Q: Is Joking a sin? Like when you call a friend ugly but you were just joking, is it considered lying and a sin, or is it alright to joke?

How do you know that they drank coffee in the Bible? Hebrews! Alright, you might be laughing out loud or rolling your eyes or somewhere in between.

To answer this question plainly: joking itself is not considered a sin, but what we say matters. There must be careful consideration since there are many types of joking, some which are appropriate and some which are not. The question comes in several parts, so let's take a look at them.

One component of joking is humor and on that issue, there's nothing wrong with that. After all, God himself has a sense of humor! Take a look at this article. An earlier post by George also gets into this; check this out! For the most part, jokes are little anecdotes and stories with a punch line.

On the other end, there is a difference between joking and being crude and offensive. I'm not referring to comical or cultural differences; I'm talking about the 'jokes' that tear people down and are used to belittle people. There is a lot of joy in laughing, but there is also a lot of pain in the crass and crudeness the world labels as humor. Is a person who is 'ugly' or 'dumb' really actually a laughing matter? Is it ok to lie just for the sake of getting attention? Besides, you don't know who could take your joke seriously.

Scriptures talk about how slander and filthy language does not fit with our new life in Christ and how we need to get rid of it. Take a look at Colossians 3:1-10. It also talks about how our conversation should always be full of grace in Colossians 4:6. Lastly, in Ephesians 4:29, the things we say should not be unwholesome, but used to build others up.

Just think about these questions when it comes to your jokes:

1. Does what you say honour or dishonour God and others?
2. We follow Jesus and strive for holiness and being graceful. Does it show in our joking?
3. Does what you say build up others or tears them down?
4. If your joke is taken seriously, could it be taken as offensive?

Being funny is not worth bringing people down and joking crudely will affect your Christian witness. What we say is important and reflects who we are.

[answered by Jon, who loves to laugh and joke]

Simmer Down 6 Follow-Up: Exclusion

I listened to the sermon last Sunday and I got the message..... that we must no exclude other people because god didnt exclude us. But I would also like to know bout the people who are excluded....what about the people who are are not excluding people, instead got excluded.... What can they do about it....example, if i got excluded and no 1 hears bout that sermon or didnt realize the wrong thing , then what can I do?? I'm think that a lot of people voted this topic because they are feeling excluded maybe...

After preaching last Sunday on exclusion, people wanted to continue to explore the topic more and to see what it was like on the flip side: to be excluded. The sermon focused more as a general message that challenged students to accept one another as Christ as accepted us, leaving no one out and remembering that what has happened on the cross is applicable to all. Check out the podcast here.

Let’s face it: We can’t make people love or like us. Everybody will not be your best friend. (how many of those can we have anyways?!!?) Sure, we might do things to get people’s attention and people might bring you into their group, but this does not signify real acceptance or welcome. In fact, once you’ve outlived your usefulness or are no longer interesting, you’re back on the exclusion list before you knew what hit you. There may be a hundred reasons why people choose to exclude you, there may be none. BUT, that doesn’t mean that NO ONE likes you.

What is our response to being excluded from others? As a follower of Christ, how should we feel and what can we do? Here are a couple pointers:

• Excluded, but never truly alone: The passage from the sermon (Romans 15:1-7) talked about the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, as revealed in Scripture. It is this hope that binds us together as we are united in the common purpose of worshiping God. When we go back to Scriptures, we hear of Jesus’ promise to all who follow Him. He reassures us by telling us that as He “will be with us always, until the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20) We are loved. We are never alone.

• Being hated, it’s going to happen: In one of His teachings, Jesus talks about how the broken and sinful world hates Him, and because of that, they will hate all those who follow Him. (John 15:18-25) Many times, people will hate on us because we love Jesus, because we’re trying to honour God, because we try to do what is right and honourable. Sometimes, people will just hate and exclude us for no reason at all. It’s the effects of the fallen nature of this world, but Jesus calls us to be better: to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. (Matt. 5:44) Furthermore, exclusion is usually a sign of immaturity and some have not grown to understand inclusiveness and the effects of making people feel cast out and not belong. If you’ve felt burned, disrespected, excluded, and unwelcomed, realize some have not grown up yet, but show grace by forgiving them for what they’ve done. That’s what Christ did for us.

