Why Will Some People Go To Hell?

Dear Pastor Andy, why do Christians say that anyone who isn't a Christian or doesn't believe in Jesus is going to Hell?  Christians also say love thy neighbor and be civil or something along those lines.  Saying anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus is going to hell is not loving and not civil.  Explain yourself. 

My Reply:

Here's the thing.

God loves you...He REALLY does. In fact, God loves you SO much that He died (as Jesus) for you, and He died for you not to lay a guilt trip on you, but so that you could be with Him for all eternity. All you have to do is accept Him now (during your lifetime) by accepting Jesus as your Lord and God, and you will spend eternity with Him. This place where He is is Heaven.

God REALLY wants you to join Him there, and He's opened the door. But if you don't walk through the door, which is Jesus (John 14:6), then you obviously won't go join Him there. And since there are only 2 places to go when you die, you'll go to the other place.

You say it's not loving? God doesn't force you to love Him back. He gives you the choice to believe in Him, have faith in Him, accept Him, get to know Him, love Him...He says that if you truly seek Him, you'll find Him. But if you choose not to seek Him, then He won't force you...that's love. If He forced you, then that wouldn't be love.

God gave you the choice...the ball's in your court. Will you choose God who's in Heaven, or not God, which leads to the other place (Hell). Either way, it's your choice, and that's love...and it's also fair.

What's the difference between love and lust?

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Question:
What's the difference between love and lust?

My Reply:
I believe that both love and lust are about desires, but that the difference is their focus:

Lust focuses on self...it's about selfishness...fulfilling your own wants (and needs?) for your own sake.

Sex before marriage is a good example of lust, for you're basically saying that you can't wait until you're married (or don't want to get married, and just want) to experience sex with this person.  But if you really loved them, you'd hold off, and fight the urges out of love for them.  One may argue that sex (even before marriage) is an expression of love.  The fact though is that lust is just influencing your desires and "feelings", making you think it's love, or making you think it's OK.  But if you really love somebody, you'll guarantee a lifelong commitment to them by marrying them...and waiting until after marriage to "express you love for them".

Love, on the other hand, focuses on the other person and commitment with them...it's also sacrificial; fulfilling the wants and needs of somebody else for their sake.  Love is also so much more than just a feeling.  It's an action, it's a choice, and real love is unconditional (which is often very difficult):

1. Love is an action because it's to be shared, not held onto and kept to one's self...it also requires a response.
2. Love is a choice because you can actually choose to or not to love somebody or love somebody back.  For example, say you're married and somebody else comes along who makes you feel worthy and upbeat.  As a married person, you're physically and spiritually bound to your spouse. So even though this other person may cause a more desired "feeling" within you, you must choose whether or not to allow your feelings / lust to turn into love for them, thus committing adultery against your spouse, or setting up boundaries to remain faithful.  Another example of love being a choice is arranged marriages.  You may not even like the person you're arranged to marry.  But now you can choose to love them, which would make the marriage better, or you could refuse to love them, which would probably make the marriage hell.  But either way, it's your choice
3. Real love is unconditional.  For example, look at the people of the world.  Look at the jerk who cut you off the other day.  Look at the criminal on the news. Look even at yourself.  Do any of us/them deserve God's love?  Seriously?  No, we/they don't.  We sin, we reject God's will, we disobey Him, we put other things in life before Him...we really don't deserve God's love.  But for some non-understandable reason, God does anyway.  He loves us so much that He came to us in human form, born as a baby to experience life as we do, suffered as we do, and allowed Himself to be murdered by the people He loves.  Why? So we may be ABLE to spend the rest of eternity with Him.  And out of His love for us, God gave us freedom of choice to decide for ourselves whether or not we even want to spend eternity with Him.  We don't deserve it, yet He gives it anyway.  The Apostle Paul even said that he's completely 100% convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love.  We don't deserve God's love, yet He offers it to us, and even in our rejecting Him, He continues to love us (while respecting our decisions).  He doesn't love us for His own sake, but for our sake.  That's unconditional love, and it's the most difficult one to imitate.

---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

Why is there hate in this world?

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

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

Why turn the other cheek?

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Question:

I think if the child you love was to hit you on the cheek, you will not hit him back. You will try to understand what hurts him so much that he has to hurt you to feel better. You will tell him 'if you have to hit me to feel better, keep doing it'. Hence turning the other cheek is the way of love towards humanity. What do you think?

 My Reply:

Eh, sorta, but not really.  Here's an example: Abraham Lincoln once said that the best way to destroy your enemies is to make them your friends. 

When somebody strikes you, you don't want to invite them to keep hitting you. But if you retaliate in violence, then you've made matters worse, especially if they are another member in the Body of Christ (the Church).  Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loved/loves us, and to make every effort to be at peace with one another.  By turning the other cheek, versus exacting revenge, we're obeying these commands, as well as promoting the possibility of gaining a new friend (or brother).

---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

What are some things that are without limits?

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Question:

What are some things that are without limits?

My Reply:

1. Eternal life
2. God's love for His creation
3. The Devil's evil-ness
4. Space/sky (the universe)
5. A corner in a circle ;)

---Pastor Andy

Name-Calling Girlfriend

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Question: How many times would you take name calling and accusations from your girlfriend before you've had enough?

