BIBLE F.A.Q.

["FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS"]

I'm just now 'getting-to' this page... sorry. I would welcome your e-mailed, suggested questions.

1. Why does God allow suffering?
   This question presumes there is no reality to evil - real, literal, spiritual evil. God, of course, Reveals that sin and evil are very real, and, further, that they are [technically] of MAN'S Making [by Adam's hand] - NOT God's! To blame on God what was originally Allowed by man is, well, ignorant at the least - rancorous rebellion at worst. But does God CARE? Yes He does. Will God HELP? Yes He Will. But in HIS Way - not necessarily according to the dictates of our limited mental understanding. But there is His PEACE, you see - through it ALL!
   Gen 3:17 (KJV) And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;

   

2. Where does evil come from?
   Here, we have to see a strategic distinction between sin and evil. God Says that He 'Creates evil'. So, as with anything that exists, God is it's Source. Jesus tells us to FEAR God [as He did! - Heb 5:7] RATHER than anything the enemy could do to us! But God cannot sin because sin is AGAINST God, and God is not & CAN not be divided against Himself. Evil, therefore, - where God is concerned - is the EFFECT and the CONSEQUENCE of sin [God Calls this His Wrath] upon the sinner who CHOOSES not to Repent - GOD'S WAY - through the Righteous Blood of Jesus Christ. We have ALL sinned and have fallen SHORT of the GLORY of God! But in God's great Mercy, He has Made a Provsion BACK from our sins through Christ's Own Body. God Calls this the "NEW AND LIVING WAY" [Heb 10:20].
   Isai 45:7 (KJV) I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].

   Luke 12:5 (KJV) But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

   Jer 5:21 (KJV) Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: {understanding: Heb. heart} 22 ***Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand [for] the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

   Eph 2:12 (KJV) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us]; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;

   

3. What is Faith?
   Living Faith is what I call a RE(A)L-ationship WITH God. It is WHY God Made man - WHAT He Made man FOR! This WITH-ness, this Relationship of TRUTH and REALITY is both Communion and Communication. It is a TWO-WAY synchronization which [gyroscopicly] stabilizes the adventure of mortality which, otherwise, CANNOT remain ON-COURSE, TRUE to it's Intended Destination; WITH-GOD, Eternally! Faith is God's Light and Love and Revelation ALIVE-INSIDE His NewCreature-IN-Christ. Faith is also the TRUST Which OBEYS Instinctively what it KNOWS and SEES spiritually. In short, Living Faith is God's GIFT of His HOLY SPIRIT Living on the INSIDE of His Vessel - YOU! Faith is what God PROMISED to Restore FOR and in man, and what only God Himself could DIE to Obtain. It could even be said that Faith is God's Own LIFE Alive, inside man - that is, JESUS CHRIST, PERSONALLY!
   Ezk 36:25 (KJV) Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and ***[I will] cause you*** to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].

   Gen 22:10 (KJV) And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here [am] I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me.

   Rom 11:30 (KJV) For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: {believed: or, obeyed} 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. {believed: or, obeyed} 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. {concluded...: or, shut them all up together}

   Gal 3:22 (KJV) But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

   1Cor 13:13 (KJS) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.

   

4. How can I KNOW it's really God's Voice?
   If you DOUBT... DON'T! WHAT?? The God-Almighty, Maker of the Heavens and the Earth is not ABLE to PROVE Himself to... YOU? This is absurd! What IS God... 'chopped LIVER'?? When God Wants you to KNOW, He'll FIND a Way - and you'll KNOW! Until then - has it ever occured to you that the fault just MIGHT be in YOU? Has it DAWNED upon you yet that your own heart can DECEIVE you - that you CAN be deceived? But God? God cannot be fooled. He knows your heart! AND He also knows when you are SERIOUS - and when you are just deceiving yourself by trying to lie to HIM! Wise up! WAKE up! You KNOW what He Wants. He Wants you to spend TIME-WITH Him in His Written, Living Word - FAITHFULLY! ARE you? WHAT?? You can TRY and God not NOTICE? ...Or CARE? ...Or Bless & Reward you? There is only ONE Way to the TRUTH - HONESTY! When you GET REAL with [about] God, you will suddenly be SHOCKED to Learn just how REAL He Is! [It's called 'growing UP'!] Usually, when we want to do what we KNOW God Wants us NOT to do, we HIDE from God. At times like this we don't WANT to HEAR from God. Why?? Because we already KNOW what He Wants of/from us - and we don't WANT to HEAR IT! Learn to OBEY God, and you can safely leave spiritual Discernment to Him!