• Pray for change: What we’re all looking for is a community that accepts us for who we really are. Being fake will only lead to fake acceptance. From the sermon, we are brought together by our faith and by God Himself. So, be praying for each other! It’s only the Lord that can change hearts. HEARTCHECK: When we pray, let’s not be selfish and only pray so that we can have more friends or that our entourage would increase. Let’s pray in order that the other person’s faith be built up. (Romans 15:2) We can pray that he/she would come to know the Lord and that they would be able to have a deep and personal relationship with Him. Also, pray for a spirit of unity and that God would draw believers together as a community that worships, encourages, and supports one another.

• Finding acceptance: Firstly, you have the love and acceptance of God Himself (because of who He is, and not by anything we’ve done) and we can dwell on that. Secondly, there are communities around us that love us and accept us (family, church, friends, co-workers) – try to build those up. Thirdly, serve in a community – focusing on the needs of others will put our problems into perspective and service helps us cultivate relationships with other Christians with the common purpose and direction. As we pour out selflessly to honour God and others (the very characteristics of the Kingdom), He will meet our needs, including the peace and joy of acceptance and community.

[submitted by Jon, who is accepted by God]

Q: 1 Corinthians 8:9-10

...in your answer to the question "is it bad to wear short shorts", you posted scripture from 1 Corinthians 8:9-10. However, when I read this passage, I interpret a different message. What I interpret is individual success or achievement within freedoms is wrong and dangerous because it becomes a barrier for the weak. It displaces others, thereby forcing the weak into poorer conditions. That being said, is this [passage] advocating that individual success should not be pursued, and institution or structures that allow this to happen should be opposed (capitalism). This is how I interpret the passage. Is this the right way to interpret the passage? If not, how do you know for sure that I am wrong?

For your reference, the "answer" that this question is referring to can be found here.


Firstly, I would suggest that you look into a Bible Commentary for more information about this passage. I will give the gist of it, but an in depth reading of this whole chapter would give better insight. So before you read on, please go here and read 1 Corinthians 8.

This passage is NOT talking about the idea of "the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer". Instead, this passage is talking about food and the sacrifice of food to idols. In the culture in which the Jews lived, there was worship of idols and part of the worship came in the form of laying out food. Obviously, this is not condoned as God says that we are to worship no idols, therefore, Jews would not eat the food that has been sacrificed to pagan gods, claiming that it would make a person unclean.

In the New Testament, Jesus declares that what goes into a person does not defile them, but it's what comes out that makes a person unclean. (Read: Mark 7:18-20.) What He means is that what we eat cannot possibly make us unholy, but it is in our actions, thoughts and hearts that can show our wickedness. Therefore, He declared foods clean and challenges us to change our hearts instead of our food.

The passage that I quoted to answer the other question about short shorts (verses 9-10), addresses the fact that we could be a stumbling block for those weaker Christians who may not understand the Scriptures. You see, while Jesus was saying this (declaring all foods clean), there were still many people who associated the worship of idols with the sacrificed foods. In turn, they did not fully understand that following Christ meant our hearts needed to change. They still felt as though what they DID was the only way they showed their faith.

And so Jesus warns the "stronger" Christians that even though the foods are clean and we have the freedom to eat it, there are still some weaker Christians out there that didn't fully understand and see otherwise. We must be mindful of those who are weaker and take the time to teach and educate.

And so as I use this passage to explain my stance on wearing short shorts, my point is that our actions may cause someone who is weaker to stumble. A girl who is wearing shorts on a hot day on the beach is fully acceptable. But if what is wearing and how she conducts herself causes someone to lust after her and think impure thoughts, than we ought to not put ourselves in that position and cause someone to sin.

