Many people want to know what Bible translations are most similar to the KJV or most “trustworthy.” What you’ll find is Bible translations generally fall somewhere between one of two translation categories: dynamic/functional equivalence and literal/formal equivalence. Dynamic/functional equivalence is used in translations such as the NIV and NLT, and the process involves essentially paraphrasing what the translators believe was the intended meaning of a section of Scripture. Unfortunately, that can leave the result open to being tainted by the translator’s understanding of what the passage meant. The KJV or NKJV (more relevant to modern language but with the same translation method) as well as the ESV and NASB all use literal/formal equivalence, a method of translation that attempts as best as is possible to capture word for word translation rather than just paraphrasing the supposed meaning of a given passage. But that translation method, too, has its difficulties, since some phrases and ideas don’t translate well from one language and culture to another without further explanation. We tend to use NKJV around here for our Bible answers.

There is more to the translation process for both sides, but that’s the simple explanation. Feel free to research further and get a more thorough understanding by visiting these links: https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-versions.html and https://www.gotquestions.org/dynamic-equivalence.html .

This question is one that the church has been wrestling with for quite some time and will continue to do so, because the Bible does not exactly give a clear, explicit timeline. There are many Scriptures to consider together, mainly in the Book of Revelation mostly after chapter 5, Matthew 24, and Daniel 9. It is possible to come to the conclusion that Christ will gather His people before the period known as the tribulation, and it’s also possible to believe that He might come gather them in the middle of it. Some other views are a bit more at odds with what the Bible actually says. However, we can be certain that the Bible does not promise believers will escape suffering. It’s quite the opposite, as all who follow Christ are promised persecution (John 15:20) and must suffer with Jesus (Romans 8:17).

The idea that believers can get away from suffering is a mostly western idea (especially in the United States where things have long been easy for Christians), as our brethren are already suffering greatly around the world and have throughout time. Doubtless, many of them probably believe they are already facing conditions seemingly as bad as the tribulation will bring. But the tribulation is a special time period in the Bible, specifically 7 years just before Christ fully returns to defeat evil and usher in His kingdom, and God’s wrath is poured out on the world at that time, so people are hopeful that the rapture will help us escape from that period of God’s wrath meant for unbelievers who won’t hide in Christ—not escape from persecution.

See these articles for more info and Scriptures on the subject: https://www.gotquestions.org/rapture-tribulation.html , https://www.gotquestions.org/pretribulationism.html , https://www.gotquestions.org/midtribulationism.html

Though many people claim the book of Enoch should be included in the Scriptures, it is not part of the canon of Scripture (God-inspired books). It was not taken out of the canon, but was simply never part of the canon at all (though the Catholic church accepts some supposedly inspired books that don’t meet other tests for inclusion as inspired Scripture). The book of Enoch is part of what is called pseudepigrapha or “false writings,” which try and use a seemingly legitimate authority’s name to make the writings appear valid even though they are often written long after that person would have lived. Enoch, for example, was among some of the earliest people on earth and was in heaven long before any of the other Bible books would have even been written. In fact, all of mankind aside from Noah as well as any writings that may have existed were wiped out in the worldwide flood of Genesis 6.

The book of Enoch does connect with some ideas from Scripture, particularly where it expands on the narrative that comes from Genesis 6:1–4 about the Nephilim or giants in the days of Noah as well as the narrative where Enoch is taken up (Genesis 5:24). And Jude references something that appears to be from the book of Enoch, but that doesn’t make it an authoritative book of the Bible. So, by all means, pursue some study on the subject by reading the articles above and perhaps some of the books recommended at the bottom of the articles that go far more in depth on the canonicity of Scripture.

Remember, knowing whether we can trust our Scriptures is everything for the faith, so this is an important subject to make sure you have a firm faith foundation to rest on so you can stand on the Word of God with strength in a world that doubts it’s truth.

The Bible doesn’t just outright command anyone to remove the practice of slavery in all forms, just as it doesn’t speak directly against certain other practices that develop in some cultures and not others. Instead, it spends it’s time mostly on revelation of God’s nature and of general truth principles that can guide people at any time in any culture. For example, Jesus teaches people that the whole law is essentially expressed by loving God and loving your neighbor the way you love yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). If you have that guiding principle, you’ll move towards loving people well in the more specific ways that the law helped Old Testament believers to do, such as not stealing from them or killing them. And no one wants to be enslaved, so people transformed by the truth of the “golden rule” would choose to get rid of slavery as they grow in Christ if slavery was part of their culture to begin with. And that’s what happened in history when nations like the United States and Britain conformed to Christian truth; slavery was abolished nationally, largely due to Christian influence.

The Bible does, however, speak on slavery since it was part of the lives of the people at the times in which various books were written. In the New Testament, Paul speaks in the letter to Philemon about Onesimus, a “slave” who was parted from Philemon his master, and Paul asks Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a brother and not as a slave (Philemon v.15-18). The actual word Paul uses is bondservant, not slave, which refers to someone who submitted to servanthood to repay debt, though he may not have wanted to continue to serve willingly later, but he would yet have been bound to do so legally. But Paul elevates these believers’ relationship to being brothers in Christ. As he says in Galatians 3:28, all that matters now is oneness in Christ, not whether someone is free or enslaved. Paul abolished all worldly divisions in light of the Gospel.

Paul also gives guidance on proper treatment of slaves by masters and conduct for slaves towards masters (e.g. Col. 4:1, 1 Tim. 6:1). Those slaves would also likely have been the voluntary sort in the sense that they chose to go into a slave-like, indentured servant relationship with an “owner/master” in order to pay a debt. The same was true of ancient Israel when Israelites were slaves to each other, and the law laid out rules of conduct offering slaves certain protections. Also, every seven years, debts were forgiven, and slaves were set free.

The Bible is clear that baptism, while important, is not necessary for salvation. Physical baptism is something men do, and God made it clear that all are saved by faith in Jesus’ finished work and not by works (Eph. 2:9), which means nothing can be added by man to the work of Christ. We have a righteousness earned by Christ alone (Phil. 3:9), and He Himself becomes our righteousness by faith (1 Cor. 1:30, 2 Cor. 5:21).

And when we determine whether something is necessary for salvation, there can be no other Scripture that disagrees with what we find in a given Scripture passage. The fact is, the Bible has clear examples of believers who are saved without baptism. In Acts 10, we witness Peter visiting the home of Cornelius where that man and a house full of people are saved and receive the Holy Spirit without having yet been baptized, which we are sure of because Peter says they ought to be baptized afterwards. And before Jesus died, he hung next to a thief with no chance to be baptized: Jesus told the thief he would be with Jesus that day in paradise. Baptism, therefore, cannot be necessary. And, more importantly, choosing to say so ruins the reality of our need for Christ’s work alone for salvation.

Many people have this question in their minds as they read the book of Timothy, and much of that misunderstanding has to do with the cultural lens through which we see this passage. What isn’t immediately obvious to some of us in the modern Western world is the fact that Paul, as Jesus did, is actually lifting up women as he writes both this letter and other Scriptures, giving women appropriate status and value before a world that did not esteem women highly at the time.

The words there in 1 Timothy 2:11-14, “let a woman learn” at first sounds restrictive, but it is really permissive in an affirming sense, giving women permission to learn alongside men as church family in a culture that typically only offered such learning to men. The text does get restrictive when it says not to let women speak, but then it clarifies what it means when we read further, as the “don’t let them speak” relates to “teaching or exercising authority over a man.” That is the true issue at hand.

The very next section of this letter to Timothy just a few verses later moves right along to say that leaders/shepherds/elders of the church are to be men and are the ones who lead in teaching. Women are restricted from holding those positions of authority over men because of God’s created order described in the 1 Timothy 2 passage, and that is what gives us our understanding for how to take the admonition for women not to “speak” or teach in church. Elsewhere God’s word affirms women are meant to teach one another and children, so they aren’t restricted from all teaching.

Though God’s law never passes away, and all must be fulfilled, Jesus came to fulfill the law for us (Romans 8:3-4). Only in Him can the righteous requirement of the law be fulfilled. That’s what the gospel is all about—the reality that Jesus lived the life we can’t live and offered to trade places with us, becoming our sin so we might become His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). This was a huge issue in the early church, because many of the Jews who came to faith were convinced they still needed to keep either the whole law or some measure of the law. In Acts 15, we see this episode of the church’s early life play out. Peter realizes that they’ve made a mistake in trying to teach new converts to keep the law, saying, “…why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will” (Acts 15:10-11).

Paul then walks through this with the church of Galatia, giving us a stronger sense of what God’s heart is for us on this issue. It would be beneficial to read the whole letter or at least Galatians 3 onwards, but Paul’s conclusion is this: “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Galatians 3:10-11). He then says, “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:24-26).

Paul walks through this more as the book continues, in chapter 4 actually getting upset with the Galatians for observing days and months and seasons and years. And though that part might seem a little unclear, Paul goes into the same issue with the Colossian church with more clarity, saying Jesus’s finished work canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14-15), and he goes on to say in the next verse, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17). The very next chapter goes on to make clear what sort of holy lifestyle God’s people are called to, so this message from Paul is not a message of license to sin, it’s simply a message of freedom in Christ from the law to serve God out of a renewed spirit rather than pressure to meet requirements.

