Bible Questions & Answers
A: If there were NO Rules or Laws, there could be NO rights or wrongs. Without Rules there could be NO offenses. There could be No breaking of a law, No right to punish. The grounds for punishment would not exist. Without a Law or Rule in place, no wrong could be seen or identified. NO Judgement could have rights over you in this environment.
So let’s go Lawless! Take a moment to imagine. What that world would look like?
Not bad if you are a strong predator, not good if you are a week, slow grazer. Can you see the end result? Its only a matter of time and you become the hunted!
A: Most people believe so. Within all of us there exists a sense of what is right from wrong. Do you have it working in you? We draw our Rules about right versus wrong based on how we want to be treated. But the hypocrites and bullies of this world tend to disregard these internal Laws. Ignore them long enough and they will silence within you. Honor them and it yields a delightful life. So do you treat everyone as you want to be treated?
A: Great question!
Who really determines what is right and what is wrong?
Is it a person, a group, a law, a tradition, or maybe the honor would go to the most powerful? Surely, the smartest would be a contender for such a privilege.
How do you know when something is right or wrong? All of us know how we want to be treated. So, if we treat others as we want to be treated we should get along fine. By doing so we have just created rules, we have created a universal standard to live by. That gives everyone a framework for right and wrong. If this were applied to our society today it would end most crimes. But, hypocrisy lives in our society. Strange, isn’t it, some expect to be treated one way, while they knowingly treat others differently. Yes, it’s hypocrisy! Rom. 2:13-16, States, people everywhere know God’s law instinctively and therefore know what is right and wrong. I call it “common sense”, but not all people follow this inner law. They let another nature direct there steps. This reveals something in our human nature has a problem.
The fact is greed, lust, pride and selfishness are a few of the characteristics found in our nature that make for problems. These can live and grow in the human heart, they pollute the human race. It appears obvious our foundation is flawed. Our ability to survive is greatly diminished because of these flaws. So the problem isn’t so much that we can’t live side by side or even help one another, but the problem is within the heart of mankind. We have a sickness in our nature that makes us a threat to life and all creation, even to ourselves. This problem is demonstrated in how we treat the world around us, the people, the animals, the environment, all of it has scars form mans touch. As humans our selfish attitude says, everything is there for the taking, it exists to serve us, it’s ours to exploit.
Are these attitudes wrong? If it were your things for the taking you would think so!
God gives us the history of what happened, how we became like this. God created mankind to have compassion for all living things. Man was designed to cherish creation, tend to it, protect it and look after it. He was created with a free will, free to make choices. God didn’t make us like robots or machines, something that does what it’s been pre-programmed to do. We have “free will”. We were designed to be compassionate toward the world and everything around us. That was our original temperament. Man was to be known as a helpers to all, a trusted healer not a selfish destroyer. Our pleasure and satisfaction for life was found in that mission.
In the process of time, the first man and women (Adam and Eve) disobeyed God. They stole fruit from a poisonous tree, called “the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”(Bible Gen 2:17). When they ate it, they where infected with a kind of “sin” virus. This changed the temperament within them from being generous helpers, to selfish hoarders. They saw everything different now. All their priorities and motives shifted. Their dispositions moved from faithful friend, to guile opportunist, their moral compass was disconnected. What had been compassion was now exchanged for selfishness. They lost their identity, their imaginations became free to function without any moral restraints. No laws held them back. This was exhilarating and self-destructive at the same time. They experienced for the first time being pressed between two temperaments, one of Good and and one of Evil. Can you relate to this? They became confused and scared. Knowing their penalty was death, fear took hold of them, guilt and loneliness covered their hearts. Adam and Eve faced the unknown fact of death. Now contaminated with an evil temperament and no way to make restitution or return to innocents they faced the future troubled having a “fallen nature” within them.
The spirit of a rogue angel had infected them, “Satan’s temperament” tried to live in their ambitions. On that day, their perception of the world, themselves and their purposes, became infected with pride and selfishness, shame and loneliness. Two natures now pushed on them to control this world, “the land of the living”, our world, the one we live in today. It is under attack by a spiritual being call Satan (also known as the Devil) and we are being used to accomplish his hostile takeover. It all happened as the result of this “temperament transplant” with Adam and Eve. Unfortunately these characteristics pass to all their progeny, that’s you and I!
We as a race have become very destructive and have opened the door to evil on earth. The Bible tells us even nature groans waiting to be delivered form this bondage (Rom. 8:22). This mistake brought about by the first man and women will ultimately destroy us and our environment. We know what evil lives within us from histories grim record.