   Gen 15:7 (KJV) And he said unto him, I [am] the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, Lord GOD, ***whereby [how] shall I know*** that I shall inherit it?

   Gen 22:12 (KJV) And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for ***now I know*** that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me.

   Jer 17:9 (KJV) The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.

   Isa 30:21 (KJV) And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

   1Sam 3:2 (KJV) And it came to pass at that time, when Eli [was] laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, [that] he could not see; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God [was], and Samuel was laid down [to sleep]; 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here [am] I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. {Now...: or, Thus did Samuel before he knew the LORD, and before the word of the LORD was revealed unto him} 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

   Mal 3:18 (KJV) Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

   Jn 10:27 (KJV) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

   

5. How can I KNOW that Jesus Christ is REAL & ALIVE?
   Simply ASK Him to PROVE His Reality to you. Just like that! Then WATCH. But Listen with your HEART, not your MIND. Try hard to get STILL before God and WAIT for Him. He Will SHOW you in His own Way, so you must be WATCHING! But God is SPIRIT. Until you KNOW Him, you cannot know what that Means - but if you truly WANT Him - with all your heart - He KNOWS. He is GOD! And He will FIND-A-WAY - or MAKE one even where there IS none! - to MANIFEST Himself to you. This He PROMISES He will do! And He WAITS on you [imagine that!] to ASK Him to come INTO your heart and to CHANGE you from the INSIDE. This He Wants very much. WHY? Because He Sees how lonely you are without Him. He Knows that you were not MADE that way [to operate WITHOUT Him] - that you don't FUNCTION like that - that He didn't MAKE you that way. He Wants you BACK - for HIMSELF. He Wants you to be HIS, and He also Wants to be YOURS! WHAT?? Do you think He would come and DIE for you and not PROVE His Reality to you?? Ridiculous! He's a Real Person - He has FEELINGS. TALK to Him! ASK Him! Tell me... WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE, anyway?

   John 5:39 (KJV) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not ***come to me, that ye might have life.

   Jer 30:(21) (KJV) ...and I will ***cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who [is] this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD. 22 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

   Isai 54:17 (KJV) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue [that] shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This [is] the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness [is] of me, saith the LORD. 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, ***come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore [why] do ye spend money for [that which is] not bread? and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. {spend: Heb. weigh} 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [even] the sure mercies of David.

   Matt 11:28 (KJV) Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.

   John 14:21 (KJV) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and ***[I] will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

   Reve 3:18 (KJV) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, ***I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, ***I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

   

6. Why does God TEST us?
   This is a very GOOD question! ...ANSWER?: Because God Wants to KNOW you! "But...", you sputter, "doesn't God already know EVERYTHING??" The answer [which will surprise MANY] is, NO - He does NOT - even though it is true that the Lord already knows what is in your heart BEFORE you make your CHOICE, God Will in NO WAY interfere with, coerce, or FORCE you against your WILL to make a decision HIS Way! [Paul's dramatic Conversion NOTWITHSTANDING!] God has gone WAY out of His Way to PROVE this to man over & over again! He has TOLD man this and SHOWN man this in MANIFOLD Ways and Means [as Hebrews puts it, "In many and various ways..."], but man still REBELS against God's Own Revelations about His Own Nature - preferring his own 'OPINIONS' instead-of God's Living WORD! This, of course is IDOLATRY! Many folks THINK they Know God - that is, they think they have God all figured out - that they've 'gotten to the BOTTOM' of God. But this is simply not true.

   God Made man with the Quality and Ability to CHOOSE for himself. This Capacity was so LIMITLESS as far as God was concerned that man could even choose NOT-GOD; that is, man could choose AGAINST God! Amazing, huh? After all, God ALSO Changes His Own MIND as well! He Says so! [But that's a whole OTHER topic]

   Anyway, what we REALLY Know of God is Written FOR us in His Living Word, the Bible. But even this doesn't make any SENSE until the same Holy Spirit who WROTE all Scripture EXPLAINS or REVEALS it to us. This much is clear to EVERYONE. We have but to open our eyes and see all about us those folks who have taken it upon themselves to INTERPRET God's Word of SPIRIT.

   God Calls a man named Abram. God PROMISES Abram. Abram BELIEVES God. But Abram asks God for 'SURETY' [a BOND or VOW] from God to SEAL God's WORD. God enters into a BLOOD-BOND or a BLOOD-OATH or VOW with Abram. God MINGLES His Blood WITH this man's blood in a very MYSTERIOUS Ceremony and TRANCE. Then, much later, God TESTS this New RE(A)L-ationship with this man Abram. It is GOD [not man] Who now Wants SURETY! God Wants to 'KNOW OF A SURETY' about this man Abram. God Commands this man to KILL THE PROMISE! Isaac was God's PROMISE and this man's 'ONLY SON'. When Abra-H-am OBEYS God... God Says something ASTONISHING! God Says, "NOW I KNOW!" God does NOT always know what you WILL choose until you CHOOSE it! BUT HOW CAN THIS BE???

   In another place, when God TESTS the children of Israel in the Wilderness Of Sin, He gives them MANNA - 'Bread From Heaven'. [Now the Hebrew Word 'Manna' literally means, "What **IS** it??"] In this case, God Says He's GIVING this ["what IS it?"] to them to SEE what they will DO - whether they will do as HE has ORDERED them to do - OR NOT!

   So, to answer the question, "why does God TEST us?"; the answer is, of course, TO PROVE US - TO SEE WHAT OUR CHOICE WILL BE! We can CHOOOSE God, or we can CHOOSE... NOT-GOD! One is LIFE, the other, certain DEATH! Have YOU chosen yet??

   The New Testament is FULL of such TESTING and PROVING of the SAINTS. And Jesus Says that it is BY-MEANS-OF this very TESTING we PROVE His SuperNature-IN-us, SPIRITUALLY! And then He goes so far as to Say that it is BY this very PROVING-GROUND of His Spirit OVERCOMING our flesh WITH OUR CONSENT AND CHOICE, that we will "WIN" our Eternal-Life ["SOULS"] - by OVERCOMING like HE did! [Lk 21:19; Rev 12:11, 13:10, 14:12]

   WHY DOES GOD TEST US?: He wants to KNOW us - even as He Wants US TO KNOW HIM! It is this very "KNOWING" that IS the RE(A)L-ationship for which He MADE [and then DIED-FOR] us! After all, until the PROMISE DIES, the GIFT is not yet GIVEN! And God PROVED this by the greatest TEST of all TIME --and-- Eternity!

   Gen 15:8 (KJV) And he said, Lord GOD, ***whereby [how] shall I know*** that I shall inherit it?

   Gen 15:13 (KJV) And he said unto Abram, ***Know of a surety*** that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

   Exod 16:4 (KJV) Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, [so] that I may ***prove them, ***whether they will walk in my law, ***or no.

   Exod 20:20 (KJV) And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to ***prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, ***[so] that ye sin not.

   Psal 26:2 (KJV) ***Examine me, O LORD, and ***prove me; ***try my reins and my heart. 3 For thy lovingkindness [is] before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.

   2Cor 13:5 (KJV) ***Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; ***prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, ***except ye be reprobates?

   2Cor 8:1 (ASV) Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which hath been given in the churches of Macedonia; 2 how that in much ***proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

   1Pet 1:6 (KJV) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the ***trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

   1Pet 4:12 (KJV) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the ***fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

   Jame 1:2 (KJvS) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into ***divers temptations; {temptation: or, trials} 3 Knowing [this], that the ***trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

   Luke 21:19 (KJV) In your patience possess ye ["win" -ASV,MOF,NEB] your souls.

   

7. Why does God DISCIPLINE us?
   "DISCIPLINE" [Webster's] "Field of study; training that corrects, molds, or perfects; punishment; control gained by obedience or training; train in self-control in actions, impulses or emotions; to cause to acquire knowledge or skill; correction, willpower, chasten, teach, educate, instruct, school, train." That's quite a list, no?

   Now, let me see if I UNDERSTAND the question [so many times we try to ANSWER what we cannot even comprehend as a QUESTION!]. Does the question QUESTION God's RIGHT to Discipline us? Or does it question our NEED of it? Or does it WONDER why there is any need at all?

   I am going to ASSUME we can all agree that God has every RIGHT to Discipline us; and that we also would agree that we certainly all NEED it. That leaves only the question of the REALITY of the NECISSITY of it in the FIRST place - right? Well, that's always a good place to begin - in the FIRST PLACE.

