Category: Christian Living

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How do I Get Closer to God?

QUESTION

Dear Pastor Chris,

I am  Cameroonian girl. I want to get closer to God but I keep falling back to my old self. I know the Bible says we should not be lukewarm Christians. I have a boyfriend who is not a Christian. I do not know what to do.

~ Christy 

ANSWER

Dear Christy,

Jesus is our life (John 14:6). Jesus said that He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). The enemy of our soul comes to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). You will not find purpose and fulfillment in any person other than Jesus.

There are several things we can do to get closer to God:

  • Read part of the Bible every day. There is no substitute for this. The Bible is God’s love letter to us. Think carefully about the passage you read. After thinking about the passage for a period of time, take a notebook and write down, 1) “What God said to me”; and, 2) “What I said to God”. Write this related to the verses you just read.
  • Pray. Use the passage you just read as a guide for your prayer that day.
  • Sing or play Christian music. This will fill your heart with joy!
  • Seek a Christian woman who is mature in the Lord and ask her to guide you in your Christian walk. Ask her to teach you the scriptures.
  • Form a small group of other Christian ladies your age and study the Bible together.
    Be consistent. Christians need to spend time with other believers. Pray for each other. Share your hearts with each other.
  • Be active in the worship services of your church.
  • Serve God in a ministry through your church.
  • Your boyfriend is dragging you down and hurting your walk with Christ. Let your boyfriend know that you can no longer be with him because your first loyalty is to Jesus.

Do these things with your whole heart and you will grow closer to Jesus.

~ Pastor Chris

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Afraid to Speak of My Past

QUESTION

Pastor Chris,

Before I became a Christian, I had an ungodly life, full of lies and fornication. I am afraid to speak of my past. What can I do? Since coming to Jesus, I feel full of life and want to share my experience with others.

~ Mai Solange

ANSWER

Dear Mbi,

It is a wonderful moment when someone comes to Christ! He or she finds forgiveness and eternal life, as well as a purpose for living. I am excited about your desire to tell others about Jesus. Take your Bible and read John 4:1-42. In this story you will find a woman with a similar story to your own. You will see how Jesus changed her life and how she told others about Him. It will encourage you.

~ Pastor Chris

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Which church is for me?

QUESTION

Pastor Chris,

Thank you for taking time to answer our questions. My name is Prince from Southern Africa. I am a member of a certain Christian church. It is a good Christian church that preaches the true word of God, but somehow there are times we are not taught the word properly, actually many times. There is another church where I have seen that the word of God is taught much more definite and accurately. I have always followed the teachings of that other church. I have gotten to the point where I am inspired more in that other church than in my church. I have been thinking of moving to the other church. Now my question is how to know the right church for me. Do I stay or do I move?

Prince

ANSWER

Dear Prince,

I am thankful that you take your church membership seriously. The church is the body of Christ and a vibrant congregation is a powerful witness to a dark world in need of the light of the Good News.

It is obvious to me that you already have your heart with the other church. There is nothing wrong with that. Just make sure that your motive is to glorify Jesus Christ by maturing in the faith so that you may serve Him effectively and well.

A good book that I recommend for you is I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference by Thom S. Rainer. You will find many helpful insights in this book.

Pastor Chris

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Responding to God’s Word

QUESTION

Dear Pastor,

I have a question. We live life with a purpose. When we are faced with a difficult situation, how do we know that we are responding according to God’s word?
Thank You in advance.
Regards,
Hwee

 

