Character Archives - Christian Questions Bible Podcast

As a Christian, we never want to be in a situation where we end up fighting against God. Yet, we may end up in this position more often than we’d expect. To fight FOR God is to stand for His principles, His Plan and His purposes as outlined in Scripture. This sounds simple, but it really isn’t. We find ourselves fighting against Him when we are misinformed or misguided and we take a stand for something that is less than godly. Sometimes we mistakenly or purposefully misrepresent God’s word or focus on motivation that is less than spiritually pure. It is easy to look at our thoughts and preferences and interpret them as “God’s will” for us and then pursue them with confidence. So, how do we know if we are really on God’s side or someone else’s in these circumstances?

To determine if we are fighting against God is not as easy as you might think. Loving God does not automatically make us lifetime members of the “I fight for God Club.”  This dilemma is aptly displayed in what we know about the life of the Old Testament prophet Jonah. Jonah was a mouthpiece of God.  He was chosen to bring God’s messages to the people and to bring them in line with the Creator’s righteous ways. Jonah was told by God (notice he was told, not asked) to preach to the city of Nineveh about their sinful ways. The end result was that Jonah DID preach but he did NOT want to.  Jonah fought for God in his mission but fought against God in his heart.

As odd as this sounds, this is a common challenge, as fighting against God can happen in a variety of different ways. The Bible gives us examples of the creative subtlety we as humans use to appear as spiritually-minded when we are actually going in a different direction. One example of this creative subtlety has to do with identifying and calling out legitimate issues. We can observe someone being wrong or unjust while working in God’s service. We might react to this with focus and indignation.  Perhaps we present evidence to show how it is fighting against God, and we would be right. We can and should demand change. The subtlety begins here, as the change we demand fits our personal agenda and not a higher godly agenda. We initially stood for God, only to fight against Him in our proposed solution to the problem.

Check out our November 15, 2021 podcast, “Am I Fighting For or Against God?” for more. We look at several biblical examples of how we can end up fighting against God, even when we don’t mean to. Identifying when and how we fight against God is one thing, but searching out ways to prevent it is another. Join us for some very practical scriptural tactics that can help us overcome our broken, human approach to godliness. Let’s fight the right fight!

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Life can be difficult and unpredictable. It can be full of insecurity, unexpected disappointments, and events that press and overwhelm our coping skills. All of this can bring us to places that make us want to run from our reality. We instead engage in a pseudo-reality that makes us feel better – at least for the moment. Enter the pathway to potential addictive behavior. It often begins as a subtle escape, or a convenient distraction, or a thrilling experience. Destructive addictions always end in several layers of disaster. At the top of the addiction casualty list is our character, integrity, family, friends, work associates, and often our financial standing as well. What should we look for and do to avoid or remedy the destructiveness of addiction?

Nobody sets out in life with the goal of becoming some kind of addict. At least, that’s what our guest Merrily said about her own life. Merrily is a dedicated Christian woman who painfully worked through her own addictions to drugs and alcohol many years ago. In telling her story, she shared how the road towards addiction looked more like a road to excitement and acceptance. Even though this road seemed to be continually headed towards “Party City,” it was littered with warnings and caution signs. The problem is, when you are traveling so fast you don’t have time to think about those signs along the way.

Just because we are Christians we cannot relax when it comes to awareness about and protection against these kinds of things. Addictions always begin with a perceived need or desire. They are fed by compulsive behavior, which in and of itself is not always a bad thing. A compulsion can be an irresistible urge and if those urges are to righteously act in the direct service of God, then let’s go! However, we all know that such an urge is much more the exception than the rule. The bottom line is that we need to be painfully aware of the direction our compulsions are pointing us towards.

As Christians, there is much we can do to identify and destroy addictive behavior. One simple and powerful key in this fight is perspective. We need to go through each action of each day remembering who we are and what we are called to. Being a disciple of Jesus is a whole mind, whole heart and whole body commitment. Anything and everything we focus our attention on must fit within that description.

Check out our October 18, 2021 podcast, “Could an Addiction Block My Christian Growth?” for more. We follow Merrily’s inspirational story of being trapped by addiction, falling, bottoming out and recovery. Several scriptural principles are laid out to help us whether we are heading into trouble, in trouble or broken. We learn about the power of accountability and the transformational properties of contentment. Addiction is a serious and sometimes deadly issue. Join us for a stark look at its nature and the relief that is found in recovery!

