Jehovah's Witnesses versus Atheists

Question:
What is the difference between Jehovah's Witnesses and Atheists? Don't they both NOT believe in God?

My Reply:
JW's believe in "a" god, and believe they are the only ones who are worshiping the correct God (the Lord in the Bible). Yet they misinterpret the Bible and choose to skip over the scripture/passages that don't agree with their beliefs.

So technically speaking, JWs are not Christians, for they separate themselves from Christians and recognize them/us as subjects for conversion to their (mis)understandings.  But JWs are also not Atheists, for they do believe in "a" God.  Some even claim Christ's name, but focus more on His teachings for good works than His doings and free gift of salvation.  Here's a good link to help understand more about JWs.

Atheists, on the other hand, have CHOSEN not to believe in (a) God at all. It's not that they don't know, for those are "agnostics". And it's not that they're trying to find out, for those are "seekers".  Atheists are people who CHOOSE not to know, while also rejecting and fighting everything that points to the possibility of God's existence.  Here's a good link to help understand more about Atheism.

---Pastor Andy

Christians' Views on Cavemen and Dinosaurs

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Question: Do Christians think cavemen, dinosaurs, and other prehistoric creatures existed? I wonder, since obviously most don't believe in evolution, how fossils of such creatures are explained? Especially Neanderthal fossils?

  

My Reply:

Actually, even though many of us don't believe in evolution, we do believe that cavemen and "prehistoric" creatures existed...not only because of the evidence though, but also because the Bible even mentions them.

Cavemen:
In Genesis when Lot and his daughters were running from the destruction of Sodom, they asked the Lord if they could instead live among those in the caves, for safety from those in the surrounding towns. Also, in Judges 6, due to the continuous attacks from surrounding nations, the Israelites were forced to live in the caves.

Dinosaurs:

1. "Answers In Genesis" has done several reports on this.
2. During creation, God created all the creatures, and brought them to Adam to name. They also lived together in the garden, and no doubt outside of it once everybody and everything was kicked out.
3. Several dinosaurs are mentioned throughout the Bible, only they don't have names like T-Rex, or even the name "Dinosaur". Instead, they have names from back then. Check out Job 40:15-24 for details on the "Behemoth", and Job 41:1-34 for the "Leviathan". Granted, scientists have tried relating them to modern day hippos and crocks, but if you'll look at the description, such is not actually possible. In fact, many Christians are beginning to believe that even dragons (flying, fire-breathing, etc.) once existed, some having to do with the descriptions of such in the Bible.
4. The Bible also says that the animals were created before humans.  Some have suggested the idea that dinosaurs were before man, and that this part in Genesis 1 confirms such a possibility.
5. The Bible also mentions that God created the world, and that there was a place called, "Eden", and that in it, God had placed a garden.  In this garden was where humans and all the animals brought to humans lived.  But since fossils have been found worldwide, some have also suggested the idea of dinosaurs living OUTSIDE Eden's garden at a time, whether before or during the existence of humans, and whether before or after humans were kicked out of the garden.

Some other online resources you could check out include:

http://www.bible.ca/tracks/b-dinosaurs-mentioned-in-bible.htm

Who Is God To You?

Question: How would you describe God?  No quotes please, just in your own words.

My Reply:

1. I love Him.
2. My Lord, for He cares for me
3. My King, for He rules over me
4. My Master, for I am His disciple who learns from Him, takes on His character, and becomes as He is
5. Abba, for I am His child, and He cares for me as such, as I continue to come to Him as such
6. My best friend, for He has always been there for me and has never let me down. We also talk like best friends do about anything and everything
7. My Hero for He has saved me from death
8. Guide, for He takes and guides me on His missions
9. My map, for when I am lost, He helps me find my way
10. Protector, for He has and continues to protect me from the evil one and his followers’ malice
11. Big Brother, for He has gone before me through everything that I will have to endure, helping me to endure them, too. And some things He went through, I will not have to, for He did instead
12. My doorway to the Father, for I first had to go through Him (Jesus)
13. My Pearl, for which I give everything up in order to own (only instead, He owns me)
14. My treasure which I set my sights on (the treasure that I sought and have found!)
15. My Boss, for I am His worker/servant, and I am required to fulfill the responsibilities for the position He has put me in charge of
16. My Role Model, for I am one of His greatest fans. As such, I idolize Him, I want to be like Him, I want to see and love others as He does, and when others look at me, I continue to pray that they instead will see Him through me and through my actions, behaviors, and my compassion for them
17. My God, for He is God, and no other is like Him
18. My Owner, for He bought me for an expensive price, and so I now fully belong to Him…and everything I own, is His
19. My inspiration, and a grand discovery, and I must not keep Him a secret, but instead tell everyone about Him; He is my Healer
20. My motivator and cheerleader, for when I am down, He encourages me to get up and either try again, or continue what I’m doing
21. Teacher, for He has taught (shown) me true, unconditional and unending love
22. Provider, for all I have, He provided for me, and all I need, He provides for me
23. My focus and reason for living, for without Him, I am nothing. (and added recently):
24. Center of my marriage with my wife, for without Him there, we could not be united as one.

---Pastor Andy  :}>+-

Description of Hell?

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Question:

I'm sure you may have heard, or have told someone yourself, that hell is best put as "eternal separation from God." Most believing Christians, to my knowledge, do not strictly adhere to the literal interpretation of a fiery dungeon called Hell. 
With that said, what do you think of the condition of being separated from God eternally? Is it possible that this condition (this state of being completely severed from the living God) is not much different from the state of non-existence? After all, what type of life is it that exists separately from God?  Is there a possibility that hell (eternal separation from God) is actually banishment from humanity as well as divinity? Could it be the very diffusion of the conscious soul into the sinful nature? Could hell be the subtraction of that which makes us human, that which makes us more than animals? Could it be the subtraction of the breath of life and the return to dust? 
What is the nature of the second death that is spoken of in scripture?
I am not debating key doctrines here; I am just looking for a different and more educated insight.

My Reply:

You're thinking too much into it.
Hell is described, yes, as eternal separation from God, but it's also described (by Jesus) as a very hot place, filled with eternal torment, no humidity at all, and the gnashing of teeth.
In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Jesus describes hell as very hot, even to the point where the rich man begged for Lazarus to even dip his smallest fingertip into some water and place it on his (the rich man's) tongue. Jesus also explained a chasm between heaven & hell that couldn't be crossed (torture to see those you hurt in paradise while you're burning eternally).
C.S. Lewis described the difference by saying that in hell, everybody's sitting at a banquet table with all this great food in front of them. But their arms are locked straight out in front of them, so they can't get the food into their mouths. Then in heaven, it's the same situation with the arms, only there, they're feeding each other.
Either way though, hell is continuously described as a place we shouldn't wish to go. It's not the same as not existing though, for we're beings that were created to live forever...there are 2 places where that could take place, and it's our decision now while we're here to make as to where that place will be.
Also, if you've ever had a run-in with Satan or one of his demons, you've gotta figure that hell is where they're going, and they know it. Anyplace where they are is definitely not a place where anybody should want to spend the rest of eternity.

---Pastor Andy

A little about "Dear Pastor Andy"

The other day, I received a comment. I would just publish it in the comment section, but I prematurely deleted it.   After praying about it some more, I came to the decision of responding to it in a main post.  The responder's name was not given.

Question:
The "Questions" that you respond to seem like they are fabricated by you. Also, you use the Bible to back every answer you give.  Not everyone considers the Bible to be fact, therefore you are only preaching to the choir and nobody else. People who are on the fence of believing/non-believing will be scared off by your lack of common sense.
Also, stop selling yourself out to advertisements like the Kindle. 


