Ezekiel 37: The Valley of Dry Bones
Ezek 37 Valley of Dry Bones Audio...
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Mary, A Mother’s Heart: A Mother’s Day Sermon
Mary A Mother’s Heart Audio Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon for Mother’s Day in Bakersfield in May, 2019....
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Old Testament Survey for Interns
Dr. John Oakes gave a series of lessons as a Survey of the Old Testament for campus and teen interns in Bakersfield, Fresno and the Antelope Valley in July, 2019. OT-Survey-Bak-I OT-Survey-Bak-II OT-Survey-Bak-III OT-Survey-Bak-IV OT-Survey-Bak-V OT-Survey-Bak-VI OT-Survey-Bak-VII OT-Survey-Bak-VIII OT-Survey-Bak-IX OT-Survey-Bak-XI...
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Class on the Book of Romans
Dr. John Oakes taught a nine hour class on Romans in Bakersfield in May, 2019 Romans Audio I Romans Audio II Romans Audio III Romans Audio IV Romans Audio V Romans Audio VI Romans Audio VII Romans Audio VIII Romans IX Audio Romans Audio X Romans Audio XI ...
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Hebrews Lessons in Bakersfield
Dr. John Oakes is giving a series of sermons for the entire book of Acts in Bakersfield. Hebrews1 audio Hebrews Ch 2 sermon Hebrews 3 sermon Heb 4 & 5 Jesus, the Perfect High Priest Hebrews 6 Sermon Heb 8 The Main Point Audio Heb 9 A Greater Sacrifice Heb 10 Draw Near to...
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Can Christians allow abortion?
Question: Recently my home state of Alabama passed the most restrictive abortion law in the nation to date. I wanted to ask you if we as Christians can allow abortion. Many well-meaning people have differing opinions on this, as there are some morally difficult cases. For instance, while there are not that many cases of […]
Is witchcraft real? If yes, how can a Christian shield himself from it?
Question: Does witchcraft truly exist? If yes how can a Christian shield himself from it? If no, how can a Christian handle this belief? Answer: Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces […]
Is God male, or is “he” genderless?
Question: I am reading a book called With by Skye Jethani who mentions in chapter two that God is genderless based on Genesis 1:26-27. I don’t quite see the inference, the scripture affirms that we are made in the image of God. God made us both male and female. Jethani states, “It was explained to […]
How much should knowing the worldview of the Jews affect our understanding of the Bible? Are we affected in our understanding by the Enlightenment, modernism, and postmodernism?
Question: This may require some speculation, but what do we know about how thought paradigms have affected beliefs about the Bible throughout history? For example, today people get tripped-up over things like how Noah got every animal on earth into the ark, which misses the moral point of the story, but would a first century […]
How does God’s sovereignty work together with human choice?
Question: How does God’s sovereignty work together with human choices? Answer: My answer is that I do not know exactly how this works. I just know that it does because the Bible so clearly demonstrates that God gives us sovereignty over our own choices. We have free will. He does not force us to obey him […]
Can a person’s good motives make acceptable an action which would normally be bad?
Question: Does a person’s motive justify his or her actions? ie. Is it possible to justify a good reason for doing something bad? I want to know that the Bible says about this. Emmanuel: This is a good question. I am afraid that there is no solid, clear-cut, definite answer in the Bible to this […]
Is it acceptable for those not yet saved to take the Communion?
Question: Do you think it is ok to take communion if you have not been baptized? If someone says they have been saved–for example that they ‘placed their faith in Christ, repented of their sins, believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins, accepted Christ as their Lord and savior’ etc….should they be able […]
The Book of Romans
Dr. John Oakes taught a six-part class on the Book of Romans in Bakersfield In May and June. Notes, PPT and audio are below. Romans Notes Romans PPT Romans Audio I Romans Audio II Romans Audio III Romans Audio IV Romans Audio V Romans Audio VI Romans Audio VII Romans Audio […]
A Review of Peter Enns’ book, “How the Bible Actually Works”
I have had a number of requests by believers to read material by Peter Enns. He has published a number of books in which he attacks Biblical inerrancy and inspiration, and does it in the name, supposedly, of a more accurate Christianity. I have had personal friends read his material, find his ideas credible, and […]
Does God intend that Christians observe a seventh-day Sabbath?
