Alekhya puram

Is there a mcdonald’s in heaven?

Answer: No. In heaven, we won’t need people to work to make us food. Our bodies will be different. They will be “glorified,” or perfect, bodies. We don’t know if we will eat there or what kind of food we will need. God will make sure that we have everything we need. Heaven will be fun. It will be great!

Key verses: [When Jesus appeared to the disciples] Still they stood there, unsure. They were filled with joy and doubt. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish. And he ate it as they watched! (Luke 24:41-43)

Related verses: Romans 16:18; Philippians 3:19

Related questions: What do we eat in heaven? Are there going to be things I enjoy in heaven? Is there school in heaven?

Note to parents: Children are concerned about food. Food is important to them, and they don’t want to be hungry. Curiosity about what they will be eating in heaven may underlie questions like these.

Q: Will there be toys in heaven?

Answer: We like toys because we have such fun with them. But we can get tired of toys, too. For example, you don’t play with your baby toys any more. That’s because you outgrew them and got tired of them.

God will have just the right kind of toys for you in heaven. You will enjoy heaven even more than your favorite toys.

Key verses: When I was a child I thought like a child does. When I became a man I put away the childish things. We can see and understand only a little about God now. It is like we were looking at his reflection in a poor mirror.

Someday we are going to see him face to face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred. But then I will see everything clearly. I will see as clearly as God sees into my heart right now. (1 Corinthians 13:11-12)

Related verses: Ephesians 4: 14; 1 Corinthians 14:20

Related questions: Will I have my teddy bear in heaven? Do toys go to heaven?

Why is hell dark if they have fires?

Answer: The Bible uses a lot of pictures to give us an idea of what heaven and hell are like. Fire means burning and pain. Do you remember having a fever? You felt like you were burning up, but there was no flame.

Darkness means loneliness. Can you imagine anything more lonely than sitting by yourself in total darkness? What God is telling us is that hell is a terrible place. We certainly don’t want to go there.

Key verse: [Jesus is speaking] “And many… shall be thrown into outer darkness. They will be put in the place of crying and pain.” (Matthew 8:12)

Related verses: Luke 16:28; Revelation 20:15

Related questions: What’s really happening in hell? What is hell like?

Note to parents: Children hear conflicting descriptions of hell. They hear that hell is a dark place (Matthew 8:12) and yet a lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).

(They may also have heard that it is cold.) Instead of grasping the meanings of these metaphors, the child is taking the images concretely.

Who ends up in hell?

Answer: Hell is the place where God will punish Satan and his followers and all those who refuse to follow God. We don’t know exactly who will go there because we don’t make that judgment, God does.

But God has made it possible for everyone to escape punishment in hell. He gives everyone the opportunity to go to heaven. That’s why he sent Jesus to die on the cross. When Jesus suffered and died, he took our place-he paid the penalty for our sins.

So if we trust in Jesus, we can escape hell and go to heaven. It sure would be great if all our friends, family, and neighbors would end up in heaven. Let’s tell them how to get there.

Key verse: Anyone whose name wasn’t in the Book of Life was thrown into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:15)

Related verses: John 3:16-18; 1 John 1:9

Related questions: Are there kids in hell? Who goes to hell? Will I go to hell if I swear?

How does god make the sun and moon go up and down?

Answer: God made powerful laws to govem the universe. These laws control the movements of the sun, moon, earth, and other planets and stars. For example, one law called “gravity” draws objects toward each other.

Other natural laws control the weather. Many forces determine whether the day will be sunny or cloudy, warm or cold, such as the heat from the sun, the currents in the ocean, the wind, and many others.

God set up the rules that make all these forces work together. And because God controls the entire universe, he can interrupt the laws if he wants to – bring rain to dry land or bright sunshine to flooded areas. How powerful God must be to control all that!

Key verse: The heavens are telling the glory of God. They are a great display of what God can do. (Psalm 19:1)

Related verses: Joshua 10:13; 1 Kings 18:1 ff.; 2 Kings 20:8-11; 2 Chronicles 7:12ff. Psalm 19:1-6; 104:19; 148:3; Hebrews 1:2-3

Related questions: How does God make the weather? Can God make the weather so that it’ll be sunny tomorrow?

Note to parents: Part of this is a science issue. If your children are wondering how the forces of nature work, don’t be afraid of encouraging them to learn more about the natural sciences. The power and wonder of nature can be used to inspire awe and worship of God. The heavens declare his glory! (See Psalm 19.)

What does god look like?

Answer: No one knows what God “looks like” because God is invisible and doesn’t have a physical body as we do. But we can learn about God and see what God acts like by learning about his Son, Jesus. In the Bible we can read about how Jesus lived, how he treated people, and what he taught. That’s what God is like.

Key verse: Jesus replied, “Don’t you even yet know who I am, Philip? And I have been with you for all this time! Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him?” (John 14:9)

Related verses: John 1:18; 5:37; 6:46; 1 John 3:2

Related questions: Does God have a beard? Is God bald?

Will I have my same name in heaven?

Answer: When we get to heaven, we will see our friends and family members who have died and gone there before us. They will recognize us, and we will know them. The Bible says that when we trust Christ as Savior, our names are written in the “Book of Life.” That’s God’s list of who gets into heaven.

Key verse: [Jesus is speaking] “All who conquer will be dressed in white. I will not erase their names from the Book of Life. I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.” (Revelation 3:5)

Related verses: Isaiah 62:1-3; Luke 16:19-24

Related questions: Will people know me in heaven? Will I remember my family and friends in heaven? Will life in heaven be like it is here? Will I stay the same in heaven as I am here?

Will god let me visit grandpa in heaven?

Answer: One of the great things about going to heaven is getting to see the people we love and want to see. If those people have trusted in Christ, they will be there. If your grandpa is in heaven, you will be able to see him when you go there.

Key verses: The believers who are dead will be the first to rise to meet the Lord. Then we who are alive and remain on the earth will be caught up with them. We will go to the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. We will stay with him forever. So comfort and cheer each other with this news. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Related verses: Daniel 7:13; Matthew 17:1-3; Acts 7:56

Related question: Why did God take Grandpa to heaven?

Note to parents: If a grandparent has died recently, your child will have many questions like this one. He or she may also want to express grief over the loss. Be open to talk to your child about his or her feelings.

Why can’t we see god?

Answer: We can’t see God because he’s invisible. But we can see what he does. Balloons are filled with air that we can’t see, but we see the balloon get big as the air is put in.

Radio waves are invisible, but they exist. Just because we can’t see God doesn’t mean he isn’t real. Believing that God is there even though we can’t see him is faith. Someday, in heaven, we will see God face to face.

Key verse: We can see and understand only a little about God now. It is like we were looking at his reflection in a poor mirror. Someday we are going to see him face to face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred.

But then I will see everything clearly. I will see as clearly as God sees into my heart right now. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Related verses: John 1:18; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:27

Related question: Why doesn’t God let everyone see him so everyone will believe him?

Note to parents: Young children struggle with this because of their concrete way of thinking. Using illustrations like the ones here are helpful, but still imperfect; we can’t see air because it’s molecules don’t form a solid enough image for us to see, not because it has no physical form. In contrast, God is invisible to us because he is a spirit.

Can christians hear god talking to them?

Answer: In the Bible we read about people hearing God’s voice. Today, the main way that God speaks to us is through the Bible. That’s why it’s called “God’s Word” – the Bible is God’s message to us.

God may also speak to us through people and circumstances and in other ways. But God will never tell us to do something that goes against what he says in the Bible. And don’t forget, God is with us all the time.

Key verses: Long ago God spoke in many different ways to our fathers. He spoke through the prophets in visions, dreams, and even face to face. Little by little he told them about his plans.

But now in these days he has spoken to us through his Son. He has given his Son everything. Through his Son he made the world and everything there is. (Hebrews 1:1-2)

Related verses: 1 Samuel 3:1-18; Psalm 119:1-24

Related questions: How can I hear God? Does my heart have ears?

Why do sharks eat people?

Answer: Sharks attack people because they are meat- eaters. When they are hungry, they will attack anything that looks good to eat. Sharks don’t go looking for people to attack – they just react to what comes near them.

The best thing to do is to be smart and stay away from sharks. When we go where we shouldn’t go, we get into trouble-like walking in poison ivy or playing in a thunderstorm. There are dangers in the world, and we should be careful to avoid them.

Key verses: For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. (Proverbs 2:10-11, NIV)

Related verses: Genesis 3:17-19; Numbers 21:6; Deuteronomy 32:24; Jeremiah 8:17; Ezekiel 34:25; Matthew 10:16

Related questions: Why did God make animals that harm us? Why did God create poison ivy and poisonous plants?

Note to parents: The question of why God made animals that can harm us is answered earlier in Question 4. The answer according to Scripture is that we live in a sinful world (Genesis 3:14-19).

If god made spiders, why do people squish them?

Answer: God created spiders just as he made all the other animals. But there’s a great difference between animals and human beings. People are created in God’s image and are supposed to take care of all creation – including all animals and plants.

God put people in charge of creation, but this does not mean we can harm and kill for fun or destroy the world as we please. We can kill animals and plants for food and to control their population; we can remove or kill spiders, insects, and so forth that threaten us or make it difficult for us to live. But we should be kind to animals when possible and take good care of the world.

Key verse: And God blessed them and told them, “Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. You are masters of the fish and birds and all the animals.” (Genesis 1:28) RELATED VERSES: Genesis 1:20-25; Proverbs 12:10; Acts 10:9-16

Note to parents: Some children want to hurt animals, while others want to be compassionate. God’s desire is for us to be compassionate and wise rulers of all animal life (Proverbs 12:10).

This should not be taken to such an extreme that we think eating meat is wrong. God has provided animals as a source of food and has given us permission to eat meat (see Acts 10).

 

Why did god create the world?

Answer: God created the world and everything in it because he enjoys making things, and he wanted to be with us. God created people because he wanted to have friends, men and women, boys and girls, with whom he could share his love. He created the world for them to live in and enjoy.

Key verses: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… Then God looked over all that he had made. It was excellent in every way. (Genesis 1:1, 31) RELATED VERSES: Genesis 1:1-2:1; Psalm 19:1; Isaiah 45:7

Related questions: Why did God rest when all he did was speak? Why did God create water when there was milk?

Note to parents: This question is a good opportunity to tell your children that God’s plan involves them. God created the world and everything in it – including your children-so that he could have people to love.

How did god create the earth?

Answer: Whenever we make something, like a craft, a drawing, or a sand castle, we have to start with special materials, like clay, string, glue, paper, crayons, and sand. We can’t even imagine creating something out of nothing -by just saying the words and making it appear.

But God is so powerful that he can do what is impossible for us. That includes making anything he wants, even creating things from nothing. That’s what it means to be God-he can do anything.

Key verses: Before anything else existed, there was God’s Son. He was the Word, and he was with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make. (John 1:1-3)

Related verses: Genesis 1:1-2; Hebrews 1:10; 2 Peter 3:5-6

Related questions: Why did it take God six days to create the world? What was everything like before God created the world?

How did adam know what to name the animals?

Answer: God gave Adam the job of naming the animals, much like when your parents might ask you to name your pet. Adam named the animals whatever he wanted. But Adam didn’t speak English, so the names he used are not the ones we use today. Adam lived a very long time ago, and today each language has its own words for the animals in our world.

Key verses: So the Lord God formed from the soil every kind of animal and bird. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called them, that was their name. (Genesis 2:19-20)

Relatedverses: Acts 13:2; Colossians 4:17

Why did adam and eve eat the forbidden fruit if god said not to?

Answer: Adam and Eve were sinless and perfect when God created them. But they still could choose to do what was wrong (just like you can choose to do what you aren’t supposed to). When the devil tempted them to eat the forbidden fruit, they chose to do it.

Although people talk about Adam and Eve eating an “apple” in the Garden of Eden, we don’t know what the fruit looked like or how it tasted. All we know is that it was the one fruit in that big, beautiful garden that they weren’t supposed to eat.

Adam and Eve ate the fruit because the devil started them thinking about what it would be like. Then he lied about God’s rule to make them think that God was keeping something good from them. Pretty soon they wanted to eat the fruit more than they wanted to obey God’s rule.

Key verses: The serpent was the craftiest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. So the serpent came to the woman. “Really?” he asked. “None of the fruit in the garden? God says you mustn’t eat any of it?” “Of course we may eat it,” the woman told him. “It’s only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we must not eat.

God says we must not eat it or even touch it. If we do, we will die.” “That’s a lie” the serpent hissed. “You’ll not die! God knows very well that as soon as you eat it you will become like him. Your eyes will be opened.

You will be able to know good from evil!” The woman was convinced. How lovely and fresh-looking it was! And it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit and gave some to her husband. He ate it too. (Genesis 3:1-6)

Related verses: Matthew 6:13; 26:41

Will my pet go to heaven when it dies?

Answer: We don’t know what happens to animals when they die, but God does, and we know his plan is good. Sometimes we may get the idea that animals think and understand as we do. But God created animals different from people.

Animals don’t have souls or think as we do, so they can’t enjoy God the way we can. Here on earth, pets are fun to play with and animals are interesting to watch. Only God knows if pets will join us in heaven.

Key verses: God made all sorts of wild animals and cattle and reptiles. And God was pleased with what he had done. Then God said, “Let us make a man-someone like ourselves.

He will be the master of all life upon the earth and in the skies and in the seas.” So God made man like his Maker. Like God did God make man. Man and maid did he make them. (Genesis 1:25-27)

Related Verses: Isaiah 11:6-8; 65:25

Related question: Where do animals go when they die?

Note to parents: This question may be a way of testing the reality of heaven. A child’s world is tied to his or her pet, and the death of a pet naturally raises the question of what happens to it afterward.

But if you’re not sure how to answer, don’t be afraid of saying you don’t know. The answer may not be as important as helping your child deal with losing a pet. When we get to heaven, God will give us everything we need to be filled with unspeakable joy

Q: Why can’t we go to heaven and just see it and then come back?

Answer: This question is like asking, “Can I become a teenager and then come back to my age right now?” It’s impossible because you have to grow into your teens; you can’t simply jump there and back.

In the same way, heaven is more than a place you can visit. It’s a time at the end of life, and God has to make us ready to go there. In fact, we have to change in order to go there. We know that heaven exists because God has told us so in his Word, the Bible.

And Jesus promised to “prepare a place” so that we can live with him forever (John 14:2). Once we get there, we won’t want to come back.

Key verses: Then I looked and saw a door standing open in Heaven. I heard the same voice I had heard before. It was the one that sounded like a mighty trumpet blast.

It said, “Come up! I will show you what must happen in the future!” And instantly I was in the spirit. And I saw a throne and someone sitting on it! Great bursts of light flashed forth from him.

It was like light from a glittering diamond or from a shining ruby. There was a rainbow glowing like an emerald around his throne. (Revelation 4:1-3)

Related verses: Exodus 33:22; Matthew 17:2; 2 Corinthians 12:2-3

Related questions: Is heaven really there? Why can’t I go to heaven now? How do we get to heaven after we die?

If we went high enough in the sky, would we find heaven?

Answer: No one but God knows exactly where heaven is. But the best way we can describe its location is to say it is “up.” If we rode a spaceship up, way out into space, we would not find heaven – it can’t be seen or found by people.

Only God can take us there. And that’s what he does, after we die, if we have trusted in Jesus as our Savior.

Key verses: Not long after this, Jesus rose into the sky. He went up into a cloud, leaving them staring after him. They were straining their eyes for another look at him. But suddenly two white-robed men were standing there with them.

They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has gone to Heaven. And someday he will come back again, just as he went!” (Acts 1:9-11)

Related verses: John 3:13; Luke 24:50-51

Related questions: Where is heaven? Is heaven up?

What is heaven like?

Answer: The Bible uses some wonderful pictures to tell us what heaven is like. In our world, we think that gold is important because it’s so valuable. But in heaven, the streets will be gold – we’ll walk on it.

The best way to picture heaven is to imagine the most exciting and fun place that you’ve ever been to. Heaven will be like that only much, much better. Jesus told his followers that he was leaving earth to go to heaven to prepare a place for them.

He has a special place for us, where there is no crying or sadness and we will be filled with joy.

Key verses: [Jesus is speaking] “There are many homes in my Father’s house. I am going to prepare a place for you. I will come again and take you to me. Then you will be with me where I am about to go. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly.” (John 14:2-3)

Related verses: Isaiah 60:17; Revelation 21:21

Related questions: What will we do in heaven? Are the streets in heaven real gold or just painted gold?