1 Corinthians 14:34-35: I do not understand what this means.

Sincerely,
Confused

Dear Confused,

Paul says that women are to keep silent in the church assembly … it is the public teaching done in the church assembly that is being dealt with in 1 Cor 14:34-35.  Women are not supposed to serve as public teachers in the worship service because men have the responsibility to lead the church in public teaching.  Elders (Tit 1:5-6), deacons (1 Tim 3:12), and preachers (2 Tim 2:2) are all required to be men.  1 Tim 2:12 specifically prohibits Christian women from teaching Christian men in a congregational forum.

However, just because women don’t lead in the public assembly, that doesn’t mean they just take up pew space!  The Bible is chock-full of examples of active and vibrant godly women.  Lydia was a Christian who took Paul and gave him lodging, food, and financial support (Acts 16:14-15).  Priscilla and Aquila were a married couple that taught the gospel to Apollos (Acts 18:24-26).  That same Apollos went on to become a mighty preacher… something that would have never happened without Priscilla.  John Mark’s mother opened her home for a prayer meeting that saved Peter’s life (Acts 12:11-12).
  Older women are supposed to be teachers and train the younger women to be faithful wives and mothers (Tit 2:3-5).  Younger women have the immensely important task of raising godly children… the next generation of Christians (Tit 2:4).  Women have children’s classes to teach, women’s classes to teach, hospitality to provide, others to encourage, and evangelism to do.
  On top of all those very important and pivotal duties within the church, during the worship services, women have the task of singing and praising God (just like the men – Col 3:16) and joining in the public prayer… just because one man leads the prayer doesn’t mean we aren’t all praying together.  When the church assembles, we all are worshipping God, edifying each other, and studying His Word (Heb 10:24-25).

I need to know where in the bible does it say, "all Christians may not go to heaven"?  Please help me because I don't really understand it.

Sincerely,
Preparing For The Future

Dear Preparing For The Future,

The Bible never says, “all Christians may not go to heaven”, that isn’t a quote from God’s Word.  The Bible talks about the principle that we must be faithful until death (Rev 2:10), and that a Christian that drifts away from God has lost their hope (Heb 2:1, Heb 10:26-27).  If we turn our back on God, then we no longer have our assurance of heaven.

However, the opposite is also true.  If we turn to the Lord and place our faith in Him, we can have confidence in our salvation (2 Tim 4:7-8) and peace of mind knowing that no one can snatch us from Christ (Jhn 10:28-29).

Is it wrong to get a tattoo if it is respectful of God and our country?  I know the Old Testament says something about not tattooing your body, so I may know the answer.  However, I didn't know if it might be affected by the type of tattoo.

Sincerely,
Inked

Dear Inked,

Tattoos were 100% sinful in the Old Testament – in the New Testament they are sinful some of the time. The Old Testament strictly forbade tattoos (Lev 19:28). God was so adamant about it because cutting your flesh and tattooing were common practices of pagan cultures (1 Kgs 18:26-28). Tattooing was a religious practice closely tied to Baal and other idols.

In the New Testament, we are given no specific command against tattoos. It is valuable, however, to see that for a very long time tattoos have had a negative connotation.  Even today, many tattoos are of things that exude evil.  Snakes, skulls, demonic signs, bad words, etc. are to be avoided at all costs.  So yes, what type of tattoo you get does make a difference.  As a Christian, there are many things that we can do but should think carefully about beforehand. Just because I can do something, doesn’t mean it is a good idea (1 Cor 10:23).

We must always consider our influence and how it will affect others. God tells us to be wise and seek wisdom in our decisions (Pr 8:33). Whatever decision an individual makes, we recommend seeking outside counsel before getting something as permanent as a tattoo (Pr 11:14). It is not wrong for a Christian to get a tattoo, but it certainly isn’t a decision to make lightly.

If a believer in Christ takes their life after suffering from depression, will they go to heaven?

Sincerely,
Just Asking

Dear Just Asking,

Whether someone suffers from depression or not, suicide is murder, self-murder, and is therefore very clearly a sin (Rev 21:8).  The only difference between suicide and murdering someone else is that you don’t get a chance to repent after suicide.  Suicide is a final decision and leaves no room for correction or for asking forgiveness.  It is a willful act of disobedience against God without opportunity for repentance.  The final judgment belongs to God (Heb 12:23), but we certainly wouldn’t want to face that judgment with our own blood on our hands.

Does the Bible give us an explanation of why God allows natural disasters to happen and sometimes even take the lives of loved ones?

Sincerely,
Shaken Up

Dear Shaken Up,

Natural disasters are a byproduct of sin.  When God created the universe, He made everything good (Gen 1:31).  The world didn’t have disease, thorns, suffering, and all the other problems we see today.  Originally, Adam and Eve lived in the perfect paradise of the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:8).  It is only after Adam and Eve were cast from the Garden because of their sin that all the problems we see today began.  The first recorded earthquake didn’t happen until the days of Noah when all the world had turned to violence and evil (Gen 6:5-7).  When the world was flooded because of sin, God broke open the fountains of the deep, which would surely have quaked the planet (Gen 7:11).  The first recorded natural disaster (Noah’s flood) was caused because of sin.  It was mankind’s sin that forced God to flood the Earth to save Noah’s righteous family (1 Pet 3:20). God wanted paradise and peace for mankind, but we have warped His creation because of our sin.