Frequently Asked Questions |
q. Many believe all religions are the same do you think this is truE?
If the founder of one religion (Christianity) commands his followers to love their neighbour as themselves (Mark 12:31), meaning do-good to others not harm and another religion teaches slaughter and behead your neighbour how can all religions be the same? Sadly all religions have a minority of extremist that grossly pervert the religion they profess to follow, but no religion should be judged by its extremist minority.
Q. Isaiah 26:3-4 says, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." What does this promise mean to you today? How do you keep your mind on Him?
When a man or woman deeply loves each other they don’t have to do anything to keep their mind and heart upon each other. Even when they are apart they are united by love and because of this love they are never spiritually separated. It is in this same way that the mind of the faithful is upon the Lord. The promise is twofold, firstly, if we trust in God’s plan of salvation and His grace and not our own self righteousness to be saved to eternal life our mind will be kept in perfect peace. Secondly, it means no matter what unforeseen things happens to a man or woman’s life in this mortal and fallen world of sin if they have faith in God’s eternal plan of salvation God will keep them by His love and His grace and save them to eternal life and everlasting happiness.
The mind of a man deeply in love with a woman is always stayed upon her, but that does not mean he is always consciously thinking of her, since he does have to focus on his responsibilities, work and duties of life, but it does mean he will always be faithful to her and put her first in his life and all he does. It could be said of the mind of those who love in this manner that their mind is stayed upon the one they love, likewise it is in this same manner the mind of those who love Christ is stayed upon him.
The mind of a man deeply in love with a woman is always stayed upon her, but that does not mean he is always consciously thinking of her, since he does have to focus on his responsibilities, work and duties of life, but it does mean he will always be faithful to her and put her first in his life and all he does. It could be said of the mind of those who love in this manner that their mind is stayed upon the one they love, likewise it is in this same manner the mind of those who love Christ is stayed upon him.
Q. Why do you believe first century Christians sold their property and possessions to give to anyone who had need and shared everything they had with each other? (Acts 2:44-45) (Acts 4:32-35).
At this time the Holy Spirit was being poured out on all people (Jews and Gentiles) for the first time, Old Testament prophecies were being fulfilled, the apostles who walked with Christ were proclaiming a brand new spiritual message that no one had ever heard, miraculous signs and wonders were being done and the people were in great awe. A vast amount of these people were Jews who had been looking for the promised Messiah for over 4000 years and were meeting daily as Christ’s church in the homes of faithful brothers and sisters. It was a time of great persecution from the Jewish religious leaders and those proclaiming Jesus were being arrested and put in prison. Healing miracles were not hidden behind church walls, but being performed to anyone on the street or in the crowds who came to the apostles.
For all these reasons I believe the faithful were willing to sacrifice their possessions to help each other. I do believe that in communist and Muslim countries and in third world countries that there are Christians doing the same thing, because their lives are at risk because of their faith so material possessions don’t have much value in these circumstances. Added to this they meet daily, not just once or twice a week as most in the west do and then go home to do their own thing. They in contrast were a community who shared their lives and all they had with each other. Since the Holy Spirit was being poured out and the message was new and they were seeing amazing miracles and wonders it was an enormously exciting time so it is also possible they expected Christ to return sometime soon.
For all these reasons I believe the faithful were willing to sacrifice their possessions to help each other. I do believe that in communist and Muslim countries and in third world countries that there are Christians doing the same thing, because their lives are at risk because of their faith so material possessions don’t have much value in these circumstances. Added to this they meet daily, not just once or twice a week as most in the west do and then go home to do their own thing. They in contrast were a community who shared their lives and all they had with each other. Since the Holy Spirit was being poured out and the message was new and they were seeing amazing miracles and wonders it was an enormously exciting time so it is also possible they expected Christ to return sometime soon.
Q. Do the following words of Jesus apply to every Christian, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matt. 16:24).
Yes I the principal applies to every Christian and also every sinner. To answer the question the verse has to be put into the context of its following two verses which state, “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it,” which show that this verse is in the context of salvation. No one can be saved without exalting Christ above all things.
Jesus is saying, “What is the point of being the most successful, famous and wealthiest person on the planet if at the end of it you do not have eternal life.” It does not mean every Christian must sell their houses, cars and all the things they need to raise their families and function in the world. Nevertheless the principal can be applied to every Christian’s daily life in that if we are put in a position in which we must choose between accepting Christ or denying him (i.e., like a Muslim man or woman who accepts him would sadly be rejected by their family and their community and therefore must take up their cross and deny them regardless of the loss and the cost if they desire to follow the Lord. Likewise this principal applies to all who would follow the Lord.