The short answer is “yes,” because of God’s merciful character. The good news is, our God is a God who is not willing for any to perish but desires all to reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9-13), so you can bet He will do everything possible to allow people as much time as possible to come to Him. In fact, that passage referenced here teaches us that God has only waited to judge the world because He wants more people to get the chance to come to Him, and He is calling us as the church in that passage to help hasten His coming by calling more people to reconcile with Him.

The Bible shows us that God is willing to save even during the tribulation period described in the book of Revelation when God is pouring out judgments on the earth. Before Jesus returns for good to defeat all evil, He calls His people up to join Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17), what people often call the “rapture.” After that, believers are gone from the earth for the time being, but people still living on earth do appear to get a chance to repent and believe after the rapture. People who did not get called up to join Jesus clearly were not true followers of Him, but there are true followers of Jesus spoken about during the tribulation period after the rapture in the book of Revelation—those who are killed for not taking the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:7-10, 20:4), which shows us that some people do come to saving knowledge of God after the rapture.

Once Jesus does return the final time, the Bible is clear that He comes for judgment at that time (Revelation 19), and everyone who has not chosen to hide in His body on the cross by faith will face the judgment of God for their sins and will be killed. All have the chance now to be covered in Jesus and to hide in Him so they can escape that judgment, but we must encourage and persuade them to choose Him now before it’s too late. For those who think they know Jesus but are not confident, it is critical that they heed the many Bible passages encouraging them to test themselves to see whether they are in the faith.

The United States is certainly not mentioned by name in the Bible since it didn’t exist at the time of the writing of the Scriptures, but the Bible tells some of the future after all, and many of the nations of the world today are mentioned by other, older names for their given locations, so it’s possible the United States is one of those.

Though there are many theories, some of which you can find here www.gotquestions.org/united-states-Bible.html , none of them is a clear and certain interpretation of the Scriptures in which we can have confidence. The things we know for sure are that God’s Word says He will bless any nation that blesses His chosen people through Abraham (Israel) and curse those who curse them, and that all nations will be judged in the end at Christ’s return. Our best chance is to remain committed to God, supporting Israel, and spreading the truth about His Son so every knee can bow and tongue can confess before Jesus returns rather than on judgment day.

God is never going to turn away from someone or turn someone away if they are willing to seek Him truly. The one true God, the God of the Bible revealed through Jesus Christ, has revealed His heart for us all throughout the Scriptures.

The Bible says God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). And when people wonder why God hasn’t come to judge the world, God says He is waiting for more people to turn to Him in repentance, “…not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He promises to all who look for Him that they can find Him if they look with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13). And Jesus said before He died that once He was lifted up, He would draw all people to Himself (John 12:32). In fact, Jesus even says no one comes to God unless the Father draws them (John 6:44), so if we’re feeling drawn, we can know it’s God reaching out to us.

We can see God’s heart clearly in His Word, and He’s reaching out to each of us. The question is, what’s going on in our hearts? We don’t have to worry if He cares. He does. God left His throne to come to earth to rescue us and restore our relationship with Him through Jesus’ perfect life lived in our place, through His death that paid our sin debt, and through His resurrection that will give us new life as we place our trust in Him. That shows us our value. Though He won’t turn us away if we come to Him, our time on earth is limited. Any day could be the last for any of us.

The Bible speaks of believers being cleansed of all sin and covered in the righteousness of Christ, but it also testifies that believers have to give an account of their lives before God. When passages like 2 Corinthians 5:10 tell us we must appear before Christ’s judgment seat, we can’t discount the clear meaning. But there is an important implication to which we must pay attention. In that very verse, it says the purpose of appearing before the judgment seat for believers is to receive what is due for what we have done in the body. That language is the language of reward, though the verses certainly pose themselves as a sort of warning as well.

Throughout the Bible, there is a strong theme of reward for genuine service to God through faith. We can think of the judgment seat of Christ for the believer as that time when God determines how much additional blessing we are to receive for the life we have lived in Christ. Thankfully, every believer gets to experience God’s kindness and grace poured out on them for eternity (Ephesians 2:7), but the Bible does make it clear that we have varied levels of reward within that framework of eternal blessing. In 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Paul shares with us an understanding of God’s judgment as weighing our work. It’s not so much about us as what we’ve built with Jesus while we’ve been here. If we waste our time and talents here, our work will fail to pass the test, but we will pass the test and be saved yet because of Jesus standing in our place.

This is perhaps the most important part. Justification is about guilt and righteousness. We who believe are justified by grace as a gift through Christ (Romans 3:24), and Jesus Himself becomes our righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). That means we are justified by faith, which means we are “held as guiltless” by the Judge Himself. We are no longer guilty because Jesus paid it all. This is what allows us to be reconciled to God and spend eternity with Him. And we can rejoice in that. But the work we do as justified followers of Christ will be weighed at the end of our time to determine its value.

Eternal security is really all about Jesus and His finished work—and that is permanent. The Gospel, after all, is good news that God has come to do what man can’t, bringing us back to Himself to experience eternal life with Him. Jesus lived the perfect life we can’t live and died the death we deserved to die, and by faith alone He offers each of us a trade, His righteousness for our sin. He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus makes us new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), a permanent work that can’t be undone. No one can snatch us out of God’s hand once He gives us eternal life (John 10:27-30), and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

The very idea of being able to lose salvation goes against the nature of the Gospel message. To lose salvation would be to undo Jesus’s finished work in saving us, cleansing us, making us new creations, adopting us, and uniting us as one with Himself. That can’t be done. For some passages that help us see the permanence of Christ’s work, we can look to 1 Corinthians 1:8 which says Jesus will sustain us to the end, blameless on the day He comes, and Hebrews 10:14 which establishes that Jesus not only forgave our past sins by His death on the cross but also did the work required to make us perfect.

Hebrews 9:27 says, “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” All people will be judged after they die, which determines where they will spend eternity. Jesus Himself speaks of people either receiving eternal punishment or eternal life (Matthew 25:41-46), but He also makes it clear that the only thing that determines their destination is whether they put their trust in Him alone. John 3:18 says about Jesus, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Anyone we know will only be condemned by not trusting in Jesus.

For the timing of that judgment, we can look to Luke 16:19-31, which shares with us an account of a rich man who dies and is immediately tormented by fire (v. 23-24) and a poor man who is comforted (v. 25). The passage makes it clear that the rich man wants to change his mind and even convince his family to change their minds, but he can’t (v. 26-27). While this is very sad, it helps us understand that this life is given as an opportunity for people to choose to walk with God. If we choose Him now, we get Him forever. If we don’t choose Him while we live, we will be forever without Him by our own choice, and the place without His presence is a lake of fire created for the devil and his rebellious angels (Matthew 25:41).

If you’ll read Revelation 20:11-15, you’ll see judgment day in action and witness how people are judged for what they’ve done, and the only thing that rescues people is having their name written in the Lamb’s book of life, which we know from John 3 is only by Jesus giving us His own righteousness by faith. His deeds become ours so that we don’t have to be judged for our failings on judgment day!

The Bible does not teach that people can lose salvation once it is gained. Rather, it teaches that salvation is a permanent experience accomplished by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ’s finished work alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), and no one can add their works to His to gain salvation, therefore no one can lose salvation by failing to work hard enough. A better understanding of what this particular passage is teaching can be found by reading the context.

In this passage chapter, the writer starts the chapter by saying he wants people to move on from repenting from dead works and believing in Christ. He wants them to mature instead of worrying about getting saved all over again, essentially. He then launches into those controversial verses where it can sound like somebody is losing their salvation, but what it says right after that passage captures the heart of it. He says in verse 9, “Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things, things that belong to salvation.” He’s saying that God’s people he’s writing to don’t have to worry about the scary situation he just described! For them, he’s sure of better things, of salvation.

The following chapters describe to this church how the law couldn’t perfect anyone, so Jesus had to come rescue them and sacrifice Himself as a better sacrifice that would last. The message culminates in a beautiful verse in Chapter 10 that says, “…by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Jesus didn’t just forgive sins on the cross, He took care of the whole picture, forever perfecting in spirit those who would believe. And you can’t lose that once you have it. What Jesus did, as He said on the cross, is finished! For all time.

In the Old Testament

God sent down fire from Heaven every time a sacrifice was consumed.  However, in the Old Testament, there are at least seven very significant recorded occurrences of fire from Heaven:

1. Fire from Heaven destroyed Job’s flocks (Job 1:16).
2. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire from Heaven (Gen 19:24, Luke 17:29).
3. Fire from Heaven devoured Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:1-2)
4. Elijah called down fire from Heaven upon King Ahaziah’s soldiers (2 Kings 1:10,12).
5. Fire from Heaven consumed David’s sacrifice (1 Chron 21:26).
6. The sacrifice at the dedication of the Temple was consumed by fire from Heaven (2 Chron 7:1).
7. Elijah’s sacrifice on Mt. Carmel was consumed by fire from Heaven (1 Kings 18:38)

In the New Testament

There is no record of fire being sent from Heaven by God in the gopels and the writings of Paul and the other apostles.  However, James and John asked Jesus to call down fire from Heaven…but He didn’t do it. (Luke 9:52-54).  And the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven and appeared as cloven tongues of fire, but this was only the appearance “as” fire.  (Acts 2:3-4).

