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Okay now, on to the questions and quick answers about God.
Questions About Eternal Damnation-Questions About Hell
Q.Is hell really real? A. It certainly is. In Beyond Death's Door by Dr. Maurice Rawlings
(who is a leading heart specialist) several people recount their experiences of
surviving clinical death and returning to tell us about it.
Q.Why would a good God create hell? A. 2 Peter 3 tells us that God would rather have everyone come to repentance; however, there will be some who won’t.
Think about this: If God were to allow everyone into heaven, then He would have to allow the bad people in too and if He did
that, wouldn’t that just be like life on earth? If there was no hell, then what’s the point of heaven or an eternal reward?
Q.Why would God send good people to hell? A. All have fallen short of the glory of God, even good people. Romans three
proclaims: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Q.Who made hell the devil or God? A. It says in Isaiah 45:5-8 that God created all things.
Q.What about predestination? A. If we're given free will then it’s our choice to believe in Him or not, isn’t it? Well,
no. No one has faith in Jesus unless God works a miracle and gives him or her the faith
to believe in Him. I have listed several verses below which will substantiate my claim:
In John 6:28-29, Jesus said that it’s the work of God
that people believe in Him. "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (KJV)
In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father, who
hath sent me, draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (KJV)
And in John 6:65, Jesus told the disciples “Therefore said I unto you that no man can
come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”
In John 15:16, Jesus said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
In Matthew, 4:18-19, when Jesus called His first disciples, Peter and his brother Andrew, He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
In John 1:43, Jesus called another of His disciples, Phillip; He said to him, "Follow me."
Ephesians 1:4-5, Paul said, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (KJV)
God chooses who will be saved according to His sovereign will.
However...
It says in Romans 10 that whoever calls upon the Lord shall be saved.
Questions About How To Be
Saved -About Salvation
Q.How do I become saved? A. If you're ready to accept the FREE gift of Salvation, pray to the Lord Jesus Christ with all of your heart, confess your sins, known and unknown, ask Him for forgiveness and submit your will to Him. I must caution you that upon accepting the gift of salvation you must shed your old life and repent of your sinful ways, if any, because the finished work on the cross will not be mocked.
Q.How do I know I'm saved? A. Ephesians 2:4-5 tells us that we have been saved only because of God’s grace. We can’t be saved on our own; it’s because of a God given miracle called faith that we can be saved.
Q.Can I lose my salvation? A. Once saved Always Saved? I believe so. The Lord already paid the price for our sins, past present and in the future. He died for us while we were yet sinners.
Matthew twelve tells us that the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against God’s Holy Spirit and Luke confirms this in chapter 12 of his Gospel.
Q.If God planned out our lives from beginning to end, then why do we have
free will? A. God does not make us sin. He creates the circumstances in which we live, but
it’s up to us to be obedient to Him or go about in our own sinful ways. God created us to be His children, but the majority of us are so
rebellious that we’ve given God no other option except to punish us.
Q.Well, why would God create people while knowing that some will go to hell? A. Romans chapter nine, fourteen
through twenty-three says: "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith
unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my
power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt
say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O
man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that
formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of
the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if
God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much
longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known
the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory."
In second Peter chapter three, verse nine proclaims: "The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Q.Why on earth would God make Satan and give us free will
if He doesn’t want any to perish? A. I look at it this way: Just because children act terribly at times isn’t a reason
to forgo having them altogether. All parents hope and pray that their children
will grow up to become
good people; God fearing men and women who fulfill the purpose that God has for
them.
Q.If Romans 3:10 says “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” why would the Bible say that Noah was a righteous man? A. First, let me quote two verses and then I’ll answer. In John 20:29 Jesus said, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” And in Matthew 13:17, Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” There were several people who not only walked in the statutes of God; Noah, Lot, Joseph, to name a few, but they also believed in the Son of God even though they hadn't yet seen Him yet. They were obedient to God to the very ends of their lives and longed to see the Messiah, which they knew was coming. Therefore, they were righteous.
Now that we know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, (John 14:6) if you believe in your heart that Christ is Lord and confess it with your mouth and repent of your sins, you're made righteous through His precious blood that was shed on the cross.
Q. Don’t we get a second chance, aren't we reincarnated after this life?
A. No. The life we're given is the only one we get. Besides, this world is so full of evil, only a hateful God would force us to go through another life in this world. Sure, you might be thinking that if we’re good in this life, we’ll come back as someone wealthy, healthy and seem to have it all, but remember, even those who are born to wealth, have wonderful health, and seem to have all the luck in the world still have their problems. Another thing: if we were reincarnated, wouldn't that negate our eternal reward?
