Q:In the Book of Genesis, God created Adam and Eve. Did God ONLY create Adam and Eve or did he also create another couple?

Where did Cain's wife come?

Good question. Here is an answer by the lovely folks at GotQuestions. I think it answers your question directly. They write:

The Bible does not specifically say who Cain’s wife was. The only possible answer is that Cain's wife was his sister or niece or great-niece, etc....(*read the rest of the answer in the article)

Since Adam and Eve were the first (and only) human beings, their children would have no other choice than to intermarry. God did not forbid inter-family marriage until much later when there were enough people to make intermarriage unnecessary (Leviticus 18:6-18). The reason that incest today often results in genetic abnormalities is that when two people of similar genetics (i.e., a brother and sister) have children together, there is a high risk of their recessive characteristics becoming dominant. When people from different families have children, it is highly unlikely that both parents will carry the same recessive traits. The human genetic code has become increasingly “polluted” over the centuries as genetic defects are multiplied, amplified, and passed down from generation to generation. Adam and Eve did not have any genetic defects, and that enabled them and the first few generations of their descendants to have a far greater quality of health than we do now. Adam and Eve’s children had few, if any, genetic defects. As a result, it was safe for them to intermarry.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Is the "magician" Criss Angel possessed by demons?

Since I have never met him personally, I cannot say whether he is possessed by demons or not. In Scripture, a demon-possessed person can manifest a variety of extreme behaviors.

Some of these passages, the demon possession causes physical ailments such as inability to speak, epileptic symptoms, blindness, etc. In other cases, it causes the individual to do evil, Judas being the main example. In Acts 16:16-18, the spirit apparently gives a slave girl some ability to know things beyond her own learning. The demon-possessed man of the Gadarenes, who was possessed by a multitude of demons (Legion), had superhuman strength and lived naked among the tombstones. King Saul, after rebelling against the LORD, was troubled by an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:14-15; 18:10-11; 19:9-10) with the apparent effect of a depressed mood and an increased desire to kill David.


These behaviors do not seem to be consistent with Criss Angel's. The most likely explanation is that Criss is an optical illusionist and an entertainer. He may be tapping into the occult and be under the influence of demons, but no one can be absolutely sure. Read this previous post here for more information. Hope this helps.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Is Yoga evil?

"Can a Christian practice Yoga? I know that it has become very trendy to do this, especially hot yoga. I personally do know some Christians who have been practicing Yoga as a form of exercise and relaxation. From my point of view Yoga is about physical exercise and strengthening and improving flexibility of the muscles. But I know that the philosophy behind yoga is much more than physically improving oneself. It is an ancient practice derived from India, believed to be the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment. Is it possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a method of exercise, without incorporating the spirituality or philosophy behind it?"

Good question. This is something that has been hotly debated over the past several years. Here's a clip of two pastors discussing the issue:



You'll see in the video that one pastor, John MacArthur, does not believe Christianity and yoga practice are compatible. He says:

That doesn’t sound anything like Christianity. If you want a whole life, if you want your life to be what it should be, you don’t put yourself in some weird physical position, empty your mind, center on yourself and try to relieve your stress. You go to the word of God, to the gospel of Jesus Christ, you embrace in faith the sacrifice of Christ in his death and resurrection as your savior and redeemer. God comes, regenerates you, transforms your life, makes you a new creation, and you’re saved and you’re on your way to heaven, and you can live a life of peace and joy. That’s the promise of the gospel. There is no contribution made to that by any physical position or any kind of meditation.

The idea of Christianity is to fill your mind with biblical truth and focus on the God who is above you. That’s Christian worship. The idea of yoga is to fill your mind with nothing except to focus on yourself and try to find the god that is inside of you. From a Christian viewpoint, that’s a false religion. Exercise is a different issue.

The other pastor, Doug Pagitt, disagrees and he says:

Yoga, it’s really hard to hold these postures, to hold these positions. And I’ll tell you that from my own experience, and the many, many people that I know who participate in yoga, none of them have ever found themselves to be opened up to something negative or something demonic or something evil. In fact, many of us find the high benefit that comes from body mind connection, and from knowing that we are pushing, that we are stretching, that we are sending our body into an exercise. And that exercise is not wholly disconnected from our will or from our mind or from our spirit; it’s a complete practice. And I’ve never known anybody who has had anything detrimental come into their spirit because of their practice of yoga.

