About Different Religions:
Q. What is the definition of Christianity?
A. (Taken from dictionary.com) of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith. Of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike. A person who believes in Jesus Christ. A person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ. A member of any of certain Protestant churches.
Q. What is the definition of Protestant?
A. (From dictionary.com) any Western Christian who is not an adherent of a Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Church.
Q. Tell me about the different religions.
A. Scroll halfway down the page HERE and find the heading: About Other Religions. Here you can read various Chick Tracts about various religions and the differences between them and Christianity.
Q. Are Catholics Christian?
A. No, there is a difference. The Catholic and Christian religions have too many differences to be the same thing. Just by the definition of "Christian" in the dictionary (seen in a Q above) Catholicism does not meet the definition.
Some of the major differences are:
Christians believe salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. Catholics believe that Salvation is achieved through a number of steps including: The sacrament of baptism, the sacrament of penance, taking communion (sacrament of the holy Eucharist), the sacrament of confirmation, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, going to purgatory. Read THIS Chick tract to learn more about the differences between the Catholic and Christian church.
Another point to this is that Christians don't persecute other Christians. The Catholic church has a long history of persecuting the Baptist's and other Christian faiths because they didn't believe in the same things as the Catholic church.
Q. Did Catholicism or Christianity come first?
A. Christianity. Before Christ there was Judaism and Idol Worship. When Christ came to the earth and started his ministry (about 27 AD at the time he started his ministry at the age of 30) there was Christianity (people who followed Christ and His teachings). Acts 11:26 says "26: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." (around 30 AD). Notice the words "Catholic" never actually appear in the bible at all. There are church names given by city... the church of Ephesus, the church of Corinth, etc. Catholicism didn't show up until the church was set up in Rome between 40 and 50 A.D.
Q. Are Jehova's Witnesses Christian?
A. No, there is a big difference. HERE is a brief Chick Tract on Jehova's Witnesses.
Q. Are Mormon's Christian?
A. No, there is a big difference. HERE is a brief Chick Tract on Mormons.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
About Praying
About Praying:
Q. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is when you are talking to God. You can pray to God alone, or with other people. You can pray at home, in the car, while walking, in church, at school, wherever and whenever you like.
Q. How do I pray?
A. Praying is pretty simple. There really is no set way to do it. You can get on your hands and knees if you want, you can pray standing up, sitting down, laying down, driving, or walking, you can close your eyes, you can keep your eyes open, you can clasp your hands together, or you can pray with your hands at your side. You can pray by yourself, or with other people. The easiest way I've found to pray is to talk to God like you're talking to your best friend. He already knows everything about you, including your every thought and action, so there are no secrets with Him. Praying to God is having a conversation with him. Don't expect a direct answer or reply from him, and don't expect him to be your personal genie. Remember, God does things in his own time, and he doesn't always give you what you want, but he will give you what you need. God may not give you what you need exactly the way you think you need it either. Also remember that you can pray for anything, but sometimes God answers no.
To read more about prayer and how to pray, please click here.
Q. Are there any tips for praying?
A. Prayer shouldn't be a burden to us because hearing our prayers is not a burden to God. God wants to hear from us. A good tip would be that you don't always just pray when you are sad or unhappy or want something from God. It's good to pray to God when you are happy too to thank him for all the good things he's given you in life, and to tell him what a great and awesome God he is. While I sometimes pray to myself around other people, I often find it distracting to do so because other people will ask you something and you have to pause in your prayer to answer them so as not to seem rude. I find it helpful to do most of my praying while I'm alone. To read more about praying, and to read about how Jesus taught us to pray, please click here.
Q. What kind of prayers are there?
A.
- Prayers for the salvation of others (Sometimes it helps to ask God to go into the heart of somebody who is not saved and just show them that he is there. I think it also helps when you go to talk to somebody about God to save them to ask God to give you the right Words to say).