To answer the latter part of the question "Is this the right way to interpret the passage? If not, how do you know for sure that I am wrong?"
It is not the right way to interpret the passage because the you have not taken the time to read the chapter in context. You have not looked into the historical or cultural context (as in you have not understood WHY Jesus is talking about foods and WHY it is considered unclean in the first place). In order to correctly interpret and understand the scriptures, you need to research the back story. After understanding the who, what, when, where, and why's...you can then apply the passages into your life.


[answered by Pastor Kelly J. Tam]

Q: For volleyball, girl teams wear very short spandex shorts. Would it be considered a sin for showing too much skin due to the expected uniform?

Okay...there seems to be a lot of questions revolving around the issue of what we can wear and what we cannot.

To answer this question in short (no pun intended), it is NOT a sin to be wearing shorter shorts during a volleyball match. The uniforms are designed to be conducive to the sport, giving the player the ability to move freely without restriction.

I believe the underlying issue here is about the HEART. There are appropriate TIMES and PLACES to be wearing shorter shorts (the volleyball courts being one of them). The issue is when girls are wearing inappropriate and revealing clothes OUTSIDE of these appropriate times. (ie, tube top and skimpy shorts to church or family dinners with your GRANDMA!).

Please use the following questions as a guideline to what is appropriate to wear:

1. is what you are wearing attracting negative attention from the opposite sex? (in other words, is what you are wearing causing them to lust and sin?)

2. is what you are wearing appropriate for where you are going? (you wear a swim suit to the POOL, not the MALL...you wear a PROM dress to PROM, not to dim sum...get it?)

3. bottom line: are you being modest? Are you wearing clothes to deliberately get attention, or...you're just wearing clothes for human decency?



Listen, if you're swimming laps in the pool, and you're wearing snow pants and a winter jacket, that's quite foolish. The APPROPRIATE attire for the pool is a swim suit or swimming trunks. Yes, in comparison to the jacket and snow pants, it is more revealing, but you are in the pool! It is APPROPRIATE to wear swimming gear. Now, if you're skiing down the slopes, and you wear a swim suit, that's also quite foolish. The snow pants and the ski jacket is a much better choice because it is APPROPRIATE for the winter weather.

Before I conclude, there is one thing that I wanted to say to the person who has asked this question: If you feel that the uniform you are asked to wear imposes on your values and are uncomfortable with wearing it because it shows too much, please talk to your coach/gym teacher about it. I'm sure that they would be more than willing to accommodate you.

PS, I answered a question similar to this one in a previous post. Please visit this post to read it.


[answered by Pastor Kelly J. Tam]

Q: Is it immoral in the eyes of God to take one off life support if they rely solely on it to survive? It is considered murder?

There is no doubt; this is a very difficult dilemma. Many may approach this issue by stating the obvious by quoting the commandment “thou shall not murder”. However I believe there needs to be more to answering this question than simply quoting one of the 10 commandments. I am by no means a medical expert. The question above can be classified as a form of euthanasia.

Euthanasia is the bringing about of a gentle and easy death in the case of incurable and painful disease. (Reader's Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder)

There are different forms of euthanasia.

Active euthanasia. This would be by a positive act to bring about death by directly administering a drug.

Passive euthanasia. This would involve the withdrawal of treatment (or food) so as to hasten death.

Involuntary euthanasia. The ending of a person's life without any indication that such was the wish of the person concerned.

Voluntary euthanasia. The ending of a person's life at their request. A law to allow this is what pressure groups are wanting.

Non-voluntary euthanasia. This involves the ending of the life of a person who does not have the faculty to make a decision whether to live or die.

I believe the form of euthanasia posed in this particular question falls into the Non-voluntary category.

The Bible does not command us to do everything we can to keep a person alive. If a person is being kept alive only by machines, I believe it is not immoral to turn off the machines and allow the person to die.

If a person has been in a persistent vegetative state for a prolonged period of time, I do not believe it would be an offense to God to remove whatever tubes / machines that are keeping the person alive.

