Why is it that when I was 7 I smoked because my dad did it?

I think you are telling me that because your dad smoked, you also tried it. If that is the case, I’ll bet you did it because you wanted to see what your dad was up to. It’s absolutely normal for a boy to want to be like his dad and do things his dad does. I did that too when I was a boy.

Now you are wiser than when you were 7, and you know that smoking is bad for you. I know that a lot of parents, and even kids, smoke – but no one really argues that its good for you, right?

You know what’s so very cool??? You are old enough now to make your own choices about stuff like this. In my opinion, there is enough difficult and painful and bad stuff in life so that I don’t also have to make a choice that hurts me. If I know that smoking is bad, then I don’t need to try again.

My dad smoked for most of his adult life, I tried it a little bit when I was younger too – I hated it. Now my dad has cancer. Maybe the cancer is not even from smoking, it doesn’t matter – I know I don’t want to smoke.

What about you? What’s your choice?

I hope this note helps you. I have a lot of faith in you, and a lot of love for you. I have really enjoyed these two years in TRACK with you. I hope that you will make good choices in the future. You will have many chances to make good or bad choices. If you ever have more questions like this, or you just need to sit and talk with me, just let me know. Even after you are out of TRACK, you are welcome to ask me any question you have.

What happens to a baby that dies at birth? Do they go to Heaven or Hell, because they never sinned?

Babies that die at birth go to Heaven. Babies that die before they are born go to Heaven too. Even small children who cannot understand the concept of sin and salvation go to Heaven if they die unexpectedly.

There is a point, though, where we do hold individuals accountable for their sins, but that is usually later as they grow older. Hebrew Tradition usually celebrated this age of accountability with a Bar Mitzvah.

How come God loves the ones who sins?

It is because our God is a loving God. He has what's known as "agape" love for us...in fact, there really isn't an English translation for it...except to say that it is an unconditional love for us. He loves us completely and unconditionally.

We are His creation and we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image (Psalm 139). What God hates is sin. We often say, "Hate the sin but love the sinner." Well, that's the way God is. God knows that we can never measure up to the level of perfection that Christ demonstrated. That's why He sent Jesus to us; to carry the weight of that sin. That doesn't mean there aren't consequences for sin. Think about it this way...your mom and dad love you unconditionally but they still discipline you when you do something wrong. It doesn't mean they don't love you; they are simply angry at the act of what you did. Your Heavenly Father is the same way.

Why did God send Jesus into the desert to be tempted by Satan?

That is an awesome question! If you read the very first line of the Book of Matthew, Chapter 4, Verse 1, it says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”

So, just by this verse alone, we learn two things: 1, God (the Spirit) was involved in this plan and 2, He allowed Jesus to be tempted. And you’re saying, “Okay…but why???”

God sent Jesus to show us how to resist the devil. Remember, Jesus is God so, if He wanted, He could have made Satan disappear with just a thought. But, instead (and this is the part I love), He responded to Satan as a human to set the example for the rest of us humans. He showed us through His actions how to resist temptation!

And, if you were listening real close you heard how Jesus set the example for us. Do you recall? He accessed God’s strength. He used the passages from the Bible to give Him the strength He needed to resist Satan’s temptations. He turned to God’s Word. He did that to show us that if we can access God’s strength through prayer or knowing God’s Word and trusting in God’s Word that we can also resist temptation. Because, guess what? We can’t do it alone. And Jesus was showing that He couldn’t do it alone as a man.

Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13? It said, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But, when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” That is a promise from God to you. God knows we can’t do it alone. Jesus knew it and that’s why He showed us how to resist temptation by turning to God and by turning away from Satan and to keep walking away from him.

So, that’s why God sent Jesus into the desert to be tempted by Satan. It was to demonstrate to us how we can beat Satan by turning to God and by turning away from the temptation of the devil. Remember Philippians 4:13…”I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

What is the difference between Christians and Mormons?

I have done a lot of reading and research on the differences of Christianity and Mormonism. I have also spoken with a number of Mormons who have come to my door, and I know many kids (some in our class) who have some Mormon faith in their background.

