Q: Halloween is coming up, and I'm also curious, but is it sinful/wrong for Christians to celebrate Halloween?

...(i.e dress up and go trick or treating just for the entertainment of it?) But when I also mean to celebrate, I do NOT mean to acknowledge that Halloween is a good thing because it's the day of the devil. I hope this question wasn't too confusing, but hopefully you'll get the general idea?? Thanks anyways!


A: Ah, just in time for the season. Great question! Many people have been asking this as well, so trust me, you're not the only one that is confused.

Alright...so let's get one thing out of the way. If you are using the excuse of Halloween to dress provocatively, than YES it is wrong. This one day isn't an excuse to throw all moral and sense of value out the window. So please don't!

Now, I would say that partaking in the festivities of Halloween is a matter of personal choice and conviction. Yes, this holiday was once associated with paganism, occult and evil spirits...but it is no longer the case and simply looked upon as a time where we can wear costumes, get candy and hang out with friends. In essence, there is nothing wrong with this (as long as we're not celebrating the evil!).

However...there are some people that would argue it is wrong to even participate in something that is remotely associated with ghosts, witches and goblins. That stance is perfectly fine as well, as it is something they firmly believe in.

Either way it goes...as long as we are not compromising our faith and our belief, holding true to the truths of Jesus Christ and not believing or celebrating in the spirits that go against our Lord, I think this is a decision that you need to discuss with your family and for you to make on your own. Halloween is not a fundamental of our faith...going trick or treating does not mean that we are renouncing our faith in Christ. It's just something that some choose to do, and others refrain from doing so.


[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Is darkness evil?

"Salut, is Darkness evil? In John and throughout, Darkness has been used as imagery to represent anti-God views, but is this application universal? Must we hate darkness? I personally like it, because it is more peaceful and you become more perceptive in it, you are hidden, and so is everything else, not to mention the immunity to UV rays!"

Bonjour! You are correct: John (and other Bible authors) often used light & darkness to describe God and evil (i.e. the absence of God). Consider John 1:5 for instance: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Also see passages like Matthew 6:23; 8:12 and John 8:12. These verses do not teach believers to avoid dark places or to always have the lamp on in their home. So darkness is not inherently evil. It is the absence of light (see Genesis 1:2). After all, Jesus often woke up, while it was still dark, to pray (Mark 14:32)! The authors are using physical light and darkness to point to a deeper spiritual reality: God is light - the source of all energy, life and moral purity. The absence of light, i.e. darkness, represents the absence of God and therefore the absence of all things good and beautiful.

My final comment/observation in the form of a question: Why do you like being hidden? Remember, nothing is hidden from God who is the light that shines in the deepest, darkness places.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: If people die at birth (or at a young age) when they never got the chance to know Jesus, will God punish or save them?

I've answered this question previously in this post.

Pastor John MacArthur answers your question here:

Q: The anti-christ will be a persecter and perpetrator to Christians and Jews, but will he know what he is the anti-christ?

To be clear, we must know who the anti-christ is. I've answered a question on the anti-christ before, so read this post.

In summary, here is what you should know about the antichrist:

1. The word "antichrist" is only used 4 times in the Bible, especially in the letters of John. Now, to be clear: The antichrist in 1 and 2 John should not be confused with the beast of Revelation, who will appear prior to the second coming of Christ and will cause great suffering and persecution, only to be eventually destroyed by Jesus. 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.

2. The word "antichrist" literally means “against Christ” (anti, christos). The antichrist is simply anyone who doesn’t acknowledge Jesus to be The Christ; someone who takes a stance against the fundamental truths about Jesus. So yes, I believe the anti-christ does indeed know who he is: He is someone who embodies an opposition to Christ and is the precursor of the final "antichrist," the Beast of Revelation.

Hope that helps.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: If God wants us to be in heaven with him, why did he create sin to keep us away?

