Newsletter 81

Thanks to all those of you who responded to my last Newsletter (No. 80). I was very encouraged to hear that my teaching material was still being extensively used. Also, although I haven't added much new material recently, my 'Blog' sites, which contain all my published material, continue to be widely accessed, with them now receiving on average over 6,000 hits per month, originating from over 70 different countries.

All except one of your comments were very positive. However, I did receive one negative comment from a recipient. She wrote :-

"About the Big Bang .. I have found the best way with my grandchildren, with Bible in School, with Sunday school, and teens , to reminds them that the bible is not a science text book.. Every other kind of book, but not science..so answers why, who, when, what, .. but not necessarily how!
So, tell ....... don't get caught up in any argument, discussion, yes, interest, yes, but not argument, (i'm right, you're wrong) about how, rather the big How is how much God loves, How amazing God is."

It is true that the Bible does not claim to be a scientific text book, but it does claim to be the truth. If we cannot trust the first part of the Bible to mean what it says, what justification do we have for believing the rest of it, including the resurrection of Jesus? No. For me, it is a question of "All or nothing." And I choose to believe "all".

I spent over 30 years studying science, and working in the subject (I hold a PhD degree in Food Science). Nothing I have ever read or discovered in the scientific area makes me doubt the truth of the entire Bible. On the contrary, my scientific knowledge simply helps confirm my belief in the authenticity of the Bible.

Contents.

Why does God answer some prayers but not others?
Devotional - When I say, "I am a Christian."
Funzone - "Job requirements" for children's ministry.
- Funmail.

Why does God answer some prayers but not others?

That is a very good question, and one that many people, including Christians, are puzzled over. It is certainly true that some prayers are answered and others are not. For example, one person may be miraculously healed and another not. One person may have his needs totally met, and another not.

Why is this? Some Christians will talk about the importance of having faith, not having any unconfessed sin, forgiving those that have hurt us, honouring your parents, etc. All this is very important as we need to remove any obstacles which might prevent God from answering our prayers. But it is not the complete answer. Some people may truly be "right" before God, but still don't get their prayers answered. Others may not be totally "right" with God, but still see Him answer their prayers.

Other Christians will say that it is not God's will that a particular person be healed - that overall, it would be "bad" for them, or God can use their sickness to keep them humble, enable them grow spiritually, or to encourage others to persevere. Others will say that God may not have healed the body, but He has done an "inner healing" However, these ideas contradict the plain teachings of Jesus. God wants us to be well and prosper in all areas of our lives.

To understand this problem, we need to understand the times we are living in. The Bible teaches that there are three time periods that this earth has or will experience.

1. The Beginning.

God created a perfect earth. Everything (including the first people) was "Very Good." There was no pain, disease, sorrow, suffering, or even death. God used to visit the first people in person. They were the best of friends, and people didn't upset or annoy each other. Everyone got on well together. There were no hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. Animals didn't hunt, fight, kill and eat each other. Weeds, thorns and thistles didn't grow amongst the flowers and crops. In summary, all of Creation was in perfect harmony.

2. "This present evil age."

The first people, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. Consequently, God put a curse on His creation, and absolutely everything went bad. Thus began what the Bible calls "This present evil age". Every once perfect relationship that people had - with God, with each other, with the rest of creation - was now spoiled.

But God had a plan. He chose a special people called the Israelites, to whom He kept giving some amazing promises. He promised that "This present evil age" would come to an end when He sent His Messiah (Anointed one of God) to earth. The Messiah would usher in "The Kingdom of God", when every "bad" and evil thing would cease, and the earth would be restored to it's original perfect state. God's special people believed His promises and looked forward with expectation to the coming of the Messiah. However, this did not prevent them from suffering great hardships, slavery and persecution in the meantime.

3. The Kingdom of God.

This began about 2,000 years ago when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, died for our sins and then rose again from the dead. You are now probably thinking "Wait a minute. If the Messiah brought in the Kingdom of God 2,000 years ago, why is there still so much badness and evil in the world?" The answer is because we are now living in overlapping time periods. Jesus did bring in the Kingdom of God, but "This present evil age" is still here for the time being. However, the Bible tells us that Jesus will return to earth in the future and bring in the Kingdom of God in it's fullness, doing away with "This present evil age" for ever.

In that day, everything will once again be perfect, just as it was in the beginning. No more getting old, sick, or dying, No more arguments, fights and persecution. No more animals killing each other, weeds in our gardens, or working hard to grow our crops. No more hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. And everyone will know and love God for themselves.