Jesus is saying, “What is the point of being the most successful, famous and wealthiest person on the planet if at the end of it you do not have eternal life.” It does not mean every Christian must sell their houses, cars and all the things they need to raise their families and function in the world. Nevertheless the principal can be applied to every Christian’s daily life in that if we are put in a position in which we must choose between accepting Christ or denying him (i.e., like a Muslim man or woman who accepts him would sadly be rejected by their family and their community and therefore must take up their cross and deny them regardless of the loss and the cost if they desire to follow the Lord. Likewise this principal applies to all who would follow the Lord.
Q. Do the following words of Jesus mean believers who fear are not saved, “God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love.” (2 Tim. 1:7).
Certainly not, it is true God is love. John in his letters wrote, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8) and that whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in them.” (1 John 4:16). It is also true that there is no place in love for fear and God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of love, but this does not mean that a Christian who fears is not saved.
The truth that God is perfect love and that perfect love banishes out all fear means that believers who live in fear (especially fear of judgement and death) have not yet fully developed God’s love and grace in their hearts and mind. So the answer to the question, “are believers who fear saved” is yes they are. To encourage all, Jesus said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
The truth that God is perfect love and that perfect love banishes out all fear means that believers who live in fear (especially fear of judgement and death) have not yet fully developed God’s love and grace in their hearts and mind. So the answer to the question, “are believers who fear saved” is yes they are. To encourage all, Jesus said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
Q. In what ways, am I rich toward God?
If the question was, “in what ways I am rich in God?” that would be easy to answer, but I suspect the question means, “what does God consider worthy in me or what is in me or that I do that gives Him reason to reward me?” If this is so then my only answer, is because I deeply love His Son and totally trust in God’s grace, since I am fully aware that as much as I desire to live a sin-free life it is impossible (if it was possible Christ died for no reason), but even so he has never forsaken me. So what is it in me that make me rich toward God, nothing except my love for his Son and my faith in the message of the bloodstained cross and my faith that without his grace I would have no hope of knowing his love, and my faith that I will attain to eternal life not because of my righteousness, but because of his.
Q. Why will you be declared righteous at the resurrection?
Solely, because God’s Son the Lord Jesus Christ is the King and Lord of my heart and mind, my supreme desire and my best thought. Though I fall short of the perfect standard the law demands and of the pure Holiness of God I fully trust that my Saviour and Redeemer who died for me, also clothes me with his perfect righteousness. I have no doubt that God’s grace covers the shortfall of my own desire and efforts to attain to the high calling of God’s Holiness that I am called to live and deeply wished I could attain to, but understand that if I could attain to a sin-free life Christ died for no reason. So I live from love (his toward me and mine toward him) desiring to please him knowing that though I will not always attain to it perfectly he understands. My simple answer to the question is, because I love Christ, believe the message of the bloodstained cross and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in God’s grace.
Q. Is Jesus telling every Christian, “To sell their possessions and give to the needy and provide themselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. (Luke 12:33).
Yes the principal applies to every Christian, but I don’t believe it means every Christian must sell their houses, cars and all the things they need to raise their families and function in the world, but that they should not be attached to anything in this world not even their own lives and that whatever help they give to the poor and helpless is storing up treasure (rewards) in heaven. The idea is that our possessions have zero value to God, but helping others does and that those in Christ should set the focus of their lives upon doing good to others (especially the poor and helpless) rather than indulge their lives in the luxuries of this world if they want to store up treasure in heaven (i.e., rewards before God).
Q. What makes you feel joyful and grateful toward life?
When I watch the news on my widescreen colour TV and see hundreds of suffering Mums and Dads with their extremely famished children in third world countries desperately reaching out just to get one bottle of water off the back of a NATO truck, I feel enormously rich, abundantly blessed and truly grateful for my life and what I have. Added to this when I look toward the bloodstained cross and know that I am counted righteous before God not because of my righteousness, but because of the Saviour and King that surrendered his life to a brutal, bloody and cruel death upon it and afterward ascended from death to the right hand side of his heavenly father as I will because of his suffering and his love toward me I am truly grateful and always have a quiet inner joy.