Now, I myself have never participated in yoga, but have consulted others who have. Here's what they said:

"1. Yoga is a form of meditation that originates and is steeped in idol worship - the positions are actually postures that allow yourself to lose yourself completely and open yourself out for spirits to speak to you. You are supposed to completely abandon your thoughts and when that is the case you can allow anything to come in.

2. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Eph. 6:12 I think yoga can appear harmless because Christians can say, well when people meditate I can pray to Jesus instead. But I think it's a dangerous thing when you put yourself in those situations where you open yourself to anything to come into you. Our struggle is against a dark spiritual world and although we are already victors in Christ we shouldn't go play with fire either.

3. So my personal convictions are this, from my own experience, is that I've tried to do yoga while focusing on the Lord..but at the end of the day, the whole environment doesn't give me peace. So, I quit the gym and I haven't done it since."

Another wrote this:

"After thinking about it a bit, I think yoga fits into the category with lots of other things: kinda like, this "bad origins / commonly abused" category of activities. I'd put playing cards there, along with investing in stocks, watching Harry Potter movies, etc. They can be used positively when used carefully; but if you are just enjoying/using them status quo, and not being vigilant, you could be easily led astray as you buy into that culture. I understand the argument for abstaining from yoga; and I think I understand what McArthur is trying to say; it can promote this idea that self is god. And therefore we should take the attitude of humility and keep ourselves away from these situations if possible.

However, you can go against the culture of yoga and deny this idea that self is god. You can do the motions of yoga yet still profess the name of Jesus. I think lots of Christians understand that if they were attending a friend's party or going out to a club with friends, that they would need to be vigilant; they understand that at these parties, the culture there promotes lots of "bad stuff", and they need to actively resist that culture. I think most Christians don't view yoga or playing cards or Harry Potter movies in that same way, when they ought to. They just sort of assume that it's all pretty harmless, and proceed to do these things running downstream with the culture of these activities, when these activities indeed have a negative culture attached to using them (whether that be the origins, or the common usage).

Is abstaining from yoga right? Well, it's pretty wise. You should be able to appreciate the wisdom behind staying out of temptation's way whenever possible. But one can also do yoga and glorify God; it is a narrow road though."

If you have a chance, I'd also read these articles about yoga. In conclusion, there are more detrimental effects to practicing yoga than physical (or spiritual) benefits. For these reasons, I'd abstain from it.

[Answered by Pastor HM, with help from a few good friends]

Q: How did John know every single thing Jesus did in the Gospel of John?

"...He knows things no one is supposed to know, like how Jesus made alcohol when his mother asked him to."

GREAT question. The answer is straight-forward. John was an apostle, and one of Jesus' closest friends (along with Simon Peter and James). In other words, he was an eye-witness and participant in the work of Jesus during his earthly ministry. The Gospel of John is Jesus' story from John's point of view, so what you're reading in your Bible is not based on the testimony of people that weren't there. It's based on first-hand, eyewitness accounts. Even if John did not witness specific events personally (e.g. Jesus' mother asking him to help during the wedding of Cana, John 2), he interviewed eyewitnesses that were present. A reliable and honest author in the Greek and Roman world drew from reliable sources. That's what John did! In fact, we could surmise that Jesus actually told John in conversation what he did during the wedding feast. That's how he wrote about what happened in John 2.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Those, who are mind-controlled by heavy-metal and worhipping Satan, will God help them?

This question is very similar to one we received from last week.
While I am uncertain as to what you mean those who are "mind-controlled by heavy-metal," I assume you are referring to the genre of music known as heavy-metal.

I don't believe it is fair to generalize like that; not all heavy-metal music condones the worship of Satan and I'm not even certain you can be mind-controlled by it. It IS fair, however, to suggest that some heavy-metal songs delve into satanic themes and therefore should be avoided. Satan can often use the lyrics in these songs to negatively influence your mind. That being said, even if someone is "mind-controlled by heavy-metal," God will help that person.