I have discovered there are many differences. These differences are very important because they involve what we believe about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation, and heaven. Below is a comparison of some of the differences. I hope this chart helps you.

Christianity
The Bible is God’s Word (2 Tim 3:16).

Mormonism
The Bible is not the final word of God.

Christianity
God is Spirit and the one and only God (Is. 43:10).

Mormonism
The Father has a body of flesh and bones. There are many gods. Humans can eventually become a god.

Christianity
Jesus is both man and God (John 1:1, 14) and God’s only son (John 3:16).

Mormonism
Jesus is created by the father (a separate being) and is a spirit brother to Lucifer (the devil).

Christianity
Salvation is a free gift provided by God’s grace for all who believe in Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross (Rom. 3:22-24).

Mormonism
Salvation comes from faith, good works & meeting church requirements.

Christianity
Those who put their trust in Jesus will spend eternity in heaven with God
(John 14:1-4).

Mormonism
Most of mankind will enter one of three levels of heaven. The highest level is reserved for Mormons.

Here are three of the websites I looked at that I thought were helpful, you might want to look at them with your mom and dad. They provide a lot of information.

Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (This is the Mormon / Latter Day Saints Page): http://www.carm.org/mormon.htm.

Mormon Research Ministry (This site challenges the claims of Mormons): http://www.mrm.org/.

Mormon Info.org (This site really digs deep into your question about the differences): http://www.mormoninfo.org/.


I know this is a lot of information, so start with the chart I made you, and then have some discussions with your mom and dad. If you really start digging deeper, keep asking questions!!

How could Jesus live without organs after He died?

Wow. That is a great question.

The Bible doesn’t say whether or not Jesus had organs. We can assume that He did because He hadn’t ascended (risen) to Heaven yet. We do know that Jesus had the scars from being crucified and from being stabbed because Thomas, one of the disciples, touched them (John 20:24-29). So, that kind of implies to me that he hadn’t changed physically. The more important thing, though, isn’t whether or not He had organs or not but that he had been resurrected. Wouldn’t a better question be, “How could Jesus live after He died?

Jesus is the only person that has conquered death (a few others, including Lazarus, did too but only because Jesus commanded it). So, how did Jesus do it? It’s because it was all part of God’s unstoppable plan. God has the power over life and death and He resurrected Jesus on the third day to because God knew we needed a Savior to save us from our sins.

Do you want to know something even wilder? God told us all of that was going to happen in the Old Testament! There were prophets in the Old Testament telling of Jesus 700 years before He was born!!! Amazing, isn’t it?

Why do people like being obnoxious?

hmmm…I can’t give you a biblical answer but I will give you an intriguing answer, one that may cause you to think or reflect. Let me ask you this: Is there such a thing as an “obnoxious meter”? I mean is there a device that actually measures behavior and then starts going off when a person crosses a certain point and becomes obnoxious?

Well, we both know the answer, right? …there isn’t. So, at what point does someone’s behavior become obnoxious?

What you may see as obnoxious, I may see as funny. What I may see as obnoxious, you may see as inquisitive. You see, I don’t think people purposely go out to be obnoxious. I think they are trying to be funny or have things they want to say or that they just want to be heard. Sometimes they are hurting inside and just want attention.

I’ve looked through the entire Bible and I can’t find one passage where Jesus said, “Wow! That guy is obnoxious and is really getting on my nerves!!!” Jesus loved and accepted everybody as they were…just the same way He loves and accepts us. We are so lucky that He extends us that grace and mercy because I’m fairly certain at some time in my life, I was obnoxious!

Is bringing back the dead a sin? If it is, it doesn't harm anyone or does it? Why is it a sin?

Wow…now that is a very interesting question. Let’s look at this Biblically, okay? First, there is only one person who has the power to create life and that is God. Nobody else can do that, not the angels, not the disciples, not Moses, not Abraham…not even Satan. Jesus was a man and He was also God. I know that is a very difficult concept to understand but it’s the truth. So, because Jesus was God-in-flesh, He had the power to bring back the dead.

There are several examples in the Bible where Jesus raises the dead: In Matthew 9:18-23 Jesus brings back a little girl who had died. In Luke 7:11-15 Jesus brings back to life a widow’s son as he is laying in his coffin. And, my favorite, is in John 11:1-43 where Jesus brings back to life Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha.

Now, it is very important to remember that Jesus lived His entire life without ever sinning. He lived a perfect life. Because Jesus is God and God hates sin, Jesus was incapable of sinning. Therefore, His miracles of raising people from the dead cannot be seen as sin.

Remember, God is the only person who can create, or give, life. No one else can do it and no one else will ever do it except God and Jesus.

There’s a girl in my class who thinks I’m her BFF but when I get on her bad side she’s really mean, but she only has a few friends. What should I do?

That is a great question but a hard one to answer because there really isn’t a “right” answer but here is what I think.

You are in a difficult situation. The impression I get is you want to be kind and a friend to this girl in your class but because of her actions and attitude she makes being a friend a challenge, even a bit scary. Do you know what we call people like that? EGR’s, which stands for Extra Grace Required! EGR’s are people God allows into our lives that we need to show extra grace to because they challenge us in someway or another. That means we need to show them extra forgiveness, patience, love, and understanding. And guess what? We all have EGR’s in our lives; you do, I do, your parents do, everyone does. You know what else; we are probably an EGR to someone else, too.

So, what can we do to help us deal with EGR’s? First of all pray. Pray for that person and her needs that you know of. Then pray for God’s wisdom, love, patience and understanding for yourself.

One of the things that I try to keep in mind when dealing with an EGR is that the person might not know better. You mentioned that your EGR only has a few friends. That tells me she probably doesn’t know how to be a friend. In her attempt to control others to be her friend she becomes mean. Definitely not the way a true friend should act. When she does something mean try talking to her about it. She may not realize how her words or actions make you feel.

If she keeps being mean, then if possible try and set some kind of boundary or limit to the amount of time you are around her. Not to be mean to her but for your own protection. God does not want you to be disrespectful or hurtful to anyone but He also does not want others to be disrespectful or hurtful to you.

I know how you are feeling. I remember going through the same type of situation when I was your age (yes, I can remember back that long ago) but I have also been in that situation as an adult. It is a terrible feeling. Keep your eyes on Jesus and he will help you get through this. Your parents probably have some great advice. I bet they have been in the same situation too. I’ll be praying with you. Keep me posted on how things are going.

What is the best book in the Bible to look up?

Hmmm, well, there is no "best" book. In every single book of the Bible, God has something incredible to show us about who He is and who we should be in reference to Him.

It might be good to start with one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) because they are fairly easy to understand all on their own. The book of Psalms is like that too and it’s FULL of verses that will make our God grow much bigger in your heart.

If you’d like to start reading your Bible on your own, please know that many parts of it can be difficult to understand. So never feel like you’re dumb for not getting certain parts of it and ALWAYS ask a grownup you trust to help you understand. I STILL get stumped on some things I run across in God’s Word and I’ve been reading it for a LONG time!! When I get stumped, I go for help.

Will God be upset and not talk to you if you litter?

That could NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER happen. God doesn’t want us to litter because He wants us to take good care of what He’s given us charge over. BUT, He will ALWAYS talk to you. He loves His children and He wants to have a fabulous relationship with you. Your parents don’t stop talking to you when you mess up do they? God is exactly the same way. So God does love you no matter what, but He’d probably rather you didn’t litter.

Can Satan create? If so, did he make dinosaurs and were they evil so they could not go on the ark?

One of the problems with Satan is that a lot of what we think we know about him is popular mythology – meaning that we get our ideas from stories and history and traditions that are not in the Bible. That Satan is a mean dude in a red suit with a pitchfork is a good example of a description of Satan that is not in the Bible. Another idea – a surprising one - is that Satan is in hell. The Bible states that he roams earth looking for someone to destroy (Job 1:6-7; 1 Peter 5:8). The point I am making is that we want to use only the Bible to understand Satan.