Q. Is it OK to use I-Pads in church instead of a Bible?
Personally I don’t care what the word of God is on it still remains the word of God, I don’t believe it makes any difference to God whether people are reading his word on paper, on I-Pads or on Kindles etc. Added to this I believers we should use modern technology to the max to spread the Good News of the Gospel to all nations, languages and people of the world. The greatest spread of the Gospel to the world began when the printing press was invented, now everyone who has access to the internet has access to the word of God and a mountain of study guides and commentaries so even people living in isolated areas are now all able to do their own study.
Since God has given certain men and women the brilliance of thought to create such mind blowing technology that can take news of any sort to every country of the world in a matter of seconds I personally believe we as Christians should use it to God’s advantage and to His glory to spread to the max the Good News of the Gospel that leads to eternal life by faith and by God’s grace to all nations of the world and especially to those who have no other way of hearing it so I have no problem with people using I-Pads in church.
Since God has given certain men and women the brilliance of thought to create such mind blowing technology that can take news of any sort to every country of the world in a matter of seconds I personally believe we as Christians should use it to God’s advantage and to His glory to spread to the max the Good News of the Gospel that leads to eternal life by faith and by God’s grace to all nations of the world and especially to those who have no other way of hearing it so I have no problem with people using I-Pads in church.
Q. Are babies saved to eternal life?
My belief is that we are always sinners before God by nature, because we are all descendants of our earthy father Adam and have therefore inherited a corrupted fallen nature called in the Bible, “the flesh” (i.e., self, ego, pride, lustful thoughts, greed and such like things), but we are also born with a nature the Bible calls “the spirit,” (i.e., love, kindness, mercy, compassion and such like things. The secular world calls these two natures “the higher nature” and “the lower nature.” Added to this though we always have sin dwelling within we are not always outwardly sinning. So, concerning the question, “is an innocent child who dies before their time saved?” I tend to think of it this way. God is not only perfect love and perfect grace, but also a perfect judge and therefore I cannot by my finite and mortal mind pin eternal doctrine down to a legalistic understanding when I cannot know the boundaries of God’s grace and the boundaries of God’s love in such innocent circumstances so I leave that judgement to God fully trusting and knowing that any heart of love will do the loving thing.
Q. Do the following words of Jesus apply to all Christians? “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that they have cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33).
Yes the principal applies to every Christian and also every sinner. But I don’t believe it means every Christian must sell their houses, cars and all the things they need to raise their families and function in the world. The verse is in the context of man beginning to build and not being able to finish the structure and a king seeing a mighty army coming against him seeking peace before battle begins.
It is teaching the principal of counting the cost before getting involved, Jesus is saying, “If a sinner or disciple is not prepared to renounce all that they have they are not worthy to be his disciple.” This is because when persecution or trouble comes because of their faith they will simply toss their faith aside which not only brings a bad testimony to the name of Jesus, but also puts them in a worse position than they were before they accepted Christ. It does not mean everyone must give up everything they have before entering the Kingdom of God, but that they should be prepared to should they be in a position where they must do so to continue to follow him (this principal would especially apply to people in Muslim and communist countries).
It is teaching the principal of counting the cost before getting involved, Jesus is saying, “If a sinner or disciple is not prepared to renounce all that they have they are not worthy to be his disciple.” This is because when persecution or trouble comes because of their faith they will simply toss their faith aside which not only brings a bad testimony to the name of Jesus, but also puts them in a worse position than they were before they accepted Christ. It does not mean everyone must give up everything they have before entering the Kingdom of God, but that they should be prepared to should they be in a position where they must do so to continue to follow him (this principal would especially apply to people in Muslim and communist countries).
Q. Is it wrong to be emotional in a worship service?
No it is not wrong, though some believe it is for the following reasons. It is common to hear people say, “his or her excitement is infectious,” this is because emotion is contagious. Try watching a movie where professional actors are in grief or joy, and notice how you feel that same grief or that same joy, yet they are acting, pretending and go home to a totally different lifestyle after the final scenes are shot yet we feel the emotion in our hearts with such reality that we can be brought to tears or overwhelming joy by their acting.
It is because of the reality of this principle that some believe it wrong to be emotional in a worship service since it shows how very easily we can also be emotionally and mentally deceived by skillful orators (religious or secular) who speak messages with confidence and authority, but who are false teachers or have hidden agenda’s behind the messages they are speaking.
