Ray and Sue,

I was hoping I could take a few minutes to ask a question and draw upon your experience and wisdom. It concerns knowing the will of God and faith and confidence. We have a decision to make in our family, and there are good reasons to believe we should go through with it, for the benefit of many of us. There are many factors involved: financial, relational, comfort, influence of the children, etc. And, though I may be convinced it is the right thing, there is still an uneasiness. Now, I know many of the principles of finding God’s will:

• What is righteous
• Peace after prayer / Clear feeling of direction
• Open and closed doors
• Blessing to others
• Wisdom of scripture
• Wise counsel (uh, that would be you guys!)

My question is whether my uneasiness is a lack of faith. In studying science (and especially probability and statistics), we define confidence as a measure of certainty, and it is always somewhere on the continuum between 0 and 1, exclusive of the endpoints. So, I feel that I cannot say anything with 100% confidence, though I may approach that on the most serious issues in life. And when I want to determine the will of God in the gray areas, my confidence is much less than on things of which I’m doctrinally certain.

If it is a lack of faith, does this have spiritual implications I’m unaware of? I mean you can say I’m sure God exists, and I’m certain Jesus was raised from the dead. To some extent, though, my confidence is based upon my perception of these realities. Any my perception can always have a (remote) possibility of being false, right? The easiest person in the world to fool is myself (Richard Feinman). Even if I know God wants me to walk that tightrope, I may still have an uneasiness as I do it, right? Is this a lack of faith? What am I missing here? What are your experiences regarding this?

Thanks for your time. I’ll be very appreciative of any insight you can throw my way.

Dear ______,

Good to hear from you. Glad to know God is leading you into places of uncertainty!

Let me explain. It sounds like you have availed yourself of godly wisdom and sound counsel. Your hesitancy is not so much a lack of faith as it is a normal human reaction to change. It’s called fear! Stepping out of our comfort zone! When a soldier is asked after performing a heroic deed in battle if he was scared, he invariably says YES! Courage is not the lack of fear but the ability to do what is right in the midst of fear. Jesus Himself experienced the agony of Gethsemane. It wasn’t a lack of faith He wrestled with, but the very real fear of separation from the Father. Once He was convinced that the path ahead was the will of the Father, He went ahead despite the fear.

Each time I was elected chairman of the elders at our church (two consecutive years), I experienced times of wrestling with God whether He really wanted me to do that. I was scared of not being able to measure up. I felt unqualified. But once I was convinced that this was His path, I was still scared and insecure but determined to follow His path for me regardless of the consequences.

I have found that this is precisely where God wants us so we can depend on Him and not ourselves. If we are fully confident in our own abilities and decision-making, then our confidence is in our own flesh and not in Christ. Sometimes we need to be put in a rather squeamish or uncertain position, so we can recognize that it got done by His grace, and God gets the glory and not us.

If God is leading you in an uncertain or slightly scary position or decision, that means He is giving you an opportunity to grow. Will you trust Him or yourself? He won’t shout or make it so plain as to be a no-brainer. He wants to see if you are listening to that still small voice despite the contrary noise of your flesh. I have never regretted stepping out when it didn’t always make complete sense. The fear or uneasiness often doesn’t dissipate until well after the decision is made and the results begin to show.

You are right to say that we are never entirely certain of anything. But that is not a lack of faith, just being human.

As a whole, I am firmly convinced that the church suffers today because too many are unwilling to face their fear or indecision and truly rely upon God and not themselves. I think you already know what is the course He wants you to follow. My advice is to make the decision knowing that at every step you are relying on Him and not yourself.

Respectfully,

Ray Bohlin

Dear ______,

So good to hear from you, and thank you for honoring us with this question!! I loved what Ray wrote and mega-dittoes to him on everything he said. I just have one thing to add. . .

I think that when we have a decision to make, it’s either between two good things OR between the right thing and the wrong thing (or possibly wise and unwise). If it’s a choice between good things, we can choose either one and the Lord will be glorified and He will accomplish His purposes either way. In that case, it’s been my experience that we don’t necessarily get a super clear “YES, DO THIS AND DON’T DO THAT” kind of response from the Holy Spirit. Which can be a little unsettling because we want clear direction and instead what we get is the Lord saying, like a waiter opening the menu before you, “Choose whatever you want and you’ll enjoy whatever you choose.”

