How do I tell people about God but it not be awkward?

From my own experiences as well as from what others have said, once the Holy Spirit ("the Comforter" of John 14:1-4, 16) works through you, you become emboldened. This doesn't mean that you instantaneously become an amazing public speaker or someone who totally knows the Bible inside out and has all the answers, but you will find that there is no awkwardness when you have the confidence that the Holy Spirit gives you!

 

Here's the key to talking about God that makes it easy: tell people how God has worked in your life. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar, you don’t have to be some incredible public speaker, you don’t have to be perfect … you just have to be you and be able to relate how Jesus has worked in your life. No one can take that from you or tell you that you’re wrong. You don’t even have to have an amazing or extraordinary story!

 

God constantly used ordinary people throughout history and ordinary stories to relate to regular, ordinary people. It’s just a matter of telling someone how God changed you. The most powerful messages are sometimes the ones that are the most simple.

How can I gain self-control?

This is a very good question and one that shows incredible maturity on your part! So let’s talk about self-control. Sometimes in T.R.A.C.K. I talk about the “18-inch Chasm.” 18-inches is about the average distance between the brain and the heart. I've told the class that there are a lot of people who know Jesus intellectually but don’t really have a relationship with Him. In fact, there are many people who can quote Scripture, who go to church, who pray or who may even lead a small group and who truly can explain the Gospels of Jesus Christ and relate the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection but they’ve never put their faith and complete trust in Jesus.

They have never translated that intellectual knowledge into true belief. That’s why I call it a “chasm.” By definition a chasm is a “deep cleft in the ground or a yawning fissure in the earth’s surface.” Picture the Grand Canyon. That is a chasm.

So, when I call it the “18-inch Chasm,” basically, even though it’s physically only about 18-inches between your brain and your heart, the fact that you know something to be true but don’t really believe it in your heart makes it a HUGE gap.

In fact, Jesus even warns those who say they know Jesus but fail to do His will that He will reject them! (Matthew 7:21-23)

So, how do we gain self-control? First, you have to believe in your heart that Jesus is who He says He is. Next, you have to accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Then, guess what happens? You get this Helper inside of you called the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Third Person that God reveals Himself as and, when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and make that decision to follow Him, God enters you as the Holy Spirit to help in those times of need.

Galatians 5:22 tells us that, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” So, you gain self-control through the Spirit of God that is in you! Now, here’s the key: look at the order the fruit is listed. Do you notice anything that sticks out?

Self-control is listed last. You can’t have self-control until you have love for Jesus first. The natural result of loving Jesus and knowing He loves you leads to joy and that joy of knowing Jesus loves you leads to peace. And once you are at peace, you become patient, which leads to kindness. When you are patient and kind, it leads to goodness. Your goodness will lead to faithfulness to Jesus and to others, which makes you gentle and humble. That gentleness eventually leads to self-control. You can’t try and jump to self-control without having the other fruit of the Spirit first. It’s impossible.

So, you have to know God, not just intellectually, but in your heart. More importantly, you have to love God with all your heart, your mind and your strength. Then, God, in His power, will indwell you with the Holy Spirit and you will gain self-control through the “Fruit of the Spirit.”

 

What does 666 mean and where does it come from?

Wow! That is an awesome question! The number “666” is only mentioned once in the Holy Bible and it is in the Book of Revelation in chapter 13, verses 16-18. It reads, “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.”

So, this number represents both the name of the Beast (Satan) and the number of his name. However, the origin of that number or what it signifies isn’t really known.

Many Bible scholars believe that the number “6” is man’s number. It is one number short of God’s number, which is “7”. The number “7” represents perfection. We fall short of God’s perfection so mankind is given the number “6”. Because God presents Himself to us as three persons – God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit – the Beast tries to imitate God and so we have the number 6-6-6.

Then, there are all sorts of other theories involving that number, which include using some sort of mathematical formula to determine who the Anti-Christ will be based on a secret code involving the letters of a person’s name. In fact, one group of people who believe this (they’re called numerologists) thought that if you make the letter A = 101, B = 102, C = 103 and so on until you get to Z = 126, the name Hitler equaled 666! Weird, huh? 

