Written by Andre - 10/13/00
Hello
I have a couple of questions for you. You really helped me a lot and think you really know the bible. Please email me back if you have the time.
Thank You
Written by Derek (webmaster) - 10/14/00
You Bet. I'll do the best I can. How can I help?
Derek R. Dalton
Written by Andre - 10/14/00
Well here is my question.
I have a big problem with money and the church. Do you think that preachers should live these extravogant lifestyles. I don't think that you should use God in order to make a profit. It even says in the bible that it is hard for a rich man to make it into heaven. What is your opinion on that.
Written by Derek (webmaster) - 10/14/00
Hello Andre;
Yes that is a big hurdle I needed to get past in my own walk with the Lord and committing to being active part of His body, the Church.
I agree that there has been many preachers of God's word, falling into the temptation of money. But if you put it into perspective, most by far live rather "middle class" lifestyles or even less.
Clearly there are several passages of Scripture that speak of the dangers of the love of money. It is important to note however, that it is not money itself, but the love of money that is the danger...
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1 Timothy 6:10 - love of money is the root of all kinds of evil |
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Luke 16:13 - cannot serve God and money |
Certainly the Scriptures show that God has greatly financially blessed some of His servants - Abraham, King David, Solomon, etc. had enormous wealth, so it is clear that God does not condemn wealth. The passage you cite, "it is hard for a rich man to make it into heaven" was where Jesus was teaching the principle of being attached to worldly possessions and wealth blocks ones spiritual growth. The only reason it is harder for a rich man, is because they have more to get attached to, whereas one who is poor person, having very little may not tend to get so attached. But clearly, a poor person can be just as negatively attached. I am a perfect example of that. You see, even though I don't have a much wealth currently, and never have, I was always preoccupied with "NOT having money!". This continued on even after I was saved and became a Christian 10 years ago. I was always obsessing about material things and what I could get, and how I needed more money to get it. I was also very uncomfortable with the whole idea of "giving", particularly to the church - even my own church! I mean, "I needed it more than they did!" and "look at this place! It's huge!" However, as I studied God's word more and more, I came to understand that it was He who gives me all my wealth to begin with.... It's all His! I began understanding the concept of tithing or giving my first 10% (also called "first fruits") back to the Lord who has given me so much - He even gave His own "first fruits, His own Son, for me. I also began to ask myself "why shouldn't our pastors earn a comfortable (not extravagant) salary? They do so much and the church has helped me grow spiritually so much, I should give generously to them". My problem was letting go of the control - "where will my money be spent? What if I don't agree with it?" etc... I came to realize it is part of the trust, faith, and surrender to God - I'll give my money to Him through my church in obedience to His word and I'll trust He, through my church will use it for His glory.
These are some verses that have helped me. Perhaps they may help you as well.
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Malachi 3:8-12 |
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty."
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Luke 10:5-7 (Jesus is speaking to the disciples he is sending out to preach) |
"When you enter a house, first say, `Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages."
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1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 |
"Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work."
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2 Corinthians 9:6-8 |
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
I would be happy to continue this discussion if you would like. Look forward to hearing your response to this letter.
Derek R. Dalton
Written by Andre - 10/14/00
Hello Derek
Thank you for that gracious response. I'm an accountant so it is hard for me to just give money away and not know what is going on with it. I honestly asked the lord would it be okay if I donated money or time to a charity instead of a church that i don't trust. Sometimes I just don't trust man. It seems like you are very knowledgeable about the word, and you make it easy for someone that is not familiar with the word to understand. I thank you for that. I have a question for you.
Have you ever thought about all the other religions out there. I have a friend that is a muslim and another that is Hindu and they believe strongly in their religion. The world population is around 3 billion and christians don't make up even half of that. Don't you think its arrogant to say that we are right and everyone else is wrong. Most christians will tell you that they know what is going to happen after death, but the truth is NO ONE knows. I love to think that my loved one are in heaven, but NO ONE on earth will know what happens after death until they experience it. I mean we can say tomorrow is going to be a good day but until we make it through tomorrow how will we know that. If it was not for my life experience I don't know what i would believe. When I was 12(I'm 22 know) I actually heard the voice of an angel and a demon or it could have been god and the devil, that I don't know. That proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that something existed bigger than us. Since that day I had faith in God.
What do you think of all the other religions and why does it not mention anything in the bible about other religions. Have a nice day Please remind me to tell you that testimony I think you would like it.
