Is Marriage O.K. with God?

Hello Pastor,

I am Asian and got married by my parents and my husband parents 4 years ago.  We did not get it done legally.  I have know my husband for 10 years and have been married to him for 4 years.  We now have a 2 year old together.  I am currently learning about God and my question is if my marriage is ok with God or am I commiting a sin? Please advise.

Sincerely,

Chi

Dear Chi,

Why not go ahead and have another wedding ceremony?  Your pastor will be happy to officiate I'm sure.  It can be done with only a few people present.

~ Pastor Chris

I have a question about reconciliation with inlaws

Pastor Chris,

   

I have a question about reconciliation.  My wife came from a home that she claims was spiritually, emotionally, and physically abusive.  Her parents, like us, profess Christ.  We actually have gotten along with them in the past even though these problems have always been near the surface.  But about a year and a half ago, my wife was meeting with one of our church elder's wife (who is a counselor) about some difficulties she was having with her mom and establishing boundaries with her which concerned our children.  Our kids were telling us disturbing things that was occurring in their home (ie. the two older children were split up and forced to sleep with her parents who were sleeping apart from one another and they were fighting in front of our kids) The elder's wife informed my wife about some things we didn't know: her parents were going through severe marital problems and her father had a severe pornography addiction.  They were at that time under the care of the church.  The elder's wife encouraged my wife to be protective over our children when it came to their home. 

 

Base on this, my wife and I implemented a policy that our 6, 5, and 2 year old children could not go to their home alone with this issue going on.  We told them that they could come to our house or we would accompany them at their house, but there would be no more over night stays and no alone time until we felt it was safe.  They then went to the senior pastor of our church to complain and elicited his help in undoing this boundary.  I tried to communicate with the senior pastor that there were a lot of issues here that he was not privileged to and that this is a sure land mine, but he got involved none the less and attempted to use his authority to undo our boundary.  My wife confessed shortly after this that she remembers her father abusing her sexually when she was a little girl. 

 

Eventually, this boundary became a totally broken relationship.  My wife tried to follow the Matthew 18 model and eventually confronted both of them both in a closed door meeting with the senior pastor, two other pastors and an elder.  But this confrontation did not heal the division and there was not any steps made on her parents part towards reconciliation.  They basically deny practically everything my wife confronted them on and they would like to argue perspectives which is not going anywhere.  The church is at a loss on how to fix this.  There is so much dysfunction in this relationship and so much I didn't even share here.  We actually just left the denomination to escape this mess with her parents because they were insisting on church authority to be used against her.  They have a very strong patriarchal ideas.  And her dad works as the church's financial officer.  I want to be a peace maker in this situation, but I am not sure how to do that or even if I should.       

 

~ Darren

Darren,

The Bible says, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18).  You have made good faith efforts to reconcile with your in-laws.  Some people will not reconcile.  Some people will work to have everything go their way regardless of what anyone else thinks or what the Bible says.  You must protect your wife and children.  You cannot knowingly put your children into harms way.  Keep the boundaries in place.

If you want more information about reconciliation get the book The Peacemaker by Ken Sande.  It is the best book I know of on the subject.

~ Pastor Chris

Can I ever be a minister or deacon?

Pastor Chris,

When I was only 18 I had sex with my neighbor that was married. Her husband was out everynight with other woman. I feel terrible about this and wish I could take it out of my mind. Im in the military, now 23, and will be getting out soon. I want to go to school for bible, will this affect me if I ever wanted to be a minister or deacon?

~ F.F.

F.F.,

While we cannot ever justify sinful actions or attitudes, we can be forgiven of them.  Read 1 John 1:9.  When God forgives us He also cleans us up from our mess.  His grace is sufficient for this.  Remember, Paul was a murderer and David was an adulterer.  God forgave them and used them for His glory.  He will do the same for you.

You will remember your sin, however.  Allow that memory to be used of God to create a hedge of protection to hinder you from making the same mistake again. 

Do not let the devil tell you that you cannot be forgiven or be used by God.  The devil is a liar (John 8:44).  The devil will keep you bound to the past and ineffective in the Lord's service if he can.  Do not let him do that.  Serve Jesus with your whole heart.

~ Pastor Chris

Do you think it's wrong as a Christian to get tattoos?