Today, this sickness is denied or unrecognizable. We seemed normal to each other, at least most of us. We have no other perspective to show us we might be damaged, nothing to give us a new “normal” or declare what is right. This was true until God told us what was wrong. (John 15:22) Jesus states;” If I had not come and spoken unto them (the human race), they had not had sin (meaning they would not have none anything was wrong); but now they have no cloak (or covering) for their sin.” In Mark 7:21-23, Jesus tells us what lives inside mankind, (read it, it’s bad)!
We think it normal to be filled with these evil characteristics. They are self destructive to us and our world. We are even entertained by them and actively seek them out to fulfill the twisted fallen nature within.
Today we still fear death, living only a short time and then we die. We step into eternity and are imprisoned in chambers within the earth, awaiting judgement day. Why are we in fear of death? Because deep inside that original law God, put in all of us, still speaks and calls for accountability.
All these problems we inherited form birth. God reveals this is not normal nor the way He designed it. But we are trapped in a system of servitude to a rogue angel set on building a kingdom to rival God’s. We are indentured slaves to this rebellion and subject to judgment because of it. God knows we are trapped and knows we have no say in how we were born. So, He made a way for each person to have a choice, a chance to make a willful decision to choose which side they wanted to be apart of! Thank God, He brings us the solution to fix the problem! He has the vaccine for the “Sin” virus.
Because we are all born into slavery to a rebellious angel called Satan (also known as the Devil), we inherited his temperament at birth and we need “Salvation” from this problem. We need a way back to God, to be acceptable to Him. We need deliverance from the evils that lie within. We need help from heaven in our everyday lives. We all need “Saving” from this terrible mess as well as from the temperament that pollutes us. How is this done? Jesus offers “whosoever will” Salvation from it!
This is why everyone needs “Saving”.
Details about how this happens are found in the following Q & A .
A: To be Born again means that a person has made a willful and knowledgeable decision to place themselves and their ambitions under the leadership of Jesus Christ. This is known by many names. Being “Saved”, “Born Again”, “Born from above”, I often refer to it as “Changing your Citizenship”, meaning I am taking self off the throne of my life and placing God first in my life. Jesus told a religious leader of his day, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. How is this possible the leader replied? “How can a man be born when he is old?….”
Jesus replies, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:3-6).
We are made up of Body, Soul and Spirit; 1) The Body, is our flesh, our physical composition. 2) The Soul, is our mind and logic with mild parts of our emotions. 3) The Spirit, is the eternal part of you housing your being. It is the well spring of ambitions, it’s the driver for our thoughts, actions, and imaginations. Our temperament is housed here. God declares we ares contaminated with sin, rogue and untethered from Him. In Mark 7:21-23, Jesus states; “For from within, out of the heart of men , proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Because of this we are dangerous to God’s creation and are spiritually dead. We could be likened to a computer with a virus. It could not function properly nor could it be trusted. That’s how we are with God, we need fixing to become useful to him and his Kingdom again.
To be born of the Spirit, as Jesus said was required, we will need a spiritual encounter with God. Think of this like the downloading of of software to fix a virus problem in a computer. This Spiritual encounter can happen when your hunger to know God, calls out to Him. He hears all those who call out to Him in truth. He is watching your heart and its’ response, even as you are reading these words!
Have you ever called out to God in true sincerity? He sees us, where ever we are! He hears every word we speak, knows every thought we think. He knows if you are honest or not! So come clean with yourself and Him. Ask to be forgiven of your sins and all your wrong doings. Ask to be free from the virus that lives in you. Hold nothing back, hide nothing, confess all to him, empty yourself of all you know is wrong. Let your desires turn from wrong doing, to being open and honest with Him. This is called repenting. Understand you can never be good enough to come to God, so come as you are!
You must know this historical fact! Jesus is the only man that ever died and came back from the dead and is still alive today. After Jesus rose from the dead he declared, “all power is given unto me both in heaven and on earth”. He also declares, He has the keys to death, hell and the grave. What does that mean? He is the one who controls our ultimate destinies! It means He is the one who determines our eternal state, be it heaven or hell. So it’s best to get acquainted with Him now
How does this work? Much could be said on this but for now, know, He will use one of the most powerful tools in heaven, the blood of Jesus Christ , to remove your sins and wrongs from your life. Ask for the blood of Jesus to cover your sins, to cover all the wrongs you have done. Ask for it to attack and remove the “sin” virus within. If you mean it, Then it will happen. He will do it! Then ask for Him to send The Holy Spirit to live in you which will empower you to live a life pleasing to God. This is like downloading His temperament into you. His Word (the Bible) will be your source for information and truth. His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) will be your guide to teach you all things and walk you through every event and trial live beings your way.