Question: I am trying to understand how the early Christians viewed the Sabbath, how the non-Sabbath keepers justified a neglect of the fourth commandment and particularly if we can really be clear that God doesn’t intend for us to continue upholding the seventh day as a day of rest (doing no work, also taking into consideration […]
Do you believe homosexuality is a sin?
Question: Do you believe homosexuality is a sin? I read an article that discusses the use of the term homosexuality in the New Testament and how it had a completely different meaning when it was written. The article argued that homosexuality in the terms of two people loving each other didn’t exist back then and […]
Why does the Old Testament not mention heaven and hell?
Questions: I have two questions that cause a lot of troubles to me: Some people believe that the concept of hell is a pagan idea which Jesus copied from Egyptian and Greek culture. In the Old Testament they find nothing about the existence of hell and believe that the idea of hell was born in Egypt and […]
Sermons in Bakersfield Paul’s Farewell Address, Mary: A Mother’s Heart, Resurrection Power
Dr. John Oakes gave sermons on Mother’s day and Easter. The first is Mary: A Mother’s Heart. Mary A Mothers Heart Notes Mary A Mother’s Heart PPT Mary A Mother’s Heart Audio The second sermon is on why we can believe that Jesus was bodily resurrected from the dead, on the power of the […]
Ezekiel 37: The Valley of Dry Bones
Dr. John Oakes is giving a sermon on Ezekiel 36 and 37 for the Bakersfield Church of Christ 5/20/19. Notes and ppt attached. Ezekiel 37 Valley of Dry Bones Notes Ezekiel 37 The Valley of Dry Bones PPT Ezek 37 Valley of Dry Bones Audio
What is the significance of Mark 14:51 (the story of the young man who fled without his clothes)?
Question: About Mark 14:51 – What is the significance of this verse (the one about the young man who fled the scene of the arrest of Jesus without his clothes)? Answer: The story about the young man losing his clothes is a surprisingly insignificant detail to be included in the Scripture, causing many to wonder […]
Is the proper name of Jesus with the letter y or the letter j?
Question: I have a question on the spelling of the name Jesus based on an article I found at https://evidenceforchristianity.org/ask-question/ It talks about the history of the letter J and what that means about the name Jesus. I heard stories that the letter J is only 400 or 500 years old and Jesus been around […]
Is demon possession, as in the gospels, real? Does it happen today?
Question: Is demon possession like in the gospels real? Does it still occur today? Answer: Yes, demon possession was and is real. The principle reason I believe this is that Jesus clearly believed in it. He drove demons out of the man called Legion (Mark 5:6-10), out of the boy after being on the Mount […]
Please explain the apparent contradiction: You are my beloved Son (Mark 1:11) vs This is my beloved Son (Matt 3:17)
Question: 1 – I’m reading a book where an atheist asks: “How can the heavenly voice at Jesus’ baptism have said both ” You are my beloved Son” (Mark 1:11) and ” This is my beloved Son” (Matt 3:17) at the same time? “ 2 – Why did God order killed the Canaanite children? Are […]
The Coming of the Kingdom of God
Many who use this site are familiar with a Bible study on the Coming of the Kingdom of God. This study was problematic both doctrinally and theologically for a few reasons, but many really liked using it (including myself). I was asked to produce an updated version of the study, minus its theological errors. Here […]
What is the significance of Mark 14:51 (in which an unidentified person flees the scene of Jesus’ betrayal, leaving his clothes behind)
Question: Mark 14:51 – What is the significance of this verse? Answer: The story about the young man losing his clothes seems a surprisingly insignificant detail to include in the Gospel of Mark. This has caused many to wonder why Mark included it (including you!). The most reasonable answer I have heard is that this […]
How was the communion practiced in the primitive church and how should we do it today?
