Q: How far can you go with your gf/bf without displeasing your parents or God?

The bottom line, biblically, is that your body is to be touched sexually by only your husband or wife. The way God sees it is that every person who is not your husband or wife is a brother or sister to you (1 Timothy 5:1-2, “Treat…older women as mothers and younger women as sisters, with absolutely purity.” So I guess that’s the easiest way to put it. So every time you’re with your gf/bf, ask yourself: Would I touch my sister this way? Would I touch my brother this way?

[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]

Q: Can Christians be cursed by evil?

What we have to first understand is what you don’t know and don’t believe in CAN hurt you. Now, there are very few people who are totally owned or possessed by demons, but there are lots of people opening doors to evil spirits through sin. In The Bible, there is a lot of translation about people being “possessed” by demons when in reality the Greek word is “daimonizomai” which is better translated “demonized” or to be affected by demons, or to be under the influence of demons or to have demons.

Some people say the blood of Jesus renders it impossible for a demon to possess the Christian, but it is clear from the Bible demons are at work in people who disobey consistently.

Ephesians 2:1-2, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”

Peter declared that Satan had filled the heart of Ananias (Acts 5). What did Ananias do? He pretended that he was giving to God more than he really was.

Paul also says in Ephesians 4:27, “Neither give place to the devil!” – which implies it is possible for a Christian to give place to the devil.

So, the short answer is YES: Christians can be influenced by evil. You see, salvation is a process that requires continual faith in God and continual knowledge of the truth. Everyday you and I are exposed to things that can make us stray away from that. And when we do, evil spirits (or demons) can gain access to our minds to inject all kinds of thoughts. So young people: We must be watchful so that we do not accept these thoughts.

What Jesus says about this in Matthew 12:43-45 is really helpful:

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

What’s Jesus saying here? He’s saying every unsaved person has the influence of demons and evil spirits, but if those spirits are forced to leave by the fact the person receives Christ, they will do exactly what Jesus said they would do in this passage. They will roam around until they find someone who is not filled with the Word of God or The Spirit of God. A lot people can confess Christ with their mouth, but they deny him with everything else in their lives. They don’t put the Word of God first and they don’t allow the Spirit of God to continually fill their lives. It’s these people demons target.

The good news is demons can’t stay in anyone who consistently submits to God and resists the devil (James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”). So the application here is to continually be filled with God’s Word and Spirit. When you and I do that, we become the temple of God; the place where God dwells, and no demon can be in God’s presence.

[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]

Q: Is it [for Christians] okay to lie?

Of course, we’ve all heard that lying is a sin and obviously we shouldn’t do it. But there are special circumstances were the truth is a bit grey, and not black and white. The classic question is, "If you lived in the World War II era, would you lie to save Jews from the Nazis?" Or as this question phrased it, “If you couldn’t afford medicine for your dying family member, would it be a sin to steal it or lie in order to obtain it?”

I think it’s helpful to look at two examples in the Scriptures. What you’ll see in both examples is that people do lie, but God does not condemn them for it:

The first example is the story of Rahab and the spies. Joshua tell us that Rahab hid the Israelite spies and was blessed accordingly

The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent (Joshua 6:17)

The second example is the story of Moses. Jewish midwives lied and did not up end killing Jewish male babies as they were told to.

What do these stories tell us? First, there is a general principle of doing the greater good. What is the greater good - saving lives or telling the truth? I say it is saving lives. I want you to understand this is different from saying doing the lesser evil. The lesser evil would be to say lying is a lesser evil than killing people.

It may seem like a small difference. But by saying you are choosing the lesser evil - you are also saying that Jesus as a human, being tempted in all ways as we are, also chose lesser evils. But we know that Jesus never sinned. He only did GOOD.

When righteousness is at stake, I believe making knowingly false statements is okay. The Germans who hid Jews in their homes and lied about it were preserving righteousness, at the risk of their own lives. The father who must lie to obtain medicine through a lie is preserving his family.

Now some here may say, “Well, aren’t we supposed to trust in God?” I say, “Yes! Of course!” When we always tell the truth, we show trust in God’s providence, and we avoid sinning for the most part. This was St. Augustine’s view. No lying = no exception. But on the other side, could we be guilty of apathy. It is our duty as Christians to save lives and to show mercy. If we know the right thing to do and yet refuse to do it, that is SIN as well.