Meantime, because of the present overlapping time periods, we experience a mixture of them both. Some people pray and get healed or have other needs met. Others do not. Some experience many of God's blessings - restored relationships with Him and with each other, joy, peace, health, prosperity etc. Others do not. Some people experience no problems following Christ. Others are still persecuted for their faith in him. Most people alive today will experience a mixture of the blessings of God's Kingdom and the hardships of "This present evil age."

Conclusion.

Until Jesus returns to earth and brings in God's Kingdom in it's fullness, we will always experience a mixture of "good" and "bad". However, the good news is that we don't have to wait until then to have our relationship with God completely restored. We can know and enjoy that today. And there is nothing in life more important than that.

A personal comment.

Shortly after I became a Christian in 1980, I believe that God spoke into my spirit and told me that He had called me to be an apologist. I really believe this was God because at the time I didn't know what an apologist was. I had to look the word up in the dictionary! An apologist is someone who explains why they believe in the Christian faith.

Consequently, I have always concentrated on teaching the Bible, rather than applying (or ministering) it. Over the last 30 years, I can't actually say that I have prayed for that many people in a "one to one" situation. However, I did spend about 12 years in Ayrshire, Scotland involved in "Door to door" evangelism. Of the many people that I encountered, some did ask me to pray for them - for a healing, or some other need. I always agreed, and some stated afterwards that God had met their needs. However, the majority appeared to be unaffected.

This state of affairs used to trouble me greatly. I began to think that there must be something wrong with me - that I was doing something (or not doing something) that prevented God from answering my prayers and meeting the needs of my contacts. Consequently, I became even more reluctant to pray for others.

It was not until I really began to understand the consequences of the fact that we are living in overlapping time periods, that I began to realise that we will not always receive the full benefits of God's Kingdom. But I know that one day, when "This present evil age" is done away with, that we will. Although my understanding of this area is still far from complete, at least I now no longer blame myself when "nothing" appears to happen following prayer.

So be encouraged, if you don't see answers to some of your prayers, it is probably not you that is at fault - it is a consequence of the overlapping time periods that we are living in. Don't give up. Keep on pressing through to God. Forget the times when "nothing" appeared to happen, and remember the times when you were successful.


WHEN I SAY, "I AM A CHRISTIAN"
By Carol Wimmer

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not shouting "I am saved."
I'm whispering "I was lost";
That is why I chose this way.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble,
And need someone to be my guide.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak,
And pray for strength to carry on.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed,
And cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible,
But God believes I'm worth it.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches,
Which is why I speak His name.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority;
I only know I'm loved.

Funzone.

"Job requirements" for children's ministry. (Forwarded by Helen Setser)

a.. Sense of humour is not mandatory, but you won't survive without it
b.. Should be quick to recover when you forget a kids name: a staple of generic names such as 'Buckaroo' or 'Fella' is a must
c.. Even though you would watch them anyways, Cartoons are now considered research.
d.. Having the ability to always tell a joke or fill in time is a major plus
e.. No sense of embarrassment is a plus - especially when doing action songs
f.. Must have the immune system of a robot
g.. Must be able to use random junk as props
h.. Must be able to rig contests so the girls don't always win
i.. Willingness to pray for all sick pets by name
j.. Must be able to "Hold it" until dismissal
k.. Ability to distinguish where "That smell is coming from"
l.. Must be able to come up with 10 games from 1 piece of toilet paper.
m.. Must remember that 'knucks' are 75% more healthy than high fives.
n.. Able to turn all your mistakes into a funny story

Funmail (Forwarded by Derek Sweetsur - we are probably related, but haven't found out in what way yet!)

**A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!"
His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?
The son replied, "I do know!"
"Okay," said his father. "What does the Bible mean?"
"That's easy, Daddy..." the young boy replied excitedly," It stands for 'Best Information Before Leaving Earth.' (This one is my favourite)

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There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country.
"Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk.
"Only the Ten Commandments." answered the lady.

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"Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."

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A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter.
Then he put a note under the windscreen wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses."
When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation."

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There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building programme. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets."

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While driving in Pennsylvania , a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humour, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... "Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust."

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A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"
A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.
"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "

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A minister waited in line to have his car filled with petrol just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.
"Reverend," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."
The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."

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People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the centre of attention.

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Sunday after church, a Mum asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about.
The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt."
Needless to say, the Mum was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mum asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about.
He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."

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The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play.
"Here's a copy of the service," he said impatiently. "But, you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances."
During the service, the minister paused and said, "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected and we need £4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge £100 or more, please stand up."
At that moment, the substitute organist played the National Anthem.
And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!

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When you carry the Bible, Satan gets a headache.....

When you open it, he collapses.....

When he sees you reading it, he faints.....

When he sees that you are living what you read, he flees.....

And when you are about to forward this message....

He will try and discourage you.............

I just defeated him..............!!!

................any other takers?