Indeed, God desires to be in relationship with us in this life and in eternity ("heaven"). However, God cannot be blamed for sin, because sinning is a voluntary, willful choice (Romans 3:23). When we sin, we exercise the FREEDOM God gives us. God does not want to force us into any relationship. He wants us to love him freely, so he created us with free-will. Part of having free-will is the ability to sin (i.e. failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude or nature). At its core, sin is turning away from God in rebellion and choosing to live contrary to God's plan.

This is the reason Jesus came (John 3:16-17): To save us from sin and pay the penalty sinners rightly deserve. Jesus died in our place; for our sin (1 John 2:2). Because God's wrath for sin was applied to Jesus on the cross, we can enter into a relationship with God if we confess our sin and trust in Jesus (1 John 1:9)

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Is getting angry with Satan when going through bad times bad?

A: Satan has always had a bad rep in the bible:

"He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44, NLT).

Even in Genesis, we first saw the detrimental effects he’s had on human beings... He was the originator of sin! Also, he’s the head of demons in the world. “Demons are evil angels who sinned against God and who now continually work evil in the world.” – Systematic Theology (Wayne Grudem). Demons are the ones who try to oppose and destroy every good work of God… but they are not all-powerful. They are limited by God’s control and have limited power. And the same goes with Satan (even if he is the head of them).

Now back to the question: Although it is clear that Satan and demons contribute to “bad things” and “bad times” we face in life, not ALL sin and bad times are caused by them.

Wayne Grudem says it best:
“In the lives of Christians… the emphasis of the New Testament is not on the influence of demons but on the sin that remains in the believer’s life. Nevertheless, we should recognize that sinning (even by Christians) does give a foothold for some kind of demonic influence in our lives. Thus Paul could say, ‘Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Eph 4:26)

What that basically means is not all bad times that happen to us come from Satan, therefore, we need to reflect on whether or not he’s the one to blame during the “bad times”. Sometimes it may mean taking a hard look at ourselves and seeing if we’ve played a part in sin as well. In short, being “angry” at Satan can be justifiable in some cases, but we cannot make him the scapegoat of all the bad things that happen.

On a side note, come to the Agape MOBS on Oct 30th or the BASIC MOBS on November 6th where we will be talking about righteous anger and looking at how and when Jesus got angry.


[answered by Pastor Shu-Ling Lee of the English Congregation]

Q: I understand that us Christians should be excited for the return of Jesus, but is it a sin to want more time on earth?...

...Time to accomplish things such as making a family, graduating and going to places? If the world ends in 2012, does that mean that Jesus is coming in only a few years? If so, then what is the point to planning our future and going to school knowing that the world will be ending soon.


A: Thanks for sharing this thought with us! Let's break this question down a bit and we'll try to answer every little thing here.

First, the reasons of why you want more time on earth seem innocent enough. Who doesn't want to get married, have a family, travel places? I'm sure no one would argue with that. But in comparison to the coming of Christ, I would dare say that those plans (and all of our plans for that matter), pale in comparison to the glory that would be seen with Christ. I know we all want to have our time here and then go home (as in heaven) after we've had our fun. But that's not the way God works. So I would question whether you would want to honor and glorify God through that marriage, graduation or having a family. Or...do you just want to do those things because you feel as though they would bring YOU joy?

Secondm I asked myself where in the world did you get the idea that 2012 was going to be the day that the world would end? A quick google search answered that question! I understand that there are a lot of prophecies and teachings that tell us that this special day (12.12.12) would be the end times. Including a recent event in the news about a Bubble Boy and needing the money to build an undergrad lair to save him and his family. The truth is, is that we don't know when the end times would come. Jesus does not tell us exactly when He will come back.

The Bible is very clear to us as it says in Mark 13:31-33,

³²"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

We wont know when Christ will come. Through the history of time, there has always been these theories that people say will be the end of the world. But if you believe in the Bible, and you believe the Word of God as true, the above passage needs to be your standard. Don't fall for what false prophets are saying. Listen to the one that is true.