Now where does that leave us? Let’s face it. Most of us are not in situations where lying in order to save lives is a reality. But righteousness is always at stake, and we have to understand and act on that. If you’re friend is being picked on at school, and the bullies ask you where he is – maybe it’s not wrong to say you don’t know, even if you do.

Before I end this question, I want to make something clear. Be very careful. The greater good is a grey area sometimes. And by greater good I don’t mean lying to your parents so you can save the world as the Master Chief instead of doing your homework. I would always err on the side on not lying than lying.

My final thought is there is probably no black and white answer; only that God is sovereign; he sees the whole picture and he covers all our sin.

[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]

Q: What is the anti-christ?

The word Antichrist is only used 4 times in the Bible, especially in the letters of John. Now, immediately we have to understand one thing: The antichrist in 1 and 2 John should not be confused with the beast in the book of Revelation. The antichrist is mentioned 4 times, while the beast is mentioned 39 times in Revelation. The beast has yet to come, but the antichrist is already here.

Now, the word antichrist literally means “against Christ” (anti, christos). Let’s quickly go over the passages that talk about it. Two of the scriptures tell us that even though some say the antichrist is yet to come, it is already here:

1 John 2:18: “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist I s coming, even now many antichrists have come.”

1 John 4:2-3: “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”

The next two verses help us identify the antichrist:

1 John 2:22: “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.”

2 John 7: “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”

The antichrist is simply anyone who doesn’t acknowledge Jesus to be The Christ. It is someone who takes a stance against the fundamental truths about Jesus.

The antichrist is already here. It has been around since the 1st Century, and it will be here until Jesus comes back. Now, am I saying to go around telling all your unbelieving friend or your next-door neighbor that they are the antichrist? NO. What I am saying is (1) Continue to take a stance for Christ in your circle of influence (2) Be careful of those who deny the fullness of Christ either in His humanity or His divine nature. There are many people that spread this false teaching against Christ and as Christians, we must oppose them.

Now, in terms of the beast of revelation, that is an entirely different subject. So ask next time or do some research yourself!

Q: Does God have gender?

The short answer is NO. God is does not have gender as we understand it, because he is not human. He is Spirit and because He is Spirit, he can be never defined by genitalia. He can only be defined by intrinsic character. The only exception is when God came to Earth in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Jewish male.

Genesis 1:37 is helpful here: "God created man in His own image...male AND female He created them.” This verse tells us that though God does not have gender, he has two natures that are inseparable, united in a loving and intimate manner. Our earthly male and female relationships were originally intended to be a reflection of what existed in SPIRIT.

That being said, it follows there is another question related to this: Why would God chose to use the male gender as opposed to the female gender? Because it would seem the majority of evidence from the Scriptures indicate that God wants us to know him and understand him as our FATHER in heaven.

This is a hard one to answer, and truthfully – you’re probably going to have to ask God himself in the next life. But I do have a few thoughts. First, perhaps the reason God makes use of The FATHER image is because he wanted to make use of the culture of the ancient days. You see, the patriarch (male leader) in Eastern culture was considered the spiritual guide and the head of the tribe or clan. So maybe that’s the reason God reveals himself to us from the perspective of The Father. He wanted us to understand. Now, just because God has chosen to be addressed in masculine terms DOES NOT mean God is “male.” Now, of course, Jesus as a Jewish man was “male”, but Jesus as God, who existed from all eternity, was NOT male. It was only when he took on flesh that he became ‘male.’

Second, whenever FEMALE gods such as Ashteroth (goddess of beauty and fertility) were worshipped, temple prostitutes were ritualistically abused. All throughout history, and even today, religions that elevate female gods have a tendency to abuse women, and this is most prominent in Eastern cultures, where a woman’s identity is viewed as less than worthless. My point here is to let you know there is a part of human nature that devalues female nature whenever female gods are introduced and given worship.

My third thought: Though some people out there may be right in terms of putting too much an emphasis on the male characteristics of God, I personally am not entirely comfortable referring to God as “Mother.” I’ve been to some places where they take out all masculine references to God altogether (“eternal wisdom”) and I think there is something lost in that.

[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]

Q: What's the deal with Revelation 3:15-16?

The verse you are refer to states: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Traditionally people have interpreted this verse by believing that “hot” refers to lively, passionate, hard-working Christians and that “cold” refers to uncommitted, unfaithful, carefree people. So essentially: Hot = spiritually active believers; Cold = apathetic unbelievers. But if you interpret the verse this way, this creates the problem of Jesus appearing to say he would rather people be in utter unbelief than in a back-sliding, albeit still saved, condition.