Should God desire to keep a person alive, He is perfectly capable of doing so without the help of feeding tubes and/or respirators. It is never easy to tell a doctor to suspend the life support of a loved one. We should never seek to prematurely end a life, but at the same time, neither do we have to preserve a life as long as possible.

My advice to anyone facing this decision is to pray to God for wisdom (James 1:5) in regards to what He would have you do.

All human life is made by God according to His image (Genesis 1:17). As such God created every person, whether sick or healthy, disabled or able-bodied. No matter what condition or state we are currently in, we are all God’s workmanship.

Ending our life is not a decision for us make, only God has a right to give or take a life.
We need to ask God for wisdom when issues such as these arise. At the end of the day, God decides when life starts and when it ends.

The following link is a good resource to read further on this issue: http://www.tkc.com/resources/resources-pages/euthanasia.html#Anchor-What-49575

[Answered by George M. ]

Q: Should a person take the Bible's scripture literally or figuratively? [Part A]

This question is a 2 part-er. Part A, is the question above, and Part B, are 2 specific examples of passages that the may stump a reader. To give a foundation, I will answer Part A first, and then move on to Part B.

PART A: Literal or Figurative?

The Bible consist of many different literary genres (think your Creative Writing English class). There are elements of poetry, parables, songs, thought (like Proverbs), history, literal and figurative teachings.

It is important not to take all things literally in the Bible...but instead, use DISCERNMENT to derive the meaning behind the text. To do this, one must understand the historical and cultural context behind the book. For example, there are tonnes of lessons to be learned when reading about Moses and the burning bush. Moses' reverence for God is shown as he takes off his sandals before entering the place where the Holy One dwells (Exodus 3:5). We can use this as an example of the fear and respect that we must have for God in His house.

Now, relating it back to our current times, do we take off our shoes as a sign of reverence for God? No...that would have a pile up of pairs of shoes outside Doxa and SPLAT. Instead, this passage shows us how to fear God and how worthy He is of our respect. In our current day, we show our respect for God in other ways (ex: bowing as we pray, focusing as we worship, etc)


PART B: Q: When reading these passages, if you take it literally, one advocates in loving everyone, even the ones who persecute you, but the other advocates that if you are sinning, you should resort to self-mutilation. Do you act out both of these passages? If you don't, is that not following God?
[passages in reference to Matt 5:43 - 45 and Mark 9:43 - 47]

In the first passage (Matthew), Jesus is doing His Sermon on the Mount in which He teaches on multiple topics (read Matthew 5 for full details). In this section, He is teaching on loving your enemies, which of course, we know that it is hard to do. I believe the whole point of Jesus saying this, is that He wants to teach us to be inclusive rather than exclusive. It is a challenge to love those who are hard to love (those who have wronged us, those who have betrayed us), but Jesus is the epitome of one who can do this as He is crucified by the hands of His enemies, yet still loves them and asks God to forgive them (Luke 23:34). This specific passage is meant to be taken literally, as the teaching (or the moral of the story) is that we are to love everyone.

In the second passage (Mark), Jesus is teaching on how to prevent sins in our lives. The greater context of this is just above this passage as He is making a stance on the importance of young children and how not to lead them astray. The idea of this passage (or again, the moral of the story), is that if something is causing us to sin, we should get rid of it. A rephrase of this passage could be this:

If your iPod is causing distraction in service for you and others, get rid of it. If you're attitude towards a certain person is a bad testimony for God, change it. If a girlfriend/boyfriend is causing you to commit sexual immorality, than stop/change that relationship.


These passages are given to us as guides. Christ is teaching us principles for our lives and how to honour God. So yes, if we do not take them to heart and apply them our lives, we are not following God. But the key word is APPLY to our lives. A person reading the Bible must look at all angles before making a decision on the meaning.

Ask yourself these questions as you are reading passages:

1. What is the literary genre of the passage?
2. What are the cultural implication so of the text?
3. What is the principle that the Bible is trying to teach? (What is the moral of the story?)
4. How can I APPLY it to my life?