Read our answer HERE (from last week). Here is an excerpt:

YES, God will help. After all, God wants people to be saved including those involved in forms of the occult. Yet there is a degree of human responsibility in salvation. Acts 2:21 says: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." In order to be saved, a person must repent of his sin and call for God's help on his own accord. God may open the spiritual eyes of a person under the control of Satanism, but he must embrace this truth for himself. In other words, if a person is under the control of Satanism and resists God's help, God will not force this choice onto a person, even if it is for their own good.

Hope this helps. Keep the questions coming!

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Jesus and the UFC?

"I really like watching mixed martial arts, like UFC. I know that it is violent and bloody and from my point of view, it is just a sport. The goal of the sport is to gain the upper hand. These athletes are well trained, and are not out to "kill" their opponents. And at the end of the day, each fighter respects each other. Also, the sport is highly regulated and a very experienced referee is in charge of each match. What is your opinion on this matter? I don't see the bible condeming or endorsing this activity. So I would conclude that this is a conscience issue. In fact there are many Christian fighters who are fighters and many Christian athletes in general. I would argue that God needs his people in many different places."

Great question. I, too, enjoy MMA (mixed martial arts). When I was younger, I trained in Kung Fu, and currently am a fan of GSP, Anderson Silva and big guys like Frank Mir and Fedor.

I agree with your points. MMA is a high-energy, competitive sport, like football, baseball, hockey or boxing. The bible does not condemn it. You are also correct that there there are many Christian MMA fighters. (In fact, in January, there was a "Fight with God" conference in which real fighers partnered with some of the best preachers in the country to teach fight principles that are tied directly to the Apostle Paul's teachings in scripture about spiritual battle). The great Matt Hughes and the legendary Fedor Emelianenko (who has stated that he loves attending church) are such examples. Indeed, watching or participating in MMA is a matter of the conscience.

[Answered by Pastor HM, who enjoyed UFC 107, especially the Mir/Kongo fight, but wants to see GSP back in action soon]

Q: What is the biblical stance on euthanasia, assisted suicide, and mercy killing?

This is a very sensitive and difficult question. The fine folks at GotQuestions have an answer here that will help. Also read this article by Kerby Anderson, who wrote Christian Ethics in Plain Language (2005). Both of these sources argue the following:

1. God is sovereign over life. Moses was told by God “I put to death and I bring to life … no one can deliver out of my hand” (Deut 32:39).


2. It is Against the Sanctity of Human Life. Human life is sacred. We are made in God’s image Gen 1:27. For this reason it is even wrong to curse another human being (James 3:9) let alone kill them. Unlike animals, human beings are rational (Col 3:10, Jude 10) moral beings. They resemble God and are morally responsible to him (Gen 2:16-17). The can be holy as he is holy and are exhorted to moral perfection.


3. It is a form of suicide or murder. You shall not murder (Ex 20:13). Killing one self is both a rejection of God’s sovereignty over life and an attack upon the sanctity of life. It matters not whether the human life is our own or another’s; it is still in God’s image, and he is sovereign over it. Even the most desperate believer in the Bible who wished to die never contemplated taking his own life but prayed, like Jonah, “O Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life” (Jonah 4:3). Suicide fails to take responsibility for the life God has entrusted to us. It fails to show the basic self-respect of which Paul spoke about “No one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it” (Eph 5:29).

To be clear, we must also distinguish between active euthanasia (which is morally wrong) and passive euthanasia (which can be wrong depending on whether it is natural or unnatural):

Active Euthanasia: Taking life to avoid suffering. This is morally wrong.

Passive Euthanasia: Allowing death to occur in order to avoid suffering. Within this category, there are two sub-categories:

• Natural: By withdrawing artificial or unnatural means of life support (respirators, artificial organs, machines) in order to allow death.
• Unnatural: By withdrawing natural means of life support (food, air, water) in order to allow death. This is morally wrong.

It is never right to take a life (active euthanasia) or to withhold ordinary life sustaining means such as food, water and air. But for the cases of withdrawing unnatural life (see chart above) saving mechanisms for irreversible, terminal sickness a death can be justified. This is when extraordinary human efforts are really prolonging death rather than prolonging life. When artificial life supports are interfering with the natural process of death, rather than enriching the person’s natural life, then their use is wrong. It is resisting the hand of God involved in the process of death. There is a difference between repairing life to function naturally and sustaining life artificially.

Summarily, to allow death...

1. Has to be artificial means to keep alive not natural means

2. The disease must be irreversible and terminal: No one should be allowed to die if we have the means at hand to save his life. Even if we have artificial means.

3. The patient has veto power: If the patient is conscious and rational, then he has veto power over any decision not to extend his life by artificial means. If he is not conscious and no expressed will was made previously, then others responsible for him must make the decision.

4. A collective decision: Family members, with doctor, pastor, lawyer. But even before this pray and consult God.

[Answered by Pastor HM and Pastor Quang]

Q: With SNA coming up, I just wanted clarification on what a "spiritual high" is and what the pros and cons of it are.

check it out: www.saturdaynightalive.ca

A: in one sentence, a spiritual high is a state of mind in which you go through a spiritual experience and are "living off" of that feeling. It's not authentic and not sustainable. As a person leaves the spiritual experience, the feeling dwindles and that "high" has dissipated.

The Pros of a Spiritual High:
Not that many. It is not something that I would encourage as it is not real and does not provide any edification to the church or yourself as a Christian.
- provides some type of connection with God and may encourage one to seek a deeper, authentic relationship with Him.

The Cons of a Spiritual High:
- a "high" insinuates that there will be a low. Because the spiritual high is not based on an authentic relationship with Christ, that low will inevitable come
- the "high" is not reflective of a true authentic relationship with Christ, although it may seem to be. Therefore, as said before, there is nothing to sustain this high.

You are right to assume that these spiritual highs occur during events such as SNA, TC or a Fellowship Retreat. It's when nothing is distracting you and you can focus on God. But when you come back to "regular" life, those distractions are there and it is hard to keep that high when there are things around us.

I encourage discernment when it comes to your experiences with conferences and events. These highs are not indicative of your spiritual status. They are sometimes deceiving and need to be seen as what they truly are.

Hope this helps a little...come to SNA on December 12th 2009 @ 6:45pm!


[answered by Pastor KJT]

Why is it that in our church, people who are not baptised cannot take communion?

"The Bible clearly makes a distinction between baptism with water, and baptism with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). We know that we live in God when we receive the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13). Isn't living in God enough to take communion? 1 Corinthians doesn't mention anything about baptism in the Lord's Supper, only that we examine ourselves to see if we're living in God. Why then is our church drawing such a connection between baptism with water and the Holy Spirit?"

The last thing our church wants to do is be legalistic about this matter. Technically, we will not stop anyone from taking communion whether they are baptized or not. However, the reason why we ask that baptized believers take communion is because Lord's Supper must be taken very seriously.

Baptism is a way for believers to make a public commitment that they have indeed received Christ as Savior and Lord. That's why we encourage and tell believers to be baptized. And that's why we ask that only baptized believers take the communion. It's not because we are making a connection between water baptism and baptism of the Spirit. It's because it's the most definitive way for believers to show they are truly living with God. I have been approached by students asking whether they can take the communion because they are hungry or because they want to taste the elements for fun! At our church, when you want to get baptized, we ask that you attend a 3-month class (in addition to a special class on baptism) so that we can clear up any such misconceptions and misunderstandings. Once you understand the importance and reason why you - as a Christian - ought to be baptized to proclaim your faith to the world, then the natural step is to participate in communion, a time when we remember the Lord's sacrificial death for us.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Psychic Activities?

Q: Are psychic activities such as palm reading or horoscopes considered Satanic activities? Should I believe in these things? I have found, in the past, that horoscopes prove to be true.

It depends on how you define "Satanic" activities. Psychic activities may not appear to be "satanic" because you are not part of a cult that worships Satan, etc. but I believe these activities are influenced by Satan, and thus, when you participate, you are allowing Satan to manipulate and hurt you. The fine folks at GotQuestions write this about psychic readings:

Satan pretends to be kind and helpful. He tries to appear as something good. Satan and his demons will give a psychic information about a person in order to get that person hooked into spiritism, something that God forbids. It appears innocent at first, but soon people can find themselves addicted to psychics and unwittingly allow Satan to control and destroy their lives. Peter proclaimed, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). In some cases, the psychics themselves are deceived, not knowing the true source of the information they receive. Whatever the case and wherever the source of the information, nothing connected to spiritism, witchcraft, or astrology is a godly means of discovering information. How does God want us to discern His will for our life? God’s plan is simple, yet powerful and effective: study the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and pray for wisdom (James 1:5).

The Bible strongly condemns spiritism, mediums, the occult, and psychics (Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-13). Horoscopes, tarot cards, astrology, fortune tellers, palm readings, and séances fall into this category as well. These practices are based on the concept that there are gods, spirits, or deceased loved ones that can give advice and guidance. These “gods” or “spirits” are demons (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). The Bible gives us no reason to believe that deceased loved ones can contact us. If they were believers, they are in heaven enjoying the most wonderful place imaginable in fellowship with a loving God. If they were not believers, they are in hell, suffering the un-ending torment for rejecting God’s love and rebelling against Him.

You can read the entire article HERE. What about horoscopes?

Astrology, then, opposes biblical teaching in at least two ways: it advocates faith in something other than God, and it is a form of divination. We cannot determine God's will for our lives through horoscopes. As Christians, we are to read the Bible and pray to God in order to gain wisdom and guidance. Consulting a horoscope is a violation of God's means of communicating with His children. We strongly believe that horoscopes should be rejected by Christians.

Read the entire article, "Should Christian consult horoscopes?" HERE.

Summarily, I would strongly urge you to stay about both psychic readings and horoscopes. Besides what I just shared with you, I also the ability of these activities to predict the "truth" comes from their vagueness. If a statement is vague enough, you can draw whatever meaning you want from it.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Will God still help those who are under the control of Satanism?

This question is hard to answer because the wording is vague. I'll try my best though!

First, let's define Satanism. I found a help article, so read it HERE. The article says that there are various definitions of Satanism:

...there is a plethora of ideologies and false philosophies in Satanism. You can be hard pressed to find a handful outside their own coven, church, or group that “believe” the same way. Some of Satanism's practices are constant, but Satanists' comfort and unity is found more in the “acts” of rituals than in the “relationship” to a belief system. It is easier to call themselves "Satanists" if they “do” certain things.

Even in their harsh disagreement of principles and beliefs, there is an underlying commonality: self. The very sin for which Satan was forever dismissed from God’s presence is their common denominator: selfishness. All forms of Satanism claim that life exists to consume. Wicca demands you treat mother earth with respect and use the power that is within her and yourself, but for your own good. Devil worshippers hail allegiance to Satan and think he will guard them for all eternity; that is, if they believe there is an eternity. Some adherents of Satanism hold that the only existence they will ever know is here on earth. And thus, devil worshippers live for the moment and their creed is gluttony and debauchery.

In short, Satanism, while it may or may not be worshiping Satan, is a conscious effort to NOT worship the one true real God. Romans 1 gives a clear look into the heart and motives of a Satanist. They have “depraved minds to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness” (vv 28-29).

Will God still help those under control of Satanism?

If you are asking whether God will help someone "possessed" by a demon, then YES, God will help. Consider the times when Jesus saved demon-possessed people.

[Read this post about spiritual warfare and how Christians are to fight against demons and their influence]

If you are asking whether God will help a person is not possessed by a demon, but worships Satan, then YES, God will help. After all, God wants people to be saved including those involved in forms of the occult. Yet there is a degree of human responsibility in salvation. Acts 2:21 says: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." In order to be saved, a person must repent of his sin and call for God's help on his own accord. God may open the spiritual eyes of a person under the control of Satanism, but he must embrace this truth for himself. In other words, if a person is under the control of Satanism and resists God's help, God will not force this choice onto a person, even if it is for their own good.

[Answered by Pastor HM]