So what will you do with Jesus Christ? Accept Him as your King and friend? Or will you turn away and face life and death on your own?
Turning to Jesus and surrendering your life to Him does the following things; 1) It brings the Holy Spirit into your life. 2) God will enter your name in the Book of Life, found in heaven (Rev. 20:12-15). 3) You will become a citizen of heaven! 4) You will escape the wrath of God that will come on all the earth. That doesn’t mean you won’t have troubles even persecution 5)Most important, you become freed from your old temperament and receive a new one that you can grow a new life with. Your old nature or temperament still remains and will want to reassert itself from time to time but you now have help from God to put it down and life in the new nature God give you.
If you have followed these steps and activated this by prayer, you should experience God looking on you. This is a memorable moment in your life, you have just given your life to Jesus Christ and become “Saved”! For others you have just renewed your life in Christ as one would scan a computer for viruses. Either way, congratulations and tell 3 people and contact us. We would Love to hear from you
A: No – But a response is required! If a person asked Jesus to live in them and wants to be a member of Heaven, they will need to act and think differently. Their acceptance of Jesus as their King should make them different inside. All thoughts and actions in life are now viewed differently. Everything is viewed through the knowledge you are a member of Gods family. You should process life different than before. You have become “God Conscious”. If a person continues to to steal, lie, hold grudges and hurt people, and there is NO fear or gratitude toward God, they might not be saved. When a person is not true to their words and take no action to bring themselves under control and still remains in their old ways, they are not heaven bound. They won’t have access to heaven, regardless of their words. They are a hypocrite! (Colossians 3:1-10, Rev 21:7-8). When we turn to Jesus Christ and repent of our wrongs, He forgives and give us a new nature to live in. This new nature comes from the Holy Spirit which resides in all “Believers” or “Saved” Christians. We need to yield our lives to this new nature, that means obeying him and DOING our part. If there is NO response we are died to the Gospel! You might call this works. So yes, effort is required on our part for us to be saved. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, who is in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21)
A: None of us will get it right all the time and we all make mistakes. That’s where God’s grace and mercy cover our shortfalls. Know, God sees the intentions of our heart. He see, why we do what we do. He observes the thoughts and intents of our hearts. You can NOT scam God or put one over on Him. He knows more about you than you do about yourself and still loves you. If you are trying to please Him. If you are allowing Him to be Lord over all areas of your heart, you will hear His voice in your conscience. You will feel His smile in your heart when you do right! But if He has ask you to put aside something your doing or thinking that’s not right, not pleasing to him, you know it. You know when you say NO to God! And you feel the release, when you say YES to Him. That means you are hearing Him. That means you know the effort needed to clean something up in your life or not.
Would you discipline a child for trying but fails? Of course not, nor does God do that with us. See God sees the trying part or in some cases the lying part? He knows the difference even if you might be lying to yourself. His desire is for you to succeed! Not to be in bondage to sins grip in your life. Sin, has made you a slave to doing wrong and it is your master and you are it’s slave until you come under Jesus blood. You are prepositionally a child of God but sin separates us from God and left unattended your position can be forfeited if you stop responding to God. This is simply about the attitude behind your actions. I’ve never met a child that didn’t want to grow up. We are God’s children and our natural instinct is to grow up. That means growing, trying things, seeing thing, doing more, learning things and mucking up from time to time. Everyone is at a different maturity points in God and your in competition with no one but yourself. No child is born and wants to remain in a crib and diapers the remainder of their life. Nor should we become born again and do nothing with our new life but lye around waiting for your inheritance. The rewards are yours to go for and earn or simply pass on and forfeit. I dare you to go all in with God and see what He will do in and through you!
A: There are many Facts to answer this question. When you look at them together they become most compelling. But a doubter will remain a doubter no matter how much proof you serve up. Only if a person is looking with a sincere heart will they find this answer. Think of a person doubting love. They can always doubt until they choose to surrender, trust and go with it. Once surrendered they see and experience love flowing to them. If they never surrender or allow them-self to believe they become locked out of love and can never experience it or access the real power of love.
The fact is the Bible is a most unique book in the world.
1) It was written over a span of 1400 years, by some 40 authors, each of them moved by the Spirit of God to write.
