Q&A #198


1. I have been around a lot of people who seem to talk about the supernatural experiences and gifts a lot (prophecy, seeing angels etc), in light of a couple of the messages the last few weeks talking about the shortcomings of these things, how do we bring balance to conversations to help people we care about who seem lost in things that can be good, but aren’t the main thing.


2. Where is Matthew 17:21? In reading my Bible I noticed that Matthew 17 goes from v20 to v22. I checked it in multiple versions with mixed results. NIV, ESV, NLT, are all missing it though it can be found in KJV, NKJV and AMP (though it’s referenced in AMP that it’s not always included).

I know the Bible was made up of various manuscripts so some may have it and some wouldn’t but is seems like a pretty important verse in the context (those demons will not be removed without prayer and fasting) and it also seems to be inline with the New Testament as a whole, my notes even say that it basically says the same as Mark 9:29, so why would some leave it out and others put it in? Plus, if they don’t think it should be included then shouldn’t v22 actually be v21? Why leave a space for it if it shouldn’t be there? Also, are there many other verses like that?

3. From a Dad; I find my patience with my kids waning. For example baby is struggling to sleep, finally falls asleep, and then other kids stomp up the stairs and wake her up, even though we just asked them to be quiet. Maybe not a question, more of a vent. I find the peace of Christ is less present in my life since having kids. Practically speaking in these moments, responding with grace has been ineffective, but I know that responding with anger will also be ineffective.

Q&A #197 Fearing God, eternal life, monotheism and Exodus 12:29 are discussed in this episode.

1. I grew up in a conservative home that some times erred on the side of legalism. I feel like my idea of what it meant to fear God wasn’t healthy. I’m finding ways to walk in Truth of what it doesn’t mean to fear to God but I am still stuck on what it does mean to live in the freedom and victory He has won for me but fear Him properly. Any thoughts would be appreciated?

2. What does it mean to have eternal life (John 3:16) if you claim we are not immortal, I understand we are not physically immortal, but according to John 3:16, are we spiritually immortal if we receive the gift of eternal life?

3. Is monotheism truly the biblical position? If that is the case, why would Israel be tempted to worship other gods if they didn’t believe in them?

4. From this weekend’s message: Do we not have the same issues nowadays? Problem with all the present day “wolves in sheep’s clothing” is that they know the scriptures and appeal to the body of Christ by “showing” how it is God’s will, when it is actually not. Many Christians think these false teachers represent Christ and don’t look further. Things have not changed and I fear these good people may be “disqualified”

5. Last week on the podcast Kyle mentioned that God didn't kill the firstborn in egypt, an angel of death (or the destroyer) that was already on a mission to kill people did. It mentions this angel of death briefly mid chapter Exodus 12, but when I read exodus 12:29 when the firstborn were actually killed, it clearly says God did it in multiple translations. There are several times throughout the Bible where this angel of death is sent by God to kill both Israelites, and Israel's enemies. I hear what you're saying about being uncomfortable about God ordering the death of the firstborn, but it feels like you're jumping through hoops to prove a point you'd like to be true.

I don't understand the difference between believing God is continually holding back chaos and death, but then chooses to release it when He wants to, and God ordering someone's death by an angel when they have gone so far from God's will they embody chaos and death themselves.

I'd rather believe in a God that is takes responsibility for ordering force to protect the vulnerable (the Israelites in Exodus) but is completely patient, loving, and kind, than a God that seems to manipulate and control other powers (the destroyer) to perform his will. Whats your take?

Q&A #196 Love and suffering, dangerous ideas, loving wife as Christ loved the church, healthy fear of God and a new heaven and new earth are all discussed in this episode.

1. If God is love, why does it seem like he plays favourites throughout the Bible? When he rescued the Israelites from Egypt one of the punishments was the killing of the first born. I know that the pharaoh was disobeying God, but what about the average person among the household and staff? Why did they have to suffer too?

2. Version 2 You often joke that each other is a heretic, but all joking aside what would you say are some of the most dangerous ideas today?

3. Help me resolve a question with my spouse. It is a basic rule of marriage that a spouse warms the other when they’re cold. My husband asked where that rule came from and I suggested it’s from the Bible when it says to love your wife. He said that’s out of context but my rebuttal was that if Jesus would wash his disciples’ feet then he certain wouldn’t shy away from warming them. So, if husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church I think it’s a reasonable conclusion to draw. What are your thoughts?

4. I grew up in a conservative home that some times erred on the side of legalism. I feel like my idea of what it meant to fear God wasn’t healthy. I’m finding ways to walk in Truth of what it doesn’t mean to fear to God but I am still stuck on what it does mean to live in the freedom and victory He has won for me but fear Him properly. Any thoughts would be appreciated?

5. Part 1: Not sure if you have time for this. When Scripture talks about the New Heaven and New Earth, is that a specific point in time that is brought only by a second coming?

Part 2: Or is it a progression over time that is brought about by God's work in His people and signified as "completed" by Jesus' second coming?

Q&A #195 Baptism, the enemy disarmed and heresy are discussed in this episode.

1. If baptism is about Jesus’ death and resurrection, why was John baptizing people before Jesus’ ministry, let alone death and resurrection?

2. Thanks for the message today. I have a few questions. When you mentioned that the enemy is disarmed when we are in Christ I have the following questions:

(a) Is this automatic when we are saved?