But worship is not teaching doctrine, but praising God and one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is joy. Personally I believe emotions of joy, repentance, sorrow and happiness etc., should be embraced in respectful worship, but never accepted or used as proof that what a minister or preacher is teaching or saying is true. Doctrine and teachings should only be based upon Scripture and never emotion, but worship will always be emotional if it is flowing up from an honest heart of gratitude and love toward God. The simple answer to the question: is embrace emotion, but never accept anything as absolute truth based upon emotion.
It is because of the reality of this principle that some believe it wrong to be emotional in a worship service since it shows how very easily we can also be emotionally and mentally deceived by skillful orators (religious or secular) who speak messages with confidence and authority, but who are false teachers or have hidden agenda’s behind the messages they are speaking.
But worship is not teaching doctrine, but praising God and one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is joy. Personally I believe emotions of joy, repentance, sorrow and happiness etc., should be embraced in respectful worship, but never accepted or used as proof that what a minister or preacher is teaching or saying is true. Doctrine and teachings should only be based upon Scripture and never emotion, but worship will always be emotional if it is flowing up from an honest heart of gratitude and love toward God. The simple answer to the question: is embrace emotion, but never accept anything as absolute truth based upon emotion.
Q. Are people saved or being saved?
The words being saved do not apply to those who have humbled themselves, repented and placed their faith, trust and their lives in the Lord Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation, but rather to those who are hearing the Gospel and have a heart that is open to hear it, these are the people the expression, “being saved” applies to. The King James Bible leaves no-doubt that eternal salvation in Christ is certain, guaranteed and absolute whereas certain verses of some modern Bibles appear to imply that those in Christ are being saved, but the Gospel of Christ does not proclaim that those who come to Lord in humble repentance and faithfully follow him are only 95% saved and will not be 100% saved until they by their own self-effort achieve the other 5%. This is not the Good News of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ rather salvation in the Lord is certain, guaranteed and absolute because it is not based on self-effort but on faith and God’s grace.
It is interesting to notice that the King James Bible is always empathically absolute when it refers to salvation in Christ, whereas the more modern versions in some verses leave a certain amount of room for doubt. The English Standard version in 6 the book of Acts says, the Lord added to their number day by day those who were “being saved” and the King James Bible says, the Lord added to the church daily as “should be saved” (Acts 2:47). Since those “being saved,” are being added to the church the expression “being saved” refers to those who are hearing the Gospel with a right heart attitude and responding accordingly. The expression, “being saved” refers to the unsaved in the process of being saved and not to those who are already saved.
Salvation in the King James Bible leaves no room for doubt in believing and trusting in the cleansing power of the blood of Christ which is in perfect harmony with the Gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we ask ourselves the following question, “What can I do by self-effort to pay-back the Lord Jesus Christ who laid his life down to a brutal, bloody and cruel death so that I could be raised to eternal life?”
It not only becomes very clear, but also very humbling that there is nothing we can do by self-effort that is able to put us in a position by which we can stand before God or before Christ and say, “I have paid the debt.” In regards to eternal salvation the Bible presents the following three groups of people, firstly, “we” referring to those already saved, secondly, “those who are being saved” referring to those being added to those already saved and thirdly, “those who are perishing” referring to those who want nothing to do with God.
It is interesting to notice that the King James Bible is always empathically absolute when it refers to salvation in Christ, whereas the more modern versions in some verses leave a certain amount of room for doubt. The English Standard version in 6 the book of Acts says, the Lord added to their number day by day those who were “being saved” and the King James Bible says, the Lord added to the church daily as “should be saved” (Acts 2:47). Since those “being saved,” are being added to the church the expression “being saved” refers to those who are hearing the Gospel with a right heart attitude and responding accordingly. The expression, “being saved” refers to the unsaved in the process of being saved and not to those who are already saved.
Salvation in the King James Bible leaves no room for doubt in believing and trusting in the cleansing power of the blood of Christ which is in perfect harmony with the Gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we ask ourselves the following question, “What can I do by self-effort to pay-back the Lord Jesus Christ who laid his life down to a brutal, bloody and cruel death so that I could be raised to eternal life?”
It not only becomes very clear, but also very humbling that there is nothing we can do by self-effort that is able to put us in a position by which we can stand before God or before Christ and say, “I have paid the debt.” In regards to eternal salvation the Bible presents the following three groups of people, firstly, “we” referring to those already saved, secondly, “those who are being saved” referring to those being added to those already saved and thirdly, “those who are perishing” referring to those who want nothing to do with God.