To further your understanding, you can go to this article for more help on how to interpret the Bible.

[answered by Pastor Kelly J. Tam]

Q: It is a sin to ignore God's calling or messages? (This is in reference to signs and messages)

A: The way that I interpret this question is 2 parts: 1. God's general calling for our lives, and 2. specific callings in our lives (like vocation, or ministry involvement). I will try to answer this question within those 2 parameters, but if it has not addressed your question, please feel free to ask again or contact us.

God's general calling for our lives is summed up by this: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.' (Leviticus 19:2).
As children of God, we are to take Him as the example, and as God is holy, it is our responsibility and calling to also be holy. This is the lifestyle that we must adopt. Having said that, if you possess the knowledge of the Bible, and you are a professing Christian who has accepted Christ as your Saviour from sin...and you ignore this command from God (be Holy as He is holy), yes it is a sin. You are directly taking a stance of disobedience, and that is NOT holy, righteous or pleasing to God.

God's specific calling for your life are things such as career choices, life choices or if you feel like God is calling you into a specific ministry. This is where discernment and spiritual maturity is needed. In the 2nd part of this question, it mentioned "signs and messages". I am assuming that you have asked for signs from God to confirm what you feel that God is calling you to do.

A friend once told me this: delayed obedience is still disobedience.

If you feel like God is calling you to do something for Him, and you deliberately delay it, yes, it is sinful in the eyes of our God. However, this sin is redeemable as when we turn back to Him and submit to what He has called us to do, we fall in line with His will. If you have been testing God and asking Him for signs, perhaps this post will be of assistance to you.

If you are struggling in this area, I would suggest you explore the following things:

1. Where is your accountability? - Who are some few close people that you can trust that can speak into your life? Godly friends, parents, counselors, Pastors? These are all people that can tell you the truth and will point you in the right direction.

2. Where is your Bible? (Psalm 119:104-106) - The Bible gives us great wisdom when searching out the truth in our lives. Flip it open, start reading it, and ask God to illuminate the scriptures for you and allow you to hear what He has to say.

3. What is your prayer? - PRAY PRAY PRAY. Asking God to reveal clear signs for you, bring you accountability that will help you, and even open doors showing the way for you...can help bring you closer to the answer you are looking for. Give this completely up to God, after all, if it is in His will, He will make it happen as long as you are open and obedient.



[answered by Pastor Kelly J. Tam, who finally answered the call in 2004]

Q: Is it wrong for people to test God?

When Jesus was in the desert and had not eaten for 40 days, Satan tempted him in many ways. One was to throw himself down a cliff, as God would send His angels down to save him. In response, Jesus said to never test the Lord your God. Is it wrong for people to say, "If God does this or gives this to me, I'll believe He's real," even if he/she becomes a Christian?

This is a thought-provoking question. The passage you're talking about is found in Matthew 4:1-11 (also in Luke 4). Here Jesus is tempted three times. The second temptation is when Jesus replies with Deuteronomy 6:16, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

How should we interpret what Jesus is saying here? To answer this question, first, let's read the passage Jesus uses to counter Satan: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, ^tas you tested him at Massah." During the exodus (see Exodus 17:1-17), we learn that the Israelites lacked water and thought they would die of thirst. Rather than trusting God in this trial they tested Him by complaining and quarreling. So when Jesus quotes Deut. 6:16, what he's doing is applying the verse to himself MEANING He refuses to play Satan's game of forcing God to work a miracle on his behalf. In the same manner, we also test God when we try to force him to do something contradictory to His Will, or when we try to push God into doing something WE WANT rather than what HE wants. It's almost as if we are trying to ask God to "prove himself" to us, when he does need or want to do such a thing.

