Who wrote the Book of Genesis?

The entire Holy Bible is God-breathed and inspired God! It is pretty much accepted that the Book of Genesis was written by Moses. In fact, Moses is credited with writing the first five books of the Old Testament, which is often referred to as the Torah.

Where did Jesus’ spirit go when He died?

The Bible does not specifically state what happened during those three days. Many biblical scholars have offered different theories based on scripture. Some say He went to Hades; others say he went to “Abraham’s Bosom” to preach the gospel. They base this on 1 Peter 3:18-20 and Luke 16:22-23. The truth is we just don’t know. I’m sorry, but there just isn’t a definitive answer to that question.

In the Bible, it said that Jesus had many siblings. How come in church this is never mentioned?

The Holy Bible does mention Jesus’ brothers. In the Book of Matthew 13:55-56, they are named as James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. Those verses also mention that Jesus had some sisters, although they aren’t named and we don’t know how many there were. Of course, these would all be half-brothers and half-sisters. To say that his brothers are never mentioned in church isn’t completely accurate. His half-brother James was one of the original 12 disciples and wrote the Book of James. His other half-brother Judas, went by the name Jude, and wrote the Book of Jude. Only Joseph and Simon are not mentioned again.

The whole reason for the New Testament is to learn about the gift of grace and salvation that is given to all of us by Jesus. It is the story of God’s love for us and Jesus is the center-piece. The most important parts of Jesus’ life have to do with his three-year ministry so many of the Biblical writers just chose to leave out stuff about His childhood and His family. Anything of importance was written in one of the four Gospels.

Thankfully, we have the Book of James and the Book of Jude to see how Jesus’ life and teaching affected two of his brothers!

Why didn’t Jesus do what Satan told him to do?

Jesus is also God. And our God is all-powerful and sovereign. That means that all things were created by Him and for Him. This would include Satan.

Satan is a created being. He is not equal to God and Satan cannot make God do anything. God created Satan. Because Jesus is God, Satan cannot tell Jesus what to do. Of course, there are several instances where Satan tries to tell Jesus what to do; in fact, in the book of Matthew, chapter 4, we see Satan try and tempt Jesus in the desert. But, Jesus does not give in to Satan and uses the word of God to resist him.

Never forget that you have the strength of Jesus in you. Jesus died for all of us and we are saved because of His sacrifice. When you feel pressured by friends to do things that are wrong, ask for Jesus’ help. If you ever have any doubts about Jesus’ abilities, just think of Philippians 4:13, which reads:

“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

Why was Jesus so nice?

That is an awesome question! I think that the most important thing to remember about Jesus is that He is not only a man but He is also God. While God has many attributes, one of His most incredible qualities is His capacity to love us. In fact, one of the most well known Biblical passages is John 3:16, which reads:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son and whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This shows us how much God loved us! Jesus is a physical representation of that love. If you ever want to know how to be like Jesus, just look at the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Jesus was a living example of the fruit of the Spirit. That’s why He was so nice!

If you know that what you’re about to do is wrong and you think that you will just ask for forgiveness later, will God forgive you?

Wow! Great question! And it’s also a very complicated question with an equally complex answer. The Apostle Paul talks about this very subject in the book of Romans, Chapter 6. The whole chapter is devoted to us being dead to sin but alive in Christ and that we are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness. The subject is so critical that Paul writes, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1) And he later repeats himself when he says, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15)

What Paul is saying is that just because God will forgive you doesn’t give you the excuse to commit the sin, especially when you know it’s wrong. It all has to do with your heart. Are you truly sorry? Are you truly repentant? Or do you think because you know God forgives sins, you’ll be okay?

Let’s look at another very important scripture verse that deals specifically with this: it’s Hebrews 10:26-27. It says, “If we keep deliberately sinning after we have received the knowledge of truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”

God does not take this stuff lightly. If you know it’s wrong and you intentionally do it because you think by asking for forgiveness later you’ll be forgiven, God says there is no sacrifice for that. You must truly be sorry and never do it again. Only God knows your heart. But, when He knows you are truly sorry and that you won’t do it again and that you were silly for thinking you could do it and expecting forgiveness … believe it or not, then God will forgive you! He knows you are sincere in your apology.

Is it possible that the Bible was written hundreds of years ago by someone with a huge imagination that didn’t know it would attract this many people?

Wow! That is an awesome question! So, let’s look at this scientifically because the sciences can help either support or contradict theories.

The science of archaeology supports the age of the Bible. Between 1947 and 1956, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by archaeologists in eleven caves along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea Scrolls are the remains of about 900 separate scrolls and are dated to have been written between 70 A.D. and 150 A.D. (This tells me that the earliest scroll was written 1,940 years ago!). What’s also amazing about the Dead Sea Scrolls is that they are the oldest known copies of the Old Testament! In fact, in many cases the Dead Sea Scrolls are almost word-for-word matches to our modern day Bible!

Next, there have been a lot of archaeological finds in the recent years that support many of the places and locations mentioned in the Bible. These places and items help prove that much of what the ancient manuscripts describe is historically accurate.
Also, there are non-biblical texts that support the age of the Bible. There are letters written by the historian Josephus (who lived around 60 A.D.) and Pliny the Younger that support the story of Jesus. Both these men lived back near the time when Jesus was crucified or shortly thereafter.

Finally, how do we explain our calendar? Why do Christians around the world use the year “2010” to describe what year it is? It is because it is based upon the time after Jesus’ death on the cross. Why would we use the death of a simple Jewish carpenter to mark the passage of time? It’s because Jesus is God and existed almost 2,011 years ago and now we have the New Testament to describe His story and the birth of the church.

Isn’t it amazing that the Bible is the one book that has been translated into more languages than any other book and has been published, reprinted and distributed more than any other book EVER?

Does all this sound like it could be done by only one person with a huge imagination? I don’t think so. Do you?

Are Christians the same as Jews?

That is an interesting question because Jesus was born a Jew, wasn’t he? So, if Jesus was Jewish and was even called “King of the Jews,” then it stands to reason that Christians are the same as Jews, right? Well, that’s not true, of course.

While many of the original Christians were probably Jewish, when Christ was crucified and then He was resurrected, they realized that he was the long-awaited Messiah and the early Christians started their own church based on the teachings of Jesus. This is all described in the first two chapters of the Book of Acts. While they still believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from the Old Testament, they knew that Jesus was the Son of God and that they didn’t need a Rabbi or any religious leader to perform religious rituals for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus offered them salvation and a personal relationship with God through his sacrifice on the cross.

Peter, one of Jesus’ original disciples, became the first Christian priest. The rest of the disciples followed suit and spread the good news of Jesus throughout the land. Many people during this time converted to this new belief but there were still many who did not convert. Many of the people in Jerusalem refused to convert and sided with the Pharisee’s and continued to practice their Jewish faith.

That’s why, even today, there are Jews in Israel and they don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Do you have to like everyone to go to Heaven?

The simple answer is no, you don’t have to like everyone in order to go to Heaven. God does tell us to, “Love your neighbor as you would yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) But, even that isn’t a requirement to get into Heaven.

Honestly, there is only one way to get to Heaven and the great thing about it is that it doesn’t involve you or me having to be good! The truth is: Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He makes this quite clear in John 14:6, when He says, “I am the truth, the way and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It’s not about being good because we can never be “good enough.” It’s about being forgiven and being saved through the grace of Jesus Christ.

It’s not about liking people but, really, isn’t it easier to like people than to hate people?

How old is Jesus?

Wow! That is an awesome question! And it’s also kind of a tricky one to answer because there are really two correct answers to that. Let’s start with the easiest one. We all know that Jesus was a man who lived on the earth and was crucified and died. Jesus, the man, according to the Bible, was in His thirties when He was crucified.

However, Jesus is also God and we know that Jesus was here when the world was created (John 1:1-2) and continues to reign in Heaven until His second coming. Because Jesus is God, He really doesn’t have an age as we know it. Jesus existed even before the world was created; He has always been here so we don’t have a starting point for Him. I know that sounds confusing but it’s true. So, in that respect, we can’t give Him an age.

It is certainly a bit difficult to understand, but Jesus has always been here, He is here now, and He will be here forever.

Can you go to Heaven when you are in Hell?

Wow! That is an awesome question! Sadly, the answer is no. Once you are condemned to Hell, you are stuck there for eternity. There is a story in the Book of Luke, Chapter 16, about a rich man and a man named Lazarus. In the story, the rich man dies and ends up in Hell and sees Lazarus in Heaven with Abraham. The rich man asks Abraham to give him some relief because he is in agony and Abraham say that he cannot because, “…Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross from there to us.” (Luke 16:26)

But, here’s the truth about Hell. It was never intended to be a place for us. It was created for Satan and his demons. Jesus tells us that in Matthew 25:41. Furthermore, God doesn’t send us to Hell; we choose to go there by turning our backs on God.