My Reply:
First, I would like to thank your for your comments and suggestions (this was the second one).  I'll answer each question separately:

1. "Fabricated questions": I assure you, the questions asked on here are not fabricated, but actual questions that have been asked to me throughout my 15+ years in ministry.
2. Preaching to the choir: Sure, maybe for some questions, but trust me, the choir still needs preaching to, also.
3. The Bible is my only resource: Actually, the Bible's not my only source, but it is my main source. That's because the Bible is where the Truth is. Most of the questions on here are about God, and for such questions, the Bible is the only place for the correct answer (unless of course we're talking about archaeology, research, or physical evidences, whereas I'll often refer back to other books also, then list them below). You'll also notice I often share personal experiences and testimonies. Now there are some questions on here not pertaining to God or the Bible, and yes, I do reply with reference to God's Word. But this should be expected from "Another source for answers about God, Jesus, Christianity, the Bible, Theology, and life" and the host of the site being a Pastor (or any devout Christian). In other words, since Jesus is the center of my life, everything answered here is done so through the lens of the Bible and from a Christian perspective. Now, you are correct in saying that many today don't believe the Bible as Truth (and unfortunately, this is true even among many within the Church itself), and this IS a HUGE problem (and an issue I've been fighting in the Church for some time). But regardless of what people believe, the Bible IS still the Truth.
4. People on the fence / non-believers: If I was Elijah, or the only Christian proclaiming the Word of God, and all the other Christians in the world were hiding in caves, then I can see the need for me to change my approach. But thank God I'm not. With that in mind, each time I post, I pray that readers may be blessed by what they read, or at least that they'll wrestle with it some. Either way, my hope is that if they don't fall to their knees and ask Jesus into their lives at that moment, then they'll either apply my replies, and/or go and get a second opinion from somebody they know (who knows Jesus personally) about what they read from my site, giving God an open door to speak through them, too. I'm also a man of simple, everyday words (which may be why my replies appear so similar to the style of the questions), not fancy, educated words, making it easier for people of many ages and levels of faith (or lack of) to better understand. Also, if you'll notice, a huge number (majority?) of the questions on here are asked by non-believers and people on the fence, most of which ask about the Bible.
5. Too many Kindle Ads: I didn't realize the overkill of Kindle ads. Thank you for pointing that out. I like to include ads for products that I believe in, support, and/or have benefited from myself, and Kindle was one I was very excited about when it was first released. But you make a good point, so you may notice that I've since deleted them (and replaced them with some other products I think my target audience could benefit from). Hopefully it's no longer overkill, but thanks again for pointing that out.

---Pastor Andy

Inconsistencies in Christianity?

Question:

I was raised Southern Baptist, but switched to paganism a few years ago because the Christian had too many inconsistencies for my taste. Can you help me out with these?
The Ten Commandments says "Thou shalt not worship any graven image." Yet, in every church I have been to, I have seen crosses, Jesus figures, the works, and people worship them. So, in worshiping the figure of Christ on the cross, aren't Christians breaking their own rule of worshiping graven images? 

The Ten Commandments also say "I am a jealous God, and thou shalt not worship any other God before me." However, it is dictated that jealousy is a sin. So if God is a jealous God, therefore he would be sinning by being jealous. But if sin is not allowed in heaven, how can God, a sinner by his own definition, be in heaven?  
According to modern Christianity, the consumption of human blood and human flesh is considered an abomination. However, during the Catholic communion ceremony, the wine represents the blood of Christ, and the wafers the flesh of Christ. So when the priest speaks for Christ in saying "This is my body, this is my blood. Eat and drink, and become one with me," wouldn't this be a representation of vampirism/cannibalism, which, according to the bible, is considered a sin?

My Reply:

You've got some good questions...and there are some, "interesting" answers given for them. I find it weird that you left Christianity because of your misunderstandings with the 10 commandments though. You seem to have missed the whole point of what being a Christian is all about. Anyway, about your questions: There are NO contradictions in the Bible...seriously. But reading it as ones who have no idea about the background, culture of that time, etc, would be like looking at a 3-D shape in 1-D:

1) Most Christians don't actually worship the cross, but use it as a way of remembering or giving glory to God, for it was a huge part in fulfilling the Gospel. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian Pastor, theologian, professor, and Martyr during WWII, said in his book “The Cost of Discipleship” that the cross is a scandal, and not only should it not be glorified, but that we should even regard it as an ugly stick (paraphrased). In other words, it's not to be glorified because it's what was used to kill our Savior.  Isn't it interesting though, that there are so many statues and paintings of political and philosophical leaders in Jesus' time, but yet nobody took the time to even give a hint to what Jesus looked like? Good thing, too, for if we knew, many would no doubt put their focus' onto the images of Jesus instead of Jesus Christ Himself...as they did with that Swedish Jesus with blue eyes that we continue to see pictures of.