I think a better interpretation is as follows. First, we must understand the ancient geography of the land. Remember this part of Revelation was written to the church in the city of Laodicea. Laodicea itself lacked a natural water supply and was dependent on its neighboring cities: Hierapolis (10 km north) and Colossa (17 km west). Now, I believe, this explains the imagery in this passage.

“Hot” and “cold” do not refer to the spiritual “temperature” or the believer or unbeliever. Rather the word “hot” refers to the well-known medicinal waters of Hierapolis. Hierapolis had many “hot springs” which were used for healing. On the other hand, the word “cold” points to the refreshing waters of Colossae.

If this is what Jesus truly had in mind, then the church is not being called to check its spiritual temperature, but condemned for not doing good work. The church of Laodicea was neither providing refreshment for the spiritually weary (cold water), nor healing for the spiritually sick (hot water). The church was simply ineffective and thus distaste to God.

Now, the question you have to ask yourself is what temperature would God use to describe your life and the work of your life? Would it be hot (source of healing to those around you)? Would it be cold (source of refreshing to those around you)? Would it be a bit of both? Or would it be lukewarm (your life is barren of good works)? Because it is ‘lukewarm’ God has some severe consequences. Now, this imagery of ‘spitting’ of such people from God’s mouth doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have salvation. But we must take this imagery seriously as a threat of divine discipline. If you are feeling like you are lukewarm, I will suggest you will need to do two things: Repent and Obey. Ask God to change your life; to help you see the sin of apathy; and to fill it with good works.

[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]

Q: When did Jesus know that He was God?

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when Jesus knew He was the Son of God (second Person of the Trinity) since it is not clearly stated in the Bible. However in Scripture, it shows that the pre-incarnate (pre-human) Christ always knew He was the Son of God (second Person of the Trinity). In John 8:58, Jesus fully realized who He was “I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I am”. Further on in John 17:5, Jesus says, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

Even before He came to this world through incarnation (human form), He already knew His role/purpose that He would die for our sins. (Rev. 13:8). Moreover, though we do not have clear Biblical reference revealing the thoughts of Jesus as a baby, we can at least conclude through Scripture that as a young child Jesus was well aware of His role His father has sent Him to accomplish on earth.

In Luke 2:46 – when His parents were concerned about His being mission on a trip to Jerusalem, they found Him in the temple, “sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.” When confronted, Jesus told His parents “Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"

Even though his parents did not understand Him, Jesus at the age of 12 already understood that He was the Son of God and the Father has foreordained the work He was to do. After the above incident in the temple, we are told that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52)

If at this point of his life Jesus knew everything, it would not be logical that He would need to “increase in wisdom.” Not only did Jesus have to grow physically (in stature), He also had to put Himself in a position where He needed to take on knowledge as a man. Even though He was and is always God, He also needed to be truly and fully man. (except for sin)

As such He is able to experience things such as temptation and hunger. In order to accomplish this, He emptied Himself from any physical characteristics of divinity and took on a form of a man. Isaiah sums it up nicely when He said, “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2).

Summary:  From this there is one thing we can we certain of, the pre-incarnate Jesus always knew who He was and what His work in the world was to be. Through Scripture, we can safely conclude that the incarnate Jesus came to that realization at some point in His early life. However if this point was the second when He was born, we cannot be certain.  

[Answered by George Mah]

Q: Why is God a jealous God?

First, it's important to clarify our understanding of how the word “jealous” is being used. Exodus 20:5’s description of God’s jealousy is different as compared to the sin of jealousy outlined in Galatians 5:20.

When we use of the word jealousy, it is meant being envious of someone who has something we do not have.  A person might become jealous or envious of a person because of some processions (material) or skills (musical/athletic) they have. Some might be jealous or envious of another person because of his/her beauty.

However, when we look closely at Exodus 20:4-5, we realize that it is not that God is jealous or envious because someone has something He wants that He does not possess. In this case God is talking about being jealous if someone gives something that belongs to Him to another (i.e. making idols and bowing down and worshipping them instead of giving God the worship that belongs to Him alone.)

God classifies it a sin in this command to worship or serve anything other than Him. It is a different use of the word jealous when God says He is a “jealous God”. What He is jealous for belongs to Him, worship and service belongs to Him alone, and are to be given to Him alone. As such, God is rightly jealous when worship, praise, honor, or adoration is given to idols.

