Dear Roger, There is so much talk and discussion these days about the antichrist, the Second Coming, the mark of the beast, and so many other end times subjects. I’ve never read or heard anyone talk about what’s going on in Heaven before the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Can you help me here? Sincerely, Susie Dear Susie, When thoughts about Heaven flood your mind, what do you think of? Most of us imagine that Heaven is someplace even more comfortable than Earth. We think that if we have $1000 here, we’ll have $10 million there. If our pillow is soft here, it will be really fluffy up there. If the music is soul-stirring here, it will be unimaginably beautiful there. We are so earth-bound that without realizing it, we think that everything in Heaven must somehow be compared to the way we have it now—except that heaven will just be a whole lot better. When Julie and I were in Hawaii, we’d say, “Is this Heaven? It doesn’t get any better than this.” But Hawaii is nothing like Heaven. When Julie and I were in Switzerland, we’d say, “Is this Heaven? It doesn’t get any better than this.” But Switzerland is nothing like Heaven. We could spend our lives dreaming about Heaven, but we would be wasting our time. Why? Because moving from the realm of the seen to the unseen—moving from the creature comforts and tangible benefits we have on this earth—it is impossible for us to grasp a world without 24-hour cycles of day and night. No gravity. No sun. No moon. No stars. No night. Nothing that we call the familiar will be in that unfamiliar, resplendent, glorious place. So with that truth in mind, let’s try to get a feel for what’s going on in heaven right now, even before the Great Tribulation takes place on earth. Join me to look at Revelation 4:1-11, verse by verse. Suddenly, the apostle John—who is isolated in a penal colony on the Mediterranean island of Patmos—is transported to a glorious non-Earth setting where he is told to write about things revealed to him. We can only imagine his frustration as he tried to put into words the indescribable scenes that unfolded before him. Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." You’re thinking of a door, aren’t you? Everyone has doors in their houses. But this is not a normal door with a knob and keys and hinges. It’s a moving entrance from earth to Heaven. The only way John can describe it is with a term we’re familiar with; a door. This entrance is available for those times when spiritual creatures, like angels, need to move up and down from earth to heaven. In chapter one of Revelation, we learn that the One who speaks like a trumpet is the Lord Jesus Christ. That means the beginning of chapter four may well describe the  Rapture  described in First Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.” So, the Lord Jesus Christ is serving as an escort throughout Heaven to show John into the portals beyond. No one knows what Jesus will shout at the Rapture. Personally, I think that he will shout something like “Come up here!” Revelation 4:2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. Stop! You’re thinking of a piece of furniture. I understand. Because the only throne we have ever seen is a big, elegant seat—an enormous golden chair with stuff all over it and people sitting on it with stuff all over them. And it’s all about stuff. But this is not about stuff. This is about the ethereal, invisible, ineffable world of the unseen where the Living God is enthroned. John is trying desperately to describe the awesome majesty of our God. Revelation 4:3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Jasper is a diamond; Carnelian is a red stone. Rainbow “like” an emerald – green – halo extended over all that he saw. Notice that John makes no attempt to give us clear-cut anthropomorphic details. God is often described as Light ( Psalm 104:2 ). John sees Him as light; brilliant light shining from an awesome, nearly indescribable presence here in the throne room of Heaven. Revelation 4:4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. The metaphor, “dressed in white” is used throughout Scripture as a picture of Christ’s righteousness and forgiveness of sins. Next, there are two types of crowns mentioned in the original Greek. The first is a “diadema.” This is the crown of the king, encrusted with a multitude of precious stones. “Stephanos” is the laurel wreath crown that comes from accomplishment, victory, and reward. It is usually made of plated leaves and ivy—you’ve seen pictures of them on coins. It is usually given out at athletic events, like the ancient Olympics. These elders wear “stephanos” crowns. Immediately, then, the question is, “Who are they?” Frankly, no one knows. Pages of commentaries have been written, but everyone’s just guessing. Some say they are the twelve apostles and twelve tribes of Israel. Others say they are the Old Testament Jews as well as the New Testament believers. Perhaps these 24 represent rewarded believers, chosen by the Almighty to reign alongside of Him in positions of authority. If this is true, they could include any of us. Revelation 4:5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Thunder and lightning can be scary! Think about a mom and dad as they put their five-year-old to bed. Later that evening, a ferocious thunderstorm begins. They thought their child would be terrified with all the light and sound. But when they ran to her bedroom, they found their daughter standing on the windowsill, arms stretched out, smiling into the face of the storm. “Look,” she said, God is taking my picture!” Perhaps the lightning and thunder described all of Heaven announcing God’s presence! Revelation 4:6 a Also, before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. This sea is often pictured as glass, or crystals, or ice, or water. This is one of my favorite passages in all the  Bible  because it reminds me of God’s deep love and concern for us. In  Psalm 56:8 , David describes how God puts all of our tears into His bottle. I picture the sea surrounding God’s throne as the bottle which contains all the tears that we have shed throughout our lifetime. Revelation 4:6 b-7 In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. The gospel, the story of the life of Christ, is a singular message—yet we have four records of it from four different points of view, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The animals John describes here are highly symbolic. They typify a decidedly different aspect of the character of Jesus Christ as delineated in each gospel. Matthew presents Jesus as a king. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Mark is portrayed as an ox because Mark presents Jesus as a slave. Luke pictures Jesus as a man, portraying the human side of Jesus. John presents Jesus as an eagle because eagle stands for deity. Revelation 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night, they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." What’s going on in heaven? The four living creatures never stop saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” This is describing an antiphonal sound. Have you ever sung in a large choir? Sometimes one side sings a part and the other answers. Then they sing together. That “ask and answer” is antiphonal voice. Think of the contrast. They pray ceaselessly while we fiddle around on earth worried about our plans and our disappointments and our future and our money and our homes and our dreams. Do you think that John right now is worried about supper on Patmos? Is he asking, “Did I close the door to my cave when I left, or did I leave it open?” None of that matters! It’s all about the heavenly Almighty! And the elders seated beside Him! And the angels shouting and praising in antiphonal voice! All are giving glory and thanks and honor to Him who sits on the throne. Revelation 4:9-10 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: There is a lot of activity in heaven! Some are speaking ceaselessly. Some are kneeling. But when this sound comes, they’re caught up in it. They fall down before our awesome God, and they cast their  stephanos  crowns before the throne. And best of all, everyone in heaven will realize that this is “not about me.” What a magnificent moment it will be, as we who may be rewarded with a crown or two realize, this is not about me. This is not remembering my work. This is all about my God who gave me breath in my lungs, and a voice to speak, and thoughts to think and a direction to go. It’s all about my God. And we all join in the praising. Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Amen! That’s exactly the way it is. It’s all for His glory, for His purpose. That’s why we were created. That’s why we’ve been made. That’s why we live. That’s why we exist at this very moment. That is all part of His plan. It is all for Him—our birth and death, our disappointments and achievements, our marriages, our failures, our every moment of life. It is all about the One who is worthy to receive glory and honor and praise. So, Susie, you may be asking, “What does this mean to me?” I’ve often found that when we get hold of prophetic truth, it’s amazing how our everyday worries become less significant. Life looks very different from the perspective of the throne room. Love, Roger

Dear Roger,      What will happen to the people who miss the Rapture? Will they still be able to become Christians? Will the pain and suffering during the Great Tribulation cause people turn to Christ or to continue rejecting Him? Does God have an evangelistic plan for reaching the lost people in the Great Tribulation? Please help me to sort all this out.      Sincerely,       Curious Dear Curious, The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a love letter to the world. God’s love and plan for salvation from sin is best described in John 3:16 : “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him, might not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jesus challenged us to share the gospel with those who do not know Jesús as their personal Lord and Savior. And those who have not responded personally to the gospel will spend eternity in hell, separated from God. But after the Rapture, during the Great Tribulation, and right up to the end, God is still merciful. It’s not too late to turn to Jesus! He never, ever stops pleading with men and women to surrender their lives to Jesus.  God never leaves Himself without a witness. The book of Revelation details four of these witnesses who will share the gospel until the end of time: 144,000 Jews who believe in Jesus (Revelation 7:3, 8) Two incredibly powerful evangelists or “witnesses” (Revelation 11:3) An angel shouting out the gospel while flying through the sky (Revelation 14:6-7) The tribulation saints (Revelation 12:11) THE 144,000 JEWS WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun with the seal of the living God . . . Then I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel” (Revelation 7:3, 8)  Who are the 144,000? So many have tried to apply this group to themselves that it is almost ludicrous. The Jehovah Witnesses said that this number referred to them. Unfortunately, their numbers grew far beyond 144,000. They no longer teach that doctrine. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we see that God planned for Israel to bring the revelation of Christ to the world. The day is coming when the “scales” will fall from their eyes and the Jews will recognize Jesus as their Messiah. This occurs when they see the “nail prints in his hands” as described in Zechariah 12. Then, in Revelation, the apostle John makes very clear that the 144,000 are Jewish evangelists who will spread the gospel all over the world during the time of Great Tribulation. Notice that they are “sealed” by God. The seal refers to ownership and protection; “Then I looked and on Mount Zion stood the Lamb and with 144,000 who had his name and his father’s name written on their foreheads” (Revelation 14:1). A seal is not unique. God often marks His people! For example, consider Abraham's circumcision, blood at the Passover, Rahab's scarlet thread, and Christians sealed by Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 3:1). In this case, the seal protects these evangelists from the judgments that will come to the earth. Protected, they will be able to do their work for the Lord. John is shown the results of their work. The evangelism success of the 144,000 is absolutely incredible! After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number … standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes … Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come? “I said to him, sir, you know. And he said to me, “these are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-14). Those who were converted by the preaching of the 144,000 will come “out of the Great Tribulation.” They missed the rapture at the first coming of Christ, but they will still receive salvation. Notice that all are eventually martyred. The cost of becoming a Christian in those Tribulation days will be our very lives.  The time to come to Jesus is now! THE TWO POWERFUL WITNESSES In Revelation 11, God brings two of the most unique evangelists who have ever lived. And I will grant my two witnesses power to prophesy . . . And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouths and consumes their foes. (Revelation 11:3) The witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain may fall. Who did this? Elijah. They have power to turn water into blood. Who did this? Moses. Maybe God was saving them back for just a time as this. Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire. He is still alive and ready to take up that work. Michael the angel and Satan fought over Moses’ body. Michael won and God buried him in a secret place –perhaps reserving his body to be one of the two witnesses. Perhaps they are simply two unknown preachers who minister in the Spirit and power of Moses and Elijah! Note that the English word translated here as “witness” is the Greek word, “martyr.” To the early Christians, to “witness” meant to die. Persecution against Christians continues unabated to this day. When their evangelistic ministry is concluded, the Beast comes out of the pit and kills them both. They lie in the street of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified for three and a half days. People from every tribe and tongue will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in the tomb. Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, because these two prophets were a torment for those who dwell on the earth. After three and half days (or the last half of the Great Tribulation), a breath of life from God will enter them and they will stand up, alive. Great fear will fall upon those who see them. Then, they will hear a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And the witnesses will arise to heaven in a cloud. Their resurrection after three days is a testimonial reference to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus after three days in the tomb. The whole world which rejected a resurrected Christ will see not one but two resurrections before their very eyes! Some will receive Christ (Revelation 11:13), but most won’t. AN ANGEL SHOUTING OUT THE GOSPEL WHILE FLYING THROUGH THE SKY In his Olivet discourse, Jesus taught that one of the signs which will precede the end is that the gospel of the kingdom would be preached in all the world. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) I’ve always wondered how the people throughout the whole world would hear the gospel in the end times. The task just seems too great. Here is the fulfillment of that prophecy. An angel does it! Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said, with a loud voice,’ fear God and give him glory for the hour of his judgment has come.”’ (Revelation 14:6-7) Of course, now we have worldwide media to cover everything. During the Tribulation, a phenomenon will occur which never before has been seen in the history of the world. Angels will be preaching the gospel to people! God will proclaim one last, all-out offer of grace before He buries the world under an avalanche of final judgment. It is astounding that an angel is commissioned to go forth preaching the everlasting Gospel, for the preaching of the Gospel has not been committed to angels but to men. This astounding state of affairs could only be an indication of the severity of the circumstances. The devastation during the Great Tribulation is so horrendous that angels must be drafted to help spread the everlasting Gospel. The people of the earth are given a final opportunity to accept or to reject Jesus Christ. THE TRIBULATION SAINTS Finally, after the 144,000, the two witnesses, and the angels, a multitude of Christians who found Christ during the Tribulation time will be used by God to share the gospel. Revelation 12:11 describes how our Tribulation brothers will defeat Satan—and how we daily can do the same: And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:11) “The blood of the Lamb” refers to Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross. This means we share the gospel of salvation with others. “By the word of their testimony” reminds us that the testimony of a convicted Christian is powerful in leading someone to Christ as their Lord and Savior. “Loved not their lives even unto death” means that they were willing to sacrifice their lives for Christ at any price. Our God is full of grace and mercy, isn’t He? Up until the very last moment, He is giving all people the opportunity to turn to Him and accept the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. To God be the glory!   Well Curious, I hope this helps answer your questions. I’m sharing below one of my favorite stories which sums up everything that I’ve written to you. John Payton was a young student in England when he felt the call to the mission field.  Recently married, God began to lead him to the New Hebrides Islands which were inhabited by man-eating cannibals. I’ve tried to make his experience personal. If I'd been in seminary and God said, "Roger, I want you to go to an island of man-eating cannibals," I might well have said "Now, God, I’m preparing for ministry just like you asked me to. Why should I be somebody's lunch? Listen, God, I know a seminary drop-out. Call him. Why, they'll eat him, and who'll know? Why me?" That's what I might say, but not John Payton. He gathered up his new bride and went to the New Hebrides Islands. He didn’t know the language. He and his wife tried to make contact and show that they were friends. Several months went by. His wife gave birth to a baby. Two weeks later, the baby contracted a tropical disease and died. Two days after that, his wife died. He buried them side-by-side in front of a lean-to he'd built. He said in his biography, "I slept on their graves for three nights to keep the natives from digging up the bodies and eating them.” "I said to God, just how far does obedience go? What do you want from me?" Through the providence of God, he came across a native was an outcast from the tribe.  They became friends. John Payton learned the language, and eventually he led his friend to Christ. That native brought another outcast. The biography reads like a jungle adventure as they hid from some of the natives who tried to kill them. As God would have it, John Payton stayed on that island for 35 years. At the end of his time there, he said, "I do not know of one single native who has not made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ." My prayer is that you will sense an overriding burden to lead your friends and family to Christ—and that you will do something about it. It’s relatively easy for your loved ones to come to Christ now. It certainly will not be easy during the Tribulation. During those days, following Christ will cost them their lives. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I have been studying the book of Revelation, and I have lots of questions about the seven trumpets. What do they mean? What will happen when they are blown in heaven? Sincerely, Jason Dear Jason, Near the end of Revelation, Jesus tells the apostle John that there is a blessing for all who read and study this book. I want that blessing! So, I often read and teach it. I would be glad to help you. Let me begin with a REVIEW of the opening of the Seven Seals. You can find my most recent article on the Seven Seals here . The first four seals are often called the “four horsemen of the apocalypse” (Revelation 6:6-8). The White Horse represents peace. There will be peace on the earth for three and half years until its rider, the Antichrist, breaks the peace treaty with Israel he made. All hell breaks loose as he is given a bow and a crown. He goes out to conquer the world. The Red Horse represents massive wars. He rides with a big sword! The Black Horse represents famine, as the price of food skyrockets. The Pale Horse represents death, as one quarter of the earth suffers from pestilence and disease. Then, the fifth seal opens to reveal the martyred saints who are under the altar in heaven, pleading for God to take vengeance on those who killed them (Revelation 6:9-11). When the sixth seal is opened, the whole earth is shaken by what can only be described as a nuclear holocaust. Millions die (Revelation 6:12-14). The devastation is so great that people flee to the mountains and plead for the rocks to hide them from Jesus who is sitting on his throne. The wrath of God has come (Revelation 6:15-17). Satan opens the demonic pits of hell for five months to in order that God might torture those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 144,000 Jews for Jesus evangelize the world. Great honor and praise are given to the Lamb of God (Revelation 7:1-17). Next, the Seventh Seal Opens to Reveal the Seven Trumpets. Right before the seven trumpets are blown, there is a thirty-minute interval of silence before the first trumpet sounds forth. Remember that heaven is filled with unending praise! So, this silence is ominous and unprecedented. Why? What did the angels see? I believe that they see the end of the human race! They see the full extent of what man's rebellion against God has done. What they see is terrifying; and it takes their breath away. Then, seven angels stepped forward to blow the seven trumpets; “ Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets which were given to them” (Revelation 8:2). At that moment, John sees the “Altar of Incense,” which represents the answered prayers of the martyred saints. They asked to God to avenge their martyrdom. Jesus is mingling their prayers with His blood before He executes judgment. And the same God who has been pleading and interceding on behalf of the souls of humankind now turns to judge the world, pouring out His wrath and judgment upon those who would not receive Jesus as Savior (Revelation 8:3). I’m reminded of Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, where he declares; “The Gospel is sweet to those who are saved; but, it is the fragrance of death to those who are perishing.” THE FIRST TRUMPET The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, which fell on the earth; and one-third of the earth was burned up, and one-third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. (Revelation 8:7) The meaning of this trumpet is quite straightforward. Among other things, the earth’s food supply is destroyed. But don’t miss God’s mercy. Only one-third of these things are destroyed. There is still hope for the people who are left behind to repent and come to Jesus! THE SECOND TRUMPET The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea; and one-third of the sea became blood, and one-third of the living creatures in the sea died and one-third of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8:8-9) The second trumpet is a direct attack upon the seas, likely by a falling meteor. Much of humankind’s need for food is furnished by the oceans. One-third of the creatures in the sea are destroyed. For example, in Korea, next to rice, fish, seaweed and raw oysters are their main staples! There’s nothing like a heaping plate of raw octopus tentacles. I know, I’ve tried it. It is slimy but edible. THE THIRD TRUMPET The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven blazing like a torch, and it fell on one-third of the rivers and fountains of the waters the name of the star is wormwood. One third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died of the water because it was made bitter. (Revelation 8:10-11) This is an attack on the fresh waters of the earth. “Wormwood” means bitterness. No one could drink this water and live. Humans can live for 40 days without food, but no more than three or four without water. It’s conceivable that this describes massive amounts of nuclear waste which will wash over the world. THE FOURTH TRUMPET The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars, so that one third of their light was darkened and one third of the day was kept from shining, and likewise one third of the night. (Revelation 8:12) There’s a good chance that this refers to a nuclear winter, in which massive amounts of dust are kicked up into the atmosphere and all the lights diminished. Of course, we see already the smog increasing in cities and countries like China, Japan, and the United States. Note that this trumpet is temporary. Later, in Revelation 16:8-9, the sun’s power is intensified. Perhaps that means the sun’s ultraviolet rays increase or the oxygen layer dissolves. At this point, a “flying eagle” appears in heaven, proclaiming three great woes on mankind. These woes are trumpets numbers five, six, and seven. The woes are a warning that it's time to come to Jesus! Look, I’ve heard crying with a loud voice, as it flew admit, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blast of the other trumpets which the three angels are about to blow.” (Revelation 8:13) Imagine an empty sky and one solitary eagle winging its way across the zenith of the sky, forewarning of the doom to come. Throughout Scripture, whenever God does anything in the way of judgment, He always warns. That’s His mercy and grace! THE FIFTH TRUMPET (THE FIRST WOE) The three woes are indicators of deepening intensity. Blowing the fifth trumpet (Revelation 9:1-11) is a long and involved passage. I’ll give you the highlights. Lucifer is the fallen archangel (Revelation 12:7-9) who is now hurled to earth. His fall is described in Isaiah 14:12-17. Satan is given the keys to the “abyss,” the prison for fallen angelic spirits. These are the worst of the fallen angels (see Jude 6).  The demons we have on earth are of another order. In Luke 8:26-31, when Jesus heals the Gadarene Demoniac, the exorcised demons plead to Jesus; “Please don't cast us into the abyss." The smoke, the veritable soot of Hell, comes forth to cover the earth. From the abyss comes forth filthy, dirty demonic spirits in the bodily form of locusts, arrayed for battle. They have faces with hair like a woman’s hair and teeth like a lion’s teeth; they have tails like scorpions and their power lies in their tails. Their king is named “Destroyer,” referring to Satan himself. The demons are instructed not to touch anyone who has the “seal of God” on their forehead. But on the other hand, those without Christ’s seal are tormented for five months. The locusts’ sting is like the sting of the scorpion. During that time men and women will pray to die; but Jesus will not allow it for the next five months. In addition, the “seal of God” is the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4), given to all Christians when they receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. This seal is for protection. Satan is the arch counterfeiter; God seals His believers with the Holy Spirit. Satan seals his followers with a false seal: the sign of the beast, the number 666 on their forehead or right hand. All those with the mark of the beast will be either tormented and destroyed. This trumpet is sounding a picture of hell where people can’t die even if they want to. THE SIXTH TRUMPET (THE SECOND WOE) Once again, the verses describing the sixth trumpet (Revelation 10:13-21) are also quite involved. I will summarize and highlight them for you. The “horns of the golden altar” refer to the voice of Christ calling for judgment. What a change! The very altar where Christ has been pleading for mercy now becomes the place where He orders judgment. It’s terrible when sin cries out for judgment. But now mercy cries out for judgment. Now, a demon-empowered army of 200 million soldiers is poised on the eastern side of the Valley of Armageddon, waiting to be released toward Israel. This area has great significance. Sin was first committed here in the garden of Eden. The first murder took place here. Nimrod, the father of idolatry built a city there, and here, iniquity will have its last vestiges on earth. Revelation 9:17-19 describes the destruction that they reap on humankind. A cursory reading seems to fit with armaments like jet planes and tanks and anti-tank missiles. This giant war machine—moving from the East to Jerusalem—appears to be a nuclear army, under demonic control, that a leaves trail of nuclear destruction. There is much symbolism in these verses: Smoke from the Abyss may be germ or chemical warfare or nuclear clouds of radioactive fallout and debris. Sulphur (brimstone) describes melted earth and materials. Zechariah chapter five describes this scene: People's tongues cleave to the roofs of their mouths, skeletons stand there as melted flesh falls from bones. This is a taste of Hell on earth … and yet, the people still refuse to repent! The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor will give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot either see nor here nor walk; nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or immorality or thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21) THE SEVENTH TRUMPET (THE THIRD WOE) The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is soon to come. Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:14-15) When the seventh trumpet blows, there is a time of great rejoicing in heaven. But soon after, the rejoicing is stopped as the seven angels pour out the bowls of God’s wrath upon earth. WHAT DO THE SEVEN TRUMPETS HAVE TO DO WITH ME TODAY? In 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul tells us how we are to behave and what we are to do as we prepare for the seventh trumpet to blow and the and bowl judgments approach: I charge you in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing … Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patients and in teaching. “Preach” means to share the Gospel with those who do not yet know Jesus Christ. “Instruct” means to teach Christ-followers how to live on earth in a way that honors God. “Exhort” means to encourage others with the truth that Jesus has taken back the world through His death, burial, and resurrection. He will return and reign forever and ever! Jason, I hope this helps to give you a better idea of what the Seven Trumpets mean—and that you are encouraged in the knowledge of God’s justice. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’ve been studying the book of Revelation, and I think I have a pretty good handle on what the seals and the trumpets mean. However, the bowls of God’s wrath are spread over many verses all the way to the end of the book. Could you please give me a simplified version of the bowls of God’s wrath? Sincerely, Darcy Dear Darcy, God felt really good about His creation when He first finished. When God made man, he said, “This is very good.” “I did a really good job!” (See Genesis 2). He walked with Adam in the Garden. He created woman, the perfect companion for man. Again and again, He said “It is good.” Unfortunately, it did not take long for God’s thoughts to change. In Genesis 6:5-8, we read, “The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become … the LORD was grieved that he had made man. … So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth. … For I am grieved that I have made them." So, God decided to start over. He sent a flood! Faithful Noah and his family were saved, and evil was wiped off the face of the earth … except for the sin still in the heart of humankind. Wickedness has overtaken the world once more. In Revelation, God reveals that he is going to again wipe the slate clean. Looking at the Book of Revelation, the Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls encompass all seven years of the Tribulation, or the time of suffering that will precede the Second Coming of Christ. When the last Bowl is poured out Armageddon will begin. Let me share a short review of the Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets, and then we will look more closely at the Seven Bowls of God’s wrath. The Antichrist Is revealed. War, famine, and death encompass the earth. The martyrs under the altar in heaven plead with God to avenge their deaths. A nuclear holocaust brings about incredible suffering. The Seven Trumpets of God’s Wrath Are Destructions That Satan Brings upon Humankind ( Revelation 8-11 ) Fire mixed with blood is hurled onto the earth. One-third of vegetation, freshwater, and seawater are destroyed. Man’s food supply is devastated. Commerce uproots supply lines all over the world. Meteors, missiles, and radioactivity are slaughtering everything. The sun, moon, and stars are darkened. The keys to the prison-house abyss are given to Satan so that demonic hordes may be released against humankind. The voice of Christ thunders forth from the golden altar. The Euphrates River is bound, awaiting the call for Armageddon. The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath Are Destructions That God Himself Brings upon Humankind ( Revelation 15-16 ) The seven bowls are like the seven seals on steroids! John begins, “ Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God’”  ( Revelation 16:1 ). The First Bowl of God’s Wrath “ So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the  mark of the beast  and those who worshiped its image ” ( Revelation 16:2 ). This rash of malignant sores could easily be caused by the tremendous radioactive pollution in the atmosphere. After atomic bombs decimated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thousands of people died, while others developed hideous sores because of radioactivity. Consider the sweeping plagues throughout human history which have killed millions: smallpox; typhus; bubonic plague; polio, whooping cough; mustard gas; tuberculosis, and now, COVID-19. Now, imagine all these coming together at the same time all over the earth! Turnabout is fair play. Satan had the number of his name as 666. This satanic symbol brought death to all those Christians who didn’t have this mark branded on their forehead or on their hand. We see here the flipside. God seals his people with a mark as well. Whoever fails to have this mark is destroyed by God. By the way, the number of Jesus’ name is 777. This is perfection. The Second Bowl of God’s Wrath “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died”  ( Revelation 16:3 ). When all living creatures in the seas die, they will float to the top, their decaying bodies discharging an unbearable stench and inaugurating potential disease. Once again, our food supply is severely damaged. The Third Bowl of God’s Wrath “The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the water say, “’You are just in your judgment. Since they have shed the blood of saints and prophets you have given them blood to drink. It is their just due!’”  ( Revelation 16:4-7 ). This plague on freshwater is God’s earthly vindication of the suffering martyrs from earliest times to the present. He is answering the prayers of the martyrs to avenge their deaths. The Fourth Bowl of God’s Wrath “Then fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him”  ( Revelation 16:8-9 ). This plague describes men and women tasting the torments of  hell  as described by Jesus in  Luke 16 . The thirst will be incredible. Humans can live without food for 40 days. But we can only live without water for three to four days. This plague may be caused by the greenhouse effect of global warming and/or ozone depletion. Of course, as the ozone is depleted, ultraviolet rays ravage mankind. Perhaps, with all the shaking, the earth will actually tilt on its axis in such a way that the sun’s heat is increased. Of course, this plague may simply be one of the earth’s periodic cycles between hot and cold. Here is where they begin to curse the name of God. But the most startling thing is that men and women will still not repent! The Fifth Bowl of God’s Wrath “The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done”  ( Revelation 16:10-11 ). Christ’s own prediction was: “ In those days, after that  tribulation , the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light”  ( Mark 13:24 ). It may well be that the darkness causes a nuclear winter as massive amounts of dirt and dust overwhelm our atmosphere. Once again, lack of sunshine means poorly growing crops. Once again, famine threatens all existence. Still, humankind refuses to repent. These judgments are clearly supernatural. But instead of falling down before Him to become the recipients of His mercy, they not only blaspheme God, but refuse to change their ways. The Sixth Bowl of God’s Wrath “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; … They are spirits of demons, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. …Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon”  ( Revelation 16:12-16 ). The sixth bowl reveals a horde of 200 million people from the East poised on the banks of the Euphrates. In the book of Ezekiel, God says that he will place fishhooks into the mouths of Kings to pull them to Armageddon. Their way is cleared for a rapid forced march into Israel. This drying up is now possible because of the recent Russian construction of a dam near the headwaters of the Euphrates. The horrible carnage of Armageddon commences. Zechariah 14:12  predicts the astounding course of the battle: “ Their flesh will be consumed from their bones, their eyes burned out of their sockets, and their tongues consumed out of their mouths while they stand upon their feet. ” It will take seven years to cleanse the land. For hundreds of years, students of  Bible prophecy  have wondered what kind of plague could produce such instant ravaging of humans while still on their feet. Until the advent of the atomic bomb, such a thing was not humanly possible. But now everything Zechariah predicted could come true instantly in a thermonuclear exchange! The Seventh Bowl of God’s Wrath “The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’ Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. Every island fled away, and the mountains could not be found. And they cursed God.”  ( Revelation 16:17-21 ) While this great battle is raging, every city in the world is going to be leveled. This will take place by what is called an “earthquake” (Greek “seismos”). The word itself means, “a great shaking of the earth.” The earth could be shaken either by a literal earthquake or by a full-scale nuclear exchange of all remaining missiles. Thus begins the horrible carnage of Armageddon. What Does This Mean to Me? We are not in the  tribulation  yet, but we face difficult times every day. Let’s learn from them. I want to draw a few lessons from the book of Hebrews. His readers were suffering great turmoil. Read the book. The writer has a lot to say to us. 1. Submit to God no matter the circumstances : “ Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the father of spirits and live? ” ( Hebrews 12:9 ). 2. While we may not face the terror of the bowls,  we will experience difficult things in life. 3. Remember that difficult things can produce good things as well : “ For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it ” ( Hebrews 12:11 ). 4. Don’t quit : “ Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted ” ( Hebrews 12:3 ). 5. Don’t become bitter : “ See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God and that no  root of bitterness  spring up and cause trouble ” ( Hebrews 12:15 ). 6. God is committed to the process of restoration.  He will move heaven and earth if that’s what it takes to bring us to Christ. He will never stop reaching out to everyone. Darcy, I hope that my answer is clear and simple. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’m trying to understand just who the beasts of Revelation 13 are and how they might apply to us today. Can you help? Sincerely,  Mackenzie Dear MacKenzie, Let me give you a quick review of the movements and battles among the nations as they move toward Armageddon (See Revelation 11-12). Sometime before the beginning of the seven-year tribulation which leads to the Second Coming of Christ, the King of the South (an African-Arab coalition described in Daniel 11) moves to invade Israel. The coalition is ultimately defeated by the King of the North (who comes from the area of modern-day Russia). After a short time of peace, Gog and Magog (“Russia” and its leader) proceed with their own attempted invasion of Israel (see Ezekiel 38-39). The Antichrist intercepts both coalitions and defeats them. As a result, Israel agrees to a seven-year peace treaty with the Antichrist to protect them from other invasions. After three and half years, the Antichrist breaks the peace treaty. God brings down seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls of God’s wrath. God brings the armies of the Antichrist, Russia, the Middle East, the Arab-African coalition, and China all together in the Valley of Megiddo for the Battle of Armageddon. The nations thought they were preparing to fight each other; but that never happens. They all end up fighting Christ. Jesus returns and laughs at the destruction of his enemies (see Psalm 2). The Two Beasts and the Dragon (Revelation 13) The “beast that comes up from the Abyss” ( Revelation 11:7 ) is the  Antichrist  who institutes the economic, political, and religious structures which are designed to control the people of the world. Please note that the “beasts and dragon” in  Revelation 13  are different from the “four beasts” who appear in  Revelation 17  and following. The Sea Gives Insight about Satan and the Beast ( Revelation 13:1 ) “The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea”  ( Revelation 13:1 ). John sees a nightmarish vision of a dragon and a beast. The beast comes out of the sea and receives power from the dragon. The beast is the Antichrist. The dragon is Satan. The sea is most likely a symbol of the evil encompassing the Gentile nations in general. Ten Horns and Seven Heads Describe the Power Base of the Antichrist ( Revelation 13:1-2 ) “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns upon its horns and a blasphemous name on each head.The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority ” ( Revelation 13:1-2 ). The prophet Daniel describes a coalition of ten nations that become unified in the geographic area of the old Roman Empire. As prophesied in the book of Daniel, chapter 8, a little horn, the Antichrist, grows up and defeats three of the nations, leaving seven. The Antichrist now has the foundation to capture Israel and bring great terror upon the earth. There is much discussion about the identity of the heads and horns. Some believe that the book of Revelation is completely historical. They refer to the beast as the Roman Empire, concluding that the seven horns represent the seven Roman emperors: Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. Three more emperors followed and were crowned and assassinated over the next 18 months, bringing the total to 10 heads. I see here a prophetical principle called a “double fulfillment.” This occurs when a prophecy is doubly fulfilled in the future. About 500 B.C. Daniel prophesied that a coming Antichrist would set up an abomination of desolation in the temple and proceed to kill thousands of Jews. Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), the king of Syria, captured Jerusalem in 167 BC and desecrated the Temple by offering the sacrifice of a pig on an altar to Zeus (the Abomination of Desolation). Ultimately, he was defeated by the Maccabees. Jews celebrate this victory every year. The second fulfillment of Daniel’s  prophecies  will occur in accordance with the book of Revelation. Personally, I believe that the seven heads and ten horns will be a coalition of nations that rises to power in order to subdue the earth under the control of Satan and his Antichrist minion. Their crowns are a reflection of their attempt to be God. The heads are speaking blasphemies against the holy God. One Head of the Beast Receives a Mortal Wound and Lives ( Revelation 13:3 ) “One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast”  ( Revelation 13:3 ). The Greek words mean "slit the throat with a knife." This assassination will be as if the president of the United States (or another nation) has his throat slit and dies. But then, during the funeral, he sits up in the casket and comes back to life. This resurrection is Satan’s counterfeit of Christ's resurrection. The Career of the Beast/Antichrist Has Worldwide Impact (Revelation 13:4-9) People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast … The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months (this is the last three and half years of the Great  Tribulation ). It opened its mouth to blaspheme God … and to slander his name and … All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life … Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear”  ( Revelation 13:4-9 ). How could anyone be duped into accepting the  Antichrist ? Remember how the Antichrist comes into power.  