SAVE YOURSELF! THE PLAIN TRUTH |
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| Q & A With the Author of Save Yourself! The Plain Truth Q. What does it mean when someone says they're saved? A. For some reason people are afraid of the word "saved." Being saved basically means you are no longer separated from God. I think the term conjures up feelings of weakness for some people. Like someone has to rescue them from themselves, and as Americans, we are into the idea of self-sufficiency. We are being saved from the grip of the devil and from our own poor choices. No matter how strong we are, you can't beat Satan on your own. Q. How come God doesn't always answer our prayers? A. God doesn't always answer your prayers because you may be asking for something unreasonable or that doesn't fit into the plans God has for you. God is like a good parent, he won't let you do something that is bad for you. Asking to win the lottery might sound like the solution to your money woes but will probably cause you more harm in the long run than working hard for a living. Another reason God might not answer your prayers is because you took the credit for the last answer to a prayer. Like pulling off that big job or saving your friend's marriage. The expression "all glory goes to God" means you have to give God credit for answering your prayers or he may not answer the next one. And, sometimes the lack of an answer is your answer. Q. Do you have to go to church to have a relationship with God? A. No. The Bible is very clear that you can have a relationship with God without organized religion. We are told to worship God in groups of two or more though; church just happens to be where others worshiping God hang out! So even the most stressed out, overly scheduled family can always make time for God right in their own living room. Q. Why do people kill in the name of God? A. Unfortunately there are people who lost the meaning of what God is saying to us. The Old Testament in the Bible has stories about God helping the Jewish people fight off their enemies. They win because God is squarely on their side. The problem comes when people today think God is telling them to fight for him. God can fight his own battles. He can win them too! After God made a new covenant or agreement with us, each of us became responsible for our own outcome. We win the battle by choosing to follow God, and conversely, lose it by not choosing God. And if we don't choose God, by default we've chosen to follow the devil. Scary thought, isn't it? Q. The Bible is full of incredible miracles. Does God still perform miracles? A. Absolutely. The miracles may not be of biblical proportions like in the old days - no parting of the Red Sea, walking through fire, being saved from the lion's den type miracles - but they still happen. It's not because God can't pull those off, it's because in the Old Testament God was doing big miracles to convince a large group of doubters that he could do what he said he could do so he needed to put on a big show. After making the new covenant with us, God now performs personal miracles for each of us. Occasionally you'll read in the newspaper about someone who survived unbelievably harsh conditions or who was in a horrendous accident and walked away without a scratch. These are God's miracles today. God does lots of little miracles or favors for us every day too. When you get all green lights when you're late for that important meeting, that was God working for you. There are no coincidences. Q. It's hard not to sin. Does God punish us if we don't do what we're supposed to do? A. No. God is very forgiving. We don't get to go to heaven because we are good. We get to go to heaven by accepting his son, Jesus, as our personal savior. God actually requires a lot less of us than we think he does. Most people think you have to be perfect to be loved by God. On the contrary, God loves us the most when we are at our weakest. That's when he can help us the most. God is all about helping us. |
| Interview with Kathryn Lehan - Author of Save Yourself! The Plain Truth |
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