Do you think it's wrong as a Christian to get tattoos? Is it okay as long as they don't shame the Lord?
Thank you so much.
~ Scarlette

Scarlette,

The issue of tattoos is answered in the Bible in Leviticus 19:28 where it says,

"You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD"(NKJV).

As Christians, our bodies belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NKJV says,"...do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

Christianity often comes into conflict with the culture around us.  We have to decide whether or not we will obey the Lord or go the way of the world.  The way of the world leads to barrenness and death.  The way of Christ leads to eternal life (John 14:6).  Jesus does not want to take the fun out of our lives.  He wants to fellowship with us and give us joy, fulfillment, purpose, and peace.

What if someone has already gotten a tattoo?  Should they feel awful about it forever?  NO!  Jesus stands ready to forgive (1 John 1:9).  Maybe the tattoo was done in ignorance or maybe it was done in an act of rebellion or maybe it was done to gain the approval of others.  It does not matter.  If you genuinely ask Jesus to forgive you, He will.  Then, if someone asks you about tattoos you can tell them how Jesus forgave you and that His forgiveness is available for them, too.

God bless you!
Pastor Chris

Will a person that is saved, had accepted Jesus, go to hell or heaven if the take their own life?

Pastor Chris,
Will a person that is saved, had accepted Jesus, go to hell or heaven if the take their own life?

-- Jimmy






Jimmy,
The question of suicide is painful because it hurts so many people. It is murder. Therefore God says not to do it (Exodus 20:13).

That being said, suicide is not the unpardonable sin (Mark 3:28-30). Therefore it can be forgiven.

It is possible for a Christian to be so discouraged, blue, and depressed that he can lose perspective and in a moment of weakness commit the sin of suicide. A true believer committing this sin will go to heaven but will not fulfill his purpose here on the earth and therefore foregoes many of the rewards in heaven that might have been his.

-- Pastor Chris

Why do we pray outloud?

Pastor Chris,
Why as Christians do we pray out loud when we know that Satan can hear what our prayers are when we pray out loud and not silently?
- D.L.





D.L.,
Let me direct you to two places in the Bible where people prayed out loud. The first passage is Luke 11:1-2. One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.’”

Here we see that Jesus Himself prayed out loud and encouraged His followers to do the same. Jesus tells them, “When you pray, say…” Since Jesus is our example in all things, we seek to do as He did.

Another passage that I want to call your attention to is Acts 4:23-24. On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.” From these verses we see that the early disciples prayed out loud together.

My conclusion is this: since Jesus and the early disciples prayed out loud, they must not have cared whether Satan could hear their prayers or not. On a personal note, I have been encouraged again and again by the spoken prayers of others. To be with others when they are speaking to God is a marvelous thing, a strengthening thing. Silent prayer is good, but there is a place for spoken prayer, too.

-- Pastor Chris

Is this interpretation biblically sound?

Pastor Chris, I listened to a recording that put forth the idea that Barack Obama could be the antichrist. Here is the link to that message: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXMAnlMmEPw. The speaker referred to Luke 10:18 and said that since Jesus spoke Aramaic, the words He used could be pronounced the same way as Barack Obama’s name even though the verse was written in Greek. He further stated that Jesus might be trying to identify the name of the antichrist in this verse. Is this interpretation biblically sound? -    Kathy





Kathy,

I clicked on the link you sent and watched the video. It is true that the Bible has predictive prophecy that is 100% accurate. The most notable example of that are the prophecies concerning the Messiah (over 200). Jesus is the only person in history that fulfills ALL of those prophecies.

However, Luke 10:18 is not spoken by Jesus as predictive prophecy. He speaks a word about His observation concerning the work of the disciples. The demons were subject to the disciples and Jesus comments on that by saying that He "...saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." It does not appear from the text that Jesus is intentionally trying to give us the name of the antichrist.

Furthermore, when I checked out the Hebrew word for "lightning" I found four different Hebrew words that can all be translated "lightning." Only one of them has the pronounciation "baw-rawk" (Strong's Concordance, word #1300, "baraq"). The other numbers for Hebrew words for lightning from Strong's are: #216 ("owr"); #965 ("bazaq"); and, #2385 ("chaziyz"). Jesus could have spoken any one of these four words to refer to lightning if He was speaking Hebrew, but He was actually speaking Aramaic. Aramaic is close to Hebrew and Jesus may very well have said the word and the pronunciation "baw-rawk" but there is no way to know exactly which one of the four words He used. An Aramaic scholar would be needed tell us if the words for lightning in Aramaic are exactly the same in Hebrew.

