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Randy suggests some resources on Jesus' prayers.

This is a very hard question that many in and out of church leadership ask. Although there is no explicit biblical position, I believe it is implicit because of at least two New Testament passages. 

You are very right about the extent of devastation brought on the entire earth due to the curse. The amount of pain in the world is terrifying, but that pain is bearable when we remember God's ultimate plan for redemption and restoration.

There is a category of created beings that pre-existed the creation of the universe which are generally known as angels. There are two types of these beings in the Bible that are said to have wings: Cherubim (Exodus 25:20; 37:9; I Kings 6:24, 27; 8:6-7; 1 Chron. 28:18; 2 Chron. 3:11; 5:7-8; Ezekiel 10) and Seraphim (Isaiah 6). Therefore, in my thinking and that of most theologians, I believe, we know for sure that some angels have wings.

Question from a reader: I’ve been listening to instrumental New Age music at night when I fall asleep. A couple of different nights I have woken up, with the music still playing, with a huge sense of terror, afraid I was going to die. The only thing that seems to diminish the terror is reading Scripture. Could this music be affiliated with the demonic world?

I love this prolife story. It testifies to the ways God can use believers peacefully praying, holding signs, and sharing prolife information as well as the gospel, outside an abortion clinic.

Earth is unique. It’s the one planet—perhaps among billions—where God chose to act out the unfolding drama of redemption and reveal the wonders of His grace. 

For those of us in the Western world, the idea of being a refugee—of being forced to flee your home under threat of persecution, conflict, and violence—is unthinkable. 

If every player on one team were an atheist and everyone on the other loved Jesus, I would never assume that the team with the believers would win. :)

Question from a reader: On the doctrine of rewards, 1 Corinthians 3:15 says some will “suffer loss” though they are saved in and in the New Earth. That’s always bothered me. Loss implies comparison, and something “bad” in Heaven. Do you think that such loss is permanent? Or might there be opportunity to work past the "loss" and improve one's lot?

Jesus said, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Here in the same sentence, Christ uses the word “eternal” (aionos) to describe the duration of both Heaven and Hell. 

The desire to be popular and avoid people’s disapproval is a common reason for Christian leaders to hold back in pro-life efforts. 

When I need a point-of-view adjustment, I read the last five chapters of Job. That’s where the focus shifts from Job’s questions about his suffering—and his friends’ proposed answers—to God’s majesty.  

This is another one of those areas where we have to speculate. We don’t have the direct biblical teaching on this, but we do have the direct biblical teaching of having real actual human bodies as created by God, not subject to sin and death and suffering.