Now, it is true there are passages like Malachi 3:10 that tell us that God can be put to the test:

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test,says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

But if you understand the context of this passage, it is actually addressing us, the reader. When we surrender everything we are and everything we have to God (i.e. when we have brought a "full tithe" to God), then we will receive such a blessing that we do not need to put God to any test! The real issue is one of humility. If you are surrounded by trials; in desperate circumstances and in utter humility, and you cry out to God, asking him for a sign to show that He is real (i.e. his presence is with you), then I believe God will answer this prayer because He is gives "grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5). But if you're selfishly telling God to prove himself to you OR ELSE you won't believe in Him, then you're being prideful and arrogant, and God will not answer that prayer. In fact, Scripture tells us he will oppose the proud (1 Peter 5:5).

That being said, I do believe there are instances when God - in his infinite love and grace - gives non-believers signs. Sometimes these signs could be the one they ask for. Sometimes they are signs they did not ask for. But they are so unmistakably powerful that one can only attribute them to God, and thus turn to Him in belief and repentance. I suppose the thing to keep in mind is that God is bigger and more powerful than any challenge you can throw at him, so throw away. Just know that He is sovereign and He will answer or not answer according to His will, not ours.

Hope this helps.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: One of the strongest arguments for homosexuality is that love has no gender. How do we counter a point like that?

I think the CARM staff writers answer it pretty well. They make a distinction between moral truth and emotions. Here's what they wrote: "Whether or not a homosexual couple is committed to each other is irrelevant to the argument since love and feelings do not change moral truths. If a couple, not married to each other but married to someone else, commits adultery yet they are committed to loving each other, their sin is not excused.

If homosexuality is made acceptable because the homosexual couple "loves" each other and are committed to each other, and by that logic we can say that couples of the same sex or even of different sexes who love each other and are committed to each other in a relationship automatically make that relationship morally correct. The problem is that love is used as an excuse to violate scripture. Second, it would mean that such things as pedophilia would be acceptable if the "couple" had a loving and committed relationship to each other. Third, the subjectivity of what it means to "love" and the "committed" to another person can be used to justify almost any sort of behavior."

Practically, I would say - again - we must counter a point in love. We cannot blurt out these objections with a self-righteous attitude. We must - by God's Spirit - remain humble as we speak the truth logically and clearly.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Is it okay for Christians to buy the lottery?

Lots of questions this week. Keep 'em coming and we'll try our best to answer them.

This great question has been answered by many pastors and thinkers already. Here are some links to a few good articles/resources:

1. Don't Bet On It by Frederica Mathewes-Green

2. A Losing Bet by Dr. Albert Mohler

3. Don't Play Lottery For Me! by Pastor John Piper

4. Why is Gambling Wrong? by Pastor John Piper (audio)

The short answer is NO. The authors seem to point out several common reasons why Christ-followers ought to avoid the lottery. I have listed 6 below:

1. The motive is wrong. People don't just buy the lottery to 'have fun,' but rather they hold to the hope (even if it's a small, small hope) of getting rich. The love of money - as the Apostle Paul said - is the "root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). If we are to follow Jesus, we must fight against the desire to be rich.

2. It is a misuse of what God has given to us. Everything we have and own belong to God. When we play the lottery (or gamble at a casino), we are taking unnecessary (and usually unwise - as there is virtually no chance of you winning) risks with a God-given stewardship of money. We are simply being irresponsible with someone else's money.

3. There is a disruption of the natural cycle of work and reward. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, "If anyone will not work, let him not eat." This is how life operates. Albert Mohler writes, "The Bible points to a very different financial strategy -- work and save. Ten dollars played in the lottery each week adds up to over $10,000 in twenty years. Saved and invested, those same funds would provide a good start toward a college education, a down-payment for a home, or a retirement fund."

4. The lottery preys on the poor. Dr. Mohler writes, "Wealthy persons are not fueling lottery sales. Studies indicate that over 80-percent of all lottery tickets are bought by only 20-percent of purchasers -- and these buyers are disproportionately 'low-income, minority men who have less than a college education.'"

5. The lottery empowers governments to prey on its citizens. When we were in Belize, Central America (on our last missions trip), this point was made abundantly clear. The local government was endorsing the construction of a local casino, but many ordinary citizens protested because they knew it would bring ruin on their community.