Then there’s the other kind of choice, which is between right and wrong or wise and unwise. I like to think of those as “red light/green light” kinds of choices. Either the Lord gives us a red light (“Stop! Don’t do it!” or a check in our spirit) or a green light, which is either a sense of being given permission or a lack of any constraint otherwise (and sometimes it’s a clear “Go for it!”).

So my question is, is your uneasiness due to a “red light,” in which case making that choice would be disobedience, or simply the reality that you’re not completely sure?

Sounds to me like it’s the second, which takes you back to what Ray said about the humanness of experiencing fear as we step outside of our comfort zone.

Hope this helps!

Warmly,
Sue

I was intrigued to read your website article on angels. I myself have been studying the occurrences of Angels in history and would like to know if you can recommend any literature from the Church, or recommended by the Church on such matters.

I have to admit though that I have come to the philosophy, after a bad dream/visitation by an evil, guttural sounding, disembodied voice telling me that my books would not help me, and at the time they were all references to the New Age fallacy and how to spot the lies, that we need to know more about the New Age cults so that we can not only test our own faith, but see how stupid most of these New Ager’s ideas are.

I read one book that said Jesus was really a spaceman and another that Angels were Aliens, but I didn’t take any notice, leading me to realise that if you want to live in a world of stories rather than in truth you will never be saved no matter who tries to help.

The other main worry that is filling my life at the moment is that the Churches are starting to follow the new age ways as well. Is this the end of popular religion as we know it?

Thanks SO much for your note.

I have to admit though that I have come to the philosophy, after a bad dream/visitation by an evil, guttural sounding, disembodied voice telling me that my books would not help me, and at the time they were all references to the new age fallacy and how to spot the lies,

Oh man!! What exceptional evidence that demons are intrinsically involved in this whole issue and behind much of the angel mania!! I’m sorry you had to go through that. I don’t know if anyone has ever given you any direction on dealing with that kind of visitation, but if it ever happens again, God has given us powerful supernatural tools for fighting spiritual warfare. In case you haven’t heard of this, I’ll go ahead and share; if it’s old news, just hit delete! :::::smile:::::

If you have trusted Christ as your savior, you have the authority to speak to demons (out loud) and say, “The blood of Jesus protects me, and in Jesus’ name you have to leave!” I personally know this is effective. God’s weapons are, indeed, powerful for pulling down strongholds (2 Cor 10:4).

that we need to know more about the New Age cults so that we can not only test our own faith, but see how stupid most of these New Ager’s ideas are.

Amen, and amen!!!

The other main worry that is filling my life at he moment is that the Churches are starting to follow the new age ways as well. Is this the end of popular religion as we know it?

There have always been attacks on the orthodoxy of the truth throughout the history of the church. That’s why Peter was so concerned about identifying and rejecting false teachers. No, it’s not the end of popular religion as we know it, because God will always preserve His church and His truth. But you’re right to be concerned about the movement of some churches toward New Age garbage; for instance, churches who teach “A Course in Miracles,” which was channeled by a demon!

would like to know if you can recommend any literature from the Church, or recommended by the Church on such matters.

Yes. Billy Graham’s book Angels is a classic. Another excellent book is Angels: Elect and Evil by C. Fred Dickason. There may be more good ones that have come out in the past several years, but I know these two for sure.

I hope this helps, and the Lord bless you and keep you.

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

I just wanted to let you know I found it offensive how you describe satanism, buddhism, witchcraft or other religions as a “problem.” The real problem in this world are the people who believe their religion possesess the right to rule the entire planet and they are right and everyone else is wrong…do we try to change the world to reject christianity? In most cases (except the nutballs) no. But the tyranny of christianity finds it to be necessary to try to change everyone to its ways. So much for tolerance…is it any wonder I converted?

Thank you for writing.

I find it interesting that you call our information “offensive” when you had to search it out and come to our server to find it and read it. There’s a big difference between something being different from what you believe, and being offensive. If someone deliberately hurls obscenities or causes nauseating odors within a few feet of you, that’s being offensive. But stating what we believe, especially when there is very good evidence that it is true, isn’t offensive–even though you have the right to take offense at it. But that is your choice, one you have the right to make.