Question: I have been seeking to understand the development of communion as it is practiced in the church today and how communion was practiced in the first century Church. I referred to written works from authors with a Jewish understanding and perspective about the practice of breaking bread and communion, To understand the original intent […]
Kingdom of God for Catalyst Conference
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a class on the Kingdom of God at a singles conference in San Diego this weekend. Notes and power point are included, as well as expanded notes. Kingdom of God Catalyst Notes Kingdom of God PPT Kingdom of God Extended Notes KOG Catalyst […]
My son asks a good, logical question: If God is all-powerful and sovereign, then why would he hold us responsible, since he predestines what we do?
Question: My son has a “logical” but non-Biblical idea. He believes that God’s will is omnipotent, sovereign and therefore (because God is good) all obey His will and therefore are not responsible for what they do. Their actions are all predetermined. How do you respond to this quandary? Answer: This may be the single most common […]
Acts and Church History Sermon in Fresno
Dr John Oakes gave a sermon for the Central Valley Church of Christ in Fresno 6/2/19. It is about how the primitive church put into effect the vision of Jesus in Acts 1:8 to take the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea and the ends of the earth.
If we allow for the multiverse idea, is it not possible that life on earth just popped into existence?
Question: Once you allow the multiverse, is it not possible that life on earth just popped into existence kind of like Boltzmann brains? Answer: First of all, there is absolutely zero evidence for the multiverse. This is utter speculation. This speculation only exists, in my opinion, because atheists need a fall-back argument against the FACT […]
Bart Ehrman says that the “we” passages in Acts are a deception used to convince readers that the writer was a companion of Paul. Your response?
[Editor’s note: This question comes from a person who has asked many questions, as you will see from my answer. To find more on Ehrman, go to the site and do a search on his name] Question: Bart Ehrman claims that the “we” passages in Acts are forgery by the author to convince the readers […]
In a video by an atheist he claimed that the Bible teaches Christians to have a hostile attitude toward nonbelievers, using 2 John 9-11. Your response?
Question: I have a question. In a recent video that I saw, an atheist argued that the Bible teaches that Christians are to have a hostile and distasteful attitude toward nonbelievers. He cites 2 John 1:9-11 as evidence of this claim which says, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching […]
I read an article that claims John 7:53-8:11 in the KJV was not in the original John. Is that correct?
Question: I read an article that claims that John 7:53-8:11 was not part of the original book of John. https://www.gotquestions.org/John-7-53-8-11.html Please comment on this article. Is today’s KJV bible accurate as to the original manuscripts written by the original gospel writers? Are there any additional example of material that has been added to the Gospels over the […]
The Kingdom of God
Dr. John Oakes is giving a two-week series of lessons on the kingdom of God in Bakersfield. Notes and power point are here. Audio will be posted. Kingdom of God Notes Kingdom of God ppt Kingdom of God I Audio Kingdom of God II Audio
Is there an error in Ephesians 4:8 because it is a misquote from Psalm 68:18?
Question: Ephesians 4:8 is a quote from Psalm 68:18, but it is miss-quoted by Paul. The verse in Ephesians says “gave gifts to men,” while Psalms says “received gifts from men”. Please explain. Thank you. Answer: In Ephesians 4:8 it is likely that Paul is quoting the Aramaic Targum rather than the Septuagint. The Aramaic […]
Is Daniel 9:24-27 a credible messianic prophecy? What is the decree of Dan 9:25? Is it Neh 2:1 or Ezra 7:13?
Question: I’ve been trying to understand if Daniel 9 actually presents a credible prophecy. I’m at least familiar with (though do not completely understand) all the different perspectives. I’m aware that some interpretations involve the beginning of the “decree” [Daniel 9:25] in 444/445 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1). You begin the period of 490 years from 458 […]
How can free will exist if God is omnipotent?
Question: How can free will exist if God is omnipotent? Answer: First of all, I assume you are asking about free will in light of God’s sovereignty, not his omnipotence. I see no logical problem in God being all-powerful preventing him from using his power to create a sentient being with free will. I know […]
What is the Christian response to the power of positive thinking? Is Jesus the “Master of positive thinking”?
Question: What are the origins and influences of the science of positive thinking and personal development? Is it biblical when we know that this science mainly advocates the exaltation of the self? Autosuggestion, visualization and mental imagery? What do you think of the fact that some philosophers or psychologists claim that Jesus is a great […]
When Israel worshiped the golden calf Aaron made in the desert, were they worshiping God or a different god?
Question: After leaving Egypt, did the Hebrew worship the True God of Israel in the desert through the Golden calf or did they worship another god through the use of the Golden calf ? Answer: The Hebrew may be subject to two different interpretations. Aaron said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out […]
Are there any contemporary reports from the Jews of the resurrections on “Good Friday”?
Question: How did the Jewish government handle the resurrections of the dead during the Good Friday story? I mean today once your social security file is closed its over for you! Imagine how our government would handle the dead coming back into the cities! Is there any Jewish mention of these saints when they came back […]
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Question: Why do bad things happen to good people? Answer: This is a complex and difficult question and there is no simple answer. I have written an essay on the question of suffering. I am attaching it here and copying and pasting below. The Problem of Pain and Suffering Here is the “quick” version. Everything God […]
Can we trust Ron Wyatt’s published claim that they have discovered some of Jesus’ blood and that it has 24, not 23 chromosomes?
Question: I heard about discovery of Jesus’ blood on the ark of covenant by Ryan Watt. He concluded they found Jesus’ blood ….when they tested this blood the results were that Jesus’ blood is still alive today, and it has 24 chromosomes: 23 from his mother and 1 from the Holy Spirit which proves the […]
Deuteronomy 8: Advice to Young Disciples
Dr. John Oakes is giving a lesson from Deuteronomy 8, which are, in essence, Moses’ parting words to the second generation of those who had left Egypt and who are about to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 8 PPT Deuteronomy 8 Notes Deut 8 Audio
God and Science at Bakersfield College
Dr. John Oakes gave a lecture on God and Science for the alpha omega student group at Bakersfield College 4/4/2019. Audio and ppt are attached. God and Science God and Science PPT
Hosea 11:1 cannot be a prophecy about the Messiah because it speaks of Israel, not Jesus.
[Editor’s note: I received a long and somewhat rambling set of comments and questions from someone. I asked for a more succinct set of comments and questions so that I could respond. You will see below that the shorter version is still a bit unfocused, but this person asks sufficiently important questions that I felt […]
What is “the name of” the Holy Spirit? (Matthew 28:19)
Question: In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Now I know my question will sound silly, but keep in mind that there is indeed a reason behind it. So… what is the name of the Holy Spirit? Answer: This is not […]
What is your response to someone who says prayer is a waste of time? That “answers” are really just confirmational bias?
Question: What do you say to someone who claims that prayer is a waste of time because supposed “answers” to prayer are simply result of confirmational bias? Answer: The way I see it, either God exists or he does not. If he exists, either he listens to and answers prayer or he does not. I […]
What do you say to people who claim that Joseph of Arimathea did not actually exist?
Question: What do you say to the idea that Joseph of Arimathea did not actually exist? Is there good historical proof that he did? Answer: There is no “proof” that any single person lived in ancient history. It is literally impossible to prove that Nero or Julius Caesar or Nebuchadnezzar or anyone else in ancient […]
Why did the Council of Nicaea discuss whether Jesus was God or human?
Questions: 1.Why did the council have to meet to discuss if Jesus was the Son of God or if he was human or a spirit? 2.If God inspired man to write the Bible and he lives in me, why do I need the Bible or Jesus to tell me how to live when I can […]
Class on the Book of Daniel
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a series of four classes on the Book of Daniel on Saturdays 9:00-10:45 beginning 2/16 at 3010 Amber Canyon Place, Bakersfield, CA 93313. Notes, power point and audio will be posted. Daniel PPT DANIEL Notes Daniel I Audio Daniel II Audio Daniel III Audio Daniel PartIV Daniel Part V Daniel […]
