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.

Has Your Faith Ever Been Tested?

Question:  Has your faith in God ever been tested?  Mine has, many times in my life.

My Reply:

Always!  My faith is ALWAYS tested.  Remember, we're on the frontline, so it should be expected.  Granted, that doesn't make it any easier or more fun, but it does strengthen our faith each time.

Somebody told me once, "When we're tested, try seeing it as a 'Pop-quiz' instead of a 'test'."  Their reason for saying this is because, if we pass, great!  Our faith will be stronger for the next one.  But if we fail, then we can always take it over. ;)

---Pastor Andy

Feeling That God is Far Away

Question:  Do we sometimes feel God is far away, and forget that we serve a Christ who is not far off, but living in us?  In Christ we have personal and immediate access to the presence of God.  Do we forget that sometimes?

My Reply:

One of our greatest flaws is our emotions.  Actually, emotions aren't the flaw, but how we so strongly base our choices and beliefs on how we respond to them.  For they're great in many ways, but they're what make us feel like we're alone, even when we're not.  Playing on our emotions is also one of Satan's greatest weapons against us, for we make our decisions based on how we feel.
But you're right. We need to remember that we're not alone, even if we feel like we are.  For instance, sometimes I'll pray and won't feel the presence of God there.  But because of my faith, I know He's there. So I just talk anyway, regardless of how I feel (sort of like the "Footprints in the Sand" poem).

---Pastor Andy

Doubting Your Faith?

Question:

Say you attend church (b/c the ones in my town are nothing more than popularity contests) and you pray, but you find yourself questioning the actuality of it....and you don't wanna say you don't believe because you kinda do.....
It sounds like a religious procrastination..... I'm lost!

My Reply:

There's a place in the Bible (Mark 9:21-24) where a man tells Jesus, "I believe! Please help me with my disbelief (or doubt)!"

The basics of Christianity is that it's not a "religion" for the sake of obtaining salvation, but a "Relationship" with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

If you believe Jesus exists and acknowledge Him with your lips as Lord, then you're saved (Romans 10:9). But then you need to nurture your relationship with Him by praying, reading scripture, meeting with other Christians in worship...spending time with Jesus, not for the sake of "doing", but for the sake of "becoming" like Him.

A wise man once told me, "Don't be so focused on labels."  If you're not sure, pray and ask for help with your doubt.  You could start off by saying, "God, I'm confused..." and mention everything you typed in this question. Then keep your eyes open for His answers.


You could also ask for help in finding a church where you could freely worship Him with others who have prayed for the same opportunity.

---Pastor Andy

Lessons From the Journey

Question:

What have you learned from walking with the Lord that others could benefit from?

My Reply:

One of the first things I learned when I got to know Jesus was that of all the friends I had, Jesus is the ONLY one who'd never let me down.

Why Do We Just Need Faith?

Dear Pastor Andy, I'm a Catholic and went to Catholic School (2nd - 8th grade) and have read much of the Bible there. This is a serious question and I want serious answers. I have been struggling with weather I believe and feel bad.  I was an Atheist for a couple years after 8th grade and this std speech guy came to our school and told us a ton of blatant lies about sex and std's (this made me really mad) and i had been noticing many contradictions in the Bible.  Why do we just need faith, why doesn’t He just tell us?  I can’t just believe the world simply is (a greater force had to create it) but I simply can’t believe in a god (it's to convenient, such as confession and to harsh such as gays going to hell when there born that way).  I don’t understand why I need faith.  Does it say in the Bible, why we need faith, and why?  And do you really believe God hates gays ... I'm worrying so much about religion lately.  Should I just pick up my morals and forget about God?

My Reply:

You sound sort of similar to this father who asked Jesus to heal his son, but the way he asked was, "If you can". Jesus basically asked what he meant by "if I can"? And the father replied, "I believe, help me with my disbelief (or doubt").

I don't know if you've ever seen any Indiana Jones movies, but in the one about the Holy Grail, Jones is following a book's direction, when he comes to a huge cliff and void. The book tells him to just walk across, but to the eye, he can see no way possible without falling to his death. But then, with no other reason, he steps out, actually expecting to fall, only to land his first foot onto a thin bridge that was camouflaged by the rocks across the way. All he had was faith, and it was his response to this faith that caused him to see the full truth, which in turn, caused him also to fully believe. But if he didn't have faith, then he'd never have been able to cross over to the other side.

