"Q and A" Lesson 161

I have been asked a score of questions through email, phone calls and one on one sessions. This study is an attempt to answer some of your questions, asked and unspoken.

Q: What does the bible say specifically is the ‘Father’s business’ (Luke 2:49)?
A: The ‘Father’s business’ would be the reason that god sent His only Son and that is to save the world from sin (John 3:16). By the time Jesus was twelve years old He understood His mission on earth. Jesus drew a sharp distinction between His earthly mother and father and God, His true Father (Luke 2:49).

Q: When the scriptures tell us that the Lord ‘searches the heart’, what exactly does the bible say He is searching for?
A: What is God searching for in our hearts? He is looking for the truth of what you think (Pro. 23:7, Mark 7:21-23). He is looking for cleanliness inside and not ‘clean appearances’ (Luke 11:39, Matt. 12:35). He is checking that what you say with your lips is coming from your hearts and that you are speaking to glorify God (Matt. 15:8-9). God knows what is in all hearts (Ps. 44:21, Pro. 21:2) since He can look into the heart where man can only look at outside appearances (1 Sam. 16:7). He is searching for rebellion against His laws and Word (Jer. 5:23), a hard heart (Heb. 3:8) and He is preparing the heart (Pro. 16:1) so you will be perfect (Matt. 5:48). Whenever we surrender to God, He will take out the hard heart (sin) and give us a new heart (salvation) and His peace will rule in our hearts (Eze. 36:26-27, col. 3:15).

Q: Are all strongholds sin?
A: Sin is Satan’s stronghold! There are many scriptures to guide you to safety and deliverance from Satan’s strongholds under God’s care. A godly stronghold would be a place of refuge or defense such as a mountain fortress, guard tower or hide out (Jud. 6:2, 1 Chro. 12:8, Isa. 33:16) or a strategic point on the walls of a city (Isa. 25:12, Ps. 89:40, Lam. 2:2). Stronghold is a frequent metaphor for God as the one who gives judgment on behalf of the oppressed (Ps. 9:9, Jer. 16:19) or the one who guards the lives of those who trust Him (Ps. 27:1, Nahum 1:7). The Lord is our stronghold over Satan through Jesus who ‘appeared’ to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). As long as we have a relationship with Jesus as our Savior, Deliverer, Lord and King then He is our stronghold (Ps. 18:2, Ps. 46:4). The Holy Spirit is our stronghold (Rom. 8:24-26) and the Blood of Jesus is our stronghold (John 1:7).

Q: As a child of God, can you fall out of His favor?
A: There is bad news and better news here. Men are without excuse to know that God exist but neither glorify Him nor give thanks (Rom. 1:20-21). In this case God gives these over to their sinful desires to do as they please (Rom. 1:24-32). If men have a stubborn and unrepentant heart, they are storing up wrath against themselves from God (Rom. 2:5-11). Some allow sin to become their master and a child of God should be dead to sin (Rom. 6:6-14). Isaiah 59:2 assures us that we can be separated from God through sin in our lives. The wonderfully good news is; “Again, I ask; did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all” (Rom. 11:11)! “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Rom. 8:16), this referring to God’s saving grace. A child of God can be convinced that nothing will be able to separate them from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39). “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:29).

Q: What type of man was Job? Why didn’t he curse God to His face? What made Job worship?
A: All of these questions are answered in the Book of Job. “This man was blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). Job’s wife asked him the same question about cursing God or rather she told him; “curse God and die”, but Job answered; “shall we accept good from God and not trouble” (Job 2:9-10)? Notice that Job had everything going for him and the Lord decided to let Satan put him to the test just as most of we are put to tests is we live for the Lord. Most of ours are not as severe as Job’s but Job realized that you cannot dispute God (Job 9:1-10) and was beginning to show signs of repentance. God had to prompt him a bit to bring him into full realization that no man is actually righteous before God (Job 40:1). “Our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6), “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:9). Job understands that he is un-worthy (Job 40:4-5) and admitted to God that he spoke of things that he did not understand (Job 42:3), just as we all do when we question God during times of trouble. Although Job had God to warn him, we have the New Testament’s word that we who grieve the Holy Spirit (that is to deny God) will not be forgiven (Matt. 12:31-32). These who deny God, curse God and do not accept God will thrown into the lake of burning sulfur with the devil, who deceived them (Rev. 20:9-10). Job knew that only god is worthy of praise and worship, and although he whined a lot (I would too if I had sores from head to toe), he never denied his God (Rev. 5:9-14).

Q: What is the definition of a father? Is he one who you descended from or one who raised you?
A: Both definitions are correct but must be separated and used in correct context. The bible reveals God as the Lord of the Universe and calls Him ‘Father’ in both the Old and the New Testaments. We all need a caring human father in our lives to help us understand what God the Father is like as a person. If our earthly father is not a loving, concerned, involved father then our Heavenly Father is always available, offer these characteristics (Hosea 14:3, Psalm 10:14, 27:10). The most wonderful aspect of being a Christian is that we all have a unique relationship with God, the Father of Jesus and through faith each one us may call Him Abba, Father (Rom. 8:14-16, 1 John 3:1-3, Heb. 12:5-11). The scripture in Matthew 23:8-10; “and do not call anyone on earth father, for you have one Father and He is in Heaven”, has to do with the attitude of these Pharisee teachers wanting to put themselves above God in being honored (Matt. 23:5-7). Jesus is not forbidding us to call man fathers who actually are (literally or spiritually) but warning against wanting to be worshipped as THE FATHER in Heaven.

Q: Does the bible say what happens to God when we sing/worship? Does it make Him happy? Glad? Are there any emotions evoked in God due to our act of worship?
A: I find no actual scripture to tell you how God reacts (i.e.; smiles, laughs, cries) to our worship but the bible is filled with ways to worship which gives God pleasure. When we read the Psalms we are gripped by the celebratory aspect of worship. God is a God who wants us to praise Him with our whole heart, mind, soul and emotions. He is pleased with those who worship Him, praise Him and trust His love (Ps. 147:11, 81:1, 98, 149, 150, 33:1-3, 47:1, 66:1-2, 95:1-2). We were created for God’s pleasure (Col. 1:16, Rev. 4:11) and He rejoices in His works (Ps. 104:31). God has emotions (Ps. 18:19, 103:13, Prov. 6:16, John 11:35). To express emotion with enthusiasm in worship is to show we are filled with life, love, joy, hope, faith and peace, all of which God gives us. We are taught through scripture to meet together with glad and sincere hearts to please God (Acts 2:47), rejoice (1 Thess. 5:16, Phil. 4:4), sing (Eph. 5:19), delight yourself in the Lord (Ps. 37:4, Phil. 4:4) and the joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh. 8:10). We are made from the image of God, therefore, I believe God possesses all the emotions that we feel and expresses them as we do (John 5:2-3, 15:9-13).

Q: What does the bible say about dealing with stress?
A: Actually the bible does not teach ‘HOW to deal with stress’ but rather teaches ‘NOT to deal with stress’. Matthew 6:25-34 is the best lesson on trusting God and not worrying about your life situations and what you will do with tomorrow. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all of our anxieties on Him because He cares for us, Luke 21:34 advises us not to let our hearts be weighed down by the anxieties of life and Matthew 13:22 explains that worry makes us unfruitful. When you are afraid and feel stress coming into your life, call upon the name of the Lord (Ps. 56:3). “Be still before the Lord and do not fret; it leads only to evil” (Ps. 37:7-8). The bible teaches us to trust Him during times of stress (Ps. 56:3-4), let the joy of the Lord replace stress (Neh. 8:10) and do not be dismayed because God is with you and will help you (Isa. 41:10).

Q: Does God use un-believers to bring about His will?
A: God used un-believers continuously in the Old Testament to bring about His will. “Whatever the Lord pleases He does” (Ps. 135:6). The earth is the Lord’s and He can do all things with anyone He chooses (Col. 1:16, 1 Cor. 10:26, 24:1). “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be” (Isa. 14:24). He works out everything according to His will (Eph. 1:11). If this plan includes using un-believers, then He will definitely use them to His glory (Rom. 8:28). Un-believers put Jesus to death but God used His death and Resurrection to offer the world salvation (Acts 2:22-24, 4:27-28). Some teachers of the Law were un-believers, but Jesus demonstrated God’s authority in healing and everyone praised God (Mark 2:6-12). God used a ‘false prophet’ to bring the people back to Him (Eze. 14:1-11), the wicked plan of Haman to destroy the Jewish population was used to promote Esther in the Persian Empire (Est. 4:14, 19:1-4) and Joseph’s comments to his brothers, years after they had thrown him into a cistern and left him to die; “you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Gen. 5:20).

Q: What does the bible say about helping others?
A: There are many scriptures telling us to help others and I will share just a few, starting with the Book of Proverbs. Whoever is kind to the needy honors God (Pro. 14:31), God will reward you for this kindness (Pro. 19:17), God will not answer those who do not hear the cries of the poor (Pro. 21:13), he who gives to the poor will lack nothing (Pro. 28:27) and a man will be blessed if he shares his food with the poor (Pro. 22:9). Matthew 6:3-4 tells us to give to the needy in secret and in one of Jesus’ Parables (Matt. 25:35-46), He says that what ever you do for the needy here on earth you are doing for Him. In 1st Timothy, chapter five, Paul is teaching Timothy about these things including, “if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an un-believer” (1 Tim. 5:8). The rich are commanded to do good, be generous and willing to share (1 Tim. 6:18). If you see someone in need of something you have, you must help him or the love of God is not in you (1 John 3:17-18), look after orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27) and see to others’ physical needs (James 2:15-16). Scatter your riches to the poor (2 Cor. 9:9), share your food with the hungry, provide the poor with shelter (Isa. 58:7) and satisfy the needs of the oppressed (Isa. 58:10). John the Baptist taught to share tunics, food and to be fair when collecting taxes (Luke 3:11-14). Jesus taught another way to help is not to expect repayment (Luke 6:33-36).

Q: What chapters and verses cover God’s omnipresence throughout the universe?
A: Omnipresence is implicated throughout the scripture but Psalm 139 is probably the most well known descriptions of God’s omnipresence, showing us that He has access to all places and all secrets. Omnipresence is seen in ‘healing from a distance’ (Luke 7:1-10). The fact that He can come and go into the heavens is stated in the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36). We cannot hide from Him (Amos 9:2-4), He fills the heaven and earth (Jer. 23:23-24) and His eyes are everywhere (Pro. 15:3). The heavens cannot contain Him (1 Kings 8:27, Isa. 66:1) and He is not far from each of us (Acts 17:27-28). He sits on His throne in heaven (Heb. 1:3, Eph. 1:20) yet dwells among us (John 1:14). He is in the church body (John 14:23), lives in us (Rom. 8:10-11) and will continue to live with us in the assembly of His people in that New City (Rev. 21:3).