Category: Faith Fix

In John 1:31, did John and Jesus not meet before this? Or was John just saying that he didn’t recognize Jesus as the messiah yet? 

John 1:29-31 (NIV)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

This is an interesting thought, of which I’m not so sure I have considered before. 

When we read about the coming of Jesus in the beginning of Luke, he makes it pretty clear that John’s mom and Jesus’s mom were relatives and knew each other. In fact, we see their interaction with one another including discussion about the baby that Mary was carrying. We would have to assume that there must have been some kind of interaction at some point between Jesus and John. I would therefore lean on the idea that John did not recognize Him in this fashion yet, but I will come back to that.

First I want to talk a little about these accounts we call the Gospels. We must understand that the Gospels were not necessarily meant to be an account for account with every detail involved narrative of every event in history. What we understand rather is that these were an overall story hitting on some key points, written some time after the events took place. Much of the way things were done in these times were based on oral discussion rather than just written ones. That being said, these Gospels are given to us in that kind of form.  The retelling of things that had happened, from the perspectives of the ones who witnessed them. That doesn’t make the details unimportant, but it can give us a little incite. It makes me think of how John’s Gospel ends, John 21:25 (NIV) “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

I personally think that this could be an example of a gift of the Holy Spirit working in John. He may have even heard about Jesus, or known Him as special, but at this moment, by the Spirit, he knew something more. Remember after all, that even when Jesus was operating in His ministry, it was not always perfectly clear who He was. This fits along with what we see when we consider the others like the disciples. Even though they “knew” they never seemed to get it. Could this have been the case with John? Plus, we don’t really know just how much if any interaction the two may have actually had. 

This is the wonder and mystery of scripture. We are given such marvelous detail, sometimes which can even seem redundant. Did we really need four accounts of what Jesus did, would not one, two, or three have been enough? What we can know for sure is this; what God gave us is what He wanted us to know. Enough to be busy for our whole lives, yet enough mystery to be amazed and perplexed at the same time! 

I think the wonder here shows the joy and benefit of studying scripture. If we figured it all out in the first year of being a Christian, then God didn’t have that much depth. These kinds of questions are perfect for making us interested and to search for deeper truth, which ultimately connects more deeply to God. I am continually amazed as I study the things of God. This amazement only makes me stand in more awe of Him. I so yearn for the day when I can start really getting into learning about Him, when my mind will be freed from the weaknesses of humanity.

Though I may not have given a solid answer for this Faith Fix, I do believe the question can open our minds to how we view scripture, encourage discussion, and drive us toward a relentless pursuit of what God wanted us to know. This is what we are called to after all, to know Him in every way He wished to reveal Himself to us.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

Question: What is ministry? What is ministering to God vs ministering to people?

The word ministry is used in scripture on several occasions. In Luke 3:23 we are told that Jesus began His earthly ministry when He was about thirty years old. In the book of Acts the apostles searched for another to occupy the ministry of Judas when he fell. Paul speaks of his apostolic ministry. Timothy was told to endure hardness and fulfill his ministry. Then we have examples of someone like Archippus, a Christian teacher in Colosse who is told to take heed to the ministry he was called to in order to fulfill it. (Col. 4:17) I could go on, but this terminology is common. The word ministry literally means service, but it also seems to be connected to specific callings and directions. If you read 2 Corinthians 10, and really the chapters leading up to it, you’ll see that all Christians are called not to boast beyond their measure, meaning their sphere of influence, but rather to fulfill that which has been entrusted to them to fulfill. This is what is spoken of in Romans 12:6-7, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching.” The overarching theme of scripture regarding ministry is that we are all called to be of service in some way.  

Service to others is part of our ministry, “service” to the Lord. Galatians 5:13 calls for Christians to “serve one another.” Also look at Philippians 2:4, “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Of course, we again see this concept in Galatians 6:10 where Christians are told to especially do good to those in the household of faith. Then, the five leadership positions as seen in Ephesians 4 have a specific directive to prepare the saints for, “…the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12) It’s interesting that there’s a major emphasis on how we serve other believers all throughout the scripture. Many christians miss this when trying to focus on those on the outside, but we must not neglect these directives. Yes, do good to the people of the world, but first learn how to be a unified body within. This not only glorifies God, but it is an ultimate witness of His glory to those who observe. When we live this way, it is service to the Lord. 