2) The word for "Jealous" in describing the Lord is different that that of humans. God is "jealous" in that He refuses to share us and our worship meant for Him with anything else out there. God is the one and only, Almighty God, and only HE is to be praised and glorified as such. He is the creator of everything that exists.  To worship anything that was created instead is not only inappropriate, but also a great sin.

3) As for partaking of Jesus' blood at communion: Critics of the Christian faith in the days of the early Church also used to call Christians "Cannibals" because of the elements in Communion.  So your confusion with this is valid and has been wrestled with before.  Although, I am curious about your resources on this, for I believe it's only the Catholics who believe that the wafers and wine actually turn into Jesus' flesh and blood.  Southern Baptists, on the other hand, "emphasize that the remembrance is symbolic of Christ's body and reject literal views of communion such as transubstantiation and consubstantiation held by other Christian groups," and seem to focus less on the symbolism of the elements, and more on the fellowship among the believers at the table.  Either way, to understand more on this the elements and Jesus' meaning, check out the book “This is my Body”, and to understand more about communion, check out one of my previous posts on what it's all about.

---Pastor Andy

Description of Heaven (part 2)

Dear Pastor Andy, Will everybody in Heaven be filled with lots and lots of happiness? Also is Heaven a million times better than a wealthy person driving nice cars, owning a mansion, a cabin in the mountains, a vacation home on the beach, lots of nice clothes, boats, water skis, nice stereo equipment, nice furniture, going on lots of nice vacations, eating lots of their favorite meals and being surrounded by all the friends they want?  And will everybody in Heaven have equal privileges?

My Reply:

Will Heaven be filled with happiness and a million times better than a wealthy person?  Well first of all, ask just about anybody who's rich in the ways you said, and I'm sure that neither of them will admit to actually being happy. Actually, as I've come to understand, that's why they keep spending...because they're not content with what they have.  And so the less happy they are, the more they get, and again the less happy they become. So they buy things in an attempt to fill the void.

Heaven will be awesome, for it will be in the full, constant presence of the Lord.

Here's how I imagine how Heaven will be:

Have you ever have those "God moments" where you feel the Lord's presence, along with an "ah-ha!" moment? Or those times when you have no fear but only comfort and safety, even though the opposite is what would be expected? Or those times when Jesus reveals Himself to you in even the smallest of things? And especially when you're praying and He answers you in some way that you can't deny it being Him?

Now imagine that, what, several billion times stronger, and constant, never-ending. I think that'll be even a speck of what heaven will be like!

As for equal privileges, I think we can look to what Paul said in 1 Corinthians and Galatians about everybody being equal in Christ, and apply it to those in Heaven (but then, we also hear of the pillars in Heaven, so I can't say).

Ultimately though, it'll be POLAR to the other place.

For more on Heaven, check out my other blog.

I also replied to a similar question on here.

---Pastor Andy

When it's hard to feel God

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Dear Pastor Andy, I would first like to state that I believe in God, and that I have argued this so much when asking this to others. Anyways, about two months ago I went through a huge crisis of faith, and when it first began I literally felt the Spirit (or presence) of God leave me. I tried so hard to seek Him in those times...and now two months later, I'm sitting here on my laptop, still not feeling that Divine presence in my gut moving. I definitely believe in God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for all the junk I've done, and that He is the son of God.

I dunno it's like right now I can't sing the worship songs with all my heart, or pray with full care...

And I'm depressed. I don't really want to do anything. From the moment I wake up I look forward to when I get to go back to sleep...get out of here for a good 5-8 hours...

Yesterday I literally came to a place where I didn't care whether God was real or not anymore. I feel like He abandoned me. That I have been crying out to Him and He just doesn't care...

And I can't feel His Love either, and honestly, behind all this I think that's all I really want.