Fire Down from Heaven — yet to come!

During the Tribulation), the false prophet will “make fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men” (Rev 13:13), but this will not be fire sent from Heaven by God. It will be Satan’s work of copying what God does. But fire from Heaven will come down again one last time.  Following the millennial reign of Christ, when Satan is loosed, the nations are deceived, and Satan gathers followers to battle against God, then God will send fire to devour Satan and his troops.

Rev 20:9  And they [Satan and his troops] went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city [Jerusalem]: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Titus 1:7  For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine…

We interpret “not given to wine” to mean not allowing wine to influence one’s thinking, words, or actions, in any way or to any extent.  The Bible does not disallow wine.  In fact, Paul suggested to Timothy that he drink a little wine instead of water for a stomach ailment (1 Tim 5:23).  However, while the Bible does not disallow wine (or alcohol), it firmly warns against any kind of drunkenness.  Drunkenness, in and of itself, is most definitely a sin. Drunkenness alters and controls one’s mind and diminishes one’s self-control and thereby induces sins in thoughts, words, and actions.

The admonition in Titus 1:7 is that  bishops are to be above reproach. Bishops are in a leadership role in the church, so they are to be an example of living life according to God’s will and ways.  All Christians should follow the admonition not to be given to wine.  Therefore, in the selection of any church leader this is a requirement.  And, the only way to be 100% certain that one will not be “given to wine,” or any mind altering drink or drug, is to abstain from the intake of any such drink or drug.

Hope this helps in your discernment of 1 Titus 17. 

This question is often asked because one wonders if, as a Christian, they will have to give up a sin that they enjoy or take on a task they don’t want to do. God has given you a free will, so He will not make you give up anything. However, His Holy Spirit will convict you of your sin and He will work to change your heart. The more you know and love Jesus, the more you will desire to turn from your sin and live in accordance with God’s purpose and plan.

Regarding taking on a task you might not want to do: If God wants you to do something (e.g. witnessing to others) He will equip and empower you. He will also change your desire so that it will be something you want to do and something you will enjoy doing. Trust that God loves His children and desires that they find joy and purpose in all their activities.

This question is a favorite of skeptics. Cain was a member of Adam’s family. After Cain killed his brother Abel, the Lord put a curse on him and drove him from the land, into the land of Nod, east of Eden, where he took a wife. Since there were no other people on earth at the time, the question becomes where did Cain find someone to marry?

Genesis 5:4 tells that by the time Adam was 800 years old, he had had “other sons and daughters.” One of these siblings would have been the female Cain married.

Yes, Cain married one of Adam’s daughters, making his wife one of his sisters. To read why this intermarriage was acceptable, read the whole article, here

The Scriptures are clear that those who believe in Jesus will be saved (see John 1:12). But what about those who live in unreached people groups?

First Timothy 2:4 clearly states that God “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

Acts 17:26-27 asserts that God has determined the times and places for everyone to live “so that men would seek him and reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

Scripture and contemporary missionary evidence support the claim that those who seek God based on the light they have received will be able to respond, even if part or all of the process happens supernaturally. This conclusion has been held by Christian thinkers throughout the centuries. It satisfies the claim that a loving God makes salvation universally available (by revealing Himself to all people), and avoids the problematic claim of inclusivism, meaning people can be saved without knowledge of the gospel.

Regarding those who are incapable of responding to God’s light, we believe God’s mercy is magnified.

The bottom line is: We can trust that God loves the whole world, and He will act justly in all situations. Our job as Christians is simply to bring the gospel to a world that desperately needs it.

Re-birth is one of the most important doctrines of our faith. When sin entered the world through Adam, the spiritual life of his soul died.

In John 3:3, when Jesus told the Pharisee Nicodemus that he must be born again to see the kingdom of God, Jesus was saying that his soul was in need of regeneration, i.e. being born again.

We know that after Jesus ascended to Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to regenerate repentant sinners and give them new birth, new life—eternal life. “You must be born again” means you must turn from yourself and turn to Jesus in faith, and trust in who He is and what He has done to pay for your sins.

Paul said that he was commissioned by Jesus to preach the gospel (see 1 Cor. 1:17) and the gospel message predates Paul, so it could not have originated with him. The gospel message is presented throughout the Bible, from the prophecies of the One to come, to Paul’s writings about the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Paul’s writings, specifically 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, echoes a creedal statement that scholars date to within mere months after the crucifixion (see The Case for the Resurrection, by Gary R. Habermas and Michael Licona). This creedal statement is an affirmation of what really took place, which Jesus Himself spoke about (Mark 10:32-34; Matt. 20:17-19) and which Peter proclaimed on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2).

Christians do not “substitute the ideas of Paul for the teachings of Jesus.” “The ideas” (the teachings) of Paul affirm and illuminate what Jesus taught in His earthly ministry. Paul’s teachings also include further revelation, given to him by Jesus, to edify and grow the Church. So when Christians preach and teach Paul’s words, they are faithfully sharing God’s words.

This so-called gospel and numerous others like it, such as the Gospel of Thomas, are considered to be false documents because they teach things at odds with orthodox Christianity. Such books often date to many centuries after the life of Christ and they contain teachings that are clearly influenced by Gnosticism and Greek Neo-platonism.

Only the 66 books of the Holy Bible are considered to be God-breathed, “given by inspiration of God and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16)

We can trust on very good authority and evidence that the Bible we have today corresponds to the original texts.

The evidence we have is the thousands of complete and partial Bible manuscripts that date very close to the actual events. Except for minor textual differences, none of which affects a major doctrine, there is remarkable similarity between ancient and modern texts.

The authority we have is God Himself. He has promised to preserve His Word, and what God promises, He is faithful to do.

There is a doctrine called the Immutability of God. It means that God does not change. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. That means the God revealed in the Old and New Testaments is the same God.

What has changed is the revelation of who God is and the covenant between God and man. With the incarnation, life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, God was fully revealed.

God also raised up the apostles to record all the information about who He is, what He has done, and who we are in Jesus. The Bible is a book of progressive revelation about the God of all creation who is eternal, without change.

We know that the Bible is self-professing to be the Word of God (see Pss. 93:5; 119:89; Prov. 30:5; Matt. 24:35; John 10:35; 2 Tim. 3:16). And when the Bible is studied, it’s divine origin becomes self-evident.

The credibility of the writers, their accuracy and detail, and even their unbiased recording of historical data supports the claims that the Bible makes about being God-given, God-breathed (2 Tim 3:16).

Habakkuk 1:13a says, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness…” That certainly implies that God cannot look at sin. However, that is not what the verse means.

The next sentence reveals that God does look upon sin: “Why do You look on those who deal treacherously…” (Hab 1:13b). “Those who deal treacherously” would be sinning, so it would be a contradiction if it were true God that can’t look on sin.

The proper understanding comes in reading what comes next. After asking, “Why do You look on those who deal treacherously…” Habakkuk added, “And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he?”

Habakkuk 1:13 is really saying that God’s eyes are too pure to look upon sin and tolerate what He sees. God will judge all sins. But He will do so in His time and in His ways.

This explains how the Holy Spirit can dwell inside Christians who continue to sin. Their sins have already been judged by God, paid for by Jesus, and fully forgiven. In God’s eyes, a forgiven sinner is positionally righteous and secure. However, in continuing to sin, a Christian still needs to confess sins to be cleansed and restored to closer communion with God. The sins Christians commit cannot break their union with God, but will harm their communion with Him. Confess and be cleansed:

Read more:

1 John 1:9 What is the Christian “Bar of Soap?”

What you need to know about Sanctification & Glorification

The resurrection accounts are very consistent and the supposed contradictions that skeptic raise can be explained. It’s true the accounts are different, but they are also complementary and without contradiction.

Unique nuances from each of the Gospel writers contributes to the credibility of each account being true. Only if the four accounts were identical (which they are not) could Matthew, Mark, Luke and John be suspect of fabrication and collaboration. In fact, each writer delivered different details about the same event, based on different perspectives and on the message the Holy Spirit inspired them to write.

Two examples that appear to be discrepancies in testimonies, but are not, include:

• Matthew, Mark and Luke mention a plural number of women who came to the empty tomb, while John mentions only Mary Magdalene. However, no writer says that only Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. Mention of one woman does not rule out there being more women present.

• Matthew and Mark mention only one angel in the tomb, while Luke and John mention two. However, Matthew and Mark never say that only one angel appeared, or that only one angel spoke. Similar to the women, mentioning one angel does not rule out there being two.

Neither of these are contradictions. They are simply accounts from two different perspectives with varying details.

Lee Strobel, a respected journalist, legal scholar, and former skeptic, after extensively interviewing New Testament scholars, concluded,

“The harmony among the Gospels on essential facts, coupled with divergence on some details, lends historical credibility to the accounts. The early church couldn’t have taken root and flourished right there in Jerusalem if it had been teaching facts about Jesus that his own contemporaries could have exposed as exaggerated or false.”

As to whether the events of Matthew 27 could have happened, the answer is “of course.” It was a miracle, worked by God. The fact that we know very little about these people, how or why this happened, or what happened to them, does not make the miracle any less real.

We can’t prove this miracle, but we do have trustworthy testimony from people who witnessed it. There are no accounts from that time period of people refuting what the Gospels claim and the Bible has been proven to be historically accurate in its records of historical events.

