Monday 22 February 2010

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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Sunday 21 February 2010

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!

Friday 19 February 2010

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.

Thursday 18 February 2010

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.

Wednesday 17 February 2010

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.

Tuesday 16 February 2010

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)

Sunday 14 February 2010

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.

Friday 12 February 2010

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.

Thursday 11 February 2010

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.

Saturday 6 February 2010

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.”

Wednesday 3 February 2010

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).

Tuesday 2 February 2010

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.”