- Prayers for your own salvation
- Prayers for things people need
- Prayers for something you need
- Prayers praising God
- Prayers asking for God's help with anything
Q. Can I pray someone out of hell?
A. No. Some religions teach that if you pay your pastor or church father money every week he will be able to pray your family and friends out of hell. The Bible does not say anything about praying your friends and family out of hell, but does say if you don't go to heaven, you go to hell, and the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. To learn more about going to heaven, please click here.
Q. What does the Bible say about prayer?
A. If we pray God will listen, and if we ask for help, He will be there for us:
Psalm 6:9
The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer. (God will always receive our prayers).
Psalm 4:1
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. ("thous hast enlarged me when I was in distress," to me this says it all. God is always there for us in our time of need even if nobody else is. God will always be there to help. We need to pray to him to ask for that help though. Prayer shows that we are serious about the things we want and need, and if we are dedicated enough to take that time to talk to God and ask for his help, then he will listen).
Psalm 102:17
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. (God doesn't see our prayers to him as a burden, so why should we see praying as a burden?)
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
To read more about what the Bible says about prayer, please click here.
About the Bible
About the Bible:Q. What is the Bible?
A. The Bible is the whole, inerrant (without error), Word of God. The Bible cannot be improved upon because it is God's Word, and trying to improve on God's Word would be like saying you know better than God does.
Q. Who wrote the Bible?
A. The Bible was written by over 40 authors! Not only is it written by over 40 authors, but it is written over a period of 1,600 years! Each author agreed on: history of the world, their idea of what God is like, their rules for living, prophecies for the future, and man's sinfulness. Because there are so many authors and the books were written over such a vast amount of time, there is no possible way that all of these authors could have gotten together and talked about writing the same thing over and over and over again. I like to think about it this way: If you look at a painting by Divinci, you can tell that he did it. If you look at another one of his paintings, you can still tell by the style of painting that Divinci painted it, and not another artist. We're supposed to compare spiritual things to spiritual things in the same way. In each book of the Bible, we can see God's brush strokes. Yes, he used men to write and preserve the Bible, but He (God) is still the author. He inspired the men he used to write what he needed them to write, and promised us that He would preserve His word for all time.
Q. How was the Bible made?
A. The church founders got together and collected all of the writings and scriptures concerning God. They compared them to each other (comparing spiritual things with spiritual), and included the books that were found to meet the standards set for the Bible. Books that did not meet the standards were found to be scripturally inaccurate and were not included. To read more about the history of the Bible, please click here.
Q. What is the difference between the King James Version (KJV) Bible and other versions of the Bible?
A. The King James Bible (KJV) is translated from a different manuscript than other versions of the Bible. The KJV is translated from the Textus Receptus ("received text") while other versions of the Bible are translated from the Critical Text. The Textus Receptus is the oldest manuscript. A man named Origen took the Textus Receptus and changed it around to meet his views of the world and religion, and this "revised" manuscript became known as the "Critical Text". Please click here for a more detailed overview of the differences between the KJV and other versions of the Bible.
Q. Where can I get a free version of the KJV Bible?
A. Click here if you are a US resident (not the state of California).
Click here to read the KJV Bible for free online.
Q. Is there a place I can read the KJV Bible online?
A. There sure is! http://etext.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html. You can click on the book, and then the chapter of the book. This is the King James Version of the Bible.
Q. Are there books to help me read and learn the Bible?
A. There are many books available to help you learn about the Bible, but be careful about which books you lead, because some of them can lead you astray. The best way to learn about the Bible is to read it for yourself, and decide for yourself what it says.
The main type of book there is to help you learn the Bible is called a Commentary. J. Vernon McGee's commentaries are some of the best. Basically a Bible commentary will take you through the Bible verse by verse with a detailed explanation.
Q. Are there any websites that can help me learn the Bible?
A. Of course! We hope that you will find lots of useful information on CBSB (this site). On the right hand side of this page there are many links under the title "Bible Study Links" that are there specifically to help you learn and understand the Bible.