2) These writers were a variety of people, with a variety of backgrounds, from rich to poor, from kings to farmers, some were free and others were prisoners.
3) The Bible records both good and bad, allowing Truth to pass unfiltered.
4) It is an accurate account of History, never proven wrong and has been used thousands of times to reference true historical events making it reliable.
5) It claims to be “God’s message to the human race, revealing His intentions and nature.
6) Its has withstood the test of time. The only book to ever survive centuries of censorship; Being Hunted, Burned, and Banned by Kings and Dictators, Schools and think tanks, hijacked and rewritten to confuse it’s messages, it still remains. It should be noted it has supernaturally survived these thousands of years being unchanged. It remains a book that brings supernatural life to the human soul and remains a threat to those set on doing evil. Today most governments are scared of how it can empower the average person to do extraordinary things. It has the power to set the human soul free and empower it for truth and justice.
7) It is a collection of books that claims to be living. Yes, it’s words and stories are real but in them, or riding on them, is a “Life Giving Spirit”, conveyed to the heart of the reader possessing a sincere attitude (John 6:63).
8) In addition to it’s Age, Survivor-ship, History, Wisdom, and Living Spirit, it also possesses “hidden codes” and messages concealed within it’s writings. These codes confirm events in our history as well as our most resent history, even up to a few years ago.
9) But most fascinating and unique about this book, is that it has prophecies, the foretelling of future events. From our vantage-point we can see that it has never been wrong on any of its’ prophesies. And because of this we, should heed those prophesies yet to be fulfilled. This, coupled with the above facts, makes this book the most unique book in the hands of mankind. Many of those having studied this book their whole lives, declare “We are in possession of a communication not of this world, nor written by the human minds”.
10) These nine facts don’t make the Bible the Word of God to some but I would expect it of any book claiming to be the word of God. Lastly, it is note worthy to mention the Billions of people over the ages that have testified to the power and effects of this book on their lives and how they deemed it to be the Word of God. This should not be ignored. So who are we if we throw aside the witnesses of these billions of people that have declared this book to be the Word of God. Should not their declarations stand as another reason this is the Word of God?
This Book called the Bible is amazing. It unlocks its’ truths ONLY to those reading it with a sincere heart, to all others it is a mere collection of stories and words on a page. Strange, isn’t it, a supernatural book hidden in plan site, disguised as a simple, old, outdated book but containing our Access and Power to GOD.
A: It means you are normal. Your sensory antenna is working. You are still “Saved”. Feelings will come and go. Often we perceive reality based on what we think or feel. Often, what we hear is not always what is being said. The same is true with feelings. Not all feelings are grounded in facts or truth.
How does one determines what is real or not real, true or not true? This is known as our filter, which shapes our opinions, whether we determine something to be real or not real. This filter should have changed in you when you accepted Jesus as your Lord. Once we give something a “reality status”, we then allow emotions to surround it and confirm it with other thoughts or ideas.
Remember, Rule #1. You are not saved because of feelings. You are saved because of what God has declared over you when you responded to Him. The Word of God makes you saved NOT feelings! Feelings should always follow Facts! Feelings may have followed the fact when you were first saved, not the other way around. You are saved because you have repented and accepted Jesus Christ as your King and friend. Feelings can become fickle at times when you look for them or follow them. Feelings are apart of the language of the spirit world. Remember not all spirits are good spirits, nor are all feelings built on facts. Beware, there are many of them, (feelings) clamoring for your attention. They are like multiple radio stations all playing at the same time.
Rule #2. Pay close attention to only one, the Holy Spirit of God. He has been sent to empower you and teach you the Word of God. After all He conveyed it to those who wrote the Bible. Feelings must always take second place to what the Word of God says. Never search for feelings but search for truth, the Word of God is raw truth. Follow truth and not far behind, will be the correct feelings, only as you apply them to your heart will they work in you. Keep in mind your feelings are not the final goal in life, they are expressions of the scenery along the way. Don’t get caught up in feelings! The Holy Spirit often confirms things, giving us feelings. Learn the difference. He will teach you this and sharpen your discerning skills.
Remember, you are saved because God says you are. It has little to do with with feelings. The devil loves to give us feelings. He backs them by whispers of doubts, causing us to doubt, attempting to convince us of his lies. When this happens, do what Jesus did and use the Word of God on him. And he will flee from you! Quote the truth of God’s Word (the Bible) to yourself and tell the devil the truth and he will leave you alone and you will remember who you are as a Christian.
