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

Trying To Figure Out Reincarnation

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Question:

I have heard non-religious folks say that energy doesn’t come from nothing, and that when you die, it is like your energy is released back into the earth. I think many religions with the belief of "reincarnation" actually share this similar idea...in a way, religions with a belief in reincarnation could be sharing fundamental ideas, because in both, there is some sort of cycle, like a recycling of energy.  In reincarnation, it is believed that the energy or soul, or whatever, is concentrated to "reappear" in another body: human, dog, cricket, etc... but what if the energy is actually released equally to the ground, plants, air, etc? Maybe the idea of reincarnation is partly right. What do you think? Do you think this energy releasing thing that non-religious people believe is similar to the reincarnation belief? Thanks.

My Reply:

Do I believe in reincarnation? No.
Do I believe in resurrection?  Yes, but the 2 are not the same (nor are they close).

Hindus believe in reincarnation in the sense that it's not something to glorify, but something to dread, or an ongoing hell. As I understand it, their hope is to one day stop reincarnating and finally go to whatever they consider to be like heaven or something, and the only way they can do this is by selfish works/deeds. As for things you jump into, that's why they often won't kill roaches or eat cows...because they believe such may be former relatives.

New Agers and the non-religious, on the other side, see reincarnation as something to glorify, a continuous of life in the physical world, like the "spark" or "energy” you mentioned. But in terms of things they jump into, instead of hearing that one was a sacrificed dove or squashed bug, you'll usually hear them say they were somebody of valor (or tragedy) in their "past lives".
I suppose they believe this because they can't (or won't) believe in a spiritual God who wants them to spend (a non-worldly) eternity with Him, who offers salvation freely through grace, should they accept it, versus selfish (or charitable) deeds/works. And though some may in fact believe in a spiritual being who is in charge of the way things work, it's not the Lord.

Christians (meaning those of us who have an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ), on the other hand, believe in resurrection. We're told that we'll die physically, but spiritually, we'll go to be with the Lord, and one day in the future, our bodies will be resurrected (but as resurrected bodies), as was Jesus' at His resurrection. We also believe that the Body and Spirit are one, not separate as those who believe in reincarnation believe.

So to reincarnate is to become carnate again...return to life in the physical, fleshy world. I suppose this could also mean plants, for even the Native Americans' religions often talked of the spirits of the trees (though I don't think they believed such were spirits of their ancestors).

But resurrection in the Christian sense is to live again, only in a completely non-fleshy world.  And honestly, among the 2, I suggest focusing your attention on this one.

---Pastor Andy

Fate vs. Destiny

Question:

Do you believe everything is meant to happen?

Whether you're religious or not, do you believe that certain things in life will happen no matter what they are, and just your 'destiny' like in the final destination movie. Or what do you believe?

My Reply:

I believe everything happens for a reason, but not that everything's meant to happen.
The Lord has a plan, and what He plans will happen. Sometimes He lets us know what His will & plan are, sometimes not. I also think that our decision of an action depends on the outcome of the event. For example:

If you have a Bible, look up the book of Judges (start with chapter 20, verse 19): when the Israelites went to battle against their own brothers (the Benjaminites), they went up twice, and got knocked back both times. It wasn't until they all prayed, fasted, and put their focus' on the Lord that He gave them victory. 
So defeat was imminent until they finally all humbly went before the Lord. Had they done so in the beginning, it's possible that they wouldn't have experienced the losses.

---Pastor Andy

Calligraphy, courtesy of:

Fate

Destiny