If we don't know the time or place that Christ is coming, what is the point of planning our future if there's a possible He could come tomorrow?

First of all, I think it would pain God to see all of His children being sluggards, waiting for Him to come. We have been gifted with so many things in our life...they are most definitely supposed to be used to glorify Him! Second, God's commands and His word still stands, even in our anticipation of Christ's coming. It's kind of like people arguing why we need to stop sinning if we know that we'll always be sinners and God will forgive us. Just because we know that, does that mean we can stop trying to be better Christians or stop trying to strive to be like Christ? Of course not! We still are to aim our lives as models of Christ, even though we know that we'll never achieve that perfect standard. Do you write your test with the aim to just get only 70%? No...you write it with the mentality that you want to get 100%. And when you don't, you just work harder again next time!

You'll be interested to know that in the 1st Century - during the time of Paul - people in his community felt this way also. They had just witnessed the Crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ and had heard His promise that He would be returning. And so they (people during the Apostle Paul's time), believed that He would be coming back within their lifetime. And so they prepared themselves for His 2nd arrival. Obviously, Christ had not come yet, and so they had no choice but to go on with their lives and strives to live in the example of Christ.

[This is one of the reasons why we have the written Gospels and the writings of the New Testament. The Jewish culture is a very oral culture; as in they passed down stories not in writing, but verbally. When the people saw that Christ was not coming back any time soon, they felt it was necessary to preserve the truth in writing, so that the future generations would know what really happened. Hence, we have the Gospels and the Epistles.]

Since we do not know the day or hour in which Christ will come back again, we need to simply follow the commands set out for us in the Bible and also with the example given to us with Jesus. We need to still strive to submit and follow our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Answered by Pastor Kelly J. Tam]

Q: How come it is seen as unacceptable to Christians to use any type of playing cards to have casual games (not gambling)?...

...I don't get the idea of how playing cards/trading cards are inherently "evil". Games such as Magic: The Gathering may have references to occultism and magic, but in a fictional universe. At the end of the day, they are just images on a piece of cardboard; nothing more. The same goes with a standard deck of 52 cards; they are just numbers and faces on cardboard. So what is wrong with playing/trading cards?


A: This is a relevant question, especially since playing cards is so common. Often as youth, we’re told what not to do, without being explained why. Let me try to give some background on where this church stigma against cards comes from (and I will answer the question in reference to standard playing cards, but I think it should encompass questions about Magic cards, Yu-gi-oh, etc):

Playing cards have a long history that goes all the way back to the Medieval times in Europe or Asia. Many tie the origin of playing cards with the origin of tarot cards, which are used in fortunetelling. The history and mythology behind playing cards is littered with references of church shame and lewdness. Some sources will claim that the symbols (ie. jack, queen, king, joker) are demeaning representations of spiritual and historical figures, with Jesus being the joker (there is no definitive source for sure). Also, just as we understand the use of cards today, through time they have always been associated with gambling and frivolity; often that meant that they pulled people away from a life of devotion and commitment to their faith. (For more info, read Mat 6:24, 1Tim 6:9-10). In short, there is historical evidence that explains the long-standing Christian stigma against cards.

But just because playing cards have questionable pagan roots and some people abuse them, does that mean we treat them as altogether evil? More practically, should we avoid them? Here, I want to be careful about answering. The point is not to add another thing to your “Christians-are-not-allowed” list. I don’t want to answer the question of, “Is it a sin to play cards?” because ultimately it’s not that black & white. And as sinners, we often try to oversimplify things so that we can justify our actions.

What are the Biblical principles we need to be mindful of when dealing with these grey areas? 1) Consult your conscience. Ask yourself: when you play cards, do you find yourself desiring God less, or thinking of him more? Is playing cards something that numbs your mind and leads you to laziness/selfishness/pride? It is Biblical that certain actions can weigh on one person’s conscience more than another, and we need to be sensitive to the Spirit in us. 2) We need to ask if this bothers the conscience of others.