Revelation 6:2  says, “The rider on a white horse comes in peace!” Peace is attractive. See if you can tell me who said this: "The secrets of our country are in turmoil; the universities are filled with students reveling and rioting. Communists are seeking to destroy our country, and the Republic is in danger—Yes, danger from within and from without. Without law and order, our Nation cannot survive!" Adolf Hitler said that in 1932! Seven years before he invaded Poland! In 1930. Germany was in desperate financial straits. Riots, unrest, and communism were splitting the nation down the middle. Then Hitler appeared on the scene; a voice of authority arose. Great promises of peace, prosperity, and hope for Germany! People proclaimed, "Heil Hitler." It's said that 80% of the Evangelical Christians in Germany in the 1930s voted for Hitler because they really believed that he could bring peace, law, order, and prosperity to Germany. In a time of great economic turmoil, the Antichrist will appear as a smooth-talking peacemaker! The world will embrace him as a savior and solver of its problems. Next, he will gain control of the Western Power Bloc: Russia, the nations of the Middle East, the Arab-African coalition, and the ten-nation confederacy of central Europe. He will make a seven-year mutual security pact with Israel. Israel signs out of fear of "Rosh” (Russian) from the uttermost north. After three and half years, he breaks the treaty and erects the “Abomination of Desolation” in the temple in Jerusalem. Thus begins a great wave of Anti-Semitism. He exterminates every Jew that he can get his hands on. Two-thirds of all remaining Israelis are put to death ( Revelation 12 ). Then, he brings war against the saints of God ( Revelation 13:5 ,  Daniel 7:25 ). He gains absolute control over Palestine after the invasion of Rosh from the North and her cohorts fail. He proclaims himself to be God ( Daniel 11:36-37 ;  2 Thessalonians 2:4-11 ;  Revelation 13:5 ), destroying all of the world's false religious systems so that he may rule unhindered … and he demands to be worshipped. There is hope! Ultimately, the Antichrist is completely crushed by the Lord Jesus Christ at the battle of Armageddon ( Revelation 19 ). He is the first to be thrown into the Lake of Fire ( Revelation 19:20 ; 20:10;  Daniel 7:11 ). The Worship of the Lamb-Beast (Revelation 13:11-18) “ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed”  ( Revelation 13:11-12 ). The role of the second beast is to enforce the worship of Antichrist and to confront Christians with the choice of either proclaiming, “Antichrist is Lord” or facing death. We know that Jesus is the true Lamb ( John 1:29 ), "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the earth.” And how like Satan it is to have a counterfeit! He looks like a lamb, but when he opens his mouth, he speaks like a Dragon. The mild, lamb-like preacher who denies the deity of Christ speaks with the voice of  hell . The meek, gentle preacher who denies the Virgin Birth is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The one who denies Christ as God in human flesh; the one who says that Jesus is not 100% God; the one who denies the blood  atonement  and sacrificial death of Christ on the cross; or the one who denies the Resurrection may look like a lamb, but he is speaking with the mouth of a dragon. As Satan lays his plans for a strategic final attack to dominate the earth, he attacks on three major fronts: Political/Economic/Religious. Religion Is Simple: Worship the First Beast or Else ( Revelation 13:13-15 ) “And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people … Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed”  ( Revelation 13:13-15 ). This image is the Abomination of Desolation foretold by Daniel ( Daniel 9:27 ; 11:36); Jesus ( Matthew 24:15 ); and Paul ( 2 Thessalonians 2:4 ). Some kind of demonic control enters into this inanimate object, and it begins to act as if it's alive. Since Satan can't command worship from heaven, he does it in the Jewish temple in the Holy City ( Daniel 8:9-16 ). The Worship Is Enforced by Economic Sanctions: The Infamous Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:16-18) “ It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”  ( Revelation 13:16-17 ). All beast worshipers are compelled to receive a mark. How could this happen? Consider the technology and governmental control that already exists in the U.S. and much of the world today: Invent a system to house all the computerized economic data Remove all currency and substitute controlled credit Have central control on everyone's financial status and credit rating Do all major economic work at institutional level Give government complete control of finance … We are moving in that direction! The Federal government controls the economy, inflation, and recession by limiting or increasing the money supply. So why then bother to have credit cards? Why don’t we get one number for economic and social needs and tattoo it on the forehead or insert a chip into the back of the right hand? A man from communist Bulgaria said that the most terrible instrument ever devised by man is the ration card. You can't buy or sell anything except according to that little ration card. "If they please, they can starve you to death … dispossess you of everything you have, for you can't trade nor buy nor sell without that little card." The Beast will control a centralized economy. Watch closely for the mark; “ This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666 ” ( Revelation 13:18 ). Now, if we just find a man who signs his name with three sixes, we'll know who the Antichrist is. Of course, it’s not that easy. There are at least several possible explanations of 666. 1. A symbol of humankind.  “Six” is the number of humanity in the Bible. 666 may be taken to mean an individual who is trying to imitate the Trinity of God (three sixes in one person). 2. Gematria —the ancient practice of adding the sum total of the numerical equivalent of letters of a person’s name. In Greek and Hebrew, the letters of the alphabet had definite numerical equivalents: the letters were in fact used as numbers, ABC=1+2+3=6. Gematria was a popular game among the Greeks. A piece of graffiti found in the ruins of Pompeii reads, "I love the girl whose number is 545." John thought that number was self-evident, but while it's easy to turn a name into a number, it's much harder to turn a number back into a name. Incidentally, both Caesar Nero and Bartholomew = 666. Hitler = 656; Roger Barrier = 596, and so on. 3. A symbol of imperfection.  The number "7" is the number of perfection in Scripture. Jesus’ name adds up to 888 (one more than perfection). 666 is consistently one less than perfection, and it could stand for the personification of evil. What Does  Revelation 13  Mean for Me? Let me share just a few applications that we can all consider as we ponder  Revelation 13  and the events of the  End Times . 1. Be certain that you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You don’t want to miss the  Rapture  when Jesus takes his people out of the earth and home to glory. You don’t want to be anywhere nearby when the angels pour out the bowls of God’s wrath. 2. Beware, Christians alive during those days will be persecuted, and the persecution will intensify. I recently had to vote against a bill that would allow the government to control how many Christians can meet together at any time. That is just the beginning. 3. Don’t sell your soul for the world’s goods. Today’s culture tempts us continually to sell out at any price. 4. The cost of following in the days ahead is really going to be high … but may I also add that cost of  not  following Jesus is going to be higher yet. I hope you find my answer helpful. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, As I study the Book of Revelation, I keep asking myself why more people don’t come to Christ during the Great Tribulation. I know that God often sends catastrophes in the hopes that these will cause men and women to turn to Christ. However, most will not come to Christ. Why not? Sincerely,  Madison Dear Madison, God keeps pleading with people to give their hearts to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. God’s will is that no one would perish in hell. He is patient and full of great grace right up to the Battle of Armageddon. At that point, it’s too late. As a result of His broken heart for the lost, God provides several supernatural witnesses to ensure that His gospel message is proclaimed throughout the world before the end: God raises up 144,000 Jewish evangelists sealed by Jesus for protection as they share the gospel of Christ throughout the world (Revelation 7:3, 8). He produces two powerful witnesses who are resurrected to preach in the spirit and power of Moses and Elijah (Revelation 11:3). He utilizes an angel shouting out the gospel while flying through the sky (Revelation 14:6-7). He commissions the Tribulation saints—those who missed the Rapture or who surrendered their lives to Jesus during the Great Tribulation—to share the gospel in everyday settings (Revelation 15). Finally, he sends a host of traumas in the hopes that these will move people to Jesus (Revelation 16). Yet, again and again we hear the somber refrain: “They refused to repent." 3 Passages from Revelation Let’s take a look at three passages from Revelation that describe groups of people who ought to repent, but choose not to. The first Revelation passage: “Then the kings of the earth . . . and everyone else . . . hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”  ( Revelation 6:15-17 ). Several things immediately catch my attention about this passage. First, people are praying to rocks for help and deliverance. Instead of turning to Christ they turn to the rocks! How tragic! Second, no matter how rich or poor, good or bad, significant or insignificant, God’s judgment is coming, and no one will survive it. Third, when the day of judgment comes, people will try to hide from God. Adam and Eve tried to hide, but they failed because no one can hide from God. Fortunately, when we receive Christ as our Savior, we no longer need to hide. Finally, consider how the gentle lamb becomes the agent of wrath! But they still don’t turn to him. The second Revelation passage: “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders”  ( Revelation 9:20-21 ). It is only natural to think that the remainder of humankind would take warning from this awful fate; but they will not and instead continue to worship their idols and demons. Our world will be saturated in nothing less than devil worship. Bound humans and bound demons will languish in evil for eternity. The third Revelation passage: “From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible”  ( Revelation 16:21 ). You would think that all of these torments would cause people to turn their hearts to Jesus for help and relief, but they don’t! Here are 4 reasons why they won’t turn to Christ: 1. Their spiritual capacity to receive Christ has been blown to smithereens. Paul teaches, “ The man without the spirit does not accept the things that come from God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned ” ( 1 Corinthians 2:14 ). Think about men and women as three-story buildings. Paul wrote in  1 Thessalonians 5:23 : “May you be sanctified in your spirit, soul, and body.” Imagine that the first story is our body. The second story is our soul, which is the residence of our mind, will, and emotions. Our soul is who we are. The third story is our spirit where God lives. When Adam and Eve sinned, it was like a bomb exploded on the third floor of our human spirit. Sin blew to smithereens the spiritual capacity of man. We are no longer spiritual people living on the basis of God’s kingdom. We are second-story people living on the basis of our own will and desires. Paul writes that “men without the spirit” have no understanding of spiritual things. Our third floor is rebuilt when we surrender our lives to Christ as our Savior. 2. They don’t welcome spiritual things because it is “foolishness” to them. Again, from Paul, “ The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him ” ( 1 Corinthians 2:15 ). Stop and think about it; if you are a second-story person, your whole life is lived in the realm of this world, so just the concept of the God of the Universe becoming man is foolishness! The Virgin Birth … that's a fairy tale! The idea of God hanging on a tree, the concept that He died for all sins, past, present and future; that's foolishness. The bodily resurrection of Christ; that's foolishness! Without that third story, without that spiritual capacity, the things of the spirit simply don’t make sense. 3. They cannot know the things of God because they are not spiritually discerned. Paul continued, “ He is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned ” ( 1 Corinthians 2:15 ). Since they have no working third story, they are not Christians. As such, they cannot understand the things of God. A lost person can read and understand the words of the Bible. But he'll never have an interaction with the truths of God, because his third story has been blasted out. He has a human spirit, but it’s not in relation to the  Holy Spirit . It's only when the “man without a spirit” becomes a Christian the Holy Spirit can come in and rebuild the third story. And then we can only then begin to know the things of God. Paul concludes, “ For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. … Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God … that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God .” ( 1 Corinthians 3:10-13 ). 4. Their eyes are so blind that they can’t see the light of the gospel. As we share the gospel, we understand that we are in a spiritual battle which keeps many from coming to Christ. Paul wrote about satanic deception: “ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ ” ( 2 Corinthians 4:4 ). The book of Revelation pictures myriads upon myriads of demons that will be released from the pit of  hell  bringing absolute torture and deception to mankind during the last days. These demons will fan out in all directions to attack, torment, and deceive those people still alive during the Great Tribulation. Why Don’t People Turn to Christ? Why don’t they see His light? The same reasons that people refuse to come to Christ during the Great  Tribulation  are the same reasons they won’t come to Him today. People love sin more than they love God. “ This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil ” ( John 3:9 ). Men and women love their sin. We live in an age of lawlessness. It’s true that "Every man does what is right in his own eyes" ( Judges 21:25 ). Jesus was in the world, and though the world was made by Him, the world did not recognize him … “ He came to his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God ” ( John 1:10-11 ). For 33 years Christ lived among men. He taught, loved, died, bore our sin—and the very hands that formed men from the dust of the earth were stilled as the Roman soldier picked up a hammer and drove nails through the Creator's hands. Sin breaks God’s heart. But let’s be clear. God doesn't get frustrated. Jesus Christ was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. God knew how people would respond, and He sent Jesus anyway, because of His love for us. He had a plan all along: “ Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God ” ( John 1:12 ). How Can We Lead People to Christ When So Many Refuse to See or Hear Him? Over fifty years of ministry, I’ve discovered that people are much more likely to respond to the love of God than they are to the judgment of God. While punishment, troubles and the threat of  hell  bring some to Christ, the vast majority who receive Christ come because someone’s love and compassion guided them to Christ. Statistics are clear. Take any group of Christians, and approximately 20% will say that they came to Christ because they were afraid of going to hell, while about 80% come because someone loved them into the kingdom. Anytime we talk about the coming judgment, it must be mixed with a lot of love and compassion to have results. We are in a titanic battle for the souls of men and women. We need to share the gospel today just as much as it will need to be shared during the Great  Tribulation . Unfortunately, some respond to neither love nor judgment. They only harden their hearts against God. They won't repent under any circumstance! Once upon a time I had a request from a family to go to the hospital and share the gospel with their 78-year-old dying grandfather. They said, “We’ve been witnessing to him for 50 years and he has refused to become a Christian. We figure this is our last chance. Would you please go and share the gospel with him one more time? Please?” “I know why you’re here,” he said. “They asked you to share the gospel with me one more time. Well, go ahead I’m listening.” So, I did. After I finished, he said, “I really appreciate your coming, but I have rejected the gospel so many times that I don’t think that I could give my life to Jesus even if I wanted to.” The haunting refrain that will sound forth repeatedly during the tribulation years is the same refrain that we so often hear today: “And they refused to repent.” Well Madison, I hope this is helpful. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, From your perspective, what is the real meaning of Christmas? Sincerely, Esther Dear Esther, When I think of the real meaning of Christmas, I always think of John MacArthur’s introduction to a Christmas sermon that he preached almost 40 years ago. He declared several things that Christmas is not. Then, he described from his perspective the real meaning of Christmas. WHAT CHRISTMAS DOESN’T MEAN! What gives Christmas its meaning? # Maybe it’s the date, December 25, that gives it meaning. However, nothing stands out about Dec. 25. If there is anything that we know for sure it’s that Christ wasn’t born on December 25. Shepherds were abiding in field keeping watch over the flocks by night. Shepherds didn’t do that in December. They came out in the springtime. He was probably born in March or April. December 25 was an old Roman holiday that celebrated the pagan observance of the birthday of the “sun”. Christians wanted to Christianize the date so in 336 Constantine declared December 25 to be an official Roman-Christian holiday. # Maybe it’s the Name that gives it meaning. “Christmas” is the shortened form of “Christ-Mass”. This old Roman Catholic mass was established in 1038. It has s nothing to do with Scripture. In fact, it wasn’t until 1224 that St. Francis of Assisi began to popularize the worship of baby Jesus in a manger as background for the worship of Mary as a new cult. # If it isn’t the date or the name, maybe it’s Santa Claus. No, that’s not the real meaning of Christmas. The concept of Santa Claus came into existence through a 4 th century bishop named St. Nicolas. St. Nicolas gave all of his possessions to poor people. Supposedly, St. Nicholas brought back to life two children who had been cut to pieces. It was natural for people to look at St. Nicolas as a giver of gifts and who is particularly important to children. St. Nicolas is very popular in Holland. In fact, he came to the United States by way of Holland. Dutch children expected Santa to visit on December 5. It was customary to place wooden shoes by the fireplace and Santa would fill the shoes with goodies. Of course we fast-thinking and very capable Americans know that you can get a lot more in a sock than in a wooden shoe! Christmas isn’t Santa Claus or the date or the name. # Maybe it’s the spirit of giving which gives meaning to Christmas. However, in American culture Christmas is no longer the spirit of giving. It’s the spirit of indulgence. Have you been to “Toys By Roy” lately? This year $40 billion dollars will be spent on 6 billion presents. Incidentally, the presents will be wrapped in $8 million worth of wrapping paper. Seven-year-old Linda was given the honor of distributing the family gifts from around the tree on Christmas day. After all the gifts were delivered, Linda kept looking all around the branches under the tree. Her father asked, “What are you looking for?” Laura replied, “I thought Christmas was Jesus’ birthday and I was just wondering where His presents were. I guess everyone forgot Him this year.” My wife, Julie, decided to spend the holidays this year on a Christian-movie binge. She is now approaching her 30 th movie. I had no idea there were so many. She asked me, “Do you realize what’s missing in most all of these movies?” “No, I responded.” “There are princes and princesses, elves and Christmas trees, Christmas lights and fruitcakes, reindeer and Santa Claus. But there is scarcely a manger in sight.” WHAT CHRISTMAS DOES MEAN! The summation of the meaning of Christmas is found in two verses in Matthew chapter one. Both verses were instructions for Joseph from the angel Gabriel about what to name the son of God. “Take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name “Jesus”, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means God with us”) (Matthew 1:22-23). In these two names we find the real meaning of Christmas. First, Jesus Is Our Savior. He died a substitutionary death on the cross to save us from our sin. We are the ones who should have hung on the cross because of our sins. But Jesus saves us by dying in our place. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). An Old Christian Legend Describes How Jesus Became Our Savior. God the Father called together the hosts of Heaven to listen as he described man’s lost condition. Someone had to go to earth in order to save lost humanity and redeem mankind. Abraham, the friend of God and the father of faithful said, “I’ll go. I’ll give myself for them.” God said, “No, you sinned when you lived on earth. You may not go.” Moses the greatest man of Old Testament, and the leader during Exodus said, “I’ll go and shed my blood for the sin of the world.” God said, “No”, Moses, your sin at Meribah kept you out of the promised land. You can’t go”. David, the  Sweet singer of Israel, the man after God’s own heart said,  “I’ll go.” “ No,” said God. “You sinned with Bathsheba. You can’t go. Jesus came before the throne and said, ”Father, I love them. I’ll take the punishment that they deserve for the wickedness of their sins and die in their places on the cross. The legend says that all heaven burst out in protest, “No” they all cried, you can’t go!’” “Yes, I must go. I am the only one perfect and worthy to die for the past, present and future sins of the entire world. . . . And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll and its seven seals?” And I wept and I wept; but, no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside of it. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals” (Revelation 5: 1-5). Second, He Is Immanuel, “God With Us.” Jesus is with us all the time. Wherever we might be, he is standing beside us. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations . . . And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). While the name “Jesus” gives us grace for our future in heaven, the name “Immanuel” gives us the grace that we need for living now, in our present time on earth. One of my favorite Christmas passages is found in the opening verses of the book of John. You may never have considered this as a Christmas story; however, it is all about the coming of Christ at Christmas! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” ( John 1:1). The term “Word” was a Greek philosophical term describing the unrevealed wisdom of God” (John: 1:1). In verse fourteen John tells us that Jesus, the unrevealed wisdom of God, has put on a body so that he might save us from our sins and that we might be with him forever. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son, who came from the father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The Virgin Birth Of Jesus Is The Cornerstone Of Christmas. “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). If Jesus was not virgin-born then he is not the Son of God who is able to be with us all the time, and he certainly did nothing for our sin when He died on the cross. If he is not the son of God, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, then Jesus may well be the greatest con men of all times. We’ve been seduced by a fraud and ought to pick up our bags and go home. However, the Bible takes great pains to verify that the virgin birth is true. Joseph was shocked when Mary turned up pregnant before their marriage. He was in the process of canceling everything when an angel assured him that all was well. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20). In his record of the genealogy of Jesus, Matthew points out that Joseph was the “husband of Mary, of whom (feminine) was born Jesus.” Matthew is careful to point out that the word “whom” does not refer to Joseph. It is clearly feminine in Greek (Matthew 1:16). Luke recognized that there were those who doubted the idea that Jesus was virgin born. Nevertheless, Joseph never wavered in his testimony that he was not the father of Jesus. Jesus was the son of God (Luke 3:23). I was once asked by a man struggling to receive Christ as his Savior. “He asked “Do you have to believe in the virgin birth to be a Christian?” “Yes” I responded. I don’t see how anyone who really understands the issues involved could ever refuse to believe the Virgin Birth and still claim to be a Christian. Nevertheless, there are some situations when an individual can become a Christian without believing in the virgin birth. I came to Christ when I was seven-years old. I didn’t even know what a virgin was! As we consider the real meaning of Christmas, we understand that He only comes to those who will receive Him as their personal Savior and commit their lives to Him. He only comes to those who make room for Him in their lives. From that perspective, one of the saddest verses in the Bible is Luke 2:7: “She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. What a tragedy! The Son of God came into world and they couldn’t even find Him a room. “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to those who were his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet, to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1: 10-12) Here’s something more tragic. Jesus comes knocking on the door of our hearts and some today tell Him that they have no room for him in their lives! Once upon a time I came across a penetrating illustration of this tragedy in action from Guideposts magazine. Nine- year-old Wallace Purling was in the second grade. He should have been in fourth grade; but, he’d been held back twice. He was large for his age and a little slow and clumsy. He simply had trouble keeping up. He was very good natured, and everyone enjoyed it when Wallace was around. He wanted to be a shepherd in the Christmas pageant but the director decided to make him the Innkeeper. His large size would make his refusal of lodging to Joseph more forceful. A large audience gathered the night of the pageant. No one more excited than Wallace Purling. He was enraptured as he watched and waited in the wings for his part. Finally Joseph arrived, gently guiding Mary. Joseph knocked on the wooden door. Wally was there, waiting. With a loud brash voice Wally demanded, “What do you want?” “We seek lodging.” “Seek it elsewhere. The inn is filled.” “Sir, we have asked everywhere in vain. We have traveled far and are very weary.” “There is no room in this inn for you!” Wally looked properly stern. “Please, good innkeeper. This is my wife. She is heavy with child and needs a place to rest. Surely you must have some small corner for her. She is so tired.” Suddenly, Wally relaxed his stiff stance and looked down at Mary. (Long pause). The Audience tensed with embarrassment as they thought that Wally had forgotten his lines. The prompter whispered Wally’s line. “No, begone!”. Wally spoke automatically, “No! Begone,” Joseph sadly placed his arm around Mary and began to move slowly away. Wally stood in the doorway watching the forlorn couple. His mouth was open and his brow creased with concern, eyes filling with tears. Suddenly the pageant became different from all others. “Don’t go, Joseph. Bring Mary Back!” Wallace Purling’s face grew into a bright smile. “You can have my room.” Dear Esther, that’s what Christmas is all about. Love Roger

Dear Roger, I’ve been reading about the judgment seat of Christ where we will receive awards according to how profitable or unprofitable our lives have been on earth. It seems to me as I read these passages that some will be ashamed at how poorly that they have done. Could that be true? Sincerely, Colin Dear Colin, Yes, I think that some will be ashamed. Revelation 22:12 introduces the fact of rewards for the believers: “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and Iwill give to everyone according to what he has done.” There is coming a time when we will be judged on the basis of what we have done as Christians.  This is known as the “Judgment Seat Of Christ” which occurs during the seven-year tribulation on earth. 2 Corinthians 5:8-10 Summarizes Our Evaluation Before Christ. “Whether good or bad. “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body” (2 Corinthians 5:8-10). SHOULD A CHRISTIAN WORK FOR REWARDS? The answer to this question seems self-evident. However, not everyone seems to feel that way! “ You know, I don’t think we ought to talk about rewards - we ought to serve the Lord because we love Him.”    “I don’t care about the crowns, I just care if I get there!”    “I’m not working for rewards; I’m just working for Christ!” All of these statements are good rhetoric. However, they are very poor theology. We ought to serve Christ because we love Him. Nevertheless, we have every incentive to seek the very best rewards that we can for ourselves. Moses worked for his rewards (Hebrews 11:23-26). Paul was looking to his rewards - (2 Timothy 4:6-8). We should be working and looking for ours as well. WHAT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST IS NOT First , The Judgment Seat Of Christ Does Not Determine Whether We Go To Heaven. If we have Christ as our Lord and Savior, we go to heaven.  If we don't have Christ we go to Hell.  