So, the question for non-believers should not be if a miracle recorded in the Bible is true. Instead, it should be whether or not the Miracle Worker is real. Non-believers understand that if God exists, then miracles are not only possible, they are to be expected. Non-believers reject the Miracle Worker, who is God. And as long as they desire to reject God, they will cast doubt on His miracles, including the one in Matthew 27.

The miracles of Jesus were not added to make Him look like a wonder worker. They are included in the Bible because they really happened. God worked miracles through Jesus to reveal who Jesus was during His earthly ministry and there is strong evidence that the miracles were recorded very near the time they were performed. Of course, we trust the accounts because the Bible is God-breathed, but even secular historical ancient books and writings, as well as archeological finds, testify to the accuracy of Jesus’ miraculous works.

The Bible is not an ancient codebook. And while there are many literary styles in the Bible, including what the Jews called remezes (hidden meanings), people need to be very careful about looking for hidden codes. All too often, the popular books that claim to have uncoded biblical codes do so with forced reasoning and manipulated evidence. When it comes to Nostradamus, he never claimed to be speaking for God. God’s prophets spoke the words God gave them, and we have those words recorded in the Bible. They are the very words of God. Moreover, Nostradamus’s predictions are highly ambiguous, written in such a way that you can find fulfillment in any number of events. Not so with the Bible. With hundreds of biblical prophecies having been fulfilled with precise accuracy, we have no doubt that prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled will come to pass.

Above all, it’s critical that we represent Jesus to our relatives by maintaining a relationship while also trying to share the truth (true love will seek the highest good for another person). Most people give up on one or the other. Keep loving—biblically.

Sometimes, what’s difficult is that our child or other loved one has seemingly made a profession of faith, attended church, led a seemingly upright moral life, and ended up in this situation. Be aware this is happening to young people—and many not so young—all across the country, and sexuality and identity are the places where Satanic spiritual forces are most focused on attacking young people in our time. Another area of attack is the subject of truth itself and the validity of the Bible. Unfortunately, young people are being constantly bombarded with the idea that truth is relative and that what works for one person does not have to be true at all times and in all places. They are getting this from every direction, especially through media. So our relatives may well be able to believe that the Bible says something is wrong, believe they love God, and still do something consistently that God says is wrong because they feel it “works for them,” and can’t possibly be wrong for everyone at all times. This is a gross misunderstanding of the Scriptures, but it’s the battle we are all facing. As you love them, you will have to seek God to help you be strong for the subject of the absolute truth of God’s Word. That’s part of love, sharing truth that will save someone from tremendous pain and heartache. The fact is, Jesus came in real history and has a real identity and a real and truly narrow road He calls people to walk, and as Lord, He gets to be in charge. If we say we follow Him but do not strive to obey Him, we are lying to ourselves and do not belong to Him.

We who truly believe in Jesus are declared righteous by faith alone in Christ alone, and His work on our behalf is now finished. However, that does not provide license to sin. The clear testimony of Scripture is that those who practice homosexuality won’t inherit the kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) and those who deliberately practice sin don’t belong to God (1 John 3:4-10). Deliberate lifestyles of sin point to deeper issues of the heart that show us whether our allegiance is truly to Christ or to self. If our allegiance is to ourself, we may call Jesus Lord, but He will say “I never knew you.” An unwillingness to repent or turn away from a life of sin is what keeps someone from turning to Jesus to receive eternal life and the indwelling Holy Spirit in the first place. The crux of the matter is this: you can only truly place your trust in Christ as Lord and Savior if you also repent of your sin. Part of discovering who Jesus is as the Lord of your life and Savior of the world is realizing that He is the holy God against whom you have sinned, and for you to place your trust in Him for forgiveness for your sins against Him, you have to acknowledge your sins against Him and choose to turn away from them, knowing they are against His holy nature. In the turning away from sin, you are turning towards God for forgiveness and new life.

When your faith is placed in Jesus, His finished work makes you a new creation as you are born again in the Spirit, and you then begin to experience the sanctification of God as He conforms you to the image of His Son. Once Jesus makes you new, there is no going back, because it’s His work, not yours, but God’s Word is clear (see 1 John 3:4-10) that whoever deliberately makes a practice of sinning does not belong to God. You may have to accept the idea that your relative, if they are willfully choosing a wrong path, does not know Christ and never has. And you’ll need to treat them like someone who needs to discover the true saving grace of Jesus Christ and be given a new identity by a second spiritual birth, setting them free from a lifestyle of sin. To help you with your journey of understanding and communicating with your relative while seeking to help them discover Christ, the following sources might be helpful. You might start by watching the In His Image movie and considering their ministry resources.  Restored Hope Network is made up of people who have been saved out of homosexual or transexual lifestyles and who want to share what God has given them by ministering to others who face the same struggles. Your relative could look into getting some help from them, or they might help you understand them. You might also consider reading/listening to apologist Josh McDowell’s The Beauty of Intolerance.

Something you’ll want to remember that’s more important than most anything else in your struggle is this: Jesus said people will not come to God unless the Father draws them (John 6:44-45), and the Word also says that God is not willing for any to perish but for all to reach repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). Our Heavenly Father’s heart is to rescue your relative, so God is with you in that effort and there is power in prayers for that. But there is also a burden lifted in that it is God’s job to draw your relative to His Son. You can’t make this happen. But you can pray, and God is still in the business of changing people. Press into prayer, and consider reading and meditating on the truths within E.M. Bounds On Prayer to begin growing in the power and consistency of your prayer life. Also, mostly all of Bounds’ books on prayer can be found online somewhere for free if you don’t mind reading pdfs.  

The big issue here is the main issue everyone has: they want to be God. People want to make the rules instead of submitting to the God of the universe, so they try to find a way around His plan, but the Bible is clear that sexual relationships are only meant to exist between one man and one woman united in monogamous marriage (Genesis 2:18-24). Ultimately, only bowing the knee to Jesus by trusting the Gospel and turning away from sin to follow Him is the answer. All of us need the Gospel and how it applies to this situation, and that means that since Jesus came to rescue us from our sin so we could live new lives following Him, then we have to obey Him or we aren’t truly following Him. If one partner is seeking to follow Jesus and the other is not, whoever is truly following Jesus should separate from the unbeliever if they are not married and the partner doesn’t wish to follow Jesus (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

To help share some of what Jesus as Lord would say to a young couple as they live together, we can look at Romans 13:1-7, particularly verses 1-2: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” This is true even for corrupt governments, as Jesus Himself paid taxes to the Roman Empire during his earthly ministry, and they used some of those tax dollars to crucify Jews and subjugate peoples. Whether a marriage license is just a piece of paper or not, we must submit to the process of obtaining one if we are to obey Jesus as the Lord of the government which is asking us to do so in order to call ourselves “married.” It’s submission to Jesus, which all of us commit to if we say we want to receive Him, be saved, get to heaven, or have eternal life. We can only “have” Jesus and all the life He gives if we have Him as Lord of all.

Ultimately, if we love someone, we will seek the highest good for them, and we’ll show our commitment by sealing it legally in marriage.

God’s heart is with you as you seek to encourage your children to follow God—for their sake’s and for His glory! One of the first questions that might be wise to ask is how much your children can see Jesus means to you. Sometimes people can care deeply about Jesus and live their lives for Him, but their children might only see certain parts of that. Others make church a priority but it can be hard to see that Jesus Himself is the priority. There are so many situations. But still, the heart of the matters is how devoted we are to Jesus, since we as parents are called to be the primary example to our children of what it looks like to follow Him.

Regardless of where you land on that first question, the next thought is in line with that. Can you begin to make much more of Jesus in your own life? Can you begin to direct your daily conversations more and more towards Him and His kingdom, the things He cares about? Are there things God has been telling you are important for a long time that you have neglected to obey? Could you step out in faith and begin to reorganize your life and priorities so that obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading becomes the primary way you make decisions? Is the way you eat, spend your money, use your time, and treat people pointing towards Jesus? As the answers to these questions begin to become closer to what we all know is honorable to God, the people in our lives—especially our children, can more easily see Jesus as the treasure that He is through us. And no matter how much we may have failed in the past, God can always give us a new start. That’s the amazing power that rose Christ from the dead and saves dead sinners to give them new life!

It can feel like nagging to try and get our children—particularly teenagers or adults—to care about the things of God. But if you’re inviting them to enjoy the God you’re enjoying and experience the blessing you’re experiencing, that’s attractive. And if God is what life is all about, and if you can help them see that with normal, everyday things that you are taking to God, then maybe they might want to go to God about everyday life, too. Each generation and person is different, and though a sense of duty may motivate some of us to stay in church—but we’ll still miss God’s heart—others won’t be motivated by it. And really, for people to want more from life and from God than duty and church attendance is a good thing, but it’s our job to help them see that the more can come from God as we ourselves seek it from Him. You may find this message and the website helpful in that pursuit.