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Every Christian loves Jesus and every Christian wants to be acceptable to him. None of us ever wants to take his sacrifice on our behalf for granted. We don’t want to fall into a pattern of complacency where we don’t appreciate the blessings he gives us. While these are all well-stated intentions, we need to dig in much deeper to see how to make them well-lived principles. How do we actually live our love for Jesus, and what role does passion play in that life? Where do the dangers of complacency lurk? Is all passion positive? Is feeling content really expressing a lack of appreciation for what God does for us? Fortunately, the Scriptures give us very clear answers to all of this!

To be complacent is to be in a self-satisfied state with little or no awareness of deficiencies or danger. This is a really easy and appealing state of mind, as it focuses on everything being just the way we want it to be. The lack of awareness issues that come with it can be easily ignored by simply smothering them with our feelings of satisfaction. Out of sight, out of mind.

This is obviously a dangerous place to live if we are Christians. The very idea of self-satisfaction is in direct contradiction to our stated focus of following Jesus. The Pharisees reminded us of how blinding complacency can be. Of all the people in Israel, they had the best education and the best access to their Holy Scriptures regarding the coming of their Messiah. When Jesus arrived they rejected him, choosing to rely on their power and position instead of the prophecies in God’s Word. They were just too comfortable to see the error of their ways. That comfort caused them to lose God’s favor.

Passion is the other side of the story. Passion is a strong feeling, be it positive or negative that can drive us to action. We all have experienced our own passion. We have also seen it in others. One obvious observation that needs to be clearly stated is that all passion is not good. As a matter of fact, most of our passions tend to bring us down dark roads that often dead-end at regret. Why? Most passion is emotion-driven, and many of our emotions are self-centered and riddled with sin.

So, how are we supposed to be passionate about Jesus if passion can be just as bad as complacency? Check out our October 4, 2021 podcast, “Am I Passionate or Complacent About Jesus?” to expose the pitfalls of complacency. We break down and discuss how passion works. How can we find godly and compelling motivation to put Christ-centered passion in place? Managing the passions in our lives can be just as challenging as avoiding the complacency traps that surround us. Join us for this enlightening journey towards true discipleship and true passion for Jesus!

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So, what does it mean to be a Christian, and how do I know if I am doing it right? What happens if I am doing it wrong? Is there a clear-cut standard? Will Jesus be disappointed in me if I fall short? Am I expected to change who I am, or develop who I am? Is my life supposed to be about everyone else, or do I just need to really love Jesus? Am I in line to get everything I want, or do I have to give everything up? How often do I have to go to church? Should I pursue a career? Do I have to study the Bible all the time? While defining success or failure as a Christian is not an exact science, it is a vitally important understanding to have. As we address these questions, our objective will be to find the biblical answers that can guide us to living our daily lives in accordance with God’s will and word through Jesus.

To measure success or failure as a Christian, we need to understand the beginning basis of being a Christian. Jesus himself said in John 6:44 that nobody comes to him unless the Father first draws that person. Jesus also warned those who would follow him of the hardships they would face. He talked bluntly about “carrying your own cross.” In those days, this would have been a horrifying image of pain and suffering. He also spoke clearly about counting the cost of a Christian lifestyle. These plain statements by Jesus simply tell us that discipleship begins with God drawing us. It continues with us answering that call with an eyes-wide-open weighing of its cost.

This is hard to do, as it touches on every aspect of our lives. So how do we measure success or failure here? Perhaps the first of many questions we need to ask ourselves is, how serious am I about being Jesus’ disciple? Measuring our seriousness can be done by observing our outward lifestyle and actions. What does who I spend time with and what I do with my time and resources say about me? The Bible gives us several markers along these lines. Our succeeding or failing as a Christian can be revealed by comparing these biblical standards with our lifestyle. Do you like what these comparative results show you?

Many of us will not be happy with what we see. Does this mean we are failing as Christians? Check out our August 30, 2021 podcast, “Am I Failing as a Christian?” for more. We delve deeply into these hard comparisons and several others as well. Most importantly, we open the door to working on where we fall short. Just because we may have lived a substandard Christian life yesterday does not mean we have to settle for it today. Join us and build an understanding of what discipleship really means so we can all clearly focus on “walking the walk” of Jesus and not just “talking the talk.”

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Never in the history of humanity have we had such a profound ability to communicate with others. From the palm of our hand, we can see and speak with individuals and groups all over the world at anytime of day or night. We can message, share and “like” in countless ways.  Yet, never in the history of humanity have we been so disassociated, disconnected and dysfunctional.  We are more polarized, more self-centered and more alone than we ever have been.  So, how did we get here and how do we fix it?  How do we find our way through this technology-driven world and actually connect with others? As Christians especially, what do we need to do to be connected with those around us in a way that can bless and encourage them?

Let’s begin by figuring out what it means to communicate. In the New Testament, the words translated into our English “communicate” are very different than we might expect. Their meaning has to do with much more than talking and much more than being able to make a point. They have to do with giving, usually in relation to supporting others who are in a disadvantaged state. When the brotherhood stepped up and supported those in need, it is spoken of as a sacrifice that is pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:16). We therefore see Christian communication as actively reaching out into another’s life by words or actions to build them up.

To learn to be effective communicators, we first look to the example of Jesus. What we find is a clear “how to” template to model our communication efforts. Jesus knew how to tell stories, ask questions and was able to reach out and heal diseases by God’s power. He also communicated through words and actions with laser-like focus. While we cannot do the miracles he did, we can communicate with the intention of being a positive and healing presence in the lives of others.

While Jesus is our best example, it is important to realize that strong communication is a very customizable process. Because we are all different in relation to our temperaments, experiences and perspectives, we need to be flexible in our approach. The Apostle Paul was a striking model of this flexible approach. While out preaching the gospel in Athens he came across a harsh reality. As he responded, he showed us how to take what could have been a volatile experience and turn it into a positive one. What are the details?

Check out our August 23, 2021, podcast, “How Can I Effectively Reach Out and Connect with Others?” for more. We introduce several Communication Effectiveness Traits that can seriously help us along the way. We outline Paul’s mastery of many of these traits as he dealt with what could have been a hostile audience. Effective communication is a result of many important tools being used together. Join us and fill your toolbox with these vital instruments. Everyone benefits!

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Forgiveness is a tough thing. The times we need to forgive are usually the times we are in no mood to forgive. It can be easy to say, “I forgive you,” but are those words reflected in my thoughts, emotions and actions? Do I say those words out of mere obligation or to just end an uncomfortable exchange? What does it mean to forgive someone anyway? Does my forgiving someone who wronged me release them from the consequences of the wrong? Is it supposed to make life go on as if the wrong never happened? Am I still obligated to forgive if the person who wronged me doesn’t care about being forgiven? So many questions that can only be answered by understanding how the Bible defines forgiveness.

To “forgive” can mean several different things, even in the Bible.  The most dramatic biblical definition of forgiveness is that of granting freedom or a pardon.  Someone has broken a law and they are legally pardoned. This means they are no longer liable to the consequences of their crime and they can walk free. In the New Testament, this particular word for forgiveness is only and appropriately applied to Jesus’ sacrifice. Adam sinned and we are all born into that sin and live lives guilty of that inherited sin. Jesus came and gave his perfect life in exchange for Adam’s and made a pardon available to us through that gift.

In Scripture, when we “forgive” others, we are not pardoning anything. Another word for “forgive” in the New Testament has to do with sending something away from you. While the meaning here is not as dramatic as freedom or pardoning, it is still a formidable task. Think about an experience you have had where someone wronged you. Think about the physical pain, or the trauma, or the emotional upset, or the ripple effects they caused. Now imagine yourself pushing those things away from you so they are no longer relevant. Go ahead, close the door on them! This little exercise probably didn’t get you very far, did it. Why? Forgiveness is hard, that’s why.

To forgive – to truly send the unrest someone’s wrong has caused you away – takes more than an impulse or a thought. It requires a serious commitment to living a forgiving life. Jesus showed us how difficult a forgiving life can be when Peter asked him if forgiving his brother seven times in a day was enough. His answer was no, forgive seventy times seven! I hope you are not counting!

Check out our August 9,2021 podcast, “Did I Really Forgive Them?” for more.  Jesus told us we need to be forgiving in order to be his followers. We isolate the meaning and challenges of truly forgiving someone. We walk through the steps and thinking needed to be forgiving. Finally, we focus in on the benefits of such a decision. Join us as we tackle what can be a difficult but profoundly positive and life-changing experience. This is absolutely a journey worth taking!

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As Christians, we are constantly faced with the challenge of doing the right thing in a sinful world. We are bombarded with input and suggestions that can easily cloud the simplicity of what the right thing is. Once we get the right thing in focus, the next challenge is to do that right thing the right way. Often, the right way is NOT our natural or preferred approach. The problem? Our handling of what is right in God’s eyes is ALWAYS subject to Satan’s attacks. These attacks can come from external forces, but often his most destructive attacks come from our own fallen thinking and desires. Essentially, Satan can effectively lay siege to our spiritual lives by opening doors to try and accomplish spiritually right things in a humanly sinful way. We need a battle plan to defend against Satan!

In the ancient days of Scripture, laying siege to a city was a long-term conquering strategy against those who lived inside the city walls. This was a loathsome way to be attacked, as it induced isolation and fear. Starvation and loss of life were also expected outcomes from a siege, and not just for those inside the walls. Add in the ramps, tunnels and catapults and you have the makings of what could be a years-long military entanglement. None of this was good.

In an obscure Old Testament account, the peaceful and faithful Jewish city of Abel was besieged by Joab, commander of King David’s own army. The king commanded him to chase down a treasonous man who ended up hiding in the city of Abel. This ill-advised siege was set to produce untold damage destruction and death upon countless innocent people. Had it not been for an unnamed and wise woman stepping in, this story would have ended in tragedy. So, what does all of this have to do with defending against Satan’s attacks? Plenty!

Check out our August 2, 2021 podcast, “What’s My Battle Plan to Defend Against Satan’s Attacks?” for details. We look at this amazing true story and put its profound lessons into an allegory format. What if the main characters and the city in this account could represent our own personal struggles to be faithful to our Christian calling? What if there was a message here for us regarding the quiet yet potent power of God’s spirit in our lives?

As Christians, we are always striving to be on the side of righteousness in God’s service. While the desire to serve and protect our spiritual calling is vital, it is even more vital to observe how we do this. We often talk about the importance of doing the right things. Unfortunately, we less often focus on doing those right things the right way. Satan is a formidable foe and he WILL use our own self-will and ego to undermine our focus on living a sacrificial Christian life. Join us for this unique story and learn to defend against pursuing God’s will our own way.

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What are we supposed to do?  What do we do when we have done something – either on purpose or by accident – that causes someone excessive harm or loss, or even tragedy? How do we go on, how do we face our family or those we have hurt? How do we live with ourselves? Crushing guilt can bring us into a place of dark and misery-ridden hopelessness. It can make our life feel joyless and pointless. The good news? As Christians, we have access to God through Jesus. While they won’t miraculously lift us out of the mire of crushing guilt, they will, if we let them, give us direction, strength and hope. We just need to be willing to do the necessary work in faith. So, how do we get there from here? We’ll start with the story of someone who has been here and is now walking this difficult road to acceptance.

Jennifer has been married for almost 20 years and is a mom of four. About five years ago, the trajectory of her life changed when she was in a car accident that took the life of another. Though not criminally negligent, Jennifer did cause the accident. She now must live with the reality of someone’s death happening as a result of something she did. Jennifer is intimately familiar with the overwhelming consequences of crushing guilt.

The first thing we need to know is that we cannot take the consequences of our guilt away. We can try and ignore them.  We can pay them lip service. Or we can even try and redirect the blame for the wrong done away from us. Yes, we can do all these things, but inevitably none of them will help us alleviate our guilt. The only way to productively and decisively manage crushing guilt is to work through it. We need to face it in all of its misery, confusion and hopelessness so we can sort it out.

This is by no means an easy or even a welcome task. On the contrary, the time and effort needed can be daunting. But there is good news! Not only do we have biblical guidance as to how to navigate through this mess, we also have Jennifer and other real current-day examples to help us through. Check out our July 19, 2021 podcast, “How can We Overcome Crushing Guilt?” for more. We listen to Jennifer unfold her journey beginning with the trauma of the accident. She walks us through the stages of growth that brought her to a point of healthy and godly acceptance.

As a backdrop for her story, we look at two Psalms of David written about a specific tragic event in his life. One Psalm tells the story of plowing through the guilt, and the other tells the story of what the victory over guilt looks like. We can overcome the crushing guilt in our lives. Further, we can also learn to pass on the value of our learning experience to others. Don’t miss this opportunity to unlock hope!

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To “challenge” Jesus and succeed is not something you hear about every day, so let’s clarify what we are talking about. Jesus was a speaker of God’s word and a doer of God’s will. Inevitably, challenging this would be a futile effort. When we say “challenge” we mean not following an expected pattern. There were a few instances in the ministry of Jesus where someone did not exactly follow Jesus’ set patterns regarding healing and they were blessed anyway. On this episode, we investigate another unnamed woman of the Bible. The Syrophoenician woman spoken of in Matthew 15 and Mark 7 was one of these people. This unnamed Gentile woman did not accept a seeming denial from Jesus when she asked for her daughter to be healed. Jesus complied with her insistence and she was blessed.  What was her secret and what can we learn?

Jesus had ventured into the non-Jewish territory of Tyre and Sidon to rest. After he entered a house in which to find that rest, a loud and emotional woman showed up, begging and yelling to see Jesus. Her daughter was demon-possessed and she was at her wits end. She knew Jesus unexpectedly coming to her hometown was the one chance she had to rid her child of this evil experience. She wasted no time and expended all of her desperate energy to get his attention.  He just had to help!

There was a significant challenge that stood between this woman’s pleading desire and her daughter being healed. They were Gentiles. Jesus came to be the Messiah of the Jewish nation. He came to fulfill the Jewish Law and be the deliverer of the Jewish people. The woman and her daughter were not scheduled to receive the Messiah’s blessings just yet.

So, what happens next? Several things of great impact. The woman does get to talk to Jesus and he does heal her daughter, though it was not a simple path to get to that resolution. Who is the real hero in this exchange? That depends on who you talk to  We believe the woman showed heroic faith in Jesus, and he rewarded it with heroic and miraculous healing. Some say it is just the woman who was the hero because she “straightened Jesus out.” They say that Jesus showed bias against her, even racism.

Who is right? Was Jesus bigoted in his approach to her? Why would anyone even say such a thing? Check out our June 21, 2021 podcast, “Who Successfully Challenged Jesus?” for answers. We look at the entire account in its context. Then we follow this woman’s hysterical introduction and observe how she responded to Jesus with extraordinary faith and conviction. We learn why Jesus said the things he said to her. This is much more than a story of somebody being healed by Jesus. It is a practical lesson that teaches us how to take our own raw desperation before our Lord to find the answers and comfort we seek.

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The Bible is full of inspirational accounts of such female heroes of faith like Abigail, Mary and Esther. It also gives us the cautionary tales of the infamous like Jezebel and Delilah. But there is a class of special women in the Bible – both virtuous and sinful – whose stories are told without mentioning their name. Often they are associated with well-known men who are named, yet they themselves remain anonymous. Who were these women and what do their experiences mean to us? Today’s focus will be on one of those infamous yet unnamed women, the wife of Potiphar. Her role in Scripture is primarily defined as the seductress who pursued Joseph when he was a slave in her household. While there was nothing honorable in her actions, there are significant lessons we can learn from them.

Joseph was a strong, brilliant and very handsome young man in his 20’s when he was a slave in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar was an influential officer of Egypt. He recognized Joseph’s work ethic and ability, so he placed him into his highest trust. Joseph became the overseer of the entire household. Potiphar’s wife also noticed Joseph, and she wanted him as her lover. When her proposition was plainly rejected by Joseph, she began to seduce him.  Day after day she attempted to entice him to be with her, and day after day Joseph resisted.

Fast forward to our day and this game of seduction Potiphar’s wife was playing sounds all too familiar. Because we are overtly loose with our sexuality and because we are so infatuated with ourselves, seducing someone into giving us want we want is commonplace and easy. Why shouldn’t we be able to have this thing, or that success, or that specific person? I deserve it! When it comes to being with that desirable one, I can make them want me as well.

As Christians, where do we fit into all this? Is it ever appropriate to use any form of seduction to get what we want? The short answer to this lies in the basic definition of seduction, which has to do with disloyalty, leading astray and false promises. Clearly, none of these descriptions aptly fit a true Christian character. It has been said “the devil is in the details,” and that is painfully true when it comes to really understanding how seduction actually works.

Check out our June 14, 2021 podcast, “Can I Get What I Want Through Seduction?” for more. We lay out “The 11 Deceptive Tactics of Seduction” as detailed in an article by Peter Krol. These tactics range from manipulating the very subtle nuances of life to brash and overt advances. They include commandeering some of the simple and seemingly harmless things in life. Things like food and spiritually-based activities can become tools of ungodly desire and passion. Seduction can be subtle as easily as it can be overt. In every case it is scary. Join us to be forewarned and forearmed!

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