Ever since about three or four months ago, I've been having doubt about the existence of God.  I'm a Christian.  Is this normal?  I don’t want Him to think I’m ungrateful or anything.  Help!

Sincerely,
Agnostically Challenged

Dear Agnostically Challenged,

Everyone faces times of doubt in their life; the key is to strengthen the weaknesses in our resolve.  Like the man who cried out, “I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24), all Christians must recognize that faith must grow and increase over time.

Faith is the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1).  We can’t see God, but there is plenty of evidence that He exists.  The whole creation cries out as evidence of God’s existence (Rom 1:20).  As science and our knowledge of the natural world have increased, the proof of God’s existence has increased as well.  Answersingenesis.org is a website based entirely around the scientific proof of God’s existence.  Books like Has God Spoken? by A.O. Schnabel, Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel, and Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell are excellent resources that make clear the existence of the God of the Bible.  Take the time to fill your mind with information from sources like those mentioned above, and you will find yourself more confident in no time (Php 4:8).

     I suffer from a disorder known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in which I have to do a behavior or ritual (such as touching an object a certain number of times) to avoid something bad happening.  My personal fear is that if I don't do the ritual, I will subconsciously sell my soul to the devil and be condemned to hell.  My question is about if it is possible to sell your soul or lose it because of a possible thought or action, or is this concept just a contrivance of literature and cinema?  Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Driven

Dear Driven,

Take comfort – your eternal destiny isn’t dictated by how many times you perform a ritual of your own making.  Saying that you will go to hell for these rituals isn’t true any more than saying, “I’ll go to heaven by performing these rituals.”  We aren’t the final judge of our eternal home – Christ is (2 Tim 4:1).  We don’t get to dictate the terms of our relationship with God; God sets the standards for our salvation, and He put those rules in the Bible (2 Pet 1:3, Rom 10:17).  If you have done what Christ teaches you must do to be saved, you will go to heaven.  If you don’t, you won’t.  What personal rituals and traditions we perform have no bearing on the subject.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a real issue, and we know that it isn’t as simple as just being given an answer, and then the problem goes away.  So as you struggle with your fears, try and take comfort in the truth that God doesn’t use the same standards as we do (Isa 55:8-9).

I was going to give an offering to an online ministry.  I have said to myself that if this isn't what God wanted me to do, He would let me know. Well, I have checked on my balance from my account, and I just found out that my offering didn't go through.  Is this a sign that God doesn't want me to give even though I gave it two weeks ago?  I don't have much money left, and I don't know what to do.

Sincerely,
Give Or Live

Dear Give Or Live,

We here at AYP think in general people should give more, not less – but in this circumstance, we lend toward saying, “Don’t give.”  We cannot be adamant either way, but here are the Scriptures that come to mind in your circumstance:

1. You prayed about it, and it hasn’t worked out.  God says that if we pray for wisdom, He will provide (Jas 1:5).  Ultimately, the only exact knowledge we will ever get is from God’s Word (Rom 10:17, Rom 1:16).  However, it would be foolish to say that God doesn’t answer prayers and affect our lives providentially.  The fact that your gift didn’t go through isn’t definitive proof, but it would give us pause as well.
2. Online ministries are rarely Biblical.  I’m sure we will receive a flood of e-mails telling us how wrong we are on this point, but realistically, televangelists, online ministries, and the sort are made up of people who want to itch ears and tell people what they want to hear, so that they can get to their purse strings (2 Tim 4:3-4).  Beware of false teachers who come to you in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15).  There are many other, more specific ways that you can help others without getting mixed up with charlatans.
3. You mentioned that you don’t have much money left.  God expects us to give liberally, but He also doesn’t hold us accountable to give something we don’t have to give (2 Cor 8:12).  If you have to decide whether you will have enough money to eat or whether you will give – it is probably time to take care of the needs at home first.  On the other hand, be careful that you don’t define ‘wants’ as ‘needs’ and only give what you have left over.  All giving should be a sacrifice (Lk 21:1-4).

Ultimately, you must decide for yourself what you ought to do in this circumstance… but those are some Scriptures to consider as you make your decision.

I am in my fifties, and my parents both have failing health.  They do not appreciate that my husband and I are religious and have made family gatherings miserable over the years because of it.  My siblings say that since we are the "good ones" (financially stable, our children turned out well, we are healthy), we should take over Mom and Dad's care.  I've mentioned to my siblings that our parents probably wouldn't want to live with us.  My brother said that we HAD to take them in because the Bible says to "honor your parents".  Does this burden really fall to my husband and me just because we're the only christians?

Sincerely,
Overburdened

Dear Overburdened,

It is an unfortunate reality that many christians are left with responsibilities that others are unwilling to shoulder.  Children have the responsibility of caring for their parents in their old age (1 Tim 5:4).  Certainly that responsibility falls to all of the siblings, but if none of the others will shoulder the burden, you would still be bound to.  There are many trials that christians must endure as they seek to live godly lives, and it sounds like this will be one for you.

Some parents make it a joy to honor them; others weigh down their children with the duty.  Your parents don’t necessarily need to live with you, but you do need to honor them (Eph 6:2).  You will have to decide what is the best way to care for your parents without destroying the stability of your own immediate family.

In the book of Revelation to John, when the seven churches are addressed, were these seven churches in Asia the ONLY churches in existence at this time, or was Jesus only addressing these seven specifically?

Secondly, I am curious to know, when John speaks that he sees seven stars held in God's right hand, which later were revealed to be the seven angels of these churches (Rev 1:20), can we conclude that God appoints an angel over each congregation in today's time?

Sincerely,
Seeing Stars

Dear Seeing Stars,

The seven churches addressed in the book of Revelation are seven congregations all in close proximity to each other, but they are not the only congregations that existed.  The gospel had turned the whole world upside down (Acts 17:6).  Paul had written letters to churches in Rome, Corinth, Colossae, throughout Galatia, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Ephesus… and all that was only from one apostle!

As for the angels mentioned in Rev 1:20, the word ‘angel’ simply means ‘messenger’ in the Greek.  The word is often used for heavenly servants of God (which is what we typically think of when we say ‘angel’) because the context of the verses show us that the messenger is supernatural.  However, the word really only means ‘messenger’; it is the context of a passage that tells us whether the messenger is a heavenly being or simply a normal messenger.  In the context of Rev 1:20, the angels are most likely human messengers carrying the letters from the apostle John to the individual churches.