Explain 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6 regarding these "sinful angels" being imprisoned please.

Sincerely,
Angel Onlooker

Dear Angel Onlooker,

There isn’t much to explain because God doesn’t give us a lot of details about these rebellious angels.  Apparently, at some point in time, there were a group of angelic beings that rebelled against God, and even though they were angels, God punished them for their rebellion and judged them worthy of eternity in hell (2 Pet 2:4).  Those angels are currently in some form of bondage as they wait for the Day of Judgment.  On the Day of Judgment, when all men will be judged (Heb 9:27), these angels will be judged as well.

How do I control my mind from my past and other negative thinking?

Sincerely,
Fresh Start

Dear Fresh Start,

Rom 12:1-2 says that we renew our minds when we begin to mold our lives to imitate our Lord.  The more we change our behavior to match the Bible, the more our mind begins to match our new lifestyle.  There is an old saying: "fake it to make it".  When we begin to act the way we ought, our minds and characters begin to match our new behavior.  Positive thinking begins with positive life choices.

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.

If the only way you can be saved is through Jesus' blood, then how were people saved previous to Jesus?  I understand the Jews had animal sacrifices which rolled their sins forward.  But what about the non-Jews?

Sincerely,
Who’s Paying For This?

Dear Who’s Paying For This,

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the Gentiles that lived before Jesus, but what little we do know tells us that God didn’t forsake them.  When God called Abraham out from amongst his people (Gen 12:1-2), everyone that wasn’t descended from Abraham became a ‘Gentile’.  The Old Testament follows the descendants of Abraham and God’s covenant with them; that is why there isn’t much said about the other nations that lived on this planet.  Here is what we know:

1. God praised and blessed honest Gentiles.  Melchizedek is called a ‘priest of God’ (Gen 14:18), and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, was the priest of Midian (Ex 3:1) and worshipped God.  We don’t know exactly what arrangement God had with these men, but we know that they were pleasing to God and not a part of the Jewish nation.  Another great example of a godly Gentile was Cornelius.  God blessed and heard Cornelius’ prayers (Acts 10:1-4).
2. Some Gentiles were blessed by God through conversion to Judaism.  Rahab and Ruth were both Gentile women that turned to God by becoming Jews.  Both of these women are mentioned in the lineage of Christ (Matt 1:5).
3. We have a single statement in the book of Romans that hints at what kind of law the Gentiles were under.  Rom 1:14-15 says that the Gentiles had a law of conscience written by God on their hearts.  This doesn’t tell us much, but it does point out that God had a system for judging the Gentiles… it was just different than the system He used for judging the Jews.

All of this just gives a glimpse at the pre-Christian Gentile world, but it is enough to paint a picture that God had a plan; we just don’t know exactly how it worked.

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).