So what would you do? I'm plugged in the word. Seeking. Praying. Even crying. Do you know anyone who has ever been through this? How do I get out?

My Reply:

Friend, God never left you. He's right there with you, whether you feel Him or not.

What I continue to hear you say is how you "feel".  Dude, Satan uses our feelings against all all the time. And why not? We use them to decide our fate in the midst of decision-making. If it feels right, we do it. If it feels wrong, we don't do it. If we feel God's presence, we praise Him boldly. If we don't feel God's presence, we get depressed and question Him. I continue to say, "your feelings will betray you." (you'll also hear this in martial arts films and Star Wars, and they're right too!)

I know what you're talking about, and I believe we all get there sometimes. I'll sometimes pray and not feel His presence, but I still pray. Heck, I'll even start off saying, "Lord I feel like I'm talking to a wall because I don't feel your presence, but I know you're there, so I'll keep talking."

Often times when we get caught in a crisis, we feel like we're in a spiritual fog and can't see or feel anything. But even in the midst of them, Jesus never leaves our side. We just don't know that because of the fog.

2 Suggestions:

1) Read the poem "Footprints in the Sand".

2) Read your Bible. Jesus will meet you there.

Read Psalms if you want to read about David when he felt the same way.

Read the Gospel of John, starting with Jesus in the garden, praying for his disciples. 

Read 1 John to understand more about God's love.

Read the prophets in the Old Testament to understand how and why I can say all this honestly about God never leaving you.

I'll pray for you tonight. Feel free to email me if you like.

---Pastor Andy

God really isn't the "Ultimate Being" is he?

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Question:

God really isn't the "Ultimate Being", is He?  God is described as being all powerful, all seeing, all knowing. He is the ultimate being and is greater than everyone in any way imaginable.  Yet, I have a few religious friends who tell me that God cannot be around sin, which is why people who do not accept Jesus (who would cleanse them of their sins) go to hell - even though we know that apparently God LOVES US AND WOULD NEVER WANT HARM ON US.
OK, so if God has to live by this rule where he can't be around sins, he's not exactly the head Honcho, is he?  And while we're at that note, if God apparently loves us, why does he allow the creation of those who live only to hurt others? If he's all-knowing, he would have saw this from a light-year away and stopped it. Or maybe God is above "Logic" and what makes sense for him is to be a hypocrite.
What are the point of Midgets? Do you think God finds them hilarious also?

My Reply:

Actually, your friends are a little backwards...it's not that God couldn't approach us because of our sin, but that sin was preventing US from approaching God. We know this for many reasons, one being that it wasn't God that needed to be cleansed before approaching us, but us before entering the high holy place (Old Testament priests).
Second, God is all knowing, and does love us. But He allows creation to run its course...God's not going to force anybody to accept Him. Instead, He did what needed to be done, and left the decision up to us as to whether or not we want to be with Him for all eternity (in Heaven) or not. Real love doesn't force us to do anything...real love leaves it up to us to accept or not.
You're right to say that God is above logic. The scriptures tell us that the "wise" ones become fools when they try to understand the Gospel, since their logic can't understand it. But it's great wisdom for those of us who are being saved (I guess us stupid people) ;)

As for Midgets, I hear they like to be called "Little People"...and they're just as much a blessing as those of us tall (or average-sized) people, under just as much a curse as us, and offered the same salvation as the rest of us. If you want to ask about God's sense of humor, why not try figuring out God's "logic" for the platypus?

Summary: Yes, God is the ultimate being...heck, He created EVERYTHING that exists, and if it doesn't exist, He didn't make it.

---Pastor Andy

Recommendations for a book for bible study?

Question:

I'm looking for something that has scripture and maybe questions for discussion. We're a bunch of 20-25 year old girls who meet once a week. Thanks for you help!

My Reply:

In terms of books in the Bible:

My wife & I went through the book of Joshua (Bible), which is a great book for young leaders, teaches to consult the Lord before every big decision, and fulfillments of promises. It also ends with a great note.

Judges was a fun one, also, for in it, God calls several different people (and different kings of people) to serve Him and rescue His people. It also explains that throughout most of the time then, there was no king and so everybody did as they thought was right. So it's a good comparison with issues of the world/Church today.