The word given in Greek for "heaven" in Luke 10:18 is "ouranoú." Again, the Hebrew has more than one word for heaven. There is Strong's #8064, "shamayim." This is by far the most often used Hebrew word for heaven. There is also #1534, "galgal" and #7834, "shachaq" and #8065, "shamayin."

The speaker on the video uses the Hebrew word for "heights" (Strong's #1116, "bamah"). I checked the definition of "bamah" and it does not include "heaven." Strong's Concordance says that "bamah" means "an elevation, height, high place, wave."

It is difficult for me to believe that if Jesus wanted to communicate the word for "heights" ("bamah" in Hebrew; not sure in Aramaic, which again Jesus would be speaking) that He would use the word for "heaven." Why wouldn't Luke use the Greek word "hupsoma" for Jesus' expression, which (according to Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, p. 211) means, "height, as a mountain or anything definitely termed a height...a high thing lifted up as a barrier or in antagonistic exaltation, 2 Cor. 10:5." Again, Luke used the Greek word "ouranoú" which simply means "heaven."

CONCLUSION: I do not think that Barack Obama is the antichrist. I do not think that Jesus is alluding to him or trying to name him. If I am wrong on this then we will not have to worry about it anyway, because the true believers will be taken to heaven before the antichrist is revealed to the world (1 Thess. 4:14-17; Rev. 11, 13). Rev. 11 and 13 reveal the antichrist to the world during the mid-point of the Tribulation. We (those that are the true believers) will have been in heaven for 3 1/2 years by that time.

God bless you! Keep digging! The Word of God is a gold mine!

Sincerely,
Pastor Chris

How deal with a disrespectful son?

Pastor Chris,
My wife and I are raising a teenage boy and an elementary school daughter. We have been encountering some "respect" issues recently between my wife and my son. Currently my wife and I are not on the same page with handling our son's perceived disrespect towards her. I am usually not there to witness it. Once she explains to me the circumstances, we normally talk it out between the two of us to set a course of action (or not) or I talk to our son. This will work once in a while, but like most things it fades away over time. Rarely do I feel the need to act physically towards our son as I don't believe that is an effective course of action…especially when I am not there to interpret the context of the event. My wife feels that I need to be more physical towards him even though she is the one being disrespected. My bottom-line feeling is that our son will respect her even less if I handle those situations on her behalf. I believe she also feels that I don't support her assertions of his disrespect once she explains them to me.

We want to lean on our faith as guidance. Thank you! -- Stan








Stan,
Parenting is a difficult task! It sure keeps a man on his knees! Moms too!

Your children must know that Dad and Mom are a team. If one of you is disrespected then the other one has been disrespected, too. You must back your wife.

Have a family conference with you, your wife, and your son. Ask each of them to tell their side of the story in front of you and in front
of each other. Tell your son that when he disrespects his mother he is disrespecting you and that you will not stand for that. Give him one warning and that is all. The family conference is that warning. Tell your son that if he disrespects his mother again that you will take away one of his privileges. Name one or two privileges that you might take away. (Corporal punishment is usually not the best way to discipline a teenager.) If he disrespects his mother a second time, take away a different privilege plus the original privilege. Each time it occurs, increase the cost to him.

The point is, make the punishment fit the crime. Too harsh is unfair. Too lenient will encourage the disrespectful behavior. When you take away one of his privileges make it something that is meaningful to him and something that will not punish you or your wife. Set a time limit
on it. Follow through with it. Make a believer out of your son. Help him to see that you will follow through with what you say you will do.

Remember to love, respect, and cherish your wife in front of the children. Hold the door for her. Help her be seated at the table by assisting her with her chair. Hold her hand when you sit on the sofa together. Your children need to know that their mother is first in your life after the Lord Himself. The best way to show love to your kids is to show love to their mother.

