Questions of the Week
Question of the week is your opportunity to ask a question, to make an inquiry….to wonder, “What does God have to say about that issue?” You can get your “Question of the week” on the agenda by writing it in on the back of our welcome card available at the round tables we sit at every weekend in our public service. We receive it, put it into the queue and eventually it rises to the top and we deal with your particular question. Above all, it is not a matter of what we say, or think, or feel or even believe…..it’s all about what God’s Word the Bible has to say!
My friends say it’s wrong to play cards. I can’t find that in the Bible. Are they right or just extremists?
Some Christian groups have taught that certain cards had “evil” meanings and that the practice of card playing has been associated with gambling which as a whole the bible mentions in negative terms such as those that gambled for Jesus’ garments while he died on the cross. Further the scripture forbids trying to tell the future, a practice that many have done with cards of various types 'I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and fortune-tellers for advice,” Lev 20:6
What about remarriage after your spouse dies. Good idea or bad?
The Bible teaches that there is nothing inappropriate about remarriage after the death of your spouse. In fact remarriage is rather common and usually within a relatively short period of time after their partner passes away. The U.S. Census states that on the average, widowers will remarry within 3 years of the death of their wives, and widows remarry within 5 years.
How do you know if the Holy Spirit is living within you?
Christians sometimes question whether they have really been born again of God's Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit is a spirit, he is not someone we feel, touch or sense in the ordinary way that we might discern a physical object. Of course, our emotions and feelings are a part of our spiritual life. But we can sometimes "feel" as though we are charged with the Holy Spirit and at other times "feel" as though we aren't. Both feelings can't be right, because the Holy Spirit does not enter and leave us on a repeated basis. When we are born of God's Holy Spirit we are a new creation and always have the Spirit within to guide us.
Why doesn’t God want us to know everything?
While it may seem that God “hides” information from us the Biblical perspective is that it is God’s nature to be creative in all that He has made and knows and it is a part of our development process to search out such things. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11
Can we say the Koran is historically accurate?
Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind, and consider the original Arabic text to be the final revelation of God. Islam holds that the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad by the angel Jibr?l (Gabriel) from 610 AD to his death in 632 AD. The Qur’an was written down by Muhammad's companions while he was alive, although the prime method of transmission was oral. In 633 AD, the written text was compiled, and in 653 AD it was standardized, distributed in the Islamic empire and produced in large numbers.
Is the mustard seed the smallest seed like Jesus said it was?
Then Jesus told another story: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. That seed is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes big enough for the wild birds to come and build nests in its branches."Today, we know that there are seeds even smaller than the mustard seed. For instance, the orchid seed is so small and fine that it's almost dust-like. There are those who would also question whether a mustard seed could ever grow into a tree that is large enough to hold a bird nest.
Once Saved Always Saved?
If you accept God as your Lord and Savior, are baptized and begin you life with God then something happens that makes you no longer believe, have you lost your place in heaven/eternal life? In Ezekiel 18 there is this picture painted of a righteous grandfather who has a wicked son who has a righteous grandson. The prophet says that each person is responsible for there own actions and the person that sins is the person that dies and children are not responsible for the sin of their parents. So you can’t blame your parents for how you are.
Scientology... What is it?
Scientology has attracted considerable attention in world news the past couple of weeks. Scientology and its celebrity adherents, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, sometimes attract controversy in the United States. But it has faced more legal challenges in Europe, particularly in France, where some government officials have described the group as a cult. A Paris court fined the Church of Scientology over $900,000 for fraud and aggressive sales tactics. Recent news coverage has resulted in a number of people asking what Scientology is all about.
The Bible seems to associate magicians with false prophets, astrologers etc. So is it okay to watch someone like Chris Angel on his program Mind Freak?
There is a difference between the magicians spoken of in the Bible and the magicians and illusionists one sees today at parties and in stage show acts. The magicians in the Bible either gained their power from demonic forces, or else they were little more than charlatans who pretended to have great knowledge, to discover secrets, tell fortunes, and predict things to come.
Why did God allow polygamy / bigamy in the Bible?
The question of polygamy is an interesting one in that most people today view polygamy as immoral while the Bible nowhere explicitly condemns it. The first instance of polygamy/bigamy in the Bible was that of Lamech in Genesis 4:19: “Lamech married two women.” Several prominent men in the Old Testament were polygamists. Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, and others all had multiple wives. In 2 Samuel 12:8, God, speaking through the prophet Nathan, said that if David’s wives and concubines were not enough, He would have given David even more. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (essentially wives of a lower status), according to 1 Kings 11:3. What are we to do with these instances of polygamy in the Old Testament?
Is the peace symbol an upside down cross?
Well, others might disagree but it seems to me the history of the peace sign has to do with the nuclear disarmament movement. The symbol is actually a combination of semaphoric flag signals that spell out the letters ND for Nuclear Disarmament….. according to the creator of the sign Gerald Holtom, a professional designer and artist in Britain. So, at least to me the answer is no….but some Christians (and others) have a habit of seeing what they want to see in some things.
Can we feel spirits after loved ones have died?
Can we feel spirits after loved ones have died? Is this a God-thing or something else? (My sister keeps telling me she feels my Mom’s and sister’s spirit and speaks to them. When I was there last week I felt a cold breeze several times.)Well, it may be possible to feel “spirits” but I think knowing what spirit they are is another matter
”When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium who consults the dead” Deuteronomy 18:9-11