Do you think God sometimes wants His children to suffer? Does Love really want the object of Its love to suffer? A pastor I know believes that Jesus was “made perfect” through suffering, and so how much more do we need to be perfected by the same means. I mentioned to him that Jesus was perfect from his birth, God in the flesh from the get-go, and that suffering didn’t “improve” him, since if He were flawed at all, He wouldn’t have qualified as the savior. I told him that the verse he’s referring to is speaking of how Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for sin after suffering the cross. But he insists that God teaches us lessons by inflicting suffering. I told him that God gave us His Word to perfect us and His Spirit to guide us. Am I correct?

What is the comparison and contrast between victorious faith and overcomers faith that we find in the book of Hebrews in chapter 11 and their applications for those who are represented in Hebrews 11 by the two groups of people known as the overcomers and the others?

Re: Romans 8:28-30

We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Would you please explain this verse in light of other Q&A posts you’ve answered on this site? Thanks!

I am 71 years old, a Christian since age 10. I never asked to be born, I wish I hadn’t been born—having suffered from depression all my life. How can God condemn me or someone like me to hell. I don’t want to live—-I didn’t want to be born– yet here I am living and if I wasn’t a Christian I would be condemned to hell. If I had not had a Christian upbringing, I would commit suicide, but do not believe that is right. I have never understood why someone who doesn’t want to live has to live. I have prayed numerous times at night not to wake up, but I wake up and have to face a new day each day.

I have a question about giving. A couple years ago, my wife and I prayed about an opportunity that would enable us to give more to the Lord. We looked into a small business opportunity that she could run while I maintained my full time job. We prayed about this endeavor and felt the green light to move forward. This was two years ago. Since that time, we haven’t made any money in the business. In church this morning, I felt the Lord tug at my heart and ask me to trust Him with the income from that small business even though it’s not making money. If I do this it will mean there will be some business bills I can’t pay right away. Do you think the Lord is waiting for me to start giving from the business revenue before the business prospers?

I’d like your advice on an issue I’m facing. For most of my life I was involved with occult practices like tarot card reading and spell casting. As a nominal Christian at the time, I saw nothing wrong with this behavior. During that time frame when I was into the occult, I literally developed a talent for writing out of the blue. I became very prolific and often worked on three or four stories at one time. I wasn’t looking to become a writer or anything, it just happened.

Well, just over a year ago the Lord opened my eyes and I realized I had to stop all the tarot card readings and whatnot – it wasn’t pleasing to him. And only then did I notice – I mean, really, truly notice – that many occult and new age opinions, or practices, or just mentions of those things had been featured in some of my stories all along (I can be very dense at times).

So I’m no longer a ‘closet Wiccan’, but I would like to start writing again. But I can’t write anything! I’m not sure if it’s writer’s block or if it’s because demons had given me the ability to write. Or if it’s because I’m scared to open my mind up to imagination in case those pesky demons try to find a way in again. You know, the verse about the demons leaving and coming back with ones that are seven times worse plays a lot in my mind. I’m very frustrated. Any thoughts you have would be quite welcome! Thank you!!

You have been good to answer so many of my questions. I have been involved with a kind man who has been renting a cabin on my land. Of late he has lost his job due to his boss dying. His mental state has been very odd and he seems to have delusions as to some things that happened in the military. How does God want us to deal with this kind of thing?

How do we compare our Christian duty with modern medical psychotherapy structures? Didn’t Jesus heal minds? Why would God put a man in this condition? My friend says he wants to be healed, and he has confessed Christ. Please help me understand.

I have a question on Wheels with eyes in Ezekiel 1:15-21. While I was studying Ezekiel I came across this, and was completely perplexed. I think most of the commentators are too, because the 2 commentaries I’ve read, don’t have anything to say about it really, except that the rims full of eyes symbolize the all seeing nature of God. So, my question is, what are the wheels, what do they symbolize, what significance do they have in the passage?

I have a question about Psalm 33 and Genesis 18. In Psalm 33 it states that God sees all of mankind from Heaven. He is able to view and know every man and woman’s thoughts, feelings, etc. There are a number of other places that say as much as well, this is just the one I remembered the book and chapter for. But in Genesis 18:20-21 He says that He is going down to look at Sodom and Gomorrah to see if the sin and wickedness are as bad as the outcry that has reached Him. My question is, why? Why would He need to go and see in person when He can see from Heaven?

Some say that every time the word believe is used in Scripture it means to continuously believe. They take this to mean if you quit believing, you are not continuously believing, and that one day you will no longer be saved. Can a true Christian really quit believing? I could see that in a human sense something MIGHT happen to make someone quit believing Christ and yet in my very heart I just don’t see how someone who really believes would ever quit.