Still other numerologists believed that if you used the Hebrew alphabet, as opposed to the American alphabet, the name Nero, who was an evil Roman leader who persecuted Christians, also equals 666. 

The truth is we don’t really know where “666” originated from; we just know that it is the name of the beast or the number of his name and it’s based on man’s number.

What does being Agnostic mean?

 The easiest way to answer that is this: A person who is an Agnostic believes that the existence of God is unknowable. That doesn’t mean they aren’t open to the idea that there is a God, it’s just that they are unsure because it hasn’t been proven to them.

An Atheist, on the other hand, completely lacks a belief in God and they believe that they can prove that there are no god(s) both empirically and logically.

The Atheist says there is no God and the Agnostic says, “Well, there might be, but we just don’t know.”

Is Atheism a religion? What do Atheists worship?

Great questions! The easiest way to answer that is this: Atheism is not a religion, it is a belief system. Basically, Atheists completely lack a belief in God and they also believe that they can prove that there are no god(s) both empirically and logically.

Since they do not believe in God or any other deities, they don’t worship anything. It’s all about self-awareness and believing in the potential for humanity, the power of reason, the comfort of love, the value of truth, the beauty and joy of the human experience and the nearly unlimited power of the human will to endure almost any hardship or solve almost any problem. (I got those qualities from an avowed atheist, Richard Carrier)

What I find somewhat sad is that, even in Mr. Carrier’s description of what he believes as an atheist, he does not allow for absolutes. According to him, the “nearly unlimited power of the human will” can endure almost any hardship or solve almost any problem. So, in reality, what he’s telling me is that the “unlimited power of the human will” actually has limits!

I actually agree with him in this way: human will is limited. In fact the Holy Bible tells us that, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Whenever you are afraid, whenever you are sad, whenever you have doubts…remember this, “I (you) can do ALL things through Christ Jesus who gives me (you) strength.” (Philippians 4:13) The atheist has no one to turn to other than himself/herself or another atheist! Where does he/she turn when things get so bad they become unbearable? What does the atheist cling to that would give them hope???

The truth is we are all spiritually bankrupt and we NEED a Savior! Matthew 5:3 says it the best in the first line of the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” And even more reassuring is what Jesus, himself, told us: “In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

What was it like before creation? What did it look like, feel like, etc.?

Yahoo! I love that question because the answer goes all the way back to the very first book of the Bible in the Old Testament and describes exactly what it was like before creation in the first two verses ever written! Genesis 1:1-2 says:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

Whoa! That sounds kinda creepy and scary, doesn’t it? And yet, let’s look a little closer at what the Bible says just in these two verses. It starts, “In the beginning…” which tells us that this is literally the starting point of time as we know it! Then it says, “...God created…” The English word “created” is from the Greek word, “bara.” It is a verb used exclusively for God because it describes a full miracle. No man could ever attain the powers inherent in this word. So, by  an all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present God, something absolutely new was brought into existence – the heavens and the earth.

Next we see that the earth was formless and empty and that darkness was over the surface of the deep. BUT, we also see that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. So, even though it sounds kinda scary, God was there! By the way, I find it fascinating that the earth was initially covered in water.

From that point on, God starts doing something absolutely incredible. He literally speaks the rest of creation into being. He creates light, he creates morning and evening, he creates the sky, then dry ground and vegetation. Next, he creates the sun, the moon and the stars. And finally, on the fifth and sixth days, God creates sea life, birds, animals and, lastly, man.

The best part is, God saw all that He had created and saw that it was very good and He blessed it all! He had created the perfect world. Amazing, isn’t it?

Why do bad things happen?

Wow. That is a very awesome question and one that has been debated for years by a lot of people. After all, some would argue, how could a “loving” God allow such things? How do we accept that a caring God, a God of infinite power, can allow bad to happen?

It seems that no one is untouched by tragedy and suffering, doesn’t it? Not even those of us who are Christ Followers can avoid some pain and suffering.

First of all, let’s be clear on a few things. While God allows bad things to happen, He does not want it for us. In fact, when God created the Earth, it was very good. Genesis 1:31 reads, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” This very good condition was the plan for all of God’s creation. 