Here are some verses from the Bible for you to ponder as you seek to guide your son and support your wife: Proverbs 3:12; 22:6; 27:17;
29:17; 31:10-31; Ephesians 5:25-33; 6:1-4. You can look them up on www.biblegateway.com.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Pastor Chris

Should Christians read the Qur'an?

Pastor Chris,
I found out that a Christian friend was reading the Qur’an and I was dismayed that a Christian would read teachings such as this. I encouraged this person to stick to God and read the Bible rather than read teachings such as this. Should Christians be reading these false teachings to better know what these other religions are about and maybe to better witness to these folks? Thank you,
Daniel




Daniel,
Thank you for your question! The Bible speaks to this issue in many places where it warns us against following false religions and the doctrines of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1-2, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” Our enemy, the devil, is always busy. Prowling around like a roaring lion, he is always seeking those whom he might devour (1 Peter 5:8). Deceit is one of the primary ways the devil devours his victims. The devil’s tactic with Adam and Eve was deceit. He deceived them by tempting them to doubt God’s word, thereby influencing them to doubt God Himself.

The Bible says in 2 John 7-11, “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.”

A case in point is the nation of Israel itself. Throughout its existence, Israel was warned by God not to involve themselves in the religions and false deities of the nations nearby. They did so and became infected with false worship and false teachings. These actions broke the first two of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-6). God judged them by sending them away into captivity when Assyria defeated the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. and then Babylon defeated the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586-587 B.C.

It is interesting to note how the FBI catches counterfeiters. The FBI has the agents in the counterfeit department study genuine currency. By thoroughly studying genuine currency, they are readily able to spot the false currency. If a person masters the truth that is found in the Bible, he will be able to refute whatever heresy the devil throws at him.

It is not necessarily wrong for someone to learn something about another religion for the purpose of looking for ways to witness to them about the truth of Jesus Christ. Extreme caution must be advised, however, because when you are encountering the devil’s lies there is always the danger of being deceived yourself.

- Pastor Chris

What is Gods way of conquering debt?

Pastor Chris,
What is Gods way of conquering debt? Thank you.

-- Anonymous


Dear Friend,
The best resource I know of regarding conquering debt is from Bruce Ammons. Enter Conquering Debt God's Way into your browser and you will find his web site. It is chock full of helpful information and resources.

-- Pastor Chris

When it was biblically ok to give up on a marriage if ever?

Pastor Chris,
I wanted to know when it was biblically ok to give up on a marriage if ever.


- Marguerite






Marguerite,
The Bible is clear that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). His ideal has always been that marriage would consist of one man and one woman for life (Genesis 2:24).


That being said, God’s ideal and sinful man’s reality often clash. Therefore, God calls us to strive for the ideal; but, when two people cannot meet the ideal God regulates their separation through the process we call divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4; Matthew 19:8).


The question then is when is divorce permitted? Obviously, divorce is permitted in cases of adultery (Matthew 19:9). The word translated “marital unfaithfulness” is the Greek word porneia. Porneia actually includes a wide range of behaviors that mean a person who is out of control and is compulsively preoccupied with self-gratification.


Another difficult case is that of abandonment. What if a wife finds herself abandoned? Can such a woman seek divorce? Yes, she can. What else is she to do? The wives referred to in Malachi 2:16 were being “put away” (lit. “abandoned”).


Another situation is that of a believer being married to an unbeliever. I Corinthians 7:12-16 tells us that if the unbeliever wants to remain married to the believer, then the believer must not divorce the unbeliever. However, if the unbeliever wants to leave (seek a divorce) then the believer is not bound in such a case.


There are other situations that are difficult, too. These situations include such things as cruelty, indecency, incest, law breaking, insanity, various mental health issues, and other sordid behaviors that can make a marriage unbearable and divorce necessary.


Even though a person has biblical rights to divorce, it does not mean that they have to get the divorce. I know cases where a person has chosen to forgive the offender and the marriage has remained intact. This presupposes repentance and a commitment to mature on the part of the offender. Often this requires professional Christian counseling in order to build new behaviors in the offender’s life.