Now, there is also a reality we have to pay attention to where this world and especially culture through media are calling young people away from the faith. Unfortunately, the subject of truth itself and the validity of the Bible are key places where Satanic spiritual forces are most focused on attacking young people in our time. Young people are being constantly bombarded with the idea that truth is relative and that what works for one person does not have to be true at all times and in all places. They are getting this from every direction, especially through media. So your kids may well be able to believe that the Bible says something is wrong, believe they love God, and still do something consistently that God says is wrong because it “works for them,” and can’t possibly be wrong for everyone at all times. This is a gross misunderstanding of the Scriptures, but it’s the battle we are all facing. As you love your kids, you will have to seek God to help you be strong for the subject of the absolute truth of God’s Word. That’s part of love, sharing truth that will save someone from tremendous pain and heartache. The fact is, Jesus came in real history and has a real identity and a real and truly narrow road He calls people to walk, and as Lord, He gets to be in charge. If we say we follow Him but do not strive to obey Him, we are lying to ourselves and do not belong to Him. All of us are called to test ourselves to see whether we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5-7).

So, above all, love Jesus yourself. Secondly, listen to your kids to hear their heart. Thirdly, share how Jesus meets that real need. Lastly, never stop praying.

Even the apostle Paul faced this struggle; he said he was “chief of sinners,” (1 Timothy 1:15-16) in part because he knew he had a terrible past. He had persecuted the first Christians and tried his best to ruin their lives. But God showed him mercy. And this same Paul said he was confident nothing could separate him or us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). If Paul can remember that kind of life and be confident of God’s love for him, think of what that means for us.

There are a couple of very important things to remember here, things that can help us as weapons against the enemy bringing up our past; it is a fight, we must keep that in mind. The enemy roams about looking for someone to devour, and he heaps condemnation on us. But what’s the truth? “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ” (Romans 8:1). Anything that brings our past to us to disqualify us is a lie. And we need to take those thoughts captive to obey the truth of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). What we need to remember to fight those lies are who we are and Jesus’ finished work. And we have to learn to wield the sword of the word every time these thoughts rear their head until our enemies learn to leave us alone about it and our minds learn a new way of thinking, being renewed.

If we trust Jesus, God has given us a new identity, that of a beloved son that He’s pleased with. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, behold the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). We are baptized into Christ’s death so our old identity dies, and baptized into his resurrection so a new man rises up (Romans 6). And that new man is clean, washed by the pure water of the Spirit. That man is righteous and good because Jesus is, and Jesus became our sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). If Jesus became our sin and nailed it to the cross, then the enemy has nothing to touch us with (Col. 2:13-15). We can memorize some of these truths and use them anytime those thoughts come, and we can begin to believe and live out of a new identity, enjoying the freedom Christ bought for us.

Hebrews 9:27 says, “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” All people will be judged after they die, which determines where they will spend eternity. Jesus Himself speaks of people either receiving eternal punishment or eternal life (Matthew 25:41-46), but He also makes it clear that the only thing that determines their destination is whether they put their trust in Him alone. John 3:18 says about Jesus, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Anyone we know will only be condemned by not trusting in Jesus.

For the timing of that judgment, we can look to Luke 16:19-31, which shares with us an account of a rich man who dies and is immediately tormented by fire (v. 23-24) and a poor man who is comforted (v. 25). The passage makes it clear that the rich man wants to change his mind and even convince his family to change their minds, but he can’t (v. 26-27). While this is very sad, it helps us understand that this life is given as an opportunity for people to choose to walk with God. If we choose Him now, we get Him forever. If we don’t choose Him while we live, we will be forever without Him by our own choice, and the place without His presence is a lake of fire created for the devil and his rebellious angels (Matthew 25:41).

If you’ll read Revelation 20:11-15, you’ll see judgment day in action and witness how people are judged for what they’ve done, and the only thing that rescues people is having their name written in the Lamb’s book of life, which we know from John 3 is only by Jesus giving us His own righteousness by faith. His deeds become ours so that we don’t have to be judged for our failings on judgment day!

A few words from Alex to encourage Christians during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Take one minute to be encouraged and to reflect on two verses from God’s Word.

There are some suggestions about how this superstition originated but however it began, the question should be asked, how should Christians feel about Friday the 13th (and other superstitions)?

All superstitions are unbiblical. Friday the 13th, walking under a ladder, a black cat crossing your path, spilling salt, etc. are not something for Christians to fear.  The dictionary defines superstition as “a widely held but unjustified belief in supernatural causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event, or a practice based on such a belief.”  NOTE that it says, “unjustified belief in supernatural causation.”  

As Christians we live by a firm and justified belief in the proven and trustworthy Word of God. 

Prov 30:5  Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.

1 Th 2:13  For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

Every day of life is a gift from God.  Have a blessed Friday the 13th!

Affliction comes upon everyone.  We all suffer. But how we suffer is a choice.  Do we suffer with Christ, and find peace and rest in Him?  Or do we suffer alone, relying on our own strength to cope?  And when we are afflicted and are suffering, what real strength do we have?

This is one of the most inspiring messages you will ever hear. Born without arms, Daniel Ritchie has known affliction from as far back as he can remember.  And yet, he glorifies God in his afflction.  We too can make a choice to suffer with Jesus and for His glory.

This message is from the Truth for a New Generation Conference in Murfreesboro, TN and well-worth your time to watch and be encouraged and inspired.

One of the most important criteria in finding a church family is whether they faithfully preach God’s Word as found in the Bible. Part of discerning this is listening to some sermons—possibly online ahead of time, these days—with an open Bible and a heart waiting on God’s Spirit to speak to you. He has plans for where He wants you in His kingdom, and He will direct your church membership journey. You might also read our article on the subject of what a church ought to be teaching. Another early step you can take is looking at the church’s statement of faith, often found on their website. Does the church hold to the Bible as the inspired Word of God? Is salvation clearly by grace through faith in Christ alone, without additions such as baptism, church membership, or expressing certain spiritual gifts such as the gift of tongues? What does the church believe about Jesus, the Trinity, and even marriage and family?

Secondly, you’ll want to look at the church’s leadership. How long have the leaders served? What is their reputation? What do they emphasize? Thirdly, consider the church’s ministries. Is there anything specific that will involve you in the broader life of the church beyond Sunday services? What does the church do for missions? God’s people are a people on a mission who must be intentionally engaged in reaching the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. If you want a little more help with what questions to ask, you might consider this Gospel Coalition article on choosing a church. If finding a faithful church family has been difficult, you might consider an online church finder from the Gospel Coalition, 9 Marks, or Acts 29 Network, each of which at least has some solid biblical guidelines for the churches in their respective networks.

For specifics on what a church should teach, see below:

The right church is one that teaches the truths of God’s Word— beginning with Genesis and all the way to Revelation. There are core doctrines that all Christians must believe and all Christian churches must teach.

The best way to qualify a good church is to judge using God’s word.  Does the church believe and teach the following?

• The Bible is true, inerrant, and good for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness
• God created the heavens and earth and created man in His image
• All was perfect until man fell into sin
• God, in His love and mercy, promised a redeemer to save mankind
• Jesus is God
• Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin, incarnate in the flesh, to redeem man
• Jesus died to pay for man’s sins, was buried, and rose again to open the way for mankind to come to God and have eternal life with Him
• Jesus forgives and saves repentant sinners by grace through faith, not of works (Eph 2:8-9)
• Jesus is the head of the Church, His body
• The mission of the church is to grow in love for God and knowledge of His Word, and demonstrate our love for God by loving and serving others
• Jesus will return and make all things new

Look for a church that faithfully teaches the Bible and you’ll likely find one that stands firm on all core Christian doctrines.

How can you tell if thoughts are coming from your sinful side or Satan?  

Satan cannot enter into a blood-bought, Holy Spirit sealed Christian.  He can mess with us on the outside, but he cannot enter in, or put thoughts into our minds.  However, he can tempt us with things that will cause us to think bad thoughts. But we always have a free-will choice.

Whenever a bad thought begins to enter our minds, our choice should always be to turn our thoughts away from the bad and think on “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report…” (Phil 4:8).

We also want to stop bad thoughts before they arise by renewing our minds every day (Ro 12:2), by remembering the Lord’s promises and His faithfulness, and by keeping our minds focused on Jesus (Heb 12:2).

With renewed minds, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to conquer any temptation.

Promises About the Mind: Col 3:2, Matt 22:37, Prov 27:12, Ro 12:3

College has increasingly become a place where one’s faith in Jesus is being attacked.  We know from multiple studies that many young people leave their faith while in college.

Seven ways young Christians can keep their faith strong while in college:

1. FIND A LOCAL CHURCH
2. BE PART OF A BIBLE STUDY
3. MAKE NEW CHRISTIAN FRIENDS
4. CONNECT WITH A CHRISTIAN MENTOR
5. JOIN A FAITH-BASED GROUP
6. OPEN YOUR BIBLE ALONG WITH YOUR BOOKS
7. PRAY FOR GODʼS WISDOM

What happens when we choose not to obey the promptings of God? Will the Holy Spirit continue to lead you if you continue to sin?” Let’s be clear: All Christians commit sins. I John 1:9 promises God’s forgiveness to Christians who confess their sins, but the Bible is clear that Christ’s followers are not to willingly and repeatedly sin.  Christians are not to harbor sin in their lives. Romans 6:14 says that “Sin shall not have dominion over you.” I John 3:9 indicates that habitual sin should not be characteristic of the believer. So what are the steps to overcoming habitual sin?