A: Great news, If you desire to be invited, you are! Meaning the desire didn’t just happen, it was given you by God the Father. He is working in your heart inviting you now. Respond to Him and He will send His Holy Spirit to live in you and you will become a member of heaven. Simply talk to Him. He hears you and sees you now. Be honest to the core. Tell Him your are sorry for all those things you’ve done wrong. Confess them as they come to mind and give them to Jesus Christ. He will then take them and there penalties. He will add your penalties to those He paid for when He died on the cross. He will then give you legal right to enter into the Kingdom of God where your name will be entered into the Book of Life. You’ve become free of your sins and wrongs. You should now have great gratitude for Jesus and His Kingdom. You should raise your hand to heaven and thank God!
To secure you as His own He will send you the Holy Spirit who will enter your heart and be in you as “your conscience” come to life. Ask Him to help you do whatever is right. Get a Bible and Read Matthew and John to start. Know that the Bible is saying to you. The Bible can be viewed as raw “Truth” and food for the Holy Spirit to feed you. No worries if you don’t understand it. He, the Holy Spirit, is the teacher and will explain it to you as you read. After your prayer tell at least 5 people you gave your life to Christ and are Born Again. Tell them you are a New Member of Heaven. Then please write me and let me know also.
To clarify the point of Jesus taking your penalties for wrongs done, means the penalties you would have suffered from God for those wrongs. Not always are those penalties you justly earned on earth are removed form you but there punishment will become easier to handle and absorb. They become less biting when you belong to God. Know, He works all things to the good to them who belong to Him! That process starts the moment your his property regardless of the mess you have made of your life.
A: If you are worried about it, chances are you have not. But you may have maintenance to do. You may need to repent of things and make things right between you and God, as well as others. Don’t put it off. I have seen windows close quickly for chances to reconcile or make something right. When these windows close they are often gone, they are gone forever. Then there is no way to set things right. Act now to make your life clean and allow the fresh breeze of a clean conscience blow in your life again!
A: Does your will play a part in your salvation?
This question has separated many Christians over the years. The answer is not found in some persons opinion or in some stated doctrine of a group.
The answer is found in the Bible.
Here are the real questions to be asked. From these answers, we will find our answer.
Does our will have anything to do with us becoming “Saved”? YES or NO
Do you have a choice to be Saved or Not? Yes or NO
If your answer is YES, you are in a relationship with God because you chose Him. You are not a pre-programmed robot functioning as God made you but a free will agent. You have a free will and have chosen Him and He has chosen you. This is a relationship of joined wills. This is confirmed though out the Bible. We know that God loves humanity and has offered His love toward all in the statement “whosoever will” come to Jesus Christ has access to Gods love. It’s the only way to access God’s love.
So with this thought we see the only vulnerable part of our salvation is the human will. God states; Nothing can separate us from the love of God, No power or principality, No force in heaven or earth or under the earth can separate us or pull us away from the Love of God. The only vulnerable spot is our will, which is why the devil works so hard to influence it, to turn it against God. He does this through getting us to believe lies or hold grudges of weakens us to give up our will and choices. God wants us to willfully want Him. Love only truly works, when you choose to love versus ordered to! He has made a way for all who call on Him to receive opportunity to be loved and accepted by Him. To become Sons and Daughters of God. This is why we spread the Good News of God’s love through evangelism.
If you answered NO, than God picks and chooses those He will save and all is predestined. If God loves everyone, He should save everyone! He should not just save some, otherwise He doesn’t truly Love everyone. Why should some be rewarded for being born predestine and others punished for being born predestine to hell?
If this is a cast system, how is it that those predestine to heaven have the right to live as those destine for hell, yet they go to heaven anyway? It would seem no matter what one did, they will go to heaven and no matter what the other person did, they will go to hell. Our actions have no consequences on the outcome. This is not the teachings found in the Bible so there is a problem somewhere. We know this thought is flawed because, even Cain whose offering was refused of God was told by God “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doesn't not well, sin lieth at the door.” God is saying, If you do what is right, you too will be accepted! But he chose not to try but rather killed his brother instead. He chose not to be accepted but the path of sin which locks him into a path to hell. Jesus came to offer each of us a why off that path to hell. Did Adam and Eve not really have a choice but were they predestine to sin? Why would we have instructions to be vigilant if we have no choice?
The Bible is full of choices and offers story after story where free will is used to make decisions and choices were made. The word “if” appears well over a thousand times revealing choice! This reveals Free Will!
