I can't give you the answer you want for 2 reasons, but I can give you something you may find more important (though perhaps not initially)
Reason 1: I can't tell you who your soulmate will be because, despite what the movies may say, I don't believe there is a single soulmate out there that we were "made for". In a way, though, I believe all human beings are soulmates to a degree. God made us to need Him first and foremost, and to create that kind of absolute dependency on another human would actually take away from our relationship with Him (which in the end is the whole point of life). I am married, and if anyone in this world were to be my soulmate, it would be my wife, whom I love dearly and who brings me much joy. However, we have no doubt that if one of us were to pass away, the other (though hurt for a long time) would recover and live and possibly even marry again. The soulmate idea is that there's someone out there that is perfect for you (like two matching puzzle pieces) and that when you mesh with them, there will be no conflict… only joy. That myth, however, is one of the biggest causes of divorce in the world today. The truth is, when you love someone and you decide that being with them is worth the pain, you commit to each other (and make increasing commitments like exclusive dating, engagement and marriage). Through that process, you are two very different puzzle pieces and you will run into lots of conflict (the person you love the most has the greatest ability to hurt you). As you grow and live and love, you chisle away at your own heart, your own puzzle piece, making you fit with your spouse who is doing the same thing to her heart.
Reason 2: I can't tell you who you will marry because God doesn't want us to know the future. He wants us to concentrate on today, doing the best we can with what we've got, and he takes care of the rest. The bible says He's a "lamp unto our feet" shining the light only a few steps ahead. He wants us to trust Him. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:33-34) There is another power out there, and it has in the past done fortune telling, but friend, it is not looking out for your best interests! I caution you strongly against dabbling with powers that you or any other human really don't understand! The Bible says to "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
WHAT I CAN GIVE YOU
1 Peter 5:7 says to cast your cares on God, because "He cares for you!" What we in our men's bible study have discovered is that, God provides us with a mate when we are ready, and not before. Consistantly married men have reported that they didn't get together with their mate until they were no longer searching for her. Women report being seriously turned off by those that "have 'desperate' written across their face". If your first pursuit is a mate, you will not meet God or the right person. If, on the other hand, your #1 goal is to know and love God, to "seek first the kingdom of God" then all the rest will be "added unto you". Plus, when the right person comes along, you will be mature enough to be good for them. If you do not grow in God, you will almost certainly ruin what could have been a beautiful relationship.
I hope this was helpful. Please feel free to ask anything else.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
"Did Jesus really die?" ~Sid
“Jesus seems to have traveled to India, after being resuscitated in the tomb, by his close friends.” ~Sid
Thanks for writing. That book sounds intriguing. One quick correction for you. Jesus was not resuscitated by his friends. He was resurrected by His father, God, while the disciples (His friends) thought He was gone forever.
Thanks for replying Jeff ... that's the whole point whether the body was revived or taken 'up?' - what i wish to know is:
1. could a dead body actively bleed (as it did, when taken down from the cross)?
2. why were 'healing herbs' applied to an already dead body?
3. why does a resurrected spiritual body require 'physical food'?
thanks!
~sid
1. In John 19:34, it says "One of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus' side, and blood and water came out." Albert Barnes explains why blood and water flowed from his dead body: "The heart is surrounded by a membrane called the pericardium. This membrane contains a serous matter or liquor resembling water, which prevents the surface of the heart from becoming dry by its continual motion (Webster). It was this which was pierced and from which the water flowed. The point of the spear also reached one of the ventricles of the heart, and the blood, yet warm, rushed forth, either mingled with or followed by the water of the pericardium, so as to appear to John to be blood and water flowing together. This was a natural effect, and would follow in any other case."
2. Where do you read about healing herbs being applied to his body? There are perfumes that I can remember, but not healing herbs. Is there a verse you're referring to?
3. The very fact that He ate in front of them (Luke 24:36-43) and even had them touch his wounds (John 20:27) was so that they would understand that his resurrected body was a physical body. Jesus didn't just appear in spirit as they thought (verse 37), but God the Father raised him bodily from the dead.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for writing. That book sounds intriguing. One quick correction for you. Jesus was not resuscitated by his friends. He was resurrected by His father, God, while the disciples (His friends) thought He was gone forever.
Thanks for replying Jeff ... that's the whole point whether the body was revived or taken 'up?' - what i wish to know is:
1. could a dead body actively bleed (as it did, when taken down from the cross)?
2. why were 'healing herbs' applied to an already dead body?
3. why does a resurrected spiritual body require 'physical food'?
thanks!
~sid
1. In John 19:34, it says "One of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus' side, and blood and water came out." Albert Barnes explains why blood and water flowed from his dead body: "The heart is surrounded by a membrane called the pericardium. This membrane contains a serous matter or liquor resembling water, which prevents the surface of the heart from becoming dry by its continual motion (Webster). It was this which was pierced and from which the water flowed. The point of the spear also reached one of the ventricles of the heart, and the blood, yet warm, rushed forth, either mingled with or followed by the water of the pericardium, so as to appear to John to be blood and water flowing together. This was a natural effect, and would follow in any other case."
2. Where do you read about healing herbs being applied to his body? There are perfumes that I can remember, but not healing herbs. Is there a verse you're referring to?
3. The very fact that He ate in front of them (Luke 24:36-43) and even had them touch his wounds (John 20:27) was so that they would understand that his resurrected body was a physical body. Jesus didn't just appear in spirit as they thought (verse 37), but God the Father raised him bodily from the dead.
Hope this helps!
“Is this video game approved by Jehovah?” ~Jason
I did not receive an audible voice of approval from God on "The Bible Game", but he rarely speaks like that (to me at least). What did come to me after prayer, and review of the link is that we can know God's approval simply by looking at things in light of the Bible. If the game does what Paul encourages (renews the mind, teaches the Scripture, focuses on what is true and good) and avoids sinful and dangerous activity (unjust or cruel violence, sexual immorality, untruth, etc) then it is good. I'm very excited by your desire to create Christian games (by that I mean games with principles held by Chrisitians, whether or not they are obviously Bible related) similar to the titles you list. I'm a big fan of Crystalis and Final Fantasy myself, though their subversive philosophy bothers me. It'd be great to have games that are really fun, and also have a good message to teach woven through it without being obnoxiously preachy to the point where non-Christians will avoid it. Let me know how this developes!
“Is God saying that you have not truly forgiven until you’ve forgotten?” ~Randy
Absolutely not! In fact, I'm pretty sure "forgive and forget" is not biblical at all. Forgiveness is to love someone in spite of an offense, to not hold it against them or let it stand as a barrier between you. That does not mean that you necessarily pretend it didn't happen, or put yourself in harm's way again. Even after Christ rose from the dead, there was punishment in the early church. It isn't out of revenge, but out of love that people are punished, but it certainly can't happen if a sin is forgotten.
Feel free to write back and continue this interesting conversation.
God Bless,
-Jeff
Feel free to write back and continue this interesting conversation.
God Bless,
-Jeff
“Can a Christian serve as a juror?” ~Denville
Hey, thanks for your question!
I would say that the Bible's answer is a definite "yes" (see Romans 13:1-3 below). In fact, since Christians are guided by the Holy Spirit in wisdom and truth, it stands to reason that we'd be the best people for the job. It even says that Christians will judge the world and even the angels (1 Corinthians 6:1-3). The only exception I would offer is if, by participating as a juror in a specific case or for a specific government, you would be violating God's law. We are to submit to man's law except when it conflicts with God's. I hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions or continue on this topic!
"1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you."
~Jeff
I would say that the Bible's answer is a definite "yes" (see Romans 13:1-3 below). In fact, since Christians are guided by the Holy Spirit in wisdom and truth, it stands to reason that we'd be the best people for the job. It even says that Christians will judge the world and even the angels (1 Corinthians 6:1-3). The only exception I would offer is if, by participating as a juror in a specific case or for a specific government, you would be violating God's law. We are to submit to man's law except when it conflicts with God's. I hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions or continue on this topic!
"1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you."
~Jeff
“Why do natural disasters that kill people happen?” ~Patrick
"I saw the question and answer about why bad stuff happens in the world. It said that the bad things in the world are more of a testiment to man's evil, not God's lack of care. So I was just wondering if you could explain why natural disasters that kill people happen. I once knew a young boy who was about 5 years old who was killed by a tree being blown over on him. Can you explain that?" ~Patrick
That's a great question Patrick, one I've thought about a lot. I can't promise you that you'll be satisfied with any answer we humans can come up with, and I don't want to insult your hardship by oversimplifying suffering, but there's more than one really good thought that I've heard. Hear are the ones I can remember:
1. Even creation is perverted and distorted because of our choice to turn from God. This is described in Genesis 3:17-19
"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
and referenced again in the New Testament by Paul in Romans 8:20-22
"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."
2. When asked why an all-good all-loving God would allow suffering, the only answer I've ever heard that makes sense is "in order to accomplish something that couldn't be accomplished otherwise and which is worth suffering." The next logical question would be "What's worth all that?" and there are several interesting ideas. Let me know what you think.
A. Free will: God wanted to create people who would truly love Him, not just because He created us that way (like robots), so He gave us the ability to choose between His way or our own. We chose our own way by eating the forbidden fruit, and are now being taught that our way isn't best (look at all the suffering we've brought upon ourselves). We spend our earthly lives learning to trust Him and follow Him (like a child learning to trust his/her parents) and are offered the chance to return to Him, but not forced to if we want to continue down our self-directed path to destruction. (see Hebrews 12:10)
B. Soul-building: A lot of these ideas make sense only when considered from the light of eternity. If we are going to exist for all eternity, then even 80 years of suffering is just a prick of the finger. The idea of "soul-building" or "character building" is similar to muscle building. When we lift weights, we're actually tearing our muscles with strain so that they will rebuild themselves stronger than before. So too, when we go through challenges and sufferings, we adapt and grow a lot more than during easy times. So God wants to develop our eternal character, our soul, and He's willing to put us through some pain and suffering to get us there because He knows it's worth it, even though we can't always understand His perspective (see James 1:2-4).
C. Bond Building: The idea is that we bond together through adversity, like the way people helped each other during 9/11. Sure, people become friends without suffering, but their friendship is truly tested and strengthened when someone is in need. How much greater the bond when one person helps another find Jesus and join them in eternal joy!
There are more, and I tend to think that there isn't just one right answer on this one. God has a way of tying everything together in an intricate design. He often has a thousand reasons for each thing that happens, but I'm pleased to understand just a few.
So, what do you think?
"Wow. I really liked that. This topic has always puzzled me and I saw your site and figured I'd ask what you thought. I've never thought of it in that light before. At least the part about man perverting the world. It's so true too. I appreciate it alot! I'm trying to grow in God right now and I can say personally that He does "tear us down" to build us up, as cleche as that sounds. Thanks again! Maybe I'll have some other questions for you later on down the road. God Bless!" ~Patrick
That's a great question Patrick, one I've thought about a lot. I can't promise you that you'll be satisfied with any answer we humans can come up with, and I don't want to insult your hardship by oversimplifying suffering, but there's more than one really good thought that I've heard. Hear are the ones I can remember:
1. Even creation is perverted and distorted because of our choice to turn from God. This is described in Genesis 3:17-19
"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
and referenced again in the New Testament by Paul in Romans 8:20-22
"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."
2. When asked why an all-good all-loving God would allow suffering, the only answer I've ever heard that makes sense is "in order to accomplish something that couldn't be accomplished otherwise and which is worth suffering." The next logical question would be "What's worth all that?" and there are several interesting ideas. Let me know what you think.
A. Free will: God wanted to create people who would truly love Him, not just because He created us that way (like robots), so He gave us the ability to choose between His way or our own. We chose our own way by eating the forbidden fruit, and are now being taught that our way isn't best (look at all the suffering we've brought upon ourselves). We spend our earthly lives learning to trust Him and follow Him (like a child learning to trust his/her parents) and are offered the chance to return to Him, but not forced to if we want to continue down our self-directed path to destruction. (see Hebrews 12:10)
B. Soul-building: A lot of these ideas make sense only when considered from the light of eternity. If we are going to exist for all eternity, then even 80 years of suffering is just a prick of the finger. The idea of "soul-building" or "character building" is similar to muscle building. When we lift weights, we're actually tearing our muscles with strain so that they will rebuild themselves stronger than before. So too, when we go through challenges and sufferings, we adapt and grow a lot more than during easy times. So God wants to develop our eternal character, our soul, and He's willing to put us through some pain and suffering to get us there because He knows it's worth it, even though we can't always understand His perspective (see James 1:2-4).
C. Bond Building: The idea is that we bond together through adversity, like the way people helped each other during 9/11. Sure, people become friends without suffering, but their friendship is truly tested and strengthened when someone is in need. How much greater the bond when one person helps another find Jesus and join them in eternal joy!
There are more, and I tend to think that there isn't just one right answer on this one. God has a way of tying everything together in an intricate design. He often has a thousand reasons for each thing that happens, but I'm pleased to understand just a few.
So, what do you think?
"Wow. I really liked that. This topic has always puzzled me and I saw your site and figured I'd ask what you thought. I've never thought of it in that light before. At least the part about man perverting the world. It's so true too. I appreciate it alot! I'm trying to grow in God right now and I can say personally that He does "tear us down" to build us up, as cleche as that sounds. Thanks again! Maybe I'll have some other questions for you later on down the road. God Bless!" ~Patrick
“I want to know how long it takes to get an answer from God.” ~Cindy
God answers in different ways, and we don't always recognize that answer. My best suggestion to you would be to make sure God is your #1 priority in the prayer request (that's what Jesus means when He says "ask in my name"). Then, trust in Him: that He's in control and loves you. He knows what's best, even when it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us.
That's probably the best I can do to answer without getting more specific. If you'd like to let me know more about what's on your mind, feel free to write back.
That's probably the best I can do to answer without getting more specific. If you'd like to let me know more about what's on your mind, feel free to write back.
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