The reason you need faith, as Paul explains in Romans and Galatians, is because there’s nothing else you can do to be saved. You can’t obey the Law, for the Law says that you must follow ALL the Law.  He uses Abraham as an example of somebody who was righteous before God because of his faith.  And because of his faith, God made a covenant with Him.  So now, to be connected with this covenant, we too must accept Jesus through faith, not by works.  And anybody who receives Jesus through faith is a child of Abraham, and as a child of Abraham, we’re heirs of the covenant/promise that God made with him.  But this is only achievable through faith.

As for "being born that way", if you mean born sinful or born into sin, then we were ALL born that way...not gay, but sinful.  And this sin that we're born into does tend to influence our decisions.  But then that explains all the more reason that we need Jesus to rescue us from our sin.

Honestly, I don't believe God hates gays.  Although I DO believe that God hates their gay desires and that they follow through on them.  Granted, many gays who I've spoken with did wrestle and struggle with Scripture about their desires, but still ended up giving into their desires.  Paul explains that such is sin, but because they chose their desires over God, God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful thing their hearts desired. He didn't ALLOW the sin, for it's still sin, but He let them continue in the way they chose.  And the reason for them going to hell isn't because God is sending them, but because they continue in their sins and continue to reject God and HIS ways...it's unrepentant, even justified sin.  

But to look at hell and condemnation, you also have to understand that anybody who continues in their sin, justifies their sin, and continues to reject God's ways are going to hell, also, not just homosexuals.  Many straight people do the same.  Heck, many people even claim the name of Jesus Christ as their Lord, but continue in their sinful ways, justify their sin as acceptable because they think it's OK as according to the culture of the day, and follow their sinful desires.  For example, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul gives a list of types of people who will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  But then look at verse 11: "Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."  In other words, regardless of one's sexuality, if they repent of their sins to Jesus, deny themselves, and give their whole selves to Jesus and His ways, then they will be saved.  Nobody is exempt from salvation.  But they must accept it and be willing to throw off their sin and sinful desires as if a coat that was on fire.  

There's a saying, "Jesus loves you enough to meet you where you're at, but loves you too much to leave you there."  Jesus WANTS you to allow Him to transform you into something that you're not now, but can and are destined to be, but you've got to first put your faith (trust) fully into Him, take His hand, and allow Him to guide you across the void, even if you can't yet fully see the road at the moment.

Take some time to read the passages linked throughout my answer, and take some time to ask Jesus for help in the areas where you have trouble believing Him and His Word. Talk also with your (or a) Priest/pastor, and pick up a mentor to help you grow in Christ.

---Pastor Andy

Why don't Atheists believe in God?

Question:

Why do atheists say that religion has to much faith when it takes more faith to believe that there is no god whatsoever and that everything is an accident and that a "big boom" came out of nowhere.

My Reply:

Most atheists aren't disbelieving in God because of faith (or lack of). Most atheists (whom I've talked with and/or listened to) don't believe in God because of pain, and anger that comes from this pain.
I think everybody either does or wants to believe in something, but when they're hurt, and people tell them that they should go to the place that just happens to be the place that hurt them in the first place (church, Christians, religious organizations, faith in God, etc.), they push away because they don't want to be hurt again, or because the previous pain has never healed.  And who wants to believe in a god that hurts and justifies the actions of those who hurt you?
So in the cases that I've come across, it's not so much disbelief for the sake of not believing, but disbelief as a choice. That's one of the reasons (I think) that even proof of God wouldn't change their minds.

---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

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:   

Mankind's Greatest Threat?

Question:

What’s the greatest threat to mankind?

My Reply:

"Indifference."
Regardless of what religion, faith, or political party you belong to, if we were to stop caring, the world would fall apart.

---Pastor Andy

Do You Believe In Ghosts?

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Question:  Do you believe in ghosts?

My Reply:

Do I believe they exist? Yes. Do I believe in them? No, meaning that they're not ghosts as we know from media or hype...they're demons. There's no such thing as a friendly ghost. Their main goal is to get people to become confused about God, and thus lose their faith in God.

If we believe ghosts are dead people, then we're saying God doesn't know what He's doing, God doesn't see all that goes on, or one may assume that even dead people can continue to torment the living, thus questioning God's promised judgment.
They may tell you things or cause you to believe that they're protecting you. This is also how bad people prey on their victims...they work on them through trust.

My point is, yes, they exist...I know this for a fact. But they're not something to mess with, become interested in, or "believe in".
Demons lie, and have no truth or good in them.