Further proof of this fallacy can be found in Luke 16:19-31 where the Lord tells a parable called “The Rich Man and Lazarus”
How can I know that this is a real life story and not just another parable?
In most of the parables, Jesus referenced the characters by saying things like: “A man from so and so,” or “A woman from such and such place.” However, in the parable of “The Rich Man and Lazarus”, Jesus specifically mentioned both characters by name so we know it’s a true story.
But what about Purgatory?
Sorry, the Bible says that there is no such thing. In Luke 23:43 Jesus said, "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Notice He didn’t say, tomorrow, or next week, or even after you finish atoning for your sins? He said “today”.
What’s more, the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8: “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (KJV) That means that after we die, if we believe, we'll be with the Lord.
Questions About Repentance
Q.Do I really have to stop partying now that I’m a Christian? A. Yes. Once we became believers and renounced all of our sin, the blood of Jesus cleansed us; we were made sinless, righteous, just like Jesus. We are no different than the woman who was saved in John 8:11. Upon becoming saved, Jesus tells us to go and sin no more. When we knowingly sin, we're just mocking the cross or causing Christ to die for us in vain. That means no more smoking pot, drinking heavily and anything like that.
Q.Now that I'm a Christian, why do I have to be such a good example? A. Rather than look like the world, we are called to stand up for the Word of God by becoming a holy example for others. In so doing, we will be letting the light of Christ shine through us for the world to see.
Q.Do I really have to forgive everyone? A. Yes you do: In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus said: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (KJV)
Questions About God- Questions About Jesus
Q.What is the holy trinity? A. Think about it like a triangle. The Holy trinity is three different aspects of God where all three sides complete the shape.
Q.Who made God? A. No one. Since we humans are created, it's hard for us to imagine that God wasn't
created by someone or something; however, Exodus 3:14 says, "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM." By faith, we just have to accept the fact that God wasn't created and leave it at that.
Q.Doesn't God hover over our shoulders waiting to bust us or punish us for doing something wrong? A. No. Think about this: If God really was waiting to punish you for even the tiniest transgression, why do you think He died to have a relationship with you?
Here’s what Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” If you turn from your sin, believe in Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you’re under no condemnation.
Still worried?
In Matthew 18:11-13, Jesus said: “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.” (KJV) Yes, God really does rejoice over someone believing in His Son.
Questions About Life
Q.Why would God allow innocent children to die? A. That is one of the most difficult questions and I wish I had an easy answer. I can’t imagine anything more devastating than losing a spouse or child. I often wonder if He might take children sometimes to prevent him/her from suffering a much worse fate. One thing I am certain of is all children who have died are in the arms of Jesus and if the parents are believers then they will spend eternity with their child after they die. We just have to realize that God is sovereign; everything in existence belongs to Him, even our children.
Q.What does God think about divorce? A. He does not condone it except in the case of adultery.
Q.I'm divorced, should I remarry? A. The answer is in Matthew 19 where Jesus said: "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication,
and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put
away doth commit adultery."
Q.I prayed for health, but God hasn't healed me yet...what's up with that?
A. God heals on His own time, not ours.
Just because we pray in faith doesn't mean that God has to kneel down on His
knees before us
and do as we bid. He'll answer your prayers, but on His time. Consider the blind
man in Mark 8:22-25 that only saw men as trees at first. It took a little more time to heal
him.
Q.I feel so alone. Are you sure that God’s nearby? A. Here's one of my favorite verses: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)
Q.My life seems like it's spinning out of control... Are you sure that God's
really in charge of everything? A. Yes. Could you have done something you shouldn’t have? If you did, God may be letting you suffer from the natural consequences of your sin.
Regardless of whether you have or haven't done something wrong, don’t worry, God loves you so much that He will
NEVER leave your side.
"For the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9, KJV) Luke 12 proclaims that God is
so interested in every aspect of your life that He even knows how many hairs you
have on your head! “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Psalm 48:14 says, “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”
Q.Does God's Word support abortion? A. Nope and I hope you don't either. God appointed us all to be born when and
where we were according to His purpose. Though abortion is not mentioned or forbidden in the Bible per se,
Isaiah 44:24 tells us that upon conception, a baby is fully human.
Q.Why does God allow terrible things to happen in the world? A. The Lord never promised that life would be perfect. When God created man, He created mankind to be good; everything was perfect.