   God Made man. And man Received Life from God's Own Breath! This FIRST Man was Named Adam, and he and God WERE together in God's Eden. God only had ONE Rule - don't EAT of this one tree in the Garden. It was FORBIDDEN Fruit. It never occured to Adam to ask "WHY?". There's our FIRST CLUE!

   The great Lesson of mortal life is that we are NOT God, and that God IS! Part of Learning this is also Learning that OUR way may be what we THINK we want, but always ends in what we DON'T! But God's Way for us always Lead us HOME - to Him. The real dilemma for man is the very same thing that God INTENDED as man's CROWN - his CHOICE! See, God Made Man [Adam] His Royal [Divine] CHOOSER! As Adam SAID, so it WAS in God's Garden! All the other creatures in the Garden Received their IDENTITY from Adam, just as Adam Received his Identity from God! God had ORDAINED Adam's CHOICE as His OWN. It was a little like "Power Of Attorney" in today's legal terms - only a LOT more POWERFUL!

   God's Discipline is His Way FOR man... HOME! In the days BEFORE the Cross, when God Came and DIED-FOR man, God's Way was His Law. Then, when Jesus Came and Died and Rose again, God Came to LIVE-INSIDE man. Why? Because God found that this was the ONLY Way for man to SURVIVE His Holiness. See, God's Holiness is FIRE which CONSUMES sin. And man was FULL of sin and DEATH. So, God DIED to Death FOR man and PAID The 'sin-tab' in Fact and IN-SPIRIT with His Own REPENTANCE from SELF.

   Jesus didn't WANT to Die. But His Father WANTED Him to! In another Garden of CHOICE, Jesus REPENTS from his OWN [SELF] WAY, and OBEYS God's Will FOR Him. In Christ's Repentance for SELF-LIFE and in Dying for OTHERS in Obedience to His Heavenly Father, He REPENTED [that is, TURNED BACK] God's Holy WRATH from His Beloved man. Now, though man HAD sinned, the PRICE & PENALTY was PAIL-IN-FULL by Jesus Christ - for those who would OBEY Him! And God's MERCY was now THEIR'S-in-Christ!

   Now the 'New and LIVING Way' which the Bible Speaks of is OPENED for us TOO! That Way is OBEDIENCE! We CAN now, thanks to Christ's Own Blood-PATH, REPENT from OUR way - even as JESUS did - FOR US, and OBEY GOD as He did! He Calls this "FOLLOWING" Him. And He Says that we MUST Obey [like He Did] and be Disciplined and Taught [as He Was -Heb 5:8-10]. Why? So we can GROW UP!

   I guess the story of Peter Pan says it all... remember? Peter said that he would "NEVER GROW UP!". He wanted to stay a CHILD all his life. This is quite typical - we ALL want this - in our FLESH. But God Knows that we MUST Grow up if we are ever to FULFILL our OBJECTIVE, "Be FRUITFUL and MULTIPLY!". And He also Knows that we can only truly be HAPPY in this Way! And THAT'S what God Wants FOR us - WITH Him! And THAT'S why He Disciplines [Teaches] us.

   Gen 2:7 (KJV) And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

   Gen 2:19 (KJV) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and ***brought [them] unto Adam ***to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, ***that [was] the name thereof. {Identity is in a NAME} 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

   Gen 3:10 (KJV) And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and ***I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, ***Who told thee that thou [wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

   Gen 3:22 (KJV) And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become ***as one of us, to know good ***and*** evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and ***live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

   Heb 5:8 (KJV) Though he [Jesus] were a Son, yet ***learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that ***obey him;

   Heb 5:13 (KJV) For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. {is skillful: Gr. hath no experience} 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age [mature], [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to ***discern both good and evil. {of full age: or, perfect} {use: or, an habit, or, perfection}

   Heb 12:7 (ASV) It is ***for chastening {"Discipline"-RSV} that ye {"must"-RSV} endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom [his] father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye ***bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened [us] as seemed good to them; but he for [our] profit, that [we] may be partakers of his holiness. 11 All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, [even the fruit] of righteousness.

   Mal 3:16 (ASV) Then they that ***feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a ***book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that ***thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, [even] mine ***own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that ***serveth [obeys] him. 18 Then shall ye return and ***discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

   Heb 3:14 (ASV) for we are become partakers of Christ, ***if {"only"-RSV}*** we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:

   Eph 4:13 (KJV) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a ***perfect [mature] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: {in: or, into} {stature: or, age} 14 That we [henceforth] ***be no more children, ***tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may ***grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ: {speaking...: or, being sincere}

   John 15:1 (KJV) I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that ***beareth not fruit [does not MATURE] ***he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

   John 15:6 (KJV) If a man abide not in me [and matures and is fruitful], he is ***cast forth as a branch, and is withered [dies]; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and ***they are burned. 7 If ye abide [remain, continue] in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye ***bear much fruit; so shall ye ***be my disciples [and, through obedience, will Receive my DISCIPLINE!].

   

8. Why does Jesus Say that we "MUST be Born Again" - and what does He MEAN by that?
   Maybe it's just me - I mean, maybe I'm the only one that has never quite, fully understood the MEANING of what Jesus Said in Jn 3:3-8. First of all, it just dawned on me recently that Jesus actually linked the NewBirth of the NewCreature in-Christ to Spiritual Discernment. In other words, as there were "scales" of some sort on Paul's "eyes" that only "fell off" AFTER his rather drastic Conversion, so Jesus Says it is with ALL of us; until we are BEGOTTEN of the Holy Spirit ["Born Again"], we simply CANNOT SEE. We don't yet have the Spiritual EYES to SEE the Kingdom of God!

   Later [in 1Cor 2:14] Paul details this phenomena by Stating that the carnal ["unspiritual"-RSV] mind CANNOT receive the "things" ["gifts"-RSV] of God - because they are SPIRITUALLY Discerned [received, or SEEN]. This is also what Jesus Meant when he repeatedly referred His Remarks to those WITH [Spiritual] "ears to hear and eyes to see"! Without a NEW-BIRTH-CREATION, we are BLIND and DEAF to God!

   But this morning in my devotions, the Lord Showed me much more. When Nicodemus questions Jesus as to how it is POSSIBLE to be actually BORN [brought to Life] AGAIN [a second time], Jesus replies with what has always struck as a very cryptic Statement. He Says, "You ought not be astonished, then, when I tell you that you MUST be born OVER again. The wind [Spirit or Life-Breath of God] blows where it wills; you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from, or where it is going. So with everyone who is Born of Spirit!" [Jn 3:7,8 WEYMOUTH].

   This morning the Lord OPENED my 'eyes' a little wider to His Meaning BEHIND this Statement. The notes I scribbled at the margin were as follows: "Flesh FROM flesh ONLY, Spirit FROM Spirit ONLY! --- Why do you WONDER that Life is COMMANDED by God? Life [breath, wind or spirit] comes and goes [you are carnally BORN, and mortal, you DIE] without your knowledge or consent [Adamic life COMES and GOES with a WILL of it's Own]."

   It was at this point I realized that though we [apparently] had NO CHOICE in our 1st birth - we were Sent, and we Arrived AS-SENT... in this 2nd Birth - of God's Own Holy Spirit - we must CHOOSE to be re-Born. Hence, the Lord Says "MUST!". This COMPULSORY condition is MANDATED by Jesus [Whom we are reminded IS/WAS the Creator in the very first chapter of this Gospel of John] even as He Indicates that it is OUR CHOICE - that THIS NewLife, this Incarnation of God's Own Holy-Life-Spirit in us [unlike our first birth] will NOT be Forced upon us! It is OPTIONAL.

   However, the point is made that the CALL God's - as is the LIFE or SPIRIT God's Own. His to CALL; our's to ANSWER by CHOICE. Were it not that God CALLED us and DREW us and WOOED us, we COULD not [otherwise] choose Him. So... to answer the question: "Why does Jesus Say that we "MUST be Born Again" - and what does He MEAN by that?"... we MUST because the alternative is to REMAIN DEAD-TO-GOD! - and - He Means that we ought not be too surprised to Learn that our NEW-LIFE as a NEW-CREATURE will be AT GOD'S COMMAND [though voluntary] in much the same way as our CURRENT, carnal and mortal life was thus Called-forth by our Creator! Flesh FROM flesh, Spirit FROM Spirit. Simple. Just like childbirth!

   

9. Where does unbelief COME from?
   I have included this question in the F.A.Q. not because it is a question that is conciously asked often, but rather because, though folks don't usually think to ask this question outwardly, it is a most disturbing question to anyone honestly facing the trial [strengthening] of Faith! If we stop to think of it, were it not for UNBELIEF, Faith would be 'OUT OF BUSINESS'! That is, it is the Work of Living Faith to OVERCOME unbelief.

   The fact that this observation escapes most is not an indication of its obscurity, as many might suppose. But rather, an indication of (1) our unwillingness to be honest in confronting those challenges to our Belief/Receit/Acknowledgment of God's Factual, Living Word - or of (2) the ignorance of our inattention. Jesus WARNS us to "WATCH!" repeatedly. Why? For what? Most ASSUME that, once they become a 'Believer' that they "Believe" - and that's all there is TO it. Wrong!

   The Battle only BEGINS at Calvary. Oh, let me hasten to add that I do not, in any way, diminish a whit of what Is, Was and always Shall be a Finished Work FOR us on the part of our Lord Jesus Christ by this statement... but that, as HIS Work FOR us is now FINISHED with-IN us, our Working OUT His Finished Product in-WITH Him has only just BEGUN! Now begins our Walk-WITH Divinity. And the Battle now has US as its TARGET!

   Suddenly, the NewBeliever is bombarded with all SORTS of accusations against his character [none of which HAVE to matter now, thanks to Jesus Christ!]. And the same Open, Contrite and Honest willingness to See his own sinful flesh-life is now turned AGAINST him in an ever-increasing barrage of slanderous innuendo. There now appear such areas in him of contentious disbelief and outright enmity and resentment toward God as might make him swoon, were it not for his NewRE(A)L-ationship WITH his Lord-Saviour, Jesus Christ! And, it might be added, it is precisely this NEED to RESORT-UNTO his Lord for Support and Encouragement which Nourishes and Feeds his New God-Dependency, and thus Strengthens his Faith!

   Living Faith is Designed for Battle. Indeed, we see enormous historical evidence of just this amazing phenomena in the life of the Church. It would seem that persecutions and trials and tribulations of the most dastardly sorts are all mere fodder and grist for the mill of Lively Faith. How IS this?

   And I do think that we must, then, see that the MOST vexing and wrenching persecution [Battle] there IS for Living Faith is inner unbelief! Faith's greatest foe is NOT some violence in the physical [the LORD Himself is Avowed to Intercede for us in those terrible times, as we certainly see in the Martyrdom of Stephen]... but the inner discouragement and defeat of our own SELF until such time as, like Jacob-BECOME-Israel, we too "wrestle with God and man AND PREVAIL!". Faith is Designed to Obtain Victory! Listen to these marvelous Words; "For whatever is BORN OF GOD [Living Faith-IN-us] overcomes the world [here is an ABSOLUTE statement of catagorical FACT!]; and THIS is the VICTORY that overcomes the world [in us], OUR FAITH!"-1Jn 5:4RSV.

   Now, I don't know what YOU do with Words like that... but I am VOWED to BELIEVE them - that is, I have PROMISED GOD that I will ACKNOWLEDGE Him and His Word in all my ways. It is only when I DECIDE to do this that I run into amazingly fresh and new resources of unbelief that have remained HIDDEN in me [from me] all along. They seem to 'rise to the occasion' and do [substantial] BATTLE against my CHOICE to BELIEVE, RECEIVE, ACCEPT and ACKNOWLEDGE - and thus to APPREHEND, APPROPRIATE and OBTAIN that which Faith now SEES!

   And so, we come to this question: "Where does [all this] unbelief COME from?".

   I know, from reading the life-testimonies of MANY saints that have lived, loved, fought, and died-in-Christ LONG before I was ever thought of - in centuries past - that these Spiritual Battles are NOT peculiar nor unique to me! And, of course, the Bible itself is fairly littered with information about the BATTLE of the BELIEVER. Hence the many Exhortation to OVERCOME; to Walk as Born in/from/of/WITH the Spirit of our Holy God.

   If we will Listen VERY attentively to our Lord - and DO so WITH the Spirit God has Given us [His Own] - and if we ASK Him, and Seek with all our heart and continue [persevere] in Knocking at these 'doors' of Opportunity for our Living Faith... we will HEAR our Lord TEACHING us about JUST THIS VERY THING!

   First of all, He told us to be ANXIOUS for nothing, as He has already overcome the world, and that we are WITH HIM! We have Him as our GUIDE and HELPER and TEACHER in this Spiritual Battle - **IF** we will "abide-IN{WITH}- Him". Should we choose to OBEY Him, we can continue HEARING Him - we can ASK and He will ANSWER! [most folks cannot bring themselve to accept or believe this, as they - long ago - abandoned all Hope of ever OBEYING [or ever Hearing] His Voice again.]

   If we truly cannot bring ourselves to believe our Lord's Own Living Words when He IS The Living Word Himself... even when it comes to His Astonishing Statements about our actually HEARING and really OBEYING Him and our Asking and it truly being DONE FOR US... if we cannot Trust and have Faith in THESE Words - then where *IS* our SALVATION?

   Our problem [that is the nature of our flesh] is, we want it NOW! Right NOW! Lust always does! But the TEST of Faith is WAITING! See? God has Said [PROMISED!] - will we WAIT? That which is GIVEN [already] is not Promised, but is now a FACT. There is no need for Hope where one has already Obtained - is there?

   I am making such an ISSUE of this thing of unbelief because this is where we either Live or DIE! For a Believer, UNBELIEF is the very DEATH of that RE(A)L-ationship Which Christ Died and Rose to Obtain FOR us. And, that we should by DEFAULT, LOSE that Living Faith PROMISED by His Resurrection is an astonishing victory for the flesh! Should Faith NOT Believe? Should Faith not OVERCOME? Should Faith run from its foe, UNBELIEF? Should Faith quit the Battlefield as though our Lord has LIED? As Though He has NOT already gained the Victory? Will WE now LOSE [abdicate, capitulate] what it Cost Him His Own BLOOD to Obtain FOR us? BY NO MEANS!

   But from WHERE? Inside! The BATTLE is inside. Jesus Arrives on the Scene and Says, "LOOK INSIDE YOU! The King-DOM[-inion] is WITHIN you!" Lk 17:21 Oh?, we say? How SO, Jesus? We know that it is just here - INSIDE us - that God has PROMISED to place His NEW Covenant - and to Write His Laws - on our hearts! And we also know that Jesus continually Says to those being Healed and made Whole, "Your FAITH has Made you Whole!". It is Written, "As a man THINKETH in his HEART - so IS he!" Pr 23:7. So this idea that we are FORMED [at least in part] by our THOUGHTS - that is, our CHOICES - is certainly WITHIN us. It is according to our CHOICE that we BECOME. By our WILL.

   Jesus Tells us that God is SPIRIT and that we must WORSHIP Him in TRUTH [REALITY] and in Spirit. We forget this. It is man's RELIGION to 'lay his tool upon and defile' the things of God. Where Jesus Came for the INWARD, man has created an astonishing array of OUTWARD images of God's INTERIOR-WORSHIP. Is it any WONDER then that any 'faith' which would result from this form of 'anti-WORSHIP' [outward religion] would only prove FALSE and VAIN and POWERLESS when put to the TEST?

   Jesus Illustrates that we are to LOOK to GOD [not man] if we are to Worship INWARDLY. Is it a surprise, then, for us to Learn that, as FAITH comes from WITHIN by HEARING and OBEYING God... that it's opposite, UNBELIEF, would be created in just the SAME fashion - only in REVERSE? When we [inside] CHOOSE and PREFER to ask [seek from, acknowledge & rely upon] MAN for that which can "ONLY come from God" ["honor", or recognition, as is SOCIALLY ACCEPTIBLE]... we MAKE UNBELIEF inside and litterly worship an IDOL: the idol of our own OPINION - instead of, and in LIEU of God's WORD-WILL!

   At one point, Jesus is Speaking LIFE to a deadman [Nicodemus], and in this ConTEXT [the CROSS], Jesus also Reveals an interesting OBSERVATION - a DIVINE Observation! He Says, "If I have told you EARTHLY things and you do not believe, HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE if I tell you HEAVENLY things?" Jn 3:12. Jesus is Speaking to a LEADER OF ISRAEL and is holding him ACCOUNTIBLE for his IGNORANCE! This leader is a "blind guide"! And Jesus makes it quite clear that UNTIL this leader has a NewBirth INSIDE - in-SPIRIT - and the Spiritual Eyes and Ears that come with that NewBODY-in-Christ, Jesus CANNOT SHOW him HEAVENLY things!

   So, here Jesus Reveals IGNORANCE as a CAUSE of unbelief. But there is another time when Messiah uses those Words, "HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE?!"... in THIS case He is not Referring to IGNORANCE, but IDOLATRY; deliberate, defiant, unyielding, in-your-face IDOLATRY! And not just ANY idolatry, either. The idol here was of SOCIETY, or the WORLD, or MAN [the creature]! Here was "creature WORSHIP" in its most devastating warfare AGAINST God's Kingdom of FAITH! Jesus Says, "How CAN you BELIEVE, who [when you] receive glory ["honor"KJV, RECOGNITION, identity] from ONE ANOTHER [man, or the creature] and do not [refuse or reject] SEEK the Glory [Acknowledgment, Recognition, Identity, etc] that comes [ONLY] from the only God?" Jn 5:44RSV.

   We must remeber, that the TEST OF ADMITTANCE into Heaven, Jesus Says, will be... DOES HE KNOW [ACKNOWLEDGE, HONOR] YOU! It will be with the Words, "I do not KNOW [acknowledge or recognize] you!", that He will then Say, [in effect] "GO TO HELL!".

   So it is that we see that UNBELIEF has at LEAST these TWO inner sources, 1- IGNORANCE, and 2- IDOLATRY. Both of them cause the Creator to Exclaim, "How CAN you Believe?!". This is devastating!

   MUST we remain IGNORANT? MUST we worship IDOLS? By no means! HERE is Faith's Living Battle with DEATH. I submit that it is UNBELIEF which is DEATH!

   Jesus Asks an astounding Question of His friend Lazarus's sister - He Says, "I-AM [there is the 'Tetragramaton' - God's Own Statement of Identity or ETERNAL REALITY!] the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he Live, and whoever lives in me SHALL NEVER DIE. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS??" Jn 11:25,26. Well?? DO we? But how CAN we?

   I will say this, it is for SURE that the Living Faith of Christ's Resurrection IN us which is Known as NewBirth not only SEES and BELIEVES this, but is peculiarly and particularly EQUIPPED to FIGHT for, ACQUIRE and to KEEP this Truth [I-AM-Reality-IN-us] "unto to the END, and [thus unto] our SALVATION!" as Jesus WARNS in Mt 24:13. And all this in SPITE of all the UNBELIEF we manufacture in our self-flesh. But is it [now] any wonder that the Lord Commands us to "take up OUR Cross [the crucifixion and the overcoming of our unbelief] ...DAILY!"?? Lk 9:23

   

10. Is the Bible really ALIVE? HOW?

    

11. Does God really TALK to people today like in the old days?

    

12. Can I EARN my Salvation?

    

13. Can I WIN my soul?

    

14. Why must it be Jesus ONLY?

    

15. Why does God always Want things HIS Way?

    

16. When we die, where do we GO?

    

17. How can I Learn God's WILL for my life?

    

18. Why can't I stop DOING things I KNOW are wrong?

    

19. What should I do about some sin I see in OTHERS?

    

20. Why are there so many denominations - so much division amongst Christians?

    

21. What should I do if my 'pastor' is not DOing right?

    

22. Why should I Learn to always... ASK GOD FIRST?

    

23. Will I EVER get PAST these lusts I still have??

    

24. When is "faith" just what I WANT to believe?

    

25. If God already KNOWS everything in my heart, why does He Want me to PRAY?

    

26. Why did Jesus's Own people reject and kill Him?

    

27. Why did Jesus tell that rich man to SELL everything?

    

28. Why are some Christians so MEAN?

    

29. What about Moslems; is "Allah" the same as God, as they say?

    

30. Were there really GIANTS in the old days?

    

31. When should I take a Scripture LITERALLY or not?

    

32. Why is the CROSS the SYMBOL for Christianity?

    

33. Why does Jesus Say we must be CRUCIFIED DAILY?

    

34. What is APOSTASY?

    

35. How COULD Solomon have FALLEN from God's Grace so abominably - with such WISDOM from God?

    

36. What is God trying to SHOW us in the story of JOB?

    

37. Why did God SEND His Own children of Israel into SLAVERY?

    

38. Will God EVER 'make-up' again with ISRAEL?

    

39. Why did God ALLOW the "Tree Of Good And Evil" in the Garden of Eden?

    

40. Why did the Holy Spirit Himself LEAD Jesus to be tempted of the DEVIL?

    

41. If Jesus Was God, how come He didn't WANT to go to the Cross, & asked 3 times NOT to?

    

42. Why did Jesus LET his friend Lazarus DIE?

    

43. Jesus Says there is "little" AND "great" Faith; what's the DIFFERENCE?

    

44. Why did God CREATE us?

    

45. Why don't we go right to Heaven when we get 'Saved'?

    

46. Why does God Say I must obey & be subject to the aithorities OVER me?

    

47. How can I stop lying?