The terminology, “ministering to God” is not explicitly used in the Bible, but there is an overall theme of dedicating one’s life to God throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, you’ll find various rituals and duties as a form of service to God, things like offerings and sacrifices, for example. In the New Testament, we could say that the idea of ministering to God is found in things like worship, prayer, and living a life in obedience to the Word, as well as in service to one another as unto the Lord as explained earlier. Romans 12:1, urges believers to present themselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, as an act of spiritual worship. As we strive to be doers of His Word and to keep His commandments, it is service to Him. This is ministry. 

Most of all, we must not put our own desires of what we want our “positions” or roles to look like as God’s stamp of approval. Ambition in the body of Christ is not pleasing to the Lord. What pleases the Lord is when we work within the measure that He has given us, fulfilling all the directives within our individual spheres of influence. Ask yourself each day, “how can I be of service to the Lord today?” Make yourself available and you’ll be surprised how much He’ll show you to do. 

Be Blessed, 

Pastor Renée 

Question: It’s hard to explain, but when I imagine myself coming face to face with Christ, I feel fear and dread rather than joy. I feel guilt and shame. That I have disappointed him. That I haven’t done enough for him. I know in my head that this is wrong because the whole point of salvation is that I can’t earn it, and that my sins have been forgiven. But I guess I struggle with accepting this truth in my heart. I always feel like I need to do more to please God. The passages that cause me concern are Matthew 7:21-23 – “I never knew you” and 1 John 3:4-10 – “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.” Of course I try to do what is right, but I mess up a lot, too. Does that mean I truly don’t know Jesus? I would love any insight on how I can work past these issues and have assurance in my faith.

Let me just say that if you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and truly meant it, praying in line with Romans 10:9-10, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation,” you really can be assured of your salvation in Christ. 

The question is whether or not you are certain of how good God actually is and will be to someone like “you”. Right? Like, “God is good, but I’m not that great so He’s not able or not willing to be that good to me.” But this kind of stuff is a lie of the devil.  God is so pleased by our day in and day out faithfulness. And when you’re tempted to condemn yourself for not being or doing enough, you’ve got to tell the devil, “no!” You remind yourself and the devil of this, that you have a relationship with God in Christ, believe in Jesus, and have asked for your sins to be forgiven.  That you do try to spend time with the Lord somehow each day and to be involved in your local church body. Then you remind yourself that you are part of God’s family who He loves and protects. 

I think we can all relate to this idea that it’s hard to imagine coming face to face with Christ, because we KNOW every area we have fallen short in. We KNOW our own stuff so well. Reverential fear is normal—like I know I’m not behaving or thinking as good as I could be and I don’t want to bring shame to the Lord or disappoint Him somehow. Our hearts should always be that, “I haven’t done enough for Him” because we have such a reverence for Him that we want to show Him that and serve Him with our whole heart. 

The question here is not really about whether or not you’re saved and will be with the Lord eternally. You know that is true. And you’re not even really questioning whether or not you’ve done enough to get to heaven because you know it’s not about works. The battle you’re in is one in your mind because the devil wants to put the veil back up between you and God. This struggle with accepting this truth in your heart and all the doubts that creep in are the things we must contend with. 

The passages that cause you concern like Matthew 7:21-23 – “I never knew you” and 1 John 3:4-10 – “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning,” remember we must understand them in context. Matthew 7 is about not simply putting on the show, but instead truly loving the Lord in your heart.  It’s a warning not to be showy with your “faith” actions and religious methods that everyone outside sees your greatness but there’s no real relationship with the Lord. Some of us will look less put together in our daily actions but our hearts are in love with Jesus and God sees us as His sons and daughters who aren’t perfect, realize it, but trust He loves us anyways. It’s like your child… would you ever refuse him/her to come to you because they had a mess in their room or maybe cried over a moment things didn’t go their way, or didn’t share their toys when they should have or disobeyed you when you said it was time for bed…. You get my point. God loves you as you love your own children… but even more! The Bible tells us this in Matthew 7:11. 