That said, let me address the content of your letter. I get the sense from the hostility of your e-mail that, quite apart from what you read on our website, you have been on the receiving end of some very unloving, disrespectful, manipulative messages on behalf of Christianity. If that is the case, let me say I’m sorry, and let me try to assure you that people who truly understand the person and message of Jesus Christ understand that no one can be coerced into being a Christian; it has to be a freely made choice. We understand that any attempts to “rule the entire planet” are foolish and completely misguided, because God doesn’t work that way–He honors the dignity and choice of the people He made and loves very much.

I will admit, though, that yes, we do believe Christianity is right and all other religions are wrong, but it’s not because we’re so smart or so prideful or so arrogant. We believe it because there’s strong evidence that it is true, it’s our personal experience that it is true, and it is the world view that is most consistent with reality. We also believe it because of revelation: the belief that God has spoken to mankind and has shown us what is ultimately and eternally true, and we’re just agreeing with what God said. If Christianity were a man-made religion, as all other religions and faith systems are, then it WOULD be arrogant and self-serving to believe we are right and all others are wrong. But true Christianity is about relationship, not religion, about a love affair between the one true God, who loves us and courts us.

Because we do believe in absolute truth, and we believe that God has pierced the space-time continuum to show these truths to man, then it makes sense that other religions which deny these truths would be a true, cosmic-grade “problem,” because those who trust in them are misguided, deceived, and headed for an eternity separated from the only One who can give them–give you!!–life.

Were you around when Jim Jones caused a holocaust at his cult compound in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978? He had hundreds of disciples drink Kool-Aid laced with cyanide. If one person had gone around warning the people not to drink the Kool-Aid because it was poisoned, that person would have been labeled a “problem,” when actually the problem was the Kool-Aid (as well as the mind of the cult leader). I think there is a legitimate parallel between the Jonestown tragedy and what we are saying about other religions. I pray you will be intellectually honest and investigate whether the “spiritual Kool-Aid” you’ve been drinking is pure, or poisoned. And I pray you will be able to get past the hurtful, unfortunate experiences you’ve had with people who claim Christianity and check out the true Person of Jesus Christ. See if He’s the real thing. You may find that what you converted FROM isn’t true Christianity at all, but a sad, sad parody of it, that deeply grieves the heart of God.

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

First of all, I am not a member of the A.R.E.. Your dissertation on Edgar Cayce is what one might expect of Christian Fundamentalist narrow thinking. Anything that you don’t understand becomes “satan motivated” or “demonic.” Why God, if there is one, would ever want to look into or back on such a planet and people such as us, I fail to understand. People like you have been programed to be set in your ways and intrepretations by your families and up-bringing to point that you see nothing beyond your King James Bibles (flawed, contradictory and controversial).

Whether Edgar Cayce is valid or not, it is people like you that will influence free thinking and considerations. I could go on, but by now I am sure that you will attribute my words as inspired by those terrible demons that are so conveniently at your disposal whenever anything threatens your way of thinking.

Thanks for writing. No, I don’t think your words are inspired by demons at all, but I do wonder why you would take the time to write without offering something specific that you object to in the article on Cayce.

Yes, in some of our analyses we are definitely narrow-minded. There is a time and a place for that. I want engineers, for example, to be extremely narrow-minded when it comes to measuring and figuring all the numbers that go into making a bridge, because I want it to hold up when I go across it. I want airplane designers to be extremely narrow-minded about what it takes to get a jet to fly and to come back down in one piece. And when it comes to the spirit realm, I want to know what is true and what isn’t, because there’s a whole bunch of activity in that arena that affects human lives.

I’m sorry for whatever has happened to make you doubt that God exists; it would seem that SOMETHING went wrong somewhere for you to experience such hostility. By the way, when I went from not believing in God to realizing there was plenty of evidence not only for His existence, but for His love for me, that was the opposite of narrow-minded thinking. On the contrary, it broadened my world beyond anything I thought possible.

But thank you for writing.

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

Is the United Pentacostal Church a cult, theologically speaking? And if so, why? What do they believe?

