Dear Roger, I’d like to increase the power of my prayers. Can you share with me some things that will make my prayers stronger and more relevant? Sincerely, William Dear William, I think I can help. One thing that has really helped my personal prayer life is learning to pray from the “inside out.” When we look at the prayers recorded by the apostle Paul in Scripture, he always prayed from the “inside out.”  That means he dealt with the issues in his own heart first, dealing with any sin, asking God to purify his heart and grow spiritually, and meditating on His will. I think it’s fascinating that there’s no biblical evidence that Paul ever prayed for someone to get well. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray for the sick! Jesus and His disciples often did. But as you read Paul’s prayers, I think you’ll be struck by the fact that all of them start on the inside in his heart and make their way to the outside in his actions. Consider this: I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better ( Ephesians 1:17 ).Too often, we allow our view of God to be altered by circumstances. A loved one is sick, so we pray earnestly that he or she lives! We know and trust that God is good. He is worth our prayer and homage … as long as we get the answer we hope for. On the other hand, if our loved one dies, we wonder if God is not so good. Maybe we should go looking for another God or give up on the One we have. Why might this be? Man's basic definition of prayer is to have our needs met. God's basic definition of prayer is that we may know Him. As we study the life of Christ, we come to understand that not once did Paul ever pray for someone’s physical body to get well. However, he prayed again and again for the growth and development of someone’s innermost spirit; And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best it may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes to Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11) Consider this passage as well: 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, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11) Please notice the clear distinction between our humanity and God's Sovereign Deity. My humanity says; “God heal my body … God fix these circumstances … God turn around this tragedy.” But God says: Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we’re being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is a unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) The holy art of effective prayer is learning to transfer our focus from the temporal or external to the internal or eternal. In other words, we will never sustain an eternal prayer life until we determine to develop an eternal perspective. That also means we must never allow temporal discomforts to destroy our view of God. My friend Juanita struggled when the Nicholson baby rode his tricycle into the swimming pool and drowned. She cried out, “Why? Where was his guardian angel? Why didn't God have some adult walk out? Why? How could this be the Father's will?” I have seen moms and dads and others change their whole view of God over less than this tragedy. But think about this: “Where was God when my son was killed?” “I suppose He was where He was when His own Son died.” Tragedy and triumph, pain and sorrow, even answers to prayer; it all comes down to this question: “What is God's ultimate plan for believers?” It’s simple. His plan is for us “to be with Him in heaven.” So where is that little boy?” “Where is my son?” “He’s with Jesus.” God’s ultimate plan is now accomplished. That's transition from the temporal to the eternal. Transitioning from the temporal to the eternal is accomplished by praying from the inside out. “May your whole spirit, soul, and body be blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Imagine Three Concentric Circles. The smallest circle represents our human spirit. The next outward circle represents our soul. The outermost third circle represents our body. Our Human Spirit (“pneuma”) is our organ of “God consciousness.” This is where we see and experience God at the deepest levels of human experience; “ Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God ” (Matthew 5:8). Here it is that the Holy Spirit communicates with us at the deepest level of our being. Our Soul (“psyche” or “nous”) is our organ of “self-consciousness.” It is the location of our mind, will and emotions. Our soul is the essence of who we are—our personality, just us. Our Body (“sarx“) is our human, physical body. Here we have our five senses. It is with our bodies that we interact with the natural world. God is much more concerned that we're praying for our spirit, which is eternal, than for our body which is decaying and which will soon perish. So, we learn to pray from the inside out! Paul prayed, For this reason, I kneel before the father, … I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-20) God allows and orchestrates circumstances so that we may know Him better. He wants to sensitize our God-consciousness. Satan wants to get our minds on our circumstances, in order to desensitize our God-consciousness. When we pray in the area of our spirit, God answers a thousand times out of a thousand. When we pray like this; “God make me like Christ … make me a man/woman of God … give me your wisdom and discernment … mature me to be a spiritual mother/father at any price” … He will ALWAYS answer. However, when we pray in the area of our soul, God is often hindered from answering our prayer. The problem here is my will. God is hindered in giving what I ask for because my will is so involved. When my will is in line with His will, God can easily answer my prayer. But when my will is embedded in my own desires or plans, God sometimes doesn’t answer for our own protection. The body is one of the places where God has the most difficulty in answering our prayers. We pray, “God, heal my body … make me well … and change these circumstances.” We're obsessed with removing pain and tragedies and problems from our lives; and Jesus is obsessed with God-synthesizing our spirit as we mature to look like Him. That maturity comes as we let go of our “outside in” prayers and lift up requests that focus on the development of our “inner circle”—our human spirit. Some pray multiple times for a friend to be healed of cancer. But their loved one will eventually die. Prayers for healing are not eternally effective. Life is a terminal disease. People get all hyped up over someone’s healing. But does the Bible says that angels rejoice when bodies are healed? No! No! Angels rejoice when souls are saved! That is the eternal matter. Yet most people ask, beg, and want things and situations changed. We pray for bodies healed when we have not the slightest idea what God wants to do. It is a great day in our growth to maturity when we understand that God often allows sickness and calamity and tragedy in order to develop our God-sensitivity. The writer of Hebrews declared, “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) The body is decaying and temporal … God will destroy the body every time if that’s what it takes to mature our eternal spirit. If we pray without being enlightened, without knowing His will, God will sometimes give us what we want with devastating results. Remember when the Israelites were wandering in the desert after they’d been rescued from Egypt? The people were sick of having manna for every meal. They grumbled profusely and prayed for meat and vegetables. Psalm 106:14-15 teaches: They missed the food in Egypt and prayed for real food. This was a challenge to God’s care and compassion and a test of the Israelite’s obedience and surrender. So, God gave them that for which they asked. Thousands of deceased quail blew in with the east wind and 30,000 Israelites died. I remember a great illustration from Alexander McLaren, the eighteenth-century Scottish pastor, who told of being called out on a stormy night to help a mother pray for her son’s healing. He said to her, “Let’s pray for God to show us his will for your son and we can best pray for that.” She was not pleased. He continued, “We need to pay about God’s will before we pray for his healing. Perhaps God has something else going on here.” Again, she was not pleased. “No”, she said, “I want to pray for his total healing.” So, she did. The next line was chilling. McLaren wrote: “Several years later I lived to watch her son mount the stairs of the village gallows to be hanged for murdering their next-door family of six. SOME THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER WHEN PRAYING FROM THE INSIDE OUT Please understand; we ought to pray earnestly for those we love to be healed. We are called to pray for God’s care and protection in difficult times. There are times when praying for healing is His intention and our prayers can make a big difference. James writes, “We have not because we ask not” (James 4:2). But at the same time, let’s not forget to spend even more time in prayer for the development of our inner spirit. Realize that we are dealing with unseen spiritual powers. We need to avoid focusing our attention on the outward physical circumstances and look at the spiritual issues involved (see Ephesians 6:12). Seek God and pursue the understanding of His heart and will; then we will have the power source to determine what's going on from God's eternal perspective. James also wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom” (about trials) “let him ask of God in order to understand what’s going on” (paraphrased from James 4). Realize that Jesus Christ must live in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ.” Find out what God's doing and pray for Him to accomplish it. Does God intend to heal here? Does He want to straighten out this tragedy now? Later? Perhaps never? Why? Read Paul’s prayers and put your name in each phrase. Well William, I hope this helps to build your prayer life from the inside out, leading to a more effective, strong relationship with God! Love, Roger

Dear Roger, All over the world, wars, persecution, plagues and famine are everywhere. People seem frightened, frustrated and angry. I know that we are continuing to face an uphill battle. Does the  Bible have anything to say about how to survive the chaos both now and in the future? Sincerely, Blakely Dear Blakely, God’s Word, the writer to the Hebrews intentionally focused his book on navigating the rough waters of persecution and suffering. Today I’d like to examine the parallels of the first-century persecution with the advice from Hebrews on how to handle the struggles we’re facing right now. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  ( Hebrews 12:4 ) Persecution in the first-century church was on the way but had yet to arrive. 1. The Most Important Thing of All Is to Be Certain You Are a Christian If you are not already a Christian, today’s the day to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest (salvation) still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it(salvation).  For we also have had the gospel preached to us just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard it did not combine it with  faith . Now just as we who have believed enter that rest.  ( Hebrews 4:1-3 ) The family of a 78-year-old non-Christian prayed for years for Grandpa to become a follower of Jesus. He was in the hospital when his son asked me to stop by one more time and share the gospel with his dad. So, I did. When I finished, he said to me, “Thank you for coming; but I’ve said “no” to Jesus so many times that I couldn’t become a Christian now even if I wanted to.” That broke my heart. He was wrong; Jesus died and rose again for ALL of us, and we can accept His free gift of salvation at any time. But this man had hardened his heart. He refused one last time. Don’t say “no” because you always have … Jesus’ love is real, eternal, and His arms are always open wide. 2. Keep Your Eyes on Jesus! Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despised it shame and sat down at the right hand at the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful man, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart  ( Hebrews 12:1-3 ) Peter was walking on water until he took his eyes off Jesus and sank. Fortunately, Jesus came to his rescue … and He will come to yours when you lift your eyes to Him. Told that he would be set free if he denounced Jesus, Polycarp, the second century Bishop of Antioch, replied, “Eighty-six years I’ve served him. I’m not about to give up on him now. “ The Romans set him on fire. Jesus ushered him into heaven. 3. Keep Going to Church. We Need the Fellowship! Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.  ( Hebrews 10:24-26 ) Worshipping in community is critical today. Some of you are living in closed countries where community can be difficult. For those of us who live in freedom, we find great strength in God's presence as we worship together. In our technological age, we can tune in worship services from anywhere. We can also encourage one another through calls, texts, and social media if we make a deliberate effort.  4. When or If Disaster Hits Home Personally, Don’t Get Angry Because Anger Leads to Bitterness. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitterroot grows up to cause trouble and defile.  ( Hebrews 12:15 ) I have suffered debilitating health challenges my whole life. I have to work hard every day to keep my body moving and healthy. I’ve also had to accept that there is no cure. Occasionally, I find myself wanting to get angry at God. But then I remind myself if there’s ever a time that I need the triumphant power of Jesus Christ, it’s now. He understands my frustration, calms my fears, and gives me the strength I need to survive. 5. Do Your Best to Stand against Depression. Don’t Quit. There’s Always Room for More Hope! My son, do not make light … and do not lose heart.  ( Hebrews 12:5 ) People look for hope in the present. If we can't find hope in the present, we look to the immediate future. If we can't find hope in the immediate future, we will look to the distant future. If we can't find hope in the distant future, we will place our hope in the next life . Let me illustrate. African American Spirituals are all based on hope deferred. Tied up and thrown into the crowded holds of slave ships, slaves had no hope of escaping in the present. So, they looked for hope in the immediate future. Standing on the auction block, they saw their hopes for the immediate future dashed. So, they postponed their hopes to the distant future. Hopefully, one day they would be freed. As the years went by, they no longer had the future hope that one day they'd be released. So, they turned their hopes to the distant future and began to look toward eternity. Listen to their singing: "When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound … When the role is called up Yonder … Deep River, my home is over Jordan … I'm gonna ride that chariot in the morning … I'm dwelling in Beulah Land." It's critical that we draw our hopes for the future into the present where we can enjoy them! I also think of a cemetery as a symbol of our hope for eternity and for the life beyond. We see people weep over gravestones. Some weep, saying "Momma's dead. Thank God for some good times and marvelous memories. How wonderful that we will see her again!" The family leaves the graveside with peace and a smile. On the other hand, those who have no hope weep at the graveside and are miserable. Their loved one is gone forever. 6. Surrender to Jesus and Find Life and Triumph in Every Circumstance How much more should we submit to the father of our spirits and live!  ( Hebrews 12:9 ) The key to real living is found only in submitting our lives to Jesus Christ. Whenever He speaks, we listen and obey. Then, and only then, will we experience the life and purpose He has planned for our lives. As my father used to say to my brother and me, “When I say ‘jump’ you ask, “’How high?”’ We trusted him to know what was best for us, and he did. Finally, This Earth Is Not Our Home. Our Home Is in Heaven This is our most important motivation for submitting to Jesus! For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.  ( Hebrews 13:14 ) Hoping in heaven gives us a different perspective on life. Our understanding of the here and now is like observing the underside of an unfinished embroidered pillowcase. The backside is knots and dangling threads that are not yet woven together. The “heaven” side reveals a beautifully crafted masterpiece. Thinking about heaven makes me happy. Think about it, we are going to chow down at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb and not gain an ounce! Let’s Get Practical Together 1.  Remember that eternal life starts now  ( John 17:3 ). We have true victory, thanks to Jesus Christ. It’s time to live in light of eternity. 2.  Jesus’s presence fills us with joy and pleasure ( Psalm 16:11 ). Take a moment to quiet your heart, mute your cell phone and let his love wash over you. 3.  Jesus will be glad to see us  ( Matthew 25:23 ) . Imagine God’s absolute delight in our celestial arrival! He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant … Come share your Master’s happiness.” Have you spent your life trying to please God and others? You will find forgiveness, grace and rest in heaven ( Psalm 103:12 ); Hebrews 4:10 ). Imagine Jesus smiling at you, and welcoming you with open arms into heaven, instead of shaking his finger at you in reproof. 4.  We will have fulfilling work to do  ( Revelation 7 , 22). We will not work riddled with fatigue and frustration (the result of the Fall). Instead, we will fulfill all of the potential God placed within us with unlimited resources and energy. 5.  Those we love and miss are a crowd of witnesses cheering us on in our earthly struggles  ( Hebrews 12:1 ). Our dear ones do see us, but through an eternal lens ( Revelation 6:9 ). 6.  Our worship will be unceasing before God’s Throne  ( Revelation 4:1-11 ). All are singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Why don't you take a little time and enjoy worship now: sing, shout, thank and praise God. God’s presence hangs around when we praise! Well, Blakely, I hope that these insights from the book of Hebrews are helpful in bringing you peace as we endure suffering together. Love, Roger .