There was no death, sickness or anything of the sort in the beginning; however, after
Adam and Eve introduced sin into the world, everything became tainted. By nature, we
human beings are full of sin; one selfish motive or another is behind everything good
that we do. Our own impure hearts have separated us from God and bad things
happen as a consequence or our actions. Another explanation can be found in John 9:1-3
chapter nine, verses one through three, where it says: "And as Jesus passed by, he
saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master,
who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither
hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made
manifest in him." God permits terrible things to happen so that the world can see His
glory. (KJV)
Q.Jesus lived a long time ago, how do I know that He really understands what I'm going through now? A. Though Jesus lived on the earth around two thousand years ago, I can assure you that He is alive, always has been and always be. That’s how He understands what we’re going through. Hebrews 4:15
tells us that the Lord has been tempted as much as we are. While on the cross, He was tempted to save Himself and while in the desert before He began His ministry, the devil tempted Him, but He stood on the Word. This is why it's vital that Christians study the Word as much as possible so we can stand on God's Holy Word and resist temptation.
Q.If the Bible says: "Thou Shalt Not Kill", then why do Christians kill others during war?
A. Hebrews 13:17 tells us to obey our leaders: "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." (KJV)
Romans 13:1-2 tells us that God ordained all powers that be in our government, therefore we're subject to them.
Q. What does the Bible say about supporting a mooch?
A. I have to say that the very best thing to do is to pray and wait for God to answer by
either putting a burden onto your heart to help the person or by removing the burden that you have to help him or her.
Other than that, I can give you a few Bible verses that pertain to this situation and then offer some first hand advice and let you draw your own conclusion.
To begin with, 1 John 3:17-18 says: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (NIV) And in Matthew 25:40, Jesus said: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’” (KJV)
On top of the above verses, the Bible tells us that we are to bear each other's burdens, but it doesn't tell us how far we should go or how long we should help another. I suppose it all depends upon who the person is that needs your help
and what their needs are. For instance, if someone who is physically or mentally disabled and cannot work
needs our help, then it's our duty to do what we can for him or her. Or if it's a widowed, homeless, or elderly person who just doesn't have enough money to get by, we should help and do it gladly.
And going by what James 4:17 proclaims, we should support someone in his or her time of need. However, this verse is a two-edged sword for all concerned. What I mean is that on one side, if you continually enable a mooch, you're doing more harm than good for him or her and on the other side, if you don't keep helping someone who is needy, you’ll end up feeling guilty.
Now, I'll tell you straight up what I know from first hand experience. If you continue to enable a person by frequently giving him or her money, you’ll do more damage to your relationship with that person than almost anything I can imagine. If you keep giving to the "moocher" you'll end up becoming resentful of him or her personally, then you'll end up loathing the person due to their unreasonable expectations. Sure, you were glad you had the money or a home to help at first, but after a while, it seems to be expected. It begins to feel like you're being taken advantage of.
Secondly, if it's allowed to continue for some time then the mooch will become a helpless victim and this will create an endless, vicious circle. If it continues, this moocher will turn you into an enabler, which is not a fun position to be in. Just ask any family member of a drug addict or alcoholic and they'll tell you that these people literally bully them into a position of either constantly helping them or losing the love of the addict.
Thirdly, your relationship with the moocher will become so full of tension that
you'll hardly be able to bear being in the same room with him or her. On top of
that, before he or she has a chance to say anything, you'll automatically be on guard. Right off, you'll ask yourself: "How much does he/she want this time?" And then you'll wind up whipping out your wallet and stuffing money into his or her hands to make him or her “just go away”.
That said I’m sure you’ve heard the old proverb that’s generally attributed to Lao Tzu
that goes like this: “Give a man a fish, and feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, and feed him for life.”
With that in mind, the question now becomes, "How do you make them stop?” Or, “How do you
stop this horrific merry-go-round from going around one more time?”
Tell them, “Look, I can help you this time, but you need to get a job and support yourself or stop doing whatever it is that is putting you into this position.”
If anything, you can have him or her do some work for you in order to earn that
money. Hold firmly to what you tell the person. However, if he or she doesn't have a car to look for a job or a printer to print out a resume, then by all means, help the person out
by giving him or her rides to job interviews or help with bus fare and whatnot.
At first, you may even have to take the moocher by the hand and lead him or her around literally by the nose... telling him or her what to do step-by-step until he or she is back on his or her feet, but the reward for both of you will be
his or her independence and your peace of mind.
On that same vein, I do have to say that God really does work in awesome and mysterious ways. On more than one occasion in my life, God has
unexpectedly blessed me with extra money hours or even days before someone I know had a need for it. I just thanked God for giving it to me and passed the money on to the person who needed it. And when that person thanked me, I told her to thank God for it because that's where it came from.