Q. Are there any tips for reading the Bible?
A. Of course! One thing I always like to have handy when reading the Bible is a Bible highlighter... these are highlighters made specially for Bibles so that they don't soak through the thin pages. As I'm reading the Bible, I like to highlight passages that are meaningful to me, and sometimes I also write notes with a ball point pen or pencil in the margins of the Bible so that when I read through it again I will remember what I learned about.
It's a good idea to read the Bible with other people, in a type of study group, but it is also a good idea to read your bible in a quiet place where you feel comfortable, and will be able to concentrate on God's Word.
Another good thing to do before reading your Bible is to pray to God to give you wisdom while reading His Word, and to open your heart and mind to His Word, and help you understand. Ask Him in prayer to reveal things to you.
About God
About God:Q. What is God like?
A. As stated in the scriptures below, the Bible tells us that God is light and has no darkness (evil) in him at all. God is love. God cannot lie, and God is not the author of confusion (he will not try to confuse us in his Word the Bible), but is the author of peace.
- 1John 1:5 "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
- 1John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. "
- Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."
- Hebrews 6:18 "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie..."
- 1Corinthians 14:33 "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
Q. What are God's other names?
A. God is also known as:
Abba (meaning "daddy" or, "father") Romans 8:15,
Almighty God Deuteronomy 10:17,
Alpha & Omega ("the beginning and the end") Revelation 21:6,
Calmer of Storms Psalms 107:29,
Comforter Isaiah 66:13,
Compassionate Lamentations 3:22,
Conqueror of Our/My Enemies Psalms 108:13,
Counselor Isaiah 28:29,
Creator Genesis 1:1,
Director of My/Our Path Proverbs 3:6,
Disciplinarian Psalms 89:32,
Doer of Wonders Psalms 77:14,
El Shaddai (God Almighty) Exodus 6:3,
Emmanuel Isaiah 8:8,
Eternal God Deuteronomy 33:27,
Everlasting God Isaiah 40:28,
Everlasting Strength Isaiah 26:4,
Faithful Lamentations 3:23,
Father Isaiah 63:16,
Father of the Fatherless Psalms 68:5,
Feeder of the Hungry Psalms 146:7,
First & Last Isaiah 41:4,
Forgiving Numbers 14:18,
Gentle Isaiah 40:11,
Gift Giver James 1:17,
Giver of Good Things Matthew 7:11,
Glorious Lord Isaiah 33:21,
Good Psalms 145:7,
Gracious Psalms 145:8,
Great Psalms 145:3,
Healer Exodus 15:26,
Healer of Broken Hearts Psalms 147:3,
Holy One Isaiah 12:6,
Holy Leviticus 19:2,
The Great I Am Exodus 3:14,
In Us All Ephesians 4:6,
Infinite Understanding Psalms 147:5,
Jehovah Jireh (will provide) Genesis 22:14,
Jehovah Nissi (our banner) Exodus 17:15,
Jehovah Shalom (our peace) Judges 6:24,
Jehovah Shammah (is there) Ezra 48:35,
Jehovah Tsidkenu (our righteousness) Jeremiah 23:6,
Judge Genesis 18:25,
Just Isaiah 45:21,
Keeper Psalms 121:5,
King of Glory Psalms 24:10,
King of All the Earth Psalms 47:7,
Lawgiver Isaiah 33:22,
Lifter of Our/My Head Psalms 3:3,
Light Psalms 27:1,
Lord Genesis 15:2,
Lord God Omnipotent (all powerful God) Revelation 19:6,
Lord of Hosts Psalms 24:10,
Lord of Lords Deuteronomy 10:17,
Lord of the Sabbath (Lord of the seventh day) Exodus 20:10,
Lord on High Psalms 93:4,
Majesty Psalms 145:5,
Maker of Heaven & Earth Psalms 115:15,
Merciful Ephesians 2:4,
Mighty Luke 1:49,
Mighty in Wisdom Job 36:5,
Miracle Worker Matthew 19:26,
Most High Daniel 7:27,
Never Changing James 1:17,
Omnipresent (everywhere) Psalms 139:7-10,
Peacemaker Proverbs 16:7,
Perfect Matthew 5:48,
Powerful Psalms 66:7,
Promise Keeper Isaiah 46:11,
Provider Matthew 6:31 33,
Ready to Forgive Psalms 86:5,
Reconciler 2Corinthians 5:18 19,
Redeemer Isaiah 54:5,
Refiner Malachi 3:3,
Refuge Psalms 46:1,
Rescuer Daniel 6:27,
Righteous Psalms 5:8,
Rock 2Samuel 22:32,
Rock of Our/My Refuge Psalms 94:22,
Rock of Our/My Salvation Psalms 89:26,
Salvation Psalms 91:16,
Satisfier of Desires Psalms 145:16,
Satisifier of the Longing Soul Psalms 107:9,
Saviour Psalms 106:21,
Shadow from the Heat Is 25:4,
Shepherd Psalms 23,
Shield Psalms 3:3,
Steadfast Daniel 6:26,
Strength to the Needy Isaiah 25:4,
Strength to the Poor Isaiah 25:4,
Our/my Strength Psalms 46:1,
Strong Psalms 89:8,
Sustainer Psalms 3:5,
Teacher Psalms 119 ,
Trustworthy Psalms 144:2,
Truthful 1Samuel 15:29,
Upright Psalms 25:8,
Wisdom Daniel 2:20,
Worthy Revelation 4:11
Q. What is the Holy Ghost?
A. The Holy Ghost is part of the Holy Trinity (see question below). The Holy Ghost is the part of God that lives within us after we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. The Holy Ghost takes our souls to heaven if we are saved.
Q. What is the Holy Trinity?
A. God is a three part being: the Father, the Son (Word), and the Holy Ghost. 1John5:7-8 clearly states this. In Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 3:22, God makes reference to himself as "us" and "our image." "Us" and "our" meaning more than one. Some people think of God (the Holy Trinity) as God having multiple personalities. God's different parts allow him to be in many places at the same time however, unlike a human with multiple personalities.
1John 5:7-8 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."
Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Genesis 3:22 "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever..."
Personally I like to think of God (the Holy Trinity) like this: As a human, you and I have many body parts, all of which work together at the same time to make us live. Our three most important body parts are our brain, our heart, and our soul. I like to think of God as having a brain, a heart, and a soul. God the father is the brain (he created us and can speak things into existence with His Words... he can do all things, hears all things, sees all things, and knows all things). Jesus Christ (aka the Word/our Savior) is like our heart. Without him we cannot get to heaven. It is through Christ that we can have eternal life. The Holy Ghost is that part of God that comes and attaches itself to our soul once we accept Jesus as our Savior, so that when we die, while our bodies and flesh remain here on earth, our soul can be taken to heaven.
Q. If God is our creator, then who created God?
A. Nobody created God. While it is hard for us to wrap our brains around, God was always there, and always existed, before time and space. God created us, the heavens and the earth, and everything within the heavens and the earth. (The heavens are the universe). Many people don't understand how God can exist if nobody created him, but that's ok if we don't understand. Just because we don't understand something completely doesn't mean it's not real.
Q. Are God, Allah, and Buddah the same?
A. No, definitely not. God is our only Lord and Savior. He is the God of creation (the one who created us). The Bible clearly tells us that there are no other Gods, only God himself. Allah and Buddah were men, not Gods.
About Jesus Christ:
Q. Who is Jesus Christ?
A. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is God. Jesus Christ was sent to earth as a baby, lived among humans, taught people about God, left us a perfect example of how to live life with every step he took and every word he spoke, and then died on the cross unjustly for sins he did not commit, so that he could take our place in death so that we could have eternal (everlasting) life with him in heaven. To learn more about the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and how to get to heaven, please click here.
Q. What does Christ mean?
A. Christ means "Son of God"
Q. Why did Jesus Christ die for us?
A. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 The punishment for our sins is eternal death, but God loved us so much, that he gave his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to pay the punishment for our sins so that we wouldn't have to. To learn more about accepting Christ as your savior and going to heaven, please click here.
Q. Will Jesus Christ ever come back to earth again?
A. Yes. According to the book of Revelation (the last book in the Bible) Jesus will soon come back to earth to cleanse it and to reclaim his Kingdom. He will reign for a thousand years, and then cast death and hell into the lake of fire, along with disease and the devil, and then he will continue to reign forevermore, with those who have accepted him at his side.
Q. Are Jesus and Satan brothers?
A. No. Jesus Christ is NOT the brother of Lucifer/Satan, as this is never ever said any place in the Holy Bible of God. Furthermore, the Bible says that Jesus is not created, but that Lucifer is created (an angel... God created all angels). How can they be brothers if Jesus is one with God and is not created, and God created Lucifer? That would mean that if they were brothers, Jesus would have had to create his own brother ( "...God, who created all things by Jesus Christ..."Ephesians 3:9)... Jesus and Satan are NOT brothers.
Q. Are there any prophecies about Jesus Christ before he was alive?
A. Yes. Jesus fulfilled around 60 prophecies told by many prophets over many years. To see a list of those prophecies that Jesus fulfilled, click here.
Q. How did Mary give birth to Jesus if she was a virgin, and how was this important?
A. Mary gave birth to Jesus even though she was a virgin because God made her pregnant with Jesus. It is important that Mary was a virgin because of prophecy about the Christ being born to a virgin. A child being born to a virgin was supposed to be a sign that the son of God had arrived. If you think about it, it wouldn't be much of a sign if a young woman gave birth... lots of young women give birth, but a young virgin woman giving birth is not something that has ever happened before or will ever happen again, making it a clear sign.
About Hell
About Hell:
Q. If I don't go to heaven, do I go to hell?
A. Yes. Clear and simple. When you die there are two places to go: Heaven, and Hell. If you don't go to one, you go to the other.
Q. Is hell eternal?
A. No. Surprising huh? I too was shocked to find out that heaven and hell are not eternal. Heaven and hell are waiting places. When you die, you will go to heaven if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, if you do not, you go to hell. The thing is, your future does not end there. As said before, heaven and hell are where you go to wait until the return of Jesus Christ our Lord. Sometime in our future Jesus Christ will come back to essentially clean up the earth. He will get rid of death (people will live forever), he will get rid of violence, and he will get rid of poverty and disease. People who have died in the past and gone to heaven will help Jesus reign on earth upon his return, in glorified bodies. People who have died in the past and gone to hell will go to be judged before God, and then cast into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is eternal, and is much worse than hell. The lake of fire is where Jesus will send death, violence, poverty, and disease, along with the devil, and all who have gone to hell. It really is your choice where you go though... you can accept Jesus Christ's free gift to you (salvation), and go to heaven, and then live forever once Jesus Christ comes back to his kingdom on earth, or you can deny Jesus Christ is the son of God and deny that he died on the cross to cleanse you of your sins, and go to hell, and then be cast permanently into the lake of fire along with Satan. To read more about becoming saved (going to heaven) please click here.
Q. Can I get out of hell once I'm there?
A. No. No matter what any person tells you, the Bible clearly states that once you are in hell, you cannot get out until Judgment day, when you will be judged by God and then cast into the lake of fire. The lake of fire will ultimately be your permanent and final destination (see above question and answer to learn more about the lake of fire). To read more about going to heaven, please click here.
Q. What about Purgatory? Can't I work my way out of hell once I'm dead?
A. No. Purgatory is a made up concept and is not found anywhere in the Bible. Accepting the free gift Jesus Christ offers you is the only way to go to heaven, because it is the only way to cleanse you of your sins. You cannot work your way to heaven on earth, and you cannot work your way to heaven once you are in hell, because salvation is through grace (the free gift of Christ), and not through works. To read more about going to heaven, please click here.
Q. Can't I pray my relatives and friends out of hell? Can my friends and family pray me out of hell once I'm there?
A. No. Some religions teach that if you pay your pastor or church father money every week he will be able to pray your family and friends out of hell. The Bible does not say anything about praying your friends and family out of hell, but does say if you don't go to heaven, you go to hell, and the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. To read more about Christ and going to heaven, please click here.
Q. God is full of mercy... if he loves me so much, won't he let me out of hell once I'm there?
A. No. The truth is, in your lifetime God will give you every chance you need to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior (including this chance). God loves you so much that he sent his one and only son to die for your sins so that you wouldn't have to suffer for your sins. When you don't accept Jesus as your Savior, you are denying him and His free gift. Think of Jesus' gift like this: if I offer you your favorite candy bar because I like you so much, and I'm holding it out to you for free, what do you have to do to get it? You have to reach out and take it, right? It's free, there is no charge, all you have to do is accept that gift. God gives you the chance to accept His free gift your entire life, and by denying it you are putting yourself in hell. There must be punishment for your sins. You can choose to let Jesus take that punishment for you so that you can get to heaven, or you can deny Jesus and take the punishment yourself, and go to hell.
About the Devil:
Q. What is the devil like?
A. According to the Bible the devil hates God, and because you are God's creation, he hates you also. The Devil knows he can't hurt God, so he will try to hurt us as God's creation instead.
How does the devil hurt us? There are a lot of obvious ways the devil can hurt us, but the main way he does this is by dragging you down with him in your sins. The devil will try to keep you away from God's Word, and he will try to keep you away from being saved and going to heaven. The devil wants as many people to burn and suffer in hell as possible.
According to the Bible the devil is tricky... he can trick us into thinking a certain way, just as he tricked Adam and Eve into disobeying God and bringing sin into the World. The devil's main way of tricking us is by questioning God's Word and by trying to get us turned around and confused, just like he did Adam and Eve. God told Adam and Eve they could eat of any fruit in the garden of Eden accept for fruit from the tree of good and evil. He provided them with everything they needed, and only gave them one rule to follow: Don't eat from the tree of good and evil. Then the devil came along and asked Adam and Eve, "Did God really say that? Doesn't he want you to be happy and didn't he say you could eat any fruit in the garden?" Satan works by closing our eyes and leading us away from God's Word. He tempts us to make us sin even more, and is happy to see any of God's creations (especially us) suffer.
Q. Are Lucifer and Satan the same person?
A. Yes. They are one in the same. The devil goes by many names, including Satan, Lucifer, the Devil, Beezlebub, Baal, and "the old snake".
About Heaven
Getting to Heaven:Q. How do I get to heaven?
A. To get to heaven, all you need to do is believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that Jesus Christ died on the cross unjustly to wipe away your sins, and that after three days Jesus Christ rose from the dead. You should pray and ask Jesus to come in to your heart.
To read more about getting to heaven, please click here. If you follow the link it will lead you to an article by CBSB with scriptures to tell you about the life and death of Jesus Christ and how you can get to heaven.
Q. Once I go to heaven, can I lose my salvation?
A. No. The Bible says:
- "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." -Hebrews 6:4-6 (Jesus died once for our sins... not over and over and over again, meaning that once is good enough for eternity. You can't lose your salvation because if you did and then got saved again, it would mean Jesus would have to die again on the cross for you).
- "And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." 1John 2:25 (Eternal means forever... if something is forever, it means you can't lose it).
- "And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." -1John 5:11-12 (Once again, eternal life. If you accept Jesus as your savior you will have that eternal life with God, and if you don't accept him, than you will not have that eternal life).
Q. Do I have to stop sinning to go to heaven?
A. No. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you should try to repent of your sins (try to stop sinning). God wants us to stop sinning, and once you are saved you should want to stop sinning too because you should want to do good things for God. The great thing about Salvation through Christ however is that it is by faith, and not by works. The Bible clearly tells us that you are saved (your sins are wiped away) by believing in Jesus Christ, not by doing good things to get into heaven. It would actually be impossible to repent of every sin you have ever committed because we have committed so many of them we would never remember every one of them.
Click here to learn more about going to heaven.