So, for a person wondering if he or she is at a point of “giving up” on his or her marriage he or she would do well to consider these thoughts:
•    Is my own heart right with God?
•    Am I seeking God’s glory and not my own comfort?
•    Am I ready to pay the price, emotionally speaking?
•    Am I ready to exchange one set of problems for another set of problems?
•    Do I have biblical reason?
•    Can I forgive my spouse?
•    Can I forgive myself?
•    What is best for the children?
•    Have I truly tried to make this marriage work?
•    Have I taken the time to really think this action through?
•    Have I prayed until I have received God’s peace about this action?
•    Have I counseled with wise Christians who have nothing to gain by my decision?


A person needs to be careful not to seek divorce on a whim or for flimsy reasons (burning the toast, lusting after another person, he’s messy, she talks too much, etc.). Many marriages will improve if the partners will start working together and begin seeking Christ together. When that is not realistic, God regulates divorce and extends His hand of forgiveness and compassion. ~ Pastor Chris

What are the two greatest commands/instructions that Jesus gave us and in what order would you place them as to importance?

Pastor Chris,
What are the two greatest commands/instructions that Jesus gave us and in what order would you place them as to importance? Thanx!
~ Dan


Dan,
Jesus was asked this very question by one of the teachers of the law as recorded in Mark 12:28-31. "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

As you can see, Jesus said that loving God is the number one commandment or instruction. Loving your neighbor is number two. Certainly Jesus has the order correct. If we love God with all that we have and all that we are, then loving our neighbor will naturally follow.
 
~ Pastor Chris

Are you familiar with the Bible translation The Message? What is your opinion of it?

Question about a Bible translation... {10-5-2009} Topics:

Pastor Chris,

Are you familiar with the Bible translation The Message? What is your opinion of it?
~  Aaron




Aaron, Yes, I am familiar with The Message. It is important to understand that The Message is not a translation of the Bible. It is a paraphrase.

What is the difference between a translation and a paraphrase? A translation tries to bring the writings or spoken words of one language into another language as precisely and literally as possible. A paraphrase puts the text into the writer’s own words. A paraphrase often takes a certain amount of liberties with the text. For example, look at John 5:24 from The Message and then compare it to several translations.

"It's urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.” (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (King James Version)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (New American Standard)

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (New International Version)

It is easy to see from John 5:24 that The Message adds words to the text (it is two lines longer than the translations). This is not necessarily wrong if an author is trying to add clarity, explain a concept, or communicate a cultural idiom from antiquity that is contained in the text. If an author is intentionally distorting the text then he is guilty of the grave error of misleading the reader.

The good news concerning The Message is that the author, Eugene Peterson, is a reputable Christian scholar whose intention is to make the Bible easily readable and understandable. He is a brilliant communicator who thoroughly understands and embraces the historic Christian faith which teaches that Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, the Savior of the world. As far as I know, there is no heresy or deliberate distortions contained in The Message. There is no doctrine of the Christian faith that is called into question through this paraphrase.

Eugene Peterson has a gift when it comes to the use of words. You will benefit from his work. You will be encouraged by it. It will speak to your heart. Use it. Read it.

Having said all of that, I recommend that you read The Message (or any other paraphrase for that matter) alongside a good, solid translation of the Bible. Do not try to prove a theological point using a paraphrase. A translation is necessary for that.

Sincerely,
~ Pastor Chris

What does “bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” mean? I thought we were already saved when we accepted Jesus as our Savior.

Pastor Chris,
Hebrews 9:28 says, “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” What does “bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” mean? I thought we were already saved when we accepted Jesus as our Savior.

~ Pamela



Pamela,
You have asked an interesting question. It is true that we are saved the instant we give our lives to Jesus Christ. It is also true that our salvation has a future element to it. We are not yet in heaven and we have not yet been given our new bodies. Paul speaks of this in Philippians 1:6 when he writes, “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

There are three aspects of salvation: justification, sanctification, and glorification. Justification occurs when I receive Christ as my Savior. At that point, it is “just-as-if-I’d-never-sinned.” I am justified or made right with God. I am saved. My sins are forgiven and I have begun a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Sanctification refers to the process of maturing in Christ or growing in grace. The word sanctify comes from the same root word as holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). It carries with it the idea of being set apart for God’s use. Glorification refers to the time when we are given new bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-44) and we live with Him forever in heaven.

