Trying to Live for God in an Un-Godly Environment

Question: 

I try really hard 2 live a life for God, and I am in an environment with a lot of negativity. I have been living there for 4 months and am looking at it as a test or opportunity for spiritual growth. 
The reason I live in a place like that is because I just moved from the east coast 2 the west to go 2 school, and felt like this is where God has led me.
My question is, how far should I let my values and boundaries be crossed before walking away?  Sometimes I wonder if sticking around is worth it anymore.  I’ve been praying and talking about it…there is the positive that I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and that I’m going to school.  The negative is that I live in a rooming house, and it’s full of drama. So I wonder if it’s worth it to stay.  I try and stay optimistic and make the most out of it, but I don’t know.

If anyone has ever been in an environment where it was hard on there faith, but persevered, please help…any good verses or just life tips, I would love hear.

My Reply:

You're preachin' to the choir, brother.
Have you prayed for Christian friends in your area? One person can't be an army against a whole battalion...you need others to help you stay focused, pick you up when you fall (and for whom you may do the same), people with whom you can pray, opportunities for Bible studies (iron sharpening iron), etc...
Most campus' have Christian ministries (InterVarsity, Wesley Foundation, Baptists, Alpha Xi). Check around for them. Also, maybe put up a post on the school network for other Christians who'd like to gather weekly for prayer, Bible Study, and fellowship.

Another suggestion is to check in with a church in the area, see if they have any small groups for your age group (or if not your age group, maybe they'd be alright with you joining in).  Meetup.com is also a good place to look for like-minded/spirited people.

Basically, if the Lord sent you there, then He also provided resources to help you out while there, so you're not alone. But you need to remember that in this battleground, you can't allow yourself to be alone (in the sense of being a solo-Christian), either.

---Pastor Andy G.

Questions about the Beginning of Life

After Eden Comics

Question:

I have 2 questions regarding the Book of Genesis:

1. Why would God monologue to himself about the humans eating the fruit of life, if he isn't doing a monologue to himself, who is he talking about when he says "us";
2. If Adam and Eve really are the first two people, when one of their sons kills the other and gets exiled, who is he talking about when he says "anyone who may see me may kill me"?

  

My Reply:

Who God was talking about when He said, "Us"

1)    Notice in Genesis 1, that in the beginning, the Spirit of the Lord was hovering over the waters (that's the first mention of the Holy Spirit).

2)    Later in the OT, when it mentions "the angel of the Lord", the person often first recognizes it as an angel, but then calls it "Lord". It's believed that this is because the "angel" was really "God the Son" (a.k.a., Jesus). Also about Jesus, John 1 tells us that Jesus was the one who created everything that exists.

3)    The word for God in the Hebrew is plural, yet always used with a singular verb.

What all this suggests is that the writer of Genesis was already familiar with the Holy Trinity. So when God was speaking about creating in "our" image, it's believed that He was speaking to His 2 other parts.
Granted, some believe that God was speaking to the angels, but then, Paul tells us that we'll one day judge the angels...so we can't be made in their image, also.

In terms of Cain's exile:
The genealogies of Gen. 5 mention that Eve also had "many other sons and daughters".
It's also believed that the reason Cain would fear the people in the other lands who might kill him is because, since they were all siblings, they'd also have known Abel. Plus, as you research the geographies of migration, you'll see that in the beginning, nobody really branched out too far. In other words, everybody was still pretty closely knit, and would've heard about the murder. So then after recognizing Cain's sin of killing Abel, these other siblings and/or their descendants may kill Cain for what he did to their brother/uncle, Abel.

---Pastor Andy

Called to Seminary, But No Church For Endorsement

Question:

I have received a deep calling a few times to become a preaching Pastor recently.  The only problem is, I'm not a member of any church.

I left the Catholic Church seven years ago and have been attending services at New Creation Church and FCBC since then.  But since I don't actually belong to any churches, how can I get enrolled in theological courses with no endorsement from a church leader?

My Reply:

I had a situation like that, too. But I prayed about it. The Lord soon led me to a church that was looking for someone like me as I was looking for a church.  They endorsed me for seminary, and I was soon a full-time M.Div. student.
Pray about a seminary, and pray about how to get into it.  Do you think your current church would be willing to endorse you with the promise of doing your internship with them?  (They may even help finance your education)?

Always remember...if the Lord is calling you to ministry, then HE will provide everything needed to fulfill that calling.  You do need to get into seminary (highly advised) if you're going to preach the Truth correctly, so pray for direction, and He'll make a way for you to go to Seminary.

---Pastor Andy G.

Why do Christians Quote Scripture to Non-Believers?

Question: Why do some Christians quote the Bible to people that don't believe? 

My Reply:

I can think of 4 reasons:

1. There's life in the scriptures, and they're hoping that by quoting them, non-believers might recognize this life and embrace it.
2. Whenever Jesus encountered Satan, He countered him with scriptures. It's not to say that we believe non-Christians are possessed or anything, but that we realize the fact that Satan is the one who blinds them from understanding and accepting...so it's sort of like taking out the guy behind them with a sniper rifle.
3. Sometimes the Christian’s not properly trained in talking with non-believers.  Many Christians also grow up learning to use certain scriptures when witnessing. Unfortunately they're not taught that many people just don't believe the Scriptures as Truth...they don't realize that non-believers may be looking at our Bible the way we look at that of a Mormon, Jehovah Witness, or any other religious cult...so in other words, ignorance.

I often use scriptures when talking with somebody because:

• I'm addressing a question about scripture taken out of context, and so it needs to be addressed within its context, and supported by other scripture, for it's really pointless and naive to use only one passage to explain the whole gospel; 
• To show that I'm not just blowing hot air out my mouth...it shows authority to what I'm saying, and that it's not just my opinion.

---Pastor Andy G.