I have recently asked a woman to marry me.  We are both christians and have taken the christian steps towards marriage (abstinence and christian counseling).  I just have a strong feeling this marriage may be against God's will.  I foolishly did not pray before becoming engaged, and now I feel God is warning me that I am not in His will.  If you have any Scriptures or suggestions on finding God's will concerning marriage, please let me know.  Thank you so much for all you do.  God Bless you.

Sincerely,
Cold Feet

Dear Cold Feet,

The Bible is only specific about one prerequisite for marriage; everything else is a matter of wisdom and preference.  Christians should only marry other christians (those who are “in the Lord” – 1 Cor 7:39).  Beyond that, it is important to consider the wisdom of the situation.  Is she someone you can love and care for through the years, and do you believe she will trust you to lead her (Eph 5:33)?

There is no hard and fast rule for who is the right person to marry.  It isn’t too late to pray and ask for wisdom (Jas 1:5).  Since you are already receiving marriage counseling, this may be a question to privately pose to the counselor.  There is obviously more specific details that have been consciously or subconsciously bothering you.  She may be a wonderful match, but it is important that you know where you stand before you make a lifetime commitment (Rom 7:2).

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

How do we know Christianity is the one and only true religion?

Sincerely,
Sweetly Broken

Dear Sweetly Broken,

Why? Christianity forces us to choose.  Many of today’s religions allow tolerance for multiple belief systems, but the Bible isn’t one of them.  If we believe in the Bible and Jesus (read “Who Wrote The Bible?” for proof that the Bible is written by God), then we can’t accept other religions as well because the Bible condemns all other religions (Ex 34:14, Lk 16:13).  Jesus claims to be the only way to heaven (Jhn 14:6).  A common myth today is that we can believe in Jesus and also accept other religions, but Jesus strictly condemns that lifestyle.  We are told that there is only one way to heaven (Eph 4:4-6).  Either Jesus is the Messiah or He isn’t.  There is no room for plurality in Christianity.  Christ is an all-or-nothing Savior.

In short, if we accept the Bible as true, we must accept all other religions as false.  If we accept other religions as true, we must accept that the Bible is false.  There is no in-between.  The Bible is accurate, time-tested, consistent, contains supernatural information, and holds specific and fulfilled prophecies… no other book can make those claims.  The Bible stands alone – and it likes it that way.

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

How can there be no pain in heaven if some of our loved ones might not make it there with us?

Sincerely,
Love From A Distance

Dear Love From A Distance,

There will be no pain in heaven because God will heal us.  Heaven is a place where we show up with tears, and God wipes them away (Rev 21:4).  There will be a great deal of pain that we bring with us to the feet of our Maker, but He is the Great Physician (Mk 2:17).  We here at AYP have no idea how God will heal every wound and sorrow in heaven, but we also don’t know how skilled doctors repair hearts and arteries.  If a surgeon on this earth can repair my body and make it whole, certainly God is capable of repairing our hearts and souls.