Demons, Confidences, Noah, and Saints by Pastor Walter Snyder Q: Can you explain Luke 11:24-26 clearly to me? Thank you! These verses follow the account of Jesus casting out a demon who caused a man to remain mute. He warns us that we cannot live in a spiritual vacuum. Whether "simple" forgiveness or a dramatic exorcism, when God cleanses us, we find our spiritual "house swept and put in order. (v25)" If the Lord isn't actively inhabiting us, making entry through regular church attendance, Scripture study, and sacrament, then the demonic forces will seek to enter in. The warning about the "seven other spirits (v26)" not only applies directly in the aftermath of exorcism. It also goes along with Scriptures cautioning us not to forsake God and turn away from faith in Christ. God doesn't "clean house" as an invitation for us or Satan to trash it again. To ignore Him and keep Him out of the center of our lives directly contradicts His Word, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. (Matt 4:7; cf. Deut 6:16)" Q: I went and saw the pastor to ask for help and to talk about issues in my life in confidence. I found out that the pastor went and talked about me to the members in church. Isn't this supposed to be between him and me only and not for the entire church to know what is going on in my life? A: You're exactly right. Your pastor sinned against you. ~No~ Christian should bring hidden facts about others to light in such manner; to do so is to commit the sin of gossip. Especially no pastor, who should be a vessel of God's grace and forgiveness for his congregation, should reveal any part of a confidential conversation. Just as God forgives and forgets, so should our pastors. Psalm 130:3 asks, "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" God forgives and forgets. Our pastors should do no less. And even if your discussion didn't involve any sin on your behalf, he broke trust with you. He needs to know that this not only hurts you now but damages his own reputation: Who else in your church will seek him out if they worry that their story will be the next passed through the congregation? I pray that you and he can reconcile and that he will also learn from the Lord to hold private those things he learns from the members of the church. Q: The book The Da Vinci Code suggests Noah was an albino. Is this true or speculation? A: I'd suggest that ~The Da Vinci Code~ is almost pure (impure?) speculation designed to a) sell books, b) make money, and c) demean Biblical Christianity as much as possible. Anyhow, whether or not Noah was an albino has no bearing either upon the truth of the Genesis account nor upon its application in the New Testament regarding faith, righteousness, and Baptism. Q: I have a question about the commandment about not having any idols before God. There was a Saint in my family a few centuries back, and I keep a painting of him in my room. Is it a sin to pray to him, or to even have a picture of him for religious reasons? A: I don't believe that it's right to pray ~to~ anyone save God Himself. The Bible indicates that the dead in Christ still lift prayers to the Father. However, they aren't needed for us to have immediate access to the throne of mercy. Faith in Christ grants that God will hear you directly; the entire Epistle to the Hebrews underscores the fact that Christ, not the faithful in this life or the next, are our intermediaries with the Father. Instead, as you read the end of Hebrews 10, all of chapter 11, and the beginning of chapter 12, you see the righteous as the "cloud of witnesses" whose words and lives are testimony to faith in God and His promises. Yet in 12:2, only Christ remains as the believer's focus. I would keep the picture, thank God for the testimony this relative provides, and ask that his example would encourage me to remain faithful to my Savior. God ~might~ hear prayers from this relative on your behalf; He certainly ~does~ hear your prayers for the sake of His beloved Son! Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from ~The Holy Bible, English Standard Version~, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Ask the Pastor © 2005 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced in totality, including this disclaimer, by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said republication and redistribution. Translations into other languages should similarly note the United States and any appropriate international copyrights, as well as God's Scriptural injunctions concerning the property of others. Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book ~What Do Lutherans Believe.~