Is it good to use family planning?

In many places in the Bible, God tells his people to “be fruitful” or have many children (Genesis 1:28). He told Abraham He would give him many descendents. The Psalmist in Psalm 127:3-5 speaks of children being a blessing from the Lord and says that people should have many children.

But in our modern world we face many problems such as overpopulation and an inability to feed so many people in certain areas. The result is that there is much suffering and starvation. Of course much of this suffering is caused by sin, because if people obeyed God’s laws by not taking part in sex outside of marriage, there would not be so many children born outside of families, and who are therefore not being cared for properly.

However, parents do need to act responsibly and not allow so many children to be born that they cannot care for them properly. Children need to be fed and clothed and educated and this cannot be done if there are too many.

So there should be some kind of limitation of children or family planning, but it would be wrong to do it with selfish motives. Some couples feel that they can have more money for themselves or be less tied down if they do not have children.

Christian parents need to be open before God and restrict their families for reasons that are acceptable to God. Sometimes the health of the mother is a big factor to be considered. If she is not strong enough, she should ask advice from a doctor about family planning. Christian parenthood is a great responsibility before God.

Not all methods of family planning are acceptable before God. Those which kill babies after conception, eg. abortion, are not acceptable and should be avoided.

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Who are Ham’s descendants?

Ham was the son of Noah who, when his father lay drunk and naked in his tent, did not pay the necessary respect to Noah. The other two sons of Noah, Shem and Japheth, walked backwards with a robe while they kept their faces turned away so as not to see him naked, and covered Noah with the robe.

When Noah was sober again, he placed a curse on Canaan, the son of Ham and said Canaan would be a slave to Shem and Japhet. Read the sad story in Genesis 9:20-27.

It is difficult to say which nations are the descendants of Ham today. In Genesis 10:6-20 we find a genealogical list of some of Ham’s descendents and the places where they lived.

Please note that Noah cursed the son of Ham, Canaan. The descendents of Canaan dwelt in Canaan in the time of Joshua and were either destroyed or subjected to Israel. So the prophecy of Noah was fulfilled.

When Christ died for the sins of the world he took away any curse that might have been on any nation and set everyone free who believes in Him. No nation or nations are today under any curse of God. Read what Paul says in Colossians 3:11.

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May a Christian go to a doctor?

By “doctor” we do not mean those doctors in the African community who use divining bones to diagnose an illness. A Christian must not go to them. This is because by throwing the bones, they ask the spirits to show them, through the position of the bones, who is responsible for the sickness of the patient. This practice is strictly prohibited by God (Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6; Isaiah 8:19-20).

Doctors who are experts in the use of herbs (herbalists) and who do not use divining bones in diagnosis, and doctors who studied medicine at universities may be visited by Christians because the Lord can heal a sick person by the scientific knowledge he gave them. That is why people who say a Christian must not go to a doctor are wrong. God heals people:

1. By a direct touch of His healing power in answer to prayer – James 5:14.

2. By using medicine or other methods of medical science – 2 Kings 20:7; Jeremiah 8:21-22; Jeremiah 46:11; Luke 10:34. The Lord Jesus himself once used clay on the eyes of a blind man – John 9:6-7.

Remember that the original substances used in modern medicine were also created by God. He even uses science of modern times in His service to help man in his sicknesses. Therefore, go to your doctor when you are ill. Perhaps God wants to heal you by or through him. If you refuse to go, you try to limit God in his method of healing, and you surely must not try to do that. But always remember that it is God who heals, with or without medicine (Psalm 103:3; Psalm 147:3; Acts 9:34). Trust in Him, not in medicine.

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Do the spirits of the dead wander about on earth?

No! The Bible teaches very clearly that when one has died, it is impossible that his soul or spirit or whatever you may call it, that entered the abode of the dead, can come back to earth. Job￿207:9-10 says: “Like a cloud that fades and is gone, people die and never return.” David, mourning the death of a child says: “I will some day go to where he is, but he can never come back to me” (2 Samuel 12:23).

The spirits of those who die, go to the abode of the dead immediately when the last breath has ceased. They cannot, in any form whatsoever, come back to earth. Jesus taught that clearly in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). They shall remain there where they are until the second coming of Christ, when the dead shall rise.

What we call “ghosts” cannot be the spirits of our departed loved ones. These mysterious things are the works of the Evil one and his many demons. They can appear in different forms, even imitating the departed loved ones. The devil can appear as an angel of light to deceive the children of God (2 Corinthians 11:14). We must not underestimate him and his power. And we must never, ever try to contact the spirits of those who have died. God forbids it, because He knows the evil powers of the devil (Leviticus 20:6).