1 Corinthians seems to touch on many issues that are great discussion-starters, for it talks about problems within the walls of the Church, and among its people. It starts with conflict, goes into bad representation of God, talks about death and resurrection, and even how to worship (or how not to).
(feel free to email me...I've written a Bible Study for it I'd be happy to email you...free, no strings).

Non-Bible books:
-Max Lucado: "Facing Your Giants"
-Gary Chapman: "The 5 Love Languages"
-Lee Strobel: "The Case For..." (faith, Christ, Easter, Christmas...)
-"Influencing Like Jesus"

---Pastor Andy

Faith Alone?

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Question:

Many Christians claim that "faith alone" saves and that there's no need to lead a righteous life.  I just want to ask them all, "are you sure you shall be saved?"  I am more than sure that their case will be worse than that of atheists. They're just using Jesus to promote sin!  They think that a simple faith in Jesus is the greatest thing a person can do on earth; it is by "GRACE" a person is saved and not by "FAITH". If a person is to receive God's grace, he should be righteous and should be following the words of God. By following the words of God alone one can prove his "faith" in God. It is not "knowing" Jesus' sacrifice that saves, but following the path he has shown that leads to salvation by grace of God through Jesus. Unless there is true faith (evidenced by following Jesus' words), no one can attain salvation. God is a righteous God and he loves righteousness.
The criminal who died with Jesus and saved is an example for a person receiving God's grace through repentance. It was his repenting mind that brought him salvation; not his faith. Faith without repentance and obedience means nothing. Hence, do not mislead people by letting them live in sin without fear of God since Jesus has died for them. No one shall be saved that way; the sacrifice of Christ is for those who truly repent and obey God.

My Reply:

My friend, I hear you, but I think you've combined salvation and discipleship into one.  We are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. But it doesn't stop there, and this is what I believe you're arguing.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer has a book called "The Cost of Discipleship", that I think you'll like, for it talks about this. Many Christians today promote what Bonhoeffer calls "cheap grace". They accept Jesus, but continue in their sinful ways. They figure they're saved, nothing can harm them, back to business. But this isn't what salvation's about.
Salvation in Christ is what Bonhoeffer called "costly grace", for to be called by Christ is to be called to come and die...to follow in His footsteps, even to the cross (if needed). 
I did a Bible study the other day where I learned that the word used for Peter's denial of Jesus is the same word that's used for when Jesus said that in order to be His disciple, one must first deny himself.  Same word, same type of denial, same impact.  Those who practice costly grace understand this.  Those who practice cheap grace might say they do this and agree with you, but obviously don't practice it.

James said faith without works is dead, and one of the main frustrations in the early Church was idle Christians. Unfortunately, we still have a similar problem in the Church today.

So yeah, you're on target, but I think you need to reword your question. Check out that book, too (linked below).

---Pastor Andy

How can I find God?

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Dear Pastor Andy, 

How Can I find God?

How do I really know He is there?

How do I know the bible could just be another book?

He promises me eternal life in John, but how do I know that it's real and that I won't just die and everything will go black and be another non-existent dead organism? I don't want to die and just be dead.

I have faith and love, but I have doubts right when my faith gets strong.

How do I know that I'm not just insane and only think I'm dealing with demonic activity?

Whenever I read the bible I pass out right away because of all the issues.

Why don't people believe in the devil and demons and their actions when Jesus performed exorcisms? And why don't people believe His every word when the book pretty much states to follow him?

In some books does it really change from Jehovah to Lord because of an edit from the original transcript?

There's a Holy Trinity, is there an unholy trinity?

My Reply:

When I accepted Jesus, I didn't really know what I was getting into. I just knew it had to be better than things were going. Also, I was searching for God, and John 14:6 tells us that the only way to God is through Jesus.  But when I accepted Him, I simply said, "I'm giving you a chance." Then repented for everything I'd done up until then and asked Jesus into my heart, me into His, etc. He'll speak to you in the Scriptures, and help you understand right from wrong, Him from not Him, Truth from not truth, etc. 