Then God created Adam and Eve and God gave us human beings the ability to make choices. We call it free will. And, sadly, Adam and Eve flunked the test on decision-making. Because of their decision, sin entered the world and it’s that sin that affects our choices. Because we can make choices, sometimes those choices can be good and sometimes they can be bad. But, that’s the freedom God gave us because He wanted us to love Him freely and not because we are forced to. However, with that freedom to make bad choices comes suffering.

Sometimes free will results in evil and painful choices.  Remember, though, that all of the evil and pain in this world is human evil, not godly evil. God cannot sin so He can’t be evil. So all this pain and suffering is humanly-caused pain, which is a result of human sin. It’s not God’s fault when things go wrong.

But, thank God, it’s not over! Even though we are evil by nature, God still loves and cares for us. Jesus’ death on the cross paid the full price for each and every one of us. God’s Word promises that He will create a new heaven and a new earth and there will be “no more mourning or death or pain” because man’s sin will be gone and God will dwell with mankind. Praise God for that!

So, what about things that aren’t caused by people? Why do earthquakes that kill thousands of people happen? Why do some people get cancer? Why do little children get hurt or killed? Certainly those aren’t caused by human sin, are they?

Well, in a way, they are. All pain and suffering can be traced back to the original sin in the Garden of Eden. But, here’s the plus-side of suffering: it gives us the opportunity to lean on God and grow closer to Him and it is an opportunity for those around the person suffering to develop compassion and personal heroism. When things go bad, and we all will experience pain and suffering, it gives us the chance to come closer to God and to depend on His grace and mercy. We may never entirely understand our situation or experience but we can put our faith in God to get us through the storm.

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 and that He loves you unconditionally.

Will God tell me who my real father is?

This question is an incredibly touching question but also one that I really can’t answer. I say that because I cannot know how God thinks and what His plans are for you. I don’t even know what God’s plans are for me! But, here’s what I do know about God:

• He loves you unconditionally and more than you can even imagine.
• He only wants what is absolutely the best for you.
• He cannot, absolutely cannot, do things that are bad, evil or sinful.
• His plan for your life is perfect.

The best answer that I can give you is, if God wants you to know who your father is, He will make that happen. It may be tomorrow, it may be next year or it may be years from now. He may also never reveal it if He believes that the knowledge would do more harm than good.

Continue to be in prayer about it and pray that God’s sovereign decision will be done in this situation. Remember, God hears every single one of our prayers. He also answers every prayer. Sometimes, though, the answer might be, "wait," or, "no."

I hope that answers your question!

When Jesus died on the cross, where was he the three days before he resurrected?

Wow! That’s an awesome question! And it is a question that Bible scholars have debated for years!

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.

Others claim Jesus did go to Heaven because he told the thief on the cross that, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). But, there are some Bible scholars that challenge that by quoting John 20:17. In fact, those same Bible scholars claim that “Paradise” is another name for “Abraham’s Bosom,” a place in the earth for those who were redeemed (saved) before Jesus came to earth.

One thing we are certain of is that Jesus was not giving people a second chance at salvation. The Holy Bible is very clear in that we face judgment after death, not a second chance. Hebrews 9:27 reads, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

So, all of that to say, the truth is we just don’t know. I’m sorry, but there just isn’t a definitive answer to that question.

What do you do if someone you know claims to be a Christian but you know they are not and you want to help them?

This is a fantastic question! We do need to be a little careful when we start assuming that we know if someone is a Christian or not. Are you basing that on their actions or what they say they believe? The reason I’m saying that is because there is a BIG difference in the two.

There are a lot of people who say they’re Christian and may not act like it but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are not Christians. The Bible tells us that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 6:23). In fact, it also says there is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 6:10). Just because someone sometimes does doing things that Bible says they shouldn’t do or doesn’t do things they should do doesn’t mean that they haven’t accepted Christ into their heart. We have no way of really knowing a person’s heart but we can judge their actions and we can gently remind them that Christ Followers don’t act or think like that.

Now, if a person claims to be a Christian but tells you they believe something that contradicts what the Bible says is true, that is a completely different matter. For example, let’s say someone says to you, “I don’t believe that Jesus was really God’s son. I think he was just a man.” That is wrong thinking. The Bible clearly tells us that Jesus was God’s one and only Son in John 3:16. Or let’s say they tell you that they believe in reincarnation … we know that belief is Biblically wrong. So, how do we help our friends see the truth?

Whether someone is not acting like a Christian or claiming something contrary to the Christian belief, we treat them the same way. With love. The Bible tells us to, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone that asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)

It is not our job to judge a person’s heart … that’s God’s job. But, we can judge their behavior, speech and beliefs and respectfully tell them what we believe. Whether they choose to believe you or not, is their choice. I can promise you this:  God loves His people. He doesn’t want any of us to miss out on knowing Him. He will use the Holy Spirit to help someone that really wants to know who God is. Your mission is to share God’s love with them so that they can make a wise decision.

Are Mormons Christians?

Wow! That’s a thought-provoking question! The truth is that I, along with many Christian scholars, do not believe that Mormons are Christians and here’s why:

First, Mormons do not follow or believe that Jesus is God. We believe that Jesus is both man and God (John 1:1, 14) and that He is God’s only son (John 3:16). The Mormons believe that Jesus was created by the father (a separate being) and is a spirit brother to Lucifer (the devil).

Next, we believe there is only one God. He exists as three distinct personalities; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit but He is still ONE God. The Mormons believe there are many gods and that humans, by doing good works, can eventually become a god.

Finally, and most importantly, the Mormons believe you have to earn your salvation through good works or good deeds and by meeting church requirements. We believe that it is by grace that we’ve been saved, through faith. We don’t have to do anything to earn God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:22-24). It is a gift given to us by God.

So, based on those three reasons, we believe that Mormons are not Christians.

Why did God bring the plagues to Egypt when He said He loves us?

Wow! That’s an awesome question!

There are actually two reasons. First, the Egyptians were enslaving the Israelites (the Jewish people), who were God’s “chosen people.” God had promised the Israelites their own land through the covenant He made with Abraham. God sent Moses to tell the Egyptian leader, known as Pharaoh, to let the Israelites go free. But, Pharaoh refused so God sent the plagues to show Pharaoh how powerful He is.

Second, the Egyptian hearts were hardened and they refused to believe in the One True God. They chose to believe in a number of different gods. Our God wanted to show them who He is and how powerful He is so the ten plagues that God sent were all specific attacks on ten different Egyptian gods.

It wasn’t that God didn’t love the Egyptian people. He wanted to show them who He was and He did it in a very dramatic way. We know that Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go but, don’t forget, Pharaoh’s heart became hardened again and he went after the Israelites after he let them go.

But, once again, God showed His awesome power and he parted the Red Sea for the Israelites and they were able to escape. The Egyptians, who tried to follow after the Israelites, were all destroyed when God closed the sea in on them.

What is the difference between your eternal life soul and your regular soul?

Wow! That’s an awesome question! For those of us that call ourselves Christians, or Christ Followers, we believe we only have one soul. That soul, or our spiritual being, is also eternal.

BUT, here’s the kicker, it is by our choice that we choose whether to spend that eternity either with God or separated from God. God does not choose for us. He reveals Himself to us and has revealed Himself to us throughout history in three distinct forms: God, the Father; God, the Son (Jesus); and God, the Holy Spirit. It is important to understand He is One God but in three persons.

It is our acceptance, through faith, of Christ’s saving grace that determines whether or not we spend life with God (Heaven) or apart from God (Hell).

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you’ve been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works so that no man can boast.” What that means is that there is nothing you can do or need to do to earn eternal life with God. Everything has already been done by Jesus, who took the sins of the world – past, present and future – on himself and died on the cross for us. He later rose again, three days later, overcoming death.

It is through that sacrifice and ultimate victory that our souls will have eternal life with God, in Heaven. Isn’t that amazing? I am so thankful for a God that loves me so much that He would sacrifice His One and Only Son so that I could have eternal life in Heaven!!!

Why did Eve listen to Satan and eat the forbidden fruit?

Wow! That’s an awesome question! There are actually two reasons and they kind of relate to each other. First, Eve was deceived by the serpent. That wily old snake came to Eve and confused her. He twisted God’s words (which, by the way, he does all the time with you and me) and made her question God.