So there is a sense in which a believer in Christ may say “I have been saved” (justification); “I am being saved” (sanctification); and, “I will be saved” (glorification). We might also say that there is past, present, and future aspects to our salvation. The fact that you are in Christ (justified) guarantees that you will be glorified in the future. Jesus is now living in us through the power of His Spirit and as we grow in Him we are becoming more and more useful to Him for His purposes in this world (sanctification). We are now waiting for the consummation of our salvation that Jesus will complete when He returns.

~ Pastor Chris

What does “we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” mean?

Pastor Chris,
What does “we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” mean? Are people watching us from heaven? Can my mother and my grandparents see me since they are already in heaven?

Sincerely, Naomi


Naomi,

The verse you are referring to is found in Hebrews 12:1. The word translated “surrounded” (NIV) is perikeimenon. This is a compound word from peri “around” (Gingrich, p. 169) or “to be completely encircled by something” (Renner, p. 45); and keimai “lie, recline, be laid out” (Gingrich, p.114) or “to lie down” (Renner, p. 46). When you put the two words together into their compound form, “they mean to lie around, as if something has been piled high and is lying all around you on every side. This is the portrayal of being completely encircled by something that is stacked high on every side” (Renner, p. 46).

The word “therefore” (NIV) in Hebrews 12:1 refers to that which has been written before, namely, chapter eleven. When you consider Hebrews 11, you see that there were many people in the past who were faithful. Although they are now dead, their lives are an encouragement to us to be faithful, too. Their lives can be stacked up all around us as evidence to persevere in the faith. There is no indication here that the deceased can see us, observe our activities, or fellowship with us.

Renner translates Hebrews 12:1 in two ways, “Wherefore seeing we have lying around us on every side…” and “Wherefore seeing these biblical examples are piled up and lying all around us…” (p. 46).

The MacArthur Study Bible (footnote, p. 1889) says, “The deceased people of chap. 11 give witness to the value and blessing of living by faith. Motivation for running “the race” is not in the possibility of receiving praise from observing heavenly saints. Rather, the runner is inspired by the godly examples those saints set during their lives. The great crowd is not comprised of spectators but rather is comprised of ones whose past life of faith encourages others to live that way.”

It occurs to me that if people in heaven could see us down here on earth that it would not be heaven for them. To look down and see the vices of mankind would cause a pure heart to weep and experience sorrow. Revelation 21:4 tells us that in heaven there will be “…no more death or mourning or crying or pain…”

In short, I do not believe that the saints in heaven are watching us. They are surely preoccupied with Jesus and their glorious home!

My understanding of the “communion of the saints” is the fellowship we experience together while we are on this planet. No doubt we will experience a greater fellowship in heaven, but there is no mixing of the two.

I do not know where the thought that “loved ones are up in heaven looking down on us” originated. It is possible that it comes from a misinterpretation of Hebrews 12:1. I do know that the enemy of our souls loves to deceive and thereby ruin lives. Satan will distort Scripture if it suits his purpose. If the devil can get people to think that their loved one is “up there” watching when their loved one was not a person who trusted in Christ, then the enemy can steal another soul. Such a person might think that she will also go to heaven just because she thinks a relative or friend is there. She might even desire to go to heaven, but the reality is that if she has not been born again by a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit in her life she will not get there. Such a person is living on sentiment instead of acting on the facts of the Bible. Emotions can lie.


~ Pastor Chris

Jesus tells his followers to buy a sword. Why does Jesus say that? I thought Jesus was the Prince of Peace.

Pastor Chris,
In Luke 22:35-38, Jesus tells his followers to buy a sword. Why does Jesus say that? I thought Jesus was the Prince of Peace.
~ Don

Don,
Thank you for your question. This is a passage that is easily misunderstood because we have such a different culture than first century Israel. A look at the Jewish cultural background is helpful to interpret these verses. It is also useful to study the "sword" that Jesus is referring to.

To put The Pulpit Commentary (an old standard, scholarly, multi-volume set, with somewhat archaic English) into my own words, Jesus was focused on the fact that He would soon be leaving this earth and the disciples would now be facing intense trials in the form of persecution. Whereas, before, when Jesus was physically with them, they were favorably received by the populace. After He (Jesus) leaves, they would need to be prepared for tough times. This commentary also says, "Of course, the advice as to the sword was not meant to be taken literally. It is one of those metaphors the Lord used so often in his teaching. For a similar metaphor still more elaborately developed, see Eph. vi. 17, and following verses" (Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 16, Luke, p. 201).