This is exactly the same kind of jealous the Apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians 11:2 “I am jealous for you with a Godly jealousy.” So in summary, it a sin when we desire, or envious, of someone because they have something we desire. On the other hand, the jealousy God portrays in Exodus 20 is appropriate since He is being jealous for something that rightfully belongs to Him.  

[Answered by George Mah]

How much control does God really have?

Is he able to change anything, anytime under any circumstances?

This is a very difficult question, but I will try to answer it briefly. This is ultimately a question of God’s sovereignty: his ability to know the future and act accordingly to that knowledge.

A theological concept known as Open Theism has emerged in recent decades: God knows the future only as it is not dependent on human, free-will decisions. God does not know what any free-will agents (i.e. humans) will do, because those decisions do not yet exist and God cannot know what does not exist. God decided, in Creation, that He would limit Himself in this way in order to give complete freedom to human beings. Therefore, God does not know or control the future - He learns from our decisions and constantly adapts as necessary. He often needs to change His mind or re-evaluate His options as the future unfolds.

What would this look like practically? For instance, Pastor Greg Boyd finds it pastorally helpful to counsel a person who has experienced great tragedy that God was as surprised as everyone else at what happened. In Boyd's mind this makes God kinder and gentler and therefore more trustworthy.

The basic concept of open theism says that God is not really in control. He can react to circumstances, and possibly can change the eventual outcome, but for the most part, he’s just waiting around for things to happen. 

The primary concerns with open theism are as follows (this is a summary of Tim Challies' article):

(1) God’s goodness, greatness and glory are at stake. The God of the Open Theists is, in the words of Bruce Ware, too small. He is not the all-knowing, all-powerful God revealed so clearly in the pages of the Bible (Isa. 46:10a; cf. Job 28; Ps. 90; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1)). Christians need to always be concerned that both they and God are making poor decisions based on inadequate information. Thus we cannot always count on God to do what is best, because even He does not always know what this is.

(2) The Christian’s confidence in God is at stake. If open theism is true, the Christian cannot put his full trust and confidence in God. “The God of open theism will always want our best, but since he may not in fact know what is best, it becomes impossible to give him our unreserved and unquestioning trust” (Bruce Ware, Their God is Too Small, 20). When hardships arise we will have to ask if God anticipated these, or if He is as shocked and distressed as we are.

If open theism is wrong, where does this leave us? How much control does God really have?

Donald Bloesch answers the question well: “Nothing happens…apart from God’s sanction, but this is not to say that God expressly wills everything that happens. There are some things that happen that God does not will and that have their reality precisely in God’s negation instead of his affirmation. [God] sustains the world in its sin and misery, but is not the direct cause of its sin and misery.”

[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]

Q: Is there any limit to how much you sin/ignore God enough to have to go to hell?

There are 2 ways to take this question: (1) If you’re non-Christian, how much can you sin/ignore God before it’s too late?

The short answer is this: You have until your death, b/c this is the final point before an eternity in either Heaven or Hell.

What if I wait until the very end?

Pastor R.C. Sproul provides solid insight here. He says, “If we turn your question around and ask if a person could live his whole life in sin, rebellion, and disobedience and then on his deathbed truly repent and go to heaven, the answer is yes -- just as the thief on the cross met the Savior in his dying moments and was guaranteed eternity with him. The New Testament speaks of those who are saved by the skin of their teeth. It's certainly not a wise course of action to postpone your repentance until the day of your departure because we don't know when that day is on the schedule. Even though making a confession simply out of fear is not enough, that fear should give pause and cause us to think seriously about our future state.”

The second way to address this question is to ask the question if I’m already a true Christian, can I lose my salvation? First, we must look at two warnings in Hebrews.

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which brings in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned." (Hebrews 6:4-8)

"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries…. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord." And again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:26-31)

Again, Dr. Sproul provides a solid answer HERE.

In summary, I will quote my seminary theology professor, who used to say: "There is more grace in God, than sin in us."

I think that’s the Christian’s final hope at the end of the day. If you’re a genuine believer, and you’ve truly repented, then you need not worry about the limit of sin, because God has saved you.

[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]

Q: Will I see my pets in heaven?

RIP Harley (2002-2008), my pet guinea pig.

Dr. William L. Craig answers this very question HERE.

In short he states that it may be possible that heaven will be graced with all sorts of creatures but nobody knows for sure.

[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]