Live ASK US Session "V-Day" moved to Feb. 19, 2010

Q: When babies/infants pass away and go to heaven, will they still have the mind of a baby or know what is going on?

A: Firstly, let us address the idea that babies WILL go to heaven after they die. I personally believe this and personally believe that God will judge accordingly and take into consideration that the babies did not have a chance to accept Christ. I believe there is a special measure of grace for such tragic situations.

For more reading on that topic, try this site.

Now, moving on to address if babies understand what is going on.

If we believe in Christ and we die, we have full assurance that we will go to heaven. And as we do, we are given new bodies as we lay to rest the ones that we currently have. We are not told how these "new bodies" will work or how they will look like, just that we are renewed.

Having said that, that doesn't mean that we'll forget everything. Isaiah 65:17 says this, "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind." What this verse means is not that we will forget all things, but that we'll forget all things that no longer matter in heaven. The the things that have helped us worship God in heaven and enhance that experience, we will remember them. The things that hinder us from our authentic worship, those are the things that we'll forget.

For more information, please read this post by Pastor John Piper.


[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: In the Bible, most prophets and leaders are males. Does that imply that males are better than females?

A: Although that may come off as being the case, that is absolutely not what the Bible is intending.

In the culture of those days, that thought was definitely prevalent in men's minds. There was absolutely this mentality that men were better and women should be confined to the kitchen and pleasing her husband. This is why you see the prophets and leaders being men. But don't overlook such great leaders as Esther or Ruth. They too play a heavy role in the Bible.

As a matter of fact, if you look at Jesus' ministry, He spent a lot of time going against that mentality and including women in His ministry. He had Mary and Martha, His mother was by His side when He was crucified, He healed many women that other people wouldn't even think of touching. Jesus was all about including women and fighting for their rights.

You've got to read the Bible and understand the culture of the day in order to interpret properly. Bottom line is that male superiority is of the past...Jesus came to abolish that (amongst many other things) and there is no need to use the Bible to perpetuate that type of attitude! We are set free by the freedom that Christ has given us.

[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: What do you mean by knowing?

"In your sermon at SPLAT, you mentioned that for you to know someone, they have to impact your life. Does that mean they actually have to change the direction of your life? Can you be more specific?"

Hey, great question! My theology professor once wrote:

"Our knowledge of someone is precisely the DIFFERENCE that person has made within us as a result of our meeting him/her. To know God is to be profoundly ALTERED by God through having encountered him."

The more you know a person, the more effect there is on your life. That's the principle. When you truly know a person, your life is made different forever. I'll give you an example from my own life. I've dated my wife for 13 years (we've been married for 5). I can confidently say that since I've gotten to know her, she's made the biggest impact in my life. I've been made different forever. If my life wasn't much different after 13 years, then I really couldn't say I know my wife. I may know facts about her (e.g. her favourite colour is blue; she likes sushi; she is the eldest child, etc.), but I don't really know her intimately.

With respect to our relationship with God, the same principle holds true. We know God when we have been made different forever through our encounter with Him. Sadly, many people know FACTS about God (e.g. believe that Jesus did this and that), but they don't know God PERSONALLY - God has not had a profound, everlasting impact in their life. When you know God, the direction of your life MUST change because that's the kind of IMPACT God makes on a person. He works in a person's heart, so she no longer desire to sin, but desire to live in holiness and obedience to Him. When you truly know God, your priorities; life direction; behaviour; words; innermost desires change as a result of your relationship with Him.

That's what I mean.

Thanks for asking. Keep 'em coming.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Are we predestined/called or do we choose?

Hi friend. You've asked a very controversial, and intriguing question. We've answered a series of similar questions HERE. I encourage you to read these carefully. Got Questions has answered your question too. Read their answer here. Here is an important excerpt:

If God is choosing who is saved, doesn’t that undermine our free will to chose and believe in Christ? The Bible says that we have the choice—all who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand-in-hand with a person being drawn by God (John 6:44) and believing unto salvation (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true. Romans 11:33 proclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

Also, listen to this sermon by Seattle's Pastor Mark Driscoll.

Q: If there is no heaven, will there still be Christians?

This one can be tricky to explain, but I'll try my best (!).

Scholar Dallas Willard once wrote: "The aim of God in history is the creation of an all-inclusive community of loving persons, with Himself included in that community as its prime sustainer and most glorious inhabitant."

Heaven wasn't created because God suddenly realized he needed a place to house Christians after they die. Heaven has always existed because it's the place where God lives.* Since God has no beginning and no end (Exodus 3:14), heaven has no beginning and end too.

What is heaven like? You can read more HERE.

To answer your question directly: There cannot be the absence of heaven, because that would mean there would be the absence of God.

Hope this helps!

[Answered by Pastor HM]

*In the Gospel of John, Jesus himself talked about coming "from heaven" (see chapter 6). Heaven was Jesus' home. He lived there "in the beginning" and will continue to live there forever, with those who are saved.

Q: How come when I pray by myself, it feels like I'm talking to nothing or no one?

...how come I don't feel like this when I'm praying at school or at church?

A: In the Old Testament, people believed that the only way true way to worship God was in the Temple. It was a literal structure in which people traveled far ways to get to. The belief was that God resided in the Temple and worshiping meant that you physically had to be in the building.

In the Gospel of Luke, during the recount of Jesus' death and crucifixion, Luke adds an interesting observation. 23:45-46 says this, "for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last."

The metaphor of this is to show you that the Temple was once a building. And when Christ came, He was the living Temple. And now that He has died for all mankind, the curtain that "hid" the spirit in the Temple was now torn...and no longer is God contained in one place, but He has sacrificed Himself for all. Making it possible for people to worship outside of the traditional Temple.

God is not only present in the church building or at your [Christian] school...He is everywhere. Therefore, please do not think that you can only speak to Him during the services or Chapel times. In those "assigned Christian times", it's easy to get into the groove of spiritual things; everybody is praying, everybody is worshiping, everybody is doing "Christian-y" things. But it's in the privacy of your own home that we feel hard to keep with those disciples.

May I encourage you to keep at it and with discipline and perseverance, continue to seek after God. We often feel like we are talking to no one because we don't hear anything back, but let me ask you this: how often do you sit around in silence waiting for God to respond? Try speaking to Him, and then spending some time in silence listening for Him. Trust me...He's there.

Other practical suggestions for doing devotions and spending time with God are reading the Bible. Instead of blowing through a Book at a time...pick a couple of verses and read it over and over again throughout your devotion time. Re-reading helps you pick up things that you missed the first time you read it.
Also, what about musical worship? Put a cd on...listen to the words. Sing a worship song as a prayer to God. All these ways are different ways that we can find our connection with God.

I'd like to leave you with this verse as an encouragement, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:4-7


[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Would it be a sin to want to be famous one day? I want to be an actor but my parents want me to be someone with a stable job...

...should I listen to my parents or do what I want?


A: Ask anyone if they have a crazy bucket-less dream and they'll probably share it with you. Mine would be be a recording artist and perform at Madison Square Gardens, Pastor Ho-Ming's would probably be to own 200+ guitars and travel with U2...others might be the same as yours: to be an actor/actress in Hollywood and one day become a star.

However, most often times than not, reality sinks in...and your parents obviously know that. Ever heard of the term "starving artist"? Take it literally...because those who go down the route that you want to often don't make it and don't have the means to support themselves financially. Your parents have great intentions of pointing you to something realistic and self-sustaining...don't think they are holding you back from what you want to accomplish. They are merely being good parents and giving you good advice.

To answer your question if wanting to be famous is a sin, let's try this equation out:

being famous equals self glory
self glory does not equal God glory
than being famous does not equal God glory

What I'm trying to say is that when you put your fame first before the fame of God, you are creating an idol in your life. An idol is not just a statue or a material good...it's ANYTHING in your life that takes away from you giving all the glory to God.

The fact that that you started this question by saying "Would it be a sin to want to be famous" and not "Would it be a sin to want to be an actor", kind of shows where your heart is: you want to be famous.

You really need to look deep inside your heart and evaluate your intentions. Do you have a gift that you want to share with the world? Will you be using this gift to point to God? Do you believe that God has given you this gift? OR, have you been reading way too many teen magazines of young people making it rich in this world and you desire that same fame?

Not all celebrities are conceited beings who care only about themselves. There are many who have found the balance of having fame with humbleness. However, if you look at the majority, there are many more who have allowed their fame and money to become and idol in their lives. They choose money over marriage, they opt for divorce when it's convenient, and morals are gone out the window in movie roles.

It's about the heart...put God first and cast all idols aside.

God's First Commandment:
"You shall have no other Gods before me"

God's Second Commandment:
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them"
Exodus 20:3-5

[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Isaiah 65:20?

Q: If you look at Isaiah 65:20, it talks about infants that only lived a few days would die at 100 in this new creation. I know in Revelation it says that there will be no more death (Revelation 21:4). Why John would write one thing and then Isaiah speaks of something else?

The first thing to bear in mind is that both books - Isaiah and Revelation - are books of prophecy, and thus contain poetic and symbolic language. This means their interpretations should be considered carefully as much of the language is figurative. Moreover, the purpose of prophetic books are not simply to predict the future, but to express the redemptive plan of God in human history.

The two verses in question are (1) Isaiah 65:20...

No more shall there be in it, an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

And (2) Revelation 21:4...

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

For years, scholars have debated what Isaiah meant: (1) An intermediate "millennial" state or (2) the eternal state itself. The expression, "new heavens and a new earth" would seem to suggest an eternal state (such as the one described in Revelation 21:4), yet the mention of people dying, as well as the presence of sin, seem to suggest the opposite.

So what are we to make of this verse? The Bible Knowledge Commentary has a solid explanation:

In Revelation, however, the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21:1) follow the Millennium (Rev. 20:4). Most likely Isaiah did not distinguish between these two aspects of God’s rule; he saw them together as one. After all, the Millennium, though 1,000 years in duration, will be a mere pinpoint of time compared with the eternal state.

Summarily, there is a period of time (the "millennium")* - described in Isaiah 65:20 - before the creation of new heavens and new earth - described in Revelation 21 by John.

Hope this wasn't (too) confusing. Remember, interpreting verses like Isaiah 65:20 are of importance, but not primary importance. What is of paramount importance is accepting Christ's gift of salvation while you still have time on this earth - before all of the events predicted by John & Isaiah occur.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

*According to this interpretation, one must concede that the millennial state includes both death and unbelief.

Q: Are all religions the same? Is Chrisitanity the same as other religions?

A: In a one word answer: No. They are not all the same and Christianity certainly differs in many ways.

First, there is the aspect of Jesus offering eternal life by forgiving our sins and granting us salvation through His life. No other religion offers this. They advise you to do good deeds in order to work your way into heaven. God does not ask us to do anything in return, only to believe that Jesus is the Christ.

To read further and understand this concept from far wiser words, please go to this site and read from John Piper.


[Answered by KJT]

Q: Is Jesus a hedonist or an altruist?

Hedonism is the principle that life should be devoted to gaining maximum pleasure or happiness.

Altruism is unselfish concern for the welfare of others.

I believe Jesus was both. Jesus endured the cross ... for what reason? Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us He did it "for the joy that was set before him." Jesus found the greatest joy, peace and happiness in obeying God the Father. He was secure and satisfied enough in His Father's love that he was able to unselfishly love and give to others. In fact, the same Hebrews verse tells us that Jesus "endured the cross" despite shame for us. Sacrifical death is the ultimate act of altruism.

For further reading, I'd recommend Dr. John Piper's site. Among other things, Dr. Piper is known for his writing on Christian hedonism. His most famous work is entitled, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. Here is an excerpt from his website:

Nowhere in the Bible does God condemn people for longing to be happy. People are condemned for forsaking God and seeking their happiness elsewhere (Jeremiah 2:13). This is the essence of sin. The Bible actually commands us to delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). Jesus teaches us to love God more than money because our heart is where our treasure is (Matt. 6:21). Paul wants us to believe that gaining Christ is worth the loss of everything else (Phil 3:8) and the author of Hebrews exhorts us to endure suffering, like Jesus, for the joy set before us (Heb. 12: 1-2). Examine the Scriptures and you'll see this over and over again. Christian Hedonism is not a contradiction after all. It is desiring the vast, ocean-deep pleasures of God more than the mud-puddle pleasures of wealth, power or lust.

I'd also recommend this article.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: If only God can change the non-Christian's heart, why doesn't God just make everyone become Christians?