When a person dies and breathes his last breath, his body goes to the grave, but his spirit immediately enters the abode of the dead (Luke 23:43). God’s children go to where Jesus is, while unbelievers go to another place. But let it be clear: They can never come back to be wandering spirits.

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Why must you close your eyes when you pray?

To pray, is to converse with God, and when I speak to God I can do so even with open eyes. I can pray any time and everywhere and speak to God. I can speak to him in my house, at work, yes, even when I am driving on the road in my car. That is why I can pray with open eyes.

But people usually close their eyes when they pray, because they respect God and honour him. Others again, feel that when they close their eyes they don’t see anything and therefore they can concentrate better on prayer, on their conversation with God. But please remember that faith is necessary when we pray. If I go to God in prayer, I must believe that he exists and that he listens (Hebrews 11:6).

People who pray with open eyes may be distracted by other things, and lose their concentration that is focussed on God when they pray. Even if we pray with the help of a Prayer book we must do so with undivided attention. We must remember that we speak with God through those prayers.

Some people want to know whether they have to kneel when they pray. It is a token of deep respect to God when you are on your knees before him and it is the best way to pray when you are alone. Christ prayed like that in Gethsemane. But when he prayed for his disciples he simply lifted up his eyes (John 17:1). But please remember that there is no law that you must pray on your knees – some people pray on their sick beds, others in wheel chairs, elderly people who cannot kneel sit and pray. You can talk to God even if you stand (see Luke 18:10-14). Note that the Pharisee prayed wrongly, not because he stood in the temple, but because he praised himself in his prayer.

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Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?

When we pray as Christians requesting something from God, we must remember that He always answers our prayers. He can say:

1. Yes! – then he grants our request because we prayed according to His will.

2. No! – then he refuses to grant our request because he knows that it may bring harm to us. The African proverb says “A mother will always, when she gives her child a knife, grasp the sharp cutting blade.”

3. Wait! The time to grant your request is not ripe. Most people then stop praying. It is wrong. The Bible teaches that we should wait on the Lord and trust him (Psalm 37:5). It is important to wait. It shows that you trust the Lord. Read also: Psalm 25:5; Psalm 27:14; Habakuk 2:3; Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 18:1-8.

But heed the following points:

God refuses to answer our prayers if:

1. We pray with wrong motives, as James 4:3-8 tells us. Read it.

2. If we do not forgive others who trespass against us – Matthew 20:15.

3. If we harbour sin in our hearts – Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:1-2.

4. If we have too little faith. But we can ask God to help us to increase our faith – Mark 9:23-24; Hebrews 11:6.

5. Remember, God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves. A student who does not study faithfully cannot ask God to help him to pass his examinations.

6. If God for some reason known to him does not answer our prayer, he will give us power to persevere. Remember Jesus in Gethsemane.

FELLOW CHRISTIAN, PRAY FAITHFULLY!

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How can I help people who believe in spirits?

You ask how you can change your family whose faith is dependant on ancestral spirits, sangomas etc.

One thing we should all be aware of is that we cannot change people ourselves. It is only the Holy Spirit of God who can change people inside, but we can do something. We can pray. God has chosen to let us be co-workers with Him by prayer. He works in answer to prayer, but sometimes we need to grow in our Christian lives so that the way we pray is more dependant on God. Sometimes as we pray, God needs to change us and make us more loving, more honest and trustworthy so that our families can see that being a Christian is better than their way of life.

So that is our answer: Pray – that God will work in their hearts and also make us better witnesses for Him.

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Can the dead speak to us?

There are people like the Spiritists who teach that the spirits of the dead can contact the living by way of a medium. This same principle is present in the teachings about ancestral spirits who communicate with African people through the tribal doctor. In the dark Spiritist’s “seances” people hear what they think to be the actual voices of their departed beloved ones. Is it true? Are the spirits of the dead able to speak to us? The answer of the Bible is NO! they cannot do so.

People who have studied Spiritism tells us that we must remember that the devil and the diabolic powers are able to imitate the voices of the dead and that what people hear are false voices of demonic powers. That is why the Bible forbids us strongly to try and contact the spirits of the dead (Read Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Isaiah 8:19-20). The devil is able to masquerade as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

No! the Bible teaches clearly that the spirits of the dead leave the dead body immediately and go to the abode of the dead to remain there till the day of the resurrection. They are unable to come out of the abode of the dead to communicate with us (Read Luke 16:19-31).

The case of the witch of Endor in the time of Saul is a unique case with different explanations and can not be quoted as an example of general contact between the dead and the living (1 Samuel 28:7-20).

if you have had such an experience, you should ask yourself whether this message has brought you nearer to God, or further away. God can use your sorrow to draw you to himself. But Satan can also use the same sorrow to make you turn your back on God. This will help you to understand who was behind that vision or voice you had.

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The baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit.