As for 1 John 3, especially where it says, “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning,” the idea here is that we are no longer ok with sin. We love the Lord and that makes us want to stop sinning. When we do sin (which God knew we would do) we no longer feel satisfied by that, but our hearts hurt because we have sinned against God. These sorts of thoughts are healthy Christian behaviors. But, the key here is balance. The balance is this, you feel like you’re not good enough”….. but, Jesus! He was and is good enough!!! You think who would ever want me when I think like this?…. but here’s the balance, our Father wanted us! Just as we want our children, despite their failures, and we want them to know our love for them unconditionally!

Yes, we try not to sin, but we will, and that, God already knows. The balance says, my heart hurts to sin against God so I’m going to try not to. And trying not to has to be enough for us. It’s enough for Him!

I hope this helps! 

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée 

Question: Does God use evil spirits to do His bidding on the earth? (For example, 1 Sam 16:14 “an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him” and 1 Kings 22 with Ahab and a deceiving spirit sent by God.)

Well this could possibly be a very controversial subject, and I will do my best to answer it honestly. There are a few things that instantly come to me when I thought about this question. The first was two scriptures, the other a thought. 

The thought I have is, what is God’s will? We have His general will to understand, but God’s general will (in my opinion) is not the same as His will for say a situation. Let’s consider a Christian, who generally tries to be right before the Lord. They do their best to follow after God, following His will the best they know how. Now let’s pretend they sin in such a way that disrupts the path they were on, forcing them to have to go in another direction. If God’s will were static, then there would be no way for them to ever be in His perfect will.

Now let’s look at the first scripture I thought of. Romans 12:2 (NIV) says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” I want you to focus on the end part which reads “His good, pleasing and perfect will.” I love this version of this scripture because it seems to really relay the point. God’s will is good, that is, that it is pleasing and perfect in His sight. The thing here is that this verse is written to people who God knows will not always be pleasing and perfect. Finding God’s will is a process, a process in which we will make mistakes, some humans never making them right. And yet God has a will that He expects will be fulfilled on earth.

The interesting thing is that the Bible is chocked full of stories of human failure and God’s redemption. Often times this redemption comes in very strange and unexpected ways. With all that in mind, let’s look at the second scripture. Romans 8:28 (NIV) familiarly says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Let’s focus here on an important statement, “In ALL THINGS God works for the good.” What is the lesson in all this? God is always working in His creation to bring about His will. In joy and sorrow, freedom and oppression, sickness and health. Notice I did not say causes all these things, but that He works in them.

I found an interesting verse, Isaiah 13:17 (NIV) which states, “See, I will stir up against them the Medes…” The point here is not the who but the what. God said, “I will stir up against.” Look at Isaiah 45:1 (NIV), “This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him

so that gates will not be shut.” God uses what ever means He deems fit to accomplish what His will in the current time is.

The place I think people get tripped up on is not that God does certain things, but how He does them. Here is a place I think we can get into trouble, when we try to fill in what is not fully there. For example we saw that Isaiah said He would stir up the Medes, but what exactly this was we are not told. Was it a dream or a vision? Was it an angel or demon? Or did God use their own desire and fuel that fire? We simply don’t know. We know God used Pharaoh’s own personality against him. 

I think the thing we need to understand is what God doesn’t do. He does not sin, He does not cause temptation, but we know that He does allow these things. However it should be noted that whatever He allows, He keeps control over it. Like with Job, He wasn’t the author of the trial yet He limited the trial. We can get into issues when we start blanket-stating what God can or can’t do. The Bible gives us examples of what He can’t do (for example, lie) but He evidently allowed a lying spirit to operate to bring about His will in a situation. 

I guess my point is, our black and white limitations don’t work on the Creator who foresaw a rainbow and said it was good. As His followers we should endeavor to see Him and what He is doing in light of this. Certainly some of what I’m saying here could be taken out of context, I would urge the reader not to do that as well. If the Bible says God won’t do something, I would not say He would. However if a person takes what is said and tries to import their understanding on it, and then claims “this is what God meant,” I may have some hesitation. I believe we all should. The Bible says to test all things, hold fast to that which is good. It does not say hold fast to what sounds good.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

Do we become Angels when we die?

This is an interesting question that actually is steeped in a larger issue in our knowledge of the things of God. The short answer is no, but the longer answer is more interesting.

There are many ideas people have about scripture and the things that God has given us to know Him by. These ideas come from an array of places and it is actually quite interesting to do a study on how various doctrines have come about. In fact, even Biblical literature is steeped in history and the ancients’ ideas and how they perceived the world around them. So while the Bible itself is truth, it’s also dealing with various cultures and thought processes that are not always the truth. However, to deal with people effectively, you must have an understanding of the kinds of things they deal with and their understanding of the world around them. This should speak to Christians today, not to compromise, but to make it their aim to understand others they don’t agree with.

That said, there are many beliefs that mankind holds to that are just not truth at all. The fact that they are passed from generation to generation does not make them truth. Humans being angels, or turning into angels is one such belief. Where this idea comes from I really don’t know, I’m assuming that it is just based on bad theology. Once, while I was talking to some coworkers about the Bible, I had one say to me, “Doesn’t the Bible say….?” I don’t even remember now what it was they said but I do remember that it was one of those very untrue, unbiblical ideas. I simply responded, “Well, you’ll have to show me where, because I’ve never seen it!”

So, to address the angel question, we first need to understand a little something about scripture, and language. If you’ve had any experience with foreign languages, one thing you will learn early on is that not everything is directly translatable. For example, when I was in Kenya and asked for a napkin I got some strange looks and a laugh. What we call a napkin in US English, they understand as a baby diaper. That’s an odd request at a dinner table! When translating the Bible, whose original languages are primarily Hebrew and Greek with a little Aramaic, translators at times contend with the inability to directly translate. Differences in culture, and even a bit of failure to understand some ancient words as well as their usages can occasionally make for a less than perfect understanding. As more is understood through study and archeology, translators get better and better at it. For example, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was huge in better understanding early language and customs. Now, these issues do not affect the basic understanding of the scripture, but can at times create a misunderstanding of certain nuanced texts. It shouldn’t scare us away, but keep us humble as we will always be learning until Jesus comes back.

There are three words that are commonly translated angel. These are malak (Hebrew), aggelos (Greek), and a third which I will not get to in this Faith Fix. These words here simply mean messenger and do not have to apply to just angels. There’s a reason for this and this is where language usage comes into play a little. These terms are not meant to describe individual characteristics of a being (like the word human) but are more of a job title of sorts. In other words these don’t describe who is being talked about, but what they do speak of what they do. They are messengers. An example of this is found in Hebrews 1:13-14 (NASB), “But to which of the angels (aggelos) has He ever said, ‘SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET’? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”

This is where the term angel comes from and is used throughout scripture, even though in the Old Testament the actual word would be “malak”.  What we think of as angels falls into this category and is what we are speaking of when we refer to these spiritual beings that sometimes interact with God’s man. Angels are created beings that are different than humans. To understand that more fully, you have to understand the differences in purpose, both ours and theirs. Our purpose is different and therefore God does not mix the two. They are created the way they are (which to my knowledge we are not told about), and we are created the way we are. 

Some have lumped into the angel category, cherubim and seraphim. However, that is not exactly right either. Those terms, very similar to each other but still with some differences are likely describing another type of being altogether. These terms are also not descriptive of a set of attributes but of what they do. Cherubim, I’m sorry to say, are not sweet little baby angels!