The answer boils down to free will. God made us with the freedom to affect our destiny; we can either choose to walk in relationship with God; or walk away from Him. It is, however, true that only God can change a person's heart. John 15:16 says:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and a bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
A person can only choose God and salvation through the power and grace of God. God sends the Holy Spirit to work in and through a person's will to save that person. John 1:12-13 says:

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Salvation is God's work alone. However, because God created us with free will, there is an element of human responsibility - meaning God still allows us to either accept or reject his salvation. Think of salvation as a phone call. The phone may be ringing and you may hear the call, but it is still up to you whether or not to pick up the phone. After all, God didn't create robots that are programmed to automatically love him. He created human persons with freedom and thus He cannot make/force/coerce anyone to follow Him if they do not freely choose to do so.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: God, light and the sun?

In the beginning (1st day), God made light. He also separated darkness and light into day and night. But on the 4th day, Genesis says that God made the sun and the moon. What was lighting all the previous days if the sun wasn't created yet? Does it mean the light on the first 3 days was not literal but just representing the light of God/Jesus?

If you look at Genesis carefully, you'll notice creation is divided into two broad categories:

1. Location 2. Inhabitants

The locations are created on days 1-3:

Day 1: Light and Dark
Day 2: Sea and Sky
Day 3: Fertile Eath

The inhabitants, dwelling in these locations, are created on days 4-6:

Day 4: Lights of the day and night (i.e. sun, moon & stars)
Day 5: Fish and birds
Day 6: Land animals (including human beings)

Day 7, of course, is the day of rest.

On the first day, God created a location - in which the light could exist. When God spoke the words, "let there be light," he was creating the day-night cycle. "Let there be light" indicates the dawn of a new day. On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon and stars to occupy the "sky" at different times of this day-night cycle.

Hope this makes sense! Very insightful question, btw.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Why are there two versions of the Bible, King James and NIV?

...Is the NIV supposed to be the 'modernized' version of the King James? Then why are verses missing in the NIV that are in the King James?

You have asked two questions here, so I'll answer one at a time.

1. Is the NIV supposed to be the 'modernized' version of the King James?

Not exactly. Most Bible translations fall into one of three categories:

1. Literal ("word-for-word")

2. Dynamic Equivalent ("thought-for-thought")

3. Paraphrase

The King James Version (KJV) is would be classified as literal translation of the Bible, whereas the New International Version (NIV) is a dynamic equivalent translation. In other words, the KJV attempts to translate the underlying Hebrew and Greek words into the closest corresponding English words as possible (word for word). The NIV attempts to take the original thought in Greek and Hebrew and then express that thought in English (thought for thought). An example of the last category - "paraphrase" - is The Message Bible. This translation is neither a literal or dynamic equivalent translation.

For more information on translations, read this gotquestions article or this article on the ESV (Note: The ESV is the translation that I have found very helpful when preaching and reading the Bible).

*As a pastoral side-note, I'd recommend a few things:

- When you're looking at a passage, read different translations. Biblegateway.com will help; it's a website that allows you to search for a passage by translation.

- If you're doing serious Bible study, make sure you read a more literal translation as you want to know what the original author was writing, word-for-word.

- Feel free to use paraphrase translations, but use them for additional study and reflection - not as the primary source.

- Get hold of a good Study Bible. The one I use is the ESV Study. It helps me a lot.

2. Why are verses missing in the NIV that are in the King James?

This question is answered HERE. The authors write (& I think it answers your question very well)...

The answer is that the translators did not believe these verses should have been in the Bible to begin with. Since the KJV was translated in A.D. 1611, many Biblical manuscripts have been discovered that are older and more accurate than the manuscripts the KJV was based on. When Bible scholars researched through these manuscripts, they discovered some differences. It seems that over the course of 1500 years, some words, phrases, and even sentences were added to the Bible (either intentionally or accidentally). The verses mentioned above are simply not found in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts. So, the newer translations remove these verses or place them in footnotes or in the margin because they do not truly belong in the Bible.

It is important to remember, however, that the verses in question are of minor significance. None of them change in any way the crucial themes of the Bible, nor do they have any impact on the Bible’s doctrines—Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, Christ as the only the way of salvation, heaven and hell, sin and redemption, and the nature and character of God. These are preserved intact through the work of the Holy Spirit, who safeguards the Word of God for all generations.

Great question. Keep ones like this coming.

[Answered by Pastor HM]