Honestly, there is only one way to get to Heaven and the great thing about it is that it doesn’t involve you or me having to be good! The truth is: Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He makes this quite clear in John 14:6, when He says, “I am the truth, the way and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It’s not about being good because we can never be “good enough.” It’s about being forgiven and being saved through the grace of Jesus Christ.

How do we know that God created life and the universe if there was no one to witness it?

To help answer this question, let’s make a comparison by looking at police detective work. Let’s say we were detectives investigating a missing persons case and we convicted a suspect of a murder because a bunch of evidence showed up, even though we never found the victim’s body! Could we do that? Can we say someone killed somebody when we don’t have a body?

We can do it because of the circumstantial evidence that is around and by statements made by people involved. Then, when we weigh all of the evidence and measure it up against any witness statements, we make a determination to see if it makes sense. If everything lines up, we can make a case. But, to make sure, it takes a jury of 12 people to decide if all of the evidence, circumstances and witness statements make sense and, even then, the jury must take a step of faith and say, “Well, I believe this is the way it happened.”

That’s how we treat the Bible and the story of creation. We look at all the evidence presented in the Old Testament and New Testament. We listen to the statements of people like Moses, Abraham, King David, Solomon, the prophets and Jesus. We read the accounts of Jesus in the Gospels and read Paul’s letters and the writings of the Disciples. Then we look at all the corroborating evidence and the circumstantial evidence. Once we do all of that, we still have to take a step of faith and say, “Does that make sense? Is it more likely than not that that’s the way it happened?”

If we can truly believe that all the evidence and corroborating statements are true, even though there was no witness during the time of creation (although I disagree with you, there was witness and His name is Jesus), then we must believe that’s the way it happened.

Will we ever know for sure? Will we ever have 100% certainty that God created the earth and the universe the way it’s described in the Bible? Well, not while we’re here on earth. But I can assure you that the answer will be “yes” when we get to Heaven. Then, we will see that the account written in the Holy Bible, a book that is “God-breathed,” is 100% true.

Why is Jesus waiting to come back?

Wow! That is a great question! The truth is because of His great mercy. Jesus is giving us all a chance to be rescued from our sin and to come to Him before He returns.

You see, when sin came into this world through the act of disobedience by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they ate the forbidden fruit, it opened up the door for Satan to enter and create all sorts of chaos and to try and disrupt God’s unstoppable plan. Satan has tried so hard, and for a long time, to get us all to turn away from God by tempting us with all sorts of bad things! And, because God gave us all free will, we’ve made a mess of this world. The world is full of bad people, terrible situations and evil temptations.

The good news is that, in order for us to have eternal life with Jesus, we have to admit our sins, believe that Jesus is who He says He is and then choose to follow Him. We have to turn from all those bad things and bad people and accept Jesus’ gift of grace. If we don’t, we’re not going to enjoy the salvation that Jesus gives us and the eternal life He promises.

But, make no mistake. Jesus will someday come back and He will defeat Satan once and for all. But, He loves us and wants to give us every opportunity to come to repentance and to choose Him as our Savior before He does return. That’s why He is waiting.

In Genesis it says “He created male and female he created them” but then it tells about Adam and Eve. So were we created at one or two times?

So go grab your Bible and read Genesis 1:27 (this is the verse you are asking about) and then also read the story of Adam and Eve which begins with Genesis 2:4 and goes to the end of chapter 4.

I can see why you asked this question, there is a lot of information and it is a little difficult to put together, isn’t it?

Here’s the deal … Genesis 1:27 is introducing the idea that humans (both male and female) are created in God’s image. God is telling us that we are the crown of His creation! And we are created to have a spiritual relationship with Him, a kind of relationship that no other created being (not dogs, elephants, monkeys, porpoises, or anything else, no matter how smart) can have with Him. That’s cool, and that’s what Genesis 1:27 is all about.

Then in Genesis chapters 2 and 3, the Bible starts telling about Adam and Eve and gives some details of their account (or story).

Finally, check out Genesis 5:1-3, which begins talking about Adam’s descendents.

Now that you have read everything about Adam and Eve, here is a fun fact about how all this information is made into a story and why –
• The word “Genesis” comes from the Greek word “geneseos” which means generation!
• Genesis includes the stories (accounts) of ten different generations – starting with Adam. This is important. While Genesis speaks of Adam’s story a couple of times, all of it together – not just the account of Adam and Eve, but of all the generations (Noah, Shem, Terah, Ishmael, Isaac, etc), show God’s love for mankind and His preparation of Israel as His chosen people!!

I know that it seems like there are different stories, but it really is just one grand story with different important parts. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions!

If God knew that Satan would turn bad, why did he create him?

Wow, that is an awesome question! The truth is that no one knows why God does certain things. When God initially created Satan, Satan’s name was Lucifer and he was an archangel. In fact, he was the equivalent of God’s second-in-command. Lucifer was the most beautiful angel and he was given a lot of power. His job was to take care of God’s glory.

But, then Lucifer became prideful and thought he could do the job just as well as God could do it. So he tried to take over heaven. The problem was: Lucifer was a created being created by God! He only had the power and authority God gave him. God, on the other hand, has always been here and always will be here and He is all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present. There was no way Lucifer could win.

I suppose God could have just destroyed Lucifer right then and there but, instead, he cast him down and, sadly, also threw one-third of the angels out of heaven that decided to align themselves with him. And ever since that time, Satan has been corrupting this earth and God’s people through sin.

God has allowed Satan to live and roam the Earth and let bad things to happen And, for the record, let me just say that God could take Satan out anytime that He chooses, if he wanted to, but that God has a greater unstoppable plan in store for us. In fact, I know God can take Satan out because, eventually, God does get rid of Satan by throwing him in the Lake of Fire.

The real question is why didn’t God do it yesterday or why doesn’t God just do it now??? I mean, if God had gotten rid of Satan yesterday, I wouldn’t be tempted the way I am today, right? The best way to get rid of temptation, it seems to me, is to get rid of the Great Tempter, right??? So, why doesn’t God do that?

Well, the Bible does not directly answer that question. But, here is a truth we do know: God sent His one and only Son to us and it is through His death on the cross that you are saved! And when you put your love, faith and trust in Jesus despite Satan’s lies, tricks and temptations, Jesus’ glory will shine through you and you will be able to overcome anything! “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Why didn’t Paul and Silas run away when the earthquake opens the jail doors?

Wow, what an awesome question! So, the passage you are referring to is in the Book of Acts, Chapter 16. Paul and Silas are in prison because they are preaching about Jesus and going against Roman customs. Not only are they in prison but they are in an inner jail and their feet are in stocks so that they can’t run away.

Then the earthquake happens and the guard, who was told to watch them carefully, saw that the jail doors were open and the chains came loose! He was about to kill himself when Paul said, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here.”

So, why didn’t Paul run when he had the chance? Because he trusted Jesus and knew that God had another purpose for him. Look what happens immediately after the guard realizes Paul and Silas are still there. He rushes into the cell, sees that the prisoners were free and could have escaped and then falls to his knees before Paul and Silas. Then he takes them outside and asks how to become saved!

In the end, the jailer and his whole family become saved and believe in Jesus. God knew that the jailer and his family would be saved. If Paul had run, the jailer would have never known Jesus. God had a plan and Paul trusted God.

Will the world end in 2012?

Wow, what an awesome question! So, I think I know where you came up with that 2012 number. There are a lot of people who study numbers and number patterns and then come up with these formulas to “predict” events. In fact, there are many people who try and do this with the Bible. Somehow, based on this numerical formula theory, someone came up with 2012 as the year that the world is going to end.

But, here’s the truth: no one knows when the world is going to end. In fact, even Jesus says in Matthew 24:36-42:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 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. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

The one thing I do know is that every Biblical prophecy that needed to be fulfilled prior to the second coming of Jesus has been fulfilled. That’s another reason so many people are thinking the end is soon. The key is that we need to be ready for that day, whenever it is.

That means that we should have a relationship with Jesus and have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. We need to choose to follow Jesus’ ways and confess our sins and accept His gift of salvation. Then, we’ll be ready and not have to worry about when the world will end.

How could the Bible get out if John was on an island?

That is an awesome question! While it is true that John, one of Jesus’ original disciples, was exiled on the Island of Patmos for a time in his life, we also know that he was eventually released and that he most likely ended up in Ephesus where he died.

It was while he was on Patmos, as a prisoner in a penal colony, that John wrote down on a scroll of the things he “saw and heard” when the Lord came to him in a vision. Those writings later became the Book of Revelation. John starts the Book of Revelation with an assurance too:

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw — that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Revelation 1:1-3)

Now, remember also that the Holy Bible is a series of historical accounts written by several different authors. They were accounts inspired by the Word of God but men actually wrote the various books. John was just one of those authors. All of his writings are in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul also wrote many of the New Testament books. The Old Testament has many different authors, some of them unknown.