One of the clearest statements about Satan is Revelation 12:9, which states that “this great dragon – the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world – was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.” There are a lot of other passages in the New Testament that also describe Satan as humanity’s deceiver, adversary and challenger. 1 Peter 5:8 makes it clear that Satan wants to destroy us and Matthew 4:1-11 is a great example which shows that not even Jesus was free of his challenges.

To answer your question directly as it refers to dinosaurs, Satan is not the Creator, God is. God is the Creator of everything, of all matter and energy and space and time and life, and everything in creation that God called first “good” and later “very good.” This includes dinosaurs! God created dinosaurs and they were good.

The reason they did not make it onto the ark was probably because they were already extinct, not because they were evil.

How can God be 3 people at once?

He’s not. God is NOT 3 people at once. What He is, though, is 3 persons in one. Stick with me & let me explain - - - it’s really not that complicated.

The idea that God is 3 persons in one is called the trinity. The word trinity means three together. A trinity is three persons together in one. (A tricycle is three wheels on one cycle; a triangle is a shape with three angles.)

The Bible doesn’t actually use the word trinity. (BTW, the Bible also doesn’t use the word Bible, so don’t let that bug you!) So where does the idea come from? Check this out --- The Bible is the Word of God. God inspired certain men (Moses, Joshua, King David, Paul, John and others) and their words were recorded and became our Bible. One of the big deals about the Word of God is that it does not contradict itself. This means it does not say one thing in one place, and then the opposite in another.

So check out this verse --- James 2:19 NIV. What does it say? It says that there is only one God.

Now check out this one --- 1 Peter 1:2 Msg. God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours! Who has His eye on everyone? God the Father.

And this verse --- Romans 1:1-4 NIV. Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. What did the Spirit declare? That Jesus is God. Jesus is the second person of the trinity.

And this verse --- Acts 5:3-4 Msg. Peter said, "Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn't lie to men but to God." To whom did Ananias lie? To the Holy Spirit who not a man but is God. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity.

Three persons in one God is a little bit (not exactly though) like five fingers on 1 hand! Or 3 wheels on one cycle. Or three angles in one shape. Each is separate but makes up the whole.

Extra evidence! Read Matthew 28:19; Matthew 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 13:14. Do it, OK?

And here’s the deal for those who want to know ---

There is only one God.
There is a person called “the Father” and He is God.
There is a person called “the Son” (also called “Jesus” or “Christ”) and He is God.
There is a person called “the Holy Spirit” and He is God.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate persons.

So, our one God is three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! This is what the Bible says. And now you know!

What does a ouija board do? What does it look like?

The board is spelled “ouija” and is often pronounced “wee gee.” The name of the board comes when you take the French word for “yes” (which is “oui”) and the German word for “yes” (which is “ja”) and put them together. The people who came up with this name was the toy company Parker Brothers (they make a lot of board games) back in the 1920s. Do you wonder what a toy company is doing messing around with witchcraft for kids??!! Read on ...

The real name for this board is called a “talking board” and in witchcraft it is used to contact the dead (I’ll tell you how it works in a second …). I don’t know what a “real” one looks like – at this point I know enough about ouija boards to stay away from them – no matter what they look like. I think its important to know just enough about this stuff so we can stay away AND explain to our friends (like for you at sleep-overs) why not to mess around with it.

Here’s how they work. The board has a bunch of letters and numbers printed on it. Then there is a pointer that can move around on the board, kind of like a computer mouse. Somehow the dead person communicates to the person working the mouse and the mouse begins to point to the letters, which of course eventually form the words that the dead dude is trying to say.

I want to encourage you to be wise about this stuff – because witchcraft is bad stuff! I am teaching you about this because I want you to be wise about the choices you make. There are a lot of bad choices we can make that end up hurting us and the people around us. There are also a lot of great choices we can make concerning what we do with our time and our energy and our hearts that will really honor God. Let’s ALWAYS choose to honor God, OK?

If you are not baptized, will God treat you different from those who are baptized?

Great question! The answer is God will not treat you differently from those who are baptized. The important thing is that you are saved, which means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and have turned away from your sins.

