Dear Roger, What in the world is all this about a COVID-19 vaccine being the work of the devil or the satanic mark of the beast from Revelation 13? Can you explain why this is such a scary but popular idea right now? Is it really biblical? Thanks, David Dear David, I’m assuming that you’re talking about the current controversy working its around social media regarding COVID-19 vaccination and the Mark of the Beast referred to in Revelation 13:16-18; also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666. It all started with Kanye West. You recall Kanye West. He’s the rapper who recently gave his life to Christ. Many Christians were excited because his large following gave him the potential opportunity to reach millions of people …  but then he opened his mouth; It’s so many of our children that are being vaccinated and paralyzed. ... So when they say the way we’re going to fix COVID is with a vaccine, I’m extremely cautious. They’re gonna come up with a vaccine, and everybody is gonna have to take it … and inside of that vaccine there’s going to be some type of electronic computer device, some type of chip in us, and that’s the mark of the beast. They want to put chips inside of us; they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we can’t cross the gates of Heaven. When I say “they,” that’s the humans that have the devil inside them. And the saddest thing is that we all won’t make it to Heaven, that there’ll be some of us that do not make it. Before we address the content of Kanye’s message, a long-time spiritual growth principle applies here: “Listen to the people who listen to God.” Many Scriptures point to this truth, including Proverbs 12:15, which says, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” Or Proverbs 15:22, which declared, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Remember that new Christians are just beginners. They know very little about the Bible and even less about hearing God speak the truth. Hopefully, they will become wise as they grow to maturity in Christ. Until then, we need to double check their interpretation of the Scriptures. In responding to Kanye, let’s first understand the Mark of the Beast. Then we will transition into discussing the science of vaccines. As a note, I brought in my daughter, Brie, to help with that specific issue, because she has graduate-level training in the sciences. Finally, we will put both concepts together and see how they will mesh during the seven-year tribulation time described in Revelation. THE MARK OF THE BEAST 1.  The Beast (The Antichrist) Demands to Be Worshipped Remember that the Antichrist is the leader who will consolidate many countries from Western Europe in order to destroy Israel, conquer the world, and fight against Jesus Christ for control of the earth (for more, see my Ask Roger "What is the Rapture All About" ). In order for Satan's plans to succeed, he must have a religious structure to his kingdom. The reason is because man is unable to exist without something to worship or revere. God has placed a throne-shaped vacuum inside every human heart that He intends to occupy. But if man doesn't worship God, then he'll worship something in its place: himself, a mountain, an idol, the sun, stars, car, job, some sport(!), and so forth. So, as the Antichrist structures his plans for a strategic final attack to dominate the earth, he attacks on three major fronts: Political, Religious, and Economic. All three attacks involve the Mark of the Beast. Let’s look at Revelation 13 again; also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666. (13:16-18) During the first century, Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor, established a system of emperor worship, whereby every year Roman citizens declared their allegiance to Caesar. This unified the nations of the Roman Empire politically, economically, and religiously. Each citizen was to burn some incense while declaring “Caesar is Lord.” If he or she refused, they couldn’t buy or sell, providing economic sanctions against those who refused to worship the emperor. This command to worship the emperor also produced a great quandary for Christians. Caesar was not their Lord. When they refused to worship Caesar, instead declaring, “Jesus is Lord” they were murdered mercilessly. During the seven-year Tribulation, everyone—including Christians—will face the same choice. Note that the number “666” is the symbol of compliance for worshiping the Antichrist. Each person will be required to receive the mark “666” on their forehead or in the middle of the right hand to prove they will submit to the Antichrist politically, economically, and religiously. Those without the mark will be unable to buy or sell, facing economic and political sanctions. Scripture tells us that those who refuse for the sake of Jesus Christ will also be murdered maliciously. 2.  The Beast Will Be Recognized by the Number 666 According to Revelation 13:18, once we find the world leader man who signs his name with three sixes, we'll know who the Antichrist is. There are several possible explanations for the relationship between a name and the number 666. First, Gematria is the 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. I translated a few names into Greek and added them up for you: Roger=R+O+G+E+R=100+70+3+5+100=278 Trump= 300+100+400+40+500 =1340 Biden = 2 +10 +4 +5 +50= 61 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 added up to 666. Neither fits the other qualifications for the Antichrist, which must also occur to identify him clearly. Next, “666” is the number that represents humanity in the Bible. 666 may be taken to mean an individual who is trying to imitate the Trinity of God, with three sixes in one person. Some rulers, like Caesar Nero, made that claim without evidence. Finally, the number "7" in both Scripture and Hebrew tradition, is the number that represents perfection. 666 is consistently one less than perfection, and it could be the personification of evil. “Jesus” added up via gematria in Greek is 888 (one more than perfection in every digit); Iota=10, Eta=8; Sigma=200; Omicron=70; Upsilon=400; Sigma=200. In conclusion, the real Mark of the Beast will be “666” marked on the bodies of those who bow down to the Antichrist. It will be put into play during the Great Tribulation. Anything else is not the Mark of the Beast. Michael Houdmann summarizes these five criteria regarding the Mark of the Beast for further study: (1) It will be instituted in the end times during the reign of the Antichrist. See Revelation chapter 13. (2) It will be required for anyone to be able to buy or sell. See  Revelation 13:17 . (3) Some form of worship of and/or allegiance to the Antichrist will be required to receive it. See  Revelation 14:9 ,  11 ;  15:2 ;  16:2 ;  19:20 ; and  20:4 . (4) It will somehow relate to the number 666. See  Revelation 13:18 . (5) Anyone who refuses to take the mark of the beast will be killed. See  Revelation 13:15 . SCIENTIFIC FACTS ABOUT VACCINATION Let’s pivot to the issue of vaccination. Kanye West’s claim that vaccines paralyze children is simply without basis in scientific fact. I’m sure you’ve also heard claims that vaccines cause autism. That is simply untrue. In 1998, a researcher named Andrew Wakefield published a study that claimed the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine caused the development of autism. It was retracted within months, because the scientific community found it to be based on manipulated data, false claims, and fraudulent scientific practice. However, in 2005, celebrity Jenny McCarthy picked up on Wakefield’s paper as an explanation for her son’s autism and started the “anti-vaxxer” movement. Since then, millions of parents decided not to vaccinate their children out of fear that they would become autistic. Even though over 1500 subsequent studies have proven that there is no link between vaccines and autism, the anti-vaxxer movement is still popular. Development and widespread use of the MMR vaccine created “herd immunity,” and nearly eradicated measles in the United States and developed nations by 1993. Since the anti-vaxxer movement began, a resurgence of measles has occurred, especially threatening young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised. Sadly, the fear-mongering surrounding vaccines as a whole has led to widespread fear of the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 VACCINE AND COMPUTER CHIPS I need to note that a specific rumor spread quickly via social media regarding the government adding computer chips to the COVID-19 vaccine, in order to track people’s movements. I believe that this rumor has arisen from a combination of three pieces of information: Contact tracing is a tool to stop the spread of COVID-19. That means the government does look for everyone who interacts with infected individuals, so that they can warn them of potential infection and ask them to self-isolate through the likely incubation period. However, contact tracing ONLY involves self-reporting by the person with the positive result. COVID-19 tracker apps were automatically added to most Apple and Samsung phones during a recent update. I believe that the companies involved had the best intentions, working to give us the opportunity to see where COVID-19 is expanding around us and giving health organizations the ability to track positive infections. However, I think it was extremely foolish and invasive not to announce the existence of these trackers or give people the choice to install them. We do have the ability to uninstall them. These actions broke trust between Americans, these major companies, and government. Unfortunately, the repercussions have included widespread mistrust and conspiracy theories. Bill Gates, founder and president of The Gates Foundation, has funded the development and distribution of crucial vaccines for over twenty years. In his blog, “GatesNotes,” he wrote several entries celebrating nanobots, which are tiny computers that can function inside the body for medical purposes. These posts have since been removed. In theory, they can attack cancer cells or even repair cellular damage. HOWEVER, Gates never mentioned adding nanobots or RFID chips to a vaccine for tracking purposes. That is an internet rumor that has been dispelled by Gates himself, scientists from all over the world, and national health organizations. Nevertheless, the rumor continues to spread, thanks to social media. CHECK YOUR SOURCES One of my personal frustration points with social media is the lightning-fast spread of inaccurate information. People rarely check sources before they immediately share a post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Reddit. Facebook, in particular, is trying to control misinformation, but many users are angry at perceived censorship. I highly recommend checking anything presented as “fact” with trusted primary resources. For example, when I saw the Bill Gates rumor, I read the blogs in question, then turned to scientific sources like the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Lancet, and Science magazine for more information. I also waited for confirmation to come from a variety of news sources, which I constantly compare in order to identify bias. It didn’t come. Finally, the website snopes.com is a great resource, because it is specifically designed to debunk internet claims with tested sources. I concluded that the Bill Gates rumor was false, and a few days later, I saw many trusted sources do the same. COVID-19 VACCINATION IS NOT THE MARK Here are some things to consider: 1. The Mark in Revelation chapter 13 symbolizes deliberate identification with the Beast. And as such, identifying with Satan’s kingdom is what will keep you out of heaven, not getting vaccinated as intimated by West. 2.  Taking on the Mark of the Beast is an intentional rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior during the seven-year period of Tribulation. 3.  Contrary to some of the more fear-inducing theories that have in the past gained steam in some evangelical circles, the Mark cannot be accidentally taken. It is closely tied to the worship of the Beast (Revelation 13:12, 19:20, 20:4), and the Mark represents loyalty and devotion to the Beast. 4.  COVID-19 infection is out of our control. We do not choose whether or not we get the virus. We can choose how much we expose others to it through our behavior. So choosing the vaccine is NOT choosing to identify with and worship anything at all. One more time, choosing the COVID-19 vaccine is NOT choosing to take the Mark of the Beast. Period. Kanye West, fearmongers on social media, and uninformed individuals who believe unverified posts or do not check their sources are perpetuating dangerous rumors that WILL cost people’s lives and lengthen the pandemic’s tragic effects on our world. COVID-19 VACCINATION WILL SAVE LIVES In a study published in AIMS Public Health, researchers estimate that over 200 million cases of polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, adenovirus, rabies and hepatitis A—and approximately 450,000 deaths from these diseases—were prevented in the U.S. alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination. Smallpox was one of the world’s deadliest and most contagious diseases. It was fully eradicated during the 1970s by worldwide vaccinations … still one of the most incredible feats of science. The COVID-19 pandemic will only be truly under control if one of two things happens: Enough people contract the infection to create “herd immunity” in the population or a safe, effective vaccine is created and distributed to the majority of people on earth. That’s a tall order, either way. “Herd immunity” means that enough of the population (usually 70-80%) has survived the infection and gained antibodies to prevent getting it again. That greatly diminishes the possibility of infection for the elderly, immunocompromised, and people who have not yet contracted COVID-19. Most successful vaccination initiatives depend at least partially on herd immunity, because there will be a percentage of the population who simply cannot develop the antibodies to protect themselves, vaccine or not. Our world’s pharmaceutical companies, health organizations, and universities are racing to complete a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine. The fastest vaccine ever developed took five years. The goal now is 18 months. But remember, once the vaccine is created and tested, it will take time to manufacture and distribute seven BILLION doses. By choosing to get the vaccine as soon as it is available, you will help create critical herd immunity to protect the vulnerable and end the pandemic more rapidly. The COVID-19 vaccine WILL save lives and help end the pandemic. I know we’re in uncharted waters. This is frightening territory, and it’s easy to be caught up in the emotion of it all. I think that’s what drives social media rumors most of all! Don’t forget that God is in control. He loves you. He wants the best for you. And He is holding you in the palm of His hand. Well David, I hope this helps. Love, Roger and Brie

Dear Roger, I was recently asked when people of skin tone other than white as an indicator of racial or ethnic affiliation first appeared in the  Bible . Was it before the Tower of Babel? Sincerely, Matt Dear Matt, Skin colors are a non-issue in the Bible. Skin colors are also a non-issue in the human genome. Of the 30,000 to 40,000 genes imbedded in human DNA, only a very few have anything to do with skin color. In fact, when we consider the incredible multiplicity of possibilities as genes turn on and off and act upon each other (homeotic genes) we are stuck by the infinitesimally small number of genes involved in producing skin color! Truly, skin color is only skin deep. All races are basically alike in mental, emotional, and physical makeup. Skin color is only cosmetic. Imagine all the pain, hurt, and anguish that have come to mankind over things no more genetically important than blusher and eye shadow. As far as I know, varying skin colors are never expressly mentioned in the Bible. Inferences are made today, but no single skin color can be identified in the Scriptures. Some assume that the Queen of Sheba who visited Solomon was black because she was from the country of Sheba. But Sheba is not in Africa. It was Abyssinia which is located in southwest Arabia on the eastern tip of the Red Sea ( 1 Kings 10:1-13 ). Others have taught that Solomon’s first wife was black because she mentioned her “dark skin.” She sang in  Song of Solomon 1:5-6 : “Dark am I, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon. Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun.” Notice that even a cursory reading reveals that her skin color was not black; she was deeply sunburned from working outdoors in the fields. Others have taught that the Ethiopian Eunuch who was baptized by Philip in  Acts 8  was black. The Bible never says this. We just assume that he was black because he was from that African nation! He probably was black—although the Bible never says. Both Esau ( Genesis 25:25 ) and David ( 1 Samuel 16:12 ) are mentioned as having “ruddy” or “red” complexions. This obviously refers to a reddening of their Middle Eastern-olive-skin tones. In fact, many say that both Esau and David had red hair and probably freckles to go with their redden skin. It is interesting to note that David’s son, Solomon, was also described as of “ruddy” complexion ( Song of Solomon 5:10 ). The Bible Never Uses Skin Colors as Indicators of Racial Affiliation The premise that “people of skin tone other than white as an indicator of racial or ethnic affiliation first appeared in the Bible” is false. The Bible never uses any skin colors or tones as indicators of racial or ethnic affiliation. The table of nations is listed for us in  Genesis 10 . By the way, this listing of nations (read races) occurs before the Tower of Babel story of the scattering of the races as related in  Genesis 11 . The order here is of little significance. The list is given and then the next chapters detail how the migrations began. In the listing, we see that the descendants of Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, migrated to different parts of the world after the subsiding of the Flood. We know from the countries mentioned that Shem fathered the Semitic peoples who are considered Jewish or Arabic. His descendants settled throughout the Mideast and southern Asia. Japheth fathered the Japhethite peoples who moved northward into Turkey and Russia and then migrated into Europe and across much of Asia. Today, most of these people are identified as white-skinned Caucasian or brown-skinned Asians and Mongolians or more yellow-skinned Chinese. Ham fathered the Hamitic peoples. His descendants settled from Canaan southward into Egypt and Africa. A curious belief has arisen among some people about the origin of black-skin coloring. In  Genesis 9:20-25  Ham is cursed by his father Noah for his dishonoring Noah in a situation regarding one of Noah’s drunken stupors. Some think Ham and his descendants were cursed with black skin. Some of Ham’s descendants, Cush and Put, for example, settled in Africa in the present-day countries of Ethiopia and Libya. These misguided people conclude that Cush and Put spread their black skin throughout Africa. Therefore, they conclude that black Africans are a cursed race and thus inferior to white races. The fact that Ham had many other sons who did not settle in Africa is ignored by them. A Horrifying 'Biblical' Assumption about Skin Color This awful premise was often invoked by white people in the Southern United States as Biblical “proof” to justify the institution of slavery. In fact, in “Dred Scott” v. Sanford in 1856 (and a series of other cases in the U.S. Supreme Court) ruled that black slaves could not be citizens, were not real human beings, and thus had no protection under the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, other rulings concluded that slaves were nothing more or less than the property of their owners—little different from horses and plows. Horribly, many Southern preachers and Christians used this line of reasoning to circumvent the idea that slaves were to be treated as equals for whom Christ died a substitutionary death on the cross. This is not to say that all Southern Christians agreed with this concept. Some repudiated it fiercely! Many operated underground railroads to move run-away slaves to “safety” in the North. Different Skin Colors Are Life-Giving Skin color is never a curse. Certainly, you have noticed that as we move farther north from the hot Tropics, to the more moderate Temperate Zones, to the frigid Arctic, skin colors gradually morph from deep black to pale white (except for the Eskimos—but that is another story). Why is there such a variety of skin colors and shades? No one knows for certain. Multiple reasons exist. Let me mention two. Skin color is due primarily to the presence of a pigment in the skin called melanin.  Melanin gives skin its color. Dark-skinned people have more melanin than light-skinned people. Two forms are produced—pheomelanin, which is red to yellow in color, and eumelanin, which is dark brown to black. People with light complexions mostly produce pheomelanin, while those with dark-colored skin mostly produce eumelanin. Melanin acts as a sunscreen and protects the skin from ultraviolet light. Since the deadly skin cancer melanoma often results from extreme exposure to the sun, dark skin with more melanin effectively limits the effects of long exposure to the sun, thus reducing the risk of skin cancer. By the way, freckles, which occur in people of all races, are small, concentrated areas of increased melanin production. Another reason for varying skin colors probably involves the human need for Vitamin D.  A certain amount of ultraviolet radiation is necessary for the body to produce Vitamin D. Approximately 90% of Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin. The remaining 10% comes from foods such as fatty fish and egg yolks. The lighter the skin color, the quicker Vitamin D is absorbed. Since the higher latitudes get much less sun than the tropics, light-colored skin enables people to quickly absorb Vitamin D. By the way, too much ultraviolet radiation may cause the breakdown of folic acid, which can cause anemia. Too little Vitamin D can bring on rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. This is another reason why dark skin is advantageous in the tropics and light skin is such a boon for those living in the Arctic. Well, Matt, I hope this helps in understanding skin tones and the Bible. Have a good discussion with your friend. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Where do we go after death until the judgment? Sincerely, Betty Dear Betty, Death and dying are on the back burners of everyone’s minds, from preschoolers to the oldest adult. Some nine-year-old children were asked what they thought of death and dying. Brittney:  “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.” Judy:  “Only the good people go to heaven. The other people to where it is hot all the time like in Arizona.” John:  “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.” Martha:  “When you die, you don’t have to do homework in heaven, unless your teacher is there, too.” Death is nothing to fear; in fact, we Christians can look forward to it with eager anticipation. In  Philippians 1:21-23 , Paul  declares: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.”  However, God still had work on earth for him to do. So, he stayed around a little while longer. In  2 Corinthians 5:8  Paul declares:  “We are confident, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” As Christians, we know that heaven awaits us after death. But many of us wonder about that moment. What will it be like? Will it be frightening to experience our soul’s departure from the body? What does the Bible tell us about death? Charles Spurgeon  (the “Prince of Preachers” during the mid to late 1800s) had a great perspective:  “Depend upon it, your dying hour will be the best hour you have ever known! Your last moment will be your richest moment, better than the day of your birth will be the day of your death. It shall be the beginning of heaven, the rising of the sun that shall go no more down forever.” There’s reason to believe that at the moment of death, believers will be ushered into heaven by angels:  “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side...”  ( Luke 16:22 ) . Jesus makes it clear that every child has at least one guardian angel who watches over them:  “See that you do not look down upon one of these little children. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my father in heaven”  ( Matthew 18:10 ) .  Our escorts into heaven may well be the angels who served us while we were on earth. "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”  ( Hebrews 1:14 ) But, best of all, Jesus himself promised that he would be with us in the moment of our death and take us immediately to heaven:  “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”  ( John 14:3 ) . Let me weave together a number of verses which summarize succinctly what happens after death: Summary At death, the bodies of all believers and unbelievers go to the grave. The spirits of believers go to heaven, in the presence of Christ. At death, the spirits of unbelievers go to Hades, which is a waiting place of torment as they wait for their final judgment at the great white throne. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side” ( Luke 16:22-31 ).  ( “Abraham’s side”  is identified by most as a euphemism for heaven.) The next event for Christians is often called the 'rapture' from the Latin word meaning “catching away.”  The rapture occurs at the second coming of Christ. At that moment, the bodies of Christians who previously died and went to heaven will be resurrected from the grave and united with Christ as he comes to earth. They will have spiritual bodies which fit them to live in heaven ( 1 Thessalonians 5:23 ). At “twinkling eye speed,” the Christians who are alive at that time will be instantaneously transformed into their spiritual bodies and united with Christ. Unbelievers, on the other hand, are not raised at the second coming. Their bodies remain in their graves, and their spirits remain imprisoned in Hades (a euphemism for hell) until the conclusion of the millennial reign of Christ on earth (1000 years). Next, “The Judgment Seat of Christ” occurs.  Christ followers will stand before the “Bema” or “reward stand” to receive crowns based on profitable ministry during their lives on earth ( 1 Corinthians 3:10-14 ). We will lay these crowns at the feet of Jesus ( Revelation 4:9-11 ; 5:9-14). Only He is worthy to receive honor, glory, wealth, and praise. Finally, all Christians will sit down with Jesus at “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.”  Obviously, this will be a time of great fellowship, rejoicing, and victory. “Then the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’”  ( Revelation 19:9 ) . Then the Great White Throne Judgment occurs. “I saw a great white throne and him who was seated upon it. I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. . . Each person was judged according to what he done . . . If anyone’s name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  ( Revelation 20:11-13 , 15) Jesus will be the judge. The bodies of all unbelievers in Christ (non-Christians) will be resurrected from their graves to stand at this judgment. Simultaneously, their spirits, long entrapped in Hades, will come forth for the judgment. No Christians will be in attendance here—only those who died without receiving Christ. Many will claim that they did more good things than bad. Jesus will now use the books of works to show them that not one of them is perfect. If God were to let them into heaven with all of their sins, they would wreck the place. Christians have their sins forgiven through Christ and thus are welcomed into heaven’s glory Betty, I’m going to share with you some common misconceptions about death and afterwards. I know that these are outside the scope of your question, but I think that you may find them helpful. Common Misconceptions About Death And Dying 1. There Is No Life After Death This is the view of naturalistic, secular humanists who believe that there is no God. The lights are simply turned off. Claiming that there is no God takes a lot of  faith . Maybe even more faith than is needed to believe that there is one! 2. Soul Sleep Soul sleep is the belief that after a person dies, the soul “sleeps” until the resurrection and final judgment. Paul refuted that idea by teaching that when we die, we are immediately in the presence of Jesus ( 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 ;  Philippians 1:23 ). 3. Reincarnation The essence of reincarnation is that we come back for many lives.  This allows us to avoid the reality of facing God in judgment. Reincarnation teaches that the present life forms—from insects to humans—are a direct reflection of how well we behaved in previous lives. The better we were, the farther up the food chain we return. Reincarnation is foreign to the Bible. In fact, the Bible teaches just the opposite.  Hebrews 9:27  declares,  “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that comes judgment." 4. The Bright Light The bright light is simply a physiological reaction to plunging blood pressure. We’ve all heard people testify of near-death experiences in which they look down a long hall and see a bright light. Let’s make this simple to understand. Fighter pilots wear pressure suits to keep them conscious during high-speed turns. It is possible for a pilot to make such a tight turn that the blood begins to drain out of his brain. At about nine G's, the field of vision closes in on all sides to produce a long-looking tunnel with only a slight light at the end. Such may happen at the point of death. 5. Purgatory The idea behind purgatory is that many people are not good enough to go straight to heaven. So, they are placed in a “holding tank” until enough people pray for them so that they can get out of purgatory and move on to heaven. Purgatory is never mentioned in the Bible. It is in one of the apocryphal books written by Jews in about the second century. The Jews do not accept these books as divinely inspired. Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic Church elevated them to make them a part of their Bible. The idea of purgatory comes from 2 Maccabees 12:39-46. By acting honorably, Judas Maccabees was qualified to make atonement for friends who had been involved in sin. These men needed someone to pray them out of hell. 6. St. Peter at the Gate The idea commonly accepted by many is that when they die, they will meet St. Peter at the gates to heaven. On the basis of their behaviors on earth, Peter will determine whether they can go to heaven or must go to hell. Peter never sits at the gate. There is no gate. Going to heaven or hell is based on our response to the gospel, which says that Jesus died on the cross to forgive the sins of the world so that whoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life. Betty, again, I hope this helps. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I always understood that the Bible tells us to not be drunk, but it doesn't explicitly say not to drink or that drinking alcohol is a sin, is that right? Can you help me speak clearly if the statement “Christians are such hypocrites when they drink” comes up? Brett Dear Brett, The short answer is, you’re right! There are numerous instances of people drinking alcohol in Scripture. Wine was consumed at meals as a normal part of daily life. Therefore, Christians who drink alcohol are not hypocrites. However, there is specific instruction for Christians in Ephesians 5:18, which states, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.” Throughout Scripture, many passages describe drunkenness that leads to sin, destruction, and broken lives. Simply, “Don’t get drunk” makes sense because we as followers of Christ need control over our minds and bodies to honor Him. However, there is a much larger issue behind your question. Christians are constantly criticized for being “hypocrites,” or saying one thing and doing another. In other words, as followers of Christ, do we have to give up all of our rights because someone might think what we are doing is a sin? Let’s go back to the beginning. Christian relationships were in upheaval in first-century pagan culture. The Roman Christians were having difficulty deciding which activities were acceptable and which were not. Remember, they didn’t have the full canon of Scripture at that time. Eating meat that had been offered to idols was a problem. First-century Christians had been saved out of both paganism and idol worship, and some wanted to avoid all contact with that old life. They deeply struggled with the idea of any contact with idolatry. In Romans 14, the Apostle Paul’s advice was that since they were free in Christ, it was all right to go ahead and eat! Sadly, many who struggled with Paul’s solution were being hurt by those who were eating freely. Others were arguing about whether or not Gentiles had to be circumcised before they could become Christians! Unfortunately, “disputable” issues like these still divide Christians. Here are a just a few examples: Drinking Alcohol; Smoking; Dancing; Swimming Attire; Modesty; Movies; Music; Video Games; Holidays; Tattoos; Body Piercings; Bodily augmentations or upgrades; Worshiping Styles; Homeschooling; Halloween; Easter Bunnies; Hymns or Worship Songs … I could go on and on. It's time to stop arguing over things that don’t really matter. The only results are broken relationships and division in the Body of Christ. Fortunately, Paul continues his advice to the Romans, giving us clear-cut guidelines on how to handle disputable matters so that we maintain fellowship in love and harmony with each other. He declared, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. (Romans 14:14-17) We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1) How Do We Decide What to Do In Disputable Areas? There are two extremes. Legalism makes a list of rules. Don’t drink; don’t play cards, don’t dance, don’t go to movies, don’t wear shorts, don’t celebrate Halloween; read the Bible at least 30 minutes a day; and on and on. Legalism expects everyone to live up to their list. Don’t miss this: legalists are ministers of condemnation. I recall a story about a man in Georgia who wanted to get a liquor license for his restaurant. He was making his case to the county commissioners, by carefully pointing out that Jesus drank wine when He was here on earth. One of the commissioners, a Baptist deacon, answered in an angry voice, “I know Jesus did, and that still embarrasses me.” Legalists have never internalized their Christianity; it’s only on the outside, governing what they say and do. They don’t know what it’s like to walk in the Spirit, because they aren’t living a Spirit-filled life. On the other hand, Libertinism says, “Since I’m free in Christ, I’m free to do whatever I want. I don’t have to worry about my behavior because God has promised to forgive all my sins. Thank God for grace.” Libertines never internalized their Christianity either. They live by their own desires and never know what it’s really like to walk in the Spirit, because they aren’t living a Spirit-filled life. These two viewpoints are extremes. When we choose to trust Jesus Christ as our Savior and turn our lives over to Him, our Christianity becomes internal . We have the Holy Spirit, who serves often as our “conscience,” to help guide our decisions; “But 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” (John 14:26). Where Do You Stand in the Dispute? Because we live in a sinful, broken world, where our understanding of God and His truth is clouded, we will come across these disputable matters again and again. In Romans 14:1-6, Paul lays out four different categories that we fall into when we encounter a dispute: Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not. The man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Category 1: I’m not free to do what you’re doing, and I am struggling that you think you can. Early in my church ministry, we were concluding our successful building fundraiser with a huge churchwide banquet. The chairman and vice chairman and their wives arrived early. Julie and I came shortly thereafter to discover all four of them drinking cocktails. I was scandalized! Some of our best church leaders and financial supporters were drinking alcohol! Growing up, I was raised to believe that drinking alcohol was a sin, and it really upset me that they were “sinning” as our other parishioners were entering the banquet hall. Later, I realized that that the Bible said it is okay for Christians to drink. They felt free to engage. I simply wasn’t free to drink, and boy, did I struggle when they did! Category Two: I’m not free to do what you’re doing, but it’s okay with me if you are. I grew up in a church with a pastor who sometimes preached his personal convictions as biblical truth. He made it quite clear that good Christians didn’t dance, drink alcohol, smoke, or ride “murdersickles.” Julie’s pastor had no such qualms. She grew up dancing, while I sat on the sidelines. I couldn’t dance. I wasn’t free. But Julie could, and she danced a lot! One day, after about 25 years of marriage, I closed all the curtains and asked Julie to teach me to dance. That evening I realized just how much I’d  I had missed. As far as dancing was concerned, I wish I’d had a different pastor. Category Three: I’m free to do what you do, but it is a struggle for me. A number of years ago, Julie and I were about to take communion at a Christian church in the Ukraine. We both had personal convictions never to drink alcohol – and we never had. Then as honored guests, Julie and I were offered the first drink. I whispered to Julie, “What shall we do?” “Drink it,” she said. This was not how we did it in the local Baptist church where I grew up. At communion time everyone was given their own little individual cup, and we always used grape juice. I had vowed never to let alcohol pass my lips. That was a personal conviction from childhood. But we couldn’t offend our hosts. So, I sipped the wine and passed the cup to Julie. I knew that I was free to drink, even though it was a struggle for me. At least my first taste of wine came in church. By the way, it tasted awful. Category Four: I’m free to do what you do, and I’m comfortable with you doing it. I love my fireman son-in-law, Ricky. Ricky’s direct ancestors came to America from Italy. Wine was a staple at every meal. Ricky grew up on beer and pizza. A little alcohol was no big issue to him. He and I spent a lot of time together playing golf. One day, after we finished playing, I asked, “Ricky, would you like a beer with your pizza?” I had no problem consuming a little sip as we ate. I was finally free, and I had no problem with Ricky’s actions. “Would you like one, Dad?” “No,” I said, “I’ll just have a Coke.” I still think alcohol tastes awful. Please notice that you may be in different categories in different areas . You may be a one about tattoos and a four when it comes to worship styles. I worked through all four categories when it comes to drinking alcohol. Part of that comes as you mature in your faith … our ultimate goal is to be free in Christ! What Should You DO regarding the Dispute? Paul’s teaching in Romans 14 also includes three key principles about how we should live and interact with others when it comes to disputable matters. Read this key passage one more time: Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not. The man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. (14:1-6) Principle One: I’m free to do what I want, but I won’t, because others might stumble. Strong Christians eat the meat (tattoos, rock music, dance, piercings and “murdersickles”) without any pangs of conscience. Weak Christians can’t do that. They’re not ready to walk in freedom yet; Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. (1 Corinthians 8:9) If some unbeliever invited to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever you put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” do not eat it, both for the conscience of the man who told you and for the other man’s conscience. (1 Corinthians 10:27-30) I remember Mrs. Green, who was a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Penelope, Texas, where I pastored during college. One Sunday morning, I wore a light green shirt with my new green suit. On the way out of church she said to me, “You know, preachers are supposed to wear white shirts.” So, I wore white shirts until colored shirts became fashionable. Note this: Strong and weak are not necessarily indicators of spiritual growth. Some very young Christians may be entering into great freedom while others further along in the journey are struggling in some or more of these sensitive areas. Sometimes that has to do with their upbringing and lessons they may have learned outside of Scripture. Other times, they’ve been through trauma, struggled with addiction, or something else. That’s why a stumbling block is any disputable activity that hinders the spiritual growth of a weaker brother or sister. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. (Romans 14:13) It’s our responsibility to offer up our own freedoms in love when they might cause our weaker brother to stumble. Principle Two: I’m free, and I’ll help others find freedom so they can be free, too. We don’t want to cause our weaker brothers and sisters to struggle, but at the same time we don’t want them to stay weak forever. So, how can we help a weaker Christian who can’t seem to understand our liberty or enjoy theirs? The answer is simple, but not always easy: We restrict our freedom, and then we walk alongside them as they grow. It’s also important to let them know that we restricted our liberty in order to help them become strong in their own freedom. When I was in college, racism was rampant in Texas. One afternoon, while we were visiting church members, Julie and I crested the hill to find something we’d never seen in Penelope before. In those days, it was called “colored town.” Of course, that is a hurtful, inflammatory term. Today, we would refer to the people who lived there as being “black” or “African-American”—it’s important to me that you understand the context of these terms and that time. That evening, as Julie and I walked up the church steps, Mr. Green, our one deacon, pulled me aside and said, “I see you’ve been to ‘colored town’ today. Don’t go back there. Those people aren’t welcome here.” I was shocked. We didn’t return to “colored town” that night. I decided not to make a big deal out of the issue. Instead, I resolved to change that attitude gently over time through teaching God’s Word and much prayer. The night of our summer Vacation Bible School graduation that year, our church was filled with children and parents from all over town—both black and white—and Mr. and Mrs. Green. Principle Three: Rejoice if you have freedom in every disputable matter. Paul finishes his teaching on the subject with a test of our own freedoms: Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” (Romans 10:23-24) However, if there is an area where you still struggle, then don’t take part in that area until you’re free. Otherwise, God considers it is sin. “But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) The point is that we are never to violate our consciences. As we sort through disputable areas, we must recognize that sometimes what is a sin to one person may not be a sin to another. Therefore, we must carefully keep our consciences clean because, “ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God ” (Matthew 5:8). The Freedom Checklist Constantly review your conscience to see if it is limiting your freedom by improper teaching and knowledge. Carefully train your conscience according to Biblical knowledge and truth. Loosen up and enjoy your freedom in Christ. Join a church family which is more concerned with helping you enjoy the freedom of the Spirit-filled life than with burdening you down with all sorts of rules and regulations about disputable matters. Well Brett, I hope that I’ve answered your question and that you can use these principles as you sort out disputable areas with your friends and other Christians. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Please help me build my relationship with God while I’m isolated from my church and others. Sincerely, Ronnie Dear Ronnie, I would love to help! I’ve put together a checkup and  Bible  study that will help you analyze the state of your relationship with God and others while quarantined...and really anytime! Let’s start by reading  1 Corinthians 13:4-8 . It says: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. The Greek word Paul uses here for love is “agape.” Writers throughout the New Testament use “agape” again and again to describe God’s love. Here’s a more nuanced definition: Agape loves the unlovable. Agape never quits. Agape gives expecting nothing in return. Read this passage again and utilize the words “I am” with each characteristic to have a sense of how well you’re doing. (For example, “I am patient; I am kind; and so on.”) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Take a moment to consider these questions: In which characteristics are you doing well? Which need some attention? Next, note that all of these characteristics are verbal adjectives. Love is not something we just talk about. Love is something that we  do . Read this one more time: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Let’s take time now to go through each of the characteristics of love more deeply. Consider how you measure up! Love Is Patient This Greek word describes patience with people and not patience with circumstances. Patience is not pushy. It gives people time to do what they need to do without being pressured or hurried. Patience is the ability to be wronged and have the power to retaliate—but refuse to strike back. Jesus never said that if we turn the other cheek we would not get hurt ( Matthew 5:38 ).  What He said was that when we turn the other cheek, we look more like Jesus than at any other time. Any cat can scratch back.  Agape love  says, “You wronged me. Nevertheless, I am going to do something really nice for you.” Love Is Kind The Greek word means that “love is sweet to all.” Kindness means to give generously to people while expecting nothing in return. Acts of kindness can be done to meet real needs or, at times, just to have fun! Surprise acts of kindness bless the heart of others. I love the phrase, “Man doesn’t live by bread alone. He needs buttering up.” Love Does Not Envy Jealousy says, "I want what you have!" Envy says, “I wish you didn’t have it.” The Greek root word for “envy” means "to boil." It refers to that inner boiling of the soul which can lead to that seething over somebody else's success, beauty, possessions or good fortune. You might not even wish you had those things. You just wish they didn’t have it. Love wishes the best for others, even to the point of helping them achieve or receive things that you would otherwise want for yourself. Love Does Not Boast The Greek root of “boast” might be paraphrased as "windbag." This is the hot air that comes out of a proud and conceited person. "Wind bag" is the verbalizing of pride. Pride is a braggart. True love will always be far more impressed with its own unworthiness than with its own merit. If anyone ever had something to brag about, Jesus did—but He was the most humble of men: "For I have not spoken of myself" ( John 12:49 ) How many of us can say that? Love Is Not Proud Love is not inflated with its own importance, while pride is an over-concern with self. The idea behind the Greek word “pride” is "puffed-up.” Picture what it takes to “puff up” or inflate something. When we inflate ourselves, either with true pride in our own actions or to look good in front of others, we also become focused on staying that way! Love recognizes the accomplishments of others, constantly looking out for opportunities to encourage and praise them. Love Is Not Rude Love does not behave gracelessly, pushing others aside or ignoring them in favor of selfish needs. The Greek word translated as “rude” also means "to behave indecently or in a shameful manner."  Agape love is tactful and will do nothing to raise a blush. Love Is Not Self-Seeking Love does not insist upon its own rights, instead focusing on the rights and needs of others. What a better world we would have if people would stop thinking about what life owes them and start thinking about what they owe life! And how sweet it would be if people would think less of their rights and more of their duties. Love Is Not Easily Angered Love never flies into a temper. Agape love never becomes exasperated with people. Instead, love takes time to consider actions after we’ve been wronged. Love resolves issues thoughtfully. A lady once said:  "I may lose my temper; but it's all over in a minute."  So was the atom bomb. Love Keeps No Record Of Wrongs Love does not store up memory of any wrong it has received. The Greek word used here describes "a mathematical calculation." It is an accountant's word used in keeping a ledger. The reason we write things in a ledger is so that we will not forget them.   Just as God does not keep any books on believers' sins, so we are not to keep books on the evils of others. Love Does Not Delight In Evil Love does not rejoice in someone else’s sin or wrongdoing. Paul is addressing the malicious pleasure which comes to many of us when we hear something derogatory about someone else. It is one of the strange traits of human nature that we often prefer to hear of the misfortune of others rather than of their good fortunes. Unfortunately, some people are closely waiting for us to fail. Love does the opposite, rooting for success! Love Rejoices With The Truth Love catches people doing right and makes a big deal out of it. Love also picks out good things that are true about someone’s life and talks about them. In another sense, there are times when we definitely do not want the truth to be known; there are times when the last thing that we wish to hear is the truth. Agape love has no wish to hide the truth; it is brave enough to face the truth. Love Always Protects The Greek word literally means “to cover, shelter, or protect.” In  1 Peter 4:8 , Peter puts it so beautifully, "Love covers a multitude of sins." Love will never drag into the light of day the faults and mistakes of others. It would rather set about quietly mending things than publicly displaying and rebuking them. We hear folks say, "Well, it's the truth!” But that doesn't mean that we have to say it! Love Always Trusts Love always believes the best about others. When love notices something questionable, it gives people the benefit of the doubt. While Jesus saw people for what they were, He was always thinking about what they could be. Consider Jesus Christ and the disciples. They were nothing too hot, frankly. Peter denied him; Judas betrayed him; James and John were inordinately selfish. Jesus could have scratched His head and said, "Father, I don't know how to tell you this, but our whole deal isn't going to work out. I have twelve losers. If you think I ought to leave and turn this whole thing over to them, I'll do it; but it looks a little shaky to me." Instead, He said, "They can do it!" So he sent them out into the world, and they did it. Love Always Hopes As long as the grace of God is operative—and it will always be!—then human failure is never final. Love doesn't run out. It doesn't bail out and leave as soon as the first mistake is made. Love waits and believes, and when believing begins to waver, then it starts hoping. It was the belief of Jesus that no man is hopeless. He never gives up on anyone! In other words, when other people have given up hope for us, and when we have become absolutely hopeless about ourselves, the Lord is never discouraged. Love Always Perseveres Love can endure anything. Always. “Perseveres” is a Greek military term to describe being in the middle of a fierce battle and hanging in there to the very end. Love stands in there against incredible opposition and keeps on loving. Love Never Fails The word "fail" has two technical meanings. Classic Greek presents the picture of a bad actor being hissed off the stage. Love is never hissed off the stage. Love lives on the stage of eternity. The other picture is of a fading flower with falling petals. Love never withers, fades, nor falls away. In reality, just about everything in life fails. Fame fails. The world passes away. Sometimes business fails. Governments fail. Friends often let us down. Health fails. But Love never fails. Let’s Close with a Lovely Illustration of Agape Love In the first-century Jerusalem church, Barnabas was nicknamed “the Encourager.” He fulfilled the essence of divine agape love. Barnabas sold a piece of property and brought the proceeds for distribution among the poor and needy. When Christian-killing Saul (Paul) became a Christian himself, Barnabas vouched for Paul with the early Christians who were terrified of him. Barnabas opened the door for Paul to come into the fold and one day set the world on fire with the gospel of Christ. In their first attempt to share the gospel, Paul, Barnabas, and the young teenager John Mark, embarked on the first missionary journey. John Mark quit and went home at the first sign of persecution. When it was time for their second missionary journey, Paul refused to take John Mark. The Bible tells us that the dissension between these two men concerning John Mark was so great that they decided to part company. Paul chose Silas and headed for Turkey. Barnabas took John Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Many years later, Paul was imprisoned in Rome. As recorded in 2 Timothy, Paul asked Timothy to come quickly to be with him in Rome. He was lonely. Winter was coming soon. He asked Timothy to bring the coat that he left with Carpus, his scrolls and especially his parchments. Then he wrote: “Get John Mark and bring him with you, because he is a profitable man in my ministry.” ( 2 Timothy 4:11 ) Thank you, Barnabas. You embodied agape love, and we are all the better for it. Well, Ronnie, I hope you find this checkup helpful as you reflect on your love for God and others during the quarantine and in the future. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I served as the treasurer of our church for almost 20 years. Not long ago, some money turned up missing, and I was blamed. The humiliation and vilification were incredible. Everyone thought I was guilty and treated me that way. The church arranged for an audit, and I was found innocent. The real thief was on the counting committee and went to jail for fraud. That’s the first, and hopefully the last time my integrity will be called into question. So, what do you do when your integrity is questioned? Sincerely, Eric Dear Eric, It seemed so trivial. Paul told the Corinthian Christians that he would return to Corinth for a second visit in. However, Paul's concern to get to Jerusalem was so irresistible that he bypassed Corinth. Some began to question Paul’s integrity: "After all, if he cannot be trusted to keep his appointments, how can we ever trust his ministry?" INTEGRITY IS WHOLENESS. ALL THE PIECES ARE ON DISPLAY. NOTHING IS MISSING OR HIDDEN. Let’s consider how Paul handled this situation when his integrity was on the line with the Corinthian Christians. He relied upon the characteristics of holiness, sincerity, truthfulness, and love to validate his integrity. Take a look at 2 Corinthians 1:12-24: Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. … I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, … and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. … Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. Of course, there are more characteristics of integrity than the ones Paul mentioned in this defense. However, these four are more than enough to guarantee our own integrity. Let me share a few stories to illustrate. By the way, the time to build up integrity is before we need to use it. HOLINESS: CHOOSING RIGHTEOUSNESS Holiness need not be some esoteric mystical endeavor. It is as practical as righteous living. Romans 6:19 declares, “So, now offer your bodies in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.” My dad was favored with promotion after promotion as he worked for 40 years, moving up the corporate ladder of a major airline to the position of vice president. He was in charge of budgets, balance sheets, income, expenditures, and economic forecasting. Then, suddenly, without warning, they took away his job, his position, and his pride by replacing him with an accountant from South America who could hardly speak English. Dad was given a small office in the back of the building, where he worked with some outdated computers. The board promised to pay him half of his present salary until he reached retirement age. They threw in a handful of free airplane tickets. Dad was devastated, but he left the airline behind and forged ahead, starting his own successful accounting business. Several years later, two gentlemen from the FBI invited themselves into our house and shortly thereafter, it all made sense. Apparently, the leaders of the airline were trading valuable government-controlled air routes in exchange for large contributions to President Richard Nixon’s illegal campaign slush funds. The perpetrators knew that my dad must be isolated if the plan were to work. Dad was a man of integrity. Now read Romans 6:19 again. My dad’s decision to live in righteousness led to holiness, marking his life with integrity. SINCERITY: LIVING WITHOUT HIDDEN MOTIVES What you see is what you get! People of integrity follow through with every promise they make. Their word is dependable. Proverbs 26:8 reads, “Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” In Roman times, vases often cracked when they were processed and hardened by fire. Then the imperfection on a cracked vase was filled with wax to hide the infirmity. Intact vases were stamped with the Latin words sine cera which meant “without wax.” From this practice, we get our word “sincerity.” People of integrity have few—if any—cracks in their character. They are sincere. Julie and I were buying groceries one Sunday after my sermon, when the cashier handed me my change. I counted the cash to discover that she’d given me five dollars too much. I said, “I think that you’ve made a mistake. You have given me five extra dollars.” She said, “I know. I was in church this morning, and I was just testing you.” This has great relevance for the political leaders of our country. We have a society that uses words to lead, deceive, confuse and cover. A recent NBC News poll tested voters' feelings about congressional trustworthiness: 24% of Americans said that Congress is mostly honest. But the news media was worse. Just 19% said the media is very or mostly honest. Integrity long ago ceased to define our leaders. TRUTHFULNESS: SPEAKING and ACTING HONESTLY Men and women of integrity tell the truth and live accordingly. They do not lie or perpetrate false truths. Their very lives are saturated with truth. They’ve learned the lesson that no matter what is going on, it is always best to tell the truth. Proverbs 12:19 teaches, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” A man and a woman in Long Beach, CA went to Kentucky Fried Chicken to buy chicken for picnic. The owner was preparing to take the proceeds for the day’s sales to the bank for deposit. He camouflaged the money by putting it in an empty KFC box. Inadvertently, the cashier gave the customer the money-filled box instead of the chicken-filled box. When the couple got to the park and opened the box, they found all of the money. The man realized that there was a mistake. They got into the car and drove back to the KFC and returned the money to the frantic manager. The manager was so pleased. He said, “You stick around. I want to call the newspaper and have them put in your picture.” “No. No.  Don’t do that,” the man pleaded. “Why not?” “Because I am married, and this woman is not my wife.” If the truth were known, most of us struggle with telling the truth at some time or other. It doesn’t have to be that way. Just tell the truth; say what you mean and mean what you say, and integrity soars! LOVE: CARING FOR OTHERS With all the problems that Paul experienced with the church at Corinth, it’s no wonder that he didn’t just walk away.  From our perspective, the Corinthian church was more trouble than it was worth! There were many people in the Mediterranean world who would have accepted, appreciated and loved what Paul was doing. But he loved them, as Christ loves the church. The essence of integrity is getting involved in the lives of others.  People of integrity have love built into their nature. In John 15:12, Jesus commands, “Love each other as I have loved you.” Expressing true love is not always easy. I love this poem by Robert Brault: I was hungry and you hurried into McDonald’s and acted like you didn’t see me at the door Thank you. I was imprisoned And you crept off quietly To your chapel in the cellar To pray for my release. I was naked And in your mind you said Surely he’ll find the local Goodwill store I was sick And you knelt and thanked God For your health. I was homeless And you preached to me Of the spiritual shelter Of the love of God. I was lonely And you left me alone To pray for me to find a friend. You seem so holy; So close to God. But I’m still very hungry And lonely And cold. So where have your prayers gone? What have they done? What does it profit a man to page through his Book of prayers when the rest of the world Is crying for help? Will you show integrity by putting others first? Even when it’s not convenient? FINALLY, IT TAKES TIME AND CONSISTENCY TO BUILD UP INTEGRITY WITH PEOPLE. A consistent life lived over time—that includes holiness, sincerity, truthfulness, and love— validates a life of integrity. These characteristics are our best defense when our integrity is called into question. Proverbs 10:9 declares, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.” Let me illustrate this last point with a story Leith Anderson in Leadership Journal several years ago. It was written for pastors, but it really applies to everyone. When a new pastor is called to pastor a church, the pulpit committee gives him 100 chips. If he preaches a good sermon, he gets another chip. If he preaches a bad or boring sermon, it costs him two chips. If he spends several hours at the hospital with a sick church member, he gets 10 chips. If the visit occurred after midnight, he gets 15 chips. And if the patient was sick unto death and recovered shortly after his visit and prayer, he gets 25 chips. A pastor was called to a new church beginning in January, but his first sermon was not scheduled until the first Sunday in February.  The church anxiously waited. Before he preached, a church down the street needed a pulpit. The pastor wanted to begin his ministry fresh and new. So, a week before he was to preach, he gave away the pulpit that had been in his new church for over 70 years.  After all, he didn’t want anything to stand between him and his people. Giving away the pulpit cost him 1500 chips.  It would take 30 years of great sermons just to get back to even.  His ministry was over before he even started, and he was gone in three months. On the other hand, there was a pastor who forgot a funeral. He wasn’t derelict or lazy; he was just was out counseling at a luncheon meeting and lost track of time. The funeral director called his secretary, and she called all the usual places where he dined, but he had decided to try a new place.  Finally, the funeral home called a pastor down the street to fill in. He didn’t know the family, but he hurried down and performed the funeral. When the pastor arrived back at church and realized what had happened, he was mortified.  He raced to the deceased’s home to apologize to the family members. One of the family members said, “Pastor, we will never forgive nor forget what you did to us today.” The pastor figured that missing that funeral cost him several hundred chips. But he survived. He had been at that church for 28 years. He had piles and piles of chips. In my mind, integrity is one of the most precious parts of who we are in Christ. When 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new is here!” Paul means that we have been made new from the very inside out. We are clean; we have a sound moral character thanks to the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. But we still face a thousand choices every day … will we act with integrity, living transparently according to the will of God? Or will we do what’s best for us, hiding what we think or do behind a good-looking façade? Keep pursuing holiness, sincerity, truthfulness, and love. Well, Eric, I hope you’ll find my answer helpful in building a life of integrity. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’ve seen questions about the Third Temple and current peace treaties happening with Israel all over social media. President Trump helped orchestrate the treaties too. Does that mean he could be the Antichrist? I know the book of Revelation mentions events like these in the End Times. What does all this mean? Sincerely, Asha Dear Asha, I was shocked by the recent peace treaties signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. I never imagined that Israel would be aligning itself with Mideast Gulf nations, did you? Peace in the Middle East has always seemed impossible. But that’s politics! We do need to recognize that these treaties certainly have implications for the Second Coming as described in the book of Revelation. PEACE TREATIES: What Do They Signify? The present-day United Arab Emirates is located on the biblical land of Dedan. In the Hebrew Bible, the name Dedan is assigned to a son of Raamah (Genesis 10:7). His descendants are mentioned in Isaiah 21:13; Ezekiel 25:13; and Ezekiel 27:15. This people group probably settled among the sons of Cush, on the northwest coast of the present Persian Gulf. Interestingly, archeologists have identified some characteristics that show the ties between Dedan and ancient Egypt​. This land has a part to play in both the Battle of Armageddon in Revelation 16 and with the armies of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39. The current treaties call for normalizing the relationships between Israel, UAE, Bahrain, Turkey and the United States. In a very real sense, these five nations have “ganged up” against Iran, who is still under United Nations sanctions because of their nuclear program. However, Anwar Gargash, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, declared, “This treaty is in no way meant to create some sort of grouping against Iran.” I want to say, “Who’s kidding whom? It’s obvious that’s exactly what this treaty accomplishes. Behind the scenes, I believe that Iran will be involved in Second Coming and the Battle of Armageddon. First, it’s obvious that Iran has nuclear weapons, or soon will, the results of which are described with the other plagues in Revelation 6-19. Consider Revelation 8:7, which says, “there came fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” Second, Iran is most likely part of the armies of 200 million led by the kings from the East (see Revelation 18), which line up against the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon. One other significant part of the treaty also deals with annexing the West Bank and securing land for a Palestinian state. The resolution of the West Bank issue is critical to Israel’s future, not just religious and for holy reasons, but as a military stronghold in case of another Israeli war with Arab nations and other Gulf states. Will other Gulf nations take sides? Most likely. After all, the United States is the only nation in the world which gives any sort of tacit support to Israel. What makes us think that other nations will jump in to help Israel?! This new treaty may well be a foreshadowing of the prophetic events soon to be fulfilled in the End Times. PRESIDENT TRUMP Asha, you asked the question, “Could Trump be the Antichrist?” People ask me that question about the presidential candidates every four years! The answer is absolutely “no.” Trump is not the Antichrist. Revelation tells us that during the final years of tribulation on earth, a man named the Antichrist will unite numerous nations to fight against Israel and ultimately against Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. We are told to recognize him by 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 13:18). Today, we utilize Arabic numbers. The Romans used Roman numerals. The Greeks assigned a number to each letter of the Greek alphabet. You can see that none of Trump’s numbers come anywhere close to 666: Trump: 300+100+400+40+80 equals 920 Donald: 4+70+50+1+30+4 equals 159 Donald Trump: 920+159 equals 1079 Note Joe Biden’s name: 9+70+5+2 10+4+5+50 equals 155 The number “six” is often identified in Scripture as the number of man. Man’s number is consistently one short of perfection; thus, the Antichrist is 666. Jesus’ number is 887. He is consistently one better than perfection. THE THIRD TEMPLE Finally, Asha, you asked about the Third Jewish Temple and its implications for End Times events. The third Temple will be rebuilt sometime before the Second Coming. We know this because the “Abomination of Desolation” is set up in the temple when the Antichrist and his minions invade the temple altar and begin to make sacrifices to themselves and proclaim great blasphemy against Jesus (see the end-times prophecy in Daniel 9:27). The First Temple was built by Solomon in 957 BCE and destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE. Then, the Second Temple was built under the guidance of Ezra in 516 BCE. It lasted until the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 A.D. When Jesus told his disciples that the Temple would be destroyed and not one stone left upon another (Matthew 24:38), He was referring to the Second Temple. Since 70 A.D. there hasn’t been a Temple in Israel. But a Third Temple is coming. Although it remains unbuilt, the notion of and desire for a Third Temple is sacred in Judaism—particularly Orthodox Judaism—because it is anticipated as a place of worship. The prophets in the Hebrew Bible called for its construction to be fulfilled prior to, or in tandem with, the Messianic Age. The rebuilding of the Third Temple also plays a major role in the biblical understanding of the Second Coming of Christ. In 2 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul taught that the Abomination of Desolation would be placed in the holy Temple in Jerusalem. The temple must exist in order for the image of the Antichrist to be worshipped there: Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (2:3-4) Daniel also teaches, “Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the Abomination of Desolation” (12:11). It’s fair to ask whether or not there is enough space on the Temple Mount to build another Temple without infringing upon the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Both are Muslim holy places. I’ve stood on the Temple Mount, and there’s plenty of land on the northern side of the plateau for another Temple. In fact, there already groups in Israel clamoring for the immediate construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem. BIRTH PANGS The day that the peace treaty was signed, I was inundated with questions about whether or not this was the beginning of the “birth pains” that Jesus mentioned, which would precede the Great Tribulation: As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 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, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”   With all the hurricanes, typhoons, wars, volcanoes, earthquakes, forest fires, floods, melting ice packs, destruction of the permafrost, global warming, (California recently recorded possibly the hottest temperature ever measured on earth), and now these peace treaties, I'm wondering if these really are what Jesus called "the beginning of birth pains” which lead up to the Great Tribulation.   Let me encourage you to watch carefully and pray fervently for Jesus to come soon! Well, Asha,I hope that this addresses your questions in a simple and understanding way. If you have more questions, please let me know.Love, Roger

Dear Roger, We hear a lot about God the father and Jesus the Son but we seldom hear anything about God the Holy Spirit. The subject of the Holy Spirit came up in one of our recent Bible studies and most of us had no idea what He did. Can you give us a short summary of his work, His responsibilities, what He does for us and how He interacts with us? Sincerely, Kendall Dear Kendall, The Short Answer Is That God The Father Was The Architect Who Designed The Universe. Jesus The Son Was The Contractor Who Built the universe. The Holy Spirit Is The Person Who Keeps It All Running. THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING “Now I am going to him who sent me . . . Because I said these things you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: it is for your good that I’m going away. Unless I go way the counselor will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you (John 14: 6-7). Up to this time, Jesus had always been there.  Now He's going away.  While the disciples were filled with consternation, He said that Another Person just as divine, just as helpful, just as compassionate as he was coming to take His place. There was nothing encouraging about his leaving that sounded good to his disciples. The Greek word “parakletos” is the word Jesus used to describe the one that he was sending. The word may be translated in several ways; "comforter; one called alongside another; encourager; counselor or exhorter." Up to this time, Jesus had been their “parakletos”, their divine friend always near and at hand. For example, on one occasion, they were perplexed on the subject of prayer, and they said to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray," and He taught them to pray. In his earthly body Jesus could only be in one place at one time. When he was talking to Nicodemus in Jerusalem (John 3: 1-21) He couldn’t simultaneously be with the woman at the well in Sumaria (John 4:1-36). When the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost and indwelt 120 Christ Followers, the Holy Spirit could be with all of them, everywhere, all the time (Acts 2:2-4). By the way, the Holy Spirit is the one who actually regenerates and indwells our soul at the moment of our salvation. When we are leading someone to Christ we often say, “Let Jesus come into your heart.” That's not exactly correct. The Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration. It is the Holy Spirit who now indwells our spirit at conversion as we receive Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Then, where is Jesus? Jesus is now at the Right Hand of the Father in heaven (Acts 7: 54-56). Don’t over or under react to the idea of whether or not it is all right to tell someone that they can the invite Jesus into their heart. Since both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God, there is no contradiction (John 3:20). It is the presence of the Spirit in one's life which makes him a Christian.  He permanently indwells every believer.  His entrance is not to be repeated (Romans 8: 28-35). THE DISPLACED MEMBER OF THE GODHEAD. Since the passing of the first few generations of Christianity, no doctrine of Christian faith has been so neglected as that of the Holy Spirit.  The Apostle's Creed contains ten articles on the Person and Work of Christ, but only one on the Holy Spirit. Practically, most of us Christians could well identify with the answer of the Ephesian disciples of John the Baptist to Paul when Paul asked them:  "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"  The Ephesians replied:  "No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit" (Acts 19:2). HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT INTERACTS WITH US Living the Christian life is a daily focus on walking in the spirit, listening to his voice and doing what he says. The Holy Spirit is the "enabler" who makes it possible for the Christian to live daily for Christ. The “filling of the spirit” means a full surrender to the life of Christ. Our experience upward in the life of Christ is in direct proportion to our experience downward in ceasing from self. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to democracy. Instead, be filled with the spirit” (Ephesians 5:17-18). The fullness (or filling) of the Spirit is a variable and must be repeated often (Ephesians 5:18). Sin dirties our souls and inhibits our ability for the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. Quenching the Spirit closes our ears so that we are unable to hear his directions. “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” ( Galatians 5:16 ). The Holy Spirit prays for us (Romans 8:26). He is actively making intercession (praying) for us before God the Father. “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” ( Romans 8:27 ). When we pray with our minds we pray about what we know. When we pray with our spirit we enter into the very throne room of God during which we speak to God human spirit to Holy Spirit. “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit; but I shall also sing with my mind” (1 Corinthians 14:15). The Holy Spirit teaches us. Can it get any better than for the author of the Bible to teach and interpret it for us! “But the counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I’ve said to you” (John l4:26 ) . The basic work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ (John 16:14). “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you” (John 16:14). One of the best ways that we glorify God is to let people see how we handle victoriously our troubles and trials. From a practical standpoint, if the Holy Spirit is considered as merely an influence or power, our thought will constantly be, "How can I get hold of the Holy Spirit and use it." On the other hand, recognizing Him as a person, our thought will be, "How can the Holy Spirit get hold of me and use me?" The Holy Spirit is intricately involved in the convicting dimension of evangelism. He convicts people of the sin of not believing in Jesus. He convicts of righteousness to show people that they’re not good enough for heaven. He convicts of judgment to come because Satan now controls the world (John 16:8-11). AT LEAST SIX SYMBOLS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE TRUE NATURE OF HIS WORK. Read each symbolic description carefully and then picture yourself living out each characteristic in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. Then, think of some practical ways that you can actually experience each symbol along with God the father, God the son, God the Holy Spirit – and yourself – in daily walking with the Spirit. A DOVE As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my son whom I love; with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:l6). In Scripture the Dove has many traits: (1) Love (Song of Solomon 5:2) (2) Purity (Song of Solomon 5:2) (3) Peace (Genesis 8:8-12) (4) Modesty (Song of Solomon 2:14) (5) Innocence; (Matthew10: 16) (6) Beauty (Psalm 68:13) (7) Gentleness (Isaiah 59:11) WATER Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit (John 7:37-39).” The Spirit is like a spring overflowing.  As the Spirit is in the believer, he/she overflows like spring water to refresh and quench the thirst of him/her and others. Jesus offered the woman at the well (John 4) a bucket of running water which would last forever. It took her a while, but finally she understood what he was offering. The bucket overflowed to reach an old town with salvation. WIND “You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again. I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.. . . The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear it’s sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit” (John 3:8). Air is everywhere, touching and sustaining all things.  As wind can get into every nook and cranny, so the spirit is able to move throughout a believer’s life analyzing, judging and empowering whatever their need might want what was the matter be. FIRE Fire in the Scripture mainly represents the presence of God. For example, this is seen in the burning bush (Exodus3: 1-3) and from Elijah’s calling down fire from heaven to defeat the 400 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 17 and is climaxed with the Holy Spirit coming as tongues of fire on Pentecost. The fire is also a symbol of God's purifying action.  So the Holy Spirit is seen as showing God's presence as well as his work of cleaning and burning (purging, if you will) the sins out of the life of every believer (Acts 2:3). OIL Oil in the Bible is usually used to signify power for service and as illumination. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you . . .” (Acts 1:8). The mighty works of Jesus were done in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18; and Acts 10:38).  We have no power in ministry before God without the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We may equate the anointing of the Holy Spirit with the filling of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:18. Just so, upon us the anointing of the Holy Spirit must come (Acts 1:8) in order for us to provide for powerful service and for shining the true light that has come into the world (John 1:4-9). Oil is also used to give light.  In the Old Testament, holy oil alone continually lighted the temple.  In the same way, the Spirit lights and illumines Christ before our eyes.  The most beautiful illustration of the work of divine oil is found in Zechariah 4:2-6. OUR GUARANTEE “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). The word "guarantee" in Greek is “arrabon”, which refers to a down payment or first installment. The Holy Spirit is God's first installment of a greater life which is waiting for us in heaven. Our inheritance, our salvation, our glory, our fellowship with God, our likeness unto Him, our freedom from sin and its evils, are all down payments represented and assured by the "first installment or guarantee of the Holy Spirit. Well, Kendall, I hope this answers your question. If you have more, please let me know. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’ve had a very hurtful past. My wife abused me. She was angry and mean to the children. Of course, we’ve all had our share of physical and emotional problems. People usually think that the abuser is always a man. But that’s not true. I found out that there are others like me who’ve been hurt physically, mentally and emotionally by women. Our marriage is a shambles. Now we are struggling through an acrimonious divorce. Will I ever be able to muddle through the pains of my past and find a peaceful resolution? Sincerely, Sam Dear Sam, One day I met a woman with a tattoo on her arm. She explained to me, "My former boyfriend did it—he was an abusive alcoholic." Happily, she was now married to another man, but every day those marks on her skin reminded of the pain in her past. We’ve all met people whose past is tattooed onto their souls. They've experienced abuse, immorality, addictions, loss or grief, broken relationships, or tragedy. Fortunately, there are God-given tools to burn away those ugly tattoos. They don’t have to remain with us forever. How different our past would be if we could relive it! Louisa Tarkington expressed the wish of millions: I wish there were some wonderful place called the “Land of Beginning Again,” where all our past mistakes and heartaches, and all of our poor selfish grief, could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door and never be put on again. I wish it were as simple as tacking an old calendar on the wall, to bring back former years and erase the imprints left by hurts and mistakes of bygone days. But there is a land of beginning again. Our past need not control our present or future. Where Do Tattoos Come From? Start with Your Family Once, I asked our church counselors to share the twelve most common problems they saw in our counseling center. Their lists were dominated by topics such as depression, grief, bitterness, anger, sexual abuse, demonic problems and guilt. However, our counselors emphasized that many of these things were just symptoms. The root cause for many of our problems is that we grew up in dysfunctional families. In other words, the atmosphere of our home has a significant impact on shaping our identity and behavior. You are fortunate if you were raised in a healthy home! The Bible never systematically lists what makes a good parent. Yet scattered here and there are indicators. Functional parents will: Teach their children (Psalm 78:3-7, Proverbs 19:18); Discipline their children (Psalm 78:3-7, Proverbs 19:18); Love their children (Proverbs 13:24; Psalm 103:13); Delight in their children (Provers 3:12); Show mercy and grace to their children (Luke 6:36); Give good gifts to the children (Matthew 7:11); Comfort their children (Isaiah 66:13); Our counselors also gathered characteristics of a healthy, functional family. They include: Security, Openness, Affection, Encouragement, Approval, Respect, Time Invested, Appreciation, Affirmation Love, Compassion, Attention, and Understanding. If the characteristics of a healthy, functional family above are the opposite of your family experience as a child, you probably come from a dysfunctional family. H. Normal Wright created an excellent list of the characteristics of a dysfunctional family in his book, Always Daddy’s Girl . Abuse Abuse can include inflicting physical hurt, causing emotional pain, sexual injury, or neglect. Abuse may be blatant, such as one family member striking or screaming at another. It can be subtle, as when one person ignores another. Perfectionism A perfectionist parent conveys his or her standards and expectations through verbal rebukes, corrections, frowns, penetrating glances, smirks, etc., which continually imply, "You’re not good enough." The parent leads by torture words like “ought” and “should” which elevate guilt and lower self-esteem. Rigidity Dysfunctional families are characterized by unbending rules and strict lifestyles. Silence Dysfunctional families operate by a gag rule: “Don't share family secrets with anyone. Keep it in the family.” After all, what would people think if they knew we didn't have it all together? Repression You may have grown up in a family where emotions were controlled and repressed instead of identified and expressed. Family members are only allowed to express feelings which were considered appropriate instead of what they really feel. So, you spend life wearing a mask. Triangulation In triangulation, one family member uses another family member as a go-between. Father tells his daughter, "Go see if your mother is still angry at me. Tell her I love her." She complies with his request. But Mother retorts, "Tell your father to get lost!" How does Sally feel about getting caught in the middle? Perhaps she feels like a failure.  Perhaps she fears that her mother is angry at her ,when she is really angry at dad. Double Messages A wife asks her husband if he loves her. "Of course, I do," he says as he reads the newspaper. Then he spends four hours in front of the TV and goes straight to bed. His words say, "I love you," but his actions say, "I don't care about you at all." Lack of fun Dysfunctional families are typically unable to loosen up, let go, play, and have fun. Their mottos are: "Be serious"; "Work hard"; "Play is a waste of time." When they do play, it usually ends up with someone getting hurt. Humor is used as much to hurt as to have fun. Martyrdom Children are challenged: "Tough it out, son; big boys don't cry", "You aren't hurt, Jane, so quit that whimpering and grow up!" Pain, suffering, or disappointment aren’t acknowledged. Instead, they are deliberately pushed aside. Entanglement The members of a dysfunctional family are emotionally and relationally entangled in each other's lives. Mom makes Dad’s problems her problems, Dad makes the kids' problems his problems. If one family member is unhappy, the whole family is! Of course, when we add drugs, alcohol, major sickness, overworking or divorce into the mix, hurtful tattoos increase exponentially. How Do Tattoos Form? When you were born, your emotional cup was empty. You had a lot of needs which had to be met. If your family was healthy, most of your needs were met, and when you reached adulthood your cup was full or almost full. But if your family was mostly dysfunctional, your cup may be rather empty. You entered life with needs which your family should have met but didn't. The lower the level in your cup, the more difficult life will be. As we study dysfunctional families, we are forced to redefine normalcy. Was it normal to watch your father stumble up the porch steps into a screaming battle with your mother, which ended hours later only when he went to bed? Was it normal to cringe in your bedroom praying dad wouldn't stop at your room to pick a fight? Is it normal for a father to divorce his wife and leave behind an eight-year-old whom he rarely visits and who thinks he left because of her? Is normal for a ten-year-old regularly to get breakfast for his seven-year-old sister and then get her off to school because Mom is sleeping off a hangover? Is it normal for a thirteen-year-old girl to be kept up most of the night by an angry tirade from her father who blames her for all the problems in the family? Is it normal to come home from school not sure which man her mom will have in bed? To many of us those things seem abnormal and aberrant. Yet, to some of us those things were absolutely normal.  You never knew that there was any other way to live. Finally, we can fight to redefine ourselves apart from our past. Fortunately, God still provides healing for those who are suffering. How Can We Remove Tattoos from the Past? First, we need to deal with these ugly tattoos one by one, not all at once. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring up only those He wants us to deal with and when He wants us to address them. PRAY EARNESTLY. Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring healing to your hurt; understanding of what’s happening; the grace to live victoriously; and, finally, ask for the Holy Spirit to heal the painful tattoos of your past. ADMIT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HURT. Some resort to denial to avoid the pain and the reality. When we bury something from the past, we don't bury it dead.  