It was a group of early church leaders that assembled all of these different accounts of God’s word in what we call the Holy Bible.

I heard something about God setting up a kingdom on earth … but we go to heaven! Revelation is confusing!!!

So, let’s talk about God setting up His kingdom on earth .... Okay, so this is another very difficult and often debated part of the Bible. I mean, what exactly does John mean when he says that in Revelation 21:1?!?!

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” (Revelation 21:1)

Here’s what that means, and this gets a little confusing because the Book of Revelation was written in Greek. In Greek, the term “new earth” is kainos gae, which is primarily means a different kind than the present earth. Our English-speaking ears hears second earth and second heaven, which makes it sound like an earth and heaven created subsequent to the first one. But, John is making a distinction between two radically different orders of things based on “this age” and “the age to come.”

The current earth and heaven belong to this present evil age, where sin exists. But, this present heaven and earth are temporary and destined to perish. But, the new heaven and earth, on the other hand, belong to the age to come and are, therefore, eternal. They will never perish (have I confused you yet?).

Let me try and explain it this way: when we physically die our bodies are destined to perish. BUT, because of Jesus’ bodily resurrection, one day we will also be raised imperishable in glorified bodies. And just as our bodies will be raised without the loss of our personal identities (we’re going to know each other) the new heaven and earth will be completely re-created while maintaining some continuity to present heaven and earth. In the easiest way to explain this as possible, although the new heaven and earth will be completely recreated with every trace of human sin purged from them, the new heaven and earth will be recognizable in the same way as our resurrected bodies will be.

Why does God reach out to us?

That is a great question! Many Biblical scholars do studies on why God does certain things and I think sometimes they try so hard to find an answer that makes sense that they miss the big picture! The truth is that God reaches out to us because He loves us.

If you look at the entire Holy Bible, both the Old Testament and New Testament, it tells of God’s unending love for us and how He has constantly looked to have a relationship with us. From the time of Adam and Eve, when God had a perfect relationship with them (until they sinned), God has wanted to have a relationship with us. Why? Because He loves us!

Don’t believe me? How about this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son and whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save it through Him.” (John 3:16-17) Or this: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

The Bible tells so many stories and there are so many examples where God rescues His people, despite their sins. You see, we are the ones who push God away not the other way around. God loves us unconditionally. We’re the ones who put conditions on the relationship not Him.

God is and forever will be there for you. The only way He won’t be able to help you is if you turn away from Him. But, He is always there, waiting patiently for you to come to Him. And the best part is: when you come to Him, He will run to meet you! He won’t make you wait. He loves you that much!!!

Do we get a second chance if we are left behind?

In the book Left Behind for Kids, it talks about kids who were left behind and then come to Christ. In church we learned there would be no more chances. I’m confused!

Wowee! This is an awesome question! It is also a very difficult question to answer because of the various theological debates that have been going on for centuries concerning the end times. That is a very fancy way to say that Bible scholars have argued for a long time over the interpretation of the Book of Revelation and other prophetic books of the Bible regarding the end times.

So, I am going to answer your question based on the Left Behind for Kids premise. The authors of that series, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, are respected Christian scholars and authors. In fact, Dr. LaHaye is a nationally recognized speaker on Bible prophesy. He is also a minister and has written 45 books on a bunch of Biblical subjects, including Bible prophesy. So, while their books are fictionalized (made-up) accounts, they have written their stories on their interpretation of the Holy Bible.

The Left Behind series authors, for both the kid and the adult versions, base their stories on the “pre-tribulation rapture” theory. That basically means that the authors believe that Jesus will “take away” his people before the Tribulation period. Some Christian scholars believe there is a mid-tribulation rapture, some believe there is a post-tribulation rapture and some believe there is no such thing as the rapture. I won’t get into who is right or wrong but let’s assume the authors interpretation is correct and there is a pre-Tribulation rapture (by the way, on an interesting side note, you won’t find the word “rapture” anywhere in the Holy Bible).

So, that means that before all the bad stuff happens involving the anti-Christ, Jesus will take away all the people, including kids, that are saved and who believe in Him. That doesn’t mean that those people who are “left behind” are doomed though. According to the authors’ interpretation of Scripture, those people who are not taken during the rapture still get a second chance to come to Christ although life is supposed to get a lot tougher during that period of time.

Scripture also supports the belief that you can be saved anytime before Christ’s second coming. If you look in Matthew 24, up to the point when Christ returns, those who are “left behind” can be saved. Once He returns, though, it’s too late. That’s why we are all warned by Jesus when He says:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 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. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. “ (Matthew 24:36-44)

Don’t ever forget that we have a God of “second chances.” He loves you and does not want you to perish. But, you have to be truly repentant (sorry) and believe that Jesus is who He says He is.

“Yet to all who received Him, to all who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

How old was Paul when he died?

That is an interesting question since nowhere in the Holy Bible does it specifically give a birth date for Saul of Tarsus or a date for the death of the Apostle Paul. In fact, no other historical book exists that says how or when he died. According to Christian tradition, though, Paul was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero around the mid-60s A.D. at Tre Fontane Abbey. Some scholars said it was 67 A.D. and others claim it was in 68 A.D. Still others claim that it was closer to 64 A.D. when Nero burned Rome to the ground. The truth is, no one really knows the exact date and it’s not mentioned anywhere in the Bible.

So, without know when he was born, we really don’t know how old he was. Scholars have speculated that Paul was either in his mid-50’s or his mid-60’s when he died. They base this on when he was a student under Gamaliel learning to be a Pharisee (which would usually be around 13 or 14) and compare it to when he was a Pharisee and then when he converted to Christianity. But, truthfully, no one knows for sure.

Extra Info!!! Below is a suggested timeline for the life of Paul. It's pretty cool. Even though scholars don't all agree on the dates, you can get a pretty good idea of what his life was like.

A walk through the Bible & some of Paul’s experiences –


YEAR, BIBLE VERSES, WHAT HAPPENED?

1 Saul (his Jewish name) is born in Tarsus.

12 – 15 Enrolled in school in Jerusalem (Rabbi Gamaliel)

30 Jesus is crucified!
Saul is made a member of the Sanhedrin (religious board)

31 – 34 Gal 1:13 Saul persecutes the Christian Church in Jerusalem

34 Acts 7:58 – 8:3 Stephen is killed as Saul watches

35 Acts 9:1-9 Saul meets Jesus on the road to Damascus
Acts 9:17-19a Saul is baptized (and later given the Christian name ‘Paul’)

35 – 37 Gal 1:17 Paul goes to Arabia for a few years

37 Acts 9:19b-25 Paul ministers in Damascus

37 Acts 9:26-29 Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem as a Christian

48 – 57 Paul took 3 (and maybe even 4) big missionary journeys

57 – 59 Acts 21:17-31 Begins the story of his arrest and 2 years in prison

59 Acts 27:22-25 An angel visits Paul before the shipwreck

60 – 64 Phil 4:4-7 Paul is imprisoned in Rome; writes Prison Letters
(Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians)

68 Paul is beheaded

When did unwholesome words come into the world? If Adam and Eve were Christians why did they come up with those words?

Awesome questions! Wow, you really like to stretch my brain, don’t you??? Well, the answer is that unwholesome words entered into this world when sin entered the world. Remember, “unwholesome words” just aren’t swear words. It’s anytime you say something that can be hurtful to others or that hurts the heart of God, such as taking His name in vain.

Look at what Ephesians 4:29 has to say about unwholesome words: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” As Christians, we are supposed to speak in a way that helps people according to their needs not make them feel worse.

Let me try and give you a real life example. Let’s say you’re really good at a video game and a friend comes over and wants to play it. Let’s say that friend is absolutely terrible at the video game and keeps losing. The unwholesome way to speak to that friend would be to say, “Give me that controller! You stink!!! I’ve never seen someone play this game as badly as you just did!” That does nothing to build up your friend. You didn’t curse at him but you said he stunk. The Christ Follower would say, “It’s okay … it’s a hard game to play but I know, with practice, you’ll get better.”

Now, regarding the second part of your question, I don’t know what kind of words Adam and Even came up with but, if they did come up with bad words, it’s because of the sin that entered the world. I’m fairly certain they did not invent many of the curse words we hear so often today but because of their sin, that has been passed on throughout the ages we, human beings, have invented inappropriate and unwholesome words to say.

Remember what happened immediately after Adam and Eve bit into the apple? Their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked. (Genesis 3:7) Right then and there, sin entered into the world. Adam and Eve even hid from God because of what they had done. I can only imagine what they were saying to each other too; it was probably the first time unwholesome words were spoken in the Garden of Eden. I’m not saying Adam all of a sudden started cussing but I bet he looked right at Eve and said something like, “Boy, that sure was dumb … thanks a lot!” Again, not using cuss words but certainly not using words to build her up. Of course, we don’t know what was said but we do know that from that point, sin was in the world and it is that original sin that perpetuates unwholesome words today.