1. Know that bad habits must be replaced with good ones. Like Joseph, we have to run from the things that tempt us (Genesis 39:15)
2. Admit that without the help of the Lord, sin will creep into our lives.
3. Walk closely with God every day, which takes discipline and commitment.
4. Be mindful of the fact that Christian maturity does not happen automatically.
5. Be proactive in pursuing spiritual growth.
6. Intentionally making God-honoring choices.
7. Replace bad habits with good ones.
8. Flee temptation.
9. Turn away from the things that can cause us to fall into their clutch.
10. Love Jesus. Think on Him, read His Word, and allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and guide you.

While we all hope that our beloved pets will go to Heaven, we must look at what information the Bible gives to answer if it is so. Sadly, we find there is no biblical support to suggest animals (domesticated or wild) will go to Heaven.

We agree that the pain of losing a pet is great. Therefore, the best we can offer in comfort is to remind people to not let go of the memories that will make them smile. A great sentiment to focus on memories, rather than seeing the pet again, is: “No longer by our side, but forever in our hearts.”

Many times people will say, “it WON’T be Heaven if my DOG isn’t there.” That is, of course, not true. It WILL be Heaven because our GOD is there. We certainly wish our pets might be there, but we can only reason from what the Bible teaches. Be a Berean and search the Scriptures (Acts 17:11).

If you find anything to support pets going to Heaven, please let us know. We would love to be wrong on this, but for now, we stand on what we have found Scripture to reveal.

While words are “just words,” every word carries a meaning and an influence that is used to communicate and that’s why words matter.

First, let’s define profanity. Strictly speaking, profanity means taking God’s name in vain—to profane it. Therefore, words that are profanity have meaning that conveys disrespect of God. God commands that we not profane His name because His name is holy and it is to be honored and respected. We are to praise His name (Ps 148:13).

Today, a lot of what is called profanity is actually just vulgar speech. It’s really more a matter of propriety that we not speak in a vulgar, irreverent way. The apostle Paul commands us to avoid foolish speech and coarse joking (Eph 5:4).

This is something all Christians experience from time to time, but God has not moved away. It only feels like He has.

The answer to overcoming a perceived distance is to remember that this is a feeling and feelings can lie to us. We must remember what we know to be true. Jesus has promised that He will never leave or forsake us (Heb 13:5).

It’s usually a circumstance, emotional struggle, confusion, or some other challenge or difficulty in one’s daily life that causes one to feel that God is far away. Continuing to seek God in prayer and reading the Bible will increase one’s knowledge of His presence, and restore a closer communion with Him.

It may seem like Christians are giving out medicine when they share about Jesus, and it’s easy to think, “I don’t really need that right now. My life is alright.” Part of the problem here is seeing belief in Jesus as something we can take or leave—something that might or might not help us. That’s not true at all. You see, Jesus is a living person, and it just so happens He’s the only one who died and rose from the dead to live forever, having defeated death. This means He’s an expert on the afterlife and worth listening to. He came as a real person in real history and changed the course of the world, and we have to face the truth about what He did and make a decision about whether we believe it—whether we believe Him.

Jesus is also the person who imagined you and made sure you had a life on this earth. The Bible says, “by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16). Jesus is God, and as your Creator, He deserves your allegiance and obedience. You were made for His purposes, and you don’t have a right to live for your own purposes. What’s more, by choosing to trust Jesus, we find our place in the great story of the world and gain a new identity and purpose given to us by the God who made us and knows us so well. If we don’t trust Jesus with our lives, we will never fully discover what our lives were meant for, and we will search forever for who we are and what we ought to do.

In fact, that false search leads to what the Bible calls idolatry, a terrible sin against God that basically just means you worship something else other than Him. It’s the greatest injustice in the universe because God who is Justice has created us, and we exist for His pleasure and to be satisfied by Him. This is why the Gospel message often includes some of the Bible’s truth about what it calls “sin.” Sin is missing the mark, essentially breaking God’s law. Now, you might say, “I don’t drink, do drugs, sleep around, bully people, or curse. So why do I need Jesus?” But you’re misunderstanding God’s law. Jesus said we must be perfect as God is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Are you perfect? Jesus also said to look at another person with lust in your heart means you have committed adultery in your heart. And He said if you hate someone you’ve murdered them in your heart. This is not to mention God’s command to live in the truth, which means never lying. And at the very least it’s wrong for your heart to constantly search for fulfillment outside of God, and that sin is what will keep you from coming to Jesus for both satisfaction and salvation. You will never be fulfilled for very long without Christ at the center of your life as King of your life.

Because God is the Creator and we are his creations, it is only right that we do what He says, and if we don’t, He is the judge, the one who decides what penalty is given for breaking His law. And the Bible says, “the wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:23), so we have to recognize that choosing to disobey God earns us death and requires someone to pay that price—a price Jesus paid for us. God’s Word says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8). Jesus came to live a life that honored God in every way and to take your punishment for failing to honor God with your life. He then rose from the dead to defeat death and offer you abundant life now and forever. You can have this if you’ll realize that you desperately need Jesus and choose to walk with Him today and always. Choose Christ today!

Only God knows the time and the hour when Jesus will come back (Mat 24:36), but we do know that His return is drawing closer and closer.

We don’t know when Jesus will return.  It just might be in our lifetime.  Therefore, we (Christians) have work to do.

We have been commissioned by Jesus to tell the world that He came first as a suffering servant to seek and save the lost. He was the Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world. We are also to tell that Jesus will come again, first for His Bride (the Rapture), and then with all the Saints (the Second Coming).

There are six important reasons Jesus came.

1. To fulfill prophecy
2. To display the Person of God
3. To make payment for sins of man
4. To conquer death
5. To defeat Satan
6. To move the course of history toward God’s ultimate purpose and plan

There are five core doctrines (teachings) that all Christians must believe. I (Alex) came up with an acronym years ago to make them simple to remember: IVDAR

Each of the letters stands for a doctrine of Christianity.

I — Inerrancy of Scripture

V — Virgin Birth

D — Deity of Christ

A — Atonement

R — Resurrection

It may seem like Christians are giving out medicine when they share about Jesus, and it’s easy to think, “I don’t really need that right now. My life is alright.” Part of the problem here is seeing belief in Jesus as something we can take or leave—something that might or might not help us. That’s not true at all. You see, Jesus is a living person, and it just so happens He’s the only one who died and rose from the dead to live forever, having defeated death. This means He’s an expert on the afterlife and worth listening to. He came as a real person in real history and changed the course of the world, and we have to face the truth about what He did and make a decision about whether we believe it—whether we believe Him.

Jesus is also the person who imagined you and made sure you had a life on this earth. The Bible says, “by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16). Jesus is God, and as your Creator, He deserves your allegiance and obedience. You were made for His purposes, and you don’t have a right to live for your own purposes. What’s more, by choosing to trust Jesus, we find our place in the great story of the world and gain a new identity and purpose given to us by the God who made us and knows us so well. If we don’t trust Jesus with our lives, we will never fully discover what our lives were meant for, and we will search forever for who we are and what we ought to do.

In fact, that false search leads to what the Bible calls idolatry, a terrible sin against God that basically just means you worship something else other than Him. It’s the greatest injustice in the universe because God who is Justice has created us, and we exist for His pleasure and to be satisfied by Him. This is why the Gospel message often includes some of the Bible’s truth about what it calls “sin.” Sin is missing the mark, essentially breaking God’s law. Now, you might say, “I don’t drink, do drugs, sleep around, bully people, or curse. So why do I need Jesus?” But you’re misunderstanding God’s law. Jesus said we must be perfect as God is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Are you perfect? Jesus also said to look at another person with lust in your heart means you have committed adultery in your heart. And He said if you hate someone you’ve murdered them in your heart. This is not to mention God’s command to live in the truth, which means never lying. And at the very least it’s wrong for your heart to constantly search for fulfillment outside of God, and that sin is what will keep you from coming to Jesus for both satisfaction and salvation. You will never be fulfilled for very long without Christ at the center of your life as King of your life.

Because God is the Creator and we are his creations, it is only right that we do what He says, and if we don’t, He is the judge, the one who decides what penalty is given for breaking His law. And the Bible says, “the wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:23), so we have to recognize that choosing to disobey God earns us death and requires someone to pay that price—a price Jesus paid for us. God’s Word says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8). Jesus came to live a life that honored God in every way and to take your punishment for failing to honor God with your life. He then rose from the dead to defeat death and offer you abundant life now and forever. You can have this if you’ll realize that you desperately need Jesus and choose to walk with Him today and always. Choose Christ today!

The big issue here is the main issue everyone has: they want to be God. People want to make the rules instead of submitting to the God of the universe, so they try to find a way around His plan, but the Bible is clear that sexual relationships are only meant to exist between one man and one woman united in monogamous marriage (Genesis 2:18-24). Ultimately, only bowing the knee to Jesus by trusting the Gospel and turning away from sin to follow Him is the answer. All of us need the Gospel and how it applies to this situation, and that means that since Jesus came to rescue us from our sin so we could live new lives following Him, then we have to obey Him or we aren’t truly following Him. If one partner is seeking to follow Jesus and the other is not, whoever is truly following Jesus should separate from the unbeliever if they are not married and the partner doesn’t wish to follow Jesus (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

To help share some of what Jesus as Lord would say to a young couple as they live together, we can look at Romans 13:1-7, particularly verses 1-2: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” This is true even for corrupt governments, as Jesus Himself paid taxes to the Roman Empire during his earthly ministry, and they used some of those tax dollars to crucify Jews and subjugate peoples. Whether a marriage license is just a piece of paper or not, we must submit to the process of obtaining one if we are to obey Jesus as the Lord of the government which is asking us to do so in order to call ourselves “married.” It’s submission to Jesus, which all of us commit to if we say we want to receive Him, be saved, get to heaven, or have eternal life. We can only “have” Jesus and all the life He gives if we have Him as Lord of all.

Ultimately, if we love someone, we will seek the highest good for them, and we’ll show our commitment by sealing it legally in marriage.

God’s heart is with you as you seek to encourage your children to follow God—for their sake’s and for His glory! One of the first questions that might be wise to ask is how much your children can see Jesus means to you. Sometimes people can care deeply about Jesus and live their lives for Him, but their children might only see certain parts of that. Others make church a priority but it can be hard to see that Jesus Himself is the priority. There are so many situations. But still, the heart of the matters is how devoted we are to Jesus, since we as parents are called to be the primary example to our children of what it looks like to follow Him.

Regardless of where you land on that first question, the next thought is in line with that. Can you begin to make much more of Jesus in your own life? Can you begin to direct your daily conversations more and more towards Him and His kingdom, the things He cares about? Are there things God has been telling you are important for a long time that you have neglected to obey? Could you step out in faith and begin to reorganize your life and priorities so that obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading becomes the primary way you make decisions? Is the way you eat, spend your money, use your time, and treat people pointing towards Jesus? As the answers to these questions begin to become closer to what we all know is honorable to God, the people in our lives—especially our children, can more easily see Jesus as the treasure that He is through us. And no matter how much we may have failed in the past, God can always give us a new start. That’s the amazing power that rose Christ from the dead and saves dead sinners to give them new life!

It can feel like nagging to try and get our children—particularly teenagers or adults—to care about the things of God. But if you’re inviting them to enjoy the God you’re enjoying and experience the blessing you’re experiencing, that’s attractive. And if God is what life is all about, and if you can help them see that with normal, everyday things that you are taking to God, then maybe they might want to go to God about everyday life, too. Each generation and person is different, and though a sense of duty may motivate some of us to stay in church—but we’ll still miss God’s heart—others won’t be motivated by it. And really, for people to want more from life and from God than duty and church attendance is a good thing, but it’s our job to help them see that the more can come from God as we ourselves seek it from Him. You may find this message and the website helpful in that pursuit.

Now, there is also a reality we have to pay attention to where this world and especially culture through media are calling young people away from the faith. Unfortunately, the subject of truth itself and the validity of the Bible are key places where Satanic spiritual forces are most focused on attacking young people in our time. Young people are being constantly bombarded with the idea that truth is relative and that what works for one person does not have to be true at all times and in all places. They are getting this from every direction, especially through media. So your kids may well be able to believe that the Bible says something is wrong, believe they love God, and still do something consistently that God says is wrong because it “works for them,” and can’t possibly be wrong for everyone at all times. This is a gross misunderstanding of the Scriptures, but it’s the battle we are all facing. As you love your kids, you will have to seek God to help you be strong for the subject of the absolute truth of God’s Word. That’s part of love, sharing truth that will save someone from tremendous pain and heartache. The fact is, Jesus came in real history and has a real identity and a real and truly narrow road He calls people to walk, and as Lord, He gets to be in charge. If we say we follow Him but do not strive to obey Him, we are lying to ourselves and do not belong to Him. All of us are called to test ourselves to see whether we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5-7).

So, above all, love Jesus yourself. Secondly, listen to your kids to hear their heart. Thirdly, share how Jesus meets that real need. Lastly, never stop praying.

Q. The universe is so vast—in all likelihood, there are countless universes and life on other planets. Why do you think the earth is unique, and that God (if He exists) would single out humanity for His love and some special plan?

A. There is no evidence to suggest there is life on other planets. In fact, there is much evidence to prove that some of the planets are without life. Therefore — “in all likelihood” — the earth is the only planet with life.

We know that God made earth suitable to support the life of the man and woman He created. But we do not know why he chose the earth. He could have made another planet suitable to sustain the life of Adam, but He did not. To speculate would be futile.

What we do know is that life on earth is not how God intended it to be. He created all things perfect, but Adam’s sin changed everything. God in His mercy and grace sent Jesus to redeem man and one day He will restore all things to His intended perfection.

Being spiritual can mean many things? The question is: what spirit are you looking to for correction, direction, and life? And, what makes you believe the spirit is alive, true, and able to guide you?

Why do you need to be a Christian? Because you need your sins forgiven. There is ample proof to claim that the God of Christianity is the only true Spirit, and only He can deliver you from your sins

Heaven and a Hell are real places. Being a spiritual person will not get you into Heaven, but refusing God’s gift of salvation will get you into Hell.

All people have sinned, and all need to be forgiven and made new in order to enter Heaven. God provided the way by giving His Son, Jesus, who took all sin, including yours, upon Himself and paid for them. All you need to do is turn to Him in faith and trust in Him. He will forgive you and give you eternal life in Heaven. No other spirit can do that.

Q. Since God knows everything, He would have known how much suffering would eventually come into this world. Why didn’t He stop the process before it all got started and save His creatures from all of the pain that would befall them?

A. From before the foundations of the world God purposed and planned to create man in His own image. His purpose was to reveal more of Himself, because only man is in His image (the planets or stars are not). He also wanted a relationship with those in His image, and yet He knew that man would sin and He knew that He would provide a way for man to be forgiven.

Suffering entered our world as a result of sin. So we might want to reframe the question to be, “why would God create man knowing he would sin?” The Bible does not explicitly answer this. However, I (Shari) suggest that before sin entered the world, one of God’s attributes was not evidenced. Without sin in the world, there was nothing for God to forgive and God’s forgiveness demonstrates His mercy. When Adam sinned, God forgave him and magnified His mercy throughout all creation. Thereby God was glorified and His mercy continues to be magnified every time He forgives us for our sins.

God is love, but He is also holy and just. God cannot ignore sin, because doing so would make Him unjust. Therefore, God must judge all sin and the penalty for sin must be paid.

God, in His mercy and grace, sent His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for us and to open the way for all people to be forgiven of their sins. By trusting in Jesus, a person’s sins can be forgiven and the person will be given eternal life.

Sadly, those who reject Jesus will die in unforgiven sins and will not be worthy to enter Heaven. It is a free-will choice, and only by one’s free-will choice will anyone go to Hell.

God doesn’t send anyone to Hell. They choose to go there by choosing to reject the gift of forgiveness that God offers in Christ Jesus. Tell someone about God’s love and salvation in Jesus today.

Actually, these three major religions of the world don’t teach the same things. This generalization is frequently trumpeted within the media, but differences between the major faith systems of the world are well documented.

• Judaism teaches that the Messiah, from the Jewish line of David, is yet to come;
• Christianity teaches He has come, in the person of Jesus Christ, who is Lord and Saviour.
• Islam denies the Christian doctrines Jewish Messiah from David’s line and believes their own Imam (a type of Messiah) will come. Islam also denies Jesus is Lord and Saviour and believe He was just a prophet who will one day return to serve their Imam.

There are many other points on which these religions contradict each other. The important question, is which one is true?

While our language is finite and our God is infinite, we can be certain that our language is adequate to know God personally and to share His truths with others.

• God has given us His Word and He has told us to study(2 Tim 2:15).
• God has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us (John 14:26).
• And in His Word, God has given many literary devices, including metaphors, similes, symbolism, typologies, patterns. These help us in understanding.

Therefore, we can trust that God’s Holy Word and His Holy Spirit are sufficient to enable us, with our finite language, to share truths about our infinite God.

It’s true that Christians are no better than non-believers in that they sometimes don’t act in accordance with what they believe and with the ways that God tells them to live (that’s the definition of hypocrisy). The difference is that Christians know this is sin, because it acting against God’s will.

So why do Christians behave in ways that are inconsistent with the clearly defined morals, ethics, and God-honoring behaviors the Bible teaches? Because Christians aren’t perfect and they still sin. But when they sin, God is always present to convict them, forgive them, and turn them back to act in accordance with their Christian faith. And, all Christians have the power of the Holy Spirit to teach them and empower to live according to God’s ways.

All people are hypocritical. Non-Christians also act hypocritically — inconsistent with what they profess to believe. But they have no one to turn to for correction. They have no one to give them power to change. They can only depend on themselves. Plus, their sins are not forgiven. But God, in His mercy, offers them the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. Tell someone about Jesus today.

Religions do not cause wars. It is sin that causes wars. It is man’s self-centered, self-serving nature and his inability to sacrificially love his neighbor and live at peace that causes wars. If all mankind followed God’s will and ways there would be no war. But we know that won’t happen because of man’s sin nature.

So man continues to war with his fellow man and some have used, and still do use, Christianity and other religions as their justification. However, that does not mean that religions are the root cause of wars anymore than we could say politics is the root cause. Religious and political beliefs may influence warring men and women, but it is the people themselves who enter into wars.

