|
Table of Contents
What Does the
...the Bible
|
Hidden Actions:
Crowns:
Are there different levels of crowns for those in heaven and going to? I cannot find any Biblical references.
Thanks for your question. There are definitely different crowns that are awarded in heaven. Whether one is better than another, it doesn't really say. But the Bible is clear that there will be different levels of rewards. Our rewards in heaven will be based on our work here on earth.
First, here is a list of some of the different crowns:
Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Rev. 4:10 tells us that all the crowns of reward that we will receive will be cast at Jesus' feet, because after all, he is the only one worthy to receive glory.
We will be rewarded in heaven for our service on earth. What exactly those rewards are, I wouldn't want to say for certain. However, I believe that the rewards will mean greater service for the Lord, more responsibility (Mt 25:14-30).
Here are some verses that tell us that our rewards will be based on our works:
1 Cor 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
2 Cor 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
I hope that helps answer your question.
Forgiveness:
I need advice on how to comfort the first lady of my church (which happens to be my uncle's wife). Some members of the church (which my uncle is the pastor) said some really mean, hurtful, unkind, and hateful things to her daughter, and in turn, her daughter has left the church, stating that she could no longer worship at a church with people who would say those kinds of things to her.
My aunt is so deeply hurt that she does not want to ever come back to our church. She said that she would rather not be around those people of the church that confessed to loving her, my uncle, and their daughter, and turn around and slander and hurt her daughter.
My aunt states that she loves those members and she always will.
This whole situation is beginning to put a strain on her and my uncle's relationship. My uncle wants her back at church by his side, and he really misses her being there with him and worshipping with him at church.
What biblical advice can I give to her to help her overcome this hurt.
Thank you for your anticipated help, God bless you
It is so sad to hear how Christians treat each other at times. It is so hurtful to know that there are people out there who can say hurtful things and not seem to care. But the question is how do we respond.
If we carry a bitterness in our heart toward someone who has wronged us, it's like a cancer that will grow and it will destroy our relationship with God. That's why Jesus commanded us to forgive those that hurt us. No matter how "right" we are and how "wrong" they are, we must learn to forgive. Here are some verses to consider:
Mat 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The words in red are the words that Jesus spoke. He is telling us that if we expect the Father to forgive the sins that we commit, we have to be willing to forgive those that sin against us. Here are some more verses:
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
I hope this helps answer your question and I pray that peace will be restored in your church.
Divorce:
Is it wrong to date someone who is separated from his or her spouse while they are going through the legal paper work of divorce process?
They do not live together, they have sold the property and moved their separate ways they're waiting on the paperwork to be completed. Does this means until all paper is final then the two are still one. Even though they are physically not together.
This whole question of divorce and remarriage is a very difficult one in our culture today. However, I believe that the Bible tells us how we ought to live as Christians and I believe that it is just as relevant today in our culture as it was at the time it was written. God doesn't change his mind about his laws.
Therefore, I'm not going to give you my opinion, I'll just tell you what the Bible says about it:
1 Cor 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
Mat 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Mat 19:7-9 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. (also see Mark 10:2-9)
Mark 10:10-12 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he saith unto them,
Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
(also see Luke 16:18)
Marriage:
Hi.
