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Frequently Asked Questions
*more FAQs coming soon!
Who is Satan or Lucifer?
Where did sin begin or originate?
It began with Lucifer (Satan/devil).
1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
Satan has been a murderer and a liar from the beginning.
John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
Where did Satan come from?
Satan was once one of the greatest angels in heaven.
Revelation 12:7-9 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
Who is Satan?
Satan was not created sinful. He was created perfect and chosen to be closest to God out of all the angels. Satan felt pride and chose sin.
Ezekiel 28:14 “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire."
Why did Satan rebel?
Pride led to Satan’s fall.
Ezekiel 28:17 “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee."
Satan, known as Lucifer before he sinned, wanted to be equal with God.
Isaiah 14:12-14 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
Satan wants to be worshiped as god and the ruler of this earth.
Matthew 4:8-9 “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."
In contrast to Satan’s pride and self-exaltation, what spirit did Jesus have?
A spirit of love and servitude.
Philippians 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Satan’s supernatural forces are waging a war against God and His people.
Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Is the devil in charge of hell?
No, hell was made to destroy the devil.
Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
Is the devil in hell?
Satan lives on earth—not underground in hell.
Revelation 12:9 "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Job 1: 6- 7 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."
What does Satan look like?
Satan can appear as a beautiful angel of light or as the dragon talked about in Revelation. He is not a grotesque figure with horns.
2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
Satan spends his time inflicting his anger against the human race.
Revelation 12:12 “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."
How can I overcome the devil?
The devil is our enemy.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
How can I test a spirit?
1 John 4:1-3, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
Satan is a defeated enemy.
1 John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."
Why do bad things happen?
Bad things happen because Satan is the ruler of this world.
1 John 5:19 "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."
Mathew 4:8-9, "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him (Jesus), All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."
Satan's power is over all the nations of the earth. That is frightening when we realize he can influence men in such a way that they are not even aware that they are being influenced toward evil. Jesus calls him the ruler of this world in John 14:30 "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."
Satan affects people's attitudes by moving our reasoning processes toward satisfaction of the self. He gives disinformation and stirs up our spirit. Here is what is so perverse about this: It is not evil for one to take care of himself. What is evil is to make the satisfaction of the self more important than God or others. We are to serve God before all else (the great commandment), and the second is like it—we are on an equal par with others.
Matthew 22:37-39 "Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.'"
Nowhere are we given the right or privilege by God to make ourselves greater than or more important than God or other human beings.
We can imagine the direction Satan is going to move us toward—to the point that satisfaction of the self becomes more important than conforming to what God says is the limit of our authority. In other words, he will push us toward making ourselves greater or more important than righteousness or truth.
Are there animals in heaven?
Yes. God’s original creation has been subjected to degradation and decay through sin, but it will be restored as it was in the beginning. The apostle Paul wrote:
Romans 8:20-21, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God”
Although our sins have destroyed ourselves and nature, God will restore both. Just as animals were part of God’s untainted, original creation, so they will be part of the world and life when He restores everything new—without the corruption of sin and death:
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Isaiah 11:6, "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them."
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Isaiah 11:7-9, "The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea"
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Isaiah 65:25, "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD."
What is Baptism?
If the meaning of baptism could be boiled down to one word, that word would be identification. Baptism speaks primarily of a personal, public identification with Jesus Christ.
In Romans 6:3-4 the Apostle Paul puts the matter this way: "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Notice the strength of the expressions—"baptized into Christ" and "baptized into his death" and "buried with him in baptism." Someone may suggest that the primary reference here is to Spirit baptism. That's true, but at the very least, water baptism is in the background of this passage. How important is your baptism? It is your personal identification with the greatest act of human history—the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism doesn't save you—salvation comes by faith alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Your guilt before God is removed the moment you trust in Christ. But baptism is your personal testimony to, and the inward assurance of, your passage from the old life to the new life.
What, then, does baptism mean?
1. It means we have turned from the old life of sin to a new life in Jesus Christ.
2. It means we are publicly identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
3. It means we are openly joining the ranks of those who believe in Christ.
When you are baptized, you are in fact visually preaching the gospel.
As you stand in the water waiting to be baptized, You symbolize Jesus dying on the cross.
As you are lowered into the water, You symbolize Jesus buried in the tomb.
As you are raised from the water, You symbolize Jesus rising from the dead.
Since you are being baptized, you are also saying, "I died with Jesus Christ, I was buried with him and now I am raised with Christ to a brand-new life."
Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
In short, in your baptism you are preaching a sermon without using any words at all. And your sermon in your baptism will be more effective with your friends than any sermon the pastor preaches on Sunday morning—more effective because it comes directly from you.
On a final note, Baptism is a conscious decision. The Catholic tradition of baby baptism started during the black plague when many babies were dying shortly after birth. People feared unbaptized babies could not go to heaven so the Catholic Church began the tradition. According to the Bible, baptism is an outward expression of a conscious decision to accept the love and truth of Jesus Christ and to be reborn with the Holy Spirit!
Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."