Romans 14:21 says, “It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.” As church history has shown, playing cards has indeed pulled some away from the faith. The same stigma is true today in some Christians today, or else you wouldn’t have asked this question in the first place. Put others’ consciences before your desire for fun, and act out of love, no matter what you do.

Lastly, I just want to end on this. It’s healthy to ask questions about why we do things as Christians; or why we don’t do things. Mindlessly following rules is no good for anyone. However, part of the heart behind this question might have been, “I’m just an innocent card player. I’m not the type that would ever become a gambling addict.” Let me warn you, that attitude of self-justification is exactly the sort of pride that causes Christians to fall. If after following Biblical principles 1) and 2), you decide to play cards, at least heed the grave warning from church history that Christians have fallen in their faith through playing cards, which has led them to a lust for fun and desire for money. To think you are “better” is the self-righteous folly that will ultimately ruin a Christian. As Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.”

[answered by Mark Cheng, Agape Counselor]

new Agape, BASIC and SPLOXA backgrounds!

New downloadable content available above, courtesy of your counselor EW! Post on your blog and link to our website!

Q: How can a person be proved trustworthy? For instance, how can you know you can trust God?

A: Well, this is a very open ended question. I will break it down since it seems like there it's a 2 Part-er question. One about the trust of your friend, and the other about trusting in God.

Trusting your Friend:
As you have heard it said before, "trust is earned". However, I think it's important to not just start off with a clean state and have each of your friend earn it. Instead, it should be that they have the trust from the beginning and really have to keep it. Similar to "innocent till proven guilty".
Trusting your friend requires you to understand their intentions. Here are some questions to ask yourself in reflection of your friend:
1. Do you find them lying to you for their own benefit?
2. Do they hang out with you when they have no one else and then ditch you when other friends come along?
3. Do they have your best interests at heart?
4. Are they willing to say the things that need to be said and sometimes point out your faults for your benefit? (Speaking the truth in love).

Something to remember is that any relationship needs to be built on trust and love. Whether it be a friend, a boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse. It also needs to be worked on...meaning that if you want a friendship to work out, communication, forgiveness, cooperation, compromise and reconciliation must also happen.


Trusting God:
Trusting God may be a little the tough one out of the two because it's not like you can see Him or hang out with Him in the way you would with a friend. However, I would like to challenge you this:
Think about the last time you really needed God. Like, the last time you went through a struggle in your life, asked Him for help...and He came through; giving you strength, wisdom, courage to get through whatever you needed to.
Now remember this verse: ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
We have to remember that the same God that has saved us from our sins, is the same God that will help us in the future. Christ promises to remain true to us as long as put our faith into Him. He has proven trustworthy in your life at one point or another. And He promises to remain trustworthy through the entire duration of your life.

Another verse that I'd like to share with you comes from the same book, Hebrews 11:1 ¹Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. There is an element of faith that is needed to trust our God. If it was so easy and so plain for people to see, there would no persecution in the world and no one would doubt God. God reveals the truth to us, in hopes that we have the right heart and attitude to see. He has promised us blessings, and our in faith, we must trust that what we do not see now, it will come to fruition in time and through Him.


[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Where's the line drawn when we decide whether something is a good or bad reason to be getting mad?

John 2:12-17 mentions Jesus going into a temple and getting mad about what they were doing. As a result, he flipped over tables and chased out the flock of animals there. Jesus got mad at them for changing the temple into a market which I think is a reasonable explanation to get mad since he is God. So it’s safe to say there are ‘good’ reasons to get mad and with 'good', also comes ‘bad’.

In any situation, is anger a good or bad thing? Where is the line drawn when we decide is something is a good or bad reason to be getting mad? Is there an appropriate response to getting angry? For example, if our younger sibling was saying that church is boring, should we flip tables or just forgive them for what they said [and then give them an asian lecture like a good o'l older sibling should?]

This very passage is the topic of our next MOBS (monthly bible study), so be on the lookout for that on Oct. 30 (Agape) and Nov. 6 (BASIC). We'll get into a lot more detail there.

Yes, there are good reasons to get mad and bad reasons to do as well. From this passage, we see that Jesus showed anger because people were more concerned about earning money than about worshipping God. So does this mean we can be angry? Yes. But when is okay to be angry?

Andrew Lester once wrote this concerning anger and Christian living:

Because God's love is heavily invested in the creation, that love becomes threatened when an aspect of the creation is being hurt or when God's desires for the creation are neglected. Thus we may conceptualize God's anger as a response to threats to those in whom God is invested, and for whom he desires abundant life.

Lester is saying that it is right for a Christian to be angry when God is dishonoured or when his creation is hurt. In other words, we should be angry at the sin of people.

That being said, as you have indicated, there is a way to express that anger. Ephesians 4:15 reminds us to always speak the truth in love. Furthermore, Ephesians 4:26 tells us to "be angry but do not sin." Though there are things that make us very angry, we must remember to express that anger without sinning and in love. Practically, this means we cannot think we are better than those we are angry at. It also means examining our motives and asking whether Jesus would be angry if he encountered the same situation.

Our angry must be rooted in the love of Christ. In the case of your younger brother or sister who finds church boring, you have to first examine whether you truly have your younger sibling's well-being in mind. Is your angry rooted in self-righteousness or in love?

You must also examine how you plan to express your anger. This takes a great deal of patience, courage and wisdom. Sometimes telling a person the hard truth requires the bold, in-your-face approach. Other times, the approach must be gentle. For instance, if you were to "flip tables," I predict your sibling would not be interested in what you'd have to say. He would just get angry at you, and the tension would just elevate. Perhaps the softer approach is the wise move. Ask him why he finds church boring. Listen attentively. When the time is right and you have his/her attention, you can speak the truth in love and with courage. Tell him why worshipping God at church is important and exciting. Don't force it, but simply tell him your experience. If he doesn't listen, give it time. Pray for him, and ask God for an opportune time to speak to him. On the other hand, if he shows utter disrespect, perhaps it is appropriate to speak the truth in a more forceful tone. I believe you can still do this in love.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: What sets apart a good person from a good Christian?

"The Christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ life inside him. He does not think God will love us because we are good but that God will make us good because He loves us." - C.S. Lewis

Thought-provoking question. Many people have misunderstood what Christianity is about. In particular, many people (including Christians!) believe they ought to be good, because that's how God accepts them.

This is not true. Scripture tells us there are actually no good persons. We all have sinned (Romans 3:23), and therefore no one is righteous (Romans 3:10) or good (Luke 18:19). In other words, those who believe they are good (while others are 'bad') are self-righteous and full of pride. Consider the elder son in the parable of the prodigal sons (Luke 15). The point of that story is to show that God the Father shows grace to BOTH sons. They are both sinners. The elder son did not squander his father's wealth like his younger brother, but he is guilty of being self-righteous and prideful. He felt he deserved blessing because of how "good" he was.

That being said, there is another way to look at this. There are people who perform many good deeds, but are not Christian. How is this possible? Theologically, it is possible because of something called "common grace." Common grace means that every human being is made in God's image and therefore some goodness can come out of their lives. This is why many of your friends believe in social justice and helping others. It is also why we have an inward sense of right and wrong that reflect many of the moral standards found in the Bible. It is because we are under the common grace of God.

Common grace, however, is not saving grace. When we are saved by God, we do not perform good deeds in order to be accepted by God. We do not consider ourselves to be "good people" but only sinners. When we are saved, we are accepted by God because of what Christ has done on the cross; not what we are able to do on our own. Therefore, the good work that come from a Christian's life comes out of gratitude and joy. The good work that pours out of a Christian's life does not save us, but it is an indication of the saving work that Christ has already done in our lives.

One blogger put it this way:

Christianity doesn't call people to be good in and of themselves, independently of God. It calls them to come to Christ and let Him make them good and live His life through them. Salvation is a relationship with a loving God who makes us good. Sin is independence from God, trying to be what we consider good through our own means and standards and the fruit of that will always be rotten. The gospel of Jesus Christ is that He will save us. He will make us good. The bad news in that is that we can't make ourselves be good and we desperately need Him and to receive Him, we must give up all our attempts to make ourselves good. We can't pay our own way. We can't pull ourselves up by our bootstraps to God's pure standard of goodness because our bootstraps won't reach that high, neither will our hands.

Summarily, there are no good persons because nothing can a person "good" in God's eyes, apart from Christ. Yet there are "good Christians" and "bad Christians," i.e. those trying to follow Jesus by the grace of God, and those who are not following him. If someone continues to disobey Jesus and does not repent of this (aka the "bad Christian"), I would argue he should question whether or not he is truly saved (1 John 5:18).

Hope this helps!

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Was John like Jesus' favourite one out of all the other disciples? if not, who was?

A timely question since we are going through the Gospel of John at Splat and Doxa. As you know, John often referred to himself as the "disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:20). This does not mean Jesus did not love the other disciples (Note: the complete list of disciples is found in Matthew 10:2-4), The term implies tender closeness between John and Jesus, but not favouritism.

Favouritism means that you like someone better because of what they can do for you. The Bible tell us God "shows no partiality" (Romans 2:11). James 2:1-4 says this concerning favouritism:

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Jesus did not show favouritism. He didn't need his disciples to do anything for him. He valued every one of them equally. It is true that Jesus appears to spend more time with 3 disciples in particular (i.e. Peter, John and James) than the other disciples. The reason for this is not clear. Perhaps he wanted to mentor these three closely to prepare them for the future. Perhaps he just enjoyed their company more. We do not really know. Yet one thing is for sure: Jesus did not do it out of favouritism.

[Answered by Pastor HM, who is glad Jesus doesn't play favourites!]

Q: Do Angels Sin? Isn't heaven a place of no sin? How was Lucifer able to sin in heaven?

Tough question! Let's review the historical facts, according to Scripture:

1. Satan was originally an angel (Isaiah 14:12-14)

2. Satan became prideful and wanted to take God's place (Isaiah 14:12-14)

3. God cast him out of heaven (Luke 10:18)

4. This happened before the creation of mankind (Genesis 3)

Now, let's take a stab at your questions.

1. Do angels sin? Yes. Satan was an exceedingly beautiful angel who sinned and was subsequently cast out of heaven (Ezekiel 28:12-15) by God.

2. Isn't heaven a place of no sin? Yes. By this, we mean that God cannot allow human beings that are still in their sin to enter into his presence. Angels are not human beings. They are a completely different order of being. Due to their role as special servants of God, they have access to heaven. However, like human beings, they can sin. There are good angels and evil angels (i.e. demons). Thus, when Lucifer sinned, God instantly cast him out of heaven; out of his presence forever.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: What makes investing different than gambling

Is one wrong? Are they both wrong? Are they both shades of grey? See Matthew 25:16-18: "Putting the money to work". Were they investing or gambling? is there really a difference?

Good question. First, make sure you read our previous post on gambling. Our conclusion, based on biblical principle, is that gambling is wrong. That being said, what about investing? I believe there is a difference. Gambling entails risking money in hopes to make more money quickly. Investing involves the purchase of partial ownership in companies in hopes to make money over time. The latter is a sound means to plan for the future. Matthew 25:16-18 is a parable of wise investment, not gambling.

Of course, there are grey areas (e.g. What about day trading? What about the Poker player who is very good at what he does? etc.). The list can go on and on. Still, I believe there is a principle we can derive from Scripture that can help us distinguish between gambling and investing. The fundamental difference comes down to intent. Is what you are doing for the purpose of being a faithful steward of God's resources, or because you are dissatisfied with what God has given you? Are you satisfied in God or the need to accumulate more wealth? Are you trying to provide for your family or trying to enhance your own pleasure? (1 Tim. 6:17-18).

Being faithful with the resources God has generously given us could mean saving up for education, emergency or family planning. Proverbs 28:20 says this: "A faithful man will abound in blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished." This verse speaks against gambling's "get rich quick" mentality. Trying to make lots of money overnight is not only unwise, but brings forth judgment. Investing as a long-term plan for the future, on the other hand, can be wise and fruitful - if your intent is God-centered.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Unbelief versus Questions

Very applicable to this blog.

Q: Before we were made to flesh, where were we?

"...We all are created to have an eternal soul, but before we were made to flesh, where were we? We had to have existed. We can't just be "unexisting"? We had to have existed somewhere before coming down to Earth."

It seems like you're describing Jesus who was "in the beginning with God" (John 1:2)! Indeed, our soul continues to live after our physical body dies, but we are not eternal as God is eternal. Scripture teaches us that we did not exist until we were conceived in our mother's womb, nor did come down to Earth as Jesus did (John 1:9, 14).

Theologically, this doctrine is known as "creatio ex nihilo" meaning "creation out of nothing." God created the world (including human beings) out of nothing. John 1:3 affirms this: "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is the only being that has existed for eternity. Human beings have not. We were created by God; made from pre-existing matter' conceived in the human womb at a precise time in history.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: God says that Satan can operate this world to a limit, but what is that limit God has set for him?

...And what happens if Satan decides to go past the limit?

I've written about Satan in a previous post and referred to this article. Here's what the article says about Satan (and his power):

Satan became the ruler of this world and the prince of the power of the air (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). He is an accuser (Revelation 12:10), a tempter (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), and a deceiver (Genesis 3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:3). His very name means “adversary” or “one who opposes.” Another of his titles, the devil, means “slanderer.”

It is true that Satan has some abilities to influence people. But they are limited, meaning Satan cannot go past them, no matter how hard he tries.

1. He has the ability to influence non-believers. 2 Cor. 4:4 tell us that Satan is the "god of this world" and "has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." In other words, Satan has the power to push false philosophies, evil thoughts and wrong belief systems onto those who do not know Christ. He keeps them in "darkness" (apart from God) whereas Christ brings them into the light (John 1:4-5). Here is an excerpt from an article about this very topic (read it HERE):

An example of a false philosophy might be a belief that man can earn God's favor by a certain act or acts. In fact, earning eternal life is a predominate theme around the world. Earning God's favor by works, however, is contrary to biblical revelation. Man cannot work to earn God's favor; eternal life is a free gift (see Ephesians 2:8-9). And that free gift is available through Jesus Christ and Him alone (John 3:16; 14:6). You may ask why does mankind simply not receive the free gift that enables them to truly be called children of God (John 1:12)? The answer is that Satan—the god of this world—pushes a false philosophy onto the world. Satan sets the agenda, the unbelieving world follows, and mankind continues to be deceived. It is no wonder that Scripture calls Satan a liar (John 8:44).

2. He continues to have the power to influence people after they become Christians. Listen to what Peter says concerning the devil's power: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). This knowledge, however, should not frighten us because Jesus Christ is our Lord and he has a greater power than the devil (see Luke 4:13). In fact, Scripture tell Christians that they have the power to resist the devil (James 4:7) by relying on God's strength and truth (Ephesians 6:11). Additionally, Scripture tells us that God will not let us be tempted by Satan beyond our ability. This means there is always a way to avoid sin, even in the most confusing situations:

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor. 10:13)

Hope this helps you friend. Take heart, as Satan is limited. He is not all-powerful. In fact, one day he will be brought to justice and his influence will be put to a complete end (Revelation 20:10).

[Answered by Pastor HM]