6. It may ruin our friend. Even if we are doing it for entertainment & if we are in control of our spending, there are many who aren't. Millions and millions of dollars are spent each year treating those severely addicted to gambling. By playing the lottery, we are tempting and hurting these individuals. The Apostle Paul teaches us to avoid certain cultural activities - even if we are permitted to do so in the Bible - for the sake of weaker brothers and sisters (see 1 Cor. 8).

I think Frederica Mathewes-Green sums the issue up well: "It's not that there is something inherently evil in lotteries. The problem is that there's so little good in them—and so much potential for damage. We should always be aware of the danger that gambling poses to the "weaker brother." Gambling addiction is like alcoholism, and the sheer availability of lotteries ensures that some people who would otherwise never discover their weakness will be sucked into its grip."

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Through God's omnipotence, He know the past, present and future. What is your view on this statement, with respect to asking God for guidance?

...As a whole, He does know everything but is there a point because we can't really change our future?

Let's define a few terms first:

(1) Omnipotence comes from the Latin, omni meaning "all" and potens meaning "powerful," so omnipotence is the doctrine that God has the ability and power to do all his holy will.

(2) Predestination is, "The act of foreordaining events; the decree of God by which he has, from eternity, determined whatever comes to pass."

I suppose an example of your question would be the following: Since God is so powerful (omnipotent), he is able to do whatever he has predestined. So if you're about to write a really important exam, for instance, what's the point of praying that God will help you since he already knows whether you're going to do well or fail miserably?

Wayne Grudem, who wrote Systematic Theology, outlines a way to think about the importance of human actions. He states the following:

1. We are still responsible for our actions. God made us responsible for our actions, which has REAL and ETERNALLY SIGNIFICANT RESULTS. Among other things, this means we cannot say that God just made us to do something evil and therefore we are not responsible for our actions. This also means that if we neglect our health, we will likely die sooner.

2. God has made it so that events will come about by our causing them, and events will come about by our lack of action. Just because God knows the future does not mean he cannot allow humans free choice. Matt Slick of www.carm.org writes this:

"God's predestination does not mean that we cannot make free will choices. God predestines in and throughour choices because God is all knowing and all powerful. He knows what we will do because he knows all things. He cannot not know all things. So, whatever you choose to do out of your own free volition is known. But his knowing doesn't mean you don't freely choose.

An illustration would be that I could arrange for my child to choose ice cream over something else and not violate his free will. For instance, I could put a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a bowl of dirt and rocks in front of my child and I know exactly which one the child will choose to eat. But my knowing does not violate my child's free will."

3. Prayer is one specific kind of action that has definite results and does change the course of events. When we genuinely pray for a specific person or circumstance, we will often find that God has ordained that our prayer would be a MEANS he will use to bring about changes in the world. James 4:2 reminds us of this reality, "You do not have because you do not ask." Jesus himself also said, "Ask and you will receive." If the apostles and Jesus (!) believed in prayer, we must do the same.

4. We must act! The fact that God is omnipotent does not mean we should sit back and just wait for things to happen. In all things, we must depend upon God, but we should not just trust God instead of acting responsibly.

Consider this example. You can argue that since God knows the mark on your test, you should not study. Of course, God knows the future, but YOU do not know what your mark will be. What you do know is that if you study and work diligently, you will receive a better grade than if you do not.

Joab, the nephew of King David, is a good example of hard work combined with trust in God. He once said, "Be strong and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of God, and may the Lord do what is good in His Sight." Joab fought and trusted God do what he had already planned and thought was good.

So friend, I'll leave you with a couple of thoughts/applications:

1. Don't be afraid. Trust God. If we believe that all good things are caused by God, then there is nothing to worry about.

2. Make sure you pray sincerely, as it may be a means by which God brings about change. Pray for your family, our nation, the salvation of the lost and for your own spiritual growth!

3. Act in accordance to God's will, as written in Scripture.

[Answered by Pastor HM, who doesn't understand things fully, but is glad that God does]

References: Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Nottingham: IVP, 1994), 315ff.