Q & A

Q & A Revealed

Thank you for submitting such thought provoking questions. In order to have given them true justice, I would need to have written much more than I was able. What follows are highlights or mountain top type answers that give you the basics of my thoughts on these matters. Some of the questions were similar and have therefore been consolidated. So if your exact question is not listed, I hope to have answered it in the midst of another question.

Again, these are highlight type answers and not meant to be exhaustive. If you feel like you want to talk more on any of these topics please do not hesitate to contact any one of us in the church office. I hope this Q & A session has been meaningful to you as I know it was for me to grapple with these complex yet life directing questions.
Broc Jahnke - Spiritual Growth Pastor

Question : When my daughter was 7 she asked the following stumper of me, in these words might I add... no pressure for mom here... "If God can't be in the presence of sin, and Jesus is the very nature of God, how was he able to be in the presence of sin?" To which I replied, "Ummm - there are some things we just won't know until we get to heaven." She gave me that Mom is clueless face that I dread so much. Can you help?

Answer: One of my professors used to tell us that there are some things that we just can’t explain, or as you put it “we just won’t know until we get to heaven.” In Philippians 2, Paul writes that Jesus made himself a servant and became divine / human all at the same time. He was completely divine and completely human – maybe that explains Jesus’ ability to walk in the world of us sinners.

Question : Can a Christian vote for a pro-abortion candidate?

Answer: While we may not agree with that act there are policies of every candidate that we may not agree with. Christians (and wonderful Christians) are Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. However, it is our role to continue to fight against injustices in every sector of life whether it is abortion, exploitation of the poor, over taxation, or under funding of certain sectors.

Question : How do you explain the mercy of God when children across the globe are killed in droves through genocide and war crimes?

Answer: I firmly believe that there is a battle that is waging in this world. A battle of good vs. evil – a battle of God vs. Satan. Evil is at work and it is not brought about by the hand of God. However, it is totally plausible to sit back and wonder why God doesn’t do something miraculous about the pain and suffering all around us. It is a question that has no easy answers. It is a question that demands that we must look at ourselves in the mirror and blame ourselves for our selfishness, wrong choices and depravity. It is a question that must blame Satan. It is a question that in the midst of our unknowing we must go and be the mercy of God to a hurting world. I know this does not completely answer this question, but I believe it would be a lie on my part to try to give this question a definitive answer.

I am in no way saying that sin caused a devastating event to take place like a genocide or a natural disaster. What I am trying to communicate is that we are sinful and we do sinful things to others – that is where we can blame ourselves. We can debate about this topic all day, but God is calling us to action and ultimately to go and be the hands and feet of mercy to those that are suffering.

Question: How is Christ going to the cross a sacrifice when he knew all along he would rise again?

Answer: He suffered immensely and he knew that by his death he could become the ultimate sacrifice (Old Testament sacrificial system) so that our hearts and minds could be cleared by spilling his blood and fulfilling the terms of the covenant. Is it any less of a sacrifice knowing that it was going to happen?

Question : Do you go to hell if you commit suicide?

Answer: I have often heard this but I can’t find any Scriptures to substantiate this concept. However, the devastating effect of those left behind after a suicide is very severe. Our pastors are always available to speak with you about any struggles or fears you are facing. I do not believe suicide is a good option and it will hurt the lives and hearts of many around any person that chooses this path.

Question : Why do we not make it customary to genuflect?

Answer: We do not practice asking people to bow, raise their hands, or make the sign of the cross as a group activity. However, people are encouraged to follow these activities in corporate worship at their own discretion. These things are highly encouraged on an individual basis during our corporate worship time.

Question : How do you know when it’s the Holy Spirit you feel working inside of one’s self. OR Is it our conscience?

Answer: The age old question of the modern Christian. You have to check the prompting you are feeling against several things: Scripture, experience, and wise counsel. As you continue to study God’s Word it becomes clearer and clearer the direction of the Spirit. You find that God is always speaking about life. It may not be whether or not you should take this job or that one, but you’ll find His major themes leading you to make those decisions: caring for others, generosity, faith, trust, and holiness. God will guide you – you can rest in that.

