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Dear Father Paul

Dear Father Paul: I recently traveled to England and Western Europe. I was shocked to see many...many churches closed and boarded up. Some of my friends over there told me that many people are totally uninterested in God. What's going on? Jim, Fayetteville.

Dear Jim: I have traveled to these areas too and found the same thing. A Christian friend we visited in Sweden a few years ago told me, "the church is irrelevant to most of our people today, especially the young. They are much more interested in their careers, travel, a nice car and apartment, etc." Sadly, I believe that we are beginning to see the same thing here in America. Check out the malls on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. They are full! Church leaders and all believers need to wake up lest in 20 years or less (my prediction) we find ourselves just like Sweden, England and all of Western Europe are today.

I read an interesting article recently about how some of the third world nations of Africa and Asia are now sending missionaries to Europe. Wow!  While most of us can't become missionaries even to such "easy" nations as Western Europe, we can pray that the Holy Spirit will fall anew and afresh all over planet Earth. That's the answer.

Dear Father Paul: A number of people at our church arrive 15 - 20 minutes late almost every Sunday. It's always the same ones. I know it's not my job to "straighten out" other believers, but I'd like to help somehow. Any ideas? Marsha, Fayetteville.

Dear Marsha: This is a problem at lots of churches. It is certainly a bad witness to others, especially children and youth as-well-as any visitors to the church. You don't mention whether or not the pastor ever addresses the issue in private (the best place to start)...from the pulpit...or in the church newsletter. These approaches often help.

Funny how most of us can be on time for a meeting with our boss, a doctor's appointment, a restaurant reservation or even a movie, but we have a problem getting to church on time. It speaks volumes about our relationship with God doesn't it Marsha.  I'm not talking about the person who is late once in a blue moon because of car trouble or some other good excuse (me included), but the people who have a "pattern" of being late almost every Sunday. I do not wish to be harsh, because I'm glad they come, even if late, but it is clear that such people are plainly being disrespectful to their fellow believers, to the pastor and other church leaders and most importantly of all...to God. Again, as I said earlier this behavior is a sign of a deeper more serious problem.

Any of my readers to whom this applies should repent and ammend their behavior in this regard. A note of apology or visit with the pastor is a good place to start. You have my permission to give a copy of this article to the people you mention. Hopefully that will help. Sometimes it is hard for us to see the things we ourselves are doing that miss the mark.

Lastly, it is important to note that God loves the person who is late every Sunday just as much as he loves the person who is on time every Sunday. I do think that his heart is hurt a little though when we exhibit this kind of behavior just like we (parents) are sad when our own children are always late for family gatherings and the like. I don't know about others, but I don't want to sadden the heart of my precious heavenly father.

Dear Father Paul: Who was Cain's wife? Edward, Senoia.

Dear Edward: I knew that sooner or later I'd get this question.The Bible does not indicate who Cain's wife was, although Genesis 4: 17 says that he did in fact have a wife as-well-as children. The only possible answer is that his wife was his sister, his niece or his grand niece.

The Bible does not give Cain's age, but it is likely that he and Abel, since they were farmers, were adults with families of their own at the time Cain killed Abel. Also, it is very likely that Adam and Eve had other children...perhaps lots of other children besides Cain and Abel.  Genesis 5:4 tells us that they definitely had more children by a later time. 

The fact that Cain was afraid for his life after he killed Abel indicates that there were not just a few, but perhaps many other children of Adam and Eve (perhaps grand children as well) for him to fear. In my view Cain's wife was his niece, a grand daughter of Adam and Eve.

Father Paul Massey will answer your questions. Write him at paulmassey@earthlink.net or P. O. Box 510, Fayetteville, GA. 30214.