There seems to be a lot of "talk" of separation of church and state these days, what does the Bible have to say about it?

Since the garden of Eden, the truth is that man really doesn't want anyone to tell him what he can or cannot do. God will not force anyone to accept who He his (while you live on the His earth), but in my opinion, neither God nor many of our country's founders ever intended that God should be excluded from government. The very first charter of Virginia in 1606 specified that the colony should bring glory to Almighty God and advance the Christian faith. The Mayflower Compact began "In the name of God, Amen, Having undertaken for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith..". The Continental Congress of 1775 officially called all citizens to fast and pray and confess their sin that God might bless them. Even the Declaration of Independence has four specific references to dependence of the nation on God. We need the guidance of God in our nation now more than ever. The Psalms state "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." (9:17) But it is also important to remember that we must accept Christ as individuals and let Him lead our lives. Psalms 119:105 says "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Though God holds the heart of the nations leaders in His hands, remember that He is concerned about our daily lives. God's Word will not only give direction for genuine freedom (from the bondage of sin), but also says"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.."Psalm 33:12.

Can a person really know that they are going to heaven?

When we go on a vacation, the best way to get to our desired destination is to follow a map drawn by someone who has already been there. In the most important issue of salvation, we must turn to what God has told us to do. In the book of Romans we find a clear map of how to get to heaven: "that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:8-10) Salvation, which is the gift is God, does not come by good works, baptism or church membership, but by a heart belief in Christ's work."For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9). When you are saved Jesus said you are "born again" into the family of God (you can't be "unborn") and should live with a secure faith in God knowing that you are going to heaven. The apostle John put it this way "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.." I John 5:13 Notice also that salvation is called everlasting and eternal life (not 'temporary' or 'until the first time I sin' life) because when God promises to give someone the most precious of all gifts.. salvation.. it is forever and God never goes back on His Word.. Praise the Lord!!!

Someone told me that Jesus was coming back to the earth again and that I should "get ready". What did they mean by that?

The Bible has many references to the return of Christ. One out of thirty verses mention either the subject of Christ's return or the end of time as we know it. Of the 2000 chapters in the New Testament, there are over 300 references to the return of Christ. Christ spoke often of his return as in Matthew 24:44"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Also in John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." We are also told that Jesus will come "as a thief in the night". All this means to us is that we need to be ready. Don't expect to make your decision then, because your opportunity to get ready is NOW!! You must trust Christ because of His crucifixion death and resurrection from the dead to be "saved". Then you can rejoice that you are a child of God and can look with anticipation for Jesus' return for His children.

Why should I forgive someone who keeps doing wrong to me and my family?

You may have seen the bumper sticker that says "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven". The truth is, that without forgiveness of our sins, we would spend eternity in hell. It is because of the forgiveness of God, given by Jesus because of His death on the cross that we may have a home in heaven. What a wonderful reality. Now in comparison to that wonderful forgiveness of all our sins, past, present and future, what a small matter to consider our forgiveness of the wrong that others do unto us. It is like the difference in being forgiven a one million dollar debt and forgiving a one dollar debt. Jesus states in Luke 17:4 "if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him." The number of times to forgive someone is not as important as it is to cultivate a forgiving disposition. It is so important that we understand the forgiveness that God has extended to us should also be given to others by us in our relation to them. Paul states it so clearly "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32)

I am as good as many people that claim to be Christians, so why should I get "saved"?

Builders constantly use the level, a square and a plumb line because they are standards. It is important that we live by standards, not by comparisions. To say that a wall is just as straight as another wall or that a floor is just as level as another floor would not be a standard of true level or of straightness. Noone can claim health because he is feeling better than a diabetic or stronger than a cancer victim. To know how good or bad you are, you should measure yourself by Jesus Christ and what He has said. He is the only True Standard. When you answer to God, you will be judged in relation to Jesus. You are not saved or lost by the deeds of other people. God's Word states "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9) Jesus did not say to be "good" to be saved, He said to be "born again" (John 3:3). That is the"word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved....For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:8,9,13) The only way to heaven is by faith in Jesus Christ. You can accept Him today.

Has science discredited the Bible?

One of the most awesome facts of our day is the reliability of the Word of God. Literally thousands of science books and "popular" scientific theories have come and gone (many to the garbage dump), but God's Word has stood the test of time. Creation, for example, is the miracle of God. The Bible does not argue God's creative power, it simply declares it. Exodus 20:11 states " For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.." This is a literal 7 days. In John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.". Again it is clear that God created everything. You don't have to look very far to see God's handiwork. The air that we breath, the water that we drink, the food that we grow has not come to us by mere chance but by design, God's design. If God cares about the flowers of the field and the birds in the air, only a foolish person could ignore God's love for us when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. God's Word will stand when man's books are obsolete, when college classrooms are leveled, when mankind stands before an all powerful Creator... the question will be "Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ?".

Isn't there more than one way to go to heaven?