Remember what he said to her? He first said, “Did God really say ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” So, he first got her to question God. Then he said, “You will not surely die!” Again, making her question what God said!

Then, Satan added, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Now here’s where it gets interesting. Satan first got Eve to question God, then he appealed to her pride. He told her she could be “like God.”

Did you know that pride is one of the sins God absolutely detests? In Proverbs 6:16-19, it lists seven things that are detestable to God and pride is listed first. That is because pride was the first sin ever committed, even before the creation of man. In fact, it was Lucifer (Satan) that committed the sin of pride when he wasn’t satisfied just being an angel and wanted to be “like God.” (Sound familiar?). His sin of pride also took a third of the angels with him.

So, Satan both deceived Eve and appealed to her pride, which caused her and Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. The result: sin entered mankind.

Now, if that were the end of the story, our lives would be hopeless! The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But, God, in His infinite mercy and by unending grace gave us His One and Only Son, in the person of Jesus Christ, and it is through our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior that we are spared death and assured eternal life in Heaven. The key is that you have to accept that gift of grace. The beautiful part is, you don’t have to do anything to earn it! It’s His gift to you! Have you made that commitment yet? If you have, are you living out your faith every day?

Why aren't the women and children mentioned in the feeding of the 5000 miracle?

In the Bible it says that children are important. In the story of Jesus feeding the 5000, it says there were 5000 men, not including the number of women and children. Why is that?

That is an awesome question and you’re probably not going to like my answer! The fact is the Holy Bible was written in a time when the society was patriarchal, which means a society where men were considered more important. BTW, this was common in our world and still exists in many places today. Most references referring to men and women or even groups of people are referred to in the masculine form. You’ll see the pronoun “he” used a lot and the pronoun “she” used infrequently unless it relates to a specific woman.

We have to remember that the Bible was written during a time when men were considered more important and women were seen as not as significant. The same applies to children.

The truth of the matter is that Jesus probably fed closer to 10,000 people that day but only the 5000 men were acknowledged in number. Now, that’s not to say that that Matthew, a Jewish tax collector, didn’t, at least, acknowledge the women and the children. In Matthew 14:21, it reads, “The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.”

If Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden, why did they cover their bodies and not their mouths?

Another great question! So, prior to them taking a bite from fruit that was from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden and they were naked. But, because sin hadn’t entered into the world, they had no reservations about being naked because there was nothing unnatural or wrong with it. Think about it, no other creature or animal was clothed, there were no other people and there was no evil associated with it.

I am often reminded of very little children who are about 2-years old who insist on taking off their diapers and running around naked! They do it out of innocence and aren’t embarrassed at all and don’t care because they are oblivious to their nakedness. They just don’t see the difference between their face, their knees or the part of their body that we parents insist they cover. Adam and Eve were similar in that type of thinking.

BUT, once they ate the fruit, the Bible says “their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked.” Sin had entered into mankind and the evil associated with nakedness, primarily lust, made them embarrassed and so they covered the parts of their bodies that affected lustful thoughts.

The covering of their bodies wasn’t meant as punishment, it was a way to hide their sin. Of course, these days, I sometimes wish we could cover some people’s mouths with fig leaves because of all the unwholesome and sinful speech coming out of it!!!

I heard a preacher say that when Jesus comes back, dead Christian's bodies would have life again. But this isn't true.

Great question you raise! That preacher was not confused or mixed up. He was actually quoting 1 Thessalonians 4:16-16, which reads, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

When Jesus returns, all who died prior to Jesus’ Second Coming, who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior, their physical bodies will be resurrected. Remember, we have a spiritual body (our souls) and a physical body. When we die, our spiritual bodies instantly go to Heaven but our physical bodies are still here. Anytime the Bible speaks of a resurrection, it is a physical event involving a physical body. So, those who area dead in Christ will receive resurrected bodies.

Don’t ask me how this works because it is one of the mysteries God chose not to reveal. However, we can be assured that those who died before Christ’s return will be first to ascend then those who are alive will go up to meet them. All of the believers will receive resurrected, “glorified” bodies.