We bury it alive. The ugly tattoos often surface later in all sorts of unpleasant ways, like depression, disillusionment, anger, bitterness or physical illness. SETTLE THE QUESTION: “WHERE WAS GOD WHEN THESE TATTOOS WERE BEING BURNED INTO MY SOUL? If this question is not properly answered, we will struggle to engage with the Holy Spirit as we attempt to remove the tattoos. Unhealed tattoos can produce great anger against God. We wonder: “If God loved me, why did He let me get into this mess?” “Why was my father an alcoholic?” “Why do I have such a strong sex drive?” “Why did He let my dad abuse me or my mother reject me?” "God wasn't there for me when I was a child; why should I think He will be there for me as an adult?" “Why should I look to a God who failed me when I needed Him the most?” How can such anger against God be dissolved? First, do what David did in the Psalms. He simply told God how angry he was. It felt good to get off his chest. The emotional relief is refreshing. When I’m really angry at God, I sometimes sit in the car and close the door where Julie can’t hear me. Then, I yell and holler angrily at God because of what’s going on that I don’t like. Then, I read some of David’s “angry” Psalms to see how he got healed, and I follow his example. The anger fades. Second, we must examine the tattoo carefully, there may be more involved in its presence than we realize. God may be using it to mature us to look like Jesus. Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:10-11) All things work together for those that love God. For those God foerknew, he predestined to look just like Jesus.” (Romans 8:28-29) GET IN TOUCH WITH ENOUGH OF YOUR PAST TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE LIKE YOU ARE. The key word here is, “understand.”  You want to understand what happened and why. Remember, “Children are the world’s best tape recorders. They are the world’s worst interpreters.” Now as an adult, we have much better tools to interpret and unravel our past. Often, we are the way that we are because our parents were victims, too. Can you imagine that if your mom and/or dad didn’t receive any appreciation, encouragement, compassion, or comfort when they were growing up, that you might not receive any either? After all, it’s hard to pass on something we never received! FIND SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO COMFORT. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:8) Only deal with the past when you are in the presence of someone who will understand and comfort. Otherwise, you may well be hurt again, when you bring these things to mind. There are times when we alone can’t put our past behind us. We need the assistance of others. Bear one another’s burdens. (Galatians 6:2) FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAVE HURT YOU. First, forgiving does not mean that we let those who hurt us “off the hook.” They need to be held accountable for what they did. We may let them off our “hook,” but they are still on God’s “hook”! Remember the Lord says, “Vengeance is mine.” So, let Him do His work. Second, forgiving is not a sign that we’re weak. Forgiveness is a courageous act that integrates the grace, kindness, and compassion of Christ. Third, forgiving does not mean that we forget what they did to us. Whoever told us that we can “forgive and forget” was quite misguided. The pain of some things is so intense that we will never forget them. Nevertheless, by God’s grace, we can forgive even though we may never forget what they did to us. Fourth, forgiving doesn’t mean that we restore the relationship with the one, or ones, who hurt us as if nothing ever happened. Something did happen. If the one who hurt us is repentant, we may choose to establish boundaries, giving the offender—over a period of time — the opportunity to regain our trust. We can restore the relationship someday if we want to or not restore it at all. Fifth, forgive before deep bitterness and resentment become ingrained in your heart. The desire for vengeance is like aiming your pointer finger at your adversary like a gun barrel. Your thumb is the hammer, cocked and ready to fire. However, look at the other three fingers. They are pointed right back at you. Sixth, it’s not possible to be at peace with all people (Romans 12:7). As Christians, we feel that we are required to fix every broken relationship and live in harmony with all of our brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, some relationships just will not work out. It is okay to leave them behind and go on with others. Finally, you can know that you’ve forgiven them when you don't want to hurt them anymore. FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION AHEAD THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD RATHER THAN STARING INTO THE REARVIEW MIRROR. Forget those things which are behind and press on to what is ahead. (Philippians 3:12-14) Well Sam, may God bring healing to your heart and grace to your soul. Love, Roger This article was co-authored with Brie Barrier Wetherbee

Dear Roger, I hear so many people these days saying, “Christians are the problem,” or “Christians are unloving and judgmental.” Why is having a moral compass and a sense of what is true and right seen as narrow-minded oppression and meanness by so many? In what areas are Christians getting it all wrong? Can you help me know what to say when others tell me that “Christians are the worst offenders?” It's all so confusing. Thanks so much, Jennifer Dear Jennifer, Let me start by sharing a few reasons why Christians often look narrow-minded and unloving. A recent George Barna poll revealed that 78% of Americas say that the evangelical church is the most judgmental segment of American society. It breaks my heart to say this, but people see Christians as judgmental because we are . On one hand, we live in a very wicked world that ought to be judged. But for many non-Christians, Christians have become “Ministers of Condemnation.” Rather than reacting to people as God’s creation, treating them with mercy and love, we immediately condemn them because of their behavior or beliefs. Next, Christians are often pictured as being unloving, judgmental, and narrow-minded because we are known as the ones who often say, “Don’t do this and don’t do that!” Frankly, the watchword for many Christians could easily be, “Stop It!” Sinful people don’t like to be told, “Stop It.” It’s like Christians are throwing cold water upon them and their behaviors. Now, that doesn’t mean we should let evil slide by without a word. But there is a big difference between acting as judge and acting like Jesus. Third, Christians were once known as the people who loved God and loved each other. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) I wonder sometimes what happened to our love for one another? Non-Christians are known to look at us and say, “Loving God and loving others! Are you kidding me? I know many Christians who can’t even get along with each other.” What happened to us? Obviously, our love for Jesus and for each other has waned. I have in my library a book entitled, “Great Church Fights.” Imagine that! During college I pastored in the little town of Penelope, Texas, population 212. Penelope had three different churches functioning and one dead as a doornail. Christians are also seen as judgmental is because we travel the “narrow road” while most of our culture follows the “broad road.” “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) Most people resent being told that Christianity is the only correct religion and that all other religions are wrong. But we follow the Lord Jesus Christ who said: “I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except by me.” (John 14:6) We need to stand on the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven while still being full of truth and love. Christians hold to eternal values, while much of our culture does not. Commandments like “You shall not kill, steal, commit adultery, or covet” transcend time. For example, our society kills millions of unborn babies every year. Enticing commercials and advertisements depend upon covetousness and materialism to sell products. Not only is adultery now seen as normal, but pornography, LGBTQ acceptance, and all sorts of deviant behaviors are flaunting God’s values. I believe that the breakdown of our society quickly sped up when the Supreme Court in 1954 took the 10 Commandments out of our schools. Unfortunately, they failed to put anything else in their place. A society without a shared sense of values has no foundation upon which to stand. It will eventually fall. We no longer have a shared sense of values in America. Christians look narrow-minded when they point out that these values are eternal. The tide is now swinging nearly 180° against us. But remember, the U.S. Constitution does not give us the freedom to do anything we want. It gives us the freedom to do what is right. Finally, Christians are often considered to be judgmental because we have too many hypocrites among us. Jesus told us to pull the “plank” out of our own eyes before we try to tease the sin from someone else’s eye. HERE ARE SOME WAYS THAT CHRISTIANS CAN BUILD BRIDGES TO IMPROVE OUR IMAGE AND BEHAVIOR AS WE ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH.  Shoot straight for the heart instead of aiming at the mind. Too often, we try to change the mind instead of the heart. Jesus targeted the heart. An intriguing study revealed that 20% of those who come to Christ do so out of a sense of commitment. On the other hand, fully 80% come to Christ because someone loved them into the kingdom. Very few come to Christ based on rational reasoning. Our goal is not to win an argument. Our goal is to love people into the kingdom. Remember, “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). Jesus didn’t argue religion with the woman at the well in the hot noon sun (see John 4). The rest of the women of her town drew water in the cool evening; but unfortunately, she couldn’t come then because she was ostracized by all. So, she came at noon. She wanted to discuss religion. Jesus wanted to comfort her failed relationships. Jesus went straight for her heart; “You’ve had five husbands and the man you’re now with now is not your husband.” Her destroyed relationships were ripping her life apart. Jesus knew just what she needed. She needed some friends. Partner with the Holy Spirit win the spiritual battle over someone’s soul. Paul writes that Satan has blinded the eyes of non-Christians so they have trouble seeing Christ for who He is. “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians: 4:3-4) Only the Holy Spirit can open blind eyes to see the gospel of Christ. We work in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. When we are sharing the gospel, we must not expect non-Christians to have much understanding of the person of Christ. They cannot see Him! It’s through prayer, relationship building, expressions of love, sharing the truth, and timely, involvement in people’s lives that we help open the eyes of unbelievers so they can see the love of Christ. Stop yelling at people! I was so disappointed when Jerry Falwell organized the Moral Majority. Their method of advancing the kingdom was by yelling at people to “Stop it!” All that did was dig a deeper chasm between Christians and non-Christians. “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." ( Ephesians 4:15 ) My father always said, “We catch more flies with honey than with vinegar!” He’s right. Approach people like Jesus approached them. Only once did Jesus describe his character. He said, “For I am gentle and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29). He loved the unlovable. He spent time with the tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners. Jesus tended to look more for a person’s potential than for what they were in the present. For example, there’s no doubt that Zacchaeus was a thieving, stealing, greedy, cheating, selfish man. Jesus stopped at the base of a sycamore tree and looked up to see him sitting in the branches. Notice what Jesus did not say: “You are a thieving, stealing, greedy, cheating, selfish man; “Stop it!” Only the ignorant, hardhearted, or beginners start like that. Instead, let’s imagine what Jesus might have been thinking: “Here’s a man who’s feeling lonely, despised, rejected, and hated. He must need acceptance, forgiveness, comfort, encouragement and respect.” So, Jesus said, “Come down from the tree, because I’m going to your house to eat lunch with you today.” Remember, those were the days when people ate with their fingers out of the same bowls! Several hours later, Zacchaeus stepped out on his front porch and shouted, “I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said, “Today salvation comes of this house … because the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:1, 10) What brought on the change in Zacchaeus? Jesus yelling, “Stop it” at the bottom of the tree? Or, Jesus gently and humbly ministering to the very depths of Zacchaeus’ soul. Live a pure and holy life. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3) There is no better way to thwart the criticism of non-Christians than to live clean and holy lives, filled with goodness truth and love. Build relationships. Sociological studies reveal that the average dad spends 14 minutes a day with his young children. Christian dads are much better. We spend an average of 17 minutes a day. Then, we wonder why it’s so difficult to get our teenagers to love and obey us. The answer is simple. It’s hard to discipline someone we don’t even know. In the same way, it’s easier to lead someone to Christ whom we know well than someone we’ve just met. Understand that the Law and Prophets hang on love. The Old Testament Law dealt with ethics. The Prophets dealt with behaviors. Jesus’s love dealt with relationships. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40) Normally, when we ask someone which is more important: Love, Law, or the Prophets? The response is almost always, “All three are equally important.” However, that’s an incorrect answer. Love is more important. Imagine that Love is the hook upon which hangs the Law and the Prophets. The Law tells us what to believe. The Prophets teach us how to behave. Love tells us how to belong to one another. When love comes first, when it is the motive for our actions and the outpouring of our hearts, we point the world to Jesus Christ. Well, Jennifer, I hope that you’ll find my answer helpful to you. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I can’t imagine anyone choosing to be in hell. I’d rather think of hell as where God banishes people he chooses to punish. But, is it true that everyone who is in hell actually has chosen to be there and God couldn’t save them? Can you help me make sense of how people end up in hell? Is hell a choice? Or, in other words, do those in hell choose to be there? Thanks, Steve Dear Steve, Ask anyone the question, “Would you choose to go to hell?” The answer is simple. “No.” No one with any understanding would ever choose to go to hell. However, by their choices and behaviors, hundreds are choosing hell every day. Anyone who fails or chooses not to receive Christ has already made a choice to go there. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not be believed in the name of God’s one and only son. –  John 3:16-18  KJV People choose hell for all kinds of reasons. For example, some choose hell because they think that they've said "no" so many times that they couldn't come to Christ even if they wanted to. I received a call that grandpa was in the hospital dying of cancer. The entire family had pleaded with God for years for him to turn his heart to Jesus. However, he always said “No.” “We’d like to make one more try. If we share the gospel again, we know that the words will fall on deaf ears. We’d like to try one more time from a different perspective. Would you please go to the hospital and share with him the gospel? He does not have much time." When I arrived, I found him sitting upright in the hospital bed. “You’re their minister, aren’t you?” He continued. “I know why you’re here. They want you to try to lead me to Christ.” “Yes, they’ve asked me to come one more time,” I replied. “Okay then, go right ahead,” the patient said. So, I shared the gospel as best I knew how, and then I said, “Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” He looked directly at me and said, “No. I think that I’ve said 'no' to Jesus so many times that I couldn’t become a Christian now even if I wanted to.” By the way, you don't want to go to hell. The worst experiences of human existence cannot compare to the destruction that awaits those who’ve chosen hell. And  do not fear  those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” –  Matthew 10:28 And cast out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth –  Matthew 8:11-12 So those people will go into eternal punishment, while the righteous will go into eternal life –  Matthew 25:46 Please notice that experiencing hell is not a short time adventure. Hell is eternal. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. –  Revelation 20:10 Let's look at  eight reasons why some choose hell: 1. They Think They've Found Something Better Than Jesus My friend Charlie and I made a pact during our senior year in high school to visit each other’s churches. The first Sunday we went to my Baptist church and heard the gospel plainly and emotionally taught. Charlie was not impressed. The next Sunday at Charlie’s Unitarian church I heard a “sermon” by the pastor in which he said that he would rather spend time in hell talking to great philosophers like Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Confucius than spend eternity talking to boring people in heaven like Moses and Abraham! 2. They Wait Until it's Too Late to Get to Heaven Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment... –  Hebrews 9:27  NIV But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” –  Hebrews 3:13  NIV The writer to the Hebrews encouraged his people not to wait to give their hearts to Jesus! Today is the day of salvation! Tomorrow may be too late. Early in church history, the Roman Catholic Church began teaching that if a person died with any unconfessed sins that those sins would keep them out of heaven. Some tried to time it just right before they died. Unfortunately, some waited too long. 3. They Mistakenly Follow Someone Who's Perverted the Gospel Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! –  Galatians 1:8-9  NIV The gospel message is “Faith In Christ Plus Nothing Else Produces Salvation.” Salvation is all God’s work; it is not based on man’s achievements. The Galatians tried to add becoming a Jew to be part of the gospel message. Cult leaders purposefully distort the message of Christ into a “gospel” that confuses people into following their leadership. When Constantine, who ruled Constantinople in 327 A.D. became a Christian, he declared that all of his soldiers become Christians, too. He baptized them by marching them through a river completely immersed except for their arms and battle swords which they held over their heads and out of the water. He wanted to be sure they would still be able to fight! 4. They Don't Think There Is a Hell The fool says in his heart there is no God. –  Psalm 14:1  KJV Surveys consistently show that almost 73 % of Americans believe in heaven. On the other hand, only 32% of Americans believe there is a hell. Agnostics believe that no one can know for certain whether or not there is a God. Atheists declare by faith that there is no God. Madeline Murray O’Hare and Richard Dawkins stand out as two of the prominent atheists of our time. Their stated goal in life was to expose Christianity as fraudulent. They failed miserably. 5. They Think More 'Goods' Than 'Bads' Is Enough Unfortunately, no one is good enough. That’s why we need a Savior who will give us salvation if we ask for it. At the Great White Throne of Judgment all of those who have chosen to go to hell for whatever reason are judged “according to their deeds” and are cast into the lake of fire ( Revelation 20:11-15 ). When I’m sharing the gospel, I find it interesting to ask people, “What do you think is the main theme of the  Bible ?” Their answers invariably revolve around the idea that the Bible teaches that if they are good enough, they can go to heaven. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he is thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone. –  Revelation 20-15  KJV Every person on earth begins life with their name in the Book of Life. If they die without receiving Christ, then their name is rubbed out of the book of life. 6. They've Heard the Gospel and Don't Think It's Important I was attending a high school thespian meeting when the subject of the gospel arose. All of a sudden, I found myself sharing the gospel with 25 high-school actors and actresses. I noticed one girl, Linda, staring at me with eyes transfixed. She was glued to my every word. Some decades later I received from her an e-mail asking if I remembered that day in our thespian meeting. “I just want you to know that I never forgot what you said that day and now it all makes sense. I’ve given my heart to Jesus. It’s the most important thing that’s ever happened to me." 7. They Feel the Price of Following Jesus Is Too High Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God –  Luke 17:7 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor, who saw the “writing on the wall,” fled from Germany to England just before the commencement of World War II. However, it wasn’t long until he returned to Germany. He reasoned how could he minister to his flocks after the war if he’d run away from them during the war. He wrote the immortal words: “When Jesus Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Just three days before the end of World War II he was hanged for his faith. 8. They'd Rather Joke about 'the Man Upstairs' Than Surrender Their Hearts to Jesus So, what happens if you take it seriously, and purposely choose Christ? You can be of genuine good cheer. Those who choose Christ are immediately ushered into His presence the moment they die. The New Testament clearly declares that after Christ’s ascension, when believers die they go immediately to be with Christ. I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far: but it is more necessary for you to remain in the body –  Philippians 1:23-24  KJV Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord –  2 Corinthians 5:6-8  KJV Steve, I hope this answers your question. Please feel free to ask me as many questions as you like. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’m a new Christian, and I got invited to a Bible study. Everyone in the circle prayed a nice prayer, but when it came to my turn, I didn’t know what to say. Please help me. Sincerely, José Dear José, IT’S TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT PRAYER. Covid-19 is running wild as it kills hundreds of thousands and stymies a worldwide economy. Riots and racial tension make news every day. Hurricanes have been smashing week by week into Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Fires have devastated the western states. Some white supremacy groups have set a goal to bring down the United States government. Oregon has decriminalized the possession of cocaine. Personally, I pray for the protection of our republic. There’s little doubt that the Constitution, which has served us well for over 300 years, is under attack. I’m concerned that our nation is divided to the point of destruction. Many Christians are praying for the health and success of our entire world. However, in some ways, what happens to our world is dependent upon the actions of Christians as described in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14; When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will 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 will heal their land. Most Christians never get serious about prayer until a problem arises in their lives. How many Christians pray consistently? Unfortunately, my experience is that most Christians pray very little. If we were to receive $10 a minute for the time we spent in prayer each week, most of us would be unable to buy groceries. JESUS FOCUSED ON PRAYER AT ALL TIMES. Early in the morning: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) All night: “Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spend the night praying to God.” (Luke 6:12) Before choosing the Twelve Disciples: “Jesus spent the night praying. … When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated as apostles.” (Mark 3:14) When life was unusually busy: “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:15-16) When He was healing and casting out demons: “The people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sicknesses, and he laid his hands on each one and healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people.” (Luke 5:40-41) During His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’” (Matthew 26:36) On the Cross: “From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice,  . . . My God my God why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY. What is prayer? It’s simpler than you think. Prayer is simply talking with God. The only prayers that the disciples knew were those of the Scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees. Their prayers were filled with pride and endless repetition. These men knew very little, or perhaps nothing at all, of the heart and character of God. On the other hand, the disciples heard often the prayers of Jesus. They were so fresh, passionate, and relevant. So, one day they said, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). So, He did: “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name” … and continued praying what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” The astounding thing here is that no one had ever called God, “Father.” Jesus’ prayers were compassionate, gentle, purposeful, and full of humility! He was talking with His father in heaven. Most Christians learned how to pray from listening to others. As a child, I always hoped that the pastor would not call on Mr. Long to pray the closing prayer at church. He seemed to pray on and on forever. I thought that’s why his name was Mr. Long. But now I know better. I really learned to pray watching and listening to the prayers of my mother and father. Sometimes, when I got up really early, I would peek around the corner of the bedroom door to see my father on his knees in prayer. During high school, my prayer life really improved. The leader of our group recommended that we put a chair in front of us and imagine that Jesus is sitting there. Then, just talk to him, as we would chat with each other. I still do that. These five simple truths have always helped me to pray: Prayer is like talking to your best friend. Prayer is “family talk.” God is not someone we fear. He’s our father. Have a nice chat! Prayer really isn’t that hard. It was raining the first time that Tom Terry ever went to church. Riding his motorcycle by our church one Sunday night, he was intrigued as he passed by a parking lot full of cars. He wondered what could be so interesting. So, he turned around and came to church. We were having an evangelistic service, and 25 or 30 people responded to the Gospel, coming down front to meet with our counselors. I was still surrounded when it was time for the service to end. I pointed to Tom and said, “Why don’t you lead us in a closing prayer.” I thought that Tom was one of our counselors. I have forgotten what he prayed, but I recall it was very, very short, something like, “God help us all.” I like to think that he prayed the same prayer as the Philippian jailer during the earthquake, “Lord save me!” But I doubt it. Tom and I still laugh about that moment. He and his wife Diane ultimately joined Campus Crusade for Christ. Tom now oversees the Jesus Film ministry, which has reached millions all over the world with the life-transforming Gospel. Prayer plays a powerful part in bringing God’s invisible power to bear on a visible world. FOUR PRAYER MODELS YOU CAN USE RIGHT NOW. First, “ACTS” is an acrostic that covers most everything that we need to pray. “A” stands for adoration (praise) “C” stands for confession “T” stands for Thanksgiving “S” stands for supplication (requests) Second, pray the Scriptures. For example, pray Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I’ll say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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.” Then, take a moment to enjoy the peace of God. Or, pray Philippians 3:10-11: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Ask God to set your heart and mind on becoming a spiritual mother or father at any price. Third, pray in the mind. Praying in the mind is where most Christians spend their time praying. Often, this includes making a prayer list of requests that we’re asking God to care for or grant. A prayer journal helps to keep track of what we’re praying for, which prayers are answered, and how. Praying in the mind often involves worship, songs of praise, hymns and spiritual songs which teach theology, give glory to God, and draw us closer to the heart of Christ. It’s easy to allow the mind to wander. We must turn our attention back to God whenever we lose focus. Praying in the mind refers to our constant thinking about things that need prayer and dealing with them accordingly. Praying in the mind also means that we cultivate the art of quieting our thoughts so that we can hear God speak; “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in his heaven and you are on the earth, so that you were to be few. As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speaks of a fool when there are many words.” (Ecclesiastes 5:1-3) Isaiah spoke for God in Isaiah 30:15, “In quietness is your strength.” Fourth, pray in the Spirit. Paul wrote: “I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” (1 Corinthians 14:15) Praying in the Spirit often occurs after we have prayed in our minds, gotten quiet ,and listened for God to speak deep within our human spirit—the inner shrine where God dwells. The Holy Spirit often brings to mind people and events that need our prayers that we had no way of even knowing about in the first place. We often feel the intercession of the Holy Spirit when we can’t put our feelings into words. Praying in the spirit occurs when we are communicating Holy Spirit to human spirit. Paul wrote: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans with words cannot express and he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will." (Romans 8:26-27) Jesus shared the same truth: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the father seeks. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) Theologian St. Augustine declared, “I lost much time in the beginning of my Christian life by trying to find God outwardly rather than by looking within.” And pastor Lloyd Jones wrote, “Our ultimate position as Christians is tested by the character of our prayer life.” I agree wholeheartedly! Well José, I hope you find my answer helpful. May you be fervent and powerful as you come to the Lord in prayer. Love, Roger