Let me see if I can help you with some of your other questions:

1. But you're right that there's an evil (demonic) that's out to create doubts in you. 
   Try this: when you're about to read scripture, pray first, asking Jesus to help you understand and believe what you're about to read. Then after reading it, pray again for understanding of what you just read.
   
   
2. Authenticity of the Bible: check out this link (don't get thrown off by the link's name). You can also check out anything by Lee Strobel or Josh McDowell to help you understand from where we got the Bible).
   
   
3. Also, find a Christian church and join a life group (small group) and/or Bible Study group to help you in your own studies.
   
   
4. People often don't believe in the demon thing because Satan has put other comforts into their lives that caused them to change their beliefs of such. This is a dangerous tactic of Satan's though. Can you imagine if our military in Iraq decided one day to not believe there's a war going on, and walk around unarmed? With nobody shooting the enemy, they'd get picked off for sure. Unfortunately, many Christians have fallen into this trap, and are no longer fighting and being picked off, spiritually.
   
   
5. Actually, the Bible totally says to follow Jesus. But though Bible's are so easy to come by, Bible illiteracy is very common among Christians. They believe the worldview about the Bible, and when they read something against what they've come to believe, they choose not to believe it. Another is reason is because for many, Truth has become Relative. For example, John 14:6 ("I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Nobody comes to the Father but through me.") Many Christians have friends, relatives, even spouses who don't know the Lord, or who've died without knowing Him. So they've chosen to believe that everybody will go to heaven because they don't want to believe their loved one won't make the cut. But Jesus said it right there in scripture.
   
   
6. Jehovah/Yaweh: In the Old Testament (OT), it's spelled with 4 letters, all consonants. Some pronounce it Jehovah. Personally, I understand more so how they got Yaweh from it.
   
   
7. Finally, there is no unholy trinity. Satan is by himself in that respect. His only helpers are the 1/3 of angels who sided with him and whom are now demons. And remember too, (John 1): darkness (evil) can't overcome the light (holy).

---Pastor Andy

What's the difference between the Quran and the Bible?

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My Reply:

A lot of people may think that because both the Bible and the Quran claim the name of God, that they're very much the same.  But there are really a lot of differences between the two.  Some of these differences between the Bible and the Quran are:


-The Bible was written by evangelists and scribes inspired by God.
-The Quran was written by generals inspired by greed, power, and conflict.

-The Bible was written 500 years before the Quran, and speaks of the Truth.
-The Quran was written later, supposedly based upon the Bible, yet contradicts the Bible, even claiming the Bible to be corrupt.

-The Bible tells of Jesus being the Messiah who died on the cross, was resurrected 3 days later, and ascended into Heaven.
-The Quran tells of Jesus falsifying his death on the cross, walking around 3 days later claiming to have died, and of Him ascending into Heaven.

-The Bible's books are categorized in chapter and verse.
-The Quran is categorized only by verse (or is it only by chapter? Or maybe it’s every 10 verses.)

-The Bible has many styles in its writings (letters, prophesy, prayers, history, songs, wisdom, laws, Gospel, etc.)
-The Quran is basically written in the form of the Bible's Proverbs (wisdom), and instructions (do this, not this, accept these people, not those people, trust these people, hate and don’t trust these people, etc.)

-The Bible is the Word of God, telling of God’s history with and among His people.

-The Quran is a word of humans, meant to persuade, advise, and tell of Muhammad’s history among his people.

-Muslims don't consider translations of the Quran holy. Only the original language to them is holy.

-The Bible is Holy regardless of the language it's in (you've also got to figure, God created all languages).

-The Bible is Truth-based.

-The Quran is more opinion/advise-based.

-In the Bible, Jesus says not to trust anyone who comes after Him claiming to be the Messiah, for such will only be false prophets.
-The Quran says to believe Jesus and to trust the Gospels.

…just to name a few.

 ---Pastor Andy

Biblical Treatment to Animals

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Where in the bible can I find scripture concerning not being cruel to animals?

I know it is there but I can't remember where?

My Reply:

The Bible mentions animals several times.  I can think of 3 places where it talks against animal cruelty:

1)    In Genesis, God brought the animals to Adam to name. Also, one of the reasons humankind was created was to care for the animals and to tend the land.

2)      The other is in Numbers 22, when Balaam the prophet beat his donkey for not moving. Then the donkey looked at him and rebuked him for hitting him (neat event)

3)    Proverbs 12:10: “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel”

---Pastor Andy

Necessities for Living?

Question:

What 4 major elements are necessary to live?

My Reply:

1) Food/Water
2) Oxygen
3) Prayer
4) The Word of God

---Pastor Andy

What If...?

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Question:

Born again Christians believe that those who do not believe in Jesus will be tortured for all eternity by a loving God. Suppose someone never had the opportunity to learn about Jesus. For instance they are in a remote African tribe and simply never heard of Christianity or Jesus. Are they damned for all eternity?

My Reply:

Ya know, people often mention the "what about this guy in remote Africa who never heard the gospel" question. But "hypothetically" speaking, if you really cared about what would happen to that one guy in remote Africa, you'd travel out to him and tell him about Jesus so that there would be no "what if" issues. But all honestly, you really don't care about him, but just use the question to justify God's fairness.

Yes, God is a loving God...He died so you don't have to. What else do you want from Him? Eternal life in Heaven? Sure! That's why God raised Jesus from the dead...so you CAN be with Him in heaven for all eternity. All you have to do is:

1. Receive the invitation...tell Him that you want to receive eternal life (by this, you're acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior, for you're asking Him for something that only He can give you)
2. Repent of your ways (let me give you a head start...you've questioned His faithfulness, denied His awesome gift, lived selfishly, etc...)
3. Put your faith into Him (you're doing this even as you're taking the time to talk with Him), and you'll receive it. Why is that so difficult to do?

Then begin reading the Bible, communicate (talk) with Jesus regularly, find a Church to fellowship with His other believers, and begin to learn from and follow Him.  

Then, if you still wonder about and begin to really care about those people in the remote parts of Africa who don’t know about Jesus, travel out to them and tell them about Him.  Then you won’t have to wonder, “What if…?”

---Pastor Andy

Why do you think many people in the world are more threatened by Christianity than Islam?

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Question:

Radical Islam has declared Jihad on the West, Israel and Europe, has enslaved women, beheaded the innocent or infidel, and has declared Honor Killings and Sharia Law as the law of Islam.  Now, many Muslims are wonderful people, yet most of the terrorism in the world we see is a Radical form of the Islamic Faith....YET....the world is more concerned about ridding the Christian faith and the teachings of Jesus Christ (GOD), who came to earth in the flesh of MAN, the SON of GOD to bring Peace, Redemption and Salvation to the world.

The HOLY BIBLE even speaks of Demons on the Earth in the LAST DAYS before Jesus returns, running the world into the Ground of evil and dis-obedience of the one true living GOD, and the only thing that makes them *TREMBLE* is the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST....JAMES 2:19-You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

My Reply:

I think the term you used, "Radical" Islamics, could be a part of it, since then the finger can be pointed to a small group and say, "it's just them, not us." I also think more people are familiar with Christianity than they are with Islam, so being a mystery religion, it's easier for Muslims and others to make Islam look like the victim, or to mislead people into believing it's a pure religion that only focus' on peace and submission to God (even though it's not).

The Bible tells us that false prophets and teachers will come from all around, and their messages will be sweet to the taste, even turning strong Christian believers away from the Lord. And since the flesh is at war with the Spirit, and the Spirit is connected with Christ, it's only natural that anything of the flesh should see anything of the Spirit as a threat.
If you'd like some more resources on Islam, Christianity, and witnessing to Muslims, then I'd suggest "Persecution.com, also known as "Voices of the Martyrs".  Otherwise, please feel free to check out some of the links below.

---Pastor Andy

Some of these resources may be helpful for further study on this topic:

  

Iran: Desperate for God  
("Iran: Desperate for God" is also available through Persecution.com. I read a pre-released portion of the book and loved it...very explanatory, backed up by real events and experiences.)

This Resource May Be Helpful In Witnessing To Muslims About Jesus Christ: