THE CHEAP COPY AND THE REAL THING S-1255 I ran into one of the women of our church in the checkout line at Costco the other day. “I can hardly wait until Sunday. When is all this going to happen? Who is the AntiChrist?” Of course the Bible does not answer either of those questions specifically. However, it does give all sorts of clues and promises that those who are wise will be able to read the signs and figure out what is happening near the end of the age. Today we come to see the Biblical teachings about the Antichrist himself. Sometimes we don’t know a cheap copy until we see the “real thing.” Dr. Pepper from Texas–Hardly existed in Tucson 20 years ago. Julie sneaked them into Mexican restaurants in her purse. And Mr. Pibb. Now even have Dr. Wells. Just cheap imitations of the real thing! I want to compare the coming cheap imitation of Christ with the real thing. Antichrist can be such an oppressive subject. So as we see him, we will keep our eyes on Jesus. READ REVELATION 13:18 Who is this beast? Number of the Beast is 666. Now, if we just find the man who signs his name with three sixes, we’ll know who the Antichrist is. Several possible explanations of 666. 1. Gematria. Ancient practice of adding the sum total of the numerical equivalent of letters of a man’s name. In Greek and Hebrew the letters of the alphabet had definite numerical equivalents. Roger=R+O+G+E+R=100+70+3+5+100=278 While it’s easy to turn a name into a number, it’s much harder to turn a number back into a name. Incidentally both Caesar Nero and Bartholomew = 666. (Ronald Reagan = 415, Clinton = 530) 2. Symbol of a man. #6 is the number of humanity in the Bible. 666 may be taken to mean an individual who is trying to imitate the Trinity of God (Three sixes in one person). 3. A symbol of imperfection. The number “7” is the number of “perfection”. Jesus is 888 (one more than perfection). 666 is consistently one less than perfection. 666 could be the personification of evil. The name of Jesus is 888. Anyone with intelligence can calculate the number. Iota=10, Eta=8; Sigma=200; Omicron=70; Upsilon=400; Sigma=200. 1. ANTICHRIST WILL BE WANTED–NOT REJECTED. READ Revelation 6:2 Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse All Hell is breaking loose and AntiChrist comes on a white horse of peace. Look at our world. ECONOMIC CRISIS: labor-management problems, unemployment, debt, urban blight DISEASE: drugs, aids, tb, most of the world is a ghetto WAR in Bosnia: ethnic stress, racial strife, ethnic cleansing FAMINE: ecology US NEWS: RUSSIA: CAUGHT BETWEEN THE JUNGLE AND THE ZOO Our world is becoming more ripe every hour for a voice that will say, “I have the answer. I can offer peace. I can bring an answer to the chaos in which we live. The Addictive Organization by Ann Schaef and Diane Fassel: “In times of crisis we allow people to take over and enact unusual procedures. Crisis feeds the illusion that control can bring the situation under control. Crises are used to excuse drastic and erratic actions on the part of managers. When crisis is the norm, management tends to assume an unhealthy amount of power on a daily basis.” Henri Speak, one of the early planners of common market and Secretary General of NATO expressed the mood in Europe: “We do not want another committee; we have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all the people and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man and be he god or devil, we will receive him.” PICTURES OF WORLD LEADERS: Time of world emergency. Satan always has an Antichrist ready. Antichrist will be wanted, not rejected. What a contrast with the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ “came unto his own, and his own received him not.” (John 1:10-11) “He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (Isaiah 53:3) 2. ANTICHRIST WILL BE APPEALING–NOT REPULSIVE. READ 2 CORINTHIANS 11:14-15: “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. it is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.” One of the problems is the name given to him in scripture. Who wants to spend the afternoon with a beast? Or the Man of Sin? or an Antichrist? We must not think that because these names are used that the Antichrist when he appears will be repulsive. We think of the prefix “Anti” and think of one opposed to Christ and we mistakenly identify him with the worst of tyrants. Now the prefix “anti” can mean opposed or against, but it can also mean, “instead of.” Instead of Christ. That is the meaning here. Antichrist will be a substitute for Christ. He will be as much like Christ as it is possible for a tool of Satan to be like Christ. He will talk about justice…love…peace..prosperity. Will be brilliant. Hailed by millions as the one who will save mankind. He will come as an angel of light. We can safely say that the Antichrist will be far more like Albert Schweitzer than Satan. Schweitzer, of course, did not believe in the divinity of Christ or accept the full authority of scripture. Yet, he went to Africa as an angel of light. The Antichrist will be attractive, not repulsive. He’ll be wanted…appealing. What a contrast with the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2) Lowly, in a cow’s stall, in a manger. 3. ANTICHRIST WILL BE A GENTILE, AN ARYAN OF “EXALTED” RACE–NOT A JEW. READ Revelation 13:1. Emerges out of the sea. Reference to Gentile world powers. Magogite: Descendant of Noah through Jephthah. Germanic peoples of Central Europe and Volga River valley south of Moscow in Russia. Christ came as a Jew as “the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” (Revelation 5:5) Describe anti-semitism in Germany and Russian states today. Hildegard Janssen: No wonder German youth hate Jews. The will never forget. They keep holding a grudge. Why can’t they forgive Germany? Germany has paid out over $39 billion in retribution and pensions of the Holocaust; and that money has taken food, jobs, and the future from this present generation of youth in Germany. And they resent it greatly. $39 billion somehow is a drop in the bucket compared to 5.8 million lives. 4. SATAN WILL INHABIT THE ANTICHRIST AND BE THE SOURCE OF HIS POWER. READ REVELATION 13:2. His power comes from the Dragon who is identified in Rev. 12:9 as Satan. READ REVELATION 12:7-9, 12. Joy in heaven, but woe to the earth! In Rev. 12 there is a picture of war in Heaven between Michael and Lucifer and Satan is cast out of Heaven to the Earth. Picture of Satan coming to inhabit the body of Antichrist. This occurs in the middle of the tribulation when Satan falls from heaven to indwell him. If Satan really wants to operate, what does he do? He gets a man! Read Luke 22:3; Satan entered into Judas. Demons in Gadarene demoniac. Then he accomplishes such wicked things. Christ is “in the Father and the Father is in Christ.” (John 17:21) “Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:21) “I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The One who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.” (John 8:28-29) 5. ANTICHRIST SURVIVES A MORTAL WOUND (A COUNTERFEIT RESURRECTION). READ Revelation 13:3. One head of the beast receives a mortal wound and lives. Greek words mean “slit the throat with a knife.” Dramatic entrance onto the world scene. Satanic counterfeit resurrection. As if JFK. Lying in rotunda. Sits up and says, “There’s something that I want to say…” Don’t you think that he would have the undivided attention of the world? One of the seven heads is wounded. Could be the leader of one of the previous seven Beast nations! Instantly recognized! (Hitler) Adolf Hitler’s final words from “World at War” series on television. Direct quote from a film made by a personal aide to Hitler just before he shot himself in his bunker in Berlin. Hitler’s last words to his aides were to break up and scatter to the west. In response to that statement the aide asked, “For whom should we fight now?” With that Hitler said in a monotone: “For the coming man.” Then he closed the door and shot himself in the head with his own gun. What a contrast with Christ. Christ was “resurrected just as He said.” (Matthew 28:6) “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.” (Matthew 28:6) “From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Mat. 16: 21.) 6. ANTICHRIST SUBDUES KINGDOMS BY DECEIT, FORCE, BOASTFUL PROMISES, AND MANIPULATION. READ Daniel 7:19-25. See if you can tell me who said this: “The streets of our country are in turmoil; the universities are filled with students rebelling and rioting. Communists are seeking to destroy our country, and the Republic is in danger – yes, danger from within and without. Without law and order our nation cannot survive!” Who said that? Adolf Hitler in 1932. In 1930, Germany was in desperate financial straits – riots, unrest, communists, etc. Then Hitler appeared on the scene; a voice of authority arose. Great promises of peace, prosperity, and hope for Germany. People proclaimed “Heil Hitler” It’s said that 80% of the evangelical Christians in Germany in the 1930’s voted for Hitler, because they really believed that he could bring peace, law and order, and prosperity to Germany. Talk to people who were in pre-war Germany and they tell of how the people viewed Hitler as the savior to straighten out their sordid society. KIssing babies, etc. U.S. NEWS: “HE CAME IN ON CAT’S PAWS” How could anyone be duped into accepting the Antichrist? Remember how the Antichrist comes into power? Revelation 6:2: Rider on a white horse! In a time of great economic problems and turmoil, the Antichrist will appear as a smooth-talking peacemaker! The world will embrace him as a savior and solver of its problems. He gains control of a ten nation confederacy and subdues three kings who fail to yield to his control. (Daniel 7:20,24). This beginning forms the nucleus for his rise to world domination. He makes a peace treaty with Israel which marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation. He breaks treaty after 3 1/2 years with Abomination of Desolation in Matthew 24:15-16, and begins great wave of Anti-Semitism. He attempts to exterminate all Jews. Christ was led “like a sheep led to the slaughter.” (Isaiah 53:7) He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 8:36) 7. ANTICHRIST DEMANDS TO BE WORSHIPPED. READ Revelation 13:11-13 It is critical to Satan’s plans that he have a religious structure to his kingdom. The reason is because man is unable to exist without religion. God has placed a throne-shaped vacuum inside every human heart that he intends to occupy. If man doesn’t worship God then he’ll worship something in its place. A stick, mountain, sun, stars (in primitive culture), car, job, himself, a sport! We saw this with the Roman emperor worship in the first century. “Caesar is Lord.” See it in Japanese emperor worship in WWII. Japanese wrote it out of their constitution; yet, new emperor just took divinity vows. READ REVELATION 13:14-15. This is Abomination foretold by: Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:36) Jesus (Matthew 24:15) Paul (2 Thess 2:4) As he lays his plans for strategic final attack to dominate the earth, he attacks 3 major fronts: Political/Religious/Economic. The Worship Is Enforced By Economic Sanctions. Here is the Infamous Mark of the Beast. READ REVELATION 13:16-17. All beast worshippers are compelled to receive a mark! How could this happen? Invent a system to house all the data – Done. Remove all currency and substitute controlled credit – Being done. Have central control on everyone’s financial status and credit rating – Done. Do all major economic work are institutional level – Done. Give government complete control of finance – Moving in that direction! Fed controls economy, inflation, recession by limiting or increasing the money supply. So why then bother to have credit cards? Get one number, social security number and tattoo it on forehead or back of right hand. Put it under bar light reader at grocery store and automatically debits bank account. Man from Communist Bulgaria said that “the most terrible instrument ever devised by man is the innocent ration card. You can’t buy or sell anything except according to that little ration card. If they please, they can starve you to death…dispossess you of everything you have, for you can’t trade nor buy nor sell without that little card.” Under the Beast all will be controlled by that same sort of central economy. The cost of following Jesus is really going to be high. May I also add that the cost of not following Jesus is going to be higher yet. READ REVELATION 16:2; 14:9-11! The price will be high for the one who refuses the mark, the price will be infinitely higher for the one who takes it. Can take a spiritual mark today. Madonna has been much in the news. Julie: “She is a very intelligent woman. I am surprised. She is seducing a generation of American youth; and she knows exactly what she is doing. Christ receives worship only after humbling Himself to death on a cross. (“Matthew 28:9 He allows Mary to worship Him at the empty tomb;” Philippians 2:5-11) 8. THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE DESTROYED AND CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. READ Revelation 19:20; 20:10. He is defeated by Christ and cast into the lake of fire forever. Christ will reign forever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 5:6-14; 17:14) WHO IS THE ANTICHRIST? Nero Hitler Mussolini Henry Kissenger The Pope Vladimir Putin Likely someone we haven’t recognized PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE: The spirit of antichrist can be anyone of us. READ 1 John 2: 18, 22-23: “Many false Christs . . . This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the father also.” READ 1 John 4:1-3: This is the spirit of Antichrist, every spirit which does not confess Christ is not of God . . .” DON’T BE SEDUCED BY A CHEAP IMITATION. COME TO JESUS.

One of the most frequent questions I’ve been asked about Heaven over the years is about the nature of marriage there. As I share in my book Heaven, there will be one marriage in Heaven, not many. That marriage will be what earthly marriage symbolized and pointed to, the marriage of Christ to His bride. So we will all be married—but to Christ. Our marriage to Him is the true Marriage, of which the best of earthly marriages was a symbol and shadow. Those who did not experience marriage or had only a poor marriage on earth will be delighted with their eternal Bridegroom, who has already gone to prepare a place for them. One day all Heaven will attend the ultimate wedding, and we will be His bride (see Revelation 19:7-9). However, I do envision that people who’ve had important roles in each other’s lives will continue to be friends—and that would include a lot of people who’ve been married. So although married couples’ relationships will look different in Heaven, that certainly doesn’t mean that earthly marriage is unimportant and that God doesn’t use it in our lives in profound ways. Jesus said the institution of human marriage would end, having fulfilled its purpose. But He never hinted that deep relationships between married people would end. Here on Earth we long for a perfect marriage. That’s exactly what we’ll have—a perfect marriage with Christ. Nanci is not only my wife, but also my best friend and my closest sister in Christ. Will we become more distant in the new world? Of course not—we’ll become closer, I’m convinced. The God who said “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18) is the giver and blesser of our relationships. Life on this earth matters. What we do here touches strings that reverberate for all eternity. Nothing will take away from the fact that Nanci and I are marriage partners here and that we invest so much of our lives in each other, serving Christ together. In their book The Meaning of Marriage, Tim and Kathy Keller write: What, then, is marriage for? It is for helping each other to become our future glory-selves, the new creations that God will eventually make us. The common horizon husband and wife look toward is the Throne, and the holy, spotless, and blameless nature we will have. I can think of no more powerful common horizon than that, and that is why putting a Christian friendship at the heart of a marriage relationship can lift it to a level that no other vision for marriage approaches. Have you ever traveled to a mountainous part of the world when it was cloudy and rainy? You look out your windows and you can see almost nothing but the ground. Then the rain stops and the clouds part and you catch your breath because there, towering right over you, is this magnificent peak. But a couple of hours later the clouds roll in and it has vanished, and you don’t see it again for a good while. That is what it is like to get to know a Christian. You have an old self and a new self (Ephesians 4:24). The old self is crippled with anxieties, the need to prove yourself, bad habits you can’t break, and many besetting sins and entrenched character flaws. The new self is still you, but you are liberated from your sins and flaws. This new self is always a work in process, and sometimes the clouds of the old self make it almost completely invisible. But sometimes the clouds really part, and you see the wisdom, courage, and love of which you are capable. It is a glimpse of where you are going. Within this Christian vision for marriage, here’s what it means to fall in love. It is to look at another person and get a glimpse of the person God is creating, and to say, “I see who God is making you, and it excites me! I want to be part of that. I want to partner with you and God in the journey you are taking to his throne. And when we get there, I will look at your magnificence and say, ‘I always knew you could be like this. I got glimpses of it on earth, but now look at you!’” Each spouse should see the great thing that Jesus is doing in the life of their mate through the Word, the gospel. Each spouse then should give him- or herself to be a vehicle for that work and envision the day that you will stand together before God, seeing each other presented in spotless beauty and glory. There is continuity from this life to the next. Married people have shared experiences here on the present Earth, and I think we’ll look back on those times like we were soldiers in the trenches together: we had great times and we had hard times. We should expect those relationships with family to be special and continue forever. I fully anticipate no one besides God will understand me better on the New Earth than Nanci, and there’s nobody whose company I’ll seek and enjoy more than Nanci’s. The joys of marriage in eternity will be far greater because of the character and love of our Bridegroom. I rejoice for Nanci and for me that we’ll both be married to the most wonderful person in the universe. He’s already the one we love most—there is no competition. On Earth, the closer we draw to Him, the closer we draw to each other. Surely the same will be true in Heaven. What an honor it will be to always know that God chose us for each other on this old Earth so that we might have a foretaste of life with Him on the New Earth. epm.org

WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS THAT GOD HAS BLESSED YOU? CAN WEALTH BE A SIGN OF GOD’S BLESSING? 14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15 I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” BACKGROUND “A city of the Roman province of Asia in the area of Phrygia. Laodicea stood on an 850-foot hill ten miles from Colosse up the broad valley of the Lycus, a tributary of the Meander. It was 90 miles east of Ephesus by road on the great commercial route from the coast into the interior of Asia Minor. Laodicea was founded by the Seleucid King Antiochus II (261–246 b.c.), who named it for his sister and wife, Laodice. He settled it with Syrians and Jews brought from Babylonia.” (1) “It was an important centre of banking and exchange. Its distinctive products included garments of glossy black wool, and it was a medical centre noted for ophthalmology.” The city produced something called Phrygian powder, which was used to treat eye weaknesses. “The site had one disadvantage: being [built around a] road-system, it lacked a sufficient and permanent supply of good water.” (2) Laodicea was known for its wealth and love of pleasure. In fact, it was the wealthiest city in the asiatic region. It had three theaters and a large circus that could hold 30,000 spectators. Yet, “for all its wealth, it could produce neither the healing power of hot water, like its neighbor Hierapolis, nor the refreshing power of cold water to be found at Colossae, but merely lukewarm water.” (3) Laodicea was an extremely wealthy city. When other asiatic cities suffered damaging earthquakes, they took Roman aid to rebuild. But not Laodicea. In 60 AD an earthquake leveled the city. When Rome offered aid, the city refused it and rebuilt itself through its own resources. No one knows who founded the church at Laodicea. However, Paul makes reference to it in his letter to the Colossians. Paul seems to indicate that he wrote a letter to Laodicea (Colossians 4:15-16). Some scholars believe that that letter was Ephesians, which was used as a circular letter to multiple churches in the region, while some hold that there was a separate letter to the Laodiceans, which has now been lost, much like two other letters to the Corinthians have also been lost. There is disagreement among commentators as to whether this was a church of saved, though lapsed people, or if it was a professing church, not really knowing Christ. Because every church has a mix of both believers and unbelievers (like the visible and invisible churches we’ve discussed previously), I’m going to interpret this church as belonging to Christ, which is why he speaks as one who is disciplining his believers, as we shall see later. EXAMINATION (V.14) “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.”   The use of the designation “the Amen” is a statement meaning the one who is true. When we say Amen, we are stating our agreement with whatever was spoken before. We are acknowledging its truth. So, Jesus is saying he is the true one, whom we can all agree with. Which he repeats a moment later by calling himself “the faithful and true witness.” Witness means he sees what the Laodicean church is doing, and it’s not good.  “The beginning of God’s creation” may harken back to  Colossians 1:17-18  where Paul calls Jesus the firstborn of God’s creation. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” Jesus is not the first created thing; rather, he is preeminent, in the first place. This stands in contrast to Laodicea, which held a high-ranking position as the wealthiest of the asiatic cities to which John writes.  (V.15) “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!” WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HOT OR COLD ABOUT SOMETHING?. “The adjectives hot, cold, and lukewarm are not to be taken as describing the spiritual fervor (or lack of it) of the people. The contrast is between the hot medicinal waters of Hierapolis and the cold, pure waters of Colossae. Thus, the church in Laodicea was providing neither refreshment for the spiritually weary, nor healing for the spiritually sick.” (4) Jesus wants them to be hot or cold, having a testimony that either brings people to Christ or builds them up in their faith. But they do neither. (V.16) “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” WHAT DO YOU THINK “SPIT YOU OUT OF HIS MOUTH” MEANS? IS JESUS THREATENING TO TAKE AWAY THEIR SALVATION? The meaning here is to literally vomit out of the mouth. The lukewarm waters of Laodicea were known for making people ill. Expelling the drunken water was the natural reaction. This is a dire warning for the Laodicean church. Jesus is about to have nothing to do with them  as a church . He is not threatening loss of salvation for its members; rather, he is threatening loss of status as a church body. He takes no pleasure in them. He loves them, as we shall see, but he takes no pleasure in them. If necessary, he will disband them. The apostle Paul said something similar of one person in  I Corinthians 5:5 , speaking of an unrepentant man, “You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” I think the threat here is to disband or eliminate the church as a corporate body, though its members may still be saved, though by the skin of their teeth. (V.17) “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”   Just like the city in which they lived, the Laodicean church was entirely self-sufficient. The city was known for its wealth, particularly its banking industry. Private citizens enjoyed extreme wealth, which made them lack for nothing. Notice the words that Jesus uses to describe them. They all reference something from the city. Wretched, pitiable, and poor stand in contrast to their great wealth. Blind refers to the treatment of eye conditions that the city’s medical industry was known for. And naked refers to a shiny black wool produced in the area that was famous in the region and made the city rich. Everything the city has, the church benefits from, and it puts them in a spiritually precarious position. Are you self-sufficient? Does your work or retirement sufficiently care for your needs so that you worry for nothing? As a missionary, when our support is healthy, we tend to relax and enjoy our situation. But periodically we must raise more money. We tend to look at money as our supply rather than the Lord. Are we self-sufficient, thinking we have no need? (V.18) “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”   Jesus continues to use the things the city is known for to drive home his point that the Laodiceans are in great spiritual need, even darkness. Gold refined by fire refers to the city’s wealth of gold. “So that you may be rich” means the Laodiceans are spiritually poor and don’t know it. “White garments stand in contrast to the black wool of their industry. White being a symbol used in Revelation of holiness and purity before God. I.E., the Laodiceans were not living holy lives. “Nakedness” was a form of judgment and humiliation. Remember Isaiah the prophet who walked around naked for three years to symbolize Israel’s pending captivity to the Assyrians (Isaiah 20:1-4). “Salve to anoint your eyes” refers to the Phrygian powder combined with oil to treat eye ailments. The implication being that the Laodicean church was spiritually blind. Remember Jesus’ words to the Pharisees in John 9:41, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” The Laodiceans were in a similar situation. Unlike the city, where all of these things required wealth to obtain, Jesus offers these things to the church at no cost. The gold, the white garments, and the eye salve are all symbolic of needing forgiveness, holiness, honor, and spiritual understanding that comes from a true relationship with Christ through faith and repentance, not self-sufficiency. (V.19) “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”   Notice that Jesus says he disciplines this church. You don’t discipline someone else’s children. So, I interpret these as genuine though fallen believers. They belong to Christ and are under his authority as a real church, not just a professing church. This is, undoubtedly, the most important thing that Jesus says to the Laodiceans. Everything that Jesus says here, even his harshest words, is motivated by his love for them. He doesn’t want to spit them out. He doesn’t want to be rid of them. He wants to embrace them. They just need to repent. HAVE YOU EVER FELT THAT GOD WAS HARSH WITH YOU? I had a pastor friend of mine tell me once when I was going through a trial that I needed that trial because everything that happened to me was filtered through God’s love for me. No matter how bad it was, God permitted it because it was an experience that I needed in order for God to demonstrate his love to me through that experience. Now, this does not mean that the Laodiceans needed to be lukewarm. Rather, it means that the harsh experience of Jesus’ reaction to them was necessary for them to understand how much he loved them. Like disciplining a child, the experience is painful, but ultimately it is an expression of love. Proverbs 3:11-12 says, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” (V.20) “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”   WHOSE DOOR IS JESUS KNOCKING ON, THE BELIEVER OR THE UNBELIEVER? This verse is often understood evangelistically. Christians usually use this passage in gospel presentations to get people to invite Christ into their lives. The picture is one of Jesus outside the life of the person, in other words, the unsaved person, asking to be let in. But I think something different is going on. The church of Laodicea already belongs to Christ. It’s already his church. He’s not asking to be let into the unbeliever’s life. He’s knocking to be let back into his own house. The church is his house. But he has been excluded for wealth and self-sufficiency. He wants back in. This isn’t a polite knock. The Greek word for knock in this passage is krouō. It literally means “to beat the door with a stick,” like a walking staff. I.E., this is Jesus pounding on the door, demanding to be let back in. The reference to eating together is a picture of restored fellowship. In the ancient world, eating together denoted closeness and intimacy. Jesus wants that relationship restored. (V.21) “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”   This is shared rulership. We are invited to sit with him on his throne. Not that we wield power, but that we are highly valued like royalty. We are just as valued by God as Jesus is valued by the Father. Notice how high this is compared to what the Laodiceans already have. They are rich, they are finely adorned, they have ample health and wealth. Yet, in reality, they are poor and pitiable, blind, and naked. But if they repent, they will gain the throne, something eternally greater than earthly wealth, adornment, or physical health. This is the ultimate contradiction to the health and wealth gospel. Abandon all earthly comforts for the heavenly.  INTERPRETATION What is Jesus’ big idea for this passage?  Self-sufficiency is a trap. Having Jesus is greater than any health and wealth.  There may be no greater threat to the life of the church today than the health and wealth gospel. If the churches of Revelation represent churches throughout history, then certainly, Laodicea represents the modern church. The health and wealth gospel is not limited to the American church. It has infiltrated almost every area of the Christian world, especially Africa and Asia. In Africa, it’s common to see advertisements and billboards for so-called prophets and apostles. In Asia and Africa, prosperity pastors rake in millions. In fact, in a list of the world’s richest pastors, many on the list actually come from Africa. And congregants will do almost anything to gain their pastor’s blessings: drinking their bath water, following them around, debased on their hands and knees, and giving over their money in hopes of gaining even more. Yet, in the midst of this, there is hope. There is still a remnant that has not fallen to the deception of the prosperity gospel. They take their Christianity seriously, no matter what. How self-sufficient are you? As Americans, we like the idea of pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We’re taught the value of hard work and self-sufficiency. Recently, in our politics, we talk about a golden age for America. But it’s a golden age built around economics and prosperity, not godly living and the gospel. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do well, but not at the expense of Christ. The blessings of Christ go beyond health and wealth. To be blessed of God is to know him intimately. To understand him. And to treasure him and each other more than possessions or the purse. APPLICATION 1. Avoid Spiritual Lukewarmness “You are neither cold nor hot… So, because you are lukewarm… I will spit you out of my mouth.” (v.15–16) Application: Examine your spiritual zeal regularly. Commit to a passionate, wholehearted relationship with Christ rather than a complacent or half-hearted faith. God desires sincere devotion, not spiritual indifference. 2. Recognize Your True Spiritual Condition “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (v.17) Application: Don’t rely on material success or outward appearances as indicators of spiritual health. Humbly seek God’s perspective and be open to conviction and transformation. 3. Pursue God’s Refining and Righteousness “Buy from me gold refined in the fire… white clothes to wear… salve to put on your eyes.” (v.18) Application: Pursue spiritual growth and maturity by seeking God’s truth, righteousness, and discernment. Let Him refine your character through trials and sanctification. 4. Respond to God’s Loving Discipline “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” (v.19) Application: View God’s correction as an expression of His love. Instead of resisting it, respond with humility, repentance, and a desire to change. 5. Invite Christ into Every Area of Your Life “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock…” (v.20) Application: Christ seeks a personal, ongoing relationship with you. Open your heart daily to His presence, fellowship, and lordship in every aspect of your life. Vos, Howard F. 1975. “Laodicea.” In The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer and John Rea. Moody Press. Rudwick, M. J. S., Hemer C. J. 1996. “Laodicea.” In New Bible Dictionary, edited by D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman, 3rd ed., 672. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Rudwick, M. J. S., Hemer C. J. 1996. “Laodicea.” In New Bible Dictionary, edited by D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman, 3rd ed., 672. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Mounce, Robert H. 1997. The Book of Revelation. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. guywithabible.com

Drs. Eric and Elizabeth Schenkel were Harvard professors who gave up their careers to move to Uzbekistan to serve as missionaries. One night, the secret police attacked Elizabeth in their home by slicing her skull with an axe. The enemies wanted to blame the husband and imprison him for life. God helped him to fight off the two men, and Elizabeth shares her miraculous story of God’s power and deliverance. To this day, she has no brain damage and they continue to serve the Lord in a powerful way.

Transcript: So I want to. I want to start a sermon today with just a little check in to see what your measure of godliness is these days. Greg. All right. And so I have some questions for you to start the sermon. Okay. First, is coffee God's gift to humankind? Yeah. So I'm going to go with no. Well, so a. You're starting off on a bad fit. The taste of something, then it ought not be drank. No, no. Nor is it good for you. That's the wrong answer. I'm sorry. That's. Hopefully, you'll improve. Okay. Greg, what is the best ice cream flavor? So you gotta have one. I'm going vanilla. You can do it with applesauce. You can do it with orange juice. You can do a peach cobbler. You can do a cherry pie. You can do it with hot fudge. Like, if you have one staple, it's gotta be. I had it last night with peach cobbler. Yeah. And it was really good. As soon as you say the best flavor needs other flavors to make it the best flavor, you're in trouble. So just. I'm going to give you a gift. New life. I'm getting no commissions for this. Tillamook brownie batter, blow your mind. Good. All right, ready? Brownie batter. Brownie batter. That's super popular in a lot of the elementary schools, just like Greg. Yeah. Is baseball America's pastime? I'm going to say yes to this. It is past time. Like in the 40s, it was. It was a really popular thing back in the day. Craig, you're really struggling. This. There's this thing called football that has kind of taken over now. Final. Final question. Maybe you can redeem yourself with this last one. Y. Does pineapple. Should it be on pizza every time? Yes. Yes to pineapple. I also agree with that statement with. There we go. Yeah. Pepperoni, Canadian bacon united in pineapple. Praise God for that. The reason we start on such a silly note is that we're going to be talking about divisions today. And we get it. We're starting talking about silly divisions. There's very real divisions in our life. Political divisions, theological divisions, worldview divisions. Divisions over parenting, divisions over marriage. All of these divisions. And we. Where we're going today is to step into Christ's purpose. That his purpose is not merely to save us individually, but actually to unite us, to knock down the wall of divisiveness and make a people for his glory. With God the Father, with Jesus our firstborn brother, a family of God. So to go back 2000 years and look at the division that we're going to see in first Corinthians. It's a division that we almost can't taste today. So the division at that time, at its core level was Jew and Gentile. And the hatred and the bitterness between Jew and Gentile exceeds, exceeds any division that we have today. The closest I could get to it is, is probably to say, let's picture Hamas members and Israeli citizens and put those two groups of people at odds against each other. We're coming up on the two year anniversary of October 7th in just two days. And that begins to touch, but not entirely touch, the division between Jew and Gentile if we went back 2,000 years ago. So before we get to First Corinthians, I want to go to Ephesians and just read a few words. This is in Ephesians chapter 2, beginning in verse 14. For he himself is our peace. That's speaking of Jesus, that Jesus is our peace, who has made us both 1. The US in that passage is Jew and Gentile. He has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two. So making peace, he's saying, it used to be that there were two peoples. You had Jews and Gentiles. But in Jesus Christ, those differ, melt away. And Jesus has made one person, in fact, the language here of one new man and not two. Throughout the New Testament you'll hear language. We are to put off the old man and put on the new man. And as Westerners we read that so individualistically that that's simply me putting off my old way of life and me putting on a new way of life to honor Christ. And certainly it applies to that. But fundamentally, putting off the old man is putting off the way of divisiveness. And putting on the new man is putting on a new way of peace, of unity. I just want to read a couple of words in Colossians. This is not on your screen, but in a list of putting off the old man and putting on the new. Listen to the words he says, put them all away. Anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another. Seeing that you have put off the old self, you'll notice everything in that list has to do with divisiveness. Now listen to the language of what we put on. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience bearing with one another. And if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven each other, you. You must also forgive. We're going to find, as we turn into First Corinthians, that Paul is going to yell, yell into the life of the church. You have to forgive as Jesus forgave. You have to live in a unity that goes way beyond the peace that you're thinking of in this world, a unity that is, of one family, of one bloodline, of Jesus Christ, with God as your Father. We've been walking through this sermon series, good news for the real world in First Corinthians. And we come to a text today where Paul's going to navigate the issue of communion of the Lord's table with the people at Corinth. And there's. There's this challenge, there's this issue at play because there's divisiveness within the church. And to some extent, there's a reality. Like, we get that divisiveness, right? Like in our own flesh, in our own desires. It would sure be nice to come to a church where everyone thinks the same as you, everyone looks the same, everyone's in the same socioeconomic clash. You just. You just get rid of all of the differences and make things easy for us. Our world kind of makes it easy for us. We can find our own little echo chambers in the world. And Paul's going to say, no, no, no, no. Part of the reality of the church, you heard it even there in Ephesians, is recognizing that there will remain differences. And then actually, as you navigate those differences, you step into actually becoming and shining the light of the purposes of Christ. So let's flip into First Corinthians 17, and let's pick up our text there. Verse 17 begins this way in chapter 11, chapter 11, verse 17. But in the following instructions, I do not commend you. So hold on. What's going on? If you were here last week, you heard Paul give a commendation to the church at Corinth, saying, hey, you've heard my teaching on. On the fact that we are all equal at the foot of the cross, male and female. But then he comes and says, but you've overdone it. You've misunderstood, that there are still differences there that God purposes for his glory. So don't overdo it now. It's just a flat. I do not commend you. So you're like, oh, wow, I thought the last section was a little rough. No, no, no. We're about to get into pretty harsh language here because when you come together, it is not for the better, but for the worse. Now let's just pause there and reflect at the significance of that statement. The gathering together of the people, of God, of the saints, is a glorious thing. It's a witness to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It's a witness to his work within us. I mean, the fact that 2,000 years later, here we are gathered together, together after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Attest to his glory, attest to the ongoing work of God. It is a glorious thing. It's for our better, for our spiritual enrichment, for the betterment of our communities, of our neighborhoods, for the betterment of our households. It's for the better. But Paul says in your Case Corinthians, it is not for the better, it's for the worse. We should pause and say, oh my, what is happening? And we're going to see that there's significant division within the church that's spoiling, it's poisoning their witness. Verse 18. For in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. Now it's kind of hard and 2000 years later to read this and kind of hear the tone of it. You know, we can miss the tone of a text message or whatever. This is dripping with sarcasm. Paul is in full, like pastor, like critique, sarcastic mode. Did you catch the way that he says, oh, I believe in? Well, there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you must be recognized. Like, oh, you're so important that you must get a special spotlight, you must get a special treatment. But then he's actually saying the exact opposite. Listen, you are showing your true colors as you step into the church with a divisive heart, with a proud and an arrogant heart. You are undermining the credibility that you are a genuine Christian. If you come into church, Paul says, with a heart that's self seeking, that's splitting, splintering the people of God, you and your witness are undermined. To be a true Christian is to be a Christian living in selflessness and humility, building up the unity of the people of God. The passage says it would have been better if they didn't gather for worship on a Sunday morning, but because of the way they were doing, would have been better if they hadn't gathered. And he's going to Take it deeper. So worship was revolving around communion. We're celebrating communion at the close of the service today. And he says, but what you're doing isn't communion because of the way that you're doing it. Verse 20. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper that you eat. They have bread, they have wine, but it's not the Lord's Supper that they eat. They're gathering together as a church on a Sunday morning. They're taking communion. But Paul says something is so wrong with it that it's not communion. Are they using orange juice instead of wine? Are they using a Triscuit instead of bread? Like, what's happening here? What makes it invalid? We say these things sometimes with the sacrament. What happens in baptism if the pastor is not a Christian when he does it? What happens if you're not dumped? What happens? What makes it not baptism? What makes it not communion? And he's going to say, for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. Okay, so there's a few things that we notice right away. First off, when they're taking communion, it's not a wafer. In fact, today will be the first time we've ever taken communion at New Life with pretzel bread. But we're trying to make it a little more mealish, a little more Corinthian. So they're gathering for a meal, they're gathering for a festive meal. And if you went back to Corinth with Roman culture, the way that meals would have been shared in a home, and this is a house church meeting in a home, you had a large formal dining room in most homes that kind of went up in formality with the income of the house. But a large formal dining room where 10 or 12 people could gather around a large table. And so the family and maybe some key leaders would gather around, and guests would gather around a table. And then out in the courtyard, that's where servants or people of a lower social strata would meet. And so you would have gatherings in homes, and you would. You would gather the important people around a dining room table, and the unimportant people would be out in the courtyard gathered around something small. The closest I can imagine to that is for those who have been perpetually seated at the kiddie table at Thanksgiving. Others. Others have a nice hardwood table, hardwood chairs. It's sturdy. They're sitting upright. But then there's this flimsy card table that you feel like if you bump a leg, it's Going to fall over. And a flimsy plastic chair, and you're sitting on that, it's a little lower. So you don't. It's less important. Well, evidently that's how the Corinthian Church was taking communion. And the wealthy and the important people were at the front of the line. They were getting so much food in the potluck gathering that was communion that they're getting full. Their cup of wine is so overflowing that they're getting drunk. And there's people out in the courtyard that are just getting leftover morsels and they're hungry. Paul says it's your attitudes that have made it not communion. You're not even considering each other. You're not looking out for each other. The passage goes on into verse 21. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What, do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. If you're gathering to eat, if you're gathering just to have it be you and God somehow, then go home. You can eat alone at home. You can eat with God at home. The whole point of the gathering of the body is to consider one another. It's to sacrifice for one another. It's to look out for others needs before your own. He looks at the Corinthian church as they come. He says this, this is not communion. Because intrinsic in communion is loving one another, considering one another. The church. The church is a mosaic. It's a tapestry. And there are differences that come into the church, and they are a family of God. Paul says to the Corinthian Church, you're not being a godly family, you're not considering others. So what you're doing is not even communion. Paul's going to take them back to the first time, the first Lord's Supper, when Jesus sat with his 12 disciples, having washed their feet the night before he was crucified, brings them around the table, and we can forget just what an odd and eclectic bunch they were. They were. They were diverse. You had Matthew, the tax collector, Sadducee, who was in bed with the Roman government, the high economic class beside Peter the Pharisee, the fisherman, a very different type of life. You had a former follower of John the Baptist, Andrew. You had a former zealot, someone whose entire purpose and his own theology was leading him into a political revolution against the Roman government. Simon the Zealot. One who would betray Jesus Christ. Judas and Jesus brought this group together, and on that night, he spoke to them words about himself. It would not be through intellectual machinations that they could achieve unity. It would be through his body they would achieve unity. He says this in 1st Corinthians 11, starting in verse 23:4. I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it. And he said, this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you drink the bread and drink. Sorry, eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Jesus pulls them back to himself. I am the one. I am the one who is the source of your unity. When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we don't just do so as a symbolic gesture of what Jesus had done over there so that we could put ourself in his mindset. We are unified in. In Christ. United in Christ through the Spirit of God. A spiritually transforming act, not just for us personally, but for us corporately. We're made his body, Jesus tells us, keep coming back to this moment and remember me, remember my heart, remember my sacrifice, and be united in my work. In my work. What a powerful statement, a statement that had been lost not many years later in a church in Corinth who had their own. You know, they're in the middle of the Roman Empire, with all sorts of different backgrounds as well. And they had tried to cobble together this community. And yet they're still leaning on the realities of their Roman identity, of their socioeconomic class, of their ethnic divisions. And Paul says, no, you've forgotten what Jesus has done in your life. He's transformed you into one people. Don't forget Jesus. As you take communion, you can think of unity as a soft teaching. In the midst of all the issues that are in Corinth, Paul has been tackling some pretty tough issues. Issues of conscience, issues of gender differences and uniqueness, issues of marriage and singleness. And in the midst of all of that, Paul draws us back here to make sure that in the midst of issues, there is unity in the church. This is not a small teaching or a soft teaching. In fact, Paul continues and Says, whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. In other words, if your heart is off track as you come before communion, you sin against Jesus face to face. It is an offense to his body broken and his bloodshed. It's no small thing. Verse 28. Let a person examine himself then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. Now let's pause. He's saying, if you have an attitude problem coming into communion, you're sinning against the body and the blood of Jesus. In fact, he says, if you have an issue coming before communion, you drink judgment upon yourself. This is no small thing. This is no insignificant thing. In fact, later in the passage, we see people died over this. People are getting sick over this in Corinth. So he says, examine yourself. Examine yourself. Now, as Westerners, we typically take that to be this personal thing just between us and God where we examine our heart. Are we asking for forgiveness? Are we coming before the Lord with repentance inside, clinging to his forgiveness? And that's a good thing. But that's not even fundamentally where he's going. In this passage with examine yourself, verse 29, again, for anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. You say, what does that mean without discerning the body? Is that without reflecting on the body of Christ had hung on a cross that was broken for me, certainly in part, but fundamentally, he's saying, if you don't examine the body, the people of God that are around you, if you come before communion, just in a sense, you and God, without thinking of the people around you to love and forgive and encourage, then you have missed what communion is. This is a family meal. This is a meal of the body. And we have to consider one another in order to take communion right along with coming with a heart of repentance to God. Heavy stuff. It's heavy stuff and it's so. It's so timely. Reflect on this past month for us as a nation, and just the significant attack of the enemy so many different ways, but maybe in most emotional way for many of us, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the enemy's attempt to bring fear, to speak, to bring division between the people of God, to bring cracks in our culture. God, of course, is sovereign in these things. He's not left his throne. He is the one who purposes the beginning and the end. He is the one whose sovereignty has not been challenged, not been threatened by a single instance. He holds all these things in his hand, and he purposes them for good. And yet human beings thrash in the middle of this. One of the places that I know has been challenging for Greg and I, but also brought us hope, is even in this body, is those who've had different responses to this past month of events, some who've even responded and struggled with kind of how we've led through this, been so grateful for. Those who've reached out, raised their hands and said, hey, can we talk about this? I'm struggling with this. We just confess that the much easier thing to do is just leave. You have a leader who doesn't lead through something like you'd want them to, and in your disappointment or frustration, you just find another church. You just find somewhere else. You can turn that into grumbling, into gossip, into divisiveness. And yet we've been so grateful for those who've been willing to bring those concerns to sit down with us, for us to consider these things together, to figure out what ownership we need to have in this, to protect the unity of the people of God. God is at work even in these conversations. God is protecting the unity of his people. And this is the work of God. This is the witness of Jesus Christ. Right after Jesus took communion with his disciples, he then began to teach them over. In the Gospel of John, we have this teaching of Jesus. This is right after, actually, Judas has just left the room. And this is what Jesus says in John 13, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another. Now, it's kind of where the record scratches. If you're hearing this, if you're a Jew at that time, you're like, yeah, that's kind of an old commandment, Jesus. Like, I can find that all over the Old Testament. That's not new teaching, Jesus. But here's the hook. The hook isn't just that the new teaching is that you love one another. It's this, that you love one another just as I loved you. You also are to love one another. You have now seen the depth of what love looks like. Jesus said, as I washed the feet of those who would deny me and betray me, as I will in the next day, hang on a cross in shame and humiliation and pain and suffering because of my love for you, love one another with that love. And then he says this. By this. By this love for one another, all people will know that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another. What a glorious statement. This is the witness. This is the evangelistic strategy Jesus has for the world. Our words absolutely proclaiming the love and the gospel of Jesus Christ. But if our lives are. Are the Corinthian community, reality, a divisive people, we have undone the witness of Jesus Christ. It is the witness of our unity, of our love for one another that propels his witness. So how do we land this? Let's land this with three practical applications before we go to the Lord's table. And those are all found right there in 1st Corinthians 11. The first is examine your heart. Examine your heart. Verse 28. Let a person examine himself then. And so eat the bread and drink of the cup. Let us be those who come not to the Lord's table, come not to worship, come not to the people of God flippantly, but with hearts examined. Where is my fault, O Lord? Where am I? Where have I done wrong in my life with you? Where is my life? Out of step with the life of Jesus Christ? Let us repent to the Lord as we examine our heart. And let us also examine our heart in terms of our relationship with each other and repent to one another. What are the places in your heart, the places that you recognize that you have. You've been. You've been divisive in words and deeds and thoughts? Jesus Christ calls us to examine our heart and repent. Takeaway number one, examine yourself. Examine yourself. Takeaway number two, consider the body, consider others. That we have in us a heart that is looking to, with sensitivity towards others that are different than us, that young and old and black and white and rich and poor are united. There's certainly differences, but are united and have an understanding for each other, a respect for each other, a consideration of each other. So a person I've come to appreciate, my wife would say, maybe addicted to, is Nate Bergetse. So he's a popular comedian today, if you haven't heard of him. So I've watched, like everything that he has done that is out there. He has this one, I don't know, you say skit, but one talk where he talks because he moved back to New York City and he said when he moved back to New York City, he expected it to be this melting pot. So that's what you always hear of New York City, melting pot of America, melting pot of the world, New York City, where all of these differences blend together in a melting pot. And he said, I. I don't know if it's just my Experience. I don't know if it's just his experience. He says it wasn't a melting pot. The Polish are here, the Irish are here, the blacks are here, Jews are over here. Everybody is. It's just a bunch of pots, not a melting pot. And there's a very real sense in which Paul is saying the church ought never to be a bunch of pots. Sometimes in today's world, we separate churches by pots. Like, this is that kind of church. This is that kind of church. This is that kind of church. And we think we want to look for all kinds of people who look just like us. The end of that route is to sit alone in a box. Paul says the church is a beautiful tapestry of differences. And we gather together and we consider those differences. And the reality is dying to each other, acknowledging that. Brownie batter ice cream. I get it. Preach. Yeah, preach. We can joke easy about brownie batter ice cream, but there's Republican, Democrat differences, there's gender differences, there's marriage differences. There's deep differences in which people of different perspectives both are worshiping Jesus. And Paul says, have a church where those two people can sit side by side and love each other, because that's what worship is. That's what the church is. That's what communion is. Principle number one, examine yourself. Principle number two, consider the body. Principle number three, shine Jesus to the world. Shine Jesus to the world. How do we do that out of this passage in John? We do it by being able to be with differences, and it shines glory. I'll go back to. I mentioned Hamas and Israel and maybe, maybe prayerfully, a peace agreement is about to be signed. I don't know where that goes. I've been praying for it. But I will say one thing. Over the last two years that has brought me great joy and rays of glory. In the midst of it is when I have heard Palestinian Christians and Jewish Christians praising God together on the same page, equally wanting peace, understanding differences. Only Jesus does that. Only Jesus does that. Only Jesus draws Jew and Gentile together. Only Jesus knocks down those walls. Paul looks at the Corinthian church. In a sense, he looks to us as a Church in 2025America. He says, make sure. Make sure to uphold unity in the church. Examine yourself. Consider the body. Shine Jesus to the world. And so now we get to practice this, the Lord's Table together. The Lord's Table is a place of declaring not just our faith in Jesus Christ, not just our trust in Jesus Christ, but our unity in Jesus Christ. And so if you are A Christian, we invite you to partake of the Lord's table Before, before you come. You might want to be even in that place of examining your heart, considering the body. Are there, is there a conversation that you need to have and maybe that's even right now, I don't know, maybe that's just a text to say, hey, I need to have this conversation with you. But let us not do so flippantly. Let's do so reverently. Let's do so looking to Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith, the one who has brought us together in unity. So if you are here with us, we're going to do this a little bit differently this morning. We're going to have us come forward and get the elements and then come back. And then I'd love for you to kind of circle up if you're able, maybe with those kind of in front and back of you. If you could mix up groups, all the better. Maybe groups of little three or four. I'd love to see nobody left out in this. And then we're going to share in this moment together. So the night before Jesus was crucified, he brought his disciples together and having washed his feet as a servant, he began to serve them. He broke the bread and he blessed it and he distributed it to them. Let's come forward and get those elements. Gluten free, by the way, is back here. You can come forward if you're at home. I invite you to consider prayerfully joining together with us. You can get your own elements. I think this is a good time even just to speak to you now. There's a lot of things that could be happening today. Travel could be even just sickness and struggling. But we invite you to participate in the body of Christ bodily joining together in his worship together. Let's join together. Just an encouragement as you get elements and return to where you're seated. Just hold them and we will actually share in communion all together at the same time and taking it. Can I just say, in the history of the church, never once has anyone held up a piece of bread to me. Yes. No one's ever held up one of the little dissolvable wafers and thought, oh, I get a piece of matzah today. Good to see groups beginning to form love for you to maybe introduce yourself even now to someone that you don't know. Groups of three and four pull together. So I think almost everyone has elements now. The night before Jesus died, joining with his disciples, he celebrated a meal they would have known well, seder meal, Passover meal. And as they celebrated that meal, Jesus imbued new meaning to every element as he came to the bread. Can I just say, I'm rejoicing in the little buzz of yes. This is communion. Communion is a communion with each other and with God in this. He took the bread and he broke the bread. He said, this is my body broken for you. Whenever you eat of it, do so in memory of me. Now pause just a second. I want you to speak over each other in those groups. And we have words here that I want you to just say, look, look at. Look at each other, eye to eye. And before you eat, speak this over each other. This is his body broken for us. This is his body broken for us. This is his body broken for us. This is his body broken for us. Body broken for us. His body broken for us. This is his body broken for us. What a good thing it is. Our Savior has broken his body for us. That's likewise, on that night, he took the cup. So this is the cup of the new covenant poured out in my blood for the forgiveness of sins. We sometimes talk of family as people who share the same blood. Christians are people who share the same blood. We are born again into a new family that far outlasts the 20, 40, 60, 80, 120 years. Whatever we have in this world, it pales compared to a billion times a billion years of eternity in the family of God. So may the blood of Christ wash us. May the blood of Christ cleanse us with the forgiveness of Christ. And may the blood of Christ unite us together. So in groups or with people just around you, to your side, in front and back, would you say the blood of Christ shed for us, together for us? Blood of Christ shed for us. This is his blood shed for us. This is his blood shed for us. This is his blood shed for us. I'm gonna dip. It's the first chance we've ever really had to dip. I just think. I think that's the way the disciples did it. Good luck praying now. Lord, thank you for laughter. Thank you for the goodness of being family. Thank you even for the differences when it's hard, for in them. You refine us, you sanctify us. So I ask that you would, even as we've taken it, caused the bread in us, the juice in us, to be your body broken spiritually, your blood shed spiritually, that we might be in this day, in this world, your body spiritually, to shine the unity of the gospel into each of our neighborhoods in the precious name of Jesus, we pray. And everyone said together, amen. Amen.

Dear Roger, My friends and I recently bought a couple of lottery tickets. We don’t do it often, but the potential payout was over several million so we decided to try our luck. Then when I got to thinking that our chances were one in 7 million I vowed never to buy another one. I decided buying lottery tickets is like driving by the store and tossing $20 bills out the window. But I do have a question. Does the  Bible  give us the probability of the reality of Jesus Christ? Sincerely, Crystal Dear Crystal, No, the Bible does not give us a clear-cut probability of the reality of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, using probability theory (found in any high school algebra textbook) we can still come up with a rather close approximation. It’s not hard to use a few fulfilled prophecies to get an idea of the probability that Christ is alive and well – and exactly who he said he was! Let’s say that “X” is three, “Y” is four and “Z” is five. The probability of all three coming together, independently, is 1 in “X” times “Y” times “Z”, OR 3×4×5 =60. The odds of all three things happening simultaneously and independently from one another is 1 in 60 (This is not the same as flipping a coin 10 times in a row and getting heads each time.) Let’s imagine that one in 10 men are bald and that one in 1,000 men have lost a finger. Then, one in how many are both bald and lost a finger? The answer is that 1 in 10×1000 equals one in 10,000 men are both bald and have lost a finger! Some 300 Old Testament prophecies predict things about Jesus. Can we figure out the probability that all will be accurately fulfilled in one person? Yes! Certainly! When I was a teenager, I came across a probability chart regarding the reality of Jesus Christ. As best I can remember the chart came from the Moody Bible Science Series. I’ve included some details from it in sentence structure within this article to use it as a guideline. I want to help illustrate the fact that believing in Jesus is a wise and rational decision. 10 Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus Out of 300 predictions, we will examine 10. Notice that all 10 are Old Testament prophecies which begin with Micah (742 B.C.) and continued down to Jesus’ day. You may feel free to adjust the odds as you see fit. I’ve tried to be conservative in my estimates, which I imagine will be generally in the ballpark with yours. However, no matter how much we adjust the odds, the chance of all 10 prophecies coming true in one person is incredibly remote. 1. Prophecy: Bethlehem Born Prediction:  Micah 5:2 , Fulfillment:  Matthew 2:1 , Probability: 1 in 57,000 2. Prophecy: Virgin Born   Prediction:  Isaiah 7:14 , Fulfillment:  Luke 1:26 , Probability: 1 in 100,000,000 3. Prophecy: Gambled For His Clothes At Death  Prediction:  Psalm 22:18 , Fulfillment:  Mark 15:24 , Probability: 1 in 10,000 4. Prophecy: Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem On A Donkey Prediction:  Zechariah 9:9 , Fulfillment:  Matthew 21:1-11 , Probability: 1 in 20,000 5. Betrayed By A Friend  Prediction:  Psalm 41:9 , Fulfillment:  Mark 14:10 , Probability: 1 in 10,000 Prediction:  Micah 5:2 , Fulfillment:  Matthew 2:1 , Probability: 1 in 57,000 6. For 30 pieces of silver Prediction:  Zechariah 11 :, Fulfillment:  Matthew 26:15 , Probability: 1 1n 50,000 7. Death By Crucifixion  Prediction:  Psalm 22:16 , Fulfillment:  John 19:17 , Probability: 1 in 250,000 8. Pierced In His Side By Sword  Prediction:  Zechariah 12:10 , Fulfillment:  John 19:34 , Probability: 1 in 50,000 9. Buried With Rich And The Poor  Prediction:  Isaiah 53:9 , Fulfillment:  Luke 23:32 , Probability: 1 in 50,000 10. Resurrection  Prediction:  Psalm 16:10 , Fulfillment:  Luke 24:6-7 , Probability: 1 in 100,000,000 When we total up the probabilities, we discover that the odds of one man independently and simultaneously fulfilling all 10 prophecies are 1 in 1,642,500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That’s 1 in 16,425 with 47 zeros behind it. Or, scientific notation looks like this: 16,425 x 1047 How Vast Is This Improbability? How big is this number? It is huge. We’re talking about virtually impossible odds. For example, let’s put 10 silver dollars in a hat. Then, let’s mark one of them with a distinctive mark. Ask a blind man to pick up the marked silver dollar. His chance of doing it is one in 10. Or, let’s cover an entire parking lot with silver dollars 2 feet deep. Ask the blind man to pick out the marked silver dollar. But, a parking lot is way too small when we try to visualize our extravagant number. Let’s cover the entire state of Texas with silver dollars 2 feet deep. Then stir them all up and again asked the blind man to pick out the right one. He doesn’t have a chance. But, again, this is still too small. Now, blanket the entire earth landmass with silver dollars 120 feet high. That’s still not enough. So, imagine a huge sphere filled with silver dollars stretching from the center of the Sun 2,793 billion miles to the center of the planet Neptune. Notice, we are describing a sphere, not a circle. That’s just about right. We know in our hearts that the blind man will never find the marked coin. But, Jesus hit it right on the button! Only Jesus fulfilled the improbable. Sharing the Probability of Jesus Being Real is a Faith Builder Dwelling on the incredible probability that Jesus Christ is real is a great faith builder. You see, Christians seem to come in two categories. It’s my observation that some Christians, like my wife, have a very simple faith with which they seldom or ever doubt the reality of Jesus. I’m more like doubting Thomas. I want to see it to believe it. I do all sorts of studies and have experiences that help build my faith because I tend to doubt. So, sharing the probability of Jesus Christ being real may be used in evangelism. We never know when sharing this reality may be just what we need to help someone find Christ as their Lord and Savior. Understanding the meaning of the fulfillment of 10 prophecies provides assurance that Christ is who he said he was—and that our faith in him is well placed. If any of the 10 prophecies failed to come true then we are faced with two conclusions. First, the prophet made a mistake. However, as best we can tell none of them made a mistake. That means that if Jesus failed to fulfill even one prophecy then he is not Christ. However, since he did fulfill all 10, the only conclusion is that he really is the Christ. That's a faith builder! Surveys reveal that about 80 % of all Christians who come to Christ do so out of a sense of compassion. About 20% respond to commitment. A few respond to reason. We never know when sharing this reality may be just what we need to help someone find Christ as their Lord and Savior. Crystal, I hope this answer is helpful to you and your friends. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Could you please share with us some of the consequences of hidden sin? We came across the story of Achan in  Joshua 7:1-25  in our group Bible study last night and were struck by the harsh punishment he received for what seemed to be not such a big deal. However, it certainly was a big deal to God and so the consequences for hidden sin must be a big thing for us.We all sin. We feel that we would classify most of our sins as small things. But, so often a sin is so great, embarrassing, hurtful, or shameful, that we hide it from others. We noticed that God said these sins, once committed, and not cleaned up, can bring great destruction. Could you please expand on this so that we don’t end up like Achan who struggled with the consequences of hidden sin? Thanks, Brie Dear Brie, Certainly! I’m glad to give you some thoughts about hiding our sins. 1. Hidden Sin Causes God to Stop Listening to Us If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me  ( Psalm 66:18 ) Can it get any clearer than that? Many of us wonder why God doesn’t answer our prayers and the answer is right here. If we’re harboring sin in our lives, God closes his ears to our prayers and never hears what we say. This is perhaps the greatest danger of hiding sin. Who would have ever guessed that there are times when God doesn’t hear our prayer? In other words, “the heavens are like brass.” Now certainly, I’m sure that God still hears our prayers. I think that the idea that God doesn’t hear our prayers is a hyperbole. A hyperbole is an overstatement for the purpose of emphasizing something special. Hyperbole or not, we get a feel for the utter devastation that comes between us and God when unconfessed sin remains hidden. I recall a mother who came for prayer about her older daughter who was caught up in drugs and alcohol. I said, “Before we pray, tell me how things are going at home in your marriage.” She replied, “Things are not going well,” she said. “We are having a lot of problems. We fight over finances and money. He’s not coming to church no matter how hard I try to get him to come.” So I offered, “Maybe your marital problems are the very reason that your prayers are ineffective. If you clean up the sins in your marriage and life, I believe that God is better able to do what you ask." 2.  Hidden Sin Rots Our Souls When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer . ( Psalm 32:3-4 ) David wrote this verse referring to his adultery with  Bathsheba . He thought his sin was all hidden until the prophet Nathan pointed his finger at David and said, “You are the man.” The story was out and David paid the consequences. His next child was doomed to die and his family was plunged into rape, lying, and rebellion. I’ve dealt with way too many adulterous men whose insides are inflamed as they struggle with whether or not to keep their sin hidden or confess it. 3. Hidden Sin Will Always Inflict Pain upon Those around Us It’s not possible to have the same outward demeanor during or after an affair than we had before we slipped into sin. People will always sense that something’s wrong somewhere. I picture a rock tossed into a calm body of water. The rock doesn’t just make a splash. A small growing wave of concentric dimensions spreads out in all directions. Mom’s the first wave of pain. The second-wave overwhelms the children like a tsunami. As the waves circle out from the center the devastation continues with parents and in-laws and friends. The story of Achan demonstrates the tragedy of hidden sin ( Joshua 7:1-26 ).  Joshua 6  describes the taking of Jericho by the Israelites. God told Israel that all of the articles and people of Jericho were to be destroyed. But, Achan was covetous and took some gold and some beautiful Babylonian garments. He hid them in the back of his tent. Shortly thereafter God sent a number of Israeli soldiers to conquer the city of Ai. The soldiers said to Joshua, “you don’t need to send many soldiers, we should conquer them easily.” However, they lost miserably. Thirty-six Israelites were killed. God told Joshua that the defeat had nothing to do with military issues like strategy, number of soldiers, or resources. The defeat had everything to do with Achan hiding that he stole the Babylonian riches. God had a system whereby they drew lots and soon the culprit was found out ( Joshua 7:22-25 ). God revealed Achan as the perpetrator. Achan’s hidden sin destroyed his family: they were burned alive. The cost of hidden sin often levels tremendous consequences against our family, friends, and loved ones. With that hidden sin now out of the picture, Israeli soldiers decimated Ai. 4. Some Sins Stay Hidden until They Pop Up in a Completely Different Area Solomon cultivated many foreign wives against God’s direct instructions. The Bible says that because he did this, God raised up adversaries until Solomon was involved in all kinds of political and moral battles. The wives and concubines don’t seem intertwined with the four lives, but they were. Consider a man whose business is failing. Everything seems to be going wrong. He may think the cause is economic or managerial and it may well be—but sometimes it’s a moral sin that’s been committed  Proverbs 6:26  says: “For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for the precious life.” God often brings you judgment and areas that seem to be totally unrelated. God revealed Achan as the perpetrator. Achan’s hidden sin destroyed his family: they were burned alive. The cost of hidden sin often levels tremendous consequences against our family, friends, and loved ones. With that hidden sin now out of the picture, Israeli soldiers decimated Ai. God often brings you judgment and areas that seem to be totally unrelated. 5.  You Reap What You Sow The three laws of sowing and reaping give an insight into the dramatic trauma of holding on to unconfessed sins: - We always reap what we sow. - We always reap more than we sow. - We always reap in a different season than we sow. Plant a kernel of wheat and soon you can count 30 kernels from that one original kernel. We Always Reap What We Sow Sow an affair and reap a divorce. One of our pastors hid his sin for quite a long time. Finally, suddenly, it became clear to me that he was having an affair. He was coming home late, leaving the church at strange hours, seemed to be having struggles with his wife and was living out an obviously eroding spiritual life. One Sunday night after church I asked him to come outside with me. “You are committing adultery, aren’t you?” He was stunned; he thought that his sin was well covered. How foolish is that! The harvest came the next morning as our adulterer was meeting with me to decide how best to handle the situation. Suddenly, the door to my office slammed open! “You’re committing adultery, aren’t you”! Then came the harvest cut. She started pulling books off my library shelves and hurling them at him. I’ll never forget the sight of him trying to hide behind my orange couch as heavy volumes rained upon him. Finally, she screamed at him and stormed out of my office. This time, the door slammed shut as she departed. By the way, while his sin was still hidden, he led the “other woman” to Christ and then had the gall to baptize her. We Always Reap More Than We Sow Plant a kernel of wheat and soon you can count 30 kernels from that one original kernel. If we are too busy for our children when they are young, it is most likely they won’t have time for us when we grow up. We Always Reap in a Different Season  This is one of the reasons why sin is so deceptive. We think that we're getting away with it, because the crop doesn’t come up immediately! When I was young the worship leader of our church was stealing cash from the church office safe after everyone had gone home on Sunday. He designed what he thought was a fool-proof scheme and got away with it for quite a long time. My dad and two other men suspected that our worship leader was the culprit. So they laid a trap. They found hiding places near the office and waited. Sure enough, at 2:00 PM, here he came. They waited until he opened the floor safe and had cash in his hands. Then they came out of hiding. They caught him red-handed. He sowed in one season and reaped in a different one. 6. Whether or Not Sin Remains Hidden, the Sinner Must Settle with God Unless sin is confessed early on, it’s likely that no one hurt by it will ever get over it. What’s more, the adulterer doesn’t get off easy. He and God must settle things out. By the way, the watchword of the previous generation was, “if your marriage is failing go ahead and get a divorce. Don’t worry about the children. Children are resilient. They’ll get over it.” No, they don’t. Well, Brie, I hope you find this helpful. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Our Bible study last night was from Luke 16:19-31 about Lazarus and the Rich Man.We discussed the fact that many people consider this to a real story and not a parable because this is the only Jesus’ story that gives us the name of a real person. One of the men brought up the question as to whether or not God will answer prayers from hell!? Sincerely, Todd Dear Todd, I feel led to “over-answer your question.” I want to tell you the story. Then, I want to share an understanding of the theology of hell. Finally, I want to answer your question about whether or not God answers prayers from hell. People have all sorts of opinions about heaven and hell and what happens when we die. Some children were asked to share their ideas of what happened after we die. “When you die, they bury you in the ground and your soul goes to heaven, but your body can’t go to heaven because it is too crowded up there already.” “Maybe I’ll die someday, but I hope I don’t die on my birthday because it is no fun to celebrate your birthday if you’re dead.” “Only the good people go to heaven. The other people go to where it is hot all the time like in Nevada or Arizona.” The best Bible story to answer your question about unanswered prayers from hell is Jesus’ story about a rich man who went to hell and tried to pray prayers that God would answer. However, Jesus never did. THE STORY OF LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN(LUKE 16:19-31) Luke 16:19-21: There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury.  At his gate was a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.  Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The rich man is unnamed by Jesus, but named “Dives” by tradition. When the Bible was translated from Greek into Latin the Latin word for “wealthy” is “dives.” So we will call him Dives. Purple dye was very expensive. It was made from a special fish and ranged in color from deep violet to deep scarlet. Fine linen was so delicate that it was called “woven air.” “Beggar” is a Greek word for “utterly destitute.” The Rich Man was covered with fine linens.  Lazarus was “covered with sores.” Lazarus longed to eat what fell from the table; but he received not one crumb. The only comfort that he received was the dogs that licked his sores. Luke 16:22: The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. “Abraham’s Side” is a symbolic way to describe heaven. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, and in Hades, Dives saw this dead man outside his door and invariably hired someone to drag the body away. To where? To a place called Gehenna that was a Valley south of Jerusalem. It was utilized in Israel’s days of idolatry for sacrificing idols to fire god Molech.  Later, Gehenna became a place for burning dead bodies. By the time of Christ it had become a burning trash heap where the fires never ceased. Jesus used this as a euphemism for the reality of hell. Luke 16:23-24: In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.  So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” Luke 16:25-26: “But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus his bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, not can anyone cross over from there to us.” I believe that God used Abraham as his spokesman to communicate with Dives. Now let me make something clear. “It is appointed men once to die and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Almighty God in His grace gave this rich man every opportunity to be saved. This man woke up in Hell because this is where he chose to go. The first thing God did was to make him RICH. God blessed his investments, and God prospered his farms and God used all of these material things to speak to his heart. In Romans 2, Paul wrote, "Don't you know that the goodness of God should lead you to repentance?" When God saw that his riches would not bring him to salvation, God put a MISSIONARY on his front porch. Lazarus was the one that Dives wanted to go and tell his brothers about the torments of hell. Dives had often heard Lazarus preach the gospel. The rich man would sit down to breakfast and sit by the front porch he would hear Lazarus singing, "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear..." God used a third method to speak to this man's heart. LAZARUS DIED FIRST. You would think that if you had somebody die on your front porch that you'd wake up. People go to funerals today and don't think that death may come to them. It's always somebody else. God spoke to the rich man through material blessings...He spoke to him through Lazarus...He spoke to him through a man's death...and Dives in wouldn't listen. Luke 16:27-28: He answered, I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. Luke 16:29-31: “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” “No Father Abraham,” he said, “but it someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. A THEOLOGY OF HELL The Bible Teaches That Life Doesn’t End At Death. At death, the bodies of all believers and unbelievers alike go to the grave. At death, the spirits of believers go to Paradise, in the presence of Christ. At death the spirits of unbelievers go to Hades waiting place of judgment and torment. The term “Rapture,” refers to the return of Jesus to take his children up to heaven’s glory. The bodies of believers who are already in the graves will be resurrected to join with their spirits and souls.  Those who are alive on earth when the Rapture occurs will meet Jesus in the air and be translated directly into heaven. This is the First Resurrection. A millennium later, at the Great White Throne Judgment, the bodies and spirits of all unbelievers will be resurrected from the graves and from Hades, respectively. This Is the Second Resurrection.  Every unbeliever will be judged as to whether or not their sins are forgiven and they have received Christ as their Savior. Every one of these people will be cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. Avoid the second death at all costs. WHAT IS HELL LIKE? Burning fire (Mark 9:43) Intense thirst (Luke 16: 24-25) A place of darkness, depression, isolation, weeping and utter anguish (Matthew 25:30) A place with no joy.  No joyous reunions as we so often pictured in the minds of others! A place of torment (Luke 16:23-24) A place of sorrow and remorse (Luke 16:25, 27-28) Could the fire be symbolic?  Many feel it is and that makes us feel better. I don’t know why. If the fire is a symbol, then the reality is worse. Symbolism is used when conventional language is inadequate to describe something. The reality is always much more than the symbol. There are different levels of Hell Butt only one level in Heaven. The ground at the foot of the cross is level. “Sheol” is the most used Old Testament word hell and used means a place for the wicked dead or simply the grave. “Hades” is the New Testament Greek equivalent of “Sheol.” “Gehenna” a burning trash heap where the fires were never allowed to go out.  Christ chose to use this valley as a literal description of what hell was like. “Gehenna” was Christ’s most often used word for Hell. People say, “I don’t believe in Hell." Jesus surely did.” Fifteen times in the New Testament Jesus described a place called Hell.  Only four times did He mention The Lord’s Supper. Ephesians 2:4 and refers to the lowest Hell: “For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether doom to be kept until the judgment, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous sinner under punishment until the day of judgment.” Of course, the ultimate destiny of those who never received Christ as Lord and Savior is the Lake Of Fire at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8) Adolf Hitler certainly resides in lowest hell. A nice person who has not received him as Lord and Savior will certainly be on a much higher level than Adolph. Everyone is on the same footing at the foot of the cross—kneeling in worship and humility at the grace of Christ. God never intended for anyone to go to Hell (Matthew 25:41.) In fact, the Bible teaches that Hell was enlarged to make room for all the humans who were choosing to go there. By the way, the story of Lazarus and Dives gives us insight into what is it like the afterlife. We are still alive. We are conscious of being ourselves. Lazarus is still Lazarus. Dives is still Dives. We remember our former experiences. Lazarus remembered Dives and Dives remembered Lazarus. Dives remembered the life he used to live. GOD DOESN’T ANSWER PRAYERS FROM HELL Let me illustrate. Dives prayed three things to God. Not one was answered. 1. The rich man prayed for mercy. There will be no mercy in Hell. If we want mercy we had best ask for it now before we die. After that, there will be no more mercy. “It is appointed men once to die and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). The Rich Man Prayed For An in EVANGELIST To Warn His Brothers about hell. “Send Lazarus.” No. He couldn't do that. Do you know why? Lazarus could testify no more. When we leave this life to go to be with the Lord Jesus, our days of witnessing for Christ are over. By the way, God could not answer this prayer because miracles don't save hard-hearted people. “Surely if someone came back from the dead they would believe.” There was another man named Lazarus who did come forth from the grave in John 11 and in John 12 the Jews tried to kill him to silence his testimony. Almighty God said to that man in torment in Hell, "They have the Bible. They have the Word of God. This is what leads a person to salvation." 2. The rich man prayed for water. People have the crazy idea that we can satisfy spiritual needs with material things. The sad thing is that this man today is still thirsty...He is still thirsty... and he will always thirst. 3. Finally, the most compelling notion why prayers from Hell are unanswered is because nothing gets out of the DARKNESS of Hell! As we think about Hell we must carefully keep our feelings and emotions in check. Hell is not theoretical. We’re talking about reality. Whenever I preach on hell, or on the people going there, I remember the church that was looking for a new pastor. The first applicant preached on the subject; “The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell.” The search committee turned thumbs down. By a strange coincidence the next candidate preached from same verse: “The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell.” The Committee all agreed, “Call him; he’s the one we need.” The church congregation was amazed. Both used the same text!”  However, one was so sorry, and the other was glad of it.” Well, Todd, I know that I answered more than you asked but I hope that I’ve helped answer the question. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, We spend a lot of time in the book of Revelation trying to figure out what it means for our future. We try to figure out the identity of the  Antichrist  and the meaning of the seals, trumpets and bowls of God’s wrath. However, we seldom have a discussion about what happens to the various nations when Christ returns. Which nations will be cast into the lake of fire? Which ones will enter into the Millennium? What are the criteria that Jesus uses to judge the nations of the world? Sincerely, Heather Dear Heather, Let me answer with three simple observations. First, let’s overview the actions of the nations as described in Revelation. Second, we will look at  Psalm 2  which is a poetic view of what happens when the nations turn from fighting each other to combining their forces against Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. Third, we will examine the criteria used by Jesus to determine which nations enter into the kingdom and which nations are burned up in the lake of fire. 1. The Book Of Revelation Describes Activities of the Nations during the Seven-Year Tribulation The Apostle John starts by telling us that the nations of the world will be under great duress from the plagues of darkness, fire, meteors, and more that God will send, because they have rejected Him. Then, the nations will attempt to hide from the judgment of Jesus ( Revelation 6:15 ). Next, God’s two special evangelists will testify for 1,260 days about God’s abhorrence of sin and more judgment to come. They will perform incredible miracles. But the nations will rejoice when the witnesses are killed and be terrified when they are resurrected three and one-half days later ( Revelation 11:2-6 ). Next, the Apostle John described an angel flying in midair, proclaiming the eternal gospel to every nation all around the world ( Revelation 14:6 ). But since the nations still reject God, He will darken the earth once again, and bring searing heat upon them ( Revelation 16:1 ). Then we read that a coalition of nations, likely from Europe, will unite to fight against another nation with over 200 million soldiers stationed east of the Euphrates River. This army will surge towards Armageddon when the Euphrates River is opened for them. Finally, at Armageddon (the ultimate, final battle) the nations will understand that their real enemy is Jesus. They will join forces against Him. Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called ‘Armageddon’  ( Revelation 16:16 ) When Jesus comes again, (Second Coming), Satan will be imprisoned, so that he no longer can deceive the nations. 2.  Psalm 2 ’s Poetic View of the Fight Psalm 2  provides a poetic view of God’s reactions when the nations turn from fighting each other to combine their forces and fight against Jesus. The Poem has four stanzas. First Stanza: David imagines a gathering of the world’s nations gathering to plot the overthrow of God and His Anointed One (Jesus): Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his holy one. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters”  ( Psalm 2:1-3 ) “Wicked” people (a euphemism for the “Nations”) feel that God’s rules and laws are too narrow and confining. As the end approaches, we will see more and more nations rejecting God’s values and morals, such as the Ten Commandments and the principled teachings of Jesus Christ. The number of wicked-totalitarian-murderous nations will increase dramatically. Second Stanza: God’s reaction to the gathered nations?! He laughs! The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then, he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy hill”  ( Psalm 2:4-6 ) God observes those at the gathering plotting against Him. He laughs out loud at their foolishness! Then, at a set point in time, God is going to intervene in humankind’s apparent freedom and judge them with wrath. Third Stanza: With royal authority, Jesus comes with the power to crush the wicked nations and rule as King over the earth. I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: he said to me, you are my son, today I have become your father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter you will dash them to pieces like broken pottery.  ( Psalm 2:7-9 ) The gathering of the nations grows silent as the decree rings forth that Jesus Christ is coming to rule the world. The possessions of the wicked will be transferred to Jesus’ kingdom, and they will be broken, subservient to Him. Fourth Stanza: David begs for the nations to change their ways. Jesus is coming; however, judgment has not yet arrived. They still have time to repent and make things right with God. Therefore, you kings, be white; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way. For his wrath can flip in a moment. Blessed are all they who take refuge in him.  ( Psalm 2:10-12 ) “Kiss The Son” is the Old Testament way of saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” 3. The Criteria Jesus Uses to Judge The Nations Jesus’ criteria are based on a two-fold understanding of his teaching in  Matthew 25:31-46 . On one level, Jesus is evaluating the actions of individual people; on a deeper level, he’s describing his judgment criteria for the nations. Then the King will say to those on his right, “come, you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Then, those he was addressing said, “When did we do these things for you?” The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers, you did for me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” In other words, God will judge the nations of the world on how well they did, or did not, take care of Jesus’ brothers—the Jews. Pogroms against the Jews have gone on for millennia (a pogrom is an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group). The Nazis engendered a pogrom against the Jewish people in Germany and murdered at least six million Jews before and during World War II. If the Second Coming occurs during our lifetime, the following nations will certainly be judged for their mistreatment of Israel: Russia, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, just to name a few. Britain may well be judged, because of the way they allowed the Arabs incredible military advantages over the Jews, which resulted in the massacre of thousands of God’s people. France and Czechoslovakia may be blessed because of the secret help they gave to Israel during the Israeli wars for independence. I believe that the United States sits on the fence. We’ve played politics by refusing to arm the Jews during the wars of independence that cost thousands of Jewish lives. Incidentally, the United States did Israel no favors in the UN talks in 1946-1948. But today, we are allies, supporting Israel against all of their enemies in the Middle East. Unfortunately, that relationship is always at risk, depending on who is in power. Israel has made it quite clear that they have no friends upon whom they can securely depend. It’s clear that Israel must look first to their best interests. Throughout history, not one single nation has ever stood beside them, no matter the cost or circumstances. Well, Heather, I hope that I have answered your question well. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’ve been so terrified about Coronavirus! Why would God let this happen? Is this a sign of the End Times? Sincerely, Jamie Dear Jamie, I’m so glad you asked! I grieve for those who have lost their lives from this disease. I also want to comfort those who have been traumatized by fear over coronavirus and its effect on our day-to-day lives and well-being. However, we can learn much about God and our relationship to Him through this challenge. In our information age, we have global hourly updates about plagues,  natural disasters , government coups, and economic volatility. When the Spanish Flu killed 100 million people in 1918-1920, very few people had any idea what the disease was and how it impacted others. The CDC estimates that 32 to 49 million Americans contracted influenza this past year and 20,000 to 50,000 died. That’s fairly on par with a typical season, and well below the CDC’s 2017-2018 estimates of 48.8 million illnesses, 959,000 hospitalizations and 79,400 deaths. Estimates on deaths are difficult to analyze because many inflicted had multiple health issues. But COVID-19 spreads like wildfire, even though many cases are mild or undiagnosed. This is why Coronavirus is scary. It’s scary because it makes us look at our own mortality. If you know Jesus, you have no reason to fear that. That being said, my neighbor is a virologist and it is best to take precautions as suggested. Be wise. The  Bible  has a lot to say about “pestilence” and our response to it! The word translated “pestilence” is often translated as “plague” or “disaster” in new versions of the English Bible. God is calling us to Himself. I’d like to offer answers to three questions. Is Coronavirus a sign of the End Times? What does the Bible say about God and disease, and how do we respond? How do we find peace and protection in the midst of the storm? Is Coronavirus a Sign of the End Times? Jesus often described the End Times as being “birth pangs.” Just as labor pains grow stronger and closer together, God will allow escalation in trials of all kinds to bring men to Christ. In fact, the purpose of the Tribulation itself is to bring pressure for men to surrender to Jesus and find salvation. Jesus describes End Time events in  Matthew 24 ,  Mark 13 , and  Luke 21 . Here’s what Jesus said in  Luke 21 : “Master!” they exclaimed. “When? And will there be any warning ahead of time?” He (Jesus) replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come announcing themselves as the Messiah, and saying, ‘The time has come.’ But don’t believe them! And when you hear of wars and insurrections beginning, don’t panic. True, wars must come, but the end won’t follow immediately— for nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and famines in many lands, and epidemics, and terrifying things happening in the heavens.”  ESV The passage further describes persecution of Christians (and Jews in context). Christ encourages us four ways: don’t be deceived or surprised, don’t panic, be patient and witness (verse 13). “This will be your opportunity to bear witness.” Jesus is coming. For more details,  read my article  on preparing for End Times. Why Does God Allow Coronavirus and Other Catastrophes? The world is broken. We are sinful. Because Adam sinned, we are in mortal bodies. Death is inevitable. But we need not fear. Paul writes in  1 Corinthians 15:21 : “For since by a man (Adam) that death  came , it is also by a Man (Jesus) that the resurrection of the dead  has come .” AMP We live in a fallen world. If we know Christ, we can have hope and joy. Let’s look at seven reasons God sends disease and trouble in the Bible: 1. To Accomplish His Purposes God used plagues to deliver the enslaved Jews from their Egyptian overlords. ( Exodus 9:8-11 ). God will also pour out plagues during the Tribulation to bring God-rejecters to faith in Christ. The way coronavirus spreads quickly from person to person is a foreshadowing of the way God will pronounce judgment in Revelation. Revelation 9:15-19 “By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent.” How does God accomplish His purpose in our day? Through Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Isaiah 53  tells us Christ bore our sins and diseases on the cross. We receive grace and not judgment when we believe in Him. 2. To Teach Obedience Moses proclaimed the blessings of following Jehovah and the consequences of forsaking Him to teach obedience to the Israelites. In  Deuteronomy 28 , Moses promises children, wealth, food and safety. He warns that if Israel refuses to listen and obey, He will curse them instead. Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered, and so can we! Hebrews 5:8  ESV “Though he were a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered.” 3. To Oppose Pride God called King David “the man after God’s own heart.” But the consequences of David’s sins didn’t only impact his family. David proudly counted his army, defying God’s strict warning to humbly trust Him. So, David had three punishments from which to choose to pay for his pride: three years of famine, three months of defeat from enemies, or three days of plague. ( 2 Samuel 24:13 ). God relents when we humble ourselves. James 4:10 “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you.” 4. To Abolish Idolatry God hates idolatry ( Exodus 20:3 ). Idolatry in our day usually revolves around money.  Ezekiel 7  prophesies the destruction of the Jewish economy (buying and selling) to call His people to put away idols. Jesus said “You cannot serve two masters: God and money. For you will hate one and love the other, or else the other way around.” ( Matthew 6:24 ) TLB God is our provider. Jesus said God cares for sparrows and flowers. Of course He cares for us! We must trust Him and not rely on our own intellect or strength. Time and time again, God relented when His people learned to put Him first. 5. To Teach Gratitude The Jews complained to Moses about manna. They demanded meat. God answered their ungrateful prayers and sent them quail. He also punished them with a poisonous plague. ( Numbers 11:31-33 ) Those who worship with thankful hearts receive God’s blessing. Psalm 103:2-3 “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all of his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals your diseases.” 6. To Defend His Holiness The Philistines captured the Ark and sent it to Ashdod instead of returning it to Israel. God taught them a lesson by sending them rats and hemorrhoids! ( 1 Samuel 5:6 ). But Jesus reconciled us to God by His death on the cross. He has made us holy: Colossians 1:20-22 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” 7. To Reveal His Power God permitted Satan to inflict disease upon Job so that He could reveal His majesty and power Himself to His faithful servant ( Job 42 ). Paul assures us that He reveals His power through our weak bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:7  TLB “But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own.” How Do We Find Peace and Protection amidst Pandemic? Philippians 4:6  TLB “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.” Turn off the news. Focus on Heaven. Pray specific, honest prayers and live with a thankful heart. Here are three positive things you can do right now: 1. Pray with Others Solomon’s classic prayer for Israel is still effective today. “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14 . (Note: God calls us to pray  together as well as independently ). God even spared the brutal, pagan people of Ninevah when they repented, fasted, and prayed in the days of Jonah. 2. Patiently Ask God for Wisdom Don’t be foolish. God can show you a specific plan to follow during this time. ( James 1:2-6 ) Don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. James 1:4-6  TLB "If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it.” 3. Rest in God’s Care My daughter has a compromised immune system. Every week, a nurse arrives to administer her 8-hour infusion. She suffers migraines, nausea, and intense pain for the next two days. Today she has contracted yet another respiratory infection. The doctor called this morning to tell her she also has two other painful complications. But Brie lives her life with a happy heart. She prays honestly about her fear and grief, but she continues with faith and joy. She continues in ministry and cares for her family. How does she cope with the fear of yet another infection?  Psalm 91:2-14  has been her favorite passage since childhood. She sees God has her loving, powerful protector: “God alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him.  For he rescues you from every trap and protects you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Now you don’t need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning. Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, the evil will not touch me. I will see how the wicked are punished, but I will not share it. For Jehovah is my refuge! I choose the God above all gods to shelter me. How then can evil overtake me or any plague come near? For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will steady you with their hands to keep you from stumbling against the rocks on the trail. You can safely meet a lion or step on poisonous snakes, yes, even trample them beneath your feet! For the Lord says, “Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts in my name. When he calls on me, I will answer; I will be with him in trouble and rescue him and honor him. I will satisfy him with a full life and give him my salvation.”  TLB God loves you. He is watching. He is in control!

Dear Roger, This Coronavirus is so frightening. People seem to be losing their minds and I wonder if it could be detrimental to not only our health but our faith. Does it have anything to do with End Times? Sincerely, Les I’m so glad you asked, Les! Whether or not the coronavirus signals the beginning of the end times, or not, I don’t know. However, as I examine it closely, the spreading coronavirus is certainly a foreshadowing of the plagues of the book of Revelation. As such, we can learn a lot. Whether or not the coronavirus is more virulent than the flu, or not, the fact that it is spreading so rapidly is a deep cause for concern. The young ones may sicken and be miserable; on the other hand, those over 60 and those with respiratory illnesses are far more likely to die. Therefore, arresting the spread is of critical importance. As I stated in my earlier article, the sweeping Spanish flu killed over 100 million people in Europe and the United States from 1918 to 1920. Each flu season we know that we must inoculate people against a different strain of flu than the year before. Why? Because the flu mutates and changes each year. Some viruses burn themselves out-like Ebola. Others, like the Spanish flu, can mutate and become worse over time. We have yet to see which direction the coronavirus might take. GLOBAL PANIC IS ALMOST MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE DISEASE In fact, the response to this crisis is almost supernatural. Countries all over the world have closed their borders. President Trump along with countless world leaders declared nationwide emergencies and quarantines unprecedented around our globe. By now every nation in the world is reporting coronavirus infestations. The world economy is at risk as trade is compromised, workers stay home, essential supplies like pharmaceuticals run short because of interrupted production; foodstuffs grind to a halt and stock markets struggle worldwide for balance. If what I have written sounds a little bit “over-the-top”, and negative, please note that everything I’ve said is occurring today in one part of the world or another. Put all these things together with our global hourly news cycle producing updates about plagues, natural disasters, governmental coups, and economic viability and including a world full of wars, it’s easy to think the last days are here! Hopefully, everything will quiet down and return to some sort of “normal.” Hopefully, our world will learn some lessons that make it a better and more peaceful place to live. IS THE CORONAVIRUS A FORESHADOWING OF REVELATION EVENTS? Seldom, if ever, has our earth faced a global crisis like the current worldwide spreading of the coronavirus. In like manner, the coming of the Antichrist during the end times will precipitate a worldwide crisis. “The  whole world  was astonished and followed the beast. . . . All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:3-8) I recently told a friend, “From what I can tell, the coronavirus is not that big of a deal.” Now a few weeks later, hundreds of thousands are infected and the virus is spread across the globe. It all happened so quickly. Watching the advancement of the coronavirus is like watching and hearing Jesus describe the “End Times” as being like “Birth Pains.” Just as labor pains grow stronger and closer together, God will allow an escalation in trials of all kinds to bring men to Christ. In fact, the purpose of the Tribulation itself is to bring pressure for men to surrender to Jesus and find salvation. Jesus describes End Time events in Matthew 24; Mark 13 and Luke 21. “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:6-8) The coronavirus’ fear level is increasing daily – especially among the elderly and infirm. However the coronavirus may, or may not, fit into God’s plan, it certainly foreshadows the terrors that will occur on earth during the tribulation. “But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them." (Revelation 11:11) Food shortages are occurring in various places. The unknown is scary; so many are beginning to hoard in anticipation of long-term shortages. What we are seeing with the coronavirus foreshadows the soaring costs for basic essentials on the black market during the End Times of the times of the Great Tribulation. “A court quart of wheat for a day’s wages and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” (Revelation 6:6) That verse is rather enigmatic, so let me make it simple. This verse is like saying, “A luxurious roll of six ply toilet paper for $1,000 or three rolls of plain paper for $1,000.” Coronavirus portends the four Horsemen of Revelation 6:1-14: the white horse of conquest; the red horse of war; the black course of famine; and the pale horse of death! Coronavirus may very well foreshadow a potential worldwide economic collapse because of the ensuing panic and incredible debt loads incurred by most all nations. The October 1929 stock market crash was the beginning and not the end of the deep depression. I “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the great! . . . The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. . . . In one hour she has been brought to ruin.” “Babylon” is difficult to identify precisely; however, it is obviously a symbol for the economic center of the kingdom of the Antichrist. Of course, it’s unthinkable to fail to mention the personal and economic costs foreshadowed during the end times by the present coronavirus. Think of the economic sanctions of the mark of the beast! “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead. So that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.” (Revelation 13:16-18) Coronavirus foreshadows the dastardly viruses that torment those who refuse to repent, change their ways, and surrender to Christ as their Lord and Savior. “Out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. . . . They were not given power to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.” (Revelation 9:3-4) DID GOD SEND THE CORONAVIRUS? People often ask me, “Did God send the coronavirus?” I really don’t think so. However, I do believe that one day he will send multiple plagues at the second coming of Christ! As we study the Word of God we see that he often sent plague and pestilence to deal with his own people. It’s no stretch of the imagination to believe that he will send the same sort of plagues today upon a world that wallows in sin and ultimately rejects him as Lord and Savior. HOW DO WE FIND PEACE AND PROTECTION IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM? The psalmist wrote Psalm 103:2-3: “Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all of his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals your diseases.” Wash your hands really well. But also wash your hearts! Get your life right with Christ by receiving Him and your Savior and Lord. "And now—all glory to him who alone is God, who  saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord; yes, splendor and majesty, all power and authority are his from the beginning; his they are and his they evermore shall be. And he is able to keep you from slipping and falling away, and to bring you, sinless and perfect, into his glorious presence with mighty shouts of everlasting joy.” Saturate Your Mind With Biblical Promises Of Comfort And Care. "Let the peace of heart that comes from Christ be always present in your hearts and lives, for this is your responsibility and privilege as members of his body. And always be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15-16) “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9) "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:26-27) Stop worrying; start praying; thank God for his answers “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:6) Focus on Heaven, not on earth. Don’t camp on social media hysteria. God is not surprised by these events and they are not out of His control. After all, heaven our real home for eternity. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Ask God for wisdom to help you know what to do during times of crisis. “Consider it. Joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. . . . If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:2-5) Join with others in praying Solomon’s classic prayer for Israel and make your prayer applicable to the United States as well as to the entire world. This prayer is still effective today. "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) Well Les, I hope these thoughts are helpful and that God gives to you and others great grace. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I see nations fighting an invisible enemy. Could these collaborative strategies mean we are headed for a one-world government to solve our problems? Isn't this the very stage for the Antichrist to enter? Sincerely, Concerned Dear Concerned, Let me quote you my favorite passage about God's perspective and sovereignty over the nations of the world. David writes, "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain."  – Psalm 2:1-6 In Psalm 2, David reveals God’s disdain toward national leaders, kings, dictators, presidents, prime ministers and despots who have gathered together to fight each other in the battle of the Armageddon. The armies of the Antichrist versus the 200 million soldiers from the East are set to engage when Jesus Christ returns. When Jesus returns, they all see Jesus and understand that their real enemy is not each other. The enemy of the armies of the Antichrist is the Lord Jesus. When they fight against him, He wipes them off the face of the earth (Revelation 19). In Psalm 2, David pictures a time before the Second Coming Of Christ when all the nations of the world will consolidate into one worldwide government lined up to fight against God. Not once in recorded history has the world been brought together into any sort of international unity. Until now. Global Plagues Like Coronavirus and Natural Disasters May Be Foreshadowing the Rise of the Antichrist Coronavirus is definitely not the first global pandemic and it won't be the last. Pandemics are breeding grounds for fear, political unrest, economic collapse and war. Supply chain issues cause famines and hardships everywhere-especially in third-world countries. When global economies falter, so do tenuous international relationships. Desperation may prompt attention of every world government working together in a common cause to fight against this dangerous threat. When natural resources are cut-off, countries fight over control for those resources. Eventually, people will probably cry out for someone to stop the chaos. Many governments have attempted global domination. They all have conquered great chunks of territory, but none have ultimately succeeded in forging a one-world government. Many Have Tried to Achieve One-World Rulership Alexander the great conquered from Greece all the way to India, but he couldn’t unite it all into a one-world government. Augustus Caesar conquered the territory from Spain to France to Italy to England to Rome to Turkey. But he could not put together a worldwide government. Adolf Hitler promised 1,000-year reign for the Third Reich, but he only lasted for 12. Nikita Khrushchev took off his shoe and pounded it on a desk to emphasize that he would take over the world, but he couldn’t do it. At the end of World War II, the United States was poised to rule the world. Many historians believe Roosevelt and Churchill “sold out” Poland and Eastern Europe to the Soviet Union, placing Stalin in a position for global power. Even the "demagogues" of day want to take control. All it takes is a few well-placed nuclear attacks. Russia and Ukraine are current examples of Vladimir Putin's attempt to dominate the world scene.  I believe the one-world government is not on the horizon yet. I haven't even addressed the dangerous threats that plague us because of climate change and the up-ending of world domination because of exigent circumstances. The Bible says one man will: the Antichrist. The Bible says that the horned goat ( Daniel 8 ), the beast ( Revelation 13:1 ,  Revelation 17:8-24 ) will do it. The Antichrist will set up a one-world government. The truth is, our world may actually be getting ready for a one-world government. The pieces are being put in place today. 10 Signs of a Coming One-World Government 1. New World Order There are groups which have for plotted for many years to force a one-world centralized government. The move to create a new world order (NWO) probably started in America during the early 1900s. Here are some significant historical milestones pointing to one-world government: 1935:  A New World Order symbol on the back of the US dollar bill. 1940:  H.G. Wells publishes a book entitled  The New World Order . 1945:  The UN is founded. 1949:  NATO is established. 1973:  The trilateral commission is established. 1995:  The World Trade Organization is formed. 2002:  American FDA-approved the VeriChip (human implanted microchip for electronic ID). 2009:  The body responsible for managing the Internet, Icann, takes over from the US to become global. 2019:  Countries around the world have increased facial recognition surveillance, e-mail, text, and phone monitoring, geolocation data from smartphones and vehicles, credit card data and ad tracking information. One Taiwanese citizen said police visited her shortly after her phone was turned off. Many suspect intensified surveillance will continue. 2. The Antichrist Will Unify 10 Nations The Bible says this will be around the territory of the old Roman Empire and then capture three other countries. He soon defeats the whole world as he establishes his worldwide government ( Daniel 8 ). 3. The Coronavirus Fulfills Prediction The coronavirus of worldwide consequence is fulfilling Jesus’ prediction in  Luke 21:11 . 4. Technology Tracks Everyone Technological tools already are developed to track everyone in the world. Many countries are implementing a system of facial recognition and GPS locators to spy on everyone in the world. Facial recognition is an insidious tool. Phones can record conversations even when the phones are turned off. 5. Mass Financial Changes Large-scale changes in our financial systems can open the door for a one-world government. Every nation of the world is sapped with crushing debt. Banking will change dramatically. Paper checks can slide into a slot and be read and deducted or deposited without ever touching another human being. Bank apps, cash apps bitcoin, cryptocurrency of all kinds will change the way our economic system works. 6. Fraud Is Rampant Hacking and fraud are sophisticated enough for one nation to control another. 7. Economic Sanctions Economic sanctions could very well be the ultimate tool of the Antichrist. Only those who have submitted their lives to the Antichrist as Lord, as evidenced by receiving a mark in the forehead or right hand, will be allowed to buy and sell. 8. Common Worldwide Currency Watch for a common worldwide currency like the development of the Euro in Europe. 9. Everyone Can See Only in the last 70 years has it been possible for everyone to see Jesus simultaneously at his Second Coming. 10. Believers Anticipate Watch For Jesus! Hopefully, the Rapture is just around the corner. Jesus Defeats His Foes at the Battle of Armageddon Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. ( Revelation 16:16 ) The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. And the army of heaven, arrayed in fine linen followed him on white horses. From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; on his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, king of kings and Lord of lords.  ( Revelation 19:14-16 ). By the way, the average length of the world’s great civilizations is around 300 years. The Book of Judges shows the cycle that all societies go through. The first generation fights the battles. The second generation enjoys the spoils. The third generation gives it all away. Jesus fights the battles and as Christians we enjoyed the spoils. Fortunately, Jesus never needs the third option. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.  ( Philippians 2 : 9-11) I believe  the Rapture will occur  before any one-world government is established. But the real question is: Do you know Christ? Are you ready for His return?