The question I have: I believe six years ago, the Lord placed in my heart the desire to become a nurse, and ever since I received that, I've been pursuing this, taking classes and asking questions.  This quarter, I'm taking a biology class, but for some reason, I'm starting to wonder if this is what God wants me to do.  The reason why I'm asking myself and asking God this is because this quarter, I find myself struggling to sit down and study and do the homework.  I want to do well in this class; I want to understand what I'm studying; I want to be that nurse for God that knows what she is doing.

What I want to know is why it is a struggle for me now.  Is it because I'm out of God’s will?  (I hope not.)  Or is it something I'm not seeing?

Sincerely,
Nursing A Career

Dear Nursing A Career,

God doesn't miraculously imbue us with what profession we should take and the power to sail through classes.  The fact that you are having to work hard for your degree isn't a sign from God one way or the other.  Hard work is a blessing, and hard workers are pleasing to God.  Ecclesiastes says that we have the freedom to pursue whatever things we want in this life – as long as we remember that God will judge us in the end for the life we lived (Eccl 11:9).  Being a nurse is a noble and kind profession, and there is nothing wrong with pursuing it, but don't think that God directly spoke to you that you need to be a nurse.  God doesn't work that way.  God speaks to us through His Son's Word, the Bible (Heb 1:1-2).  We are faithful when we listen to that Word and obey it (Rom 10:17).  Nursing school is a difficult challenge for even the most agile minds – you aren't struggling because you've done something wrong.

Sometimes, in the margins of my Bible (King James), there will be another Scripture listed next to some of the verses in the text.  Are these cross-referenced verses supposed to be comparing verses from different books of the Bible?  Even if they reference New Testament verses with Old Testament verses?  Have there ever been cross-referenced verses to non-canon books?

Sincerely,
Footnote

Dear Footnote,

Cross-references identify commonalities between different parts of the Bible—chains of similar themes, words, events, or people.  Depending on the particular company that produces the Bible you are using, your copy may have a lot of cross-references; it may have very few.  Cross-references can be helpful study tools, but they aren’t part of the original Bible; they are just helpful tools put in by the printing companies to further your studies.  As far as referencing apocryphal books, some Catholic Bible printers do reference non-canon books because they are of use to those who practice Catholicism… but most Bible printing companies do not.

In a previous post titled "Big Dreams", you said "there are no more prophets since we have the perfect and complete Word of God (1 Cor 13:8-10)".  How do we know that 1 Cor 13:8-10 is talking about the Bible?  What are some other things people think perfect/complete is?

Sincerely,
Incomplete Understanding

Dear Incomplete Understanding,

The perfect that is described in 1 Cor 13:8-13 is typically thought to be one of two things.  It is either perfect knowledge of God’s Will (also known as the completed Bible) or the Second Coming of Christ.  So, let’s look at the details we are given about ‘the perfect’ and see which one fits better.

1. ‘The perfect’ is something that would replace partial knowledge (1 Cor 13:9).
2. ‘The perfect’ would remove the necessity for prophecy and new knowledge (1 Cor 13:8).
3. When ‘the perfect’ comes, christians will still be expected to have faith, hope, and love (1 Cor 13:13).

The third item on that list is proof that ‘the perfect’ isn’t the Second Coming of Christ.  When Christ returns, we will no longer need hope or faith.  Faith is trusting in something you can’t see (Heb 11:1); when Jesus comes, we won’t need to have faith in Him – everyone will see Him and every knee will bow (Rom 14:11).  Hope is also something that ceases to exist when Jesus returns.  Hope is always in something you haven’t attained yet (Rom 8:25).  For example, if a child is told by his parents that they will take him to Disneyland, the child has faith in the parents’ promise and hopes to see Disneyland… until the day that he walks into the Magic Kingdom.  Hope and faith only exist because Christ hasn’t returned yet.  ‘The perfect’ has to be something that happened after prophecy and miracles ended, but before Jesus’ return.  The most logical explanation is that Paul is discussing the perfect and complete knowledge that can be found in the completed Bible.  Today, with a finished Bible, the church still needs faith, hope, and love, but we no longer have a need for prophecy, and we no longer have only partial knowledge of God’s Will (Jude 1:3).

In reference to Heb. 1:14, how do angels minister to christians today?

Sincerely,
Angelic Asking

Dear Angelic Asking,

God says angels are regularly involved in influencing and protecting human lives.

1. They report to God on behalf of christians who are abused, persecuted, and mistreated (Matt 18:10).
2. They watch and rejoice when the lost repent (Lk 15:10).
3. They are watching and see when we sin (1 Cor 11:10).
4. They carry the souls of the faithful to Paradise (Lk 16:22).
5. They protect and fight over the spiritual direction of nations (Dan 10:13).

The end result is that we don’t know much about angels, but we do know that they influence the lives of all of mankind.  Their very name explains their role.  ‘Angel’ means ‘messenger’.  Angels are the messengers of God, daily fulfilling tasks on His behalf.  Wherever God’s will needs to be fulfilled, angels will not be far.  In the case of Jesus – He had been given specific authority to call upon angels to protect Him at any time (Matt 26:53).  The Bible never states that all christians have been given that kind of authority.  However, when a righteous person prays, God listens (Jas 5:16)… and if God listens, He may very well send His angels to do His bidding on our behalf.

What does the Bible (and where) say about two people living together prior to marriage?

Sincerely,
Spare Key

Dear Spare Key,

Moving in together would be a sin as well as a temptation toward further sin. No matter how pure our intentions might be, two people of the opposite sex living together looks bad. Even if you weren’t actually sleeping together, nobody would believe you. God tells us to abstain from every form of evil (1 Thess 5:22). The word ‘form’ in that verse literally means “shape or appearance”. Christians need to not only avoid sin – but avoid looking like they are sinning. A boyfriend and girlfriend living together (no matter how chaste) looks like a sinful relationship. The Bible also tells us to do the things which are ‘honorable in the sight of all men’ (Rom 12:17, 2 Cor 8:21). Consider what living together before marriage does to the honor of your girlfriend/boyfriend. God wants you to do what is in their best interest and uphold their reputation and honor.

Secondarily, the temptation to sleep together will certainly grow with living together. There is nothing abnormal about a man and a woman being strongly attracted to each other. God recognizes that young people naturally are inclined to burn with passion for the opposite sex (1 Cor 7:9). The key is to make sure you don’t put yourselves in a position that could compromise your integrity. We are to ‘flee fornication’ (1 Cor 6:18) and be wise as serpents in regard to righteousness (Matt 10:16). Don’t set yourselves up to sin.

The idea of living together before marriage is a modern one – not a Biblical one. Biblically speaking, if you aren’t ready to get married, you aren’t ready to live together. The deepest act of love you could show to your girlfriend/boyfriend would be to wait until you are ready for marriage.