I am born again Christian. I have grown alot with God's help and direction since b4 I became a Christian. I know I have plenty more to grow. I am noticing that changing my life has left me open to much pain and hurt. I am used to responding in my usual sinful way but I know better now that that would be detrimental in every way. More specifically, my husband and I attend church every Sunday and have many new Christian friends. With every disaggreement my husband and I have he brings up my sinful past and tells me to leave him and that he deosn't want me anymore. The old me would leave. The new me says stay....their are children involved and be an example. My husband shows me NO emotion or affection whatsoever. I know what I am not getting from him I am supposed to look to God for and I do. I desparately need spiritual advice. We have been married for 3 1/2 years. My husband does not drink or do any drugs nor do I. We are in our late 30's. I have 2 children from 2 previous relationships (17 & 7) and one child (3) from this marriage. My (so-called) saved husband constantly reminds me that I should be grateful to him for taking me in with 2 children and giving me a beautiful home to live in and I shouldn't ever bring up any issues or have any disaggreements with him because of this privilaged life he has given me. I know that this is a wrong attitude but it is no use trying to get him to see that. Not by gently telling him or introducing him to other Christian couples who can offer good witness. Am I wrong for questioning whether I should be married to this man. Certainly there are women out there that have it much worse. Does God want me to stay here and be hurt this way? I admit in Christian fellowship that I am a sinner and am in great need of God's forgiveness. My husband bring this up in arguments..... ha says, "You admit yourself that you are no good!!!" But that is not what I mean. Aren't we all sinners including him? Pleas Please help me. I am ready to turn my and my children's lives upside down and I want to know whether or not that is the right thing do. My life certainly does not depend on your answer but with your Christian advice and the advice of other Christiians and my answers to prayer....certainly I should me able to come up with a good plan. Thanks Beverly
Dear Beverly;
I will certainly be praying for you. It must be very difficult and lonely in the situation you are in right now. But there is hope and there is hope for your husband and your marriage. God is in the business of making things new again and he can renew your marriage as well. Please don't loose faith in what God can do.
In your email you admit that you had a sinful past. When your husband is being mean to you, remember how much God has changed you and remind yourself that God can work the same magnitude of change in your husband. Remember how much God has forgiven you, and determine in your heart that you will show the same grace to your husband and forgive him. Remember how many years God waited for you to ask forgiveness and determine in your heart that you will also be "long suffering" and wait for your husband. When you need a reminder (and you will) go to your Bible and read Matthew 18: 23-35.
I think God does want you to stay in your marriage. I find no place in the Bible that says that we are free to break our vows before God if we are being emotionally hurt or if our spouse is being mean. I know that is not the most popular answer, but it's the truth.
The key here is prayer. You are already praying I'm sure. But prayer is the only answer to this situation. I am always amazed at the way God works and he certainly does answer prayer. But, I would begin by praying that the Lord will first change you. This is always hard because it seems unfair when it's the other person that is being mean. But God can change your husband's heart by using you as a godly example (read 1 Corinthians 7:13-17).
Then I'd pray for your husband. I would be specific. Pray that the Lord will soften his heart. Pray that if he's really isn't saved that the Lord would bring him to a point that he would be saved. Pray that the Lord will change his heart.
Earnest DAILY prayer for your husband will have another benefit. It's very hard to stay angry at someone, no matter how badly they have hurt you, if you are earnestly praying for them each day. You will find that God will give you the patience and forgiveness to sustain you if you ask him to.
When your husband says something hurtful to you, try very hard not to respond in the same manner
What you need to remember is that it's not your job to change your husband and as a matter of fact, you can't change him. But, God can. Prayer is the answer.
I hope this has helped some. I will pray for your marriage and if you think of it, you can pray for mine. With God's help, maybe we can grow and become stronger Christians as we deal with life's difficulties. God bless.
Self Esteem:
It was brought up in our women's Bible study this week. How do we build our children's self esteem without us showing how proud we are of them when they have accomplished something? The Bible says that pride is a sin. We all were having a great deal of concern about this subject. We know that the glory is given to the Lord for our accomplishments. We were in hopes that some light could be shed on this subject. Please respond with some information for me to take back to Bible study next Wed.
Thank you,
Dear Shaun;
Thank you for your email. This is definitely a touchy and timely question. Seems like every problem facing an individual today is attributed to "low self esteem." I am very troubled by this trend because it's my opinion that most people suffer from too much self esteem. What I mean is that people concentrate too much on their own self and their own problems. I have grappled with this question myself in dealing with my own children. And I often find myself telling them "I am so proud of you for doing ...." (fill in the blank). Perhaps "proud" is not the term we should be using. Maybe we should be saying "I am so pleased with the A you got in math" or "I was very pleased that you were kind to Billy even though he was mean to you."