(b) Is the enemy only disarmed when we are in Christ? Scripture seems to indicate that there are times when we may not be in Christ. IE If we remain in him? If we remain attached to the vine?

(c) If not remaining in him are we left open to attack from the enemy?

(d) When does prayer play a role (specifically if other people pray for someone)

(e) When does Ephesians 6 10-18 play a role? Or James 4:7


3. You often joke that each other is a heretic, but all joking aside what would you say are some of the most dangerous heretical ideas today?

Q&A #194 Universal redemption and free will.

1. Does universal redemption violate a person‘s right to choose? Do we really have free will if our eternal destination is already decided? Does free will necessitate the option for someone to not spend their eternal existence with God?

Q&A #193 Further talk on reincarnation and the evil spirit of 1 Samuel 18 in this episode.

1. Further to my question about reincarnation from last week, I just envision that the Lord could use us in different places at different times, other than when we are first living. And it is not a punishment, but just the Lords wheel. It seems to me that our bodies are just a shell to hold our real selves, and so if the Lord chose to put us into another body and then send us back out there (here) for various reasons, just as it seems he did to Elijah, then why not? It is not the end of time yet.

2. In our daily bible discovery today in 1 Samuel 18 - a question arose about verse 9&10. It says in verse 9 that
Saul jealously eyed David from that day forward. In verse 10 it says the next day an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul. One person thought God wanted Saul out of the picture, and a couple of us questioned the possibility of God sending evil spirits at all. When Jesus, who was God made flesh walked among us, he never ever was friendly with evil spirits but drove them out of people providing deliverance from evil. I have trouble reconciling these completely opposite views of a triune God. How should we read these Old Testament views of god?

Q&A #192 Sin in our hearts and reincarnation are discussed in this episode

1. In Psalm 66:18 it says if I have sin in my heart the Lord will not hear me. Is this Old Testament mentality or does this hold true for life as a Christian? How do I search my heart to know if God isn’t listening to my prayers because of sin? Any thoughts on this verse and others like it would be appreciated

2. In light of Matthew 17: 11-13, where Jesus says that Elijah came back to “put everything in order again” and the disciples “understood that He was talking about John the Baptist”, wouldn’t all this indicate that reincarnation is real? Is this not a clear example of reincarnation? I also remember that , then Jesus had the chance, He never said it wasn’t a practise, He just said that we don’t understand how it works

Q&A #191 God's relationship with Jewish people, free will and Jesus cleansing His temple.

1. I had a thought the other night while watching a documentary. How does God’s relationship with the Jewish people work since Jesus came? I know they don’t believe Jesus is the son of God minus the Messianic Jews but did they just carry on as they always had? Does God still speak to them as He once did

2. I have two words FREE WILL. ( Dun dun daaaaaaaa) How does it work? How do we truly know if we have it? Is there any proof that we do or don’t have it?

3. On Sunday you talked about how Jesus disrupts the status quo and how he cleanses the temple. Is it possible that the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people into the full life of the church is that same work? The Israelites thought what they were doing was right but was actually an injustice, could the church be doing the same thing with LGBTQ+ people?

Q&A #190 Fighting for rights and Scripture being God breathed.

1. I have read some social media posts by fellow Christians that say we should stand up and fight for our rights. Personally I want to stand up and fight too. But, before I fight anyone I want to know what my rights are as a follower of Jesus. What does the Bible say my rights are that I should fight for

2. What was the name of the pastor that Kyle was talking about on the podcast March 17th in regards to breaking the Covid rules? Is it James Coates? Because it didn't sound like it.

3. I read your lent segment today on how all scripture is God-breathed but I still cannot reconcile the fact that when that was written, they were talking about the old scriptures and prophets. Even if they were saying that what they wrote was from God, this would not preclude future prophecies and writers also listening and writing from the heart of the Holy Spirit. “While the authors write from their own personalities and will, the Spirit (breath) of God inspires and impresses upon the authors as they write, so their words are the very words of God (2 Peter 1:20-21).”Sure, many of them were literal followers of Jesus but Paul was not; he had the Holy Spirit. And do we not have the Holy Spirit and are we not inspired today? What do we actually have, other than a bunch of men sitting around a table, that makes these particular books the only canon? Of course prayer was involved but so were personalities.

As you mentioned, they even changed Junios to Junias. Imagine if the Council met today how diverse they would be. I’m sure they pray sincerely, yet I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them. I know you've tried to answer this question quickly before, and I do follow the entire Bible but I’ve always been seriously thrown by this one.

Q&A #189 Scandal safety measures, respecting authority, John 9:4 and David's transgressions.

1. What steps and practices do you take as church leaders to avoid getting caught up in a scandal like many other leaders in the North American church?

2. I have a couple of friends in the nursing industry and they say that the Covid situation isn’t as bad as the reports from the government would want us to believe. I want to please God in this season and I feel like that means to respect those in authority over us. I am really struggling with what that looks like and to also honour our mental health and to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those He has placed in our lives. What are your thoughts?

3. In John 9:4 Jesus talks about working the works of God while it is daylight. What is He referring to that the night is coming when no man can work?

4. Who would have recorded David's transgressions for it to be in the Bible? So would everyone in the kingdom then have known what he did? Then he is willing to wade through the scorn reach out to others and redeem himself.