The doctrine of the UPC is definitely heretical; they deny the Trinity in favor of what is called the “oneness” doctrine. Heresy makes groups a cult. Here’s a good article on that from Watchman Fellowship: www.watchman.org/cults/upc.htm

Happy reading!

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

I do not wish to sound rude but, I could not help but tell you my views on an article I recently read. The article pertaining to Satanists quite angered me. In it you state that most of Satanists are teenagers, and yes all I know are teens but, you relate that we all have low self-worth, are unable to distinguish between right and wrong, have problems at home or with our peers, use drugs, and are sexually promiscuous.

I find it wrong to stereotype people in any way! I have a very high self-worth, and I love who I am! I’m happy with my lifestyle, I have tons of friends and my family loves me! I’m not abused in anyway and even preps talk to me in the hallways (without vulgar language and angry comments). I don’t practice sex people! I’m a virgin and proud of it!!! My parents are Catholic and yet they accept me for me and understand my personality and beliefs. I hate to say this but I believe it is the religions of today that are wrong. Christians are, most of all. They take things they don’t understand or that aren’t from their religion and automatically link them to Satan.

It is these fanatics whom are making me seem evil! I’m not!!! I also am greatly revolted by the way it referred to metal bands!!! In society today, I believe that rap has more of an effect on people! These rappers are getting killed in gang related events, getting time in jail and promoting sex, drugs and naked women in their videos and no one says anything! But, Slipknot puts out a CD with a goat’s head on it and suddenly they get labeled as Satanists!!! I feel that my music is fine the way it is; evil, maybe; but it reflects me.

Furthermore, in the article it states that Satanism is “the worship of satan,” another misconception! We do not all worship Satan as an entity. It is merely of oneself and most often does not involve Satan. Please! We only want to be left alone to our beliefs. I mean, isn’t it required in the constitution of the United States?

Hello ______,

Thank you for writing about our Satanism article.

It’s unfortunate that you got so angry at the general principles the author outlined without reading the exact words he used. When someone uses the word “generally,” he is allowing for exceptions to what he is saying. And to describe characteristics of a group of people isn’t stereotyping if the characteristics are valid. I’m delighted to hear that your family loves you, you appreciate yourself, and that you are a virgin and you’re proud of it. Good for you, ______! (I wish you could hear my voice. . . I am not being in the least bit sarcastic—I truly mean it. What a delight to hear these things about and from a teenager.)

You may want to be left alone, and nobody at Probe Ministries is trying to force you to change. We are simply making information about Satanism available to those seeking it. Which is how you found us, right? You sought out this article, we didn’t force it on you.

When you are older and you discover that you are either bored by self-worship, or you discover there really is a personal spirit who hates you and cackles at his control of you, I want to suggest that true power, true love, and true wisdom come from knowing Jesus Christ personally and trusting in Him. He’s stronger than Satan and He loves you instead of hating you. Just a thought for you to tuck away for when you need something more than what you have right now.

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

I am hoping you can help me with this huge dilemma: how to talk to a friend who has rejected Christ for Eastern religious thought. I am so ashamed that I have not kept very close to my Lord through His Word, so now I can’t think how to answer this friend who is lost deep in Eastern thought. I am hurtfully speechless when she spews out the “Jesus was a good guy…God is all good and would never create a hell…we are all good…there is no sin” stuff. I am very uneasy around her. I have to keep praying in my mind to keep her awful lies out of my head. Can you help me?!?!

My friend is visiting her dying mother, and will not be here long. So, I am desperate for quick help. I am so grateful for any help and resources you can point me to.

 
 
You sound like you are in such emotional and spiritual pain! Bless you for carrying such a deep burden for your friend.

I think the best response to the “no hell/we are all good” stuff–showing how deceived she is!–is to go for the heart. You said she is tending her dying mother, so apparently she cares for her mother. You might try this approach: “What if someone broke into your house and raped and murdered your mother? You know it could happen; it happens every day. What would you want to happen then? Would you send ‘happy thoughts’ to the raping murderer because he’s a good soul? Or would every shred of your being cry out for justice?

“I know you; I know you would want justice. And you know why? Because you are made in the image of God, and God is not only good and loving, He is also just. He wants evil punished. He promises He WILL punish evil. Don’t you find that comforting?