Q. Why of all people did Christ appear to Saul of Tarsus and want to have him on the Christians side and why didn’t intervene Christ intervene sooner in Saul’s life? Saul was dreadful to the Christians, but there must have been something there for God and his Son to want him. What did God see in Paul that basically nobody else saw?
This is a good question since Saul was really cruel toward Christians prior to conversion. Here is my best shot at answering it. Paul was raised under Moses law from childhood added to this he was taught in the school of Gamaliel and therefore would have been indoctrinated with Moses Law and in the covenant God made with his nation Israel at Mount Sinai. Reading his New Testament letters it becomes very clear he had an enormously brilliant knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures.
But unlike the chief priest, Pharisees and scribe he wasn’t doing what he was doing from pride and ego or for power and control, but because he honestly believed he was protecting God’s truth and saving his nation Israel that God had chosen and saving the people of Israel who he greatly loved from the preachers of Christ who he believed at that time were heretics whose sole mission was to destroy the faith of Israel, so though what he was doing was wrong the motivation behind it was from a tremendous zeal toward God and to save and protect the Covenant God had made with Israel.
I suspect God saw that though his actions were wrong his motivation was not evil, but from an indoctrinated mind of legalism. I also think God saw that he was a man who would suffer the most cruel and brutal afflictions himself for God and for others if he believed what he was doing he was doing for God. I feel that much like the nation of Israel as a whole is today misguided there is no question that they love God. The prophet Zechariah tells us that when their Messiah returns in glory and they recognise the one they pierced there will be enormous sorrow and weeping throughout all the land of Israel.
Why God didn’t intervene sooner in Saul’s life I don’t know, but I suspect so that no matter how bad a person’s past has been they can never say they have committed a sin that cannot be forgiven, all they have to do is look at the life of Saul and see what God did with him.
But unlike the chief priest, Pharisees and scribe he wasn’t doing what he was doing from pride and ego or for power and control, but because he honestly believed he was protecting God’s truth and saving his nation Israel that God had chosen and saving the people of Israel who he greatly loved from the preachers of Christ who he believed at that time were heretics whose sole mission was to destroy the faith of Israel, so though what he was doing was wrong the motivation behind it was from a tremendous zeal toward God and to save and protect the Covenant God had made with Israel.
I suspect God saw that though his actions were wrong his motivation was not evil, but from an indoctrinated mind of legalism. I also think God saw that he was a man who would suffer the most cruel and brutal afflictions himself for God and for others if he believed what he was doing he was doing for God. I feel that much like the nation of Israel as a whole is today misguided there is no question that they love God. The prophet Zechariah tells us that when their Messiah returns in glory and they recognise the one they pierced there will be enormous sorrow and weeping throughout all the land of Israel.
Why God didn’t intervene sooner in Saul’s life I don’t know, but I suspect so that no matter how bad a person’s past has been they can never say they have committed a sin that cannot be forgiven, all they have to do is look at the life of Saul and see what God did with him.
Q. Do the following words of Jesus apply to all Christians? “Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25).
Yes the principal applies to every Christian and also every sinner, but it does not mean a Christian should have no self-worth and actually hate themselves (other than hate the sin that dwells within). The idea is that whoever loves their life and the things of this world so much that they refuse to accept Christ they will eternally die, but whoever is prepared to humble themselves and willing to forsake the things of this world (meaning any worldly thing that stops them from accepting Christ) and follow Christ will save their life eternally.
Likewise, if a Christian loves their life and the things of this world more than Christ then should they find themselves in a position of choosing between success, fame or worldly riches, family or romantic partners that require them to forsake the Lord or if they are faced with the threat of persecution and they love their life and the things of this world more than Christ they will forsake the Lord and therefore loose life eternal. (Hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life means they hate any worldly thing that stops them from following Christ and are therefore willing to forsake it).
Likewise, if a Christian loves their life and the things of this world more than Christ then should they find themselves in a position of choosing between success, fame or worldly riches, family or romantic partners that require them to forsake the Lord or if they are faced with the threat of persecution and they love their life and the things of this world more than Christ they will forsake the Lord and therefore loose life eternal. (Hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life means they hate any worldly thing that stops them from following Christ and are therefore willing to forsake it).