Do you remember the part in the New Testament, in the Book of Luke, Chapter 23 where Jesus is crucified and there are two criminals that are also crucified with Him? One of the criminals mocks Jesus and says to Him, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Verse 39)

But, the other criminal rebukes the first criminal, which means he sternly disapproved of what he said. Instead this criminal says to his former partner-in-crime, “Don’t you fear God since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But, this man (referring to Jesus) has done nothing wrong!” (Verse 40-41)

Then this criminal turns to Jesus and says to Him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus says to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise (Heaven).” (Verse 42-43)

This criminal wasn’t even baptized and he got to go to Heaven because he believed that Jesus was the Son of God. So, you see, it’s not about being baptized; it’s about believing that Jesus is who He says He is and then turning from your sins and choosing to follow Him.

Baptism is merely a symbolic way of showing everyone publicly that you have chosen to accept Jesus. It is simply a step of obedience to the Lord following your repentance and confession of sin.

God looks at your heart not what you do. If people make baptism a requirement for God to treat you differently from those who aren’t, then they are adding another requirements to salvation by grace. Remember, the Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved…through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God not by works so no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Adding anything to the work on the cross demeans Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

How many kids total do you get in an entire year?

I am assuming that you are asking about T.R.A.C.K., which is just our fifth and sixth grade students. Last year, we had 295 kids and almost half of those were visitors!

Remember, that’s just in T.R.A.C.K. That doesn’t even include the kids we get in Tiny Town (0-3 years old), Kids Kingdom (4 year olds and Kindergarten), J.A.M. (1st grade through 4th grade), or R-24/7 (our junior high and senior high students!).

On May 17th, we had 275 kids in KidZone, which is everything except junior and senior high students, and we had 71 kids from R-24/7. Right there we had a total of 346 total kids going to the different kid’s ministries. Multiply that times 52 weeks and you can see that we teach A LOT of kids!

There are probably some kids, too, that don’t go to the kids ministries and that go to the main service with their parents in the auditorium.

So, you can see, we take care of a lot of kids and we love on each and every one of them!

Why does God, when things are bad and you ask Him to make them better, make them worse instead?

This is such a great question, and there are some difficult issues here. I’ll do my best to answer you. If you have more questions, or if we need to dig in deeper, then just ask some more, OK?

Here’s what the Bible says –

First, God hears you and answers your prayers! Check out Isaiah 65:24! God says He will answer your prayers before you even get through praying! Not all prayers have the same “yes” answer. God is totally wise, and He knows exactly what is best for you. Its important that you pray according to God’s will, and you can find that in the Bible. Sometimes He says, “Not yet.” Whether your answer is yes, no , or not yet, He hears you.

Also check out Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Job 22:27; and Psalms 28:6 and 91:15.

You’re saying that God makes things worse when you ask Him to make things better. We already know that He hears you. So now the question is: why is He making it worse? And that’s a tough question.

We have to accept – even if we can’t understand – that God is not intentionally harming us. He is not making it worse for you because you asked Him to make it better!

Let me chat about God’s love for us for a second. He loves us with an unconditional love – that means that no matter what you’ve done or not done – He loves you. The Bible speaks of God’s love for us in many places, so we know it is real. (check out Psalm 136!)

Also check out John 14:21; Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:10, 16.

Not only does He love us, but He promises to love us forever!


So why are things still worse, right?

It is absolutely not because of anything that you are doing right or wrong, OK? The reality is that bad things happen to good people. The reality is that we will get hurt, we will suffer, we will have pain and heartache. Its not because we’re bad, or not praying enough, or sinning too much, or anything at all like that. And God is not getting even with us, or doing mean and hurtful things to us. He is not “making things worse.”

What the Bible clearly does not promise is that just because you love God, obey His commands, and follow Him, that you are always going to be happy and have a pain-free life. If we read the whole Bible – not just the warm, fuzzy parts – then we see that lots of people who love God still experience pain (like Job, and how about all of the disciples?!)

What we do know is that in times of trouble, God can be your strength.

If you think you are being short-changed, take it up with God. Go ahead and let Him know you are angry. Its OK to feel like life’s not fair. Its OK to go to God with all of your feelings about it. He can handle it.