---Pastor Andy

Proof of Jesus

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Question:

This question has been unanswerable by Christians, do you have the guts to give this one a straight answer?  Their are like (lets say) 1,000 different religions in the world (actually a lot more). Each religion is no more valid than Harry Potter. In other words, each religion is as invalid as any other religion.
Here's the odd thing, Christians believe that if you choose to believe Jesus, you're saved.  But if you choose another religion to believe in, you're doomed, disregarding all your virtuous acts!
It is the exact same thing as putting 1,000 tennis balls in front of you. The only difference is that each ball is marked with a different number. Only one tennis ball is the correct one (suppose ball 24), if you choose the wrong ball, you're doomed! So basically, Christians believe that by blindly choosing the right ball, you are saved! How hilarious!
And don't tell me that there's any proof to your bible. If you really believe there's proof, then Jesus would've just appeared for everyone to see, but he hasn't!  The truth is that you believe that the Bible is true and every other religion is false with no basis at all. You just choose one ball and make up your mind that it's the correct ball with nothing to back it up.

My Reply:

Interesting analogy with the tennis balls. You're right to say that one would have to be the right one, and all the others would be wrong...at least you acknowledge the existence of A truth. That's further than most critics.
But now, in the case of the balls, let's say #24 is the right ball. Christians aren't the ones blindly choosing the balls, everybody else who believes that all the balls are also true are the ones choosing blindly. We Christians believe the right ball has been revealed to us, and so go to pick that ball.
 Now, as for Jesus appearing before tons of people for them all to see: Jesus actually did, only you weren't there to see it. After His resurrection, He appeared to over 500 people at a time (I don't know if they were all clustered in one place or because He's omni present, He appeared in different places). But the point is, we can say, "Oh, well that's what the Bible says." Yeah, but when the apostles preached and wrote their letters about Jesus' resurrection, those 500+ people were still living, and could've disproved their story at any time. But they didn't. In fact, nobody was able to disprove their message, or even prove them wrong. They could only argue with them to confuse their listeners, which they did.
And it's not only Gospel writers who talk about this, but even secular writers of and just after their time have written about the resurrection, the faith, the followers, the beliefs, and the events that go with them.
Basically, if you don't want to believe in anything about Jesus, then base it on the evidence, not personal disbelief. But the evidence all points to Jesus' resurrection.

Check out Josh McDowell's book: "Evidence of Christianity". It's a long read, but no doubt has some of the answers to your questions explained.  Or if you want a shorter book, then check out Lee Strobel’s book, “The Evidence for Christ”.

---Pastor Andy

Peter Walks On Water

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Question:

How is it even possible for Peter to have walked on water?  What does real faith look like?

My Reply:

Well, he walked on water for a little while anyway.
Man, there's so much to this story! Anyway, after Jesus walking on water and the 12 freaking out about it possibly being a ghost (which is weird that they freaked out since chapter 10 just got done telling us about how the 12 cast out demons and healed the sick), Peter ASKS Jesus, "Command me to come out to you on the sea!" (Dude, that's like begging Jesus to test you! You're just begging for failure!) So Jesus said, "Come." Peter walked for a couple steps, but then saw the waves & felt the wind, and began to sink. Why? Because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the elements around him that could hurt him. Then he yelled, "Lord, save me!" And Jesus caught his arm, lifted him up, and they both got into the boat.

So long story summarized, real faith is not sinking, but keeping your full focus on Jesus at all times. He commanded you, nothing can (nor must) keep you from going to Him. THAT'S what real faith looks like.

For some more on this, check out my other blog site.

---Pastor Andy

Things Keep Getting Worse

Question: Over the last 15 years, my luck has been so bad, and it’s just getting worse and worse, especially with regard to health, family and finance.  I just can't seem to get back up again…it seems the more I try the worse it gets.  I have prayed for help but, got none.  I'm seriously contemplating help from the dark side (black magic).  I'm that desperate!  Any tips for changing my bad luck?  The worry is making me ill.

My Reply:

First of all, I'll pray for you.
Second, Trust me on this...you do NOT want to turn to the dark side for help. The Lord won't let you down...keep asking for help, and keep your eyes peeled for His answer.  Just because you don’t see Him working, doesn’t mean He isn’t.

Leap of Faith turned Miracle turned Ministry Tool

Question: What is the biggest leap of faith you've ever taken?  Did it work out for you, or not? Would you do it again?

My Reply:

I was in a class for Urban Ministry in Chicago. We were in a small classroom of an inner-city church with a temporary sliding wall, and a team was talking on the topic of "power".
The presenter opened up the sliding wall and said, "This is my classroom, and everybody needs to leave." Everybody just looked at him and smiled. Then he pulled out a 9mm and said the same thing. Everybody ran out. I got up, but the Lord told me to sit back down, so I did. I even walked to the back of the classroom and sat on a pile of stacked chairs. He ordered me a couple times again to get out, but the Lord said to sit, so I sat.
Now looking down the barrel of the gun, as I'm assuming it's loaded with blanks, I'm also remembering the Brandon Lee incident...even though there were thought to have been blanks in the gun, something shot out of the barrel and killed him. But as I sat there, I figured if the Lord wants me home, He'll take me home. 
The guy asked me if I'm going to leave, and I asked, "What, are you going to shoot me?" And he said, "Yeah." He pulled the trigger, I blinked, and heard, "click". He cocked it and pulled the trigger again, "click." He tried this a few times, every time all we heard was "click".
Finally, I got up, figuring I'm ruining his presentation. So getting up, I said, "for the sake of your presentation, I'll get up."
Once out of the room, he had somebody take the gun outside to see what was wrong. On the first pull of the trigger, we all heard a loud "Boom!" The guy responded, "Sure, NOW it works!"

This was all recorded onto video tape in 2004 (or 2005).

I later learned that in such a room that we were in, the sound of the gun firing would've deafened us both for life. I also learned that at such a close distance (1-2 feet), something, even the paper from the blank, most often shoots out, and if it didn't kill me, it would've seriously fried my face, or I would’ve died from the burns.

The next semester, the guy who presented with the gun began attending the seminary where I was attending. He told me later that my response caused him to look at that school, and after watching the tape, he continues to use the experience from that day to minister to gang-bangers.

Would I do it again?  Sure, if the Lord tells me to do it again.

---Pastor Andy

Click here to read of a very similar event that just recently happened to one of my friends.

 

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Dream Question: About God Changing Things?

Question:
I don't remember everything, but it was about dawn when I woke up in my grandmother's house and saw some people walking around looking for stuff. I jumped up quickly and walked to them, seeing my mother, dad, and brother standing there.  When I asked what was wrong. My dad replied, "We can't find anyone." I asked, "What do you mean?" He replied to me that everyone was gone and that he thinks we're the only ones. I asked, "What do you mean, 'everyone's gone'?" My brother replied to my dad that he could neither find grandma nor grandpa, and that there was barely anyone around the area.  Suddenly, I didn't recognize my dad, and said, "Who are you?" He replied, "What are you talking about? I am your dad."  He tried to convince me of this, but I continued to deny it.  I looked at him and he just looked at me with a weird grin on his face.  Out of fear, I raced to the front door.  When I got outside, the sun was shining real bright, with this weird, orange, golden light, yet I was able to look up without being blinded.  When I again asked about what's going on, my dad replied that God changed everything..."He lowered the sun's frequency." Looking at my dad in disbelief, I asked again, "Where is everyone?" My dad replied that we're the only ones left.
My dream ended with me looking around, seeing an orange bright sun, then looking at my dad who was standing very still with a weird grin on his face.  What could this dream mean?

My Reply:

Often times, dreams may be inspired by something you watched on TV or read about recently. Although, they could also be messages from the Lord, spiritual attacks by demons, or what I call "fillers", which are dreams that mean nothing, but mostly just entertain you as you sleep.

Assuming it's a message from the Lord, some thoughts come to mind:

1. You were the only ones left: If this dream is from the Lord, then the only time you'd be alone in the house without your grandparents is if they're Godly, the rest of you aren't, and the dream portrays the rapture, when Christians meet Jesus in the clouds, and those who choose not to have anything to do with Jesus are left.  Although, if you're a friend of the Lord's also, then you may just be there as a spectator, and became first person when you sought clarification.
2. It was about dawn (sun going down): Jesus is the light, but there wasn't much light (in sync with #s 1 and 4).  
3. You couldn't recognize your dad, though he insisted he was:  This may portray somebody who is, does, or will try to portray himself as your father (authority figure, leader, somebody you trust, guide, etc.), and turns out to be the opposite (hence the weird grin). Your running outside from fear would represent your realization of this.
4. Lowering of the sun's frequency: Evil is revealed as darkness. If there was more darkness than light, then this could portray a great evil presence (or the coming of one).

But then, it also sounds as like a possible spiritual attack.  If this is the case, then:

1. Finding yourself alone creates anxiety, as it did in your dream.
2. If the rapture comes to mind, them the demon could be trying to get you to believe that you're not saved, thus questioning your salvation, faith, etc.
3. The person trying to convince you of being your dad could be the demon attacking you in your dream. They try to cause you to believe that what they're saying is true, yet there's a part of you that knows something's not right (they do this to me a lot, too). This would also explain the guy's "weird grin".
4. The orange sky and the guy saying that God changed something could also be connected with #2.

Either way, I'd suggest praying about it, asking the Lord for understanding.

---Pastor Andy