Does God make you suffer... because my God loves all His children, good or bad, and I believe that He will help you the best He can, like a father should do.  He does not make you suffer; He helps you everyday, but it seems like my life is just about suffering, no happiness, just darkness alone, and that’s how I feel.  I feel like I am just in empty space with no one.  It also seems like the good people die first, and the drug addicts and jerks live good, happy lives.

Sincerely,
Feeling Alone

Dear Feeling Alone,

We suffer in this life because of the sin and wickedness in this world, but christians hope for a day when all suffering will end.  All christians suffer in this life (Acts 14:22).  Suffering makes us stronger if we remain faithful (Rom 5:3-5).  Pain and weakness remind us that we must trust in the Lord and not in ourselves (2 Cor 12:10).  We live in a world full of sin and destruction, and it is a struggle to live a godly and faithful life in this present world (Tit 2:12).  Solomon said that the wicked often seem victorious in this life (Eccl 3:16)… but it is still better to be righteous (Eccl 12:13).  We are so sorry for your suffering.  Stay strong, and eventually heaven will be all the sweeter because of it (Col 3:2).

I'm not sure what started it, but I have a huge family of twelve aunts and uncles with twenty-six of us grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, to boot.  The only existing grandmother all of us have from this side of the family is eighty-five and was living with my uncle, but his wife and my grandmother came to a verbal shootout a few weeks ago, and now half of the family is divided between Granny and my uncle.  It's becoming really petty and hateful.  Is there a Bible verse that can sum up what everyone should realize, so they will just stop being hateful to each other?

Sincerely,
Out On A Limb

Dear Out On A Limb,

Family disputes are always difficult.  Here are some verses to remember and share with others:

1. God tells us that we are blessed if we are peacemakers (Matt 5:9).
2. When we sow peace in our lives, we get righteousness and peace back (Jas 3:18).
3. Christ tells us to be at peace with others “as much as it depends on us” (Rom 12:18).
4. Peace with others doesn’t come naturally; it must be pursued.  Peace takes work (Heb 12:14).
5. The ‘golden rule’ is to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matt 7:12).
6. The whole Bible stands upon two commands.  “Love the Lord” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:37-40).

Hopefully, some of these verses will help arm you to wage peace in your family.

Is it right for a married woman and a divorced preacher to be together?  The preacher says that they were put together even though the woman was and still is married.  They’ve been together six months.  Her divorce comes up May 4th.  The preacher is divorced because his ex-wife committed adultery more than once… what to do?  Just want to do God’s will and live right.  Help.

Sincerely,
Spectator

Dear Spectator,

If the woman is married – she needs to stay away from this preacher and any other man other than her husband (1 Cor 7:2).  It seems pretty clear that this preacher isn't paying attention to Scriptures if he is dating a married woman.  Even if she is currently separated from her husband... she is still married and should be trying to reconcile if at all possible (1 Cor 7:10-11).  This is not a man of God and not the kind of man she should be involved with.  In our experience, these types of men prey upon vulnerable women and use God's word as a veil for deceit and lust.  Remember that the devil's workmen disguise themselves as servants of light (2 Cor 11:14-15).

(This post is a follow-up to “Bullycide”.)

Sorry, I disagree on a couple of points.  I've been in the line of fire, so I know from firsthand experience that some kids are sinners of the worst kind.  I believe some kids ARE aware of what they're doing, and if God let evil people like that into heaven, it wouldn't be heaven anymore.  Kids who drive other kids to their grave are guilty of MURDER in the sight of God.  You can't let the wicked off the hook.  Jesus put no age limit on repentance.  He said, unless you repent, you shall ALL likewise perish (Luke 13:3-5).  Paul says in I Cor.7:14: Else were your children unclean, but now are they holy.  Merely being a child doesn't bring holiness.  There are clean children and unholy children.

The prophet Elisha was teased (apparently, only verbally) by a gang of youths for being bald in 2 Kings 2:23-24.  Elisha pronounced judgment on those kids.  He didn't absolve them of blame just because they were young.  NO WHERE in scripture does God say you're automatically innocent if you're below the age of 18, 13, or whatever.  What's missing in modern pulpits is good, old-fashioned, fire-and-brimstone preaching.  God's love is so overemphasized to unrepentant sinners that they never suspect there might be a fiery hell awaiting them on the Day of Judgment and God's righteous wrath against sin.

Sincerely,
Done Being Bullied

Dear Done Being Bullied,

We appreciate your points and think there might be some miscommunication.  There is an age where a child reaches young adulthood - often known as the "teens", and children do begin to be responsible before God for their choices.  There is a point where a child ceases to be simply a product of their environment and transitions into being a culpable adult who has chosen a path of righteousness or wickedness.

However, children are not born in sin as you seem to be stating.  1 Cor. 7:14 is being used out of context.  In 1 Cor. 7:14, the children are 'holy' because they are purified by their believing parent's influence.  Otherwise, 1 Cor. 7 would be literally saying that a child is bound for hell or bound for heaven based off of whether or not their parents are christians.  Jesus died to save the whole world (Jhn 3:16), and every human has an opportunity to obey Him.

2 Kgs 2:23-24 is dealing with teenagers (or young adults), not small children.  Yes, many of today's youth exhibit the same hateful and rebellious attitudes that are shown by that gang of young adults that Elisha interacted with.  Children that rebel against parents and show a lack of respect for authority are clearly condemned in the Scriptures (Col 3:20, Deu 21:18-21).

We couldn't agree more that there is a need for preaching on hell and the judgment to come (if you read the answers to many of our questions, we think you will see that we don't shirk our responsibility to that topic).  Once we reach the age where we are old enough to make decisions and repent of those decisions on our own – we must prepare ourselves, so that we won't perish (Lk 13:3-5).  Children eventually become adults, and as adults, we must be prepared to meet our God.

I am struggling with the issue of the church and abortion.  I know the church is supposed to be unified, and we are supposed to love one another, but how is that possible when a number of pastors and congregations vote for candidates that support homosexual marriage, abortion, etc.  I am particularly angry at black pastors who seem to sell their principles for the color of their skin.  I can't sit in a black church or even pray with black christians because this rage over them supporting abortions consumes me.  Am I wrong, or do they need to repent?

Sincerely,
No Room In The Pew

Dear No Room In The Pew,

Abortion is a sin, and preachers that support abortion (regardless of skin color) are wrong.  Children are already alive in the womb.  John the Baptist leapt in his mother's womb (Lk 1:41).  God specifically said that John was a child dedicated to Him from before birth (Lk. 1:15).  Ps 139:13-16 makes a clear statement about life within the womb of a mother.  Unborn children are credited as living, feeling humans, and therefore deserve just as much protection as any other human life.  The abortion movement is a movement that seeks to deny rights to a silent and innocent segment of human society.  Abortion is murder (1 Pet. 4:15).  Any preacher or religious leader that promotes abortion is promoting murder.  Don’t make this a race issue; make it an issue of morals without regard to race.