ANSWER

Dear Hwee,

You are already on the right track. The spirit you show in this question tells me that you are genuinely seeking the Lord. The Bible says that God “…rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God will bless you with insight into the situations of life so that you will know how to respond in ways that please Him.
First, maintain the spiritual discipline of reading, meditating, and studying the Bible. Take no shortcuts here. The more of God’s Word you have in your heart the more insight God will give you into the situations of life. His Word “…is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). The word “active” (Gk. energes) means powerful, effective. God will never contradict His Word. He will never ask you to do something that is against His Word.
Second, ask God for insight and wisdom as to how to handle the situations of life. This was Solomon’s request of the Lord when he became king of Israel. He prayed, “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people…” (2 Chronicles 1:10). God answered Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire…wisdom and knowledge will be given you” (2 Chronicles 1:11-12).
Third, commit to submit. Decide ahead of time to submit to God’s will and to carry out His directions. Sometimes God’s will makes no logical sense to the human mind. The battle of Jericho is a case in point (Joshua 6). God’s people were told to march around the walls of Jericho seven times while the priests were blowing trumpets. After this the priests were to sound a long blast on the trumpets and the people were to give a loud shout. They were told that the walls would then collapse – and they did! This strategy makes no sense to the analytical human mind. However, God wanted His people to respond to their situation in that way at that time.
Fourth, listen for the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit (1 Kings 19:12, KJV). He will nudge your heart and will never go against the Word of God. Be careful not to confuse the prompting of the Holy Spirit with the fleshly desires of your heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). Your heart can and will lie to you unless it is fully given over to God.
Finally, seek out human counselors that are Spirit-led, biblically based, and have nothing to gain from you for their insight or advice. Proverbs 11:14 tells us that “many advisors make victory sure.”

~ Pastor Chris

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How do I confront a Pastor about a message I strongly disagree with?

Our college pastor California said three things I disagree with and would like to get your perspective. These things are very important to me as the youth that hear his sermons i care for and want to make sure arent being mislead.

His statements…

1. if you skip a bible study, sunday church service or dont read your bible for a day then God doesnt hear your prayers that day.
the verse he used, -God detests the prayers of a person who IGNORES the LAW. (Proverbs 28:9 NLT)

2. God doesnt hear the prayers of a fallen away believer or a prayer for a fallen away believer.
-the verse he used, Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for these people “ANYMORE.” (Jeremiah 14:11 NLT)

3. God doesnt hear your prayers if you have a unconfessed sin of any kind
-the verse he used If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. (Psalms 66:18 NLT)
(all other versions use cherished or regard, literal translations is if i had seen lawlessness… which leads me to believe that if i have a sin im not willing to forsake or try to justify God doesnt hear my prayers i.e. some one i know going to church and not willing to give up smoking weed after 2+years of accepting Christ then God doesnt hear that person.

i would like to hear what you think about the matter and what i should do about it i have calmly and respectfully confronted him alone only to be shut down and him backing up his views with out other scripture other than the book of Nahum saying God is a God that needs to be feared and revered…

Answer

David,

Your next step is to take your concerns to the Senior Pastor of your church.

God gives responsibility to pastors to shepherd His people which includes caring for them, feeding them, and protecting them. Acts 20:28-31, NIV, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard!”

Ephesians 4:11-16 is also an important passage in regard to your concerns. It states additional responsibilities of pastors. “It was he (God) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Pastor Chris

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Why did God lie to me? What plan does He have for my life?

Pastor Chris,

Genesis 2:18
Ephesians 5:31
Psalm 20:4
James 1:4

All of these verses prove that as i have survived two wars, eight tornados, and two hurricanes i should be happily married as i was patient, waited my turn, and ask god, so why am i stuck living with my parents single 23 years old and unable to find a job. does god hate me? Does he know where i’ve been? Does he care? I never wanted money or fame or glory or medals. i just want a wife who can understand i had to do bad things to bad people. So why did God lie to me, what plan does he have for my life, and who will except me for the monster i had to become?

Answer

John,

One of the most difficult things to do is wait on God. We want to know why we are waiting and how long will we have to wait. I have asked those questions, too. You will want to get Larry Richards’ book When It Hurts Too Much to Wait: Understanding God’s Timing for a thorough discussion of this subject.

For now let me remind you of a few things:
God values faith (Hebrews 11:6). We please Him when we trust Him.
God is our Creator and He loves us perfectly (Genesis 1-2; John 3:16).
Offering ourselves to God without reservation is a prerequisite to knowing His will (Romans 12:1-2).
God does not lie (Titus 1:2).
Satisfaction in life is all about knowing God and doing His will. Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes after he had tried to find fulfillment in education, work, wealth, multiple wives, substance abuse, and various entertainments. He called these efforts “chasing after the wind”. At the end of the book he writes, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, NIV).

Well known psychologist and author Larry Crabb says it this way, “Whenever we place a higher priority on solving our problems than on pursuing God, we are immoral.” Put your eyes on Jesus and keep them there. He is trustworthy. He knows what He is doing and why He is doing it. Live for His glory not your own comfort. If you keep your eyes on your troubles you will fall into despair. Look beyond the circumstances. God is fashioning you into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

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How do we know that we are responding according to God’s word?

