Will I be blessed with a kid soon?

Sincerely,
Potential Parent

Dear Potential Parent,

We can’t give you the answer to that question – only God knows.  What we can tell you is that other faithful people have faced the same desire to conceive and wondered just as you do when that special blessing would come.  One of the greatest examples of this is Hannah.  In 1 Samuel 1:4-8, we see how desperately Hannah wanted a child, but yet she waited.  Hannah’s solution?  She prayed fervently to God (1 Sam 1:9-10).  God heard her prayer and eventually gave her that wonderful child she had prayed for (1 Sam 1:20). The power of prayer is incredible.  We can’t tell you when you will be blessed with a child (after all, we aren't prophets), but we can tell you that if you pray to the Lord, He is faithful and will cause all to work together for good (Rom 8:28).

Can the devil be in two places at the same time?

Sincerely,
Double Vision

Dear Double Vision,

There is absolutely no way to know the answer to that question because God has never revealed those specific details about the devil.  We know that the devil has finite power (i.e. he doesn't know everything like God does), but the specific extent of his powers and abilities are never revealed to us in the Scriptures.  The Scriptures describe Satan as a powerful lion (1 Pet 5:8).  The safest thing to do is to be ever-vigilant because you never know when the lion is lurking just around the corner.

God forgives every sin, right?  But what happens when you do that sin repeatedly?

Sincerely,
Do Over

Dear Do Over,

There are two pieces to the puzzle of repetitive sins:

1. How many times can I ask for forgiveness for the same sin?
2. How do I remove this sin from my life?

The answer to the first part is simple. You can ask for forgiveness an innumerable amount of times. Christ told Peter that we should forgive ‘seventy times seven’ (Matt 18:21-22). Paul was forgiven of his sins even after killing christians and actively persecuting the church (1 Tim 1:16). As often as we truly repent, God is ready to forgive (Lk 17:4). It is quite possible to truly repent of something and then find yourself doing that same thing not minutes later. It happens in arguments all the time! You say something mean, apologize, then find yourself upset again, and again use rash words. The repeating of the cycle is not necessarily an indication of false sorrow.

However, the second part of your question deals with stopping this cycle. God will forgive you for stumbling again into the same sin, but only if you are truly attempting to change your mind. Paul reminds us that we are to do everything we can to flee from the slavery to sin (Rom 6:1-2, Rom 6:12-13). Without knowing what sin you are caught up in, I can’t give specific advice, but I recommend getting help if it is as consuming as you say. Many sins can become addictions that are very hard to break. Here are some things to consider:

1. Are you trying to change all on your own? God says two are stronger than one (Eccl 4:9-10). In the case of sin like pornography, many people try and struggle through it alone without seeking help because of the shame involved in it becoming known. This rarely, if ever, works. Telling someone, even just one trusted friend, and using things like Covenant Eyes accountability software can make all the difference in such circumstances.
2. Are you putting yourself in compromising situations? People with drug and alcohol addictions are often tempted back into their old habits by drinking buddies or parties where drugs are made available. You may need to cut off certain people and habits from your life in order to escape that sort of sin. Remember, Christ said it would be better to remove even your own hand if it would free you from a sin (Matt 5:30).

Removing sin from our lives is a constant struggle. God is ready to forgive you ‘seventy times seven’ as you fight to defeat this sin, but you must look yourself in the mirror and make sure you are taking the steps necessary to change your life.

Is the leviathan in Isaiah 27:1 really Satan?

Sincerely,
Asking Literally

Dear Asking Literally,

Isaiah 27 is dealing with the same topic as the proceeding three chapters – the blessings that exist in Christ and His victory over sin.  To be fair, the language used in this section of Isaiah is some of the hardest and most apocalyptic language found in all the Bible, so there is room for disagreement amongst good brethren.  Having said that, we believe that since the topic is Christ’s victory and the blessings found in the church – Satan is mostly likely the serpent that was slain in Isa 27:1.  If it doesn't represent Satan himself, it probably stands for the world powers that Satan would use to try and defeat God's plans to make Christ's church to flourish.  The language of Isaiah 27:1 is very similar to what is said in Rev 12:9-11.

In Jhn 5:1-9, at the pool of Bethesda, multitudes were at the pool waiting for an angel to come and trouble the water so that the one who got inside first got the healing.  In this passage, only two people were healed.  Jesus healed the lame man and went away.  The multitude went home the way they came.  Why didn't Jesus heal more????

Sincerely,
Medicine For All

Dear Medicine For All,

Two things that should help answer your question:

1. We don’t know how many people Jesus healed.   The gospel of John tells us that not every miracle of Christ was recorded in the Bible, only the ones pertinent to our belief in Him (Jhn 21:25).  Jesus may very well have healed more people there at the pool of Bethesda, but the only healing recorded was the healing of the lame man.
2. Jesus didn’t heal everyone because His job wasn’t to heal every sick person on the planet.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10).  Jesus sometimes refused to care for physical needs when He didn’t think it would further the Gospel (like in the case of the people who followed Him because He could create food from thin air – Jhn 6:26-27).  The miracles Jesus performed testified of His goodness (Acts 10:38) and were a witness to His preaching (Jhn 14:10-11, Acts 2:22).  It wasn’t about healing every sick person; it was about making sure everyone knew that He was the Son of God.