Where in the Bible does God say to protect Israel?

Sincerely,
Hebrew Helper

Dear Hebrew Helper,

Christians aren’t told to protect Israel – they may be America’s national ally, but biblically, Christians have no closer ties to Israelis than they do to the rest of mankind.  Under the Old Testament, the Jewish people were God’s nation (Deut 7:6).  The Jewish nation was warned that if they rejected God’s Son, they would be rejecting God, and God would make a new nation out of those who believed in Christ (Jesus explained this to the Jews in the parable of the vineyard – Lk 20:9-19).  The vast majority of Jews didn’t believe in Jesus, and therefore, they never became a part of Jesus’ kingdom.  Jesus’ chosen people are those that love Him and keep His commandments (Jhn 14:15).  The Jewish people rejected God because they decided to keep their traditions instead of accepting God’s Son (Mk 7:9).

    What do I do when life is hard and I want to turn to God, but I don't really know how?

Sincerely,
Making Every Effort

Dear Making Every Effort,

Rom 12:1-2 says that we renew our minds when we begin to mold our lives to imitate our Lord.  The more we change our behavior to match the Bible, the more our mind begins to match our new lifestyle.  There is an old saying: “Fake it to make it”.  When we begin to act the way we ought, our minds and characters begin to match our new behavior.  Positive thinking begins with positive life choices.  Sometimes the greatest act of Christian faith is to endure through the pain of trials until you get to the other side (1 Cor 10:13).  Endurance is a Christian virtue (Jas 5:11).  Sometimes all you can do is simply put one foot in front of the other, keep God’s commands, and it will be counted as faith (Rom 10:17).

     Does God bless everyone with a wife?

Sincerely,
Waiting

Dear Waiting,

There are no guarantees regarding marriage.  In a fallen world full of sin, all sorts of tragic things happen… including people living without helpmeets even though they desperately want them.  God offers us comfort in that we can seek Him and His help through prayer (Jas 5:16-18).  God even says that there are advantages to being single, and that our single years can be our most productive spiritually (1 Cor 7:32-34).  Take heart that the Lord watches over those that are His (Jhn 10:14), and you will never be tempted beyond what you are able (1 Cor 10:13).  We can’t guarantee that you will have a wife, but we can tell you that in almost all cases, the right person comes along at the right time.

     God bless you, brethren.  My question today is how important is it to have a clear conscience?  I have the tendency to be a critic, especially of myself.  Even when I do something right. I often replay it in my head and feel like I could've done it better.  I find it hard to be satisfied and pleased with the amount of love I show people, the sharing of the gospel (or lack thereof), my thoughts, my devotional life, the amount of time I spend in prayer and in the Word, etc….

Sincerely,
Critical Thinker

Dear Critical Thinker,

There is a difference between being dissatisfied with past choices and having conscience problems.  The word ‘conscience’ refers to that part of your mind that prompts you to do what you think is good and condemns you for doing what you think is bad.  Paul said that he had a clear conscience… even though he had attempted to kill Christians (Acts 23:1).  The reason Paul could have a clean conscience after doing such reprehensible things is because when Paul did it, he did it in ignorance (1 Tim 1:13).  As soon as Paul realized that he was sinning, he changed.

This is exactly what you are describing in your life.  You try your best, and when your conscience prompts you – you act.  Sure, there are mistakes made along the way, and in reflection, you could do better, but that is true of all of us.  The key is that you are listening to your conscience and keeping a soft heart that is open to the Lord’s teachings (1 Tim 1:5).

    Is it okay for a Christian to file for bankruptcy?  Wouldn't that be basically the same thing as lying since you've signed legal documents promising to make payments for the life of the loan?  I know of someone who rationalized "letting the bank have the house" even though the house is worth a lot less now.  What does the Bible say about this?

Sincerely,
Money Management

Dear Money Management,

Bankruptcy is never “okay”, but there are mixed reviews on whether or not it is a sin.  Bankruptcy always involves pain and suffering, and regardless of whether it is a sin, filing for bankruptcy is never an easy road.

Some folks point to verses that talk about keeping your word (Matt 5:37) and being a faithful steward (1 Cor 4:2) as prohibitions against bankruptcy.  Probably the strongest condemnation can be found in Ps 37:21.  There can be no doubt that God desires us to pay our debts and to hold ourselves accountable for the management of what resources He gives us.  However, that isn’t the only side of the story.

What about when the debt is too large to ever repay?  The Bible clearly talks about such circumstances – our debt of sin being the greatest example.  Verses like Lk 7:40-42 and Matt 6:12 emphasize the value of forgiving debts and helping those who are in a financial bind.

So, what we are left with are two Bible principles.  Those who are borrowing should be careful to not be reckless or spend lavishly that which they haven’t earned themselves, and they should seek to faithfully and diligently repay their debts because that is what good stewardship is.  And secondly, when there is opportunity for a lender to show mercy to an honestly struggling debtor, that is a blessing as well.