Q.Do I have to honor my parents even if they're utterly deplorable?
A. Yes--because I said so!
All kidding aside, you should because we honor God by honoring our parents. See these verses: Romans 13:1-2, 1 Peter 2:17, and Daniel 2:22. There's an article regarding this subject at:
http://www.thebossychurchlady.net/do_I.html
Q.Do I have to obey all authority figures?
A. See the answer for honoring your parents (the answer right above this question).
Questions About How Much God Really Loves You
Q.Does God really love everyone so much?
A. Absolutely! God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to this world to be the perfect offering for all of our sins; past, present and future. Willingly, Jesus came into this filthy
world to die a horrible and bloody death so that all who would believe in Him
can have eternal life. There's nothing we can ever do to earn salvation; we'll never measure up no matter how hard we try.
Knowing that we were sinners, and that most people would never believe in Him, the Lord died for
all of us anyways.
Don't believe me?
1 Thessalonians 5:10-11 declares: "He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we
may live together with him." (NIV)
Q.I feel like I don't measure up to the world's expectations. But how does God feel about me? A. To begin with, Zephaniah 3 tells us that God rejoices over us with singing. It says in Isaiah that God has our pictures on the palms of His hands. Can you believe that? God looks at us night and day.
Here's what else God says about us: "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee." Isaiah 54:10 (KJV)
Q.I have always wondered why God said he made the woman for man and not the man for woman.......although I have a relationship with the Lord, I have often struggled with thinking that God seems like he values or has more respect towards men than He does women. Why did God allow men to have several wives in the old testament although the opposite wasn't heard of.... and why was virginity expected of women before marriage or it was considered dishonorable and the same is not mentioned of men? Even in Proverbs it's always mentioned about the harlot or the loose women...yet I haven't found anything about an immoral man?! Please help comfort my mind!!!
Thanks... anonymous.
A. Dear Anonymous:
First off, let me apologize for the lengthy response, but after carefully considering your questions, I felt that you deserved a detailed answer.
Just to set your mind at ease, I’d like to start by letting you know that Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11 and Ephesians 6:9—just to name a few—tell us that God is no respecter of persons, either male or female. Thankfully, He doesn’t show favoritism or we’d all be in trouble—at least I would be.
Thinking about what you said about God saying He made the woman for the man and not the other way around, I felt that way too for a while, until I really looked at Genesis 2:18 where it says, “The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him,” (NIV). The fact that the Lord stated that it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone, when everything else was good in His eyes tells me that Adam was lonely; he was incomplete.
Notice how in verse 19, the Lord brought the animals to Adam to see what he would name them? Further down, in the second half of verse 20, the fact that Adam was alone is mentioned once again: “But for Adam no suitable helper was found.” No suitable “partner in life” or “helper” could be found out of all the animals. Most of all, no suitable companion could be found for Adam. The solution was to make a woman.
God had another purpose for man: To multiply on the face of the earth (Genesis 1:28), and this couldn’t be accomplished without us women. Even though we women are, quite literally, from men, we are by no means are we to be treated as lowly individuals.
In the beginning, God intended marriage to be between one man and one woman. Even though God didn’t approve of bigamy, I believe He allowed it in the beginning so that the population could grow. Besides, it was acceptable in certain mid-eastern cultures for a man to have more than one wife—although that doesn’t excuse the practice.
Here are a couple of places in the Bible—again, these aren’t the only instances—where women are given the recognition they deserve: In the book of Judges, a woman named Deborah was a judge (ruler) of Israel for a time, and Paul mentions a woman named Rahab by name in Hebrews 11 because of her righteous actions.
Now, on to sexual purity being expected of men and women, I’m going to list a couple of verses that, hopefully, will set your mind at ease: 1) First Corinthians 7:2 tells us that virginity is expected of both men and women until they’re married; and 2) Numbers 25:1 tells us that Israelite men committed sexual immorality with Moabite women. Another account in the Bible that should set your mind at ease about men needing to keep themselves pure is in 2 Samuel 11 where King David had an affair with Bathsheba and had her husband killed after he found out that she was pregnant. It says in verse 27 that God was displeased. God punished the king by letting the baby die (2 Sam. 12).
Just know that God loves women dearly. As Jesus hung on the cross, He found another son for his mother so that she would be taken care of. And in the New Testament, you’ll find a lot of verses that instruct men to treat women well.
Have an awesome day!