Dear Roger, I’ve always wondered, why did God give us four Gospels? And why are they different in some places? Sincerely, Bob Dear Bob, Imagine four people on four different street corners who simultaneously witness the same automobile accident. We know that their descriptions will not match, because each one saw from a different perspective. We now know that four observers standing on the same corner will not see the same thing. The brain is not like a tape recorder. It observes the high points of what it sees and fills in what it assumes happened between the high points. The brain is quite unreliable for deciphering exactly what happened. Matt Bradley, Genome According to the Old Testament law, two or three witnesses were needed to verify an account. Just think; God gave us four—that’s two extra Gospels for good measure! One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (Deuteronomy 19:15) Next, the word “Gospel” means “Good News.” It’s good news that Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins. Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12) The Gospels Are Not … The Gospels are not biographies . For example, we know basically nothing about the first thirty years of Jesus’ life. The gospel writers give only enough information about Jesus’ background to prepare us for His death, resurrection, and ascension—and the significance of all three. The Gospels are in no way objective, and they were never intended to be . They are powerfully, persuasively written to convince people that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world (John 20:30-31). The Gospels are not in chronological order . Each gospel writer organized his material under the influence of the Holy Spirit for best presenting the “good news” about Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew is a great example of the use of this literary tool. God superintended the writing of each gospel, but He didn’t dictate them . He utilized the personality and individual style of each gospel writer. The Gospels Are Divided into Two Groups Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the “Synoptic” Gospels. “Synoptic” means “to see together.” These first three Gospels record the life of Christ from much the same perspective; they look alike and follow one another. John’s Gospel is not at all like any of the other three. How Mark Wrote the Gospel of Mark About 60 A.D., Mark decided to write down an account of Jesus’ life and ministry from his perspective. Mark used Peter’s sermon to Cornelius (Acts 10:37-42) as the outline for his book: You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. Papias (130 A.D.) wrote: “Mark is a copy of one of Peter’s sermons.” Irenaeus (180 A.D.): “Mark transmitted to us in writing the things that Peter preached.” In summary, Mark presents Jesus Christ as a servant: “The son of man came to serve” (Mark 10:45). Perhaps that’s why Mark has no birth story. Mark has no genealogy. Who cares about the ancestry of a servant? The book just begins. Mark uses the word “immediately” often, as the servant moves rapidly from one task to the next. Mark provides little interpretation or teaching. Jesus’ actions and miracles simply speak for themselves. By the way, Mark puts his signature on the book in Mark 14:51-52. He camouflaged himself in the Garden in order to witness the arrest of Jesus. A Roman soldier grabbed him by his robe; but Mark wiggled out of his robe and ran home naked. Only Mark could have known this story. How Matthew Wrote the Gospel of Matthew About five years after Mark wrote his account, about, 65 A.D., Matthew used at least four sources to compose his gospel: He had a copy of the Gospel of Mark. He had in hand a copy of “Q.” Q source is a thought to be a collection of the sayings and teachings of Jesus which both Matthew and Luke used in writing their Gospels. Since the material in Q is identical to both Luke and Matthew, there is a very good chance that Q existed and was available to them when they wrote their Gospels. Nothing from Mark or John is found in Q. Also, we have not discovered the Q sources itself … yet. Matthew used the birth narratives from Joseph’s side of the family. Matthew alone tells us about wise men, kings, gifts, messenger angels, moving stars, King Herod, worship and killing babies—the kind of things in which kings are interested. Matthew records his own personal experiences with Jesus (most of which appear in no other gospel). Matthew was a Roman tax collector who was interested in the power and authority of Rome. He began his gospel with a lengthy genealogy that validated Jesus’ royal lineage for the Jewish leaders. Ernest Hemingway wrote that if he were composing the Gospel of Matthew, he never would’ve started with a boring genealogy. He obviously would begin with the resurrection story to get everyone’s attention. However, it’s important to note that Matthew’s genealogy includes five women, which was unheard of in those days. He included Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, “Uriah’s wife” Bathsheba, and Mary, all women who followed God in difficult circumstances. Matthew alone presented five teaching sections describing how to live in the kingdom, spread throughout his gospel. Finally, Matthew alone included the Great Commission Jesus gave to His followers in the same way that a king would give orders (Matthew 28:19-20) to his subjects; Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. How Luke Wrote the Gospel of Luke About five years after Mark wrote Mark and during the time that Matthew wrote Matthew, about 65 A.D., Luke used at least four sources to compose his gospel: He had in hand a copy of the Gospel of Mark. He had access to Q source (see above). Luke shares the birth narratives from Mary’s side of the family. Luke alone tells us about shepherds, Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, the visit from the angel Gabriel, Mary’s positive choice to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit, the singing of shepherds and angels, and Mary’s song which she sang after visiting Elizabeth. Research from those who met Jesus personally. (Luke is the only gospel writer who never met or saw Jesus.) Luke was a Gentile physician born in Greece. He had a heart for people in need. The book has a special emphasis on women and children. He tells the birth story from Mary’s side of the family. Luke includes things that she would be interested in—like shepherds, mangers, baby clothes, singing and angels. Luke’s genealogy is from the human side of Jesus. It’s obvious that some of the material in Luke was the result of talking to others who knew Jesus personally. The Good Samaritan parable is unique to Luke, as are the stories of the lost sheep and coin. Finally, the Gospel of Luke is the first volume of a two-volume work written by Luke known as “Luke and Acts.” He addressed it to a man named “Theophilus,” which means “God Lover” (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-6). How John Wrote the Gospel of John By 95 A.D., most of the original followers of Jesus were dying out. One reason that John wrote his Gospel was to get a written record in place before all the eyewitnesses had gone to heaven. He also wrote to fill in some of the gaps omitted by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John utilized essentially no material from the Synoptic Gospels, except for the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 which is recorded in all four accounts. More than any other Gospel, John presents Jesus Christ as God. For example, John didn’t include a genealogy because God doesn’t have one. John also included long discourses and teachings by Jesus which are not included in the Synoptic Gospels. He also left his signature as “the one Jesus loved” (John 13:22-25). One of the most unique, persuasive elements in the Gospel of John are the eight miraculous signs he selected to prove that Jesus Christ was God. Changing water to wine (John 2) Healing the centurion’s son (John 4) Healing the lame man at the pool (John 5) Walking on the water (John 6) Feeding the 5,000 (John 6) Healing the man born blind (John 9) Raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11) The miraculous catch of fish (John 21) What Did Jesus Look Like? Just for fun, I want to share with you the Letter of Lentulus, which was likely written from the Governor of the Jerusalem to the Roman Senate to give a physical description of Jesus Christ. It dates back to the second century A.D. and is obviously a forgery. Nevertheless, there’s a good chance that it contains a reflection of Jesus’ real “appearance”: There has appeared in our times, and there still lives, a man of great power (virtue), called Jesus Christ. The people call him prophet of truth; his disciples, son of God. He raises the dead and heals infirmities. He is a man of medium size; he has a venerable aspect, and his beholders can both fear and love him. His hair is the color of the ripe hazelnut, straight down to the ears, but below the ears wavy and curled, with a bluish and bright reflection, flowing over his shoulders. It is parted in two on the top of the head, after the pattern of the Nazarenes . His brow is smooth and very cheerful with a face without wrinkle or spot, embellished by a slightly reddish complexion. His nose and mouth are faultless. His beard is abundant, of the color of his hair, not long, but divided at the chin. His aspect is simple and mature; his eyes are changeable and bright. He is terrible in his reprimands, sweet and amiable in his admonitions, cheerful without loss of gravity. He was never known to laugh, but often to weep. His stature is straight, his hands and arms beautiful to behold. His conversation is grave, infrequent, and modest. He is the most beautiful among the children of men. However, St. Augustine has the final word. He wrote in the third century: “We are utterly ignorant of the earthly appearance of Christ.” Personally, I imagine a picture of Him in my mind, but I look forward to seeing Him someday! Well Bob, I’ve done my best to offer you a good understanding of why we have four Gospels. I hope you find it helpful. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’m beginning to get scared. Pandemic surges. Earthquakes, fires, wars abound. I’m worried about my family. Especially right now, I want my prayers to be answered. But is there anything that would keep God from answering prayers? Sincerely, Matt Dear Matt, Yes! There is! The  Bible  lets us know, without doubt, that the greatest hindrance to our prayers for protection is unconfessed sin.  Isaiah 59:1-2  says, Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear to dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Let’s dig a little deeper together. First, We Know 'The Pure in Heart Will See God' ( Matthew 5:8 ) What happens to those whose hearts aren’t pure? Their sin keeps God from hearing their prayers. If we want to hear God speak or see God’s work, we must first be sure that our lives are clean and pure. When I was a children’s pastor many years ago, I took a group of kids to the rollerskating rink a few hours away. It was a hot and humid night, as I led the caravan of church members home. Suddenly, I saw red lights blinking behind me. My eyes immediately glanced at the speedometer, but I was right on the mark. I exited the car, and the police officer asked, “Do you know that you ran a stop sign back there? “No, I didn’t see it.” “Maybe the reason that you didn’t see it was because your lights aren’t on.” “I don’t have my lights on?” I reached inside and felt for the switch. Sure enough, my lights were off. “Perhaps you missed it because your car is filled with children all shouting and yelling and fogging up your windshield.” I hung my head. “Do you realize that you have nine children in your car and the maximum allowance in Texas is eight?” “I didn’t know that.” So” he said, “Get back in your car; turn on your lights, wipe down your windshield, quiet down those children, and get out of my town! If I see you in Hillsboro again tonight, I’m running you into jail.” I turned to the children and shouted, “Will you kids all shut up?” We drove home in silence (with the lights on). Just like turned-off lights, dirty windshields, and yelling children can cause a police officer to pull us over, unconfessed sin can stop God from listening to our prayers. God Will Not Listen to the Prayers of Those Who Harbor Sin in Their Lives Let me make this statement very clear by sharing several significant biblical passages: When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right.  ( Isaiah 1:15 ) If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened, but surely God has listened and heard my voice in prayer.  ( Psalm 66:18-19 ) Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them … Because of the evil they have done.  ( Micah 3:4 ) We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.  ( John 9:31 ) Sin Is Serious Business to God - He Wants it Cleaned Up We have a hard time comprehending the idea that God might not hear our prayers. The reason is because we have such a lighthearted view of sin. Sin separates us from God. He declares, 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.  ( 2 Chronicles 7:14 ) The statement, “God answers prayer,” leaves the impression that we don’t have to get right with God for him to hear our prayers. He just answers automatically. But that’s just not true. A better way to understand this principle is to turn it around and say: “God answers the prayer of a man/woman who is right with Him.” The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  ( James 5:16 ) When we only seek the hand of God to get our needs met, we will often ignore our sins because were more concerned with our wants and issues than our relationship with Him. But, when we seek His face in the radiance of His character, we will have our sins exposed, and we can deal with them. But don’t miss this; when we sin, our fellowship with God is impaired. There is a block that keeps God from hearing our prayers. On the other hand, our relationship with Him can never be broken. He will always be our Father. In the same way, the relationship between my father and me can never be broken. He will always be my father. But my dad and I can be angry with each other and our fellowship can be broken. Then it’s time for us to settle our differences and make peace. Fortunately, God has a plan for instantaneous cleansing. It’s called confession. If we confess our sins , he is faithful and to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.  ( 1 John 1:9 ) Confession Is God’s Means for Cleaning Up Dirty Sins Sins need individual attention. As an observant pastor, I’ve decided that most Christians seldom confess their sins. If they do think about it, they are likely to pray something like this: “And Lord, please forgive all the sins that I have committed today.” I want to say, “If that’s the best you can do, don’t bother.” I had several chores around the house when I was growing up, but I never had to do the laundry. So, after my first week in college, I took my duffel bag filled with dirty clothes to the laundromat down the street. I thought I’d save a little time, so I just tossed my duffel bag full of clothes in the washing machine, put in my money, and turned it on. Suddenly, my washing machine was bouncing all over the floor. I had no idea what was going on! A pretty Baylor coed came over and said, “Your machine is way out of balance. I watched what you were doing; may I help you?” She stopped the washer, opened the door, and pulled out my sopping wet duffel bag. Together, we shook the clothes out piece by piece and threw them back into the washer. Later, as I reflected on what happened, it dawned on me that dirty sins are like dirty clothes. They need individual attention. In other words, only when sins are confessed individually does God cleanse them individually. Finally, Here’s How to Make a Good Confession 1. List the ways in which you’ve sinned. Don’t worry about the sins you can’t remember. You’ll be surprised at how God eventually brings them to mind later on at just the right time. 2. Confess to God and receive His forgiveness. Confess really means “to agree with,” or to “speak the same thing as.” What it means is that we are to say the same about our selfishness (or other sins) that God says. Consider what does God say about our selfishness. It is sinful; it causes Him pain; it produces a lack of love; it drove the nails into Jesus’s hands and feet. To really understand, we have to experience godly sorrow: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  ( 2 Corinthians 7:10 ) Godly sorrow means that we experience what Jesus felt when He saw us do what we did. Julie has always had trouble keeping up with her keys. One afternoon I saw her keys in the church parking lot sitting on the front seat of our car, and the car door was open for anyone to steal. I was angry. Julie was in the church sanctuary leading an instrumental rehearsal with seven violinists. I had enough. I stomped down the aisle shaking the keys yelling, “Will you ever learn to keep up with your keys?” I threw the keys on the piano and stormed back to my church office where I continued working on my Sunday sermon on love (that really is true; the sermon that week was on love). I began feeling quite badly about what I’d done. I wanted to run back in the church and tell Julie how sorry I was and to ask for her forgiveness. But first, I decided to practice a little “godly sorrow.” I begin thinking about what Jesus must have thought when He saw me do what I did to Julie. I imagined Him standing there watching me throw the keys on the piano in front of Julie. I imagined the look of disappointment on Jesus’s face. Then, I began to become truly sorry and ashamed for how I behaved. Only after experiencing this emotional reality can we be ready to move on to actually confess our sin. Now it was time to confess to God (and to Julie). I do not believe we have confessed until we have experienced godly sorrow. Here’s What a Good Confession Sounds Like Dear Father, “I realize that I have hurt You deeply by my selfishness, inattention, and wrong priorities, (or whatever) and that was wrong of me, will You please forgive me?” 1. Confessions are most effective if we take the initiative to confess without having to be confronted by God or others. 2. Confession must be specific. Name the sin. “This morning at 8:30 I lost my temper and yelled at a work associate. I shamed and belittled him in front of a group of our employees. I was way out of control and hurt him deeply.” (Of course, I need to practice godly sorrow and ask for God’s forgiveness before I go to the employee to ask his forgiveness). 3. Use the phrase “I was wrong” instead of “I’m sorry.” The phrase “I’m sorry” implies little personal responsibility. It can even have several subtle meanings which negate any sense of being wrong. Confession means not only to admit what we did, but to agree with God that it was wrong. 4. Now it’s time to ask a very vulnerable question:  Will You Forgive Me? Of course, God promises that He will! 5. After your confession, put a period and stop talking. Do not try to defend yourself or your actions. That will ruin everything. Notice that I began by talking about hindrances to our prayers for protection. I expanded this answer to include all prayers which could be potentially hindered because of unconfessed sins, hoping that you will be encouraged. Well, Matt, I hope that helps. May God keep you and those you love safe! Love, Roger

Dear Roger, How young can you be to ask Jesus to be your Savior? Can a 3 or 4 year old truly believe?Sincerely, LizDear Roger,What happens to babies and young children when they die? Where do I find the age of accountability in the Bible? Sincerely, Kendall I’m going to combine your questions into one answer. I think my answer will help provide a profitable response for both of you.   There is definitely no age requirement for salvation. Jesus Himself declared, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” ( Matthew 19:14 ).   As soon as children are old enough to understand that they have sinned ( Romans 3:23 ), that Jesus died to pay the penalty for their sins ( Romans 5:8 ; 6:23 ), and that they must place their faith in Jesus for salvation ( John 3:16 ), then they are old enough to be saved. To say it another way, children may make a salvation commitment to trust Christ as Lord and Savior when they come to the point that they realize that they are not saved.   To put it another way, we are talking about the growth and maturing of the human spirit.   The Bible teaches that we are three-part beings (1 Thessalonians 5:23). We have a body, a soul, and a spirit.   The body is our five senses. The soul is our mind, will, and emotions. Our human spirit is the place where God lives deep within us. It is a place of worship, intuition and communion where we meet with God, Holy Spirit to human spirit.   When our innermost spirit matures to the point of understanding the spiritual issues involved, a decision to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior is ready to be made.   Our human spirit does not come ready to operate. It must be matured.   Moments after his birth, Jesus did not sit up in the manger and say, “What’s for breakfast?”   No, he was a baby. For example, he could not add 4+5 = 9. Jesus is fully God but he is also fully human (the hypostatic union). He learned 4+5 equal 9 as his mind matured and he grew up.   “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52).   I imagine that as soon as Jesus could talk, Mary was putting him on her knees and explaining to him Psalm 22, the Psalm of the cross. “Jesus, this Psalm is all about you.”   Just as our bodies grow physically as we grow up, so our inner spirit matures as it is cultivated by ourselves and others.   It’s essential that parents cultivate a child’s inner spirit as soon as a child can talk and interact. Reading Bible stories, attending Sunday school, experiencing Christian Fellowship, praying, learning Bible verses and singing spiritual children’s songs are just a few of the ways mom and dad can help mature their child’s inner spirit where God dwells.   Just as we are concerned about a child’s physical health, we must be concerned about a child’s spiritual health.   We must concentrate and focus on helping our children grow in spirit.   Obviously, Jesus’ body, mind and spirit were quickly maturing as he grew up. By the age of twelve we see that his inner spirit was rapidly developing.   Returning from the temple in Jerusalem Mary and Joseph went looking for Jesus when they realized that Jesus was not with them.   “After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “son why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.Jesus replied, “Why were you searching for me, didn’t you know that I had to be in my father’s house?” (Luke 2:46-50). We know absolutely nothing about Jesus’ activities from the age of 12 to 30. Nevertheless, during these silent years, it may well be that his body, mind and human spirit were growing and maturing as he prepared for his three and half years of intense ministry.   The “age of accountability” is a term used by many to identify the age at which a child’s spirit has matured enough so that he/she are ready to become a Christian.   We are defining the moment when a child’s innermost spirit has matured enough to understand the difference between moral right and moral wrong. They are now accountable for their actions.   In other words, we are defining the age of accountability as the time when a child understands the significance between being a Christian and not being a Christian.   It’s obvious from Jesus’ teachings that he certainly believed that children could reach a point where they are ready to be saved.   “Then little children were brought to him for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said’ let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. When he placed his hands on them he went on from there” (Matthew 19:13-15).“He took a little child and had him stand before them. Taking him in his arms, he said to him, that whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (Mark 9:36-37). Let me answer directly one of the questions that you asked. I think that it is unfair to think that three and four-year-old children can be saved. After all, commitment to Jesus is a lifetime decision. It’s hard to imagine an eight-year-old committing to lifetime surrender to Jesus. Three and four-year-olds don’t have a chance! One of the reasons why so many children grow up to turn away from Christ is because their childhood decision was made too early and was not fully developed.   The preacher was teaching on Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd had 100 sheep, and he lost one. So he left the 99 and went searching for that one lost sheep until he found it (Luke 15:3-7).   Suddenly, I knew that I was a lost sheep. I didn’t know what that meant; nevertheless, I knew that I was one. For the next three days mom and dad helped me understand sin and why I needed a Savior. I made a decision to follow Christ as my Lord and Savior and my commitment has never wavered.   I was seven years old. For sure, I believe that the age of accountability can be reached as early as the age of seven; but usually not.   However, we must be careful as we deal with young children that we don’t push them along before they are ready. A century ago the age of most people who came to Christ averaged 18 to 20 years old. At this age they were quite ready to make a lifetime commitment to Christ.   Unfortunately, I think that we have dumbed down the gospel to what I call, “instant Christianity.” We have instant television, instant TV dinners, instant world-wide communication and instant coffee. Why not have instant salvation where we tell someone that all they have to do is say a little prayer, and raise their hand, and they can be saved?   What we ought to tell them is that following Jesus will cost them their very lives.   By the way, a child does not have to understand all the complex issues that are part of the doctrine of salvation.   Some things are essential. For example, we must believe in faith that Jesus is 100% God, in the validity of the virgin birth, Jesus’ substitutionary atonement for our sins on the cross and that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. If we have those things in place, we have the essentials.   However, when I became a Christian I did not understand the virgin birth. I didn’t even know what a virgin was! It’s okay for these truths to come to be fully understood over time.   The Bible often encourages us to have faith like a child: “He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” ( Mark 10:15 ) . It is important that adults as well as children understand and successfully navigate the basic issues regarding their age of accountability. The promise of Acts 16:31 is equally true with regard to an adult or a child: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." Finally, you asked if babies go to heaven when they died.   While the Bible does not especially use those words, my opinion is that they do. God told David that because of his sin with Bathsheba their baby would die. When the baby died David said, “He can’t come to me. However, one day I will go to him” ( 2 Samuel 12:21-23 ). This implies that the baby is in heaven and one day David will be there, too.   Also, I believe that Jesus’ invitation for the children to come to him on earth includes an invitation from Jesus to come to him in heaven.   Dear Lia and Kendall, I hope that my answer covered your questions. If not, let me know.   Love, Roger

Dear Roger,  I’m puzzled. When Jesus said that we are to take up our cross and follow Him, what did He mean? What is the cross, and what does it look like?  Sincerely, Alicia  Dear Alicia, In  Matthew 16:24-26 , Jesus said,  “If any man come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”  When He refers to “the cross,” He isn’t talking about the literal cross He carried to Calvary. He’s talking about the tools, experiences, and teaching God uses to shape us to look like Jesus. Sorrow and Suffering First, the cross involves sorrow and suffering. Those are what Jesus endured to be Jesus! Consider these verses: Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.  ( Hebrews 5:7-9 ) In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through him everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.  ( Hebrews 2:10-11 ) The student is not above the master. If Jesus must suffer on the cross, so must we, as we seek to honor and imitate Him. John chapter 6 records the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. The next morning the crowds followed Him around looking for breakfast. Christ preached the most demanding sermon he'd ever preached: "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you'll have no part in me." That was a hard saying. No one wanted to hear that. 4,988 walked away. Only 12 remained. Jesus declared, "You're going to go away too, aren't you?" Peter replied: "To whom shall we go?  You have the words of life." The essence of discipleship is when we finally understand that there is no place else to go except to Jesus! Now, where did Jesus take his cross? To Golgotha. What did he do there? He died on it. Like master like student. I love Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book,  The Cost of Discipleship.  In it, he summed up the essence of Christian discipleship in these words: "When Jesus Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die." Jesus is calling us to take up our cross and follow Him. Let me be very clear: Where did He take His cross? To Golgotha. What did He do on it there?  He died on it. Note that there is not just one big cross that we carry. We will carry many different crosses as we travel on our journey to spiritual maturity. The crosses that we carry are custom-designed by the  Holy Spirit  especially for each one of us. 3 Key Truths About Dying on a Cross 1. Dying on a Cross Hurts. 2. Dying on a Cross Takes Time. 3. There Is No Such Thing as Self-Crucifixion. 1. Dying on a Cross Hurts A.W. Tozer, one of my favorite authors and teachers, said: “It is doubtful that God can use a man greatly until He has first hurt him deeply.” In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your  faith —of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  ( 1 Peter 1:6-7 ) Have you ever watched how they temper steel? It's fashioned and molded and heated in the fire until it's glowing a fiery red. They then drop it into oil and brine, and it just screams like an animal would scream. Now, it's tempered, so it will stand the tests for which it is designed. That's what God's crucible does. The Goldsmith puts gold ore into a hot crucible. The impurities float to the top while the heavier gold sinks to the bottom. He skims off the on top impurities again and again. When he looks in the crucible and sees his face perfectly reflected, he knows that he has pure gold. Being determined to perfect His saints, God puts His precious children into His crucible. Then He sits by and watches. Love is His thermometer, and love marks the exact degree needed for the processing to occur. As soon as Jesus sees Himself reflected in our lives, the trials cease, and He turns off the heat until He's ready again to deal with us in the crucible. Let me illustrate with the prophet Elijah. 1 Kings 17:1  begins with the statement, “Elijah the Tishbite.” Then,  1 Kings 17:24  ends the chapter with these words: “Elijah, the man of God.” What occurred between these two verses is the story of how God changed Elijah from being just any old man into Elijah, The Man of God. God told Elijah to go before King Ahab and deliver this message: “There will be neither rain nor dew for three years until I pray again.” Then, God told Elijah to go to the brook,  Kerith,  and pray for a drought. The Hebrew word  Kerith  means "to cut or file.” There was a drought in the land; animals were dying; and Elijah was eating old, dead, animal carcasses. He was suffering. Then, one day, the brook dried up. A dried-up brook is often a sign of God's pleasure, not his disappointment. If we miss this, then we miss the point of everything. God spoke to Abraham at the height of his career and said, "Sacrifice Isaac," and Abraham's brook dried up. On his first missionary journey Paul was stoned at Lystra, and his brook dried up. God will use all sorts of upraised knives, trials, troubles, prisons, stones, and storms in order to renovate our inner spirit. The Word of the Lord comes again to Elijah, "Go to the city of Zarephath, where there is a smelter. A widow will take care of you." “Zarephath” means “to melt.” God said, "First, I've cut you and now I'll melt you." When God wants to drill a man and thrill a man and skill a man, When God wants to mold a man to play the noblest part, When He years with all his heart to create so great and bold a man That all the world shall be amazed  Watch God's methods, watch His ways, How He ruthlessly perfects whom He royally elects How He hammers him and hurts and with his mighty blows converts him Into trial shapes of clay which only God understands  While his tortured heart is crying and he lifts beseeching hands. How God bends but never breaks when His good He undertakes, How He uses whom He chooses and with every purpose fuses him By every act induces him to try His splendor out, God knows what He's about. --The Shaping of the Disciple  by Dale Stone Only after God cut and fashioned Elijah at Kerith, and then melted him at Zarephath, is the processed man of God ready to call down fire on Mt. Carmel (see  1 Kings 18:16-46 ). 2. Dying on a Cross Takes Time The Roman historian Tacitus tells us that most criminals lingered for hours and hours before they finally expired on a cross. He recorded that he watched one man suffer for three days. God is in no hurry. He is working for eternity. Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  ( Philippians 1:6 ) God doesn't measure time like we measure time.  Psalm 90:4  teaches, “For one thousand years in your sight are like a day that is just gone by.” Time slows down as speed increases. In fact, there are places in our universe where time is totally stopped. Like the event horizon of a black hole. God, who created the universe, transcends time. What may seem like forever to us may be just seconds for Him. I got out my calculator and decided to have some fun. If one day with God is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day, I figured out that one year on earth equals 86.4 seconds in heaven. Of course,  Psalm 90  is poetry. It is not literal. David was simply teaching us that time is nothing to God! But, to continue the illustration, one year on earth would equal about 2.5 minutes in heaven. One of the most asked questions I get when a spouse dies is, "Will he/she miss me?” I respond, “Let’s imagine that you outlive your spouse by ten years. By my calculations, this means that he dies and goes to heaven and 15 minutes later here you come! He’s probably still in line to see Jesus. He may even give you a ‘cut.’” God's not in a hurry. Many of us imagine that God’s design for our spiritual maturity seems so slow. God says, "No, from my perspective everything is right on schedule." It is often God's way to set aside a person after the first start so that his or her self-confidence can die down. Many new Christian converts begin at a fast pace. God will often modify the pace. God waited a long time for Moses to learn that the victory belongs to God and not to himself. God said, "Moses, I want you to set my people free from Egypt.” "You bet,” he boasted. “No trouble, I can handle that.” However, at the age of forty, on his first day on the job, the proud missionary became a murderer. For the next forty years, Moses continued to stay in the wilderness, tending sheep while being processed by God. Finally, at the age of eighty, God said to Moses, "Now it’s time. Go set my people free.” Moses said, "Are you kidding! I can't do that.” I'm sure that God smiled and said, "Perfect. I’ve got you just where I want you." At the age of eighty, Moses could do things that he could never do at forty. He led God’s people out of Egypt. Paul became a Christian when he was 32. God waited until he was 49 before sending him on his first missionary journey. This is not to discourage us, but to help us settle down with our sights on eternity: “ Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Jesus Christ took hold of me  ( Philippians 3:12-14 ).” It takes God a hundred years to make a mighty oak. He can turn out a squash in six weeks. Which would you like to be? An oak? Or a squash? 3. No One Can Crucify Themselves We cannot self-engineer the journey that God has in store for us. It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.  ( Philippians 2:13 ) When is the last time you read that someone committed suicide by crucifixion?  You'll never read that. It cannot be done. Crucifixion is God's work, not ours. Some of us He just bends. Some of us have so much pride and self-dependence that He has to break us. God uses different means with each of us. In other words, how He works with me is not necessarily how He’s going to work with you. He has many different tools to mature us to look like Jesus. But with all this, His purpose is to chip away at our self-reliance, self-centeredness, and self-condemnation, so that we can mature to look like Jesus. We can't speed up God's process of maturity, but we certainly can slow it down. Are You Ready to Die on a Cross? It’s time for a prayer, and I encourage you to join me: “Dear Jesus, would you please mature me to be a spiritual mother/father at any price. I don’t care what it costs.” The truth is, we may very well care what it costs. Nevertheless, I will do it anyway. I’ll close with an old Chinese proverb that illustrates what it means to die on the Cross of Christ.  Once upon a time far off in the heart of the Western Kingdom, the master came to walk day by day. In the midst of his garden was the most beautiful bamboo tree that ever grew in all the earth. And the master would come by and look at his plants, but he had a special affinity for that old bamboo tree. He watched it as it grew. He nurtured it almost to complete maturity.  One day, as the great master was walking through his garden, he came to that bamboo tree. On impulse that bamboo tree bowed down in adoration of the master, and the master said, “Little Bamboo, most beautiful of all the trees in my garden, I think that you're just about ready to become useful to me.”  And the bamboo said, “Oh, great master, if I can do anything for you, I will. Just take me. Use me.”   The great master said, “Bamboo, Bamboo, most beautiful of all the trees in my garden, if I'm going to use you I have to cut you down.”  The wind stopped blowing, the birds stopped singing, and all the butterflies were still.    The bamboo said, 'Well, master, I'm yours. You yourself said that I'm the most beautiful of all the trees in the garden; must you cut me down?”   The great master said, “I must, if you're going to be useful to me.”  The sounds of the garden were hushed in silence as that great bamboo bent his neck, and the master cut him down.  Then the master said, “Bamboo, if you're going to be useful to me, I must cut off all your branches.”   The bamboo said, “Oh, master, not that. You've already cut me down. Isn't that enough? Please don't cut off my branches.”    The great master said, “No, I must cut off your branches.”   Once more the garden was silenced, and all the plants looked on with rapt attention as the great master snipped off branch after branch and bared that great bamboo.  Then the master said, “Bamboo, there's one more thing. You're not useful to me yet. If you're going to be useful to me, then I must split you open and cut your heart out.”    Bamboo said, “Oh, master, you've already taken away all of my beauty. There's nothing left now, just me. Must you scrape my heart out?” And the great master said, “I must if you're to be useful to me.”    Once more, the garden was hushed and silenced as the great master took that bamboo, split him down the middle, and scraped his heart out.  Then the great master took that bamboo shoot, now hollowed out and scraped clean, and he walked over to a spring which was bubbling with water. He laid one end of that hollowed-out bamboo shoot down in the stream of bubbling water. He placed the other end of that bamboo shoot in the channels that led to the irrigation ditch that watered his garden.  The waters began to flow, and the fields began to grow. The winds began to blow again. The birds began to sing. The rice was planted, and the harvest came. And that bamboo who standing all alone in the garden was the most beautiful of all the master's plants … that bamboo, which meant so much to himself … when he was stripped bare and hollowed out … was then and only then useful in the great master's garden.  Dear Alicia, I hope that my answer has helped you. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Jesus told us to love our enemies, but I’m having trouble with that. I have some people who are really hurting me. In fact, I think that I hate them. I know that Jesus said we shouldn’t hate people. But I’m struggling with this. How can I start loving my enemies? Sincerely, Aaron Dear Aaron, In  Matthew 5:43-48 , Jesus teaches about how to love our enemies. I’m going to walk through this passage verse by verse to help answer your question. First, Christ-followers must live on a higher plane than the rest of the world. You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy”  ( Matthew 5:43 ). When I read that verse, I’m on solid ground! It’s no trouble for me to love those who love me and pray for those who pray for me and let all the rest be hanged. But when I read  Matthew 5:44 , I must confess that I run into difficulty! But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your father in heaven”  ( Matthew 5:44 ). It’s easy to read “Love Yourself.” It’s hard to read, “Love Your Enemies.” It’s hard to pray for those who take advantage of us or hurt us. You know it, and I know it! So, why and how do we follow Jesus’s instructions? Then, we come to one of the most searching questions in all of the  Bible . If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that?  ( Matthew 5:46-47 ). Read that one more time, slowly and carefully. What do you do more than others? This question boomerangs right back to us. What’s the difference between the way that we treat others and the way that the world does? If we are followers of Christ, shouldn’t there be a difference between our behavior and our neighbor who doesn’t profess anything? When we only love those who love us … if we only give to others who have already given to us … if we just “do unto others what they have done unto us” (which is NOT found in the Bible, by the way) … we’re following the world’s standards. That’s a low bar compared to Jesus’s command in  Matthew 5:48 , Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect. This shakes me all the way down to my spiritual toes. Perfection is the highest bar there could be … but in the power of Christ, we can do all things. He only asks us to do what we can do in His strength (see  Philippians 4:13 ). And when we follow His command to love our enemies, no matter how impossible that may seem to you and me, Jesus will honor our efforts. Next, enemies come in all shapes and sizes. Our “enemies,” of course, do not always come in life-threatening forms. Often, they are ordinary people who are mean, impatient, judgmental, self-righteous, and spiteful—or just happen to disagree with us. But in all of our relationships, God wants us to love. Whether a conflict is with our marriage partner, our children or parents, our friends and fellow church members, a devious business opponent, spiteful neighbor, political foe, or social antagonist – our attitude should be one of prayerful love. But HOW? We have problems loving our enemies because we don’t understand the meaning of love. Most of the time, we don’t know how to give or receive love because we don’t know how to define it. We think it’s a warm feeling. You know “Love is a warm puppy!” Why, that’s even the name of a book! No wonder we have so much confusion about love! What does  love  really mean? In English, we have only one word for “love.” We love everything from chicken to football, to cars, to family, to God. Not so in the Greek language. Greek has four different words to express different types and degrees of love. “Storge” is not used in the New Testament. We can dismiss it. “Eros” is fleshly, sensual love. We get our English word “erotic” from “eros.” “Philos” is used 45 times in the New Testament. It is filled with deep emotion and often used to describe friends and family; like Philadelphia, “the city of brotherly love.” “Agape” is used 320 times in the New Testament. It describes the divine love of God which loves the unlovely and never quits. Agape is a sacrificial, giving love that demands nothing in return. It is unconditional and unwavering. Agape loves the unlovable. Agape looks at a person who repels everyone else and loves that person. Agape never quits. A couple marries and vows, “I love you,” and then they split up. We know that their love was not  agape love  because agape love never quits. Love is not a warm emotion or a feeling. It is something that we CHOOSE to DO. If love is built on feelings, then it’s built on shifting sands. It doesn’t just happen to us. It’s not an emotion. Love is a product of the will. We make the deliberate decision to love, and we choose that love no matter what happens. It’s a vow, a commitment, a constant. Think about  John 3:16 , the most loving verse in the Bible: “For God so loved the world that He felt romantic about it.” No! “That He got a tingling sensation up his spine.” No! No! John 3:16  says, “For God so  agaped  the world, that He gave His only Son” … and never expected the world to pay Him back. Love is an act of self-sacrifice. There’s no such thing as agape without action! Jesus demonstrated His love for the disciples by doing something. Agape love is known by its actions. Jesus loved His disciples, so He washed their feet. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love  ( John 13:1 ). He loved them, and He took action. While they argued about who was the greatest and who would sit next to Jesus in the millennial kingdom, Jesus got up and washed their feet. Jesus continued, A new command I give to you: love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.  ( John 13:34-35 ) “As I have loved you.” How had he loved them? He had just washed their feet. That’s exactly what Jesus asks of us! If your enemy is hungry, feed him or her. We are to feed our enemy whether we feel like it or not. If your enemy is thirsty, give him or her a drink. We give whether we feel like it or not. Let’s elaborate with a case history. Tom and Mary watched their marriage deteriorate over the past years. Finally, they decided that it’s all over. They went to a Christian counselor, not because they really wanted their marriage to be put back together, but because they were about to do something that the Bible says not to do: Get a divorce without biblical grounds. So, they related the sordid details. The wife told all and concluded, “So you see, no love left, no hope left. Nothing left to build on.” They were expecting the counselor to say, “Well, I agree. There’s nothing left to build on. I can’t guess you might as well call it quits.” Instead, he said, “I guess that you’ll just have to learn how to love!” So, the counselor said to Tom, “God says love your wife as Christ loved the church.” Tom replied, “I couldn’t love her like that. No way. I don’t even like her.” The counselor continued, “All right, let’s go to a lower level. The Bible commands us to love our neighbors. Since you sleep with her and live with her, she’s the closest neighbor that you have. Love your neighbor.” Tom said again, “I can’t help it. I can’t love her like that.” “Okay. Let’s go down a level. The Bible says, ‘Love your enemies.’ God didn’t tell you to like her. God said love her. Give to her. Sacrifice for her. Bless her. Pray for her. Make an investment in her life. You’ll find that loving feelings will one day begin to come.” God says love your wife as Christ loved the church. Here are some helpful guidelines to keep in mind when loving your enemies: 1. If we love our neighbors, we will have fewer enemies. 2. Loving enemies is not natural. The best way to have the right attitude, the agape love attitude toward those who persecute us, is to bring them before the Lord in prayer. 3. When we intentionally give good things to our enemies and do good things for our enemies, we will discover that their attitude towards us will most often change for the better. 4. When we only give nickels and dimes to others, our small investment makes it easy to simply quit the relationship. 5. Put aside your feelings and make a determined decision to do something good for your enemy. Then ACT. 6. Make a commitment to love the unlovely no matter how unlovely they are. 7. If necessary, find ways to let go of your bitterness and anger toward those who have hurt you. I’ve had several enemies who have hurt me over the years. One hurt me badly. Could you believe that in my darkest moments I felt like I hated him? So, I prayed and used other healing tools. I’m being very honest here. I used to play a lot of handball, and sometimes I painted his face on the ball. I’m thankful that the time between thoughts kept lengthening. We eventually restored our relationship and became friends. 8. When we love our enemies, we are most like Jesus. There is a rabbinic tale that tells of the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. It says that when the Egyptians drowned, the angels rejoiced. But Jesus was weeping. We are created to be perfect in our love as God is perfect in His love. Again, Jesus taught, “Be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect” ( Matthew 5:48 ). The word  perfect,  “teleios” in Greek, is not easily translated from Greek to English. It needs at least a phrase or a sentence, so it’s often translated as “perfect, complete, or mature.” I think that the best way to capture the meaning is to say that something is “teleios” when it does what it was created to do. For example, it doesn’t matter if an eraser is big or little, broken or intact, round or square, it is “teleios” if it erases. In the same way, we are “teleios” when we do what we are created to do. What are we created to do? We are created to love God, ourselves, our neighbors, AND our enemies. We are “perfect, mature, and complete” when we love. Let me conclude with one of my favorite “teleios” stories. A very busy executive in an eastern city was rushing to catch a plane. He has about given up trying to live a “personal, daily life with Christ,” because of the great demands on his time. Racing through the Kennedy airport, he promised himself that he would try to be a real Christian that day instead of only talking about it. He was charging across the lobby with bags in hand when he heard the final call for his flight. He was almost to the gate when he bumped into a small boy holding a small suitcase. The boy was carrying a jigsaw puzzle, and the pieces went everywhere! The executive paused, saw tears in the child’s eyes, and with an inward sigh, he stopped, smiled, and helped the boy pick up the pieces as the plane rolled away. The child watched him intently. When he finished picking up all of the pieces, the boy looked up with a kind of awe: “Mister,” he said hesitantly, “Are you Jesus?” It doesn’t get any better than that. Well, Aaron, I hope that I’ve shed some positive light on your question. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’m a new Christian, and I was reading through the Gospel of Matthew. I got really excited when I came to chapter 24 and read Jesus’s teachings about the End Times. I’d like to understand more. Could you please help me? Sincerely, William Dear William, Matthew 24 is the only place where Jesus laid out his picture of the End Times. Therefore, it’s good to study what He had in mind and how it can apply to our lives today. This passage is often called the “Olivet Discourse,” because Jesus was with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. Also, note that it was the Monday before He would be crucified on Friday. THE CONTEXT IS A BROKEN-HEARTED CHRIST. The account really begins at the end of chapter 23: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:37-39) Notice that Jesus did not say, “the Temple;” he said “Your house…” The Temple was no longer God’s House. It had been ruined by materialism, moneychangers, and deceitful leaders … some of the ungodly people in first-century Israel. Jesus then described the Temple as “desolate,” because the glory of God had departed from it. In response, Jesus’s disciples called His attention to the Temple buildings. Jesus replied, "Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down" (Matthew 24:1-2). The disciples were speechless. They sat for a while in silence, and then they asked him three specific questions (see Matthew 24:3): When will the destruction of the Temple occur? What will be the sign of Your coming? What will be the sign of the End of the Age? Jesus answered the second and third questions first—and the first question last. Before we dig into the specifics, I want you to notice that Jesus used a number of literary devices in Matthew 24. His teaching is not chronological. He describes events but not a timeline. It’s like He states an event and then swings it around in a circle which comes back to Him. For example, when Jesus answered the “sign questions,” He jumped from place to place, from time period to time period, and from the signs to of His coming to signs of the end of the Age. Take a few moments to read Matthew 24 . You may find it difficult to sort out Jesus’s teaching here. Don’t despair; careful reading can bring out the truth. LET’S USE several prophetic principles to unpack Matthew 24. THE HUMILITY PRINCIPLE Any discussion of future events calls for cautious humility. Jesus Himself said that He didn’t know the day or the hour of His return. This statement brings into judgment all of those who claim to know a specific date. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (v. 23-24) Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (v. 42-44) The Mountain Peak principle Imagine driving in the mountains. You see what appears to be one large mountain in the distance. However, as you get closer you recognize that there is not one mountain peak, but two, separated by a long distance. In the distance, now you see a third mountain peak. What you thought was just one mountain was really three mountains lined up in a row with distance between them. In Matthew 24, Jesus lumped together three events which seem to occur simultaneously. However, they are separated in time. Peak One: The Temple will be destroyed. Peak Two: Christ will return. Peak Three: The End of the Age will come. THE multiple Fulfillment Principle The “Abomination of Desolation” mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24 has a triple fulfillment. The first Abomination occurred in 163 B.C. when Antiochus Epiphanies slaughtered a pig on the Temple altar and began a reign of terror upon the Jews. Thousands were murdered. He was finally defeated by the Maccabees. The second Abomination occurred in 70 A.D. when Titus, the Roman general, set up banners with the image of the emperor on them. He erected an altar to Zeus in the Temple courts and slaughtered a pig in Holy of Holies. He turned the treasury rooms into public brothels and a great persecution began, leading to genocide. Rumor had it that the Jews had put gold in the mortar which cemented together the walls. The Romans left no stone unturned looking for it, just as Jesus predicted. The third Abomination, called the “Abomination of Desolation,” occurs during the middle of the seven years of Tribulation when the false prophet will erect an image of the Antichrist in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. The statue is speaking blasphemous things against Jesus and the kingdom of God. Notice that each time that an Abomination appears, incredible waves of death and tremendous persecution follow. That’s why we read in Matthew 24 that Jesus told his people to run away as fast as they could in order to avoid the persecution and death. So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. (vv. 15-18) For example, when the second abomination occurred, most Jews crammed themselves into the city of Jerusalem and took protection behind the walls—that folly multiplied the horror of famine and siege. The Jewish historian, Josephus, recorded some of the events in 70 A.D. and gives us a feeling for horror that occurred in those days. Josephus (Wars of the Jews, 5.12.3): “Famine devoured whole families. The streets were filled with the dead bodies of the aged. Children and young men wandered the streets like shadows, all swelled with famine. As for burying the dead, the sick were too weak and the stronger were so overwhelmed with the task that they didn’t bother to try. Nor was any mourning nor lamentations made. Those who were going to die looked upon the dead with dry eyes and open mouths. A deep silence seized the city … and everyone died with their eyes fixed upon the Temple.” Josephus (Wars of the Jews, 6.3.4): tells the dreadful story of a woman during the siege who actually killed and roasted and ate her suckling child. TAKE THESE PRACTICAL STEPS AS THE END TIMES APPROACH. Be careful not to assume that every disaster is the beginning of the end : 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.” (Matthew 24:4-14) Some Christians would sell tickets to the Battle of Armageddon if they could. But Jesus specifically warns us that we are not to imagine that events which seem to be cataclysmic—such as wars, earthquakes, wide-spread famines—are infallible signs that the end is near. They are the normal features of this age . They are what Jesus called the “birth pains” preceding the End. However, they will intensify until they are full-blown during the tribulation. Recognize that these signs will have a double fulfillment . The signs that Jesus enunciates in Matthew 24 will also be fulfilled in the book of Revelation. They are: false Christs Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.” (v. 4) These are not only religious fanatics. They could be rebel groups that promise solutions that deceive people so that they themselves can gain control of a nation. Think of Hitler’s Germany. Or the Holocaust. Or Islamic militants. Or ISIS. Warfare Among Nations 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. (vv. 6-7) Think of Middle Eastern Conflicts today and the future battles between the country that occupies the land of present-day Russia and a North African coalition versus the Antichrist (see Ezekiel 38-39). Devastations in the Physical World There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (vv. 7-8) Consider natural disasters, climate change, etc. Hatred and Persecution of Christians Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. (v. 9) Think of the two million Sudanese Christians who were murdered by a Pro-militant-Islamic government. Or remember the Campus Crusade missionaries in Turkey who were recently kidnapped from a Bible Printing House and tortured. Apostasy (Falling Away of False Believers) 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 he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (vv. 10-13)   A person who genuinely belongs to Christ continues to confess Him, to serve Him and to suffer for Him when necessary. But it is not a person’s endurance that will produce salvation; his or her endurance will be a Spirit-empowered product and proof of the reality that or she is saved.   WorldWide Gospel Presentation 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. (v. 14) Despite all the hatred, betrayal and persecution, the Gospel will cover the earth. In Revelation, 144,000 Jews for Jesus are commissioned to share the Gospel around the world. Then, just before the Bowl Judgments are poured out and the final holocaust begins, God will send an angel to preach the “eternal gospel” (Revelation 14:6-7). Take heart! We who have trusted Christ as Savior will experience eternity in Heaven with Him. I imagine that Jesus was very excited when He said the next few verses! Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (vv. 29-31) These days will bring hope and glory to every person who has received Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Notice these wonderful, glorious truths: God has not abandoned the world. For all its wickedness, the world is still the scene in which God’s purpose is being worked out. He has not abandoned us. Both judgment and a new creation are certain. God sees the world in both justice and mercy. God’s plan is not the obliteration of the world but a re-creation of a world that is nearer to His heart’s desire. The focus is not on the Signs. The focus is on alertness, self-control, faith and love. His return will be without warning. Be ready. He will come when we least expect it. We are to live as if his coming is in the next 10 minutes; but, plan as if he’s not coming for thousand years. Our security is bound up in the Person of Jesus Christ. Well, William, I hope that I’ve answered your question. If you have any more questions, please let me know. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, When I read the Bible, I see Jesus placing so much emphasis upon a full-blown commitment to him. His demands remind me of what Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: “When Jesus calls a man, he bids him come and die.”I’m not certain that I see much “dying” among Christians today. It’s breaking my heart. I’d appreciate your thoughts on the matter. Sincerely, Kendall Dear Kendall, Have you personally counted the cost of discipleship lately? Jesus expected total commitment. In  John 6 , we have the record of Jesus feeding the five thousand. What a moment of joy and triumph! But then, the next morning Jesus preached the “hardest” sermon that He ever preached: I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and makes my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  ( John 6:53-59 ) By the time Jesus finished calling for full commitment, 4,988 of his audience walked away. Only the  12 disciples  were left. Jesus asked them , “You’re going to go away, too. Aren’t you?” Peter replied, “ To whom shall we go? You have the words of life.” True discipleship comes when we understand that there’s no place else to go except to Jesus . Jesus never refused anyone who came with a surrendered heart. However, He did not shovel people into the kingdom indiscriminately. There’s plenty of biblical evidence that He knew how to turn people away … and did. As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He believed that the reason their churches were dying was because their people have claimed the pew that remains easy, and "they're not getting up." That sounds to me a lot like today’s American Christian church. A. W. Tozer wrote, Only in America can we develop instant potatoes, instant TV dinners, and instant coffee. Unfortunately, we have now given the world instant Christianity, whereby we believe that we can satisfy the demands of Christ in a once-in-a-lifetime walk down the aisle of a church or pray a little twenty-second prayer of surrender and think that we have fulfilled the calling of Jesus. As a result, there is no essential difference between ordinary human life and the life of a person who claims to be a Christian. Your level of discipleship directly relates to how well you know the Bible. The following tool is not meant to be statistically correct. It is designed to give you an experiential sense of how far along you are in knowing the Bible and thus how far along you are in your discipleship (read  1 John 2:12-14 ). You’re behind in your Bible knowledge if: 1. You’ve been a Christian for five years, and you can’t explain the relationship between Christ and Melchizedek. 2. You’ve been a Christian for ten years, and you don’t know which two Psalms are just alike. 3. You’ve been a Christian fifteen years, and you are unable to locate the Sermon on the Mount without help. 4. You’ve been a Christian for twenty years, and you can’t locate even one of the three records of Paul’s conversion in the book of Acts. 5. You’ve been a Christian for twenty-five years, and you cannot carry on an intelligent discussion about election and free will. 6. You’ve been a Christian for thirty years, and you’ve never led a soul to Christ. A woman said to me, “Why do I need to be totally committed to Jesus. As long as I make it to heaven by the skin of my teeth, who cares about anything else?” What do you suppose Jesus would say to her? I hesitate to put words into the mouth of Jesus, but I think that He would say something like this: “When you’re ready to commit your life wholeheartedly to Me, then come and follow Me. Until then you have no part of Me.” Total commitment makes a difference to the believer. 1. Total commitment means we no longer live to "help God out" with human effort, but that we give it all to Jesus now—before we need a bailout. Join me to recognize the fallacy in some of the statements by which we live (Note that none of these are in the Bible): “God helps those who help themselves.” “God won’t do for you what you can do for yourself.” “Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.” “When you come to the end of the rope, tie a knot and hang on.” The idea is that we use all of our human ingenuity, brains, and manipulation to handle our problems. Then, when that doesn’t work and our backs are against the wall, we come begging to God for help. Will you spend the rest of your life begging God to help you out of your problems, or will you hand things over to His control right now? 2. Total commitment is the difference between gratifying ego and glorifying God. The difference that total commitment makes is that a person who lives a carnal, self-centered life will serve Christ only as long as the result is gratifying to his own ego. In all honesty, I have struggled with pride all my life. Most of us have. I wanted to do things that Paul never did. I wanted to bring revival to America. I wanted to do what Moses never did. I wanted to write books and have a thriving TV ministry. When I got to heaven, I wanted to hear God say, “Roger, you were the best pastor I ever had.” However, over the years, I’ve realized that all of that was to gratify my ego. Today, I am ashamed of my arrogance. God said to me, “What if I send you to a little church and no one ever hears of you again? What if you write no books, bring no revival, and don’t have a well-known name, will you be content? Will you accept that?” When the answer is “yes,” the pressure is off. We will find freedom and be more content than ever before. Slowly, I am learning that a shepherd’s best work is done on the backside of the desert where no one is looking. And what joy comes to those who learn how total commitment frees them from the constant desire to gratify their ego! They are content with God receiving all of the glory. 3. Total commitment means the difference between crowned efforts and crucified self. The self-centered, carnal Christian who has yet to abandon his life to Christ will be constantly looking for his own efforts to be recognized, or “crowned,” instead of daily praying for God to put to death anything in his/her life that is contrary to the mind of Christ. On the other hand, total commitment means that we no longer desire to be noticed or praised so that God can get all the glory. I was in the kitchen during a churchwide banquet. We could hear the speaker outside thanking by name those who worked preparing food in the kitchen. Unfortunately, one woman’s name was overlooked by the speaker as he passed out accolades. I imagined that all day she had pictured herself coming out of the kitchen to the applause of the audience. Now, however, she didn’t get to come out of the kitchen to receive praise. He never even called her name. She was fuming: “Just see if I ever help again.” Some people will serve God only as long as someone is noticing. Are you willing to forego “crowned” efforts and be crucified for God’s glory?  4. Total commitment means the difference between asking “what,” instead of asking “why?” We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose: for those whom God for knew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son.  ( Romans 8:28-29 ) Only the one who is fully surrendered to Christ asks “what?” “What are you trying to teach me?” “What lessons do you want me to learn?” “What are you doing in my life?” The fully committed Christian understands that God’s purpose is to use every experience to conform us to the image of Christ. The self-centered, carnal Christian will never understand or believe  Romans 8:28-29  in the hour of crisis. His or her question is “why?” He or she will tend to argue with God. “Why is this happening to me?” “Why did you let my child get hurt?” “Why did you let me lose my job?” “Why did my spouse have cancer?” Until God is real, and until we allow him to have total control over our lives, we will reason, argue, question, and fight God’s authority and judgment. However, when we surrender fully to Him, we will experience true freedom. What does total commitment really cost? Think of the full commitment of each disciple. James, one of the “sons of thunder,” was murdered in Jerusalem. Philip was hanged in Phrygia. Bartholomew was skinned alive in Armenia. Andrew was crucified in Greece on an x-shaped cross. Seven soldiers whipped him severely, then tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. Thomas, who was is often criticized for his doubts, carried the gospel to East India where he was run through with a lance. Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows and buried in Beirut. Simon the Zealot was put to death in Persia. Peter got as far as Rome with the gospel. There he was crucified upside down at his request. Matthias, the one selected to fill the place of Judas, was beheaded. The other “son of thunder” was John, who alone escaped death. However, he lived in exile. John died peacefully in his 90s after writing the book of Revelation and three other biblical letters. Matthew gave up financial security in order to follow Jesus Christ. He carried the cause to a little country called Ethiopia. There he was slain by the sword. James, the half-brother of Jesus, was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was thrown from the southeast pinnacle of the temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, he was beaten to death. The Apostle Paul was tortured and then beheaded by Nero in Rome in AD 67. Have you counted the cost of discipleship lately? How could we ever consider giving to God anything but our best? Well, Kendall, I hope this helps. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I grew up in a church that emphasized emotional expression in worship. If I didn’t have an ecstatic, exciting experience in a service, I felt like I had disappointed God. I now go to a church that emphasizes Bible teaching but does not encourage any emotional expression of my faith. How should my faith and my emotion affect my Christian walk? Sincerely, Curious Dear Curious, What a great question! I really struggled with that issue growing up in a mainline denomination. I heard a lot of “fire and brimstone” preaching, but I wasn’t sure how to respond. Was I just supposed to pray to receive Christ (which I did)? Was I supposed to be reserved in worship services and just stick to singing hymnal lyrics to express my faith? The only emotion I felt was terror when my Mom caught me talking during the sermon. When I went to college, I learned the simplest, most valuable explanation as to how my faith and my emotion were to interact. I read a little tract by Campus Crusade with a train on the cover. The train engine depicted Fact. Fact was the engine that pulled the train. The second car was Faith. Faith was the response to the truth of God’s Word, the “facts.” The caboose was “Feelings.” Feelings were an important part of the train, but they were not to supersede the truth of God nor our trust in Him. I am a left-brained person. God used my organized, rational mind to study theology. I gave my life to Jesus as a seven-year-old boy. He called me to preach the same week. I always had a strong faith. But feelings? I never knew what to do with them. God gave me some clear insights about the interaction between faith, fact and feelings. God is an emotional God. If I am made in His image, I must be emotional as well. Here are just a few examples of how God the Father expressed emotion: God was saddened when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. “Where are you?” He asked, disappointed. (Genesis 3:8-9) In Genesis 6:5-6, the Bible said God was grieved that He made man: “God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart.” MSG In Exodus 34:14, God said, Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is  Jealous , is a jealous God. (NIV) One of the most powerful expressions of emotion in Scripture is John 3:16-17: “ For God so loved  the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” NIV Jesus took on human form. He expressed deep emotions in His time on earth. Because Christ was human, we should not fear to feel as He did. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus. “Jesus wept.” John 11:35 NIV He grieved over Jerusalem and the Jews’ rejection of God’s prophets. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Matthew 23:37 NIV He was furious with the Pharisees. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” Matthew 23:13 NIV He was enraged at the moneychangers in the Temple. “Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” That’s when his disciples remembered the Scripture, ‘Zeal for your house consumes me.’” John 2:15 MSG He was proud of the faith of the centurion. “ Jesus stood there amazed! Turning to the crowd he said, “I haven’t seen faith like this in all the land of Israel!” Matthew 8:10 LB He was disappointed with the rich young ruler walked away. “Jesus sadly said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” Matthew 19:21-22 NIV Christ was despondent when the 5,000 left His side and only the 12 remained. “But some of you don’t believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who didn’t believe and knew the one who would betray him.) And he remarked, “That is what I meant when I said that no one can come to me unless the Father attracts him to me.” At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus sadly turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you going too?” Simon Peter replied, “Master, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words that give eternal life. John 6:64-68 NIV Christ was indignant with the arrogance of Herod. “ Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, for he had heard a lot about him and had been hoping to see him perform a miracle. He asked Jesus question after question, but there was no reply.” Luke 23:8 NIV God’s Son had compassion for the woman caught in the act of adultery. Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 1  “No, sir,” she said.And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11 NIV He was overcome with sorrow as He prayed in the Garden. Then Jesus brought them to a garden grove,  Gethsemane , and told them to sit down and wait while he went on ahead to pray. He took Peter with him and Zebedee’s two sons James and John, and began to be filled with anguish and despair. Then he told them, “My soul is crushed with horror and sadness to the point of death . . . stay here . . . stay awake with me.” ... Matthew 26:36-46 LB He lovingly forgave the penitent thief on the cross. Then the thief said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “Today you will be with me in Paradise. This is a solemn promise.” Luke 22:42-43 LB Remember this: Emotions are good when they reflect the character of Christ, Emotions are bad when they are dominated by the flesh. Emotions can be twisted by Satan and his lies. What are some emotions that DO NOT BELONG in our lives? Note that all of these emotions begin with SELF. Fear, anxiety, depression, bitterness cannot dominate your emotions when you are surrendered to Christ. Self-satisfaction-legalism Self-centeredness-I need…. Self-pity-depression Self-promotion or pride. Self-gratification or selfishness. I used to repress feelings. I thought that truly spiritual people were above emotions. I can assure you that feelings that are submerged will come out in anger and thinly disguised contempt. However, negative emotions must be replaced with positive feelings based on FACT (God’s Word) and FAITH. The Beatitudes exemplify Christ’s character and feelings: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. 4  “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. 5  “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. 6  “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. 7  “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.” Matthew 5:3-7 MSG Paul learned to be joyful even in the Philippian jail. “ I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.” Philippians 4:12-13 NIV So, my little train example is both true and profound. If you know the Word of God, you can believe what God says and feel what He feels. I hope this will bless you today! Enjoy Him! Love, Roger

Dear Roger, What did Jesus do each day during his last week? Sincerely, Anna Dear Anna, Jesus’ last week began on Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday was so named because the people waved palm branches in honor of the Messiah and then laid them down to cushion His ride as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday also began the most premeditated, calculated week in the life of Christ. The Gospels are not biographies. Each shared a few words about His birth, one sentence to describe Him from ages 18 to 30, and then concentrate two-thirds of their content on a short 3½ years. The final third of every Gospel deals with one week in the life of Christ. I want to take us on a journey through the last week in Jesus’ life, so I have listed the major activities on each day. SUNDAY On Palm Sunday, six days before the crucifixion, Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey as prophesied in Zachariah 9:9: Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Both the Old Testament prophecy and Jesus’s fulfillment are chronicled in all four Gospels (Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19). As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion,    ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:1-9) That evening, Jesus made His way back over the Mount of Olives to the village of Bethany and the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Throughout His ministry, He often chose to stay with His closest friends. Their home was one of those. Each evening during His last week, Jesus slept at their home (Mark 11:11; Luke 19:37). MONDAY In the morning, Jesus cursed the out-of-season fig tree for having no figs. That seems fair. However, it was really symbolic. In the Old Testament figs represented the nation of Israel. Jesus was declaring that the nation of Israel had become spiritually bankrupt. Israel was dead out of season (Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14): The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. (Mark 11:12-14) Then, in the afternoon, Jesus entered Jerusalem and cleansed the Temple. The temple courts had devolved into a marketplace for the buying and selling of animals to be sacrificed on the Temple altar. There, moneychangers plied their cheating trade. What was once a sacred place had become a pigsty. Jesus was incensed: “This is my father’s house and you have made it a den of thieves” (Luke 19:45-46, also see Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19;). TUESDAY Tuesday was a busy day. Jesus spent all day in Jerusalem sparring with religious leaders, teaching parables, and healing the sick. He taught the Parables of the Great Supper, the Good and Wicked Servants, the Ten Virgins, the Two Sons, The Owner of the Vineyard, The Wedding Banquet, and the Ten Talents (Matthew 21:23-39; Mark 11:20-12:44; Luke 20:1-21:4; John 12:20-50). Jesus also declared the Greatest Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your Neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37). He pronounced woes upon the Scribes and Pharisees: “Woe to you” he said, “you don’t practice what you preach; you tie heavy loads upon the people’s shoulders, but you are unwilling to lift a finger to move them; you travel over land and sea to make one proselyte and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are; you hypocrites; snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?; etc.!” (Matthew 23:13-39, paraphrased) But then, Jesus commended the Widow’s Mite when the widow placed all she had left into the Temple offering plate: As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4) When the Pharisees tried to trap him with an economic issue about Roman taxes, Jesus said, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17; Luke 20:20-26). He so astounded the Jewish leaders with His wisdom that they never tried to entrap Him again. Secretly, to His disciples, Jesus once again predicted His coming death and resurrection. But the disciples had no idea what He was talking about As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem, He wept as He contemplated the coming destruction of the city (Matthew 24). Jesus spent the rest of the evening teaching the eschatological Olivet Discourse which entailed the signs and wonders surrounding his second coming. This is the only place in Scripture where Jesus Himself shared his understanding of the end times (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38). “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28) WEDNESDAY The highlight of the day occurred during the evening. Jesus was anointed by Mary in Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8). Think about what a special moment this was for Jesus. In 36 hours, He would be on the cross—and the only person who figured out the crucifixion and coming resurrection was Mary. The disciples had no idea what was going on! Imagine the understanding looks between Jesus and Mary as she washed his feet with perfume and worshiped. Suddenly, Judas spoiled it all: “What a waste! And she’s spending it on you!” Can you imagine how much that hurt? Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has done a marvelous thing. She’s anointing my body for burial while I am still alive and can enjoy it.” Frankly, I’d rather have one rose right now while I can enjoy it than 10,000 after I’m dead and gone. I imagine that Jesus felt just like that. They did not bathe often in those days. I’ve often wondered if Jesus got a whiff of Mary’s perfume as He hung on the cross. Then, He looked down from the cross and there was Mary. He must’ve thought, “God, bless her, she’s the only one who has figured it out.” Later that night, immediately after supper, Judas arranged to betray Jesus (Mathew 26:14-16): Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. THURSDAY Jesus and His disciples observed the Passover and the Lord’s Supper in the Upper Room (Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-30; John 13:1-30). On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:17-30) Luke tells us that immediately after sharing the bread and wine, the disciples began arguing over which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:31-38). Jesus was giving His life away, and they were arguing about who was the best! Can you imagine how much that hurt? Then Jesus predicted Peter’s denial, and Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same (Matthew 26:31-35). But Jesus knew. He knew they would run. That evening, Jesus gave His farewell discourse to the Disciples: “All men will know that you are my disciples by your love for one another” (John 13:35). (Also see Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-38; John 13:31-16:33). Jesus shared that he was going away. The disciples were quite dismayed. Philip said, “You can’t leave now! We don’t know where you are going, and we don’t know how to get there, and besides, we don’t even know who you are!” Jesus said, “Philip, you still don’t know who I am?” He’s making the handoff to entrust his men with the ministry. They are on the one-yard line and they are fumbling the ball. They are not even sure who he is! He must go to the cross still wondering whether or not they’ll get it (John 14:5-14). Finally, before leaving the Upper Room, Jesus prayed His intercessory prayer for his disciples in John 17: “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I’m coming to you. Protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you gave me I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:6-19, paraphrased) Jesus took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. While He prayed in agony, begging God to avoid the cup of suffering, He asked them to pray for Him. Because He was fully human (as well as fully God), He actually needed their comfort and support. But they fell asleep and left Him all alone. Can you imagine the disappointment in his voice as he replied, “Could you not pray for me one hour?” The disciples failed, so God sent angels to comfort Jesus (Matthew 26:30, 36-46; Mark 14:26, 32-42; Luke 22:39-46). Judas betrayed Jesus. Jesus said to Judas, “Must you betray me with a kiss?” John identified the kiss as a “passionate lover’s kiss.” Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” (John 18:2-9) Jesus was arrested and taken to the house of Annas and then to Caiaphas the high priest early Friday morning. FRIDAY Filled with deep remorse, Judas hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-11; Acts 1:18). According to Jesus, Judas was predestined to betray him. No matter how we try to analyze predestination with free will, Judas could have returned to Jesus, repented, and asked for forgiveness. You know that Christ would have forgiven him. Jesus died for him, too. Jesus was arrested and taken to the home of Annas and Caiaphas for an illegal trial by the Jewish leaders, who were making plans to have Jesus executed (Matthew 27:2). The Jews dragged Him to Pilate and then to Herod where he was mocked, ridiculed and crowned with thorns. Herod sent him back to Pilate. Neither ruler wanted to kill Him. But the people shouted to release Barabbas instead of Jesus (Matthew 27:11-31; Mark 15:1-20; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:18-19:16). Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. (Luke 23:13-25) While Jesus was being tossed around among Caiaphas, Pilate and King Herod, Peter denied His Lord three times (Matthew 26:57-27:10; Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-71; John 18:12-27). Jesus and Pilate talked about truth. Pilate then condemned Jesus to die, had him scourged, and sent him to the cross. Pilate washed his hands (Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-11). Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:32-61; Mark 15:21-47; Luke 23:26-56; John 19:17-47); “When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left” (Luke 23:33). Jesus’ Seven Last Words from the Cross: (1) Matthew 27:46 tells us that about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”(2) “ Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing ” ( Luke 23:34 ). (3) “ I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise " ( Luke 23:43 ). (4) “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). (5) “ Dear Woman, here is your son! ” and “Here is your mother!” (John 19:26-27). (6) “ I am thirsty ” ( John 19:28 ). (7) “It is finished!” (John 19:30). That night, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. He and Nicodemus wrapped the body with spices and linen, per Jewish customs. Then they laid Him in the tomb, guarded by Roman soldiers (John 19:38-42). SATURDAY Jesus was in the tomb. He preached to the spirits in prison. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly did not obey when God’s patience waited. (2 Peter 3:18-20) There is a lot of discussion about what Christ may or may not have done on Saturday. Some use this verse to postulate that Jesus preached the gospel to the Old Testament people who lived before Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Therefore, they had the opportunity of surrendering their lives to Christ as Lord and Savior. Others teach that He went down into hell and experienced the horrors and suffering there. Maybe He just stayed in the tomb. We just don’t know for certain what He was doing on Saturday. SUNDAY This is the Resurrection! And the angel said to the women, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, he was crucified. He has risen. He is not here; see the place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:5-6) Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen clothes lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed. (John 20:3-8) What led John to believe? Jesus was prepared for burial with layer after layer of linen burial cloths encircling his body, with spices distributed within its folds. When Jesus rose from the dead, He simply transmutated through the grave clothes and the wrappings, which then fell down intact where His body used to be. Our salvation was completed in this Holy Week by our Savior’s ultimate sacrifice; “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Well Anna, I hope you find this helpful as you contemplate this last week of the life of Christ. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’m concerned that the “haves” in our society are getting more, while the “have-nots” are falling farther behind. We are a middle-class family, and I’ve never really associated with anyone who was not in, or close, to my same socioeconomic level. Recently, I volunteered to help with COVID-19 vaccinations. For the first time in my life, I noticed the many people who are obviously not as well off as me. I felt my heart leading me to a nearby thrift store where I’ve been volunteering to help the needy. I know that the Bible has a lot to say about being generous to those in need. Could you please give me a biblical overview of compassion for the needy that I can share with my church and friends? Thank you,  Max Dear Max, Abraham Lincoln said, “God must love the poor. That is why He made so many of them.” Along with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln is perhaps our most famous president. Notice that Lincoln’s face is not on the silver dollar, or fifty-cent pieces, or quarters; Lincoln’s face is on the penny. There is a reason for that. David Brenner knew only poverty and hunger before he immigrated to the United States from Russia. He became a famous American sculptor. It was his idea to put Lincoln on the penny. He reasoned that there would be more pennies minted than any other coin. Consequently, there would be more pennies in the pockets of the poor people than any other coin. Pennies remind us of people who are poor and in need. Of course, in our day, only the poor people still worry about pennies. Everyone else handles their money electronically. Personally, I must admit that I used to have a hard time being generous to the poor because I never saw any of them. A Personal Lesson My daughter, Bronwyn, spent one summer traveling with a singing group all across the United States. Her first Sunday back, she used on me an exercise that she learned on her trip. “Dad, let’s take $20 and go down to the park where the homeless are and feed them some lunch!” “No,” I said, “I’m tired. I’ve preached four services, and besides, it’s over 100°F. It’s too hot. Let’s do it another day.” “No,” she said as she took my hand, “we’re going today.” So, we went to the grocery store, and I bought $20 worth of bread, mayonnaise, ham, Gatorade, a few candy bars, and some paper lunch sacks. We set out to feed the poor. I thought that we would just drop off a few bags, and we’d head home. What I discovered was that there was no quick drop-off. They all wanted to talk. I had not planned on taking time to talk. I had other things to do. It slowly dawned on me that they were not only hungry; they were lonely. The next Sunday Bronwyn did it to me again. “Let’s go down to Fourth Avenue,” she said, “we will find some poor people there.” In a thrift shop, we saw a mother buying used toys for her boys. It was obvious that she didn’t have much to spend. I decided to buy the toys for her. I made my offer at the cash register, and mom was indignant! “No thank you. I’m a schoolteacher. I can get along just fine without your help.” As we left the thrift store, Bronwyn said to me, “You are not very good at this, are you?” No, I wasn’t very good at it. I had a long way to go. The Severity of Poverty It is not pleasant to be poor – the poor are always behind. An old Russian proverb states: “Poverty is not a sin. It is a great deal worse.” The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.  ( Proverbs 10:15 ) A poor man is shunned by all his relatives—how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.  ( Proverbs 19:7 ) The son of my long-time administrative assistant died of leukemia in his early 30s. It was so sad. He had lived quite a rough life. At the funeral his mother said to me, “being a single mom, I could not help a lot. He never could get ahead in life. He was always behind.” I was fortunate. My parents were able to ensure that my brother, Ronnie, and I got a great start in life. They gave us used cars and the finances we needed for college. “Your college job is to make good grades and get prepared for a career,” they told us. Of course, we both got good summer jobs to help with the financing. When we graduated, we were off to a great start. Unfortunately, in today’s economy, most parents can’t afford to send their kids to college. Most young people can’t find a summer job or any job at all. At least one thing I’ve learned, wherever we are on the socioeconomic ladder, it’s hard to look back down. All would agree that it is not good to be poor. They are always trying to catch up. The Causes of Poverty 1. Some simply won’t work. Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.  ( Proverbs 10:4 ) 2. Time, energy, money, and opportunity are wasted when drugs, alcohol, leisure, and pleasure control a person’s life. Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.  ( Proverbs 23:20-21 ) 3. Some are too undisciplined to work. He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. ( Proverbs 13:18 ) 4. Some talk too much and work too little. All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.  (Proverb 14:23) 5. Get rich quick schemes lead some into poverty. The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.  ( Proverbs 21:5 ) 6. Gambling and the lottery trade money for impossible chances. Jan and her sister were on the way home from shopping when her sister said that she forgot to buy her lottery tickets for the Saturday night drawing. Her sister suggested that they stop at the Circle K, and she could buy some tickets. Jan responded, “Why don’t we save some time? I’ll drive by and you can just throw your money out the window.” A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.  ( Proverbs 28:22 ) 7. Many are poor because of people and events over which they have little or no control. A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.  ( Proverbs 13:23 ) A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly.  ( Proverbs 18:23 ) The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.  ( Proverbs 22:7 ) The Causes of Poverty 1. Some simply won’t work. Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.  ( Proverbs 10:4 ) 2. Time, energy, money, and opportunity are wasted when drugs, alcohol, leisure, and pleasure control a person’s life. Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.  ( Proverbs 23:20-21 ) 3. Some are too undisciplined to work. He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. ( Proverbs 13:18 ) 4. Some talk too much and work too little. All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.  (Proverb 14:23) 5. Get rich quick schemes lead some into poverty. The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.  ( Proverbs 21:5 ) 6. Gambling and the lottery trade money for impossible chances. Jan and her sister were on the way home from shopping when her sister said that she forgot to buy her lottery tickets for the Saturday night drawing. Her sister suggested that they stop at the Circle K, and she could buy some tickets. Jan responded, “Why don’t we save some time? I’ll drive by and you can just throw your money out the window.” A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.  ( Proverbs 28:22 ) 7. Many are poor because of people and events over which they have little or no control. A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.  ( Proverbs 13:23 ) A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly.  ( Proverbs 18:23 ) The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.  ( Proverbs 22:7 ) Good biblical economics centers around the following six principles: 1. Tithe to God. 2. Pay taxes to the government. 3. Stay out of debt on depreciating items. 4. Pay bills and have a positive cash flow. 5. Save some for future needs. 6. Have a surplus to give away. 2. Get in touch with the poor and needy. If we are going to have compassion, we must get close to the poor and needy. In 1968, Bobby Kennedy was fighting for the Democratic nomination for president. His guide for the day was former boxing champion Jose Torres. They were crisscrossing the streets of some of the poorest neighborhoods in Spanish Harlem. After five hours, he was caked with dirt and soaked in perspiration. At the conclusion of their 18-hour day, Torres wondered why the rich man’s son came to the ghettos and worked so hard and for so long. He asked, “Why are you doing this? Why are you running?” Bobby replied in a very low voice: “Because I found out that my world isn’t the real world.” Unfortunately, most of us tend to spend too much time looking up the ladder. 3. Develop a culture within your family of helping those less fortunate. 1. Let your child support a poverty-stricken child through a ministry like  World Vision  or  Samaritan’s Purse.  It’s personal. Your child will receive periodic pictures and updates. 2. Help them see the other side of life. A mission trip to a poverty-stricken area will do wonders. 3. Arrange for them to volunteer or earn money to give to ministries like a local food bank, homeless shelter, or after-school program. 4. Arrange for them to volunteer at a nursing home by taking the patients on walks outside or by reading stories to those who can’t read or see well. 4. Let your heart break with compassion. Follow Christ’s model of preaching good news to the poor and setting free those bound up in misery and poverty. The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.  ( Luke 4:18-19 ). Compassion is the key. A rich young man asked Jesus if he could follow him. Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. The young man decided that price was too high. He turned and walked away ( Mark 10:23 ). As he departed, Mark tells us that Jesus looked on him with compassion. The Greek word means that Jesus was deeply heartbroken. Jesus was filled with compassion as he healed blind people, deaf people, crippled people, and cast out all kinds of demons. And Jesus healed a woman with the issue of blood who couldn’t get married in a time when a husband was the only means of support. For over 35 years, I’ve known a wonderful man who struggles just above the poverty level. Our church has kept him financially afloat for years. He told me that one of the things that hurts him the most are the people who accuse him of being the cause for his poverty: “Some even get angry at me for not being a better person – for being stuck in poverty. They don’t seem to care that I have an emotional disorder that dominates my life and that keeps me from even getting a job. Even if I do get a job after working two or three days the boss tells me that things just aren’t working out and lets me go.” My friend tells me that the four things he struggles with the most are anger, frustration, embarrassment, and being angry with God for not showing him a way out. What to Do if You Are the One in Need of Help First, personally, I’ve noticed that many people who are down and out are too proud to receive the help they need. Swallow your  pride  and be grateful for what’s offered. Second, trust God’s promise in  Psalm 37:25 ; “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the  righteous  forsaken or their children breaking bread.” Third, earnestly pray for God to give you the grace you need to be victorious in the midst of your struggles. Fourth, pray for a godly way out of your poverty. Well, Max, I hope that my thoughts will be helpful to you. Love, Roger