about Jesus.  David wrote many psalms, and some of them were prophetic.  The second Psalm is a prophetic psalm.  The reason we know this for sure is because in Acts 13:33, the apostle Paul specifically says that Ps 2:7 is talking about Jesus.

David was of the lineage of Christ, and there were times that God had him write Psalms that were in the first person – but referring to Christ.  Peter also mentions another occasion like this in Acts 2:25-31.  God specifically used David to write about Jesus in the first person because Jesus would be a descendant of David (Acts 2:30).

I started going to church at three years old, and I’m a christian (as far as I know), but my question is: how do christians live?  I came from dancing, drinking, etc., but now I am trying to live like a christian, but I don't know how.

Sincerely,
Starting Fresh

Dear Starting Fresh,

Christianity is about living by faith and knowing that God will reward us for seeking Him (Heb 11:6).  Our first act of faith is to become a christian; since it sounds like you aren’t completely sure that you are one, we recommend you read our post “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”.

After becoming a christian, you must begin to grow and practice what the Bible says (1 Pet 2:2).  A large part of that growing process is becoming an active member in a faithful congregation that can teach and encourage you (Heb 10:24-25).  Not every church is doing what God says, and it is important that you search for a congregation that is faithfully preaching and teaching the Bible.  We have an article entitled “Finding A Church” that can help you search for a congregation.  We would also be happy to help you find a congregation in your area.  If you would like our help, e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org, and we will try to put you in contact with a congregation nearby.

If there is not a non-liberal church of Christ in our hometown, and one doesn’t have means to drive to another congregation in the next town over... can you just hold services in your own home with other christians in your family (like father, mother, grandmother, etc.)?

Sincerely,
Soul Seeking

Dear Soul Seeking,

There is nothing wrong with holding services in your home as long as you are honestly starting a congregation.  Philemon had a congregation that worshipped in his home (Phm 1:2).  However, starting a congregation from scratch is a very big task and not to be taken lightly.  Local churches are required to evangelize and teach the community (Acts 11:26) and perform all the acts of worship each Lord’s day (singing – Col 3:16, praying – Lk 18:1, studying – Acts 2:42, taking the Lord’s Supper – Acts 20:7, and taking up a collection to keep the church growing – 1 Cor 16:1-2).  Are all of those things that your family is ready to tackle on its own?

If not, the other option is to find a way to get to the congregation that is close by.  Public transportation or (preferably) other kind-hearted brethren with vehicles are great options.  Remember, no matter what toil you must go through to make it to services… you are storing up treasures for yourself in heaven (Matt 6:19-20).

5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE

Hi.  I don’t believe in ghosts, but I do believe in demons, and I believe they get mistaken for ghosts sometimes.  Is this possible, and if it is, is it wrong to be a demonologist?  I know that demonologists sometimes provoke them to try and get evidence for skeptics by doing EGPs (electronic ghost phenomena).  Does it say anything in the Bible about provoking demons, even to try and prove their existence?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Demonologist

Dear Demonologist,

The Bible tells us that demons are no longer allowed to interact with humans in the way that they did in earlier biblical times.  When Jesus’ disciples were sent out to preach and perform miracles, they came back ecstatic that they were casting out demons (Lk 10:17).  Jesus told them that they were vanquishing Satan and his demons, and Satan was being cast down because of what they were doing (Lk 10:18).  Jesus and His disciples permanently destroyed Satan’s minions’ ability to possess people.  Once the demons were cast out – they were cast out for good (see the case of the demons cast into pigs as an example – Mk 5:11-13).  Thanks to Christ, we don’t have to worry about this issue today.  Satan and his demons have been bound by the work Christ did two thousand years ago (Lk 11:20-22).

Demons do exist, but studying them in the scientific realm would be as fruitful as studying angels in the scientific realm.  Both are spiritual beings and do not conform to scientific study (Eph 6:12, 1 Cor 3:1).