The MacArthur Study Bible says on a footnote on page 1527, "When Christ sent them out before, He had sovereignly arranged for their
needs to be met. Henceforth they were to use normal means to provide for their own support and protection. The money bag, knapsack, and sword were figurative expressions for such means (the sword being emblematic of protection, not aggression). But they mistakenly took
His words literally" (v. 38).

The disciples misunderstood Jesus. They took His words literally when He meant them figuratively. Jesus' use of the word "sword" should not be taken literally because the Greek word used here means a short, dagger like instrument that was like an everyday knife. It would not be much of an offensive weapon. It was not the long battle sword we usually think of that conjures up pictures of knights going at each other during the Middle Ages. This small "sword" would be used more for practical purposes like slicing bread or even applying a condiment to your slice of bread. There was nothing unusual about carrying such knives in that culture. I remember my Grandfather always carried a small pocketknife. It was a useful tool for him, not really a weapon, although it could be used that way if needed. Also, Jesus Himself spoke out against Peter when he used his small knife to cut off the ear of the high priest's servant in the Garden of Gethsemane. You find it in this same chapter of Luke in verses 49-51. Therefore Jesus was not thinking about swords for offensive purposes. Jesus was thinking of the practical things the disciples would need when He was gone. The disciples missed the point, so Jesus says in effect "Enough of this" because they were not getting His intended meaning.

I wonder how much we continue to misunderstand Jesus today.

~ Pastor Chris

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

Chris,
Quick question, Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

~ John

John,

Quick answer: No. See Revelation 4:4; 6:11; 7:9, 14; 19:14.
Keep the questions coming!

~ Pastor Chris

Why is there evil and suffering in the world?

Pastor Chris,

Why is there evil and suffering in the world? 

~John


John,

The problem of evil and suffering are two of the most difficult questions that mankind asks.  However, both are actually answered in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.

The problem of evil is answered by the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  When Adam and Eve gave in to temptation and sinned, evil entered this world.  We have been having problems with evil and sin ever since. 

Wasn't Satan created perfect?  Yes, he was created without sin.  However, God has chosen to take the great cosmic risk by giving His creation free will.  In short, we can choose to follow the Lord or we can choose to sin.  In eternity past Satan was known as Lucifer.  Being a free moral agent, Lucifer allowed pride to surface and grow in his heart until he rebelled against God.  Satan then pursued Adam and Eve and was successful in leading them to sin and thus rebel against God.

The problem of pain is also answered in Genesis.  When Adam and Eve sinned, there was a penalty that God exacted, which included death, pain, a cursing of the ground, and painful toil (Genesis 3).

If God is good then why doesn't He do something about these things?  He has.  He sent His Son to die on the cross to pay for our sins.  With Jesus’ resurrection from the dead we have a guarantee of all God’s promises.

Bad things happen whenever men and women buy Satan's lie.

~Pastor Chris

Is advent biblical?

Pastor Chris,
Is advent biblical?

~ Ron


Ron,

Good question.  The word “Advent” is not found in the Bible; however, “Advent” means "coming" or "arrival."  So, it is a time when we remember the coming or the arrival of the Messiah.  The “Second Advent” is an expression referring to the Second Coming of Christ.

Advent is a church tradition.  It is not commanded, encouraged, or talked about in scripture.

I think there is value in the Advent tradition from a teaching standpoint and from a worship standpoint.  The various aspects of Advent (candles, wreath, Bible passages, and responsive readings) provide visual object lessons of spiritual truth related to the life of Christ.

The Jews have a number of traditions that remind them of spiritual lessons (the Menorah, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Passover to name a few).  Thus, to follow a tradition that honors Christ and the teachings of the Bible is a good thing.

Many Christians carry a cross or display a cross.  We are not commanded in the Bible to do this.  Many of us do so anyway because it reminds us of the price that Jesus paid to purchase our salvation.  The cross also becomes an item that non-Christians can see that will cause many of them to ask “What is this?”  “What does it mean?”  Believers then have an opportunity to tell the story of God’s love and forgiveness.  Advent can serve a similar purpose.

~ Pastor Chris