WHEN WAS HELL CREATED?

Answer: Scripture speaks of two locations as places of torment. Both places are commonly called “hell.” Hades is the current place of departed spirits who are not with the Lord, that is, those who never accepted the forgiveness that God offers in Jesus Christ. The rich man in Luke 16 describes his current location as a place of torment as the result of fire (verses 23–24). The second place of torment is Gehenna or the lake of fire , which will be the final place of punishment for those who die in their sins. Of course, whatever the differences between Hades and the lake of fire, one will probably be no better than the other for those who are experiencing them. In popular usage, hell is somewhat of an amalgamation of the two biblical terms.
If, when speaking of “hell,” one is thinking of the current holding place of the unrighteous dead, Scripture simply does not tell us when that place was created. Presumably it would not have been needed until the first unrighteous person died. Obviously, God may have had this place prepared some time in advance, but we simply don’t know.
If by “hell” one is thinking of the final place of punishment, the lake of fire, then we are given a little more information, but not very much. In Matthew 25, Jesus speaks of a time of final judgment. To those who are finally condemned He says, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (verse 41). If this refers to the lake of fire, then we know that it was created primarily for the spirit beings that rebelled, and their rebellion may very well have taken place long before the actual creation of the world.
When we think of God and time, it is always a bit confusing because God is not bound by the constraints of time, as we are. God does not have to “wait and see” in order to respond to a situation. From our time-bound perspective, it makes sense to think that the lake of fire was created after the rebellion of Satan but before the rebellion of human beings or else it would have been created for Satan, his angels, and people who follow in that rebellion. Although God knows the end from the beginning, there is some sense in which God did not create the lake of fire for people, even though those who refuse to bow the knee to Him will go there anyway.
The most important question is not when hell was created but how to avoid it. Those who have been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit will not be affected by the second death (Revelation 20:6). To avoid hell, cast yourself upon the mercy of Christ, the One who died to pay for their sin.

Why did God create mosquitoes?

Answer: When God created the world, He said it was good (Genesis 1:31). This amazing world was perfect; there was no sin, disease, crime, or suffering. In God’s perfect creation, the animals were given “every green plant for food” (verse 30). Mosquitoes were part of creation, but they were wholly vegetarian. There was no need for mosquitoes to bite humans or animals for blood.
The need for mosquitoes to prey on humans resulted from the Fall and the curse that followed. The world changed drastically with the entrance of sin. Mosquitoes have become a vector for several diseases, aiding the spread of malaria, yellow and dengue fever, encephalitis, zika, and many other maladies.
Why do mosquitoes bite? It’s interesting to note that not all mosquitoes bite people and animals. The male mosquito never consumes blood. It is only some females that need blood to aid them in egg production. All mosquitoes feed on plant nectar, and some entire species of mosquitoes—male and female—feed exclusively on plant juices.
Since mosquitoes didn’t prey on humans and other mammals before the Fall, how did they survive? It is thought that female mosquitoes used plant nectar (or other non-animal sources of protein) for nutrients before the flood. Many creation scientists speculate that the mosquitoes that require blood are the results of post-Fall mutations, brought about by the impact sin has had on the entire world.
The Bible says that all things were “very good” at creation, and that includes mosquitoes. Mosquitoes play an important part in various ecosystems. They are a valuable food source for fish and migratory birds. They also serve as pollinators for various plants, especially those with very small flowers. Scientists are split on how the wholesale eradication of mosquitoes would impact the ecosystem. Many think that eliminating mosquito-borne diseases would be worth risking a loss of some pollinators.
God created mosquitoes as part of His intricate design for a perfect world. Unfortunately, when mankind—God’s divinely appointed caretakers of the world—rebelled against their Creator, they plunged the whole world into a state of misery and decay. The discomfort and disease caused by mosquitoes are part of the “groaning” that all creation experiences (Romans 8:22). The good news is that Jesus is coming back to liberate creation from its bondage and reveal the glory of the children of God (verses 18–21). Jesus will fix our broken planet. There will be no more hunger, disease, or blood-sucking mosquitoes.

Does the Bible prophecy a one world government and currency in the end times?

Does the Bible prophesy a one-world government and a one-world currency in the end times?"

Answer: The Bible does not use the phrase “one-world government” or “one-world currency” in referring to the end times. It does, however, provide ample evidence to enable us to draw the conclusion that both will exist under the rule of the Antichrist in the last days.

