Jack, I can always count on you to answer my questions in a way which helps me to understand.

I am currently reading ‘The Problem of Pain’ by C.S. Lewis and in one respect, I am understanding and in another respect, I feel very confused. My mind is trying desperately to wrap around the concepts presented here.

In one regard, Lewis states that God did not create us to love Him, rather He created us so He could love us. In another section of the book, not much further along, Lewis states that God does not need us. Because He is perfect, He needs nothing outside of Himself. Rather, He has made Himself need us for our own sakes, because beings that we are, we “need to be needed” and so He “needs” us out of Love for us, a perfect Love.

I hope I am making sense and quoting Lewis correctly. This is how I understand it anyway.

My question is this: Does anything we do here make God happy? Does He ever look down on us and smile? For if He truly does not need us beyond us needing Him, then does anything we do really affect His opinion of us one way or another?

I know the Bible mentions our good deeds being rewarded, if they are truly unselfish and thoughtful deeds, without thought to one’s own self or how it will benefit us. But does this mean at all that God is proud of us, or that we please Him in any way?

I just sat and cried after reading the book, without truly knowing why. Part of me understands and yet part of us does not and I guess that scares me and confuses me. Thanks for any insight.

I’m enjoying your mp3 studies, but have a question. In John, the verse about Jesus leaving and preparing a place for us with his Father, who has many rooms… Isn’t he speaking to his deciples who are Jewish? Then if he is speaking to the Jews I’m confused because if I understood the studies corectly the Jews are going to be on Earth with God, and the Gentiles will be in heaven. Please help me see where I’m confused.

We have Christian friends who allow their children to watch and read the Harry Potter series. How can we explain to them that this isn’t innocent children’s stories? God Bless you!

Thank you so much for your wisdom and insight into the Bible. In one of your articles I remember you saying that trib believers would have different eternal rewards than the Church. I think this was from the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, but I think I see it wrong.

It said that the church in Philadelphia would be made into a pillar in the temple of God, never leaving it and always being a servant there while those in the church in Laodicea would be seated on the right of God. I am most confused by this because the impression I got was that those roles would be reversed, unless all believers’ rewards are the same.

Thank you for taking the time answer our questions. I was reading Luke 11:29-30. It is the passage where the crowds asked Jesus for a sign, but answering them, Jesus said that no sign would be given them except the sign of Jonah. I’m a little baffled as to why Jesus would phrase it this way since He’d been doing miracles left and right all this time. Weren’t those signs as well?

Hi, I love your website. My question is on what works are our Rewards at the Bema Seat based upon? Is it our obedience to the Lord’s commandments on a day to day basis, struggling to be obedient in times of Temptation, etc. Or are they something different, like seeing a starving person on the street, and getting them a sandwich to eat, or giving someone some clothes that are in need? Or is it a combination of both?

Is being a church hopper and wanderer a sinful practice? For years I have been going round all the churches in different areas going from one to the other,and never settling anywhere for more than a few weeks at a time and it has now earned me a bad name. I’m known all over the place for being a wanderer and I find I am disliked for it.

What can I do about putting things right as I have recently become a Christian and have confessed of this sin before God, as well as all my others and have asked Jesus Christ into my heart and life to be my Lord and Saviour. I have been told that it is really wrong in Gods eyes to be going from church to church, and back and forth one to another. What are your views on this?

As always thank you for you willingness to share your thoughts on these matters. My question for you is how do we weigh out the contrast between Matthew 5:17-20 and Acts 15:19-20 (Also the majority of the message of Hebrews). I have a Messianic Jewish friend that dwells very heavily on the Matthew verses, but most denominational churches teach a theology of Grace (and rightfully so) but begin to neglect the law. Is it something deeper than just, “the rules never changed, but the penalty is gone”? I have a hard time meshing that with the lifting of the kosher dietary requirements that Peter had given to him from Heaven, to me that shows that the rule (at least in that case) was changed. I know this is one of those subjects that is easy to run too far to either extreme so I was hoping you could provide a scriptural balance for it. Thank you for your help.

I would like to know if you know what happened to the ark of the covenant. I know about the ark but I don’t know what happened to it. I know that they took the staff and the bowl of manna out but where is the ark?

I became pregnant with my high school sweetheart and we got married. Four years later I met another man and fell in love. I left my first husband and married this man, committing adultery. I could give excuses for why I left my first husband but there really is no excuse for what I did. I know it was wrong.

After my second husband and I had been married about 2 years we also had a child and I started feeling very guilty about what I had done to my first husband. I went back and asked him to forgive me and told him I would come back if he wanted me to, but that I would have to bring my new baby.

He said he forgave me but didn’t want me to come back. I feel like I did what I could to fix things. I don’t want to go to hell and I don’t want any one else to go to hell because of any thing I’ve done.

Later I was baptized and promised God that no matter what happened I would never get another divorce. Now my second husband and I are getting ready to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. The question is, am I living in sin because my first husband is still living, or has God forgiven my sin?