As for instilling self esteem to our children, I think we should be very careful to emphasize that anything good in us comes directly from God. When we tell our children that they were created individually by God, to fulfill a specific purpose according to the will of God, we instill in them a sense of worth far greater than worldly psychology can provide.
Rom 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
I hope that helps.
Wearing the Cross:
My pastor quoted a statement the other day in bible study, saying that if & when we wear a cross it is to be worn under cover or hidden. I asked him to show me where that is in the Bible. I'm the type of person that reads up on material if something don't sound right. I have not been able to find that in the word of GOD. I think we ( people of GOD) should quit telling people things that are not Biblical. I belong to a COGIC church, & I read the word of GOD for myself & my husband who is a minister as well, has not been able to find that either. Please help, I need an answer ASAP.
Retrina
Dear Retrina;
I have never heard that before. I doubt very much that you will find anything like that in the Bible because people didn't go around wearing crosses. The cross being a form of execution, would be a very odd thing to have around your neck as jewelry. I have read that early Christians used the symbol of the fish as a way of identification (I'm sure you've heard that as well). I wouldn't want to disagree with your pastor without trying to understand the point he was making.
The problem I see is that human beings in general have a tendency to worship things rather than God. Folks become a little too reverent of the inanimate object, in this case the cross, and lose focus on the Living God. There are many examples of this through scripture (Moses rod, the serpent in the desert, etc) Maybe that was the point your pastor was trying to make.
That being said, I can't think of any scripture that would prohibit wearing a cross. In fact, I have found it to be a great witnessing tool. It identifies us as followers of Jesus.
70 Years of Life:
First of all, thank you for receiving my e-mail. I know in Psalms 90:10 it speaks of man living for 70 years. Where else does it say in the Old Testament that God has promised man to live 70 years of life? Your response to this would be most appreciated. Thank you.
Dear Mark;
Thank you for your email. This is an interesting question. I don't know of anyplace in the Bible, OT or NT, that we are promised a certain number of years of life. Even in Psalm 90:10 it is not a promise, just a statement of fact. The average life span is 70 and sometimes longer as the verse says "and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years." Prior to the Flood, people lived to be eight and sometimes nine hundred years old (see Gen. 5). To those people, dying at 70 would be dying young.
The Bible does say that righteous living increases longevity. This makes sense to me because not only will God bless those that are striving to do His will, but also because there are many sinful activities that are harmful to our bodies and therefore decrease the years of our life. Here are some examples:
Psa 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
Prov 3:1-2 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Prov 9:10-11 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
Prov 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
Prov 11:19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
I think in the case of Psalm 90, the point is that we are to make the most of the time that we have. Our time here on earth is insignificant compared to eternity. Look at these verses
I think that verse 12 gives us the perfect summary:
Willful Sin:
God Bless:
Could you please explain (so I can share it with a co-worker) how the Bible judge sinners that know the true of sin and yet they said " God is a forgiven God, i will sin then at the end i will ask for forgiveness".
thanks,
Dear Evelyn;
Thank you for your question. There are a few verses that come immediately to mind. Paul speaks directly to this issue in Romans. I must admit that the wording in Romans is sometimes difficult to follow, but the point is clearly made that we are no longer to allow sin to have any place in our lives:
While it is true that our works or actions are not what secures our place in eternity, our works or actions determine the rewards. As born again Christians we should be spending our time pursuing Our Father's will, not pursuing sinful or worldly things. We will be judged according to our works, and the things we do for the Father will remain, the things that we do for ourselves will be burnt up:
Anyone that understands the great price that Jesus paid for our sins, shouldn't want any part of sin. When we willfully sin even after we've accepted salvation through Jesus' sacrifice, we are separating ourselves from fellowship with the Lord.
Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
The person that continues to sin does so to his own peril:
For those that have heard the salvation message and have rejected it thinking that they will wait till the end of their days I would tell them that "now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2). We don't know from one moment to the next if we are going to be here on this earth or face to face with our Creator. At the end of my days when I stand before the Lord, I would rather hear the words "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Mat 25:21) than hear the words "depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Mat 7:23). That is a chilling thought.
|