The Answerer

Yes, the Devil is indeed related to God in that God created him, because nobody else was in the ’creation business’ then. Somehow, sometime, the Devil (Satan) turned away from God. The Bible does not say exactly when and how. And yes, he is continually trying to get people to turn away from God and follow him.  That is the goal of his life!!

The disciple Peter wrote: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (That’s in 1 Peter.5:8)

Many families have what is called a ‘black sheep’ in the family – one who cannot do right, causes trouble and robs people of money, peace and sometimes, their possessions. I had a cousin – our ‘black sheep’ in our family – and he was murdered later in life.

God allowed, even still allows, Satan (the devil) to do bad things and trouble people with evil spirits, or demons. Even Jesus himself was troubled by the Devil. “Then the devil led Jesus to a high place and quickly showed him all the nations of the earth. The Devil said: ‘I will give all this power and glory to you. It has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to. Just worship me and you can have it all.’”  (That’s in Luke 4:5-7) Jesus didn’t take up Satan’s offer. 

At the ‘End of the Age’ the Bible tells of the Devil’s downfall (Revelation 12:3-17) and his final punishment in a lake of burning sulphur…’for ever and ever’. (Revelation 20:7-10) Wow, for ever?

We are not told in the Bible. God was there at the beginning and that’s all we know. There is so much to discover in heaven that I am looking forward to getting there and finding the answers to my many questions (like: “How come the 400,000,000,000 stars in our Milky Way do not bang into each other?”).

Oh boy…that old problem! 

When God created humans He had a problem – a big decision: ‘Should I give these people a choice to be good or bad, or should I make them all have to obey my instructions, then there would be no chance of any sin (so no problems)?’

Think of today’s world of 7,000,000,000 people all obeying God’s commandments and instructions with no wars, killing, stealing, rape, and lies. It would be like a heaven full of robots who have no choice but to obey God. Not really pretty if you think about it.

God must be pleased with His decision to give humans a choice to be good, or bad. Those who choose to ‘trust and obey’ God, must be pleasing to God – and they will populate heaven with Him later. Even though they still make many mistakes and wish they had not, God is pleased to forgive if we ask.

Please see Q. 72 for some of the answer as this is really my life story, which is now 82 years on.

It must be a huge answer because so much has happened to me and I must put in a small space. Your eternity depends depend on my answer: “Is this guy for real- or is he off the planet?” We all must decide one day!

Basically I believe because the book about God and Jesus, the Bible, has stood the test of time. All the prophecies do come true, they are not someone’s day-dreams. The birth of Jesus alone is extremely unique. Jesus spoke of and prophesied his own cruel death and resurrection (coming back to life). Who else has said and done that? And for 4,000 years God’s promises and prophecies have come true.

AND my own personal life experiences border on amazing.

Jesus is not a gold or stone statue to worship, and Christianity is a daily contact with a God who cannot be seen – yet 2,000,000,000 believe in Him. Many would die for him and hundreds of thousands spend the best years of their lives serving Him as missionaries in the poorest and most unpleasant places on earth as doctors, nurses, farmers (agriculturists) helping subsistence farmers to have sufficient food and not starve. I know hundreds of them. And other Christians willingly pay their costs.

Bad things have happened to me.. ‘If I had received a letter from God at, say, 20 years old telling me what was before me in 10, 20, 40 or 50 years ahead I think I would have hated it and be unable to accept it.” ie: ‘Peter at 24 you’ll get married, have 4 children but one will die at four years old. At 41 years old you’ll fall and break your back. You’ll go to university to become a teacher, you’ll be divorced later and then spend 26 years teaching scripture to year 7 kids.”

That’s some of the worst and best. Who would be happy knowing that you would spend over 40 years in a wheelchair?!! BUT it happened and I sure am glad I did not know the future. Never waste your good money on ‘fortune tellers’, Tarot care readers and ‘palm readers.’ They are frauds

Joke: “Did you hear that the the clairvoyant’s annual general meeting (AGM) had to be cancelled? It was due to unforeseen circumstances.

Parts that I have not in question 72 are a vision I was shown in 1956. I was married that year and my wife had two miscarriages (got pregnant but it went wrong, somehow). This happened a second time and the Matron of the hospital in the country said: “Mr Harris, please take your wife to Perth and see a good doctor or you may never have a family.” The doctor was an alcoholic and the matron virtually ran the whole hospital. I did take my wife to Perth and saw a good doctor who did what was needed.

Later, one morning a voice said :”There goes your baby.” and I saw a vision of a lovely three year old girl running by a house. Nine months later our first baby came along and four years later we were in the very same house I saw in that vision. I did not pray for anything...I was very young and quite inexperienced. I now have an adopted son, eight Grandchildren and seven Great Grandchildren.

Another time, while saying my morning prayers a voice said: “Go and see Mrs Arnold.” “Oh no! Not her,” I thought. The voice and I argued back and forth quite a bit, but I did very reluctantly agree to go – a 30 Minute drive to Lockridge, then about two hours late for lectures at Bible College.

Mrs Arnold had no phone and lived on the third floor with no lift, no security or fly screens. So I get there, honk the horn, she looks out and sees my car, waves and comes down. Looking quite sick with flu she stomped up to my car and said: “Well God must have sent you...I was just about to jump out of the window and kill myself.” She then took my wheelchair out of the car and sat in my car and talked non-stop for 45 minutes. Somehow, I did not get the chance to say how I happened to get there. I was not happy to go – she was not a friend, just the woman who used to clean my flat in Mt Lawley.

There are two such others similar stories, but not now. Ask for them by the email if you want to know.

I believe in God and Jesus because I look back and see that God has been looking after me, guiding me – and that includes 26 years of teaching Scripture to wonderful and interesting Year 7 children. I am very happy with that because I never imagined it could happen.

Lastly,and this is sort of proof to me. Not long after Jesus went back to heaven Peter and John were before the court of the Political/Religious leaders accused of ‘making trouble’ by preaching about Jesus, doing miracles and so on. The court wanted them in jail or killed. Gamaliel, a smart cookie got up and said: “Listen you guys, you remember Theudas and the other fellow Judas. They both started a little rebellion against Rome and both had hundreds of followers. Both were killed and all their followers drifted away. If these guys are for real and tell the truth we may find ourselves fighting even against God and even we cannot win that one.” (That’s my version of Acts 5:29-42)

The 12 Disciples began the Christian church 2013 years ago. Now there are 2,000,000,000 Christian believers. And the Bible is the Worlds No.1 best selling book.

Finally, check out the different countries around the world and their dominant religions. Are they a peaceful nation? How do they treat they poor and disabled, how many hospitals and doctors, is there any ‘Social Security’ for the old, disabled and unemployed, how do they treat women and children and how do they treat those who have different religions and views to theirs- with talk or violence?

Send me an Email to the answerer if you want to know more.

(Please also see questions number 112 to 116 on this subject…very important)

Two parts here: of course I approve of sex. I am a dad, a Grandad and Great Grandad.

The second bit is my business and not yours – because you most probably would not like to be asked this question when you get old. What I will say is this: Most men give up sex around 60 to 70 years old. Drugs, too much alcohol (known as ‘brewers droop’ in some places), smoking, and diabetes stops many having sex too. Overweight and too much ‘junk food’ is not good for sex and causes many to lose interest. But a small percentage are still having sex past 80 years old! In the Bible Abraham became a Dad at 100 years old! (God promised Abraham a son three times. See Gen 12:1-3, Gen 15:1-5, and at 100 years old the son came along.)(Gen.18:10-14). A dad at 100? Yes indeed, but remember that there were no cigarettes, grog, drugs and so on then. For SCI (Spinal Cord Injured) people I can say that it is a bit like a lottery; some can and some cannot.

On a lighter note: and this is only for very old blokes (82 or more years old – and a good mop of white hair helps) who can get away with this so read on. My great joy is to meet, or be speaking to a girl, say 18 to 22 who has kept her integrity, and kept off sex, drugs, and grog and walks like an angel (about one in a thousand are like that). Now and then I meet or see an especially beautiful one and she is a lot like an angel – but she does not comprehend how lovely she looks – and if it is OK, I will say to her: “Wow! You make me wish I was 50 years younger.” No offence meant or taken – and girls like it very much. And I always get a beautiful smile. And I add: “Please tell Mum and Dad they have done a great job raising you.” It’s true, that’s what I do! So I still appreciate the loveliness of a lovely girl.