In his apocalyptic vision in the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John sees the “beast,” also called the Antichrist, rising out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 13:1). Combining this vision with Daniel’s similar one (Daniel 7:16-24), we can conclude that some sort of world system will be inaugurated by the beast, the most powerful “horn,” who will defeat the other nine and will begin to wage war against Christians. The ten-nation confederacy is also seen in Daniel’s image of the statue in Daniel 2:41-42, where he pictures the final world government consisting of ten entities represented by the ten toes of the statue. Whoever the ten are and however they come to power, Scripture is clear that the beast will either destroy them or reduce their power to nothing more than figureheads. In the end, they will do his bidding.

John goes on to describe the ruler of this vast empire as having power and great authority, given to him by Satan himself (Revelation 13:2), being followed by and receiving worship from “all the world” (13:3-4), and having authority over “every tribe, people, language and nation” (13:7). From this description, it is logical to assume that this person is the leader of a one-world government which is recognized as sovereign over all other governments. It’s hard to imagine how such diverse systems of government as are in power today would willingly subjugate themselves to a single ruler, and there are many theories on the subject. A logical conclusion is that the disasters and plagues described in Revelation as the seal and trumpet judgments (chapters 6-11) will be so devastating and create such a monumental global crisis that people will embrace anything and anyone who promises to give them relief.

Once entrenched in power, the beast (Antichrist) and the power behind him (Satan) will move to establish absolute control over all peoples of the earth to accomplish their true end, the worship Satan has been seeking ever since being thrown out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12-14). One way they will accomplish this is by controlling all commerce, and this is where the idea of a one-world currency comes in. Revelation 13:16-17 describes some sort of satanic mark which will be required in order to buy and sell. This means anyone who refuses the mark will be unable to buy food, clothing or other necessities of life. No doubt the vast majority of people in the world will succumb to the mark simply to survive. Again, verse 16 makes it clear that this will be a universal system of control where everyone, rich and poor, great and small, will bear the mark on their hand or forehead. There is a great deal of speculation as to how exactly this mark will be affixed, but the technologies that are available right now could accomplish it very easily.

Those who are left behind after the Rapture of the Church will be faced with an excruciating choice—accept the mark of the beast in order to survive or face starvation and horrific persecution by the Antichrist and his followers. But those who come to Christ during this time, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 13:8), will choose to endure, even to martyrdom.

SHOULD A CHRISTIAN HAVE SWAG/SWAGGER?

To swagger is to walk, strut, or behave in an overly confident and usually aggressive manner. To have swagger is to have an air of arrogance or selfish pride . The Bible often speaks of arrogance, haughtiness, and pride and presents them as negative characteristics. Mark 7:20–23 lists pride right alongside adultery and murder. An arrogant attitude has no concern for the will of God because all actions and thoughts are self-focused (2 Timothy 3:2).
Proverbs 6:16–19 lists seven things that the Lord hates. The first one is “haughty eyes” or “a proud look” (KJV). Having a proud look is what we might call swaggering, and it is “detestable” to the Lord. Haughty eyes (or swagger) are said to be sin in Proverbs 21:4, along with a proud heart. To swagger is to scorn or “look down on” others, and God forbids it.
God’s Word promises that the arrogant will be punished (Proverbs 16:5; Isaiah 13:11). Indeed, one can imagine Lucifer swaggering before God in heaven, claiming his own greatness before his fall. Lucifer’s pride led to eternal punishment: the fall from his exalted heavenly position (Isaiah 14:12–15) and his consignment to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). The behavior of the evil one is not to be imitated by a believer in Christ (John 8:39–47).
Instead of displaying an arrogant swagger, believers should look to Jesus Christ’s humility as an example for their own lives (Hebrews 4:15). If anyone in history could rightfully have claimed personal importance, it was Jesus, yet Philippians 2:6–8 tells us that Jesus Christ, though “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” We are to “have the same mindset” (verse 5).
A follower of Christ does not swagger with prideful arrogance in his step or boast in self-worth based on his own accomplishments, heritage, or skills. Speaking of Gentiles being “grafted” into the church, Romans 11:18 says, “Do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
Rather than selfishly swaggering, Christians may boast in the One who grants us salvation (1 Corinthians ; 2 Corinthians 10:17; cf. Psalm 34:2; Jeremiah 9:24). It is the Lord who gives grace (James 4:6), the ability to accomplish God’s will (Philippians 4:13), placement in a spiritual family (John 1:12–13), and all good gifts (James 1:17). Christians may have pride and confidence that is rooted in God’s Word, His power, and His character—in the One who created us, saved us, and guides us daily.
The Christian life should not be characterized by acting superior to others or having an arrogant swagger. Instead, a Christian should be known for emulating Jesus Christ with a humble, compassionate, and merciful spirit. Believers are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), and after salvation (Acts 16:30–31) comes the process of sanctification (John 17), which involves the slow death of self (1 Corinthians 1:30). With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), we can choose humility over arrogance, selflessness over selfishness, and meekness over swagger.

Why did God give us four Gospels?

Here are some reasons why God gave four Gospels instead of just one:

1) To give a more complete picture of Christ. While the entire Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), He used human authors with different backgrounds and personalities to accomplish His purposes through their writing. Each of the gospel authors had a distinct purpose behind his gospel and in carrying out those purposes, each emphasized different aspects of the person and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Matthew was writing to a Hebrew audience, and one of his purposes was to show from Jesus' genealogy and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies that He was the long-expected Messiah, and thus should be believed in. Matthew's emphasis is that Jesus is the promised King, the “Son of David,” who would forever sit upon the throne of Israel (Matthew 9:27; 21:9).

Mark, a cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), was an eyewitness to the events in the life of Christ as well as being a friend of the apostle Peter. Mark wrote for a Gentile audience, as is brought out by his not including things important to Jewish readers (genealogies, Christ's controversies with Jewish leaders of His day, frequent references to the Old Testament, etc.). Mark emphasizes Christ as the suffering Servant, the One who came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Luke, the “beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14 KJV), evangelist, and companion of the apostle Paul, wrote both the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the apostles. Luke is the only Gentile author of the New Testament. He has long been accepted as a diligent master historian by those who have used his writings in genealogical and historical studies. As a historian, he states that it is his intent to write down an orderly account of the life of Christ based on the reports of those who were eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-4). Because he specifically wrote for the benefit of Theophilus, apparently a Gentile of some stature, his gospel was composed with a Gentile audience in mind, and his intent is to show that a Christian's faith is based upon historically reliable and verifiable events. Luke often refers to Christ as the “Son of Man,” emphasizing His humanity, and he shares many details that are not found in the other gospel accounts.

The gospel of John, written by John the apostle, is distinct from the other three Gospels and contains much theological content in regard to the person of Christ and the meaning of faith. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the “Synoptic Gospels” because of their similar styles and content and because they give a synopsis of the life of Christ. The gospel of John begins not with Jesus' birth or earthly ministry but with the activity and characteristics of the Son of God before He became man (John 1:14). The gospel of John emphasizes the deity of Christ, as is seen in his use of such phrases as “the Word was God” (John 1:1), “the Savior of the World” (John 4:42), the “Son of God” (used repeatedly), and “Lord and...God” (John 20:28). In John's gospel, Jesus also affirms His deity with several “I Am” statements; most notable among them is John 8:58, in which He states that “...before Abraham was, I Am” (compare to Exodus 3:13-14). But John also emphasizes the fact of Jesus' humanity, desiring to show the error of a religious sect of his day, the Gnostics, who did not believe in Christ’s humanity. John's gospel spells out his overall purpose for writing: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

Thus, in having four distinct and yet equally accurate accounts of Christ, different aspects of His person and ministry are revealed. Each account becomes like a different-colored thread in a tapestry woven together to form a more complete picture of this One who is beyond description. And while we will never fully understand everything about Jesus Christ (John 20:30), through the four Gospels we can know enough of Him to appreciate who He is and what He has done for us so that we may have life through faith in Him.

2) To enable us to objectively verify the truthfulness of their accounts. The Bible, from earliest times, states that judgment in a court of law was not to be made against a person based on the testimony of a single eyewitness but that two or three as a minimum number were required (Deuteronomy 19:15). Even so, having different accounts of the person and earthly ministry of Jesus Christ enables us to assess the accuracy of the information we have concerning Him.

Simon Greenleaf, a well-known and accepted authority on what constitutes reliable evidence in a court of law, examined the four Gospels from a legal perspective. He noted that the type of eyewitness accounts given in the four Gospels—accounts which agree, but with each writer choosing to omit or add details different from the others—is typical of reliable, independent sources that would be accepted in a court of law as strong evidence. Had the Gospels contained exactly the same information with the same details written from the same perspective, it would indicate collusion, i.e., of there having been a time when the writers got together beforehand to “get their stories straight” in order to make their writings seem credible. The differences between the Gospels, even the apparent contradictions of details upon first examination, speak to the independent nature of the writings. Thus, the independent nature of the four Gospel accounts, agreeing in their information but differing in perspective, amount of detail, and which events were recorded, indicate that the record that we have of Christ's life and ministry as presented in the Gospels is factual and reliable.

3) To reward those who are diligent seekers. Much can be gained by an individual study of each of the Gospels. But still more can be gained by comparing and contrasting the different accounts of specific events of Jesus' ministry. For instance, in Matthew 14 we are given the account of the feeding of the 5000 and Jesus walking on the water. In Matthew 14:22 we are told that “Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.” One may ask, why did He do this? There is no apparent reason given in Matthew's account. But when we combine it with the account in Mark 6, we see that the disciples had come back from casting out demons and healing people through the authority He had given them when He sent them out two-by-two. But they returned with “big heads,” forgetting their place and ready now to instruct Him (Matthew 14:15). So, in sending them off in the evening to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus reveals two things to them. As they struggle against the wind and waves in their own self-reliance until the early hours of the morning (Mark 6:48-50), they begin to see that 1) they can achieve nothing for God in their own ability and 2) nothing is impossible if they call upon Him and live in dependence upon His power. There are many passages containing similar “jewels” to be found by the diligent student of the Word of God who takes the time to compare Scripture with Scripture.

Should the church accept money if it is obtained in an ungodly manner?

Answer: The short answer is, no, a church should not accept money knowing it was obtained in an ungodly manner. However, it is important to define what ungodly means in this context.
For example, a church certainly should not accept money obtained through theft. Doing so condones or accepts an action that is both immoral and illegal. A church or ministry that knowingly accepts illegally obtained funds jeopardizes its character and places itself in a position of legal liability.
An example of a “ministry” refusing funds is found in Matthew 27. When Judas Iscariot attempted to return the 30 pieces of silver he had received to betray Jesus, the chief priests said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money” (Matthew 27:6). They knew it was not lawful to accept income knowingly used for illegal purposes. The irony, of course, is that the chief priests themselves had paid Judas in the first place (Matthew 26:14–16). Theirs was a selective scrupulousness.
Some situations involve a level of ambiguity. For example, we would define
ungodly as “sinful” or “against God.” But many people work in industries or in ways that at times could be considered sinful. If churches were to investigate every gift to determine whether it was earned in a “godly” manner, it would place an unjust burden on the church, as well as create many complicated situations regarding what is defined as godly or ungodly.
Churches in the New Testament encouraged believers to work hard to earn their money in responsible ways and then to give generously to the work of their local church and other missionary activity. Paul wrote in Acts 20:35, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” In 1 Corinthians 4:12 he added, “We work hard with our own hands” (see also 1 Thessalonians 2:9).
It is likely many of the early believers worked in trades that were secular and involved activities that could have at times been considered ungodly. However, the emphasis was on honoring God with one’s work (Colossians 3:16–17) and generosity.
Each local church has the opportunity to create its own policies and to distinguish acceptable gifts from unacceptable gifts. A church might draft a policy forbidding financial gifts that are overtly political or directly tied to the sale of alcohol, for example.
In summary, there are certain gifts a church should decline. Some of these are clearly identifiable, while others are less clear. Each congregation should define what gifts would be unacceptable and then help promote a godly work ethic and generosity within the church.

What are the lost books of the bible?

Answer: There are no “lost books” of the Bible, or books that were taken out of the Bible, or books missing from the Bible. Every book that God intended to be in the Bible is in the Bible. There are many legends and rumors of lost books of the Bible, but the books were not, in fact, lost. Rather, they were rejected. There are literally hundreds of religious books that were written in the same time period as the books of the Bible. Some of these books contain true accounts of things that actually occurred (1 Maccabees, for example). Others contain some good spiritual teaching (the Wisdom of Solomon, for example). However, these books are not inspired by God. If we read any of these books, such as the Apocryphal ones mentioned above, we have to treat them as fallible religious/historical books, not as the inspired, inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The gospel of Thomas, for example, was a forgery written in the 3rd or 4th century A.D., claiming to have been written by the apostle Thomas. It was not written by Thomas. The early Christians almost universally rejected the gospel of Thomas as heretical. It contains many false and heretical things that Jesus supposedly said and did. None of it (or at best very little of it) is true. The gospel of Barnabas was not written by the biblical Barnabas, but by an imposter. The same can be said of the gospel of Philip, the apocalypse of Peter, etc. All of these books, and the many others like them, are known as the pseudepigrapha, essentially meaning “falsely ascribed to an author.”

There is one God. The Bible has one Creator. It is one book. It has one plan of grace, recorded from initiation, through execution, to consummation. From predestination to glorification, the Bible is the story of God redeeming His chosen people for the praise of His glory. As God’s redemptive purposes and plan unfold in Scripture, the recurring themes constantly emphasized are the character of God, the judgment for sin and disobedience, the blessing for faith and obedience, the Lord and Savior and His sacrifice for sin, and the coming kingdom and glory. It is God’s intention that we know and understand these themes because our lives and eternal destinies depend upon them. It is therefore unthinkable that God would allow some of this vital information to be “lost” in any way. The Bible is complete, in order that we who read and understand it might also be “complete, and equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).