Written by Derek (webmaster) - 10/16/00
Hey Andre;
It was good to hear from you. Yes, I too find it hard to trust. When you shared that you "honestly asked the lord would it be okay if I donated money or time to a charity instead of a church that i don't trust" am I assuming correctly that either 1.) you don't belong to a church or 2.) you don't trust the church you are attending? I'm guessing number 1. Believe me, I know from my own experience how scary it can be to actually commit to a church, but I can also tell you it is well worth it. I have grown so much in my walk with the Lord through my church. It has provided me with endless spiritual nourishment, close friends with like minded folks who provide support, encouragement, and yes, even accountability. The church also provides a place where I can get involved and give back my time and talents to the Lord, to be used of Him. And besides, the Lord tells us to be a part of a church (see Hebrews 10:25 - "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching".) I pray you will find a body of believers you can trust and feel comfortable with.
In regards to Christianity and other
religions, you noted that "The world population is around 3 billion and
Christians don't make up even half of that". Let's look at that from
another perspective. I ran across this in my Encarta Encylopedia:
Over one-third of the world's population adheres to a form of Christianity and it is the single largest religion in the world today. Not that this fact lends any more credibility to Christianity, I just thought you might be interested.
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You wrote> "Don't you think its arrogant to say that we are right and everyone else is wrong?" |
First of all we're not saying we are right and everyone else is wrong.... Jesus is. (see John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.").
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You wrote> "Most Christians will tell you that they know what is going to happen after death, but the truth is NO ONE knows." |
You are correct. However, most Christians, if they are true believers in Jesus Christ, will tell you we know what is going to happen after death because He told us in His Word, the Bible, what was going to happen and we merely trust and believe Him.
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You wrote> "What do you think of all the other religions and why does it not mention anything in the bible about other religions." |
The Bible does mention other religions, mostly about the religions of the cultures around them, which were polytheistic and pagan. Bear in mind the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, is in many ways a history of the Jewish people, written for the Jews. They wrote of what their experience was - with the peoples nearby, not the far reaches of the world where other cultures and religions may have existed. Also keep in mind that the Jewish faith (from which birthed Christianity) is by far one of the oldest of the religions in the world today.
Before I share my thoughts about other religions, I feel pressed to ask you first.... Who do you say Jesus is? What do you think of the Bible?
The reason I would like to know this first is, it will help me perhaps more adequately discuss other religions if I know where you are coming from in regards to these to things. I hope that is okay? Has what I've shared so far helped in any way?
I look forward to hearing from you again soon
Hope your week is starting off great! (mine is starting off rather stressed :( - but I'm confident Ill make it through as always!)
Derek R. Dalton
Written by Andre - 10/14/00
Hello derek
I think I should research my facts before i start restating them. That was some very informing information that you sent me about christianity being the most popular religion.
You asked me "what was my relationship with Jesus and you asked me who I though Jesus was. I honestly believe Jesus is the son of God. I have asked him to come into my life and lead me down a great path. I do believe in him and I give him all the praise. However I do question certain things.
You made the assumption that I was not a member of a particular church. You were right. I want to find a church that I can call home, and that will eventually happen. Basically I'm a rookie when it comes to the bible, but I'm eager to learn. That is why it is fascinating talking to you, because you have proven that you are very knowledgeable about these subjects.
I'm interested in hearing you opinion on other religions. I find its hard for me to understand everything in the bible. I try to understand but some of it seems to be incomprehensible. I refuse to give up on it though. In one of the scriptures it said something about Jesus being the son of David. That really caught me of guard because it did not make sense to me. Mary was married to Joseph and she gave birth to Jesus but i don't see how David came into the picture. I looked for that particular verse but I can't find it, sorry about that. I'm the kind of person that likes things to make sense and add up, and I know alot boils down to faith. Well I hope that your weekend went better for you. You told me that you got off to a bad start.
Take care and God bless.
Written by Derek (webmaster) - 10/18/00
Hey Andre;
I'm heading out of town for a few days (I'm taking about 70 kids to a Christian Youth Convention), so I thought I'd just send a quick e-mail off to you to let you know that I will try and respond to you letter about the other religions when I get back around the first of next week. I just wrote a letter to your friend Tyrone, and just gotta get going now. Sorry.
Tyrone sounds like a good friend. Support and encourage one another to grow in Christ. Hold each other accountable.
My week is going better now - cause I get to go have fun with the kids and be in a Christian atmosphere, so I'm psyched! Thanks for the encouragement.
Derek
10/22/00
Hey Andre, how's it goin'?
Well we just got back from "Youth Convention". WHAT A BLAST!! 3 days of 1500 kids all praising the Lord! Intense, fulfilling, and ... TIRING!
Now to your questions.
You wrote>"In one of the scriptures it said something about Jesus being the son of David. That really caught me of guard because it did not make sense to me. Mary was married to Joseph and she gave birth to Jesus but i don't see how David came into the picture."