“Eastern philosophy doesn’t fit reality, because we know there IS evil, there IS sin, and the cry of our hearts is that evil and sin be addressed. And when you go back home, I beg you to read and research and think about the death of Christ. If He was only a good man, why did He have to die? If He was only a man, how could He come back to life, just as He promised He would?”

I suggest you leave your friend with questions instead of preaching the answers, and praying up a storm that the Holy Spirit will put hooks on your questions and not give her any peace until she deals with the truth and its implications.

I hope this helps!

In His grip,

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

How dare you judge! I just read your article on Edgar Cayce and he was a Christian. How can you say just because he had a gift that you can’t explain that he must have been in an occult! God gives us gifts and that is something you can’t control so why would you say he was dealing with the devil? Everyone perceives the Bible differently and who is to say that your way is right and his way was wrong? I am Catholic and I believe that God gives us gifts and what you choose to do with them is up to you!

Thank you for writing.

Have you ever been pulled over for speeding? When the police officer said, “You were going 70 in a 55 zone,” did you say, “How dare you judge!”? Probably not, because the officer doesn’t judge the people he pulls over–he compares our behavior with the standard of the law.

The article on Edgar Cayce compares his behavior with the standard of the law that God set down in the Bible. Having been brought up Catholic, I do understand that your perception of the Bible is probably not as accurate as it could be. The Bible is far more reliable than many people think, but they haven’t taken the time to research it. God has spoken very plainly about what constitutes the occult, and Edgar Cayce clearly fell in that camp. He certainly did have a gift, but it wasn’t from God, because God’s gifts behave differently than Cayce’s.

I hope that if this really bothers you, you will study the Bible for yourself and see that it is a supernatural book, and God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us understand it even further. It’s not open to every person’s individual interpretation, any more than the newspaper is. Different sections of the newspaper are to be read and interpreted differently, such as the comics, the front page, and the editorial page. The Bible is like that too, and the more familiar we become with it, the easier it is to tell the difference between the sections and the type of literature within it.

One more point: perhaps Edgar Cayce believed in God, but that didn’t make him a Christian. The Bible says that the demons believe in God, too. What makes a person a Christian is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, when we realize that He died on the cross for OUR sins and we say “thank you” for His gift of eternal life.

Thanks for writing.

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

A friend sent me these writings from Nostrodamus’ Quattrains:

What is the story on Nostrodamus? Was he a prophet or someone with extraordinary psychic powers? Was he a Christian? Is it true that his predictions have been fulfilled with great accuracy over the years? I’m sure I’m not the only reader that would like to know the answers to such questions.

 
 
I am so glad you wrote. I know this “prophecy” is buzzing around the internet in the wake of the WTC/Pentagon terrorist attacks.

First of all, these quattrains weren’t written by Nostradamus. They were written by a Brock University student within the last decade as a fabricated example to show how anybody could write an obscure-enough, impressive-sounding prophecy. (See the Snopes report: http://www.snopes2.com/inboxer/hoaxes/predict.htm)

Secondly, Nostradamus’ prophecies were written in a very old French, and much depends on both the translation and the interpretation. Prophecies can only be understood in retrospect, and his “believers” work very hard to try to make his prophecies fit events. His writings are full of symbolism and obscure references that could be twisted to mean anything.

If his writings coincide with later historical events, it’s a matter of coincidence, not of writing history in advance like inspired, scriptural prophecy. It is not true that his prophecies have been fulfilled with great accuracy. They have, however, been treated with great relish by those anxious to find a spiritual aspect to life without submitting to the True Author of actual prophecy!

Finally, I don’t know if he was a Christian or not.

Hope this helps!

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

Why is Jesus called “the Everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9:6?

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.

The phrase “Everlasting Father” looks confusing, doesn’t it? It shouldn’t be taken literally, especially since Jesus the Son is not God the Father. The key is to understand the term “father” as “kingly protector of his people,” which was used in both biblical (for example, see Isaiah 22:21 and Job 29:16) and non-biblical literature. And we Americans are used to hearing George Washington called “the father of our country,” but it’s certainly not saying he sired all Americans! It’s a figurative term that describes a great leader.

Hope this helps!

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries