What is the best way to help someone identify their ministry gift?

Sincerely,
Gifted

Dear Gifted,

When you talk about peoples’ gifts of service, what you are really talking about is personality strengths.  Is someone naturally an encourager, leader, or giver?  We all should be giving, encouraging, and leading in various aspects of our lives, but we will always be better at some things and have weaknesses in other areas.  Rom 12:6-8 outlines the idea of everyone using their God-given talents to their fullest.  There is no perfect system to find what you are good at; all you can ever do is try to serve God wholeheartedly (Col 3:17) in every area of your life, and your strengths will naturally rise to the surface.

What does it mean to hear church bell sounds while driving in your car, and there are no churches around you, and the car radio is off, and all my windows are closed?  I heard it ring the first time at 5pm in the afternoon this past Friday (two sounds), and this was followed by a continuation of four more sounds for a maximum of six church bells.  The last bell sound was also heard by my friend while I was on the phone with her.  She is a devoted christian, and I was seeking advice on a dream that my son had a month ago.

Sincerely,
Ringing Ears

Dear Ringing Ears,

It probably means that you have an alarm going off somewhere in your neighborhood... or maybe your cell phone.  God no longer gives people miraculous visions and dreams - the days of prophecy are over (1 Cor 13:8-10).  Now that we have the perfect and complete Bible from God, there is no longer a need for prophecy, visions, dreams, etc.  We have no idea where the sound is coming from, but it isn't coming from God.

My husband died in May of liver disease.  I met with a minister the day before the funeral and told him I did not want my husband's condition mentioned during the service.  The next day, during the funeral service, this preacher said, "If this man had not had a HABIT, he would still be alive".  I was horrified.  Was this preacher breaking the Patient Privacy Rules/HIPAA??

Sincerely,
Grieving Widow

Dear Grieving Widow,

Preachers are not governed by Patient Privacy Rules/HIPAA – they are not medical professionals.  We are very sorry for your loss and to hear that your husband’s funeral turned out to be such a stressful and painful event.  If the preacher promised not to mention your husband’s addiction, then he lied – that is wrong.  We must always tell the truth (1 Jn 2:21).

Is it wrong to be superstitious?  I would think that it would fall into the same category as putting your faith in the occult or any sort of "mysticism".  Is this true or harmless fun?

Sincerely,
Lucky 13

Dear Lucky 13,

Superstition is wrong.  The dictionary defines ‘superstition’ as ‘a widely held but unjustified belief in supernatural causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event, or a practice based on such a belief’.  Superstition means that you are placing trust in the supernatural power of a rabbit’s foot, not walking under ladders, four-leaf clovers, etc.  This is always wrong.  We are supposed to place our trust in God (Ps 56:11).  Superstition is a mild and socially acceptable form of witchcraft or divining.  There is no difference between trusting in a lucky coin and trusting in the astrological tables.  Astrology and horoscopes are wrong (Deu 4:19, 2 Kgs 23:5); witchcraft and magical arts are wrong (Acts 19:19).  Superstition falls into the same category as those practices.

Is the Leviathan in the book of Job a dragon?

Sincerely,
Dragons Are Cool!

Dear Dragons Are Cool,

We don’t know exactly what animal the Leviathan was, but we do know that it doesn’t match the description of any currently living animal.  The Leviathan is described as being very large (Job 41:12), tough-skinned (Job 41:15-17), wild and undomesticated (Job 41:1-5), and potentially sea-dwelling (Job 41:31-32).

Some think that the Leviathan may be the answer to all the many dragon stories that are found across countless cultures.  In Job 41:18-21, God describes the Leviathan as flashing light when it sneezes, smoking from its nostrils, starting fires with its breath, and shooting flames from its mouth.  Such descriptions do indeed sound quite a lot like the description of a dragon.  It may very well be that the Leviathan is one of the dragons illustrated in countless ancient drawings.