In this letter we will try to explain the difference between two important events in the life of the true Christian

1. The baptism of the Holy Spirit and
2. the filling of the Holy Spirit.

But we must first define what we understand when we think of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person and not a mere power.He is the Third Person in the Trinity of God. In other words, the Holy Spirit is God himself with all the attributes and activities of God.

He took part in Creation (Genesis 1:2);
He gives life (Job 33:4);
He speaks (Acts 1:16; 1 Peter 1:11);
He testifies for and glorifies Christ (John 15:26; 16:14);
He convicts of sin (John 16:8);
He teaches (John 14:26);
He comforts and strengthens (Acts 9:31);
He helps us to pray (Romans 8:26);
He leads us (John 16:13);
He sanctifies (Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11);
He transforms a sinner into a child of God (John 3:5-8) etc.

1. The Baptism with the Spirit

The term Baptism with the Spirit is often use in an unbiblical sense. We need to see what the Bible itself has to say about this term.

The baptism of the Spirit, from the standpoint of the Bible is only connected with the events which centre and circle around Pentecost. Subsequent to the book of the Acts, wherever Spirit baptism is referred to, the verb of the passage is in the past tense. That means that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a historically fulfilled event and is not to be repeated in this dispensation. He was poured out once and for all on the church on the day of Pentecost. He is here on earth at this very moment, and he is active.

Everyone who becomes a true Christian is at that very moment baptised with the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Spirit comes into a human life and performs the great change inside him which Christ called the second birth or being born again. In response to this working of the Spirit within him he becomes converted, a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). This can happen even in the heart and life of a very small child (2 Timothy 1:5), or in the life of an adult (Acts 9:1-9).

The baptism of the Spirit in the life of the Christian therefore occurs when he is converted and becomes part of the true Christian church. It can occur only once (John 14:23; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

Christians are never ordered to be baptised with the Spirit (this is God’s work) but we are commanded to be filled.

2. The Filling with the Spirit

Some people teach that there is a second blessing which every true Christian must experience. What actually happens is that many Christians are baptised by the Holy Spirit without realizing the true meaning of it all.

Paul writes to the Ephesians in Chapter 5:18: “Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead be filled with the Spirit” (Good News Bible). What does this mean? It is imperative that we understand that this means that we surrender ourselves completely to the Holy Spirit who is already in our hearts.

Let us use a simple example: If I take a bucket which is half-filled with sand to a tap and fill it with water, the water will only fill the half that is not filled with sand. I cannot say the bucket is filled with water. This is what happens in the lives of many Christians. They are not fully surrendered to Christ and His Spirit. The indwelling Spirit controls only a part of their lives. To be filled with the Spirit does not however mean that you get more of the Spirit, but that the Spirit gets more of you.

Don’t think that the filling of the Spirit means that you must go through an emotional and miraculous experience. Some people do experience such a crisis. But please understand that in the process of sanctification the filling of the Spirit can be repeated. The baptism of the Spirit happens only once.

Our part is to surrender our whole life to the indwelling Spirit, not to look for extraordinary experiences, to examine ourselves and not to trust or rely on our emotions. Read Galations 5:22-23. Are the fruits of the Spirit in your life? Read John 7:37-39. Do you have that joy?

In conclusion the following advice:

How not to be filled by the Spirit:

1. Do not say: “Come, Holy Spirit.” He is in you as a Christian.
2. Do not seek for “power”. Seek for the Spirit as the source of power – Acts 8:17-19, 21.

How to be filled by the Spirit:

1. Acknowledge his presence in your heart and confess all your sins daily – 1 John 1:9.
2. Accept His authority over your life – by faith in God’s Word – Acts 2:38-39.
3. Keep in daily touch with Him through prayer, Bible study and meditation.
4. Rely upon him in every situation – you are never alone. His strength and love and assistance is at your disposal if you fully obey Him.

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What is the purpose of the death watch in African customs?

The custom among black people to guard the remains of a person who died, before burial, is explained in different ways when we ask questions about the motive. Some say they are afraid that the sorcerer will come and remove some of the organs of the body to prepare muti — medicine. Some say they are afraid to sleep because they fear that they will meet the spirit of the dead one in their dreams. Others say they fear something they cannot explain.

Others again, declare that they only meet for religions purposes to comfort the bereaved family with songs of comfort.

If there is no connection between this custom and sorcery; no fear for the spirit of the one who died and the ancestral spirits, we, as Christians, can find no fault with it. Because, as Christians, we are in the hands of our Heavenly Father. That applies also to the Christian who died, next to whose corpse we gather together. We must say with Paul: so whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (see Romans 14:7-12). The sorcerer cannot harm the spirit of the Christian who died because he is under the protection of the mighty Holy Spirit.

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