Question:

You would think that such precious life would be carefully nurtured, yet people still have HATE in their hearts. Is it because of over-population and mass media delusional imagery that we have become lost in the illusion we created and that this illusion breeds hate and fear, when we can live in honest love if we just had the capability to escape this illusion? Who created this illusion, why did he/she/they create this illusion, and what do you call this "illusion"?

My Reply:

I was reading through Matthew 13 today, and believe that one of the parables Jesus tells can help understand your question.

He mentioned in verses 24-30 that "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
" 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

My original question during my study was, "who are the weeds today?" But your question gives the answer, for there are bad people in the world, planted by the enemy, and they sow hatred. And because the Lord has chosen to wait until the end to separate the bad from the good, we have to deal with people who spread their hate.

---Pastor Andy

Can our Leaders ever be Trusted?

Question:
Can character be changed? Can there be a return to good character if one fails Jesus? If so, how? As we look to our future, we know that our leaders will fail us somehow. So should we trust, and if so, what in?

My Reply:
According to the Bible, the only quality of being "good" is accepting and being in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. All the other stuff you mentioned are nice, but they don't constitute somebody who's "good" in God's eyes, and should thus be judged about the same as those who don't have those characteristics.
The parable of the Prodigal Son tells us that even when we fall away, even far and to the point of basically giving God the middle finger, He's awaiting our return, and when we do, He'll welcome us with open arms, even reinstating us to full-blown heirs.

The Bible tells us that King David was "a man after God's own heart". He was a great leader, but he was also human, and humans fail. Our leaders today: though many are liars, even those who aren't will fail us some time during their time in power, just as David did his people. I think that looking at the story of Daniel might help in answering your question: Daniel supported his leaders and prayed for them, the kingdom, and himself in serving them. But He believed in and trusted God. Also in the history of Daniel, his devout loyalty to the Lord influenced many of the kings/leaders and their decisions in leadership.

---Pastor Andy

Christians' Lack Of Discerning Good from Evil

Question: Why don't Christians have discernment of good and evil any longer? In the end, to the churchgoer, will Jesus say; ''depart from me you sinners, I never got a chance to know you?" Will it be a complete surprise?

My Answer:

I’m a little confused by your question.

In the Old Testament, we often read about God calling His people back to Him. Why? Because though God wanted them to be Holy, or set apart from the other nations, they wanted to mix in and be like the other nations. This soon corrupted their thoughts, behaviors, and even worship.

In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (as well as all the other churches he wrote to), the outside world's culture was leaking into the Church. They were nobodies before entering the Church, and once they began gaining status, they began behaving as those outside the church.

I have come to notice many Christians today making the same mistakes as both groups mentioned. We're called to be Holy, but so many "Christians" today want to fit in with the world...they don't want to offend anybody with their faith, or exclude anybody, even though the scriptures say that many will be; they begin believing only the parts they want in the Bible; and they no longer see the urgency (or even importance) of the Gospel. And so therefore, they fall away from the Truth, causing them to have difficulties discerning good from evil.

Will Jesus say "depart from me, evildoers, for I never knew you."? Maybe, for Christianity is all about the relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ. If they lost sight of Him and put their focus onto a false god or a false image of Christ, then such is a possibility. (Just because somebody looks like your best friend, doesn't mean they even know who you are).

---Pastor Andy

Picture courtesy of...

Is God Good or Bad?

Question: On balance, is God good or bad? (If God exists at all!)

My Reply:
Jesus often talked about the vine, tree, and fruit. For example, you won't find an apple growing from an orange tree, and you won't find figs on a grapevine. The fruit of the tree tells us what type of tree it is...it reflects or represents the tree.
The Bible tells us in Genesis 1 that everything God created was "good". The Bible also tells us that it wasn't until sin entered the picture that the "good"-ness of creation was tainted. And sin didn't enter in through God, but through humans and spirits whom were bad.
Another way of looking at this is, "sin" is known as bad, right? And God doesn't like sin, right? So when we sin, it's bad.
If God was bad, then why would He hate something that's bad? He wouldn't. But He does. So God can't be bad, because what's bad comes from that which is bad, and what's good comes from that which is good. So if (since) God hates what's bad, then the only other option is that God must be good.
Also, God gave a way to be cleansed from the bad (repenting & accepting Jesus). So then if the bad is taken away, what's left is good. One who's bad wouldn't give a way to clean off the bad...one who's bad would want to taint the good. But God gave a way to take away the bad and make us good, and prefers the good over the bad. So then, God must be good.

---Pastor Andy

picture courtesy of: http://www.jewcy.com/artists/mike_darnell