When I married my wife, we made sure to put God right in the center. We all know God has a good bit to say about husbands and wives.  However, her family attends a Baptist church, and they call themselves christians.  My wife and I attend a church of Christ (where I have attended for the last twenty years), and my wife was added to the Lord’s church shortly before we were married.  We both really try to live our lives as Christ would want us to.  My problem is her family asks us from time to time to go to their church.  I show them Scripture for the reasons why we cannot attend with them, and they still get angry and hateful.  Even after simple Scripture is shown to them, they still get angry.  Do you have any advice on a better way to handle something like this?

Sincerely,
Son-in-Outlaw

Dear Son-in-Outlaw,

Your problem is shared by many faithful christians around the world.  Jesus said it best, "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." (Mark 6:4).  Family is the absolute hardest to make an impact with.  Jesus' own family mocked His religious choices (Jhn 7:5).  You are making the right stand by not bending your morals for the sake of family (Matt 10:37).  As long as you are giving a kind, loving, and biblical answer to their requests, you are doing well.  It may very well be your uncompromising example that eventually peaks their interest.  After all, if they are so interested in sharing your spirituality, you can always invite them to visit your church or have a family Bible study together.

Why do people want to be satanic?  What exactly does it mean to be satanic?  About what percentage/number of people are satanic?

Sincerely,
Weirded Out

Dear Weirded Out,

It is an infinitesimally small percentage of Americans that specifically refer to themselves as “Satan worshippers”… less than one percent.  Satanic cults have existed in small pockets around the globe for years and have varying practices and beliefs that differ widely.  Satanic practitioners hold one common belief – an admiration for rebellious and anti-establishment religious figures.  Obviously, this religion is totally wrong and destructive to those who practice it.  Satan is not a hero; he is the great villain and adversary of mankind – the word ‘satan’ actually means ‘adversary’.  The Bible describes him as a “roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8).

“By His stripes, we were healed.”  I used it, and I have had it work.  The Lord said three times when Satan came to tempt Him, "It is written", so when something doesn't line up with the Word of God, I start out with saying that and the verse it coincides with.  My question is: why are the results not immediate (except once and that was because two other believers, an elder and pastor, laid hands on me)?  It took forty-five minutes of speaking to my son’s illness before manifestation of a cure – is this a faith thing, time willing to spend thing, or amount of people thing?  Pardon any religious ignorance ‘cause I have worked weekends for fifteen years, and the only church I get is once a month and computer/TV church.  I am not familiar with a lot of standards, and my current church doesn't even lay hands on the sick, but I am looking for a job wherever my Lord wants me and a church my wife and I can agree on that is without religious/denomination issues.  Thanks and God bless.  You answer guys are a Godsend.

Sincerely,
A Heart For Healing

Dear A Heart For Healing,

The verse you quoted is Isa 53:5, and it refers to Jesus’ crucifixion healing us from our spiritual wounds… not our physical ones.  Peter quoted the same verse in 1 Pet 2:24 and clarifies that the healing we received was from the wounds of sin.  Many televangelists and Pentecostal churches teach that we can have physical wounds miraculously healed if we have enough faith, but that simply isn’t true.  There was a time when God allowed the apostles and prophets to perform miracles, but that time has passed (read “Gifts That Stop Giving” for more details on the cessation of miracles).

God never promises that we won’t suffer physical ailments.  In fact, we are promised that our bodies will deteriorate, and only our souls will live on forever (2 Cor 4:16).  Paul had a physical disorder that he prayed would be removed, and God said, “No.” (2 Cor 12:7-9)  Sometimes, suffering is just part of a christian’s life – after all, this world is not our home (Heb 11:14-16).

We love your attitude of accepting only what the Bible says.  We would be happy to help you find a congregation in your area without denominational ties!  We don’t believe in denominationalism either (read “Down With Denominationalism” for the Bible’s take on all the religious confusion today).  If you would like our help, feel free to e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

I don't get it... if Jesus was a Jew, why isn't Judaism the correct religion?  Did I miss something?

Sincerely,
Confused Christian

Dear Confused Christian,

Jesus was born a Jew (Matt 1:17), lived under the Jewish law (Lk 2:41-42), and even taught His fellow Jews to obey the Old Testament law (Matt 23:1-3).  Judaism was the right religion, until Jesus died on the cross and replaced Judaism with Christianity.  The Old Testament, the law the Jews followed, was a tutor to lead people to Christ, but after Jesus came, mankind was supposed to follow Him instead (Gal 3:24-25).  The Jewish law said that someday there would come a Messiah who would save them from their sins – Jesus was that Messiah (Jhn 1:45).  The Jewish law taught mankind that they needed a Savior, and that they should prepare for His coming.  Jesus came providing the grace and truth that wasn’t possible under Jewish law (Jhn 1:17).  Jesus’ death made a permanent sacrifice for sins that none of the Old Testament animal sacrifices ever could (Heb 10:1-4).

How can I be a true christian?  There are so many different ways that people say how to be a christian; I would like to know: how do I know that I am living the right way?

Sincerely,
Looking For A Guarantee

Dear Looking For A Guarantee,

There is only one way to be confident in your salvation – follow what the Bible says.  There is only one hope for our salvation (Eph 4:4-6), and it is found in God’s Word (Rom 1:16).  The key to faithful living is to hear and do what the Bible says (Rom 10:17).  There will always be lots of different opinions from people, but those opinions are only valid if they agree with what your Bible says.  All preaching and teaching should sound like your Bible reads.  If someone tells you something, ask them for the Bible verses to prove it.  God tells us to test all teachers against His Word (1 Jn 4:1) because many religious teachers are false teachers.  Just because someone is zealous and sincere, doesn’t mean they are right (Rom 10:1-2).  Paul praised the idolatrous people of Athens for their religious fervor (Acts 17:22), but then explained that the idols they were so passionate about wouldn’t save them (Acts 17:23-25).  Here is a link to a post on what it takes to become a christian (“What Must I Do To Be Saved”), and here is another link to a post on why there is so much religious confusion (“Down With Denominationalism”)… read those articles and compare what we say to the Scriptures we cite, and then let the Bible be the final judge.