Occasionally you may have come upon a highway sign that points down a certain road and promises that it will take you to a desired destination, so you take that road only to find it to be a dead-end. That is because it is not based on truth. It is important to realize the we did not invent the idea of Jesus being the only way to heaven. In John 14:6 Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." This is not my claim, this is His claim. We are just telling folks what His claim is and the claim of the writers of the New Testament. He took it a step farther when he stated in John 8:24 "if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." The Apostle Peter reinforced this when he said "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Paul agreed also in the statement "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5) It is the united testimony of the New Testament that there is no other way to go to heaven other than through Jesus Christ. If mankind could have 'gone down another road' to heaven, Jesus would not have had to die. His death and resurrection verifies that there is NO OTHER WAY.

Since most of my life is now past I feel that I am "too old" to become a Christian. When would it be too late?

There is no age limit, "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Corinthians 6:2) Today and now are favorite words with God. As long as we are alive on this earth, it is never too late to start doing what is right. God has foreseen your problems. He said in Deuteronomy 4:29-31" But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; For the LORD thy God is a merciful God; he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them." Regardless of your age, God still loves you and the simple fact that you are reading this shows that you still have an opportunity to accept Jesus as your personal Saviour. Please, don't wait any longer, for this could be the very last time that He speaks to you.

I have gone to church, but I don't get the feeling I'm looking for. Is there something wrong with that?

A popular theme of several years ago said "If it feels good, do it". However, most worthy acts in this world are done contrary to feeling. Washington did not live at Valley Forge because he felt like it. The doctor does not deal with sickness and disease because of feeling, but because of necessity. Marriages fall apart every day that have only been based on the feeling of the moment. Employees that only work when they feel like it, usually don't (and end up with a new job description .. "unemployed"). While going to church may produce a good feeling, we must base what we do on the revealed will of God. The first thing you should seek is a right relationship with God. Revelation 3:20 states "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." and in John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Next, your actions should reflect your faith in God. I Peter 1:7 declares "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:". Trust in God is not based on feelings but in the revealed fact of God's love toward you and that our faith will glorify God as we are obedient to what He has said in His Word.

I try to live a Christian life, but people still get mad at me and make fun of me. They are so hard to deal with, what can I do?

Jesus is the greatest example of how to deal with other's attitudes toward us. He was morally perfect, yet many people hated him. The prophet Isaiah spoke of Jesus when he said " He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." The life of Christ proves that some people would reject you even if you were morally perfect. The Bible teaches that we cannot have everyone's approval, and that we should not seek it because it puts us at odds with God's desire that we glorify Him and that we mature as His children. Galatians 1:10 states ".. do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." In I Thessalonians 2:4 Paul says "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts." God's approval is to be the center of our focus, not the approval of man. James 4:4 declares " know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." I would be more concerned with someone who seemed to have everyone's approval than someone who didn't. Remember that the final judgement will be according to what the Bible (God's Word) says, not by popular opinion.

I have met someone that I want to be with the rest of my life, but what is the big deal about marriage?

There are many people in America who subscribe to the view of morality called 'cultural ethics'. In other words, the belief that whatever is acceptable in that culture is moral; if the majority of people say a thing is 'right', then it is right. Genuine respect for one another and a lasting caring relationship needs the commitment of sexual faithfulness (one man and one woman for a lifetime) coupled with genuine love . God is the one who established the home and he gives clear instructions on how it can be 'heaven on earth'. But we have to follow His guidelines. STD's (sexually transmitted diseases), divorce, broken homes, shattered lives, and adultery have been a result of men and women who are determined to defy God and struggle against his will for their lives. Hebrews 13:4 states "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." The boundaries that God established are not to keep us from happiness, but are to provide us with the greatest possible happiness and protection against harmful and destructive behavior. Since marriage was designed by God, don't you think that he would know best how it could would work for the best interest of ourselves, our children and our society?

If people try their very best, won't God let them into heaven?

It is amazing how many people simply "hope" they will make it to heaven. It's a lot like putting the human race on a ladder and then saying that the more good deeds a person does, the higher on the rungs he goes, with the lowest scoundrel on the bottom and the most saintly on the top. Then if they were ask to select which rung on which God would draw the line for salvation, most would respond that the cutoff is just below their rung. Then they play a balancing scale game with their good versus their evil deed but cannot know the outcome until the end.

This is why we must rely on what God's Word says, as in Ephesians 2:8 &9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Salvation does not come through comparison with others or through good works, it can only come through faith in Jesus. If you have never trusted Christ, won't you do it today? It is not through trying your best, salvation is through putting your trust in Jesus Christ.

At one time I accepted Jesus as my Saviour and started going to church. Why did it seem that I had more problems after I started trying to serve God?

Most products sold in our stores have to go through a battery of various tests in the laboratory to see if they can truly do what they are designed to do. It only after these tests that we can be sure it will perform as it has been advertised. When you buy it, you want to be assured of quality. When a person puts their faith in God, that faith is going to be tested.. mainly because God wants us to know that He will be true to the promises He has made. Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 1:7 " 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". Not only do you need to know that God can do what He said and that "He will never leave you nor forsake you", but there are others around you who are watching to see if your faith in Christ is just words or if it is genuine and from the heart. People will many times let us down, but our faith has to be anchored in Jesus Christ. Don't allow problems and difficulties keep you from growing in your walk with God.

It takes up all of my time right now for me to get established in my business. What does it hurt to wait till I am better situated to be a Christian a

There is no business endeavor or career that should be allowed to cheat anyone out of heaven's blessings. Jesus said in Mark 8:36 "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?". No earthly profit could be compared to the value of your soul. God even called a man a fool who neglected his soul's welfare by building barns, enlarging crops and feeding himself without taking time for a right relationship with God in Luke 12:19, 20 &21 "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." It is a greater privilege to be a child of God than to have all the treasure of this perishing earth. Matthew 6:33 states "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Determine today to put Jesus first in your life.

Why should I accept the Bible as the final authority?

College courses will often undermine the authority of the Bible by making claims that the Old Testament was derived by myths and the law codes of the Babylons and the Assyrians. People frequently say that the Bible is full of contradictions, but often can't think of any when asked where they are. It is a rare person who has examined for themselves the text to see if any contridiction is really there. When someone says "I don't believe the Bible", the first question to ask is "Do you understand the message of the Bible?". That message is given clearly in John 3:16 when it states "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life". God loves you and has said so in His Word. If you want to get to know God, you must understand the message of his love stated in the Bible. God is love, and His character rests upon the authenticity and authority of God's Word, the Bible. He is the final authority.

Sometimes Christians tell me that I need to be "saved", but I am as good as other people, so why do they make a big fuss about it?

The "big fuss" you are referring to centers around a place called Calvary on the biggest date in all of recorded history when Jesus died on the cross for the sin of all mankind. Romans 5:8 states "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us". God said we are sinners, and payment had be made for our sins in order for us to go to heaven.

Orchestra players do not get their tones from each other, but from a standard (such as a piano or tuning fork), builders have to use a level, a plumb line and square. The standard we must follow is not based on what others do, but by what we as individuals do based on the Word of God. You are not saved or lost by the deeds of others. You must realize you are a sinner and accept the payment for your sin that Jesus has already paid by dying on Calvary's cross and believe that Jesus arose from the dead to receive the gift of salvation. If you haven't accepted Christ, don't put it off another day. DO IT TODAY!

I would like to be a Christian, but it seems to me that there is too much to give up.

Have you ever seen a "U-Haul" behind a hearst? When a soul departs this body, it enters eternity. What will matter most then will not be the temporary possessions and pleasures of today, but the eternal destiny of the soul. In light of that, it would be better to give up everything than to lose the soul. Put Christ and your soul ahead of everything else. Is it too much to give up plastic pearls for glittering gemstones? This earth's dirt for heaven's diamonds? Is it too much to give up rags for riches? Jesus said in Mark 8:36 & 37 "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Eternal choices of heaven or hell are made now.Do not let anything stand in your way of accepting Christ as your personal Saviour. The only thing you will "give up" by becoming a Christian is ETERNITY IN HELL.

Isn't it narrow-minded to claim that Christ is the only way to God? It may be right for some, but it certainly isn't for me.

Regardless of personal preferences and tastes, something is not objectively true just because someone does or does not believe in it. For centuries it was popular opinion that the earth was flat. Today, if a scientist held that belief, he would be laughed out of his profession. Our understanding of the shape of the earth was arrived at by objective criteria, not by popular opinion. The unique claims of Christ such as having the power to forgive sins, to be sinless Himself, to have fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, that He would rise from the dead, to one day come again and judge the world and that He is the exclusive way to salvation are all backed by His own credentials in His sinless life (even his enemies had to acknowledge this), His miracles (power over nature, disease, demons, death), His unique character and teaching, His fulfillment of prophecies, His power to change lives and His resurrection from the dead. It is most important to know it was Jesus himself who said in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus made it "narrow", but also left Christians with the job of taking His message of love and hope to "all the world"!

I have some very important decisions to make about my future. What would it hurt to call a "psychic hot-line"?

God is very concerned about your future. He was so concerned that He sent Jesus, His only Son to pay our sin debt on the cross so that we might have an eternal home in heaven. Once we realize that, we can be assured that God would never lead you to make an unwise decision. His very character is one of wisdom. It is sad that there are many people who are turning to the occult (mediums, fortune-tellers, readers of tea leaves and tarot cards) to provide security for them. When a person puts their trust in a"psychic" (someone who is working off the power of the devil), they are actually developing a relationship with the enemy of the soul. The devil is the "father of all liars" and any relationship with him will turn out to be extremely unsettling and ultimately destructive. It is so important that you trust Jesus and rely on His Word as you make decisions that affect your future. Proverbs 3:5 & 6 says "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."