Dear Pastor,

 

I have a question. We live life with a purpose. When we are face with a difficult situation, how do we know that we are responding according to God’s word?

Thank You in advance.

 

Regards,

 

Ghia

 

 

ANSWER

 

 

Ghia,

 

Difficult decisions are just exactly that…difficult. To know if you are responding according to God’s word you will do well to take a concordance, find every biblical reference pertaining to the situation you are concerned about, and study those verses. Think about them. Dwell with them. Saturate your mind and heart with them. Read them in context. Ask the Holy Spirit to interpret them for you by illuminating your understanding (John 14:26; 16:13-15). I recommend speaking with others only after doing your own biblical research. Watch out for your emotions. They can cloud your judgment.

 

If you decide to seek advice from someone, choose a person who is biblically mature and known for wisdom; someone who has nothing to gain by your decision. After all of that, ask yourself what Jesus would do and obey His prompting.

 

For a more detailed answer to this important question see Decision Making by the Book: Decision Making by the Book: How to Choose Wisely in an Age of Options

 

~ Pastor Chris

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How can I choose a church?

Pastor,

 

I am a born again Christian but my problem is I don’t go to church, I do everything that God requires us to do. I study the word of God at home and very prayerful and even preach to others, but I have a weakness of not going to church, how do I overcome such a weakness.

 

ANSWER

 

Marshall,

 

1 Corinthians 12:27, NIV, reads, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” Just as a body needs all of its parts to function properly, so the church needs all of its parts to function at its best (see 1 Corinthians 12). In other words, you need the church and the church needs you.

 

An excellent book for you is Church: Why Bother?.

 

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How can I feel good enough as a Christian?

Pastor Chris,

 

Hello, I know I am a christian, but I still struggle with not feeling good enough. How can I get past this? Also, I sruggle with changing. I know the things I need to do (read my bible daily, pray daily, even normal life things to better myself), but I just can’t seem to to it. Any advice? Thank you.

~ Ashley

 

ANSWER

 

 

Ashley,

 

The enemy of our souls wants you to continue to struggle with feelings of inferiority. Do not give him any ground. Psalm 8 is a real help with this problem. Remember, Jesus thought you were valuable enough to leave heaven and die on a cross so that He could be with you forever in a perfect place. Emotions can lie. Choose to believe what God says. When you set your mind on God’s truth your emotions will be positively affected. Check out Philippians 4:8.

 

By-the-way, no one is good enough. All fall short (Romans 3:10, 23). Only Christ is good enough. He is the only one who never sinned. Part of the marvelous wonder of Christianity is that the righteousness of Jesus is credited to those who believe in Him (Philippians 3:9). As a a child of God you stand before Him forgiven, clean, and free. We are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6, KJV).

 

As far as personal change is concerned, the Christian life is a marathon not a sprint. We want things instantly. Some things take time. You can grow a squash in a few months but it takes years to grow an oak tree. A baby takes years to develop into an adult. Be patient with God. He cares deeply about transforming you into the image of His Son and He will work in your life to bring you to maturity (Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 1:6). You may also want to find a friend or two who desire to grow in Christ. Set a time and get together every week. Within your small group of growing Christians you can encourage and motivate each other to pursue Christ with your whole heart. Real change is usually accomplished with one or two accountability partners who are on the same journey.

 

The Navigators have terrific discipleship materials. For instance they have Growing In Christ: A Thirteen-Week Follow-Up Course for New and Growing Christians. They also have The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (The Navigators Reference Library). Why not start these studies with your friends? Be consistent. It will make a difference.

 

~ Pastor Chris

 

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How do I live with the wisdom of God?

Pastor Chris,

I’m just wondering what I need to do in order to operate with the wisdom of God. Is it a matter of asking God to give me the spirit of wisdom (Ephesians 1:17) or should I just acknowledge that the wisdom of God (sophia) is already in me and start thanking God for the wisdom availed for me? I am a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your concern.

~ Daniel

 

ANSWER

 

Daniel,

 

Wisdom is a gift from God. Solomon asked for wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:10) and God gave it to him. In the passage that you refer to (Ephesians 1:17) Paul asks God to give the Christians in Ephesus the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they may know Jesus better. Ask God for wisdom and study the scriptures diligently (2 Timothy 2:15). And stay close to Jesus.

~ Pastor Chris