My Reply:

2 things come to mind with this:

1) Often times, name calling is how girls fight back in arguments...it's like their way of rising up above you. Many women are not very good at arguments without criticizing and name calling though...so they need to learn a new way, and that often starts with you also learning a new way of working out disagreements. If you love her enough to work things out, then I'd suggest looking into ways of communicating better.

2) If it's just part of her personality, then dude, get out. A good relationship doesn't consist of knocking down and demeaning. And that's not the fruit of love...it's the fruit of hatred. And maybe she doesn't know how to love...but you shouldn't have to be her practice dummy.

---Pastor Andy

Q: Why do we carry on living?

My Reply:

Because we can...because we have a God who loves us and wants us to live for Him...because though this life is temporary, anything aside from it is permanent (and so if we ended it, we can't change our minds later)...

Life's tough, sometimes it sucks, but nothing we go through is anything that somebody else somewhere, some time didn't already overcome before us.

---Pastor Andy

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Why Didn't Jesus Prevent His Own Crucifixion?

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Question:

Jesus turned water into wine and raised Lazarus from the dead. Wouldn't common sense dictate that he turn the crucifix into a horse that he could ride away on and escape or turn the crown of thorns into a more comfortable hat (or at least something along these lines)?
I’m not very learned when it comes to the Bible (I haven’t read it, but I did see Mel Gibson’s movie and have heard several recounts from friends).  But I DO know that whenever Jesus encountered a problem (no wine at his friend’s party, he turned water into wine AND when his friend died he raised him from the dead)…my friend told me that Jesus solves all problems, but it seems that his biggest gaffe was not solving the problem of his own murder!

My Reply:

Although Jesus could have prevented His crucifixion, He didn't because it was the whole reason He came in the first place.
In His crucifixion, He took upon Him the sins of the world (yours, mine, everybody's!). But most of all, He had to be crucified (the worst way of dying in that time, also the most cursed way according to the Hebrew Law) in order to be resurrected, which is His main purpose. It was the only way we could be with Him for all eternity.
So today, people see His crucifixion as weakness, but it was actually Jesus' great strength, for He LET Himself be crucified. Jesus loves us enough and wants us to be with Him so badly that He paid the price that we couldn't pay...it's the power of genuine love.  All we have to do now to actually be with Him is to accept His invitation whole (or broken) -heartedly.

---Pastor Andy

Does He Like Me Or My Friend?

Question:

I have a friend who is basically my best friend. We have a close-knit group of friends that includes this guy I really like. The problem though is that I think he likes my best friend.  Sometimes I notice signs that would suggest that he does, like the fact that he and my best friend are always flirting and texting.  But then sometimes I get signals that are directed towards me, like I always catch him looking at me, and when I notice him looking, he always quickly turns away, or like when he bumps into me or even laughs at a joke I make.  But then, I also notice that he always has a reason to touch my best friend, and he laughs so hard  at her jokes that he cries.  They get along so well in front of people and alone, but when he and I are alone I get sooo shy and don't know what to say. 

I am so confused, and I can't stop thinking about him.  I love my best friend, but I just don't know what to think, and my heart aches when I think him or when I watch the two of them flirt.  Can you please give me opinions or advice of my situation?

 My Reply:

I would suggest 2 things:
1) Talk with your friends about how you feel about the guy and see if she has similar feelings for him. If she does, back off from him and put your feelings aside. If she doesn't have similar feelings, then letting her know how you feel should cause her to back off from the flirting with him (best friends back off).

2) After you talk with her, talk with him. Because if your best friend doesn't have feelings for him, then it's a go for you, but you need to know where he stands with her (for if you two should date, it wouldn't be right if he still flirted with her. And if he does, then get out before your emotions grow too strongly, otherwise it could put a wedge between you and your best friend). If it ends up your best friend does like him, then you need to back off and let him know that you're backing off and why, for it's not good for him to be giving you mixed signals while they pursue one another, nor is it good for you to respond to his signals when you know how your friend feels about him.

My point is that you all need to be on the same page about what's going on and where everybody stands.

---Pastor Andy

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Non-Christians in Hell?

Question:
Christians: Why do you say that anyone who isn’t Christian or doesn’t believe in Jesus is going to hell? You also say "love thy neighbor" and "be civil" or something along those lines. Saying anyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus is going to hell is not loving and not civil.  Explain yourselves!

My Reply:
Here's the thing:
God loves you...He really does. In fact, God loves you so much that He died (as Jesus) for you, and He died for you not to lay a guilt trip on you, but so that you could be with Him for all eternity. All you have to do is accept God now (during your lifetime) through Jesus Christ, and you will spend eternity with Him. This place where God is, is Heaven.
God REALLY wants you to join Him there, and He's opened the door. But if you don't walk through the door, which is Jesus (John 14:6), then you obviously won't go join Him there. And since there are only 2 places to go when you die, you'll go to the other place (Hell).

You say it's not loving? God doesn't force you to love Him back. He gives you the choice to believe in Him, have faith in Him, accept Him, get to know Him, love Him...He says that if you truly seek Him, you'll find Him. But if you choose not to seek God, then He won't force you...that's love. If God forced you, then that wouldn't be love.

God gave you the choice...ball's in your court. Will you choose God who's in Heaven, or not God, which leads to the other place (Hell). But either way, it's your choice, and that's love, and it's also fair.