In heaven the souls look different so how do you know who's who?

Wow!! That is an amazing question! This is also a question that has been debated between biblical scholars. The Holy Bible makes it pretty clear that we are able to recognize people even in their glorified bodies. Remember when Jesus reappeared to His disciples after He was crucified? Look at what the Bible has to say about that:

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” (John 20-19-20)

It appears, by this passage, that the disciples recognized Jesus and were overjoyed. Next, look at what it says in the Book of Acts:

“After his suffering, He (Jesus) showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)

Obviously, Jesus was recognizable to everyone He came into contact with after He had risen.

There is also the story of the rich man and Lazarus in the Book of Luke, Chapter 16. Look at these passages:

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire. But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.” (Luke 16:22-25)

It appears that the rich man, while in Hell can see and recognize Abraham and Lazarus, the poor beggar, in Heaven. It also implies that Abraham can recognize the rich man in Hell. Also, Abraham tells the rich man to “remember” the things in his lifetime which tells me that the rich man will have the memories of his life.

In Mark 9:4, the disciples somehow recognize Moses and Elijah when they were with Jesus on the mountain. Moses and Elijah presumably were in their “glorified” forms.

But, according to scripture, we also get “glorified bodies.” These are new bodies and are called “Heavenly bodies” according to 1 Corinthians 15:40 which says, “There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.”

After Jesus died on the cross many of the saints of God who had died before his crucifixion, rose in their bodies from their graves and were seen and recognized, presumably before they were taken up into heaven. They arose because their graves had been disturbed by what seems like an earthquake at the moment of Jesus’ death.

Jesus also said that we would be like the angels of heaven; well, what did they look like??? For one, they appeared and disappeared like Jesus. They appeared in human form like us; they ate, drank and talked like mankind. (Genesis 18 & 19) Sometimes they appeared in radiant garment like Jesus when He appeared on the mount of transfiguration. In the book of Revelation angels some times appear as giants standing astride great masses of land. (Am I confusing you yet?)

The Bible only gives us glimpses of what is to come and what our heavenly bodies will be like, and it remains one of the mysteries of our faith. But it seems to me from the little evidence we have in the Bible, we can rest assured we will know each other in heaven!

In the Bible, God's name is spelled Jehovah but in Indiana Jones Last Crusade it's spelled Iehovah. Why?

That is a great question! And the answer is actually in movie too! So, in the movie, this was actually the second test that Indiana Jones had to pass, remember? The first test talked about a penitent man and Indie had to kneel before God so that his head wouldn’t get chopped off!

The second test was, “to proceed in the footsteps of the Word of God.” Both Indiana and his dad realized that the riddle dealt with the name of God, which is Jehovah. BUT, Indiana almost fell through the floor when he stepped on the letter “J”, remember? The reason was (and both Indiana and his dad say it at the same time) because in the Latin alphabet Jehovah starts with an “I”!!!

So, Indiana steps on the tiles in this order: I – E – H – O – V – A. This is the way to spell Jehovah in Latin!

Wow, thanks for asking such a cool question because I got to watch one of my all time favorite movies in the process of finding out the answer!

If God gave us great things in life, why does he take them away sometimes?

Wow!! That is an amazing question! And it is such a difficult question to answer because the answer can be so frustrating at times. It’s almost like when you’re mom or dad says, “Because I said so…that’s why!”

Let me first start by telling you about the character of God. As hard as it is for us to understand this, God is good all the time. God can do no evil. He’s not like some angry, evil person who delights in watching us suffer. God loves you and only wants what is best for you.

The Bible has many scriptures relating to God’s love for us; in fact, one of the greatest scripture verses is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, and whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God gave us Jesus and what’s really amazing is this: “But God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners he sent His son to die for use.” (Romans 5:8)

I quote these two verses to show you how much God loves you. One of my favorite Scripture passages is Jeremiah 29:11-13, which reads, “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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Wow! The Lord of all creation loves us all so much that He wants us all to prosper and to be protected. He also wants to give you a hope and a future.

He also promises us that He will listen to us through prayer! We also know that He loves us deeply and because of that He “knit us in our mother’s womb” and we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13-14) We know that He thinks about us so much and so often that the sheer number would outnumber the grains of sand on a beach (Psalm 139:18).

So then the obvious question is why does He sometimes take away the great things in life? Honestly, I don’t know why. What I do know is that God has a plan that is much bigger than we can even imagine. There is no way for us to fully understand why God does some things because we tend to look at it from only our perspective.

Let’s look at the earthquake in Haiti, for example. It is so easy for us to ask, “Why did God kill all those people?” But, here’s the thing: God didn’t kill anyone. He allowed certain things to happen and He allowed some people to die, but He didn’t set out to kill them. I know it’s hard to understand but God doesn’t kill people, either out of anger or to punish them. He does allow it and He does have a reason for allowing it to happen … we just don’t know why or can understand God’s thinking. God is a “big picture” kind of God and we’re more the “in-the-moment” thinkers and reactors.

Remember though, there were some miracles that occurred down there too. I read a story about a child who was found alive after SEVEN days without food or water. How does that happen??? Even more amazing, they found a 69-year old woman alive after TEN days. How is that possible??? Ten days without food or water??? I can’t even go a day without eating or drinking something. One survivor, who was trapped under a collapsed building, talks about confessing his sins and giving his life to Jesus … only to be rescued within hours of that prayer. Another woman was pinned under a house in a kneeling position and was stuck in that position for FIVE days. She said that during the entire time, THE ENTIRE TIME, she was praying to Jesus. And when they found her and dug her out, she was able to walk into her husband’s arms.

There was an orphanage in a small town called Petion-Ville. Do you know that while every building around the orphanage collapsed, including a building that housed volunteers, the main orphanage did not collapse and every child survived? How do we explain that?

How do we explain any of those miracles? I’m sure there are many more but those are the ones I can remember. It’s because God also has a plan for each and every survivor. Do I know what his reasons are? Absolutely not! But, my faith in God is so strong that I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it fulfilled God’s overall divine plan. One of my favorite Bible verses is a simple one and one that is easy to remember. It is Proverbs 3:5-6 and it says, “Trust in the Lord, your God, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

We have to trust God’s will despite what we see as being so sad and so tragic. And know and put your faith in the fact that God is good.

Why do we do offering?

We do an offering because it is a way that we show God that we love Him. It is a practice that was established way back before the time of Moses. Abraham, the father of the Jews, gave back to God in Genesis 14:20 when he gave God a tenth of everything he had. In fact, the word “tithe” (which is another name for an offering) means “a tenth.”

Look at what it says in Leviticus, "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” (Leviticus 27:30) “The entire tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod—will be holy to the LORD.” (Leviticus 27:32)

Jesus continued to preach and reaffirmed the value of tithing in the New Testament when He said, “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (Matthew 23:23)

Did you know that by faithfully tithing, God promises you a blessing? In fact, God says it this way in Malachi 3:10, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” This is the only place in the entire Bible, Old and New Testament, where God says to test Him.

But, here’s the key: You must do this joyfully. Don’t do it begrudgingly. Don’t do it because you feel you are forced to do it. God would rather you didn’t give at all. He wants you to do it because you love Him and want to give back to Him. Remember what it says in Proverbs 3:9, “Honor the Lord with all your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” And here’s what it says in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, your heart will be also.”

Why did God leave the earth?

God’s realm is Heaven and that is where He sits and reigns. Jesus, as we know, was God in flesh. Jesus came to this world for one reason, to save us from sin. Part of the salvation plan required Jesus to live, then be crucified and killed, and then to rise again on the third day to show the world that He conquered death. Jesus then ascended to heaven where He sits until His second coming. We don’t know exactly when that will be…no one does. BUT, we must prepare for His return because that’s part of God’s unstoppable plan.

God left the earth but that doesn’t mean His presence isn’t here. Look at this beautiful planet we live on and all of the different people, plants, animals, lakes, mountains, rivers, deserts…all of the majesty of God’s creation. How could we possibly say that God’s not here with us? God is also present when you need Him. God has the power to be everywhere and to know everything…pretty amazing, huh? My brain doesn’t understand how He can do that but I know, through faith, that He can do that.

God may have physically left the earth but His presence and His glory is all around us. Jesus left, temporarily, because it was all part of God’s salvation plan to bring us closer to Him, through faith.

Why does God let us do things he knows we will do?

Wow, that is an awesome question! Let me start by answering your question with a question. Why does God let us do things that He knows are bad? Here’s why: Because God gives us “free will.” God could easily control every aspect of our lives, if He wanted. He could have created a world without sin, wars, sickness or death and made a world where everyone was blissfully happy without having a care in the world.

But, if that were the case, what meaning would love have? If God “made” us love Him then what value is there in being in love? If God forced us to think or act only the way He wanted, what sort of life would we have? How good would we know something is good if we didn’t have a “bad” to contrast it with?

God gave us the ability to make our own choices even though He knows every choice we’ve made and will make. And, He gives us the ability to make both good and bad choices. Think about it, by giving us this “free will” it gives so much more value to love! The reason is because it’s now a choice instead of being forced on us.

Also, when you make a bad choice, there are consequences to that choice. God wants you to recognize those consequences and then make that conscious decision to not make that bad choice again. As you grow and mature and begin making wise choices, you will become more like the person God wants you to be because you will be more of a representation of God’s character.

If you ever want to know what God’s character is, look no further than the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

When you do things freely, that honor God, and mirror God’s character, He will honor and bless you!

What’s an easy way to explain baptism?

That is very good question! Baptism is simply the symbolic way of demonstrating to friends and family that you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior. It is a ceremony that imitates symbolically what John the Baptist did to Jesus when he baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. It represents the “washing away” of your sins and compares it to the burial of Jesus’ death when He died on the cross and took the sin of the world on Himself. Then, when you are lifted from the water, it represents Jesus’ resurrection and His overcoming of sin and death. That’s why we declare that you are to “rise again and walk in the newness of life,” because through the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, you are forgiven and given eternal life with Him in Heaven! Pretty cool, huh?

There are many people who believe that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, which, in turn, gets you into Heaven. They often quote the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:38, “repent and be baptized,” as evidence that asking Jesus into your heart plus baptism results in salvation. Well guess what? Scripture clearly doesn’t support that view.

For example, when the thief on the cross placed his faith in Christ, Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), even though the dying thief had no chance of being baptized. Jesus assured the thief he would go to Heaven. The book of Acts demonstrates that baptism is a sign of becoming a Christ Follower, but not the way we become a Christ Follower.

When the jailer asked the Apostle Paul, “what must I do to be saved?” Paul responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:30-31) He didn’t say anything about having to be baptized.

Baptism isn’t the way we’re saved. It is merely the symbolic way we show our friends that we’ve turned away from our sin and have asked Jesus into our life. It’s a symbolic gesture to show everyone that we’re no longer our own – that we’ve been adopted into the family of Christ.

Why is life so hard?

Let me ask you this: if life were easy, would you really need Jesus? Honestly, if you had everything you needed and wanted and there was no pain or suffering in this world, would you really need Him? I think God purposely make life hard so that you will realize that you can’t do it alone and that you need God to help you. Take a look at his passage from Romans 5:3-5:

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Yes, sometimes life is easy and things are going well and then…BOOM!...something bad happens and you wonder, “Why is this happening?”

And when those hard times happen and things seem to be going bad, remember these great Biblical passages:

“TRUST in the Lord, your God, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised those who love Him.” (James 1:12)

“Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

I hope that answers your question!

Why do people do evil things?

Quite simply, it’s because of sin. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and took a bite of that apple, it let sin and evil into this world. But, I need to be clear on this too … God gave us all free will to either choose sin or to choose righteousness. Some people are just truly evil for whatever reasons. They’ve turned their backs on God and decided to live lives that we can’t even understand. We look at truly bad people and say, “Wow, I’m glad I’m not him!” The sad part is we all sin to some degree. Even though we don’t mean to be evil, we sometimes do things that hurt the heart of God. For example, lying to your parents or friends, being angry at someone and hoping something bad will happen to them, cheating on a test, or maybe stealing some candy when no one is looking. The Bible tells us specifically:

“There is no one righteous; not even one.” (Romans 3:10)

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

It seems hopeless, doesn’t it? But, guess what? Here’s the Good News: Jesus Christ came to this earth and died on the cross for our sins. Our belief in that death and resurrection and the gift of grace that Jesus gives us through faith is what saves us from eternal punishment! Now, you have to ask yourself, do I really believe that? I am here to tell you without hesitation or shame that, yes, I believe that.

The reason that belief is so important is because if you don’t believe it or you question your faith, then that’s when fear creeps in. You begin to question things, especially when bad things happen! I have had many kids ask me, “How could God kill all those people in Haiti during that earthquake?” or, “Why does God let little children die?” Because we can’t make sense of it, we begin to falter in our faith, not trusting that God has a reason for it.

And when we doubt God, we allow fear to override our faith. I truly believe that it’s Satan trying to deceive us and to discourage us from trusting God completely. Satan knows that if he can create doubt in your mind, that’s when the fear can creep in. Satan is a master liar. He will do everything he can to make you doubt God’s abilities or love for you; he will even twist God’s word! Remember what he said to Eve in the Garden of Eden? Satan came as a serpent and convinced Eve to take a bite of the apple by saying to her, “Did God really say not to eat from any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Then that darn serpent said, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good from evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

He tricked Eve and sin came into the world. Once sin entered the world, it allowed doubt to also enter our minds. When we doubt God’s abilities or love for us, we get scared. It’s not because we don’t believe in God, it’s because Satan makes us doubt that God is who He says He is and that God couldn’t possibly do all those things.

But, remember this…it’s all about faith. Know in your heart that God is who He says He is. Know that God is good all the time and that He cannot sin. Know that God loves you and that He has plans for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Why did Jesus rise three days later instead of one?

Wow. Interesting question!!! First of all, did you know that there are over 300 Messianic prophesies that Jesus fulfilled? What that means is that in the Old Testament there are over 300 verses that specifically predict Jesus as the Messiah. Of those 300 prophesies, I counted 33 that specifically addressed his betrayal, death and resurrection. Remember, that the last book of the Old Testament was written nearly 400 years before Jesus’ birth!

Unfortunately, the Old Testament scriptures don’t specifically refer to the three-day resurrection. However, Jesus, Himself, predicted that He would be betrayed, crucified and killed then rise on the third day. Take a look at Matthew 12:40, which reads:

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

John 2:19-22 says it this way:

“Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.”

The Apostle Paul wrote, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, the following:

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”

But this doesn’t really answer why three days, right? And, quite frankly, I couldn’t find a compelling reason either. There are several theories and I’d like to offer you two that I believe are significant. First, back in the day of Jesus’ death, it was Jewish custom to wait three days before declaring someone dead. I guess they figured after three days in a tomb, you had to be dead and you just weren’t sleeping! So, by coming back to life after three days, Jesus proved that He truly did “rise from the dead.”

Where is Heaven?

Wow, what an awesome question! Okay, so here’s the first thing: you won’t find the location of Heaven on any map or atlas or on any celestial map of the universe. There’s no drawing in any versions of the Bible that shows where Heaven is either.

However, we do know a few things about the location of Heaven based on the Holy Bible. We do know that it is a real place and it is where God is. And, based on everything I’ve read, I can only say this about Heaven: it is somewhere in this spacious and infinite arena above the world.

Why do I believe this? Because, in Revelation 4:1 John writes that he looked and he saw a door open to Heaven and then a voice says to him, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” In Acts 1:11, it says, “Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

So, based just on those two Bible verses alone, we know that Heaven is in an upward direction and not on the surface of this earth. It is above and outside the earth and somewhere in space or beyond space. In the Old Testament, in the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 14, it talks about Lucifer (Satan) “falling from Heaven” and “being cast down to earth.” It also says that Satan wanted to “ascend to Heaven” and “raise his throne above the stars of God.” (Isaiah 14:12-13)

Is it somewhere in outer space? Is it in another realm beyond outer space? We just don’t know. The only other important thing I know about heaven is that I will go there someday after my time here is done. We are all promised eternal life, with God, when we believe in the name of Jesus Christ and receive Him as our Savior. I pray that you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior so that you will get to see how beautiful heaven is someday after you’ve lived a wonderful life here!

How does a missionary work? And are kids allowed to go? Do we have to pay to get there? What do we do to help?

Those are awesome questions! Let me answer them in the order that you asked, okay? First of all, depending on where the Mission Team is going determines what they will be doing. The main thing that a mission team does is to spread the love of Christ and the Word of God to non-Christian people. We do that in many different ways.

For example, for many years, we went to an orphanage in Guatemala to spend time with the kids and teaching them about God. At the same time, we also did repairs to their orphanage and brought them stuff they could use like socks, toothbrushes, clothing items, school supplies, etc. We also took a doctor with us, who would do check-ups or other do other simple medical care. Our hope and prayers were that they would see the love of Jesus through us.

Things have changed in Guatemala so we no longer go to the orphanage. But, we still go and now we build houses for some poor villagers. Again, we show them the love of Jesus by being servants just like Jesus was! Now, we’re starting to go to South Africa to basically do the same thing.

To answer your second question, kids are allowed to go but there are restrictions. In order to go to Guatemala, you have to be fourteen (14) and in order to go the South Africa you have to be sixteen (16). In both cases, a parent must also be going on the trip.

Unfortunately, these trips are not free. But, the church does a lot to help and there are people in the church that also contribute money to missions. Part of the fun of going on a mission is raising the money to go. The church holds a dinner auction every year to help raise money but, what’s even more fun, is raising the money yourself. I sent out twenty letters to non-churched family and friends and asked for a donation one year and I almost got the entire amount of what I needed just from them! But, here’s the deal: Don’t ever let the lack of money be an obstacle to deciding whether or not you’ll ever go on a mission trip. If you feel you are being called to go and God wants you to go, He will find a way to provide for you. But, you must be prayerful and take some steps to get the money.

Finally, you asked what kids can do to help. If you actually go on a mission, there are a lot of things you can do! But, the most important thing is to show people who Jesus is by your actions and words. Sometimes it just takes being kind to someone your age that doesn’t have the things you do. Sometimes it means showing them how to play a game or sing a song. Other times, it may be helping an adult with a certain chore. Remember, it’s all about serving and showing people the love of Jesus by your actions.

Even if you can’t actually go on a mission, there are still things you can do to help! You can pray for the Mission Team, you can be a “prayer partner” for one of the Mission Team members (which is really fun because you send them down with cards, one for each day, with a prayer or words of encouragement in them), or you can help raise money for the team. Pretty cool, huh?

I pray that someday God will put it on your heart to go on a Mission. It is one of God’s purposes for us; in fact, He commands that we:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
(Matthew 28:19-20)

This is often called the Great Commission. Basically, Jesus is telling us to go out into the world and to spread the good news about Him. While we go to Guatemala and South Africa yearly, you can start doing missionary work right here in Puyallup! Remember, being a missionary is basically about serving others. My kids have fed the homeless in Tacoma. My small group fed the homeless at the Armory in Puyallup. There are different ways to serve people and to show Christ’s love to them. Sound like fun? It is.

Why did God banish Adam and Eve & station an angel at the Garden of Eden?

Two VERY VERY good questions!

Eve ate the forbidden fruit when told by god not to do it. Adam and eve were punished for their disobedience.

Isn’t it wonderful that the grace of God will meet us where we are, but will not leave us in the same state in which we were found? Let me ask it this way: What would it be like if we remained in our fallen state for all eternity? God told Adam and Eve they could eat the fruit of any tree in the garden except the fruit of the tree of knowledge, which by the way, isn't necessarily an apple.

The story goes on to say the Serpent, who was Satan Himself, swayed Eve by appealing to her desires. God warned that if they should eat the fruit of this tree, in the same day they would die. Sure enough, this is what happened. At that moment, they died a spiritual death, thereby separated from God.

God in His mercy calls out to Adam, "Adam where are you?" God restores them spiritually, by sacrificing an animal. (Sin had to be paid for from the beginning. It's interesting to note that God was not satisfied with their attempt to cover their sin by making clothing out of fig leaves). Nevertheless, the physical effects and consequence of sin remained, thus the need for God to ban them from the garden.

This is one of the rare times we are given the privilege to read an account of a conversation that takes place between God the Father, and His Son Jesus: "God said, "The man has become like one of us, capable of knowing everything, ranging from good and evil. What if he now should reach out and take fruit from the Tree-of Life and eat, and live forever? Never - this cannot happen! So God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground, the same dirt out of which they'd been made. He threw them out of the garden and stationed angel-cherubim and a revolving sword of fire east of it, guarding the path to the Tree-of Life." (Genesis 3:22-24 The Message.) I believe, that this reveals that God is concerned for man because he knows that knowing the difference between good and evil doesn't mean we will always choose good.

Once Adam and Eve chose to sin, their physical bodies were corrupted, they immediately started to die -- along with everything else. All of creation was subject to death as a result of their choice (Wow! It makes me wonder what the lasting effects of my sin will be). If Adam and Eve did not obey and stay away from the tree of knowledge, why in the world would they stay away from the tree of life? How much more desirable is living forever? Isn't this what people are striving for today?

This brings me to my point and my understanding of God's choice. IF Adam and Eve had remained in the garden, surely they would have been tempted to eat from this tree of life. It must have been beautiful with fruit so luscious -- fruit that probably doesn't exist today. What would have been the result? They would have lived forever in their fallen state with no chance for physical redemption, no chance for a new Eden-a better Eden. They would live in a life filled with pain and heartbreak. It would be forever. Everything you are going though would be forever. God banned them to protect them because He loved them. He also loved the rest of his creation. So now, Adam had to tend to the ground because it was also corrupt. It would no longer yield the fruit and vegetables of its own accord. I believe you get the picture. Adam and Eve being banned from the Garden is the first time God show’s us how we should turn away from our sin. We need to admit our sin, ask God to place himself between you and your sin (ask for forgiveness), then turn away from it forever. Jesus Christ gave us a way to do just that!


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How does God live?

That is a very awesome question! It’s also a very difficult question to answer because most of us cannot understand who God really is.

The problem is God is not human. Remember, we were created in His image not the other way around. Can we assume that He has a form that looks like us since in Genesis 1:26 God says, “Let us make man in our image; after our likeness.”?? Does that mean He has a head, a body, two arms and two legs? Or does that refer to His character? The answer is …. His character!

We want to be a reflection of God’s character because we are created in His image.

What is that character, you ask? The character of both God the Father and Christ the Son is that of spiritual holiness, righteousness and absolute perfection. God’s character might be summed up in the one word “LOVE.” It is the way of giving, serving, helping, and sharing. God’s nature is the way of peace, of justice, mercy, happiness and joy flowing out to those He has created!

In the book of Exodus, in the Old Testament, when Moses asks God what God’s name is, God replies, “I AM.” (Exodus 3:14) That means He’s always been here and always will be here!

So, to sum it all up, I think the best way to answer how God lives is by saying He just is. And the amazing thing is that He lives through us when we reflect His character! Wow!

I’ve heard that Jesus is God. Is that true?

That is a very awesome question! And the very simple answer can be found by looking at our Bibles.

In the Book of John, which is the fourth book in the New Testament, Jesus tells his disciples, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.” (John 14:9-11)

Jesus is explaining that He is God! The Bible clearly shows that Jesus knew that He had been here since the creation of the Earth because he told His disciples and followers, “I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM!" (John 8:58)

There are many other places in the Bible in which Jesus says that He is God, too, but I particularly love these verses because Jesus doesn’t mince words or speak in parables here … He is pretty clear that if you’ve seen Him, you’ve seen the Father and that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.

What really matters? I don’t need religion or facts or verses or the cross, but what matters the most about coming to church?

Wow, what an awesome question!!! I remember being your age and watching my friends go to church and sometimes even going with them and wondering why. I mean, at the time, it seemed so boring and I didn’t understand the whole point. The preacher just read out of the Bible and he went on and on about stuff I didn’t get … it sounded like the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons. In fact, it kind of felt like another day at school! But, now that I’m older and have gotten to know who Jesus Christ is, I’ve realized that the thing that matters most about coming to church is your relationship with Jesus. I know, I know … you said you don’t need religion; neither do I! But, what I do need is a Savior who forgives me for all the mistakes I make! I don’t want a bunch of churchy rules … just someone who can forgive me and say, “I love you,” even when I do something so bad that I think it’s unforgivable. I needed someone who loved me when I felt I was unlovable. And Jesus is the only one who can do that. You said you don’t need facts or verses and that’s all fine with Jesus, too (maybe when you get older you’ll want to know some cool facts or be able to recite a memory verse!). Jesus doesn’t want you to just know facts or spout out a Bible verse like a parrot without knowing what they mean. That means nothing to Him either. Jesus doesn’t really even care that you learn anything! Of course, He’d love for you to learn about Him and His life. But, He would rather have a personal one-on-one relationship with you where you can tell Him all your fears or all your frustrations or all your anger. Or, on the flip side, be able to tell Him all the fun things you’ve learned or the great things that have happened to you! He longs to hear from you so much! The bottom line is: Jesus loves you, even when you think He doesn’t. Jesus wants so badly for you to love Him. He wants nothing more than to have a personal relationship with you. Do you want to know the best part about Jesus? He will love you even if you don’t love Him. He will wait for you and when you decide that Jesus is what really matters and ask Him to come into your life, He will run to you! I like coming to church because it is a great way to show your love for Jesus with your friends and family. It’s a way that we can all worship together and thank Jesus as a group for what He did for us. Just recently, my oldest son told me he didn’t want to come to church anymore. He just didn’t see the point of it. Do you know what I told him? I said, “Okay. I don’t want to force you and push you away from Jesus.” I also told him that when he’s ready to come back, we’ll be more than happy to bring him. But, more importantly, Jesus will be right there ready to embrace him. Guess what? Two weeks later, he decided to come to church again and even joined a Youth Group! He also hangs out with the high school kids after church when they all meet for lunch and enjoys being with “Christian” teenagers. He’s been asking me a lot of questions and I’ve answered them. I’m not pushing him at all and allowing him to meet Jesus on his own. And that is the great thing about Jesus. He will meet you where you are. You don’t have to be perfect to allow Jesus into your life. You don’t have to be good to have a relationship with Jesus. Remember what the Bible teaches us in Romans 5:8, “This is how God demonstrated his love for us; while we were still sinners, God sent His Son to die for us.” He didn’t wait for us to become good or perfect. So, to sum this all up and put it into a one word answer: What’s it all about and what matters the most? Jesus.

Can dead people talk to people?

The answer is no. As much as we’d like to believe our loved ones can somehow communicate with us, the Bible is pretty clear that dead people cannot communicate with us. In Isaiah 38:18 it says, “For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise.” Also, the Book of Ecclesiastes puts it this way in chapter 9, verses 5 and 6, “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.”

BUT, take heart, that doesn’t mean that they’re not in Heaven. It just means they don’t communicate with us.

What does death lead to?

Wow …. I think the Bible makes it pretty clear that there are only two options when you die: either eternal life in Heaven with Jesus or eternal torment in Hell. There is no middle ground or some holding tank for second chances.

Bottom line: If you are saved, you go to Heaven. If you are not saved, you go to Hell. I think it is very important at this point to make a very important distinction or clarification and that is: it’s all about being saved, not being good. Good people don’t go to Heaven; saved people do.

What I’m trying to say here is that it’s not about the good things you’ve done in your life or that you will do in your life that determines whether you go to Heaven. You can’t “earn” a spot in Heaven. It’s already been bought for you by Jesus’ death. He gives it to you as gift … a gift called grace. I love Ephesians 2:8-9, which says it clearly, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith --- and this is not from ourselves but it is a gift of God --- not by works, so no one can boast.” It is right there for the taking! Jesus gives you eternal life with Him as a gift! All you have to do is accept it. You don’t have to “do” anything. If you try and do things to somehow earn it, you take away Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and make it about earning salvation. Jesus is crying out, “No! I bought and paid for you with my blood! I did it willingly because I love you.”

Let me also say something about Hell. God did not create Hell for people. It is a place that was created for Satan and his demons. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus tells those who never came to Him, “Depart from, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

It is a terrible place…the Holy Bible can’t even adequately describe it. We do know that it is a place where even Satan is tormented day and night forever (Revelation 20:10). It is a place of total darkness, where you are completely alone and where you are in constant anguish from the searing flame with a thirst that cannot be quenched and where there will be a constant weeping and gnashing of teeth (Revelation 14:11, Mark 9:4, Jude 7, Matthew 22:13). If that scares you, that’s okay … it scares me too.

There are people, who are non-believers, who will say, “How can a loving God send people to a place like Hell?” The truth is God doesn’t send us to Hell. The non-belief in Him and sin, choosing the devil’s way, put people in Hell. Remember, God is holy and will not allow sin in His kingdom.

But, know this: God does not want anyone to perish! He wants all of us to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) More importantly, God sent His One and Only Son to die for us so that we would not go to Hell. But, it’s not enough just to know that Jesus died for us. You must truly believe that He died for us and then confess Him as your Savior. Remember our A-B-C’s in the Bridge Illustration? You must Admit your sins, Believe that Jesus is who He says He is and Confess Him to be your Savior.

Never forget how much God loves you!!! He loves you so much that while we were still sinners he sent His son to die for us! (Romans 5:8) And the reward is so great, too, because the Bible says that, “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him” (John 3:16-17)

Why don’t we have gum in the “We love you” candies?

I know!!! I love gum too! But, here’s the reason…gum can get to be real messy. Sometimes we get careless with gum and don’t put used gum in the trash and we spit it out on the ground or put it places where it shouldn’t go. We don’t want to be the source of “gum issues.”

We also don’t want kids to accidentally choke on gum by falling asleep in the car on the way home with gum in their mouths. Or even worse, have it fall out of their mouths and into their clothes where it really becomes a mess!

Let’s have fun and blame it on Mr. Alex! He is soooooo eco-friendly, being a mountain climber, that he doesn’t want to leave any trace behind in our environment! So gum, which does not break down and decompose and has this shelf-life of a billion years is a threat to our natural resources! Candy, on the other hand, is eaten and does not damage our very sensitive ecology. Just kidding…it’s really the reason above.

Can you talk to God, just you and Him, or can you just do it when you are praying?

Wow, what an awesome question!!! I love this question because most people assume that you only talk to God when you are praying. But, do you know what the Bible tells us to do? It tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Huh? Are you kidding me? We’re supposed to pray 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?!?! What are we…7/11? Well, no, not really! But what that really means is we should be constantly in fellowship with God, by conversation at all times by our thoughts, attitude, and our actions.

I often pray in my car on my way to work. But, I also ask God, throughout my day, for clarification on certain issues. For example, I’ll say to Him, “Wow, a job opportunity just came up. Do you think I should walk through that door, Lord?” Or, when faced with a problem at work, I’ll often ask God, “What should I do?” Or, if I need to discipline one of my kids, I’ll ask God to, “Please help me say the right things.”

None of the above are prayers, per se. They are just me talking to God and asking for His divine wisdom and guidance. And, it’s usually just me and God having a little one-on-one. Nothing fancy or ritualistic … just a short conversation for guidance.

Now, having said that … it’s also important to actually pray to God. It doesn’t have to be fancy either. But, sometime during your day, set aside a time when you can acknowledge God for who He is and thank Him for what He has given you. This is also the time to ask God for things too! The Bible assures us that God hears all prayers.

Just remember, though, God’s answer may not always be the answer you want. Sometimes God may just say “no” to you and He has a divine reason for it. We can’t always understand why He would say no, but know that He only has our best interests at heart and that He has a plan for all of us.

How did Cain’s wife come if Adam and Eve were the first people created?

Wowee, what an awesome question!!! And, this question has been asked many times before by many different people in the past and was even part of the very important historical Scopes trial in Tennessee in 1925. Back then, poor William Jennings Bryan failed to answer the question adequately from the opposing lawyer, Clarence Darrow, which cast doubt on Christianity (A little history trivia for you!).

But, we know the answer because we can look to the Holy Bible for the answer. In order to do that, we must accept as true that Adam and Eve were the first people on this Earth, okay? We know it to be true because it says so in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament. We also know that Adam lived to be 930 years old! During that time, Adam and Eve had a number of children. Even though the Bible only mentions Cain, Abel and Seth by name, it also says that he had many other children: “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.” (Genesis 5:4) Remember also that God commanded that Adam and Eve “be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28)

So, Cain’s wife was probably either another daughter of Adam and Eve or a close relative. The Hebrew scholars believe that Cain’s wife was his sister, based on the Hebrew word ishshah. Remember, that back in those days it was not weird or uncommon to marry your sister or close relative. It wasn’t until Moses came along in the Book of Leviticus (Chapters 18-20) that God made the law forbidding close relatives to marry.

Of course, we look at it today and think, “Ewwwwww!” But, that’s because we live in a different time and with different standards. We look at the beginning of the human race and we tend to apply today’s laws or today’s problems that are associated with close relatives marrying and try to interpret Genesis based on our present situation. But, we must look at it from a biblical historical standpoint and the customs and practices of that time.

Can Satan kill people?

Wow, that is a very good question and the short answer is yes…BUT only if God allows it. The best example of this can be found in the Old Testament in the Book of Job. God allows all sorts of bad things to happen to Job, including allowing Satan to kill Job’s sons and daughters (Job 1:18-19). But, God does not allow Satan to kill Job (Job 1:12). So, my question was, “Well, why did God allow that?”

I think it is really, really important to remember here that God did not kill anyone. He allowed Satan to kill Job’s family for a divine purpose. Again, we cannot begin to understand how God thinks or what his end result is supposed to be but we do know that God has an unstoppable plan and there are parts of that plan that we, while we are here on earth, may never, ever understand. But, it does serve God’s purpose.

Another very important thing to remember is God’s purpose is always good. God does not do anything out of hate or with evil intentions. We sing a song in church that says that God is good ALL the time, ALL the time, God is good. So, when He allows Satan to kill, God does not have an evil purpose or mean purpose behind it.

I know that is hard to understand. It is for me too. And whenever I’m faced with that question of “why” I always remind myself of Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord, your God, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

Would God be in your pet?

That is a very interesting question! And the first thing we have to do is make a distinction here because it is a very important one: God created your pet but God is not in your pet. Let’s look at the Old Testament in the book of Genesis. The very first chapter talks about all the things God created, including the animals. So, we know that God creates all life, including our pets.

But, if you read a little further, in Genesis, it says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” This seems to imply that animals are not equal to humans (I know, duh!). But many Biblical scholars interpret this passage to show that animals are subservient to people and that, while they may have the “breath of life” (nephesh in Hebrew), they do not have an immortal soul like we do.

I think the Bible supports that only people have souls too. I believe the following Biblical passage clearly shows that animals do not have souls: “They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.” (2 Peter 2:12). If animals had souls, the Bible would probably mention a salvation plan for them. But, it doesn’t. Salvation is only offered to us.

Now, having said all that…I also believe there are animals in Heaven. How else could Jesus come riding down on a white horse in Revelation 19:11? In the Book of Isaiah, it is written that the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lay with the goat, the calf, the lion and the yearling will be together and a child will lead them. (Isaiah 11:6). This seems to imply that all of God’s creation will live in Heaven.

Do I believe that someday I’ll be reunited with my first dog? Probably not, although that would be a great thought! Remember, “With man this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible” (Matthew 19:25-27).

Is divorce a sin when your wife is like sinning and cussing and drinking?

Wow, now that is an interesting question because Jesus was asked a similar question in Matthew 19. First, though, let’s get a firm Biblical perspective on what God’s position on divorce is. I think what God says in Malachi 2:16 is pretty blunt and to the point: “I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel.” Then, in Matthew 19:9, Jesus supports God’s position by stating “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

This verse seems to imply that divorce is okay if one of the spouses commits the sin of adultery against the other spouse. Remember, the Bible is written from the male perspective so this passage means that if either of the two spouses, husband or wife, commits adultery then the other can get a divorce and remarry without being considered a sinner. Now, the question is, is this only applicable to the sin of adultery? Can we interpret it to include all sin? The answer is yes, it only applies to adultery and does not include other sins like cussing or drinking.

In fact, Jesus even states that it has only been since the time of sin entering the world that God allows the adultery stipulation. This was not so in the beginning of time and that Moses only allowed divorce because peoples’ “heart were hardened.”

Bottom line: God does not want people to get a divorce. When two people get married and they make that marriage covenant with God, they basically become one flesh, just like it’s written in Genesis 2:24. And when you make a covenant with God, you better be serious because breaking that covenant can lead to serious repercussions! God even says, “Therefore, what I (God) have joined together, let no man put asunder.”

The marriage union is a very serious covenant in God’s eyes and should not be dissolved, especially for some of the trivial reasons people use today. In the case of someone who cusses or drinks, while those are terrible things, they can be corrected through counseling and therapy. We have to be willing to take that first step, though. I know that God wants us all to do whatever we can to keep the marriage covenant.

Remember, God sent His one and Only Son to die for our sins. He can forgive people who cuss and people who drink. If we can’t, then we diminish His death on the cross. Some sins are hard to overcome, believe me, I know! But, remember also what Paul wrote to the citizens of Philippi in the Book of Philippians, Chapter 4, verse 13: “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength.”

How does God respond to prayers?

Wow! First, we must accept that God hears and knows all prayers. We know this because God is omniscient, which is a very big word that simply means that God sees and hears and knows everything that happens on earth. The Holy Bible also affirms this repeatedly.

So, make no mistake, when you pray to God … He hears you! So, now that we know that He hears our prayers, does He respond to them? There are many instances in both the Old Testament and New Testament in which righteous men and women had their prayers answered (e.g., Numbers 11:2; Judges 13:8-9; 1 Samuel 1; 1 Chronicles 4:10; Acts 4:24-31; James 5:17-18).

Ahhhh…but wait a minute. Did you catch that? I described those people as “righteous.” That basically means you have right standing with God. The Bible is very specific about prayers. Look at James 5:16, which states, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

So, now we know that God responds to prayers but only if you love God and seek a relationship with him. Now, here’s the kicker … sometimes God’s answer may not be the answer you want! Sometimes, because He knows what is best for you, the answer might be “no.” You may want something so bad but God may realize that you either couldn’t handle having it or you didn’t need it and so His answer is, no. That kinda stinks, doesn’t it? We imagine God’s always going to be there for us (which He is!) and that He’s going to give us everything we ask for. But I’ve searched the Bible from front to back and He never makes that promise! He only assures that He hears our prayers and that He will answer them … even if that answer is, no.

Now, let me clear on one more thing. The Bible is also very specific about the prayers of those who are not in right standing with God or who are in habitual sin. In John 9:31 it says, “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.” Proverbs 15:29 says, “The Lord is far from the wicked but hears the prayers of the righteous.” Psalm 66:18 clearly states, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”

So, remember, if you want God to answer your prayers, you must acknowledge Him and love Him and have a relationship with Him.

If God loves everyone so much, why would He kill so many people in Haiti?

Wow, awesome question! And it’s a difficult one to answer because we do not know how God’s mind works. Even though we know God’s unstoppable plan by reading the Holy Bible, we cannot fathom some of the things He allows during the course of that plan.

But, we do know some things as absolute truths. We know that God is good all the time and that He cannot do evil. We know that He loves us deeply and because of that He “knit us in our mother’s womb” and we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13-14) We know that He thinks about us so much and so often that the sheer number would outnumber the grains of sand on a beach (Psalm 139:18).

So, knowing about God’s goodness and His love for us, it’s only natural to ask why He killed so many people in Haiti. But, here’s the thing: God didn’t kill anyone. He allowed certain things to happen and He allowed some people to die but He didn’t kill them. I know it’s hard to understand but God doesn’t kill people, either out of anger or to punish them. But, He does allow it and He does have a reason for allowing it to happen … we just don’t know why or can understand God’s thinking. God is a “big picture” kind of person and we’re more the “in-the-moment” thinkers and reactors.

Remember though, there are some miracles that have occurred down there too. I read a story about a child who was found alive after SEVEN days without food or water. How does that happen??? Even today, they found a 69-year old woman alive after TEN days. How is that possible??? Ten days without food or water??? I can’t even go a day without eating or drinking something. One survivor, who was trapped under a collapsed building, talks about confessing his sins and giving his life to Jesus … only to be rescued within hours of that prayer. Another woman was pinned under a house in a kneeling position and was stuck in that position for FIVE days. She said that during the entire time, THE ENTIRE TIME, she was praying to Jesus. And when they found her and dug her out, she was able to walk into her husband’s arms.

There was an orphanage in a small town called Petion-Ville called the Fr. Wasson Center. Do you know that while every building around the orphanage collapsed, including a building that housed volunteers, the main orphanage did not collapse and every child survived? How do we explain that?

How do we explain any of those miracles? I’m sure there are many more but those are the ones I can remember. It’s because God also has a plan for each and every survivor. Do I know what his reasons are? Absolutely not! But, my faith in God is so strong that I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it fulfilled God’s overall divine plan.

One of my favorite Bible verses is a simple one and one that is easy to remember. It is Proverbs 3:5-6 and it says, “Trust in the Lord, your God, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

We have to trust God’s will despite what we see as being so sad and so tragic. And know, just know and put your faith in, the fact that God is good.

Why did God come to earth in the form of a baby?

This great question has been asked by many people, who put it this way, “Hey, if God can do anything, why didn’t he just appear as Jesus, the adult, instead of being born?”

Part of the answer to this question is Biblical. Jesus’ birth and the way He was conceived had to fulfill the Old Testament prophesies. The biggest part of those prophesies was the Virgin Birth, which clearly shows His divinity. He comes to the earth from outside, pure and clean, and He is in no way a product of this world.

More important though is that by coming as a baby, we can see the sign of his humanity. He is one of us in every way. He arrives from heaven with perfection and godliness of which no man or woman is capable - yet he takes the full human journey, which even God in heaven had not taken. How could we follow his footsteps as a man if we hadn't seen him crawl as a baby? How could we believe he had undergone all the temptation we have faced if he had bypassed the most difficult years in which we struggle to earn our adulthood?

It’s tough being a kid, right? But, Jesus experienced it. To make the full sacrifice on our behalf, Jesus had to make the full commitment of being born and growing up, facing all of the struggles and temptations that you and I struggle with. It wouldn’t have meant very much to us if he had sprung from heaven fully formed, bathed in heavenly glory, but never lived through the things we have to.

Thankfully, we see him first as a child in a manger. Then, we see him at the Temple as a boy on the verge of maturity, already about his Father's business. We see Mary and Joseph wondering at him, trying to understand, as he grew "in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people" (Luke 2:52). Finally, we see Him as a young man, quietly beginning a ministry that will change all of human history. We see him in the desert, wrestling with temptation and the matter of his destiny, and we know he is fully human. We see his love for children, and we can believe it because he, too, has been a child. And then, when He is crucified, we know He feels the pain that any man would feel. We are bought with a price that could never have been paid without the full burden of humanity having been accepted.

If He had been God only, His sacrifice would have been cheap and unconvincing. If He had been man only, His sacrifice would have had no power; He would have been a martyr like ten thousand others. But He was man and He was God, and therefore He was all in all. He came as a child to confront and conquer every challenge and every temptation common to humanity. We trust Him with our lives because He was God. We love Him with our hearts because we know that once He was a tiny baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.