Often times to understand a book, we need to know a bit about who wrote the book, who they were writing to, and what time period was it written in. Example: We read 2 letters by 2 different authors. Both write "my friend's car is bad!" Do they both mean the same thing? Let's look at the when the writers were writing, who they were writing to and when they were writing. One author was a white business man writing in the early 1940's, writing a letter of complaint to used car dealer. The other author was a black rap star writing in the late 1990's, writing to a friend. See the difference?
Most of the Bible books were written by Jews living between 1500 BC and 100AD give or take. Taking their language and culture into consideration, we know that people were generally known by whose child they were and were they were from. Last names were not common. Thus Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph the carpenter, Jesus, Son of David, etc... Now, also it was common to associate a child not just to the biological father, but also to the ancestry or linage, especially if there was someone of power and influence.
In the Old Testament, the Messiah was prophesized to come from the line of David, meaning King David of Israel (See Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6). There are several places in the New Testament where Jesus is referred to as "son of David" - meaning not that David was Jesus' biological father, but rather that Jesus came from the lineage of David. You can see this lineage in Matthew 1:1-17. When Jesus is referred to as the "son of David" the writer is identifying Jesus as the Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament and the readers of that time knew exactly what he was meaning.
As for other religions:
The first thing I would urge you to remember is: Religion does not save. Jesus does. Christianity does not save. Jesus does. Christianity, true Christianity is merely a religion that teaches that truth.
What makes me think that Christianity is more right than other religions? Well, I consider a few of these facts.
The Bible is the only book that bases its authenticity and authority on prophecy (the fore telling of future events). No other book, such as the Koran, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Hindu Vedas, the Book of Mormon, the sayings of Buddha or Confucius, have the element of prophesy in them.
Examine any other "psychic, fortune teller, channeler, etc. Edgar Cayce, Nostradamis, etc... Even the most "reputable" of these cannot begin to claim 100% accuracy. In fact many to even most of their predictions were false, and of those prediction that were true, were in such general terms that they could be applied to various historical events. The Bible has shown itself to be 100% correct on every prophecy so far and many of its prophecies are quite exact and specific.
- There were a total of 109 specific prophesies fulfilled at Jesus' first coming. There were 25 specific prophecies of Jesus' birth, betrayal, trial, death, burial, etc.... These were made by different men living between 1000 BC and 500 BC (500 years apart). Yet all were perfectly fulfilled be Jesus.
If
the Bible was that accurate about Jesus' first coming and it goes on to predict
that He will come again, I'M GONNA BELIEVE IT! How 'bout you?
NOTE: Try getting even 5 people in 1 period of time, in 1 culture, to be in complete unity and thought about even a simple controversial subject, i.e. "What about T.V.?". Scripture are one in thought because the were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Peoples, places, and stories found in the Bible are all historically proven. Many other holy books are filled with stories, legends, and have no real basis in history or archeology.
There is obviously so much more to say on this subject of other religions and Christianity, Andre. But it's getting late and I promised my wife I would spend some time with her this evening, so I'm going to close this letter for now, so I can send it off to you. Let me know if this helped out enough. And if you would still like to discuss the differences of other religions, perhaps it would be easier to just look at specific aspects rather than such a broad range.
Take care,
Derek R. Dalton
Written by Andre - 11/8/00
Hello,
Sorry it took me so long to write you back. I read your response to my questions about other religions and everything you said made a lot of sense. I have been reading my bible a lot more lately. Some of it is still hard to understand but I will keep reading. I think you have answered my questions more effectively than anyone I have ever talked to.
The presidental election is crazy!!
QUESTION: What happens from the time a person dies until Judgment Day? Do they go directly to heaven or hell or do they just wait somewhere until judgment day. Me and my family had a discussion about that. What do you think! talk to you later.
Written by Derek (webmaster) - 11/14/00
Hi Andre;
Sorry it's taken me a bit to get back to you. It was good to hear from you... I thought that maybe I had offended you in some way, or that something negative might have been going on in your live. Glad to hear all is well.
In regards to heaven and hell: I find that these are very interesting topics to do a Bible study on, particularly hell. It would take a great deal to go through it all in this letter though. Do you want the short version or the long version?
The short version:
When a follower of Jesus dies, they go immediately to be with the Lord in heaven. When anyone else dies, they go immediately to hell. Examples of this would be in Acts 7:59 - here Stephen obviously is expecting that when he dies, he will go directly to be with Jesus. Also note what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 - he clearly ties that to be absent from the body means to be home with the Lord. And in Philippians 1:23 Paul clearly desires to "depart" (die) so he can be with Christ, but chooses to stay so as to help the Church.
If you would like a more detailed explanation about hell and where people go till judgment day, let me know.
Good to hear from you... say hi to Tyrone for me.... I just got his great news!
That's all I've heard from Andre.