War is a choice, and so also is peace. All wars start when leaders fail to chose peaceful methods to mediate the issues between them.

The Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer God of the Bible calls His people to make every effort to live peaceably (Rom. 12:18). And in His Word, God gives directives on how that can be done (Rom 12-16). The Bible’s Judeo-Christian morals, ethics, and teachings, when followed, actually prevents wars. The further away from God’s teachings any person is, the further away the person will be from seeking and finding peace with others.

Changing the hearts of men and women by turning them to Jesus is the only way to stop wars.

“Intellectual checkmate” does not exist between God and His people. There is an answer to the ages-old question about God’s ability to make a rock so heavy He can’t lift it.

First understand that God is omnipotent, which means He is all powerful. There is nothing He cannot do. The earth and the planets certainly weigh more than any rock and God formed those and placed them.

So let’s answer these questions:

1. Could God make a rock bigger than the earth or planets? Answer: Yes, and He could move it too.
2. Could God make a rock bigger than the rock He made that is bigger than the earth and planets? Answer: Yes, and He can move it too.
3. Could God make a rock bigger than the rock He made, that is bigger than the rock He made, that is bigger the earth and planets? Answer: Yes, and He can move it too.

I think you get the idea. No matter how big the rock gets….God is still bigger and more powerful enough to move it.

So although this question tries to suggest there is something God cannot do, it really proves that there is nothing outside God’s power and ability to do.

It really is an illogical question. God doesn’t created things to prove Himself. He created the world and the universe to reveal Himself so man can know Him and love Him.

By attributing human characteristics of self-centeredness and conceitedness to God, one is misunderstanding who God is. Three very important points bring clarity to understanding God:

1. God is not human. His ways and His thoughts are higher than man’s. (Isa 55:9) God is not capable of such human behaviors, thoughts, or emotions. Therefore, they cannot be attributed to Him. We don’t need to try to make God more human to be able to understand Him.

2. God did not create the universe to worship Him. The planets and stars reveal God’s creative nature, and thereby bring Him glory, but they do not worship Him.

3. God did create man with the ability to worship Him. But God also gave man a free-will choice. Man is able to choose to enter into a relationship with God through Jesus, and to worship God and pray to Him. But man is also free to choose to reject his Creator.

So while God created man desiring a relationship with him, God will not force that relationship upon anyone. True worship is:

• a response to God’s love, freely given by God to man.
• an expression of man’s love, freely given to God by man.

A worldview is basically the lens through which you interpret the world around you. It colors everything you perceive, just as colored lenses on a pair of glasses would give a certain tint to everything you see.

A theistic worldview interprets the world with an understanding that God created and is involved in the world. An atheistic worldview is the opposite—no God, no Creator. Atheism sees the world as a collection of random events and ultimately without any purpose or meaning.

Everyone has a worldview whether they realize it or not. The Christian worldview is based on the truths of God. The Bible presents these truths. It gives clear, accurate, and time-proven truths for the world around us and tells of the God who created it. On what is your worldview based?

Over six decades (late 1910s-1980s), it’s counted that 205 people died in public shootings in America. Contrast that with the early 1980s unto today, in which more than 1,400 people have died in public shootings. From 205 in a span of 60 years to 1,400 in only 30 years. That’s a staggering increase.

So why has there been a 700%+ escalation in public shootings over the last 30-40 years? What has changed?

In the early 20th century, Americans had access to guns, cars, entertainment, and intoxicants (alcohol, opium, heroin, etc.). Today, we have guns, cars, entertainment (including technology), and intoxicants (legal and illegal). In no era is there a shortage of opportunity for vice, but today there is definitely a shortage of virtue.

In the late 1970s, militant secularist agendas had really gained momentum, and since that time those agendas are increasingly felt in our country. In countless university classrooms, professors with activist hearts (many of whom came from the 1960’s anti-establishment ‘wakefulness’ movement) are influencing more young minds than ever before with secularism. Today, the few brave students who speak up for God and country are usually mocked by professors; and we are endlessly told that any mention of God or morality violates the First Amendment.

Sadly, respect for human life continues to diminish in our culture. Belief in God is waning and biblical truths, morals, and ethics are disappearing from our laws, classrooms, entertainment, media, and culture.

The Solution

For evil to decrease, good must increase. And, “what is good?” It’s not “what.” It’s who! Jesus said, “why do you call me good? Only God is good.” (Mat 19:17, Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19) Jesus is God, and truly, only God is good. The solution to the problem of evil in this country is to turn the hearts of the people to the Lord Jesus Christ. Then His Holy Spirit will work in and through them to multiply the good that only He can increase, and thereby evil will decrease.

We grieve over the loss of life in all the mass shootings in our country. We pray for God’s comfort for all who have lost loved ones to such senseless violence. But to those who maliciously work to keep America “free” from Christian morality, ethics, and biblical truths, let it be known that the bloodshed will continue to happen as evil in our country continues to grow.

Pray for our country. Pray that God has mercy on us. Pray that Jesus is seen and received. Pray for a revival. That will change our country!

“The occult” is a very broad label that includes beliefs in the supernatural, the paranormal, and practices such as divination, magic, witchcraft, and alchemy. The word occult means knowledge of the hidden or knowledge of the paranormal, as opposed to knowledge of facts or that which is seen and measurable. So what should Christians think about occultism?

To understand God’s intentions for our planet, we need to look at the beginning when He set the earth and its contents in motion and at the end to see what He is moving history towards. The Bible says in the beginning, God made the earth, and it was good (Genesis 1:31). He made mankind, and mankind was entrusted with the care of the earth, as the Word says, “God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (Genesis 1:28). This was basically God giving mankind stewardship over the earth, and like the garden, mankind was to work it and tend it and rule over it like a regent under a king. But the passages clearly demonstrate that the earth was for man, as the garden was for man to dwell in.

Humans are the crowning piece of God’s creation, made in His image, and the other created things are here as a gift from God to mankind. So some of the conversation we hear today is dangerous about individual human lives being sacrificed for the sake of the “greater good of the planet” or legislation being created that infringes on human rights in order to save the earth. These are lies mixed with truth, the way Satan often works. We are not here for the earth; the earth is here for us. However, we serve God, ultimately, and mankind was meant to take good care of what he is given. God values faithful stewardship. So no one can use the Bible to excuse abusing our planet or the animals that fill it. The earth and its creatures are, unfortunately, in “bondage to corruption,” and waiting to be set free, as Romans 8:21 says. This is because its leadership, mankind, chose evil instead of good in the garden, and sin corrupted his rule and filtered down into creation, as we continue to see today.

When Jesus returns, He will set all of this right. As those who trust Christ are perfected by Christ, they will become good rulers over creation. However, God does not say He will leave the earth as it is, so we can’t trust that what we do for this planet as it now exists will last. He says in Revelation 21 that He will create a new heaven and a new earth. It will be a place where there is no death and where even the physical landscape has changed as there is no ocean and no need for a sun or moon. Ultimately, we need to live for Christ now who will renew all things. If we choose to live our lives only for the much smaller goal of preserving the earth, our efforts are doomed to fail, as the earth as it now exists will pass away. But the kingdom of God stands forever.

Religions do not cause wars. It is sin that causes wars. It is man’s self-centered, self-serving nature and his inability to sacrificially love his neighbor and live at peace that causes wars. If all mankind followed God’s will and ways there would be no war. But we know that won’t happen because of man’s sin nature.

So man continues to war with his fellow man and some have used, and still do use, Christianity and other religions as their justification. However, that does not mean that religions are the root cause of wars anymore than we could say politics is the root cause. Religious and political beliefs may influence warring men and women, but it is the people themselves who enter into wars.

War is a choice, and so also is peace. All wars start when leaders fail to chose peaceful methods to mediate the issues between them.

The Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer God of the Bible calls His people to make every effort to live peaceably (Rom. 12:18). And in His Word, God gives directives on how that can be done (Rom 12-16). The Bible’s Judeo-Christian morals, ethics, and teachings, when followed, actually prevents wars. The further away from God’s teachings any person is, the further away the person will be from seeking and finding peace with others.

Changing the hearts of men and women by turning them to Jesus is the only way to stop wars.

Jesus calls us to love all people, so gay people should always be treated with love and kindness. The only thing Christians are to hate is that which God hates—and God hates sin; but He loves the sinner. There are people who would say that Christians have no right to judge homosexuality as sin, but is that true? First, Christians don’t judge homosexuality as sin — God does. God says that any sexual behavior outside of marriage, between a man and a woman, is an abomination, i.e. a sin (Lev 18:22, 20:13). Second, God ordained marriage and sexual union to be between a man and woman. During His earthly ministry, Jesus confirmed that God intended that only man and woman would become one flesh (Matt 19:4-6). So God is the One who defines homosexuality as sin.

As Christians, we are to be loving and kind to all people, even those who engage in any sin. Yet, we are not to condone their sin. While we are not to judge a person’s heart, we can judge their fruits (their behaviors) by what God says in His Word. So when a Christian says homosexuality is a sin, it’s really God’s judgment of the behavior.

In our time, most everyone knows and loves someone who claims to be a homosexual. Love them enough to tell them about Jesus. All of their sins will be judged and they need the Savior to forgive them. However, and whenever, you share the gospel, be kind and loving; but do not compromise by accepting or approving of any behavior that God calls sin.