Q. Do I have to be baptized to go to heaven?
A. You do not need to be baptized by water (this is where the preacher dunks your head under water for a moment in church) to go to heaven. The great thing about Salvation through Christ is that it is by faith, and not by works. The Bible clearly tells us that you are saved (your sins are wiped away) by believing in Jesus Christ, not by doing good things to get into heaven. Baptism by water is simply a symbolic gesture to show that you are ready to give your life to Christ. When you accept Jesus Christ as your savior and Lord of your life, and pray and ask him to come into your life, you are then baptized by the holy spirit. This is a yes and no question. No, you do not need to be baptized by water in a church by a preacher to go to heaven. Yes, you do need to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and be baptized by the holy spirit in doing so to go to heaven.
Click here to learn more about going to heaven.
Q. Do I have to speak in tongues to go to heaven?
A. No. Being able to speak in tongues is supposed to be a gift from God, but you do not need this gift to become saved and go to heaven. The great thing about Salvation through Christ is that it is by faith, and not by works. The Bible clearly tells us that you are saved (your sins are wiped away) by believing in Jesus Christ, not by doing good things to get into heaven.
Click here to learn more about going to heaven.
Click here to learn more about speaking in tongues.
Q. Can't I get into heaven just because I'm a good person?
A. Unfortunately not. Many "good people" will go to hell because they never accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The great thing about Salvation through Christ is that it is by faith, and not by works. The Bible clearly tells us that you are saved (your sins are wiped away) by believing in Jesus Christ, not by doing good things to get into heaven.
Click here to learn more about going to heaven. If you really, truly believe that you are a good enough person to get to heaven by yourself, without the help of Jesus Christ, then why not click here, and take the "Good Person" test? Compare your answers to what the Bible (God's Word) says.
Miscellaneous about Heaven:
Q. What is heaven like?
A. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." Matthew 13:43-44
"...rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. " Luke 10:20
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4
While we don't know what exactly heaven is like, we know there will be no pain and suffering, no sadness, no sorrow, and no death there. We know we will be near to God because Heaven is where God lives. We know from Revelations that God has made us mansions to live in in heaven. We know that only those who are saved (those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior) will be in heaven. If you are saved your name will be written in the book of life in Heaven. Heaven is a place where you can store your spiritual treasures.
Q. What happens to my stuff when I go to heaven or hell?
A. The Bible says that one day all things on earth will be burned, including all of your stuff. Instead of worrying about what things you have here on earth (money, a new car, a big house, a big TV, etc...) the Bible talks about laying up your treasures in heaven. "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" Mark 10:21-23
If you think about it, all of your material possessions will be gone eventually, but the life you lead on earth will determine the life you lead in heaven. The Bible says that when we are in heaven God will have things for us to do. We will also be awarded crowns based on certain things that we have done in our life on earth. "...and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:10-11
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." Matthew 5:12
Q. Where do angels come from?
A. God created angels (also known as Cherubims) just as He created all things. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, tells us about God's creation of the heavens and earth, and of all things within. Some people mistakenly believe that when a person dies and go to heaven they become angels. The Bible however never says that when you die you become an angel. What it does say is that people who go to heaven will receive glorified bodies. While there is a lot of question about what exactly a "glorified" body is, it is believed to be the body you will have that will be free of death, disease, pain, and aging. Some people also believe that having a glorified body will mean having special powers, such as the power to heal, fly, etc...
Q. Are heaven and hell eternal?
A. No. Heaven and hell are only waiting places. When a person who is saved dies, they go to heaven to wait for the eternal reign of Jesus Christ. When people who are not saved die they go to hell to wait for judgment day. The Bible says there will be a day of judgment when those who are unsaved will be taken through all of their transgressions and then cast into the lake of fire for eternity... the lake of fire is also where Jesus will cast death and disease and Satan. If your name is found written in the book of life you will wait in heaven until the eternal reign of Christ, at which time you will help Christ rule over his kingdom. You can find this information in the book of Revelation.
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