God bless,
Sandra
“THE VALUE OF A WOMAN: Be careful if you make a woman cry, because God counts her tears. The woman came out of a mans' rib. Not from his feet to be walked on. Not from his head to be superior. But from the side to be equal, under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be loved." I have no idea who wrote it, but it’s such a great saying that I thought I’d pass it along.
Questions About Christian Living-About Christianity
Q. How Do I live by His purpose? A. Contrary to popular opinion, we were put here to please the Lord, not the other way around. Revelation 4:11 says: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” So if you're living to please God, then you're living according to His purpose.
Q.How do I abide in the Lord? A. If you study His Word daily and you’re obedient to Him, you’ll abide in the Lord. Not only that, but you'll keep the treasures of Heaven in your mind and heart. For those who don't think it's too terribly important to abide in the Lord,
Matthew 13 gives a warning: "At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn."
(NIV)
Q.I feel like I'm not making a difference, are you sure that witnessing isn't
just an exercise in futility? A. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 that God gives the increase, not us. If we plant the seed and someone else waters, all we can do is wait on God to give him or her the faith to believe.
I know I've already said this before, but because we have no idea who God, the master gem cutter, will shape into a beautiful, sparkling diamond, we must witness to everyone without prejudice. That means we must reach out to the gays, the homeless, our enemies, murderers, and
anyone else we encounter in life. After all, who doesn't want to hear: "Well done, good and faithful servant!"?
Q.Is it really worth it to upset a friend by witnessing to him/her? A. Yes. Will you be able to live with yourself if your friend dies and you never took the time to tell him or her about Jesus?
Q.What if I don't want to do things God's way? A. Take my word for it; warring against God is never a good idea. It leads you down a destructive path, where at the end, you'll
have nothing but regrets. God loves you and wants only what's best for you. I used to be one who did my own thing and God ended up using the arthritis in my neck to bring me around to
obeying to His Word, and trusting in Him completely. He
says: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)
Q.How do you know that I can trust God? A. It says in 2 Thessalonians that the Lord will guard and protect us from the evil one. Yes, you heard me right: God’s got our backs. Proverbs 29:25 says, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe." (NIV)
Q.Why do Christians have to struggle so much? A. Since God promised that He would take care of everything, we really don't have to struggle. When we worry more about the things in our lives and the things of this world more than we care about the Lord then we
cause strife within our hearts and keep ourselves from reaching the Promised Land. Philippians 4:11-13 proclaims: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (NIV)
Feel better now?
Q.What if God won't forgive me? A. Upon forgiving you, God promised to forget your sins. Hebrews 8:12 proclaims: "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (KJV) In Matthew 12,
we see that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the only unforgivable sin. That means
that even if you've murdered someone, God will still forgive you.
Q.What if I've prayed for forgiveness, but I still feel condemned? A. Ah, those condemning feelings... the devil loves to mess with your mind. This falls under the category of spiritual attack. Here's one of my favorite verses: John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (KJV) Listen; when you became a believer in Christ, you were sealed with God’s Holy Spirit, you became a child of God. As a child of God, you don’t ever have to tolerate being tormented
by feelings of shame ever again. John 10 tells us that nothing can pluck us out
of the Lord's hand.
Q.What about other types of spiritual attack? A. It’s common to be attacked spiritually. The main goal of the devil is to
distract a Christian, to keep him or her so busy with the trivial things in life that he or she won’t be
effective within the kingdom of heaven. However, if we focus entirely upon the Lord,
we'll experience the true freedom that Christ offers. I've written an article about this very subject.
Click here
to read it.
Q.Do I have to be baptized? A. Yes and you'll do it for the sake of obedience. If you read Matthew three,
you'll discover that even Jesus was baptized.
Q.Do I really have to forgive everyone? A. Yes and here's why: In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NIV)
Q.What about medication... shouldn't my faith be enough to heal me? A. That's a tricky question. Because God works in mysterious ways, we cannot know if He has chosen to use a doctor or psychiatrist to bring about healing. A verse that leads me to believe that the Lord is not against medicine is Jeremiah 46:11, where
He said: "Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in
vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured." Another
thing: without God, we would have no knowledge of medicine whatsoever.
Q.We have a homosexual man attending our church. Should we expel him from our church? A. No. Why would you kick someone who is seeking God to the curb? Church is a place where people learn about God. Who are we to judge
another? Are any of us without sin? No. Jesus came for the lost, and that includes you and me. Jesus hung out with tax collectors--who were notorious for ripping people off. One other point: Saul who later became the apostle Paul persecuted and murdered Christians... and look at what the Lord did with him.
Q.What is a Christians most important duty? A. A Christian's greatest calling is the Great Commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28:16-20, where it says: "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Q.Isn't religion personal? Shouldn't I keep it to myself? A. Think of it this way... if no one had told you the good news, how else would you have become saved? James 5:20 says: "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."
Q. Where can I find out how to become a more effective disciple for Christ? A. There are several resources:
Q. Do the gifts of the Holy Spirit pertain to today's Christian?
A. Yes! Spiritual gifts are as alive and well today as they were way back when in Jesus' time. The gifts bestowed upon each Christian are entirely according to God's will and given through God's Holy Spirit.
Q. How can I increase my faith? A. To give you a short answer, I’ll give you the definition of faith: faith is the absolute certainty that God can and will do what He promised, that He will take care of us despite everything that happens. But how do we arrive at the point of being confident, of having no doubt whatsoever that the Lord will feed, care for, clothe, and love us no matter what? By knowing God intimately. By hearing His promises. By applying His promises to our lives and allowing those promises to affect our everyday thinking.
P.S., I will expound upon this principle in the next issue of The Bossy Church Lady’s Newsletter For New Christians. (The one due on 4-15-2008) It can be found by going to
http://www.thebossychurchlady.net/backissues.html.
Q. How can I grow spiritually? A. There are six things you can do to experience spiritual growth:
1) Regularly spend one-on-one time with God 2) Read His Word--the Bible 3) Do your best not to sin 4) Walk and worship in the Spirit 5) Believe God's Word and apply it to your life 6) Be confident in the fact that not only do God's promises pertain to the people in the Old and New Testament times, but His promises also apply to us in the here and now
Q. Will God still hear me even if I'm not very good at praying? A. Yes. Even if we don’t pray eloquently, even if we don’t pray like the greatest prayer warriors, or pray like the preacher does on Sunday mornings, we can be confident that the Lord will hear our prayers. How do I know? In Romans 8, the apostle Paul said that even if we don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. He goes to God on our behalf.
Q. If God knows what we're going to pray for, then why ask for anything in
the first place? A. The Bible tells us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2).
Not to mention, it doesn't hurt us one bit to humble ourselves and ask God for whatever we need.
Q. What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? A. Upon converting to Christianity, the Holy Spirit begins to dwell in a believer’s body, mind, heart and soul and he or she is given a spiritual gift from God. This is otherwise known as Baptism of the Spirit. Each gift given has a different degree or strength; no two people possess identical gifts.
Think of it like this: there are varying shades of the color blue, so it is with the gifts of the Spirit. Two people may have the same gift, such as Discernment, but the degrees are different. Imagine your hand: you have a thumb, an index finger, a middle finger and so on. Each serves a different purpose, but they are all part of the same body. Just like our fingers, all who are in Christ are members of the same body, but each person serves a different function. Like people, no two gifts are exactly the same.
Q. When I forgive someone, do I have to trust that person too? A. In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus said that we are to forgive people “seventy times seven” every day. As far as trusting the person who hurt you, that's another matter entirely as trust must be earned.
Questions About Church
Q. What about Biblical discernment?
A. As Christians, it is our duty to remain vigilant; to discern everything that we hear so that we will never be led to believe erroneous teachings which can lead us astray. The way we do it is by taking notes while listening to the pastor in church and study our Bibles; not just on Sundays.
Q. What is spiritual discernment?
A. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The way we have spiritual discernment is by listening to the Word of God with our hearts. It’s only because of faith that we can hear the Word of God and accept it as fact. And, 1 Corinthians 12:10 says: “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.” Discerning of spirits is another way to say spiritual discernment. When one is hearing a false doctrine, a red flag goes up in the mind of the discerner. Sometimes, the person with the gift will have a stomach ache while hearing a lie or may have a headache, but the Holy Spirit works in different ways in different people. That’s why I always encourage people do double-check everything they hear in church against the Bible because not everyone has this gift from the Spirit.
Q. Is going to church really that important?
A. Yes... because I said so. Just kidding. Fellowship with other Christians is
as vital as eating food. Moreover, in church, we learn how God wants us to behave.
Q. What about tithing?
A. I have personally heard of preachers who twist
Malachi 3:8-11 to take advantage of greedy congregants who think that the more
they tithe, the more they'll get in return. As it says in Leviticus 27:32 and in Deuteronomy 14:22, ten percent should be fine.
(You can give extra if you feel led to, but you don't have to.)
Questions About The End Times-About The Tribulation
Q.What is the rapture? A. Just before the tribulation begins, Christ Jesus will basically snatch His people from the earth, leaving billions behind to suffer the most hellish seven years that mankind will ever know. Whether or not Christ Jesus
raptures those who love Him before or after the tribulation begins is debatable. However, there is one thing
certain: those who have unreservedly given their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ will be raptured and they will remain with the Lord forevermore.
Q.Are you sure that God will rapture His followers? A. Sure I'm sure! If God raptured Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and He raptured Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) then He will rapture believers just like He promised in Matthew 24:40-41 where Jesus said: "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." (KJV)
Q.What's the tribulation and what's its purpose? A. The tribulation is the day of the Lord. That period of time was spoken of by many Old Testament prophets and confirmed by Jesus in the New Testament.
To be more specific, the tribulation will be a seven year period of time that God will punish the wicked for their evil deeds, purify the hearts of believers around the world and sift through mankind to separate those whose hearts are fixed upon Him from those who would never believe in His Son.
Q.What signals the beginning of the tribulation? A. The seven-year clock will begin ticking on the tribulation when the antichrist confirms a seven year covenant of peace with the nation of Israel. (Daniel 9:27)
Q.How do you know that the tribulation will last seven years? A. In prophecy, one week equals seven years. The angel Gabriel gave Daniel a prophecy about the coming Messiah (Daniel 9:24-26) which has
been fulfilled, and then down in verse 27, he tells Daniel that the coming antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel for one week.
However, after the antichrist swindles them into signing or confirming this seven-year peace treaty,
he’ll renege on the deal halfway through the "week" and desecrate their
newly rebuilt temple.
Q.Who would be foolish enough to follow after the antichrist? A. According to Second Thessalonians chapter two, verses nine through twelve, God will send anyone who has decided not to follow Him a strong delusion. They'll be made to believe the antichrist; they’ll have no other choice…
Don't believe me? Read the book of Exodus.
Q.Is our Social Security number the mark of the beast? A. No. The mark that you're referring to, the one that is mentioned in Revelation 13:16, will be either on,
or as some texts say "in" your right hand or forehead. This mark is something
that followers of the antichrist will intentionally receive in order to buy or sell.
Q.About the medical ID implants, is that the mark of the beast? A. That too is not the same as the mark of the beast. Regardless of whether or not one has the chip inserted in his or her body, he or she is still able to shop and sell their stuff.
Q.Will the antichrist really behead Christians during the tribulation? A. Yep. As gross and disgusting as it sounds, the antichrist will delight in it.
Q.If I'm left here after the rapture, will it be too late? A. No. During the tribulation, an uncountable number of people will become believers. Unfortunately, most of them will be beheaded during this time.
Q. Isn't the Gog/Magog war the same as the war in Armageddon? A. No. In the war of Armageddon, all nations will come against Israel. In the Gog/Magog war,
which will be at the end of Christ's Millennial Reign, many nations will go against God, but they will be destroyed forever. Also, see Revelation 20:7-9.
Q.What is the White Throne Judgment? A. Everyone who wasn't brought to life during the first resurrection will face judgment at the end of the Millennial Reign.
God will judge them according to what they did while they were alive. Anyone not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire.
Q.Who is the woman clothed with the sun in Revelation 12? A. Revelation 12 is a highly controversial chapter in the book of Revelation. Whether the woman clothed in the sun signifies the nation of Israel or the Virgin Mary is debatable. However, three things are not up for debate: Revelation 12 pertains to Israel, Christ Jesus and to believers.
Q.Who is the dragon in Revelation Revelation 12:3? A. The dragon in that verse is none other than Satan himself. The following verses, Revelation 12:4-9, gives us several clues as to the dragon's identity. In verse 4 it says that the dragon's tail drew a third of the stars and cast them to earth. The stars are angels. When Satan was cast out of heaven, one-third of the angels went with him. In Luke 10:18, Jesus said that he saw Satan fall from heaven, and Isaiah 14:12 proclaims that Lucifer was cast down to the earth. Verses 7-9 describe a war in heaven where the devil and his minions were cast out of heaven.
Also in verse four of Revelation 12, it says that the dragon stood at the ready to devour the child that she was to give birth to. Matthew 2 gives the account of how King Herod tried to kill Christ Jesus and when he heard that his plan was thwarted, he gave the order to kill all children that were age two and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem.
Questions About God From Atheists
Q.Why did God allow His Son to die such a horrible death? A. Because all of us have broken God’s perfect law and each of us stands guilty of being sinners, the wrath of God is upon us all. For this reason, He required a sacrifice to blot out one’s sins. In Leviticus seventeen, eleven, God said: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Q.Why do we need Jesus? A. Not only is God willing to forgive us of all of our sins, but He desires to reconcile Himself to us. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 tells us: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.” (NIV)
Q.Why are Christians such hypocrites? A. Sad to say, I know how you feel. No one is perfect, even us Christian’s. Speaking for myself, I can say that I tend to get on my high horse sometimes and it takes a good dose of reality to bring me back down. Know this though: every Christian is a recovering sinner. We go to church not only for edification, but also to learn how God wants us to act. Thankfully, God is quick to forgive.
Q.Don't all religions lead to God? A. No. If they did, then why do you suppose that the various factions war
with one another, insisting that theirs is the only true religion? Our God, the
Christian God, is the only One that rose from the dead, thereby conquering death.
Unlike other gods, the true God, the God of the Christians, does not want His
followers forcing people to believe in Him. On top of that, He has
proven Himself as being the only true God by performing so many miracles that there is not enough time or space to write it all down.
Q.Wasn't Jesus dying and being resurrected was nothing more than a hoax? A. No. Back then, if a Roman guard allowed a prisoner to escape, it was customary
for the guard to be killed. Knowing this, why would the guards
admit that the body of Jesus had gone missing?
Still don't believe me?
Then why do you suppose the Jewish
leaders bribed the soldiers like it says in Matthew 28:11-15? Because they knew
that Christ had indeed risen from the dead, just like it said He would in the prophecies
about Him. "Now when
they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the
chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the
elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye,
His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the
governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and
did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this
day." (Matthew 28:11-15)
Miscellaneous Questions
Q.Why did you make this website? A. Because it tears me up just thinking about anyone going to hell. I love everyone enough to meddle in his or her life.
Q.What does God think about sorcery, divination, tarot card readings, etc.? A. In first Chronicles chapter ten, verses thirteen through fourteen, it says that king Saul died because he didn’t inquire of the Lord, rather, he consulted with a medium to find out what he should do. In Revelation twenty-one, the Lord told John: "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murders, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Q.Do animals have souls? A. I believe they do. Genesis nine tells us that God will demand an accounting
from any animal that takes the life of a human.
Q.Is there really such a thing as Purgatory? A. Sorry, no. Read the story called The rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.
Q.What about suicide? A. One way for the devil to destroy God’s children is to get him/her to commit
suicide. If you kill yourself, the last thing you’ll commit is murder. Moreover,
you’re telling God that you didn’t trust Him enough to fix your life. If
suicide is something you’re thinking about quite often,
or something that someone you know talks about, I encourage you to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Q.Is life worth living even if I’m suffering and in misery? A. Though I'm personally familiar with suffering, since God created everything, every life has value.
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 the apostle Paul addresses that issue by saying, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (NIV)
Q.What’s a good radio station for Christians to listen to? A. Though I’m sure there are many, K-LOVE is my favorite.
Q.Did God make the dinosaurs? A. Yes. He created everything.
Q. Who Were The Sons Of God From Genesis 6:2?
A. “The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.” Genesis 6:2 (NIV)
Some people think the “sons of God” mentioned in the Bible are fallen angels that married human women producing a cross breed called the Nephilim. Others think that the sons of God are...
click here to read the rest of the answer.
Q. Who Were The Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6:4?
A. The Bible says that the Nephilim were men of renown, which means that they were men of reputation. They were people of great stature. This could mean that they were mighty men of valor, wealth, power, or strength.
*** If you haven’t given your life to the Lord, I’m pleading with you to do so now. Please don’t be too stubborn to do this one, simple thing. And please, don’t plan to wait till you’re on your deathbed to make things right with God. Life is too short to gamble with our souls. Besides, we never know when God will decide to end our lives or how He’ll do it, or if He’ll do it instantly.
I promise you won’t regret turning to the Lord. There’s no freaky witchy rituals, no walking on coals, no drinking some disgusting concoction you wouldn’t even feed your worst enemy, no hanging from the ceiling by your toenails… or anything else like that. Streaking through your neighborhood grocery stores with fifty snakes hanging off your arms and neck…
When I gave my life to Him, I was sure I’d either hear roaring laughter booming from the sky or be struck by lightning; but neither happened. If you’re worried about what to say, please don’t: God knows your heart and He knows what you really mean when you talk to Him. Just talk to Him like you would talk to a friend, but with a whole lotta respect for Him, and you’ll do fine.
After you give your life to Him do everything you can to not go back to sinning like you did before you knew Him. If you mess up, as we all do, just confess your sin knowing that He’ll forgive you and do your best not to do whatever sin it was again.
***
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