The woman said the statues were very expensive and she collected them because she liked dragons (I’m assuming their physical appearance; the pastor didn’t specify.).

After convincing the woman to let him destroy and throw away the statues, the pastor said they prayed for healing, and immediately the woman was made whole. The pastor’s statements about the statues (and he included any other pagan idol or image that might be in a believer’s home) giving Satan a legal right to operate in that home surprised me.

Is this Biblical? How can Satan show any power through a pagan idol, image, or even a dragon statue unless a person believed in that sort of thing? And, if a believer has a dragon statue (or any similar object) in their home, can the physical statue give Satan a legal claim to operate there, even if the believer assigns nothing more to the statue than being a piece of artwork, or a decoration?

A. In 1 Cor. 8:4 and 10:19 Paul wrote that idols are nothing.  It’s the demons behind them that are the problem.  Unless a person is actually worshiping an idol, and therefore the demon behind it, the idol is powerless.  This would apply to statues, figurines, and the like as well.  Simply having a statue in your house cannot give a demon the legal right to dwell there.

That said, it surprises me that a discerning Christian, knowing the symbolism involved, would consciously set about to acquire an expensive collection of dragon statues. You don’t have to bow down before and offer prayers to an object to worship it.  Desiring, admiring, and feeling pride in owning such a collection can be a form of  worship if it’s extreme enough.  In fact, anything we desire more than to be standing in the presence of God is an object of worship. (Those of you who don’t want the rapture to come until you’ve experienced more of this life should think about that.)

If this is an actual account and not just a story told for the purpose of illustration, there must have been more going on here than just an innocent collection of statues.  After all the woman was healed upon destroying them.

Thank you if you have time to answer, and thank you anyway as I read on your web site frequently.

A.  Matt. 5:3 says,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

When the word spirit is in the lower case, as it is here, it refers to the human spirit not the Holy Spirit.  To be poor in spirit means to be destitute of wealth, influence, position, or honor.  The Greek word comes from two others that mean to crouch down and be prostrate. Think of the lowliest subject who finds himself in the presence a mighty king and you’ll have the idea.

Yesterday I went to the contemporary service because my daughter is a Senior in highschool and was being recognized during the service.   When the service started, I felt repulsed.  It was so loud and the words seemed repetitive and grew louder. The music vibrated thru my bones.  I felt like I was at a rock concert only I was in church.  I know that some large churches are moving toward a more contemporary style to invite more people to come.  I get it, but I am not sure it’s hitting the mark I have set as a standard most of my life.  Can you offer any study for me, or help me know what God says.  I have read much about worship, but this loud rock music style in church concerns me.

A. All worship music was contemporary when it was first written.  I like some of the older music better than some of the new stuff, probably because that’s what I grew up with, but acoustic worship is my favorite.

Psalm 100 says we’re to shout for joy to the Lord and come before Him with joyful songs.  I sometimes wonder what we’d think of King David’s music if we could hear it. My guess is that we’d still like the music we’re familiar with better.  If you don’t like contemporary music, leave it to those who do.

A. If they’re singing to please the Lord and don’t care if they win or lose that’s one thing.  But if they’re competing for the award then as far as I’m concerned they’re singing to man.  That said, I’m  not convinced there’s anything wrong with it, as long as they don’t confuse the intent and start to think that God likes them the best if they win.

I respect the individual tastes and preferences of his saints. But it seems like there are more and more people making blanket condemnations about this type of ministry. What is your take on this issue?

A. Although I think traditional hymns have more theological depth, I prefer contemporary worship. I think it can create a greater sense of intimacy and I know it helps me get into a proper frame of mind to pray or hear the Word. I confess I am not fond of most Christian pop music. To me it’s just like secular music with a thin coat of “Christianity” plastered over it.

There’s obviously nothing in the Bible that says Christian music has to be stuck in the 19th Century. Remember, when those hymns were first written they were contemporary music just like the Psalms were when David first sang them. The only qualification should be whether it draws the worshipers closer to the Lord.

Q. I periodically re-read sections of the bible. Each time I find more that I did not see before. This time I am in 1 Corinthians 11. I am concerned that I need to cover my head when I worship or pray. This chapter speaks about honoring your head (authority over you). It says men should be uncovered and women covered. I know that women used to wear hats etc. to church on Sunday’s but that’s no longer the case anymore (at least in my church). Can you expand on what this chapter is referring to?

A. I believe that Paul was using a local custom to illustrate a timeless truth, and that is that our God is a God of order. He has established a hierarchy in His creation that begins with Him, then goes to Jesus, man and woman in that order. In the society of the day, a woman going out in public with her hair uncovered was a demonstrating her rebellion against that hierarchy. It was a sign that she was available, and therefore an insult to her husband. Paul was reminding them that our worship services are regularly attended by angels and out of respect for them we should be careful to adhere to the established order while in worship.

Today the head covering for women is not customary, but we should still be careful to act in a manner that pleases the Lord and is acceptable in His sight, especially in worship. For instance how many people routinely show up late for worship, or fail to demonstrate the proper reverence while there, or in other ways by action or appearance distract other worshipers? Would they look or act this way if they could see their angelic visitors, or even the Lord Himself in their midst? Worship is not a time for musicians to show how talented they are or for worshipers to call attention to themselves by the way they act or look. It’s a time to pay homage to the Lord, to focus on Him, and to express our gratitude to Him. It’s not about us, it’s about Jesus.