Now if by angels what people mean is anything not people and not God but something spiritual in nature, I guess this category in their mind could apply, albeit not accurately. The truth about angels is the Bible speaks a lot of them, however not enough to know everything about them. What we see more is SOME of their interactions with mankind to fulfill God’s purpose or even sometimes when they oppose it. 

The study of angels is indeed a very fascinating one that can easily lead one to a rabbit hole of facts but also really bad ideas. I remain with this opinion of any of His truth; if God has revealed it in His word, do as much as you can to understand it accordingly. If He has not, then we have to assume He had good reason for not telling us. Better to not be distracted by stuff we can’t prove with scripture than to be consumed with things we can’t solidly know. That is a shaky path, which usually leads to deception.

I love the following psalm because it gives a firm footing to understand some angelology. Psalms 103:20-21 (NASB) say, “Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.” They serve God, doing His will. We should do the same, according to what He saw fit to give man.

Disclaimer: I did not go into all the Bible’s says about angels, but a brief overview to make the point. The truth is, there is much more to understand, however it would be way too much for this format. Perhaps a Bible study would be more effective.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

Does God control or have dominion over evil spirits? 

This question might turn into a bit of a run around, which hopefully by the end of this will make some sense.

There’s a bigger question on the menu here that I think we need to answer before we can get into this one specifically. That is, what do we mean by “God’s control”. Many people make the statement, “God’s in control,” on a regular basis. The funny thing about this statement is that it really just isn’t saying anything. How people use it however is often misguided. If by God being in control one means that God is that absolute final authority on all things, yes, that is true. However, God being the final or ultimate authority speaks little of why things happen day to day. Usually when people say this, it is nothing more than a cop out to blanket a situation in a way to make themselves feel better about it. It is a way of quickly moving on to other things. I’m not a fan of this, even remotely! When there’s an issue, we need to care enough to find an answer!

Then there are some that claim God is limited to what He can do because after all, “the devil is the God of this world.” This is a ditch on the other side. Misquoting or misunderstanding scripture doesn’t help the situation either and it’s done way too often without care. How does one care? Only by INSISTING and ENDEAVORING to do it! Let’s tackle this one first because ultimately, it will play importantly into the original question.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NASB) says, “In whose case the god of this world (speaking of the devil) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” See! It says it right there! Well, hold on there Bucko! Let’s consider this with another scripture. Psalms 24:1 (NASB) says, “The earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” To make this make sense we have to understand lordship. Lordship, in God’s view, is who you’ve given your life, or control to. As God’s ambassadors, WE have the choice. In Romans 6:16 (NIV) Paul says, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” The choice whether sin or obedience is always given to us thereby deciding whom our Lord is. When the Bible says the devil is the god of this world, it means the god through the chosen actions of the world and its systems. He is the one worshipped in their disobedience. 

We see this concept in other places as well like, Philippians 3:19 (NIV) which says, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.” Obviously people are not running around advocating a new stomach cult! God gives humanity free will but asks them to willingly give it back to be used by Him. This choice He gives as blessing and bless it He does exceedingly! God rewards obedience. 

I say all of that to get to this, God’s purposes WILL be fulfilled on this earth and no devil or lack of human participation will stop it! Look at what Luke says in Luke 19:39-40 (NASB). “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.’ But Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!’” I say it again just to be dramatic, God will have His way!  

So on to the original question, “Does God control or have dominion over evil spirits?” The simple answer is yes He most certainly does. Is He actively controlling them? The answer to this is no. It would seem according to what we see in scripture that even the demons have some sort of free will. Whether it is the same as humans, I don’t think is revealed to us. Now, this does not mean that He never exploits them because He has many times in the Scriptures (think of Pharaoh or Judas), yet this does not mean that they are on His payroll either.

God can only not do what He won’t do. He is bound by no one but Himself. I would imagine that most anything else is on the table. I want to add that God is not employing devils against His righteous either. So if you’re getting attacked or facing opposition, God is not activating devils against you to test you. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB) says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” He is giving us the way out and ensuring that we will not be overcome. What a wonderful and loving Father, to always tilt the odds in our favor!

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff