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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.

My friend’s very elderly mother lost her husband last year and has now being diagnosed with lymphoma in her face. I mentioned this to my pastor and he led our congregation in prayers for her speedy recovery from this dreadful condition. It was all could do not to leap out of my seat and protest that none of her family wants her to recover. She is 86 years old and worn out with grief from caring for and then losing her lifelong partner. Recovery from this disease will only leave her waiting for another disease to take her, because, after all, no amount of prayer is going to turn the clock back and make her life span indefinite.

Is it wrong to pray for someone to die quickly from a condition, to pray that they don’t have to suffer the horrors of chemotherapy pushed upon them by ‘wellmeaning’ doctors? Are we required always to pray for people to recover from possibly terminal disease even if it means they will be left deformed and crippled? It seems so illogical – almost contrary. Why is it that even really solid Christians still seem to think that dying is the worst thing that can happen to a person, when it seems to me to be the start of REAL life?

Please put me straight before I say something and upset someone!!

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Brother. Your site is such a blessing to me.

My question is can we have an impact on someone’s salvation through our prayers? I have always believed that we could, after all, Jesus said to ask anything in His name and it will be done, it’s certainly in His will and two or more have prayed and claimed it. I just read your response to “Can we save the dead” and now I am wondering if my prayers will help.

I have two daughters, neither of whom are believers. I have spoken in depth with my oldest and she just doesn’t “buy into” Jesus. I pray that they will come to know the Lord before the Rapture. I admit that I am not always a great example to them, I am impatient and do other sins that I ask God to forgive me of. The problem is they don’t see that I am forgiven and redeemed at the cross – they only see me as an imperfect person. But, all this aside I am a loving, frustrated mother.

I am a totally born again, sold out to God Christian. I know in my heart that Jesus is coming back soon. I dream about being able to boldly witness to the many people that God puts on my heart but when the time comes I just lose courage. So what I do is pray for their salvation instead. I am so discouraged about this. I do not want to stand before the Lord and have Him say that since I was ashamed of Him, he is ashamed of me. I would appreciate your counsel and prayers about this.

Where should a church be drawing the line in the use of visual arts in Christian worship?

Our worship director indicated that he is going to be bringing more visual arts into worship so that there are additional means for the range of worshipers to express themselves in worship since some make connections visually. He thinks our church is too focused on head knowledge and not enough on expressive worship.

When we came to Christ, we were thrilled to have a church where the Word of God of God and the Holy Spirit were the focus. One concern is whether the Word will be de-emphasized in any way through this move to the visual or the senses.

I don’t want to be overly dogmatic because I love expressive worship. I know we are cautioned about visual representations in worship through the second commandment. But honestly, I don’t know where the line should be drawn in this area. What are your thoughts?

Where does the Bible say the Father, Son & the Holy Ghost is one person?

I was reading through John last night and had a question about John 3 v 13. “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-, the Son of Man.”

How can that be when in 2 Kings 2 vs 11 says; “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

Jesus can’t be mistaken so how can this be? Elijah went up to heaven in the Old Testament prior to Jesus going up in the New Testament but yet Jesus said no one has ever gone into heaven except Him.

I have been studying Ezekiel 38 & 39. I have noticed that in 39:2 the King James translation says “and leave the sixth part of thee”. I do not see this in any of my other translations. Why do the other translations not give this information or why does the King James have this information in it? No one has address this in any of the books I have read. I would like to know your thought on this.

I am on your website quite a bit. You always have some very insightful answers. I am having a difficult time at the moment, my cousin was murdered over the weekend and I am having such a difficult time coming to terms with this. She was only 35 years old and she was strangled by her boyfriend after they argued. He then hid her under her bed for two or three days. I trust in God’s plan but am having a difficult time accepting this. I know this is probably not the place to be bringing up this topic but I need to know how I can come to terms with such a horrific death of a young woman.

Since God is omnipotent, omnicient and omnipresent then why would God need for any to guard his throne? Also what book, chapter and verse do people use to back this idea? I do not believe that the anointed cherub was doing that. I believe he was on the original earth overseeing it prior to Adam’s creation. What’s your take on this? I still need book, chapter and verse, because I’ve never found it in the holy bible.