What is the gift of the Holy Ghost?
The way I understand this passage is that the Lord heard Cornelius' prayers. I don't know if He answered them, but I am in a quandary about the Lord hearing the prayers of unbelievers. I do not take from this passage that Cornelius was saved - it just states that he was a devout man that feared God. Can you shed some light on the subject for me?
Can I get scriptures that support baptism as part of salvation besides Mark 16:16?
What is the correlation/connection between water baptism and church membership? I see where Acts 2:41 references both baptism and adding to the church in the same context, but have not found where baptism is clearly required for church membership.
I read a book that said if you want to become a Christian (saved), you must also be ready to count the cost, such as: dying to yourself, taking up your cross, following Jesus, even if it leads you to death. Do you really need to be ready to do all that before you come to Christ?