Question : Do you give any kind of Parenting Class (growing kids God's way) at church? Or

do you know of any place we can go to take it?

Answer: Currently we are not offering any parenting classes, but we are very open to offering them if we find the right curriculum and the right teachers. A lot of churches offer wonderful parenting classes in this area. Growing Kids God’s Way is a controversial class because of the scheduled feeding aspect. We are not in any way against that, we just encourage you to have flexibility in that area and listen to the voices on both sides of that topic.

Question : Could you explain these verses in Exodus..."the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him." This confuses me. It seems Moses was doing as the Lord asks and this seems to not fit well in context...please explain.

Exodus 4 - 24 On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him. 25 But Moses’ wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet[b] with the foreskin and said, “Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 (When she said “a bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the Lord left him alone.

Answer: God has extremely high standards and was looking for utter obedience in his followers – especially his leader, Moses. I think this is God’s way of getting Moses’ attention.

Question : After Jesus performed miracles why did He usually state that people should not tell what they had seen or what had been accomplished?

Answer: Jesus understood the true nature of humanity. In some cases he knew that people would want to follow him because of what he did and not because of who he was. He wanted people to follow him because he was the son of God and not just the latest show to hit Israel.

Question : What place does religion (faith) have in politics?

Answer: Religion should guide everything that we do. It should guide our lifestyles and our political ideologies. However, I think it is a mistake to associate Christianity with one particular political party. We should stand and fight for what is Godly but often times the best place to do this is outside of the political arena. Our Christianity and its message should still be advancing regardless of what happens in Austin or Washington.

Question : Is it okay to masturbate as a Christian? If so, what boundaries do we keep or how do we teach these boundaries to our children and loved ones?

Answer: Masturbation as an act in and of itself is not necessarily a sin. However, I believe it is difficult to separate lustful fantasies from that activity. Lust (thinking of another person in a sexual way, the objectification of human beings) is not a loving, Godly thought process. Jesus even warns us about lustful thinking and its potential for destruction. Will you commit an unforgiveable offense if you masturbate? No, you will definitely not but the consequences of lustful thinking generally lead to behavior that we wish we had never participated in.

Question : How is it that Jesus did not know the day and hour in Mark 13:32? We are taught that Jesus is God, so as such I would think he would know.

Answer: These questions are too tough! There was a part, this gets tricky here, where Jesus gave up some of His divinity to become human. To answer this any further, would just be me making up some stuff. The point is that we don’t know for sure when Christ will return and to focus on other messages of this passage, while intriguing, misses the extremely important point that Jesus was making – be ready!

Question : Burial or Cremation....is there anything in the Bible that states cremation is a sin, or that we shouldn't do.

Answer: I, myself, have been wondering about this question a lot lately. I can’t seem to find anything in Scripture that says cremation is something we shouldn’t do.

Question : So my Husband and I were discussing what the Bible says about eating animals, he says that we aren’t supposed to eat meat, especially pork. I told him from what I had heard that in the Old Testament it was warned against and the New Testament gives the green light as okay to do. What is the Biblical understanding of eating meat and how to decipher what the Bible meant?

Answer: In Acts 11 Peter has a vision that it is okay to eat animals and the things that had been previously forbidden under Jewish law. It is not forbidden by God to eat meat or pork.

Question : What is the definition of hope? Is the biblical definition different from the way a lot of people think of the word hope?

Answer: The biblical idea of hope is indeed different than how the common usage of the word hope might be used. Biblical hope is a hope for the future (God is in control – even over death), a hope for the present (God is in control – he will provide for His people. It may not be the ultimate American dream but He will provide.), and hope for others (God will use his people to bring hope to those that are in need). It is a trust and knowing that God has a plan that we may not always be able to decipher, but He is in control.

Question : What limitations if any should a married couple have sexually to maintain integrity before God? For example, is it okay to videotape themselves, introduce erotic toys, etc. into their sexual experience? If not, what types of things do you recommend to help spice things up to keep the marriage alive and well sexually...beyond date nights and mini vacations?

Answer: We have to be careful not to use our spouse or to pretend that they are someone else. Sex is meant to be an expression of love and care for our spouse. I am not saying we shouldn’t use the things listed above, but we should be careful that we aren’t exploiting, degrading, or using the other person. Truly the key to spicing up your sex life is to love each other in sacrificial and tangible ways outside of the bedroom. Find a way to serve your spouse and show them deep love and then you will see sparks fly in the bedroom in that atmosphere of love.

Question : What is "true" love?

Answer: True love is the ability for another person to willingly sacrifice their desires, dreams and even themselves so that another might find hope and life.

Question : Does God CAUSE everything to happen or does He CAUSE some things to happen and ALLOW other things to happen?

Answer: I agree with your second statement. He is at work in this world causing things to happen in our lives for our ultimate good and He also allows us to make our own choices. He allows evil to continue until the time comes for the redemption of all things.

Question : Is it possible that Jesus was married?

Answer: If we look at legitimate sources there is no evidence to that fact. However there are some that contend he was married, but those few sources have been widely discounted as pure conjecture.

Question : Why does God bring people into the world that he knows will go to hell?

Answer: I’m not sure I agree with that statement. There is a segment of Christianity that believes that God has destined some for heaven or hell. I firmly believe that God wants all people to know Him and that He is reaching out to all of humanity. There is a paradox in Scripture about predestination, but it is also has to be weighed against all the other Scriptures which show God’s desire for all people. It leaves us with a tension that is not super easily explained, but I think Scripture errs on the side of salvation being open to all.

Question : What happens to the people in other countries who never get a chance to hear about God or Jesus? Will they go to heaven?

Answer: There are two truths that come through in Scripture. One is that Jesus Christ is the door through which all people must enter heaven – He is the only way. Second is that all people will hear the Gospel in some way either through the words of others or through the beauty of creation which proclaims the glory of God. Regardless, there is a focus in Scripture that we need to be about the business of sharing God’s message of love to all people.

Question :

What does the bible say about individual salvation?
What does the bible say about collective salvation?
Did our founders find this nation within a source of God?
What does the Lord say about our liberties & freedoms?
What does the Lord say about our stewardships?
What does the Lord say about our environment?
What does the Lord say about our morals?
What does the Lord say about being just?
What does the Lard say about being fair?
What does the Lord say about political correctness?

Answer: Collective Salvation is the idea that we all must be saved before an individual can be saved. Obviously, when it comes to theology we completely reject this idea because we believe that each individual must come before God and give an account of their actions and their trust in Jesus Christ. The term collective salvation is also used a lot today and political circles and it mainly refers to the idea that we must take care of everyone before we can take care of ourselves – in other words, we are all in this together.

Scripture is clear that we must take care of the poor and needy in our world. This is a primary mission of the church. We have been set free to make others free. We have so that we can give. This is the Gospel’s calling on our lives. It is important to distinguish the context of how the phrase collective salvation is being used.

When it comes to our environment we are called to take care of God’s creation. We are called to help preserve it for others and for generations to come. This is simply called care for others and what we leave behind. That is at the heart of my definition of taking care of our environment.

Morals are also a key component of Christianity. We are called to remain pure and untainted by evil. It should be a driving focus, a passion, and a call to help each other down this narrow road. The problem is that some of us have different definitions of what is pure and right. My prayer is that we could come together and let Scripture guide us and our ultimate goal would be to bring glory to our heavenly Father and to put the needs of others before our own.

Okay, I have to couch all of these questions in this one phrase – “Do unto others as you would want done to you.” Go back and read the definition of love as answered in an earlier question, and I think that will give us a good moral compass.

Question : - When did time start?

- How big is the universe?

- Who decided which books to be included in the bible? (I heard there are additional books in other Christian denominations).

Answer: When did time start? How big is the universe? You have asked questions that are beyond my ability to even grasp. However, I do know that God is the creator and author of both. That’s all I know for sure.

The books of the Bible were decided by an early church council. They were the ones that they could most readily identify with doctrine, authenticity, and tradition. There are other books that were considered for the Bible and you can find those today listed as the Apocrypha or the Pseudopigrapha. They are interesting reads. The Apocrypha doesn’t add or take away from the Scriptures we use – dare I say more of the same. The Pseudopigrapha writings were found to be false writings or writings that could not in any way be verified. They are strange and insightful to say the least.

Question : Is eating rare/medium rare meat a sin? Doesn't the bible state absolutely no eating of meat with the blood still in it? 1 Samuel 14:33-34

Answer: This is a passage that largely had to do with health concerns for the Israelites and consequently obeying God and his guidelines for His people. As far as we can understand, God has lifted any dietary issues in this area and it is not an area to worry about. See Acts 11. Personally, medium-well is the way to go!

Question : Why did God create hell?

Answer: Hell was not a creation by God but a creation made out of Satan’s rebellion and selfishness. It is hard to say much beyond that because the Bible is pretty silent about this subject.

Question : I really enjoyed your series on the Holy Spirit. And being able to speak in another language sounds like an amazing thing. But is this gift for every Christian? Does God want everyone to speak in another language or "tongues?"

Answer: There are passages in Scripture that show that those who receive the experience of the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues as a sign that the Holy Spirit had come upon them. Other passages do not present this idea. I have been around a lot of Christians that have had the gift of tongues. I have been around a lot of Christians that did not have the gift of tongues. Some of my friends that do not speak in tongues are the most godly people I have ever been around – they put me to shame as an altruistic follower of Jesus Christ. How am I to say that they do not have the Holy Spirit in their lives?

Ultimately it is our goal as Christians to seek God and trust Him with our lives. It is not our role to seek a gift or a certain manifestation. Do you believe in Jesus? If you do, you have received the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit and the ability to speak in tongues is a wonderful gift that God is in charge of giving.

Question : Maybe I am ignorant on this one, but where was Joseph in Jesus's death?

Answer: A lot of matters like the above question are not addressed in Scripture. It is what in theological circles we call an “argument from silence.” In other words, Scripture is silent. While we may try to put together thoughts and ideas where Joseph (Jesus’ father) was, at best it is pure conjecture. Some think that he may not have been alive, however, at the time of Jesus’ death.

Question : I know you say that we cannot tear out pages of the Bible, but it often seems hard to figure at what is still applicable in today's time. In Mark 10 it says if a man divorces his wife and remarries, he is actually committing adultery. How do we know what we follow and what we don't?

Answer: Thanks for a really tough question. I think there is a warning there that we sometimes take way too lightly. Divorce is a big deal to God. He wants us to take this vow of marriage very seriously. The only reason that Jesus gives us to consider divorce is in the area of marital infidelity. So, is remarriage an act of committing adultery? Scripture lends credence to that thought. We must pay attention to it. At the same time we realize God is a forgiving, second chance kind of God. These are two opposite truths that must be held in tension without neglecting the other.

Question : Question regarding oh, shall/can we call it the Oneness Question??

I understand the Oneness of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and how all 3 are of 1 "mind"...and/or overlapping in jurisdiction of our hearts and souls.

Where I get muddled, is with speaking to others about the One way to our Father is through Jesus...(that is not the muddling part), but here, when Jesus was baptized, and went to pray for 40 days, Jesus prayed to God, he didn't pray to himself...so I get a bit lost in rolling it all back into the "3"...I'm not a doubter, just don't know how to deliver the message...

Answer: Theology was never meant to be understood in a clear cut, Western mindset where we understand the nuances of everything we claim to believe. There is mystery, and again we must live in that tension. Jesus was truly God on this earth but at the same time He took on the form of a human. There was also a “bestowing of power” where God was showing the world that this was truly His son (Him). I wish I could give you a nice, clear cut answer, but I believe that if I did I would be adding stuff to what we know. What we know is that God is mysterious and He sent His son so that we could have life.