But then let Him calm your heart! He’ll always listen, and He is with you. Psalm 9:9 is a good reminder!

I hope my answer helps you understand God a little bit better. Know and trust that He loves you even when times are really difficult and painful.

Did the tenth plague also included fathers if they were the firstborn?

Great question! I had to research this one a bit ....

At first we might think that Egyptian fathers were included but in Exodus 12:29 we learn that the plague was limited to offpring (children and the young of animals), not adult sons (fathers or adult animals). Verse 29 says, "At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Phoraoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well."

What is the difference between Christians and Catholics?

I have thought about this often because I have both family and friends that are Catholic.

First, I want to say that the Catholic Church is a Christian denomination. There are two important questions that we should look at when regarding other religions that help us understand their differences. The first question we should ask is “What does that religion think about Jesus?” The second question is “Is the Bible the final authority?” Catholics do read the Bible and do believe Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Who Jesus is and what He did for us is the most important issue in being a Christian and is what all Christians have in common.

The difference between other Christian churches and the Catholic Church is that the Catholic Church puts authority in the Bible and church tradition. It is in the church traditions that we differ. While we respect church tradition, we don't put authority in church tradition, meaning we don't consider the edicts (official statements) of the church equal with the words of the Bible.

We can talk about churches and our difference all we want but it all has to come down to a personal level. Each person must recognize that we sin and our need for a Savior in order to be right with God. Going to church every Sunday or following church traditions doesn’t make a person a Christian, it is that personal relationship we have with Jesus that makes us a Christian and make us right with God.

How did Jesus get in the desert to be tempted? In other words, what did Jesus have to do to go there?

Those are awesome questions! Well, we know one thing for sure…He didn’t drive there! I’m teasing, of course. But, the reality of the situation is that Jesus walked there. And, more importantly, He had some help.

If you read the very first line of the Book of Matthew, Chapter 4, Verse 1, it says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”

So, just by this verse alone, we learn two things: 1, God (the Spirit) led Jesus into the desert and 2, he allowed Jesus to be tempted. This was all part of God’s “Unstoppable Plan.” Part of this was God’s plan in preparing Jesus for His ministry on Earth. Jesus was walking in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights and fasting at the same time!

So, what did Jesus have to do to go there? He had to trust God and be an obedient servant. He knew God would take care of Him if he was spiritually obedient and following God’s commands. That’s how he was able to go 40 days without eating! That’s amazing…I can’t even go 3 hours without a snack!

You know, one of my favorite parts of that whole story is the last verse, verse 11, that reads, “Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him.” That shows that, even though Jesus was God, He was also man and needed, for lack of a better term, “first aid.” It shows Jesus’ humanity.

Aren’t you thankful that Jesus experienced these things and taught us from experience how to resist temptation, how to live, and, most importantly, how to love? I know I am.

How does God know how we feel when we're guilty if Jesus never sinned?

Excellent question!!! In order to understand God’s awesome abilities we have to expand our own imagination and remember that God is not like us. One of the reasons we have difficulty understanding God’s power is because we try and humanize God. It’s easier to picture Him if we think of Him to be like us.

But, God is so much greater than us. God is omniscient, which means He knows everything, is aware of everything and understands everything. He has a complete knowledge and perception of all things.

Don’t forget, God created the Earth and the universe and everything in it, including you and me. You and I are created in God’s image so everything you and I are capable of doing or thinking or feeling, God is capable of except to a much greater degree.

The fact that Jesus never sinned doesn’t mean God doesn’t know what sin is or the guilt associated with sin. Not only does He know what sin is, He hates it! God can’t even be in the presence of sin because He is so holy and perfect. Even before Adam and Eve took that bite from the apple, sin existed. Do you know who committed the first sin and do you know what that sin was?

It was an angel named Lucifer. Lucifer wasn’t just an angel though. He was God’s second-in-command (so to speak) and he was the most beautiful angel and the most intelligent angel in Heaven and was given a lot of power. But, do you know what happened to that angel? Lucifer became prideful and felt he could do a better job than God. The sin of pride entered into Heaven. Lucifer tried to take over but he lost and was cast out of Heaven. He also took a third of the angels with him. You may know Lucifer by his other name…Satan. And those angels are his demons.

God knows when we sin, He knows how we feel when we sin and He knows the guilt associated with sin. But, here’s the great news. God can and will forgive all sin. Not only does He forgive, but once you truly repent, He also forgets it. He’ll never, ever hold it against you. It’s like it never happened. I guess what I’m trying to say is, if God can forgive and forget then there is no reason to hold onto guilt about committing that sin. And that is AWESOME!!!

Why does God let the devil's angel try to trick us?

Um, tough question ... and the Bible doesn’t clearly say. You might be wondering why the Bible doesn’t go into detail on such good questions. But remember, the Bible is a book about God’s relationship with us, not a fun facts book on Satan!

We can take some pretty educated guesses why God allows the devil to tempt and even hurt us, though.

There is a wonderful passage in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome that may help us to understand why God allows some trickery, pain, and suffering to exist in our lives. Grab your Bible and check out Romans 5:1-5. It’s pretty cool!

What do I say when people are making fun of me?

I am proud of you for asking me a really good Apple Box question. You asked me, “What do I say when people are making fun of me?” You also said, “I need help at school” and “Some of the kids at school are being really mean by making fun of the way I dress and they are calling me a boy and stuff like that.”

It’s a big deal and so I will try to answer your Apple Box question and help you with this problem. I promise we’ll keep praying, and you can keep asking questions too. If other kids are really bullying you a lot, though, we may need to help you more, OK? Promise me that you will tell your mom or dad or me or me if these other kids are going too far and are hurting you.

Proverbs 11:5 says,

The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

The kids who are bothering you and making fun of you may not stop. You can’t force them to stop, but you can control the way you react. If you ignore them or aren’t bothered by them, they may just stop cuz they’re not getting you upset anymore. That isn’t easy, I know.

I will ask God to help grow you to be the kind of person who honors God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in!

Also, you have to realize that you simply can’t please everybody or be friends with everyone. Look at what Paul says in his letter to the church in Galatia about people who are bullying him about the truth of the Gospel:

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

I promise you that you are not the only one who was ever teased!

And I get teased, too. One of the things that I do that really helps is that I search for positive influences and good friends and godly people to be in my life. And then I hang out with them. They are such good friends and people, that the others don’t matter as much any more!

I will say one more thing, and it’s kind of tough, but it will work. Check out these verses and I’ll bet you know what I am going to say.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. (1 John 4:7a)

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:44-45a)

O boy! It’s not easy to love your enemies. But it’s the right thing to do, and it honors God. BTW, “love your enemies” doesn’t mean that they have to be your friends, it doesn’t mean you have to like them, and it doesn’t mean you have to be anywhere near them, and it certainly doesn’t mean you should just let them hurt you. It just means that you will respect them as created by God (just like you are) and you can pray that God will change their hearts.

I hope this helps you a little bit. Let me know how it’s going, OK?

Why does God have to choose for people to die?

I will do my best to answer this question for you. This a very tough questions AND the answer is also tough!

Death is one of those things that is really bad, isn’t it? At least it seems that way to us, doesn’t it? Even though we know that death takes us to be with God forever, to a place where we can know God better and better, it still scares us. It scares us because its unknown. Death is one big unknown.

From God’s perspective, though, it’s a little different. It’s actually a time when we go to be with God forever! God welcomes us! It’s still tough, though, isn’t it? This is especially true when the death of someone is a surprise to us – like when a child dies of cancer, or a parent or someone from school dies in an accident.

Even the fact that EVERYONE dies doesn’t make it any easier, does it? So why does God chose one person on one day, and somebody else many years later? You and I will not get to know the answer to that question. Sorry, but only God knows!

I can think of a dad and mom who’s child died, and they can’t understand why it happened? How could God have taken their child to heaven so soon? It hurt them very much, but they learned to trust that God still loved them, that God still cared for them, and that God had not abandoned them … but it HURT! Sadness and pain like that happen everyday to people. Right now all of God’s creation is hurting. That’s the bad news – death and pain and suffering will continue. We can trust God, though. And the good news is that things are going to get better! God has a plan. Check out Romans 8:28, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

The good news is that we can trust God. Even though we can not know why God chooses who he chooses, or even when or why he chooses, we can know that we are loved by him!

When does God want us to worship Him?

There aren’t a lot of places in the Bible where God answers that question directly, but there are a couple of ways to piece the answer together. We can both consider God’s nature, and look at what some of the Bible authors say about it.

First, we’ll look at God’s nature. We are His kids. He made us so He could have a family to love who would love Him back. He loves each and every one of us SO MUCH and the Bible tells us that He even knows how many hairs are on our heads! King David writes of Him, “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me.” Our God is mindful of us every single minute of the day. He cares about our every thought and every move. He wraps His protection all around us. So since God is our loving Father, I’m sure He wouldn’t mind if we were to worship Him ALL THE TIME!

King David, who wrote a lot of a portion of the Bible called “Psalms,” wrote this about when to worship God: “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; and my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue also will utter Your goodness ALL DAY LONG.” Another piece of the Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing.” In another place the Bible even tells us to talk to each other ABOUT God all throughout the day.

From the standpoint of a loving Father, and the standpoint of those who have come to know and love Him, the answer to when God wants us to worship Him could easily be, “All the time.”

I can tell you that I find myself worshipping God when I look out the window at the river on my way to work. I thank Him when I see signs of spring coming. I thank Him when people do nice things for me. I praise Him when I read a piece of the Bible that strikes my heart just so. Once a person gets to know God, it’s EASY to worship Him all the time!

Can God help global warming?

I absolutely believe God can help global warming if He chose to. As the Creator of the sun, earth, planets, and stars I know He has the power to make any changes He desires. Will He help control the effects of global warming or is global warming part of God's plan for mankind? That I don't know. I do know I must be responsible with how I care for the earth. I also find peace on knowing God is in control of all things.

Why did Adam and Eve live so long?

I’ve always wondered that myself. I don’t recall that answer ever being directly answered by scripture, so I put on my detective hat, pulled out my magnifying glass and went digging.

Following an in-depth exploration of the subject, I came to this conclusion: There isn’t a direct answer. BUT, I had so much fun checking it out that I thought you might enjoy a little trip through my findings.

Chapter 5 of Genesis lists all the life spans of Adam and his descendants from Adam to Lamech (Noah’s dad). This is where we see crazy stuff like Adam living 930 years, his son Seth living 912 years, great great great great great (is that enough “greats?”) grandson Methuselah living 969 years, and on it goes through verse 31, then we come to Noah. Of course, along with Noah came the flood. He ended up living 950 years (Genesis 9:29).

n Genesis 11 we’re given the “records of the generations of Shem (v.10)” Shem is one of the 3 sons that rode on the ark with Noah, surviving the flood. This passage reveals a gradual decline in years lived. Shem lived 600 years, his son Arpachshad (say THAT 3 times fast!) lived 468 years, his grandson lived 433 years and on down it goes (with a few exceptions like Eber and Terah who lived a little longer than their surrounding relatives). So, after the flood, people were living 600, then 400ish, then 300, then 200 years. Shem’s line was so traced because it delivered Abraham and eventually, Jesus (if you’re interested, go to Matthew 1:1-17).

I do think it’s interesting how the years went down after the flood (which happened because God was sorry He made us and “every intent of the thoughts of [our hearts] was only evil continually”). Following the flood, we went increasingly down and things began to stabilize with Abraham who became the father of the Jewish nation. He lived 175 yrs., his wife 127, his son Ishmael 137, his son Issac 180. Skip forward a few generations and Moses lived 120 years while next-in-command, Joshua, only lived 110 yrs.

This is where it gets fun. Did our God cut down the life spans because we kept sinning against Him? Did He decide we wouldn’t need to live as long once Israel became established as a nation? Too much junk food and TV time? Too much hair spray that destroyed the ozone and lets cosmic radiation harm life ont he planet? What do YOU think?