There is no St. Peter at the pearly gates. The average person thinks that there is only one big judgment at the end of time where people are judged on whether they have more “goods” than “bads”. If they have more "goods" than "bads," you go to heaven. On the other hand, if you have more "bads" than "goods," you go to hell. There will never be a time of judgment like that. The Judgment Seat of Christ is one of at least five different judgments that take place at different times and in different places. Judgment of Sin - (Isaiah 53:6, the four gospels) - 30 AD Christ on the cross. Judgment seat of Christ - (2 Corinthians 5:9-10) - evaluates the profitability of a Christian’s life on earth. Judgment of Israel - (Ezekiel 20:33-44) - occurs at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation - when God purges all rebels out of Israel. Judgment of the nations - (Matt 25:31-46) - occurs at the end of the Tribulation. The criteria is based on how each nation responded to Israel’s needs during the Great Tribulation. Believing and unbelieving Gentiles are separated here as wel “Great White Throne Judgment” (Jude 6; Revelation 20:11-15) - Judgment of Satan, his demons, and all those who never received Christ the Savior while they were alive; all are cast into The Lake Of Fire. The Books Of Works demonstrate to all of the lost that they are not good enough for heaven. The Judgment Seat Of Christ Does Not Punish Believers For All The Sins That They Have Committed Since Salvation. Can you imagine the horror of God publicly judging all of your sins as they were flashed on the big screen at the movie theater! “Here’s Roger! Look at him in sin when he was 14- years-old - what a horrifying thought! Fortunately, the Bible teaches that our sins will never be seen again. Isaiah 38:17 says that God has put our sins " behind our backs". The word literally means, "behind our shoulder blades". Have you ever tried to look back there? WHAT HAPPENS AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST? “Bema” is the Greek word for “throne” which best represents the judgment place where winners in the Corinthian and Olympian games climbed that raised platform to receive their crowns and rewards. Athletes came from all over Greece in the hopes of mounting that raised platform of honor and dignity.” Only winners receive rewards. Losers do not mount up on the Olympic Stand to receive rewards. By grace, every believer will stand upon the honor stand. Christianity is the only thing I know of where everybody wins and nobody loses. 1 Corinthians 3:10-16 Gives A Detailed Picture Of This Judgment. Let’s imagine that we are going to build a building and it's going to be a Temple of God: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own way: you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The FOUNDATION is Jesus Christ. It is impossible to build a meaningful life on anyone or on any other than Jesus Christ. He is foundational. The building MATERIALS can be placed into two categories. Indestructible objects - gold, silver, precious stones = “valuable.” Destructible, worthless objects - wood, hay and stubble = “worthless.” Imagine an empty lot. Jesus Christ is the foundation in the middle of the lot.  On that foundation you're going to build your life. If you're going to build a building, granite or marble would be good. A solid marble building overlaid with gold and silver would be nice! But do you know what many Christians do? They build out of wood! They use wood for the door frames and door jams, then use hay mixed with mud for bricks and then top it off with a stubble roof! So here are two Christians with the same resources, the same spirit and the same power. The one who built with wood, hay and stubble says, "Here it is God. How do you like it?" The other says "Here it is God, gold, silver, precious stone.” God says, "Well...wood, hay, stubble are not evil, they are just not worth much. You're still a Christian but it isn't really proper to put a mud hut on the foundation of Jesus Christ." The Judgment Seat of Christ will have a simple Test. There's coming a day when God takes the buildings to the judgment seat. God's going to light a fire to see what it left. Wood, hay and stubble burn. Marble, granite, gold, and silver do not. At the Judgment Seat we will be judged on what we’ve done of eternal value for Christ. Were we profitable? Or, unprofitable the kingdom. Christ is concerned with what we've done of lasting value. Obviously, some will be ashamed as described by Jesus in Matthew chapter 25. Some Christians will watch their houses go up in a great conflagration! They suffer loss of crowns and rewards; but notice that no one suffers the loss of their salvation. There will be gold Christians and there will be stubble ones. But all are Christians because they have one foundation. Jesus Christ. Our rewards will be based upon our love for God and others, our purity, holiness, behaviors, motives, values, and service. He will consider how well we have followed Christ as our Lord and Savior. Of course, he will notice the maturity of our Fruit Of The Spirit. Certainly, He’ll want to evaluate how well we lived out the Beatitudes. How well have we followed God’s will for our lives is very important to him. He will evaluate our generosity and how well we responded to the needs of the poor and needy. Of course, we are describing a lifestyle, not a checklist, which God will use to evaluate our profitability. The key to the evaluation must be John 15:5. We simply live out the normal Christian life and all will be well. “I am the vine may: you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit." NIV Our Christian lifestyle is critical. A chaplain visited a new inmate in prison. "Say, Chaplain, I've been looking forward to meeting you." "You have, why?" "Well, you see, I'm a preacher, too!" "You are! Then what are you doing in here?" "Well," he started into a long explanation. When he finished, the chaplain said. "Please, just do me one favor." "What's that?" asked the inmate. The chaplain replied, "Don't tell anyone here that you're a preacher. You're bad advertisement." In Addition To Our Rewards, Six Kinds Of Crowns Will Also Be Distributed At The Judgment Seat Of Christ. The Diadem is a crown for Jesus. The Stefanus is a laurel wreath that we will lay at Jesus' feet. Believer's Crown (Rev 4:4): this is the only crown not earned. We receive it by grace at the moment of our salvation. Crown of Rejoicing (Phil 4:1; I Thess 2:18-20): this is the Soul Winner's crown given to those who lead lost people to Christ. Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:1-8): Loving Christ's Second Coming Crown of Life (James 1:12; Rev 2:10) For enduring trials for Christ. Crown of Glory (I Peter 5:1-4): Pastor's Crown - available to all who shepherd Jesus' spiritual sheep. Incorruptible Crown (I Cor 9:24-27): Crown of self-denial. Exactly what is the nature of the rewards that we receive from Jesus at the Bema . No one knows for certain. However, there is no doubt that those who have been profitable on earth will receive more than those who did not do so well. In heaven according to the profitability of their actions will there be perhaps a greater capacity for praising and honoring God? Perhaps this ties into the Parable of Talents. Jesus says in Matthew 25 that If we do well here, we may have greater rewards and abilities in Heaven. We don't want to get to heaven by the skin of our teeth! We ought to be sacrificing to get the gospel to the ends of the earth! The King's Business requires the very best that we have! WHAT WILL WE DO WITH OUR REWARDS? Will we build a trophy case? Will we count the number of stars in our crowns. Will we compare crowns? No! “They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “you are worthy Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:10-11). If I read it right, it's the believers, Jesus' Bride, laying down their crowns at the feet of Jesus. The Crowns are indicative of how much we love Him. “If Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father” (Philippians 2: 9-11). The for rewards was one of the greatest motivating factors in the life of Paul! So, it shall it be in ours. “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time is come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing 2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul prepared for his appearance before Christ - and so should we! It’s not that Paul was crass or that he only wanted glory and honor. - it was simply that if he were going to be involved in serving Jesus, he was going to give Him his best! Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I am really enjoyed reading through the book of Proverbs. I was wondering if you could summarize what you consider to be the most practical teaching from the entire book. Sincerely, Cameron Dear Cameron, What an intriguing question! I’ve never considered trying to describe the overall teachings of Proverbs in one sitting. THE WISEST PERSON I EVER KNEW The wisest man I ever knew was Gary Shrader. We pastored together for almost 50 years. I’ve sat with him through hundreds of meetings with hundreds of people who were expressing all sorts of thoughts and ideas. Gary would sit silently until everyone had their say. Then, with wisdom and simplicity he shared his thoughts. Time and time again someone in the group would say, “Why didn’t we see that in the first place?” I hired Gary to be our youth pastor the week after he was graduated seminary. I noticed on his resume that he was valedictorian of his high school. I hired him sight unseen because I believed that anyone who was that smart could handle the job we had! Only later did I learn that there were only 13 students in his graduating class. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to realize that we had hired one of the wisest persons that we ever hired. FOUR EXAMPLES WHY KNOWING PROVERBS IS SO IMPORTANT First Example: Have you ever cut someone off in traffic? And it was all your fault? And the other driver pulled up along side of you and gave you “a piece of his/her mind? I was driving from Dallas to Ft. Worth four days a week when I attended Seminary. I was always late and always tired. In a hurry, I pulled out in front of another car. The driver was angry. I was wrong. As we approached a red light I stopped 30 feet back so we would not face each when we stopped short of the line. He stopped beside me 30 feet back. He rolled down his window to yell at me. I did not want an altercation. What should I say? Fortunately, I knew Proverb 15:1: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." KJV As our windows rolled down, I spoke first: “I am sorry. I was wrong to cut you off. I was in a hurry and what I did was rude and selfish. Will you forgive me for what I did?” He was startled. He was taken totally off guard. “Uh, well, O.K. Just don’t do it again.” Second Example: One of our counselors came to me with a problem. Two individuals in our church family were fighting and it was messy. They had not asked for his help; but, our counselor was wondering if he should intervene. He really did not want to get involved, but wondered if he should? "What do you think I should do?”, he queried. Fortunately, I knew Proverb 26:17:  “Like one who seizes a mad dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.” KJV Third Example: I was sitting in a church leadership meeting when a disgruntled church member got out of his chair and walked behind me and began to speak against me. He didn’t like our plans to move our overcrowded church to a new location. (Four Sunday morning and two Sunday night services was just too much. We often watched people drive around looking for a parking space and when they couldn’t find one, they simply drove away.). The angry church member walked behind me and put his hand on my shoulders. He said some rather nasty things about me and my leadership. What would God want me to do? Fortunately, I knew Proverb 19:11: “A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” KJV Fourth Example: Steve Dowdle, the head of our Pastoral Care Department, once came to my office and said, “Roger, you have done something wrong which needs attention. I need to rebuke you according to biblical guidelines because I believe you have wronged someone in our congregation.". Fortunately, I knew Proverb 17:10 :  “A word of rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into the back of a fool.” KJV Proverbs Is More Than Clever Little Sayings Or Hints About How To Run Your Life. The Book Of Proverbs Is All About The Pursuit Of Wisdom. By The Way, The Smartest Person In The Room Is The One Who Best Knows Proverbs. The Payoff Is Huge when We arrange Our Lives Around Acquiring Wisdom. “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you” (Proverbs 4:5-7). KJV Cameron, let us think about this by scrolling through some people we know. Do you know any wise ones? Do you know any wise dads? Dads who have their lives in order and raise their sons to have their lives in order? Wise dads know when to encourage? Dads who know when to come along side tenderly? And when to correct forcefully? Dads who listen, and who know when to teach and when to let the consequences of life be the teacher. "The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him” ( Proverbs 23:24 ). “Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding" ( Proverbs 4:1 ). Let’s put a value on wise dads. How much are wise dads worth? If you don't have a father, God can provide you with a spiritual father-a mentor. Let me let you in on a secret. I know a lot of men and women for whom life is not working very well. It is not that they aren’t smart. It is not that they aren’t trying hard. Life just isn’t working because they had a foolish dad. A foolish dad makes life very hard. On the other hand, I know a lot of men and women who are doing really well. Life is working. What is the common denominator? They will say, “I grew up in the home with a great dad.” The same thing can be said about wise mothers. “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverb 31:28). KJV What is the value of a wise mom and dad? Ask children who have grown up with wise parents and they will tell you, “wise parents are better than gold.” Now, let’s turn this around. How do parents feel about their children when they walk in paths of wisdom. Proverb 15:20: “A wise son brings joy to his father," KJV What is better than that?! I decided long ago that whether my children are well known or live in big houses or have big salaries doesn’t really matter to me—but that they walk in wisdom—that they understand God’s ways and pursue them is everything to me. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE HUGE WHEN WE ARRANGE OUR LIVES AROUND FOOLISHNESS. “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep DARKNESS; they do not know what makes them stumble” (Proverb 4:18-19). KJV This book minces no words on this subject. Proverbs refers to the lack of wisdom as foolishness. Proverbs often mentions several classes of people who desperately need wisdom: the fool, the simple, the scorner, the lazy, and the wicked. Unfortunately. It is easy to follow the way of a fool. We are all born with a case of the "Follies." “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him” ( Proverb 22:15). KJV We are not born with a blank slate so that we can easily chose the path of wisdom. We are all born with a bent toward foolishness. This foolishness has to be driven out step-by-step, day-by-day, month-by-month, and the foolishness must be replaced by wisdom, or we will eventually wake up to realize that we’ve been fools!  “A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD”  Proverb 19:3). KJV Very few things are more foolish than getting at odds with God when what we’ve done is it our fault. Foolishness reminds me of the old nomad who awakened hungry in the middle of the night. He lit a candle and began eating dates from a bowl beside his bed. He took a bite from one and saw a worm in it; so he threw it outside the tent. He picked up a second date, took a bite out of it and found another worm. He threw it outside the tent. He picked up a third date, took a bite out of it, and found another worm. He threw it out. He was very hungry, and realized he would not have any dates left if he continued like this. So, he blew out the candle and ate the rest of the dates. Too many of us prefer darkness and denial to the light of reality NOW IS THE TIME TO enroll in the school of wisdom AND START BECOMING WISE. Read a chapter of Proverbs every day. There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. Read one chapter every day and each month you will have read through the entire book. This is how you become the wisest person in the group. Whenever A Life Experience Needs Attention, Turn To The Book Of Hebrews For Advice On What To Do. Guidance from the Holy Spirit plus wisdom from the book of Proverbs make a powerful team. The personification of wisdom reaches its climax in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is able to fit the pieces of life together. You Don’t Have To Wait To Begin Making Wise Decisions. Start reading the book of Proverbs right now. If you miss a day don’t try to catch up. Just jump to the next day. Catch the one that you missed next month. Spend Time With Wise People. Very few of us can run with a bad pack of dogs and not get fleas. “He Who Walks With The Wise Grows Wise, But A Companion Of Fools Suffers Harm” (Proverb 13:20. KJV Hang around with people on path to wisdom. Not folly. Apply Wisdom To Your Life. Truth for living is not abstract truth. It means that you have to do something—not just know something. If You Have Wise Parents Then Listen And Put Into Practice Their Advice And Guidance. If mom and dad weren’t all that wise, then be especially diligent in reading Proverbs every day, and seek the counsel of the wise as often as you can. As our relationship with Jesus grows, what begins with fear matures into perfect love. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” 1 John 4:18. KJV Well, Cameron, thanks for asking such a thought-provoking question. I hope that my response is helpful. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Am I right in thinking that the Christian church is sliding farther away from its primary mission of evangelism? Do you know why? And what does that mean for me personally? Sincerely, Marcia Dear Marcia, Yes, to a great degree, I agree with you … as long as we’re talking about most of the Americas, Europe, and Australia. However, we must never forget that there are people and places where the church is on fire with evangelism, sharing the gospel far and wide. I often hear from missionaries in closed countries throughout the Middle East, areas of China, or isolated regions like Papua New Guinea where hundreds of thousands of people—even millions—are giving their hearts to Jesus every day! Nevertheless, I’ve noticed some Christians and churches which started with hearts on fire for leading people to Jesus who gradually put evangelism on the back burner and turned to other things which seem more pressing. The church is involved in all sorts of great activities—from advocacy to poverty relief to Bible studies. However, no matter how many great things we do for the kingdom, Jesus is not impressed if we neglect the most important job of the Christian life, which is sharing the gospel : “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him, might not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Evangelism is the primary passion of the heart of Christ. Consider Luke 19:10; “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.” Or Matthew 4:15, when Jesus said, “Come, follow me … and I will make you fishers of men.” I believe that when Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” He was declaring a statement regarding the Christian life. In essence, the Christian life is to begin with following Jesus and the resulting product will be fishermen and women for Christ. Think about it: go to marine boot camp, and you will emerge a Marine. Go to medical school, and you will emerge a doctor or a nurse. Go to flight school, and you will emerge a pilot; go to auto mechanic tech school and you will emerge a mechanic. Enroll in the School of Christ, and you will emerge as a fisherman or woman who fishes for the souls of men and women who are lost without Christ. It cannot be otherwise. This is living the Christian life as God intended. Jesus’ last words to his followers declared our purpose, too: “Go and make disciples of, all nations, baptize them in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. And as you go, teach them to observe everything that I’ve told you, and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Don’t miss this; there’s nothing special about leading people to Jesus. A passion for sharing the gospel is part of what makes up the Christian life! Marsha, if you don’t mind, I’m going to use some stories help to help make my answer clearer. An old legend describes how the angels came to Christ after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to Heaven. They gazed in amazement on His wounded hands and feet.  They shuddered to recall His sufferings. Finally, Gabriel spoke: “Master, you suffered terribly down there. Do they know and understand the extent of your sacrifice?” “No” said Jesus, “not yet. Right now only a handful of people in Palestine know.” The angels replied, “Then, what have you done to let everyone else know?” Jesus said, “I have selected twelve men and told them to take the gospel to the entire world.” Gabriel was shocked! “But, they are just men. Men get sick and die. They get lazy and distracted, disobedient and confused. What if they fail? What is Plan B?” Jesus: “I have no Plan B. I am counting on them.” And 20 centuries later Jesus is still counting on us. By the way, a Baptist survey reveals that over 90% of those who come to Christ do so by the age of 25! We need to lead people for Christ while they are still young.   So, what happens when churches and Christians lose their passion for leading people to Jesus? An article in the Presbyterian Journal describes what happens to many Christians and churches if their passion for leading souls to Jesus wanes over time. On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occurred, there was once a crude life saving station. The building was just a hut. There was only one boat but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea and with no thought for themselves went out day and night tirelessly searching for the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful, little lifesaving station; and it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding areas, wanted to become associated with the station so they gave of their time and money and effort for the work. New boats were bought, and new lifesaving crews were trained, and the little station grew. Some of the members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped! They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge for those saved from the sea. So, they replaced the emergency cots and beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Now the life station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they decorated it beautifully and exquisitely because they used it as sort of a club. Fewer members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired a lifeboat crew to do the work. The lifesaving motif still prevailed in the club's decoration, and there was a liturgical lifeboat in the room where the club held its initiations. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in loads of cold, wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick, and some had black skin and some had yellow skin. The beautiful  club was considerably damaged, so the building and grounds committee had a shower house built outside the club where the victims of the wrecks could be cleaned up before coming inside. At the next meeting there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's lifesaving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving club. They were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast a little ways, which they did. As the years went by the new station experienced the same changes that occurred in the old one. It even evolved into a club, and yet another lifesaving station was founded. History continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that coast today, you will find a number of exquisite clubs along the shore. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, and most of the people drown. What does fishing look like? I know of a barber who heard a sermon on evangelism one Sunday and determined to become a fisherman for Christ. He resolved to speak to everyone who sat in his barber chair: “I’ll witness to everyone; I’ve just been slow about it.” Monday morning the first man in wanted a shave. He wanted it sharp and lathered and with a hot towel. The barber sharpened and razor while the man steamed. The barber tried to think of something to say. Finally, he took off towel, put the razor to his throat and said, “Man, are you ready to die?” How crude! But, so many don’t know how to start. So let’s make this really easy. There are many ways to share the gospel. All sorts of opportunities may present themselves. Many of us say, “I could never do evangelistic work because I’m shy, or I don’t know what to say, or I may be criticized or embarrassed.” Let me give you a simple method for evangelism that anyone can use. First, Accept People Who Are Being Rejected. Anyone can do this. The woman with six marriages in John 4 was mercilessly rejected by the people in her town. Jesus talked with her in the hot sun by the side of a well at noon. He accepted her just as she was. Everything in her life changed when Jesus accepted her for who she was! When you see someone being rejected, make it a special point to accept them as they are. Because of the change in her life caused by his acceptance, she recognized Jesus as the Messiah: “I that speak to thee am He.” His acceptance of her brought an entire town to Jesus! They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world" (John 4:42). Second, Support the Struggling. The disciples were struggling in a vicious storm on Sea of Galilee as recorded in Matthew 8. Their fishing boat was in the process of floundering when Jesus spoke to the wind and the waves and everything immediately was calm. In their shock the disciples said, “What kind of Man is this that even the wind and the waves obey him?” Their faith soared in the midst of his power and strength. They were drawn closer to Jesus than ever before. Our world is filled with struggling people. Alexander McLaren used to say, “Please be kind to everyone you meet, because everyone is fighting a battle.” Third, Comfort the Hurting. Jesus wept as he approached the tomb of Lazarus. I’ve often wondered why he was weeping as recorded in John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” Jesus knew that he would soon raise Lazarus back to life; so, why was he weeping? Eventually, I realized that the reason Jesus was weeping was because he saw the family and friends grieving with pain and sorrow. He brought tremendous comfort to everyone the moment that Lazarus stepped out of that tomb. “Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him” (John 11:45). When you see someone hurting, put your arm around them and let them know how sorry you are for what they are going through. I know what to do when I see hurt. I comfort it. Finally, Jesus said, “The Fields Are Ripe and Ready for Harvest” (John 4:35-38). Let me show you what fishing looks like. It looks like accepting the rejected, supporting the struggling, and comforting the hurting. Anthony Campolo shared the story of a minister friend who is the associate pastor of a large Presbyterian church in California. She loved to go to Nordstrom’s department store during the Christmas season. She could not afford to buy much of anything there because of the prices, but she loved the decorations and the music played throughout the store. On one visit she was on the top floor looking at some or the finest dresses in the world when the elevator opened and out stepped a bag lady. Her clothes were dirty and her stockings were rolled down to her ankles. She stood there with a gym bag in her right hand, obviously out of place—she seemed not about to buy anything. The dresses cost thousands of dollars. Campolo’s minister friend said that she expected some security person to come and usher the bag lady out of the store. But, instead, a stately saleswoman approached her and said, “May I help you, madam?” “Yeah, I want to buy a dress.” “What kind of dress?” “A party dress,” the bag lady answered. “You’ve come to the right place,” said the saleswoman. “Follow me, we have some of the finest party dresses in the world.” The sales lady spent 15-20 minutes matching dresses with the woman’s skin color and eye color. After selecting three dresses which seemed most appropriate, she led her into the dressing room. The bag lady tried on all three dresses and then said, “I think I have changed my mind, I don’t think I want to buy a dress today!” “That’s OK,” said the sales lady gently. “But, here is my card. Should you come back to Nordstrom’s Department Store, I do hope you will ask for me. I would consider it a privilege to wait on you again.” Of course, this is a perfect illustration of what Jesus would do, if Jesus were a saleswoman in Nordstrom’s. Well Marsha, I hope that my thoughts are helpful to you. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I’ve been reading the New Testament and it surprises me how often Jesus referred to money.For example, “He commended the widow who did not have much, but from what she did have, she gave it all to the Lord (Luke 21:1-4). He criticized the Pharisees for giving the tithe while at the same time they were rejecting the more important parts of sacrifice (Matthew 23:23.Of course, in the parable of the talents he declared that those who invest well will receive more and those who don’t invest well will lose its all (Matthew 25:14-30). So, I was taken a little aback when I came to 1 Timothy 6 and read how harshly the apostle Paul dealt with those Christians who are not managing their money well! Can you please draw for us some lessons from Paul’s teaching us. Sincerely, Mark Dear Mark, I think that the best way to answer your question is by taking each verse and learning from it. FIRST, “Godliness With Contentment Is Great Gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). This is perhaps the most succinct statement of the Biblical philosophy of money in all of the Bible. SECOND, "For We Brought Nothing Into The World, And We Can Take Nothing Out Of It. But If We Have Food And Clothing, We Will Be Content With That “(1 Timothy 6 7-8). Food and clothing refer to the bare essentials of life.  Notice that he says nothing about having shelter--a house. This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want us to have a house. Many verses teach on that. He is saying that the basic essentials are enough. THIRD, “People Who Want To Get Rich Fall Into Temptation And A Trap And Into Many Foolish And Harmful Desires That Plunge Men Into Ruin And Destruction “(1 Timothy 6:9). That is quite a strong verse, isn’t it? In other words, those who set a goal in life of accumulating wealth fall into a trap that leads to ruin and destruction. FOURTH, Money Is Not The Root Of All Evil The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. There is nothing wrong with having money or being rich. It is the "love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil." (1 Timothy 6:10a). The issues are our attitudes and the desires of our hearts! Now, Paul gets very personal with Christians. FIFTH, “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:10b). "The faith" here is the Christian faith. This is doctrinal truth as contained in the Bible. "Eagerness for money" will cause Christians to wander away from Christianity. The phrase “eager for money”, is a Greek a word which means to stretch oneself out in other to touch or grasp something. It describes the Christian who is reaching out after material wealth. Let me give some symptoms of what materialism can look like. Overspending Compulsive Buying Holding on to more wealth than we need (Hoarding) Failing to give God the top portion of our income Borrowing money for depreciating items Cheating on our income tax Using a credit card and not paying off or being able to pay off the balance completely at the end of the month Getting nervous or upset when the pastor preaches on money SIXTH, Grasping after wealth sets into motion a reverse spiritual growth process. If the trend continues, our sin natures can produce any brand of sin—and trap—imaginable. Oh, so you think that I am overstating the case! Look at the last phrase in verse 10. “and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10c). "Pierced themselves" is an interesting phrase. It literally means to put on a spit. You know what a spit is...you put a raw piece of meat on a spit and roast it over an open fire. I want you to get the picture. Instead of putting a piece of chicken or beef on a spit, suppose you put a live human being on the spit and turn him over and over again and roast him on an open fire. The materials used to start the fire are the things after which he or she was grasping. I know some people who are being tortured emotionally, mentally, financially, and physically...and if you trace it all back, it may very well lead right back to an unbiblical philosophy of money. Do you think that those are strong words? I haven't been able to find any stronger words in the Bible addressed to Christians than these right here. Paul is telling us that the unbeliever who is guilty of this sin will end up in Hell and the Christian who is guilty of this sin will end up with a ruined and defeated life. SEVENTH, God’s plan for finances is that we have a surplus so we can give some away every month. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18). The reason so many of us say we can't afford to care for the poor, or give to God, or invest in the kingdom, is because we have already spent it all on ourselves! EIGHTH, Materialism Can Lead Us To The Place Where We Actually Sell Our Souls For Worthless Things. It has been said that every person has his or her price—that is especially true if you are a materialist. I hope that is not true about you. I hope you are priceless. There was once a fancy banquet in a high-class New York hotel. A famous author sat next to a very beautiful and gracious woman. He was awestruck by her beauty. As they sat through the meal and talked, he finally asked her if she would spent the night with him for $100,000. She blushed, looked down, and finally said, yes. He said, "Would you do it for ten dollars?" She protested "What do you think I am?" He replied, "We've already established that; now we're working on the price." Do you get the message? It isn't the price that's the issue. It's what you are in your heart.  Some of us have sold out our spiritual hearts and eternal future for things we cannot hold onto. NINTH, Unless we are involved in a continuous deprogramming and reprogramming process we will drift automatically into the sin of materialism. Victory occurs when our rotten, materialistic, human viewpoint in be flushed out and replaced by the divine eternal truth of the Word of God. We turn on the TV or radio at any time of the day or night . . . We get into a conversation with just about anybody at school or work . . . We pick up any newspaper or go to any movie—and we are being programmed to think like materialists. We are being programmed to seek a higher standard of living than we now have . . . to borrow money for depreciating items . . . to spend now and save nothing . . . to buy things that we do not need. And, it is happening automatically. We don't have to do a thing. It is all around us. We see a new pop star drive up in a limo with a Jaguar in her lap! The priests of mammon are telling us that we can drive a 1990 Chevrolet if we want; but if we want to get the attention of beautiful girls we'll have to buy a new car fully-loaded! The priests of Mammon are everywhere - indoctrinating us with the idea that true joy, life and happiness can always be found if we just have enough money to spend! So Americans all across our land are chasing after and bowing down to the God Mammon! “But, you man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves…. So that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves…” as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly live” (1 Timothy 6:19). TENTH, The Only Inflation-Proof Investment In The Universe Is The Investment In The Lord’s Work. People are always looking for good investments. People are asking, “Where should I invest my money to beat inflation? Should I buy stocks… gold… silver… bonds… real estate?” Those are difficult questions to answer because there are times when gold is a great investment… times when it is a bad investment… real estate goes up… then down. But I want you to know that It is the only one. Study and meditate on Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” If you’ll permit me to put that in 21 th century language, what he is saying here is that the first part of every dollar of income is to be used to honor the Lord. Do you see the inflation hedge in that verse? Study this and you’ll see that the only inflation-proof investment is right here in these verse . You can’t beat this kind of investment. And it all begins at the point of commitment when we decide to serve God instead of money. Jesus said that it is impossible to serve two masters. Now, many have tried since the beginning of creation and nobody has ever pulled it off yet. You and I will not be the first exceptions. You must make a choice. God or money. Who will it be? Dear Mark, I hope that you’ll find this helpful as you use your money wisely for the kingdom. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I am not surprised when I see so many people in our world grasping for riches and money. What breaks my heart is to see Christians doing the same. These Christians are stretching out their hands for material things.I once heard a Christian man say, “How we spend money is the story of our lives.” Am I right in my thinking? What do you think? Sincerely, Paul Dear Paul, I believe that you’re 100% right on target! How we handle our money reveals more about our values and priorities than anything else about us. That is why God invests so many verses in the Bible talking about money. Pastor Larry Burkett illustrated this principle in a story about Alan and Jean Hitchcock who had decided to end their marriage after 24 years: In anticipation of the divorce settlement, Alan reviewed their financial records. As he sorted through the files, he came across a faded old check made out to the hotel where he and Jean stayed on their honeymoon. (Once upon a time banks returned copies of canceled checks to help people reconcile their accounts each month. Nothing was electronic.) Another check was an installment payment for their first car. He picked up another check and remembered with fatherly pride how he wrote it out to the hospital when their daughter was born. And there was the $5,000 down payment on their first home. After several hours of sorting through the old, canceled checks, Alan realized how much he and his wife had invested in the marriage. He paused in deep thought for several moments. Then he closed the files and dialed his wife’s phone number. After an awkward exchange he blurted out the reason for his call: “Would you work with me to rebuild this marriage?” One of Jesus’ most powerful parables regarding money is found in Luke 16. Let me explain the parable, and then I will draw some lessons and principles that will help us understand better how to handle our money in a manner that honors God. Jesus told his disciples: Once there was a rich man whose manager was accused of stealing his possessions. The rich man said to him, “I am going to have a complete audit of the books. If what I hear is true, then I am going to fire you.” The manager said to himself, “What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg.“ (my paraphrase of verses 1-3) The dishonest manager faced a crisis—the sudden and unexpected loss of his job. He knew that he was guilty and that the audit would only confirm it. He frantically searched for a way out of his dilemma. Jesus was setting up an analogy. We Christians have a management contract with God to handle His resources on earth just as this manager had a contract to manage his landlord’s estate. First, note that the sudden dismissal of the manager is analogous to the death of the Christian. When we die, our management contract of God’s assets expires. There will be a complete audit of our management at the Judgment Seat of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15). In order to secure his financial future, the dishonest manager hit upon an ingenious plan. Rapidly and secretly, he approached each one of the men who owed his master money and offered them the opportunity to settle their debts for a sharply reduced amount. “I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.” So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” “Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,” he replied. The manager told him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.” Then he asked the second, “And how much do you owe?” "A thousand bushels of wheat,” he replied. He told him, “Take your bill and make it eight hundred.” (Luke 16:4-7) His plan was to gain the good will of these men so that when he lost his job, they would invite him into their homes out of gratitude and give him food, clothing, and shelter. Here is the key to the entire parable: “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly” (Luke 16:8). The rich man said to his manager: “You clever rascal. I’ve got to hand it to you. What a slick plan!” He didn’t commend him for his management or for his honesty, but he did commend him for his clever ability to work out a plan to secure his future. AT THIS POINT, JESUS PRONOUNCES A SWEEPING CONDEMNATION OF HIS FOLLOWERS. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. (Luke 16:9) The people of the world are more shrewd at securing their financial future on earth than Christians are at securing their future assets in eternity. JESUS DREW SEVERAL CONCLUSIONS FROM THIS PARABLE (see Luke 16:9-13). I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9) FIRST, USE WORLDLY WEALTH TO GAIN FRIENDS. Who are the friends? Most likely, “friends” refers to people here on earth with whom we share our material wealth. These are people who precede us in death. “Friends” also refers to those grateful people that we led to Christ before they died. They will welcome us into eternity. Jesus doesn’t say: “Give X percent to church… or give money to the poor or… find a missionary or pastor to support financially… or you rich folks set up charitable foundations for the cause of Christ.” He tells us to use financial assets to build healthy relationships. SECOND, WE MUST STOP THINKING LIKE OWNERS AND START THINKING LIKE MANAGERS. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10) We are so prone to reason, “If I just had a little more money, if I just had a little higher income, I’d be a better manager. If I could just get these debts paid off, if I could just get the kids through college, I could finally tithe; I’d be a better manager for the Lord.” Don’t you believe it! Jesus said that that is false reasoning. It will not happen that way. Imagine that we have nine dollars. We say, “I had another dollar, if I had $10, then I could give it to God.” No. It will never happen.  If we are not managing wisely with the $9 that we do have, we will not change our pattern with another dollar more. We will spend it on ourselves, too. A Barna Research Group Survey revealed that the average American adult believes that he or she needs an additional $15-$20 thousand dollars more per year to live comfortably. However, tracking studies show that even when adults reach or exceed the income levels to which they aspired, they still claim that they need another $15 to $20 thousand. If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11) “True riches” as Jesus speaks it here means rewards and treasures in heaven—that is all it can mean. THIRD, JESUS TEACHES THAT WE DO NOT OWN ANYTHING IN THIS LIFE. WE ARE JUST MANAGING GOD’S ASSETS FOR HIM. And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? (Luke 16:12) “Property of your own” is fascinating because according to the Scriptures, we do not own anything in this life. We are just managing God’s assets for Him. FOURTH, AS WE BEGIN TO THINK LIKE MANAGERS, WE ACTUALLY BECOME OWNERS. We know this, because we know that we will take nothing with us when we die . For example, a miserly millionaire told wife, “I am placing a briefcase full of money in the attic. When I die, I intend to grab it on my way up to heaven. See to it that no one touches it until it is my time to go.” She respected his wishes. Soon after he died his wife could hardly wait to run up in the attic and see if it were still there.  Sure enough, there it was right where he’d placed it. She said, “I knew he should have put it in the basement.” Some people think, “Well, I don’t particularly care how much treasure I have in Heaven. I just want to get there.” I want to say, “No, don’t you ever think like that!” At the Judgment Seat of Christ those who lived like owners will have no rewards. Fortunately, they are saved through the fire, but they will suffer a loss (1 Corinthians 15). On the other hand, those who manage God’s assets well while here on earth will be owners in heaven of all sorts of rewards. Whole bodies of Scripture teach that Heaven is not a classless society. Jesus said that the first shall be last.  How we manage our finances here on earth makes a big difference in Heaven. FIFTH, MATERIALISM IS A RIVAL GOD. AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS. No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and noney. (Luke 16:13) One of my friends and I were talking about the many stories we had heard about angels and demons appearing to Christians in third world countries. One pastor from Mexico overheard us and said, “the reason that you don’t see this type of activity in the United States is because Satan does not need to bring out the big guns of demonism and overt spiritual warfare. He has you American Christians so enmeshed with materialism that he doesn’t need his big spiritual guns.” Well, Paul, I hope you find this helpful. Feel free to ask other questions when you like! Love, Roger