Roger, I was baptized when I was a baby, and again when I accepted the Lord into my heart when I was 21. My question is this: My 20’s were a rough time with a lot of partying and sin, I feel like I turned my back on God when I backslid. I woke up (thank you God) in my 30’s and truly have turned my life over to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Do I need to be re-baptized again? Concerned Christian Dear Concerned Christian, The answer revolves around whether or not you were truly a Christian in the decade of your twenties. Were you truly a follower of Christ, a born again, child of God who “backslid” away from God? On the other hand, were your sin and debauchery symptoms that you were not a Christian at all? Were you spiritually aborted? Did you really “accept the Lord into your heart when you were 21?” Paul wrote that we are wise if we evaluate our own salvation so that we don’t deceive ourselves: “But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment” (1 Corinthians 11:31). One of the best tests to determine whether or not we truly surrendered to Christ was delineated by John: “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:3-6). If you truly were a Christian then you were “backsliding.” Jeremiah described God’s backsliding Israelites returning to Him and begging for restoration: “Although our sins testify against us, O LORD, do something for the sake of your name. For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against you” (Jeremiah 14:7). Ezekiel described God’s delight in cleansing His backsliding people and restoring their relationship: “They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 37:23). Backsliding occurs when a Christian walks in sin and disobedience and therefore lives a lifestyle which is embarrassing to the Name of God. But, backsliders eventually wise up and return to the Heavenly Father. As you come before God in prayer and meditation listen for Him to speak in your inner-most spirit. If you sense Him telling you that you were unsaved during your 20s, then by all means proceed with baptism as symbolically declaring your surrender to the resurrected Christ. Immersion in and then out of the baptism waters is a symbol of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Baptism also symbolizes the washing away of your sins. On the other hand, if you sense God telling you that you truly were a Christian, then don’t worry about rebaptism. Continue to thank God for restoring your backsliding and enjoy living the blessed life God in Christ has in store for you. If, perhaps you can’t discern exactly what God is saying, then there is no harm in being rebaptized. I have baptized many backsliding Christians who’ve returned to Christ and wanted to reaffirm their surrender to Christ by declaring their faith through baptism. Well, Concerned Christian, I hope my thoughts are helpful as you continue you spiritual growth. By the way, I have written two other answers that you might find helpful and interesting. My answer entitled, “Spiritual Abortion,” may give you more insight to this particular concept. You also might find helpful my answer to the question, “Water Baptism: Immersion or Sprinkling.” May God bless you. May you now continue to live in wholehearted devotion to Christ. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I have a problem and don’t know how to help myself. When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I was sexually molested. For a long time, I did not think of it. It was like I blocked it out of my mind, but now it is affecting me and my marriage. I finally told my husband about it and he wants to help me with this, but doesn’t know how and neither do I. I just want it to go away before my marriage does. Can you help me, please? Dear Name Withheld, Tragically, your experience is all too common. I know that you’re scared. I know that you’re wondering whether or not you will ever find healing. You’re afraid that lingering evils may forever darken the days of your life. You’re afraid to face others for fear that they know your deepest-dark secret. Maybe, you’re even blaming yourself—in a twisted sort of way—for what happened. Be at peace. Quiet down. Please, don’t be overwhelmed. Many abuse victims are healed and enjoying healthy lives and marriages. There is every reason to believe that you also can find healing and wholeness with your marriage both safe and successful. I can’t tell you how much I grieve for you. What happened is so unfair and ugly. I am not surprised that you banished the memories from your mind. Most abuse victims do the same. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—your hidden memories have finally surfaced. While threatening both your sanity and your marriage, their exposure finally allows you to address some the unknown-deep-seated pain you have experienced for far too long. Healing is essential and, let me encourage you, reaching out for help is the first step in becoming mentally, emotionally and spiritually well. You may look back and see “mine fields” of feelings and emotions that quickly arise when your husband (or others) step into what I call “sexual abuse mine fields” and neither or you knew or understood why you exploded with anger or sank again into the prison of depression. In your case the land mines are just under the surface and easy for someone to step on. Fortunately, you can clear out the mine fields as you progress in your healing. You are fortunate that your husband wants to understand and help. Your concerne about the threat to your marriage is not unusual. You are experiencing so many negative emotions and so much guilt. You are right when you say that neither you nor your husband knows what to do. Sexual abuse is one of what I call the “Big Three.” Sexual abuse, overwhelming childhood neglect, and parental abandonment need the care of a wise and experienced counselor. Healing is extra-hard to do on your own. Therefore, I recommend that you turn to an experienced counselor who is well versed in leading the sexually abused—and their spouses—to healing and freedom. If you can’t afford a counselor or if you are unable to locate one near you, then I encourage you to secure one of the many books on sexual abuse at a bookstore or at “Amazon.com” which specialize in helping abuse victims recover. Let me suggest several. The first one is written by a Christian woman from a Biblically-Christian perspective. I recommend that you read hers first. “Healing Victims of Sexual Abuse,” by Paula Sandford carefully intertwines Biblical principles with the tools that allow victims to put the abuse behind them—and leave it there—as well as the tools for becoming whole again. I suppose that this book is the most widely read book on healing sexual abuse that has ever been written. “Beginning to Heal: A First Book for Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse,” by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, is specifically designed for victims who are not quite ready for the intensity and scope of other sexual recovery books. “First Book” is a basic, easy to read, introduction to the recovery process. “The Right To Innocence: Healing The Trauma Of Childhood Sexual Abuse,” written by Beverly Engel, is also a good starting place to initiate healing. Engel is a therapist who has suffered sexual abuse herself. She uses visualizations and exercises in her well written and practical book for restoration. “The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse,” by Wendy Maltz and Carol Arian takes a sensitive and helpful practical approach you might find refreshing. Spouses and family members can have a large part in promoting sexual abuse recovery. “Partners in Recovery: How Mates, Lovers & Other Survivors Can Learn to Support & Cope With Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse,” also by Beverly Engel, is a useful resource. Also helpful is “Allies In Healing: When The Person You Love Was Sexually Abused As A Child, A Support Book” by Laura Davis. We usually think of sexual abuse victims as being female. Of course, boys and men can also be victims. They need healing, too. “Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims Of Sexual Abuse,” by Mic Hunter examines the physical and emotional impact of abuse and the factors affecting recovery. This study explains the ways in which boys are molested and the reasons why men remain silent about it later in life. I think, Name Withheld, that the more your husband engages spiritually, emotionally and intellectually that he will have a special part in your recovery. His patience and understanding are critical. His willingness to learn the extent of your past emotional train wreck and his loving support will go a long way to facilitate your healing. Right now you are a wounded animal who needs sensitive care. He needs to handle you with soft lovingly gloves when you strike out at him. He needs to use the soft gloves of comfort and patience when you fall into depression. Remember that you are not the only one who is hurt by your recent revelation of childhood molestation. Your husband is also devastated. He is like a wounded animal, too. Part of your healing is to help him with his. Cut him some slack; be patient with him as he sorts out his feelings about the emotional bomb which just landed in his marriage. He needs comfort and healing, too. Let me encourage you to read some of my other “Ask Roger: answers dealing with sexual abuse. They go into more detail which you may well find helpful. I recommend you begin with “Where Was God When I Was Raped?” and “How Do I Cope If I Have Been Sexually Abused?” Again, Name Withheld, I grieve with you for what others did to you when you were young. Only the abused have a taste of the pain that you’ve endured—and still suffer. I have already prayed for your healing—and will continue to do so. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Please tell me if I’m to worship the Holy Spirit. What format should a person use in addressing Him? Thanks, Larry Dear Larry, Let’s answer your second question first! The Holy Spirit is a person and is addressed as such. He is not an “it.” There is a difference between saying, “It has power,” and, “He has power.” If the Holy Spirit is an “it” then our attitude might be, “How can get hold of it and use it? On the other hand, when we know He is a person, we are much more likely to say, “How can the Holy Spirit get hold of me and use me for His glory? I would say that worshipping the Holy Spirit along with the Father and the Son is a great idea. In many ways, the Holy Spirit is the forgotten person of the Trinity. We talk a lot about God the Father and God the Son. On the other hand we hardly mention God the Holy Spirit. Since we baptize, “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19-20), we might best include all the three in our worship. Let me share a quick overview of His ministry. We might say that God the Father is the architect of the creation (Psalm 19:1-2: “The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”) Jesus the Son is the One who actually did the creating (John 1:3: “… through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that was made.”) God the Holy Spirit is the One who oversees and interacts with the creation (John 14:16-17: “And I will ask the Father and He will give you another counselor and He will be with you forever. … But, you know Him, for He lives in you and will be in you.”) Often, we say that Jesus lives in our hearts (or, in us), not recognizing that Jesus sits on a throne at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit is actually the One who does the regenerating work which makes us spiritually alive (John 3:6: “… the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”) Our dead human spirits are awakened to spiritual things by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12). He now ministers the grace, guidance, encouragement and power we need for victory in every situation of life—not Jesus. The Holy Spirit takes on these tasks (John 14:25-28: “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name … I am going away …if you loved me you would be glad that I am going away.”) While confined to earthly body Jesus could only be in one place at one time. Now, because the Father sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Spirit is personally with all Christians all of the time. I’ve had people ask me how the gospel writers could remember accurately the events surrounding Jesus’ life to write authentically. The answer lies within the scope of Holy Spirit’s ministry. He gave them total recall (John 14:26: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”) Notice that the Holy Spirit enables us to interpret and search out the spiritual truths of the Bible. He is qualified to tell us the meanings—after all, He wrote the Book. As we live out our Christian lives the Spirit immerses us into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body —whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”) The Spirit is able to fill us with His life and power in proportion to how well we are submitting to the Spirit’s leadership. (Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”) In an age of hurt and discouragement the Holy Spirit ministers comfort and encouragement (John 14:25-26: “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name …”). Notice that Jesus actually gave a personal-descriptive-name to the Spirit. The word, Counselor,” in Greek, has many meanings—like comforter, encourager and companion. The Biblical writers mention about fifteen-different-spiritual gifts. These include such gifts as prophecy (preaching), teaching, mercy, giving and evangelism (See 1 Corinthians 12-14 and Ephesians 4:11-13 for a more complete list.) The Spirit apportions them based on our Spirit-designed-personal ministries as well as which igifts are needed in the church (1 Corinthians 12:8: “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit …”) Finally, let me mention what is perhaps the most essential work of the Holy Spirit. His job is to convict people personally of why they, themselves need Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Jesus described this work in John 16:8-11. I will give a word of interpretation to each verse. John 16: 8: “When he [the Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment …” In the next three verses Jesus shed further light on the convicting work of the Spirit. John 16:9: “… in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me ….” We are personally responsible for our sins. Jesus died to forgive our sins as we accept His justifying work on the cross. People who refuse to receive Christ are Hell bound because they have rejected Christ—God the Father has no other plan for eternal life See John 3:16-18.) John 16:10 “… in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; …” When Jesus was in His earthly body, the standard of righteousness walked among men and women. His very presence allowed others to see how far they were from holiness. Since He ascended into Heaven, the standard of righteousness is gone. The Holy Spirit takes up the slack by testifying to every heart what righteousness is. John 16:11: “… and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” Of course, the Holy Spirit is alive and well on planet earth. The Holy Spirit testifies in our inner beings, that since Satan will be judged for His sin, so those without Christ will one day be judged for their sins as well. In summary, the Holy Spirit whispers that Jesus is the only hope for our salvation. We stand condemned before God unless we find forgiveness in the saving work of Christ. By the way, these words from Jesus explain to us the meaning of “blaspheming the Holy Spirit.” I am often asked, “What is the unforgivable sin?” The only unforgivable sin is blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32: “And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”) Blaspheming the Holy Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit is convicting someone of their sin and need for a Savior—and His testimony is rejected. In essence, those rejecting Jesus are calling the Holy Spirit a “liar.” This is the only sin that God the Father cannot forgive. Everything else is forgivable. Well, Larry, thanks for asking such a far-reaching question. I hope my answer is both informative and helpful. Love, Roger

Roger, Thank you for your column here first of all. In Mark 10:11-12 Jesus says, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” I am a Christian who believes in our Lord and Savior but I am divorced from my first wife and have remarried. Can you explain what Jesus meant? Thanks for your help and God Bless. Paul Dear Paul, Jesus set out in Mark’s gospel a rather clear-cut teaching about divorce: Divorce and subsequent remarriage is adultery. I think He meant exactly what He said. It is not surprising that He set such a high standard. He simply was reiterating God’s divine intention that marriage is a partnership of one man and one woman for one lifetime (Genesis 2:18 and 2:22-24). In God’s eyes marriage is never to be broken. Therefore, when a marriage fails, to remarry is to commit adultery. However, Paul, there is much more to this story. We will better understand the issue if we look at the context which led to Jesus’ statement in Mark 10:2-12: Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” “What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” Jesus acknowledged that His Father allowed Moses to lessen the Godly standard. A “certificate of divorce” from husband to wife could end a marriage. Two rival interpretations were put forth in Jesus’ day to explain when a divorce certificate could be granted. The school of Hillel took the liberal approach and said that divorce could be granted for “any and every reason”—or without any reason whatsoever! The school of Shammai took a more conservative approach and said that adultery was the only grounds for divorce. Let me share a few more thoughts on the matter and then get personal with your own situation. In sorting out Jesus’ teaching on divorce, remarriage, and adultery Matthew also recorded this teaching from Jesus—but he recorded that Jesus gave one exception to the rule: “Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery’” (Matthew 19:8-9). Matthew quoted Jesus as allowing adultery as a ground for divorce. This is often called, “the exception clause.” Some deal with this exception for adultery by declaring that Jesus never said these words at all. They postulate that the clause, “except for marital unfaithfulness,” was inserted by a scribe when he copied Matthew’s gospel for distribution to others. Frankly, I have never read a satisfactory explanation that reconciles the difference between the two passages. The word translated “adultery” is the Greek word, “pornea.” This is the root word for the English word “pornography.” “Pornea” is in no way limited to adultery. It includes any sort of illicit sexual behaviors from reading pornographic materials to bestiality and everything in between. Paul laid down the rules for divorce in the Christian community. I wonder, if while believing one man and one woman for one lifetime, he also yielded to the “hardness of hearts” in outlining divorce and remarriage rules for Christians (1 Corinthians Seven). Let me refer you to my previous Ask Roger answer, “How Do We Handle Divorce and Remarriage Issues in Our Church?” for a more detailed discussion of the “rules” for divorce and remarriage. Let me give you a quick summary of Paul’s teachings. First, “pornea” is always grounds for divorce. However, just because one partner is guilty of “pornea” does not automatically mean a divorce should proceed. Paul advised that the marriage may well be salvaged through counseling, prayer and a short separation to allow heated emotions to subside. Second, a Christian whose partner commits sexual improprieties is free to remarry. Unfortunately, the guilty party seems left in a “limbo state” where remarriage would be considered adultery. Third, Christians married to non-Christians are to remain married as long as the unbeliever wants to stay. If the unbeliever wants a divorce then the divorce proceeds and the Christian is free to remarry. Fourth, Biblical grounds for divorce always include the right to remarry. Paul, let’s get personal for a moment. I don’t know the circumstances of your situation; but, if your first marriage partner was guilty of “pornea” then you unquestionably have grounds for divorce; don’t worry that you are committing adultery. Enjoy your remarriage. On the other hand, if you were the guilty party—or, if neither of you committed “pornea” and the marriage failed for other reasons, then look to John 8 for guidance. Jesus acknowledged the sin of the woman caught in adultery, forgave her, restored her, and told her not to commit adultery any more. A state of adultery need not go on forever. Confess to God your part in the marriage failure and receive His forgiveness. Then, pick up the pieces, go on with your life, and don’t worry about it again. I hope this answer is helpful. Have a great remarriage and may you live happily ever after in Christ. Love, Roger Read “How Do I Handle Divorce and Re-marriage Issues in my Church?”

Roger, I recently experienced something called “holy laughter” (as it was explained to me by a friend at church), but I cannot find any Scripture to back up what I was told. Is this a biblical term or something related to hysterical behavior? Does this somehow tie into speaking in tongues? Is this something I should be doing or not? Sincerely, Curious Dear Curious, I am familiar with the term “Holy Laughter,” having heard it in the context of some extremely charismatic spiritual practices. I’ll be glad to share what I’ve learned, but let me begin by stating that as far as I can determine, not one single Bible verse verifies or even mentions the concept of “holy laughter.” Of course, many verses refer to joy, singing, praising, uplifted hands, and dancing as manifestations of our response to and worship of the God we adore. King David had a wonderful time rejoicing and “dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets” (2 Samuel 6:14-15). I believe that if someone rooted in God’s Word and enjoying His presence is suddenly overcome with laughter, well, to me that’s great. I’ve chuckled at the incredible creativity in His creation … really, an elephant’s trunk is just funny. And genuine joy, Christ-centered happiness, is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Laughter in the Bible Laughter is addressed a number of times in the Bible. Often it is used to describe a mocking or scornful response, as was the case with Abraham and Sarah who laughed when God told them they would bear a child in their old age. Some verses use it as a sign of derision (Psalm 59:8; Psalm 80:6; Proverbs 1:26), and still others make pointed statements about the nature of laughter itself. Solomon made the following observation in Ecclesiastes 2:2: “I said of laughter, ‘It is madness,’ and of pleasure, ‘What does it accomplish?’” However, that’s not the Holy Laughter you are asking about. Where did “Holy Laughter” Originate? The term “holy laughter” was coined to describe a phenomenon during which a person laughs uncontrollably, presumably as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit‘s joy. It is characterized by peals of uncontrollable laughter, sometimes accompanied by swooning or falling down to the floor. Holy Laughter has a history. The first recorded instances occurred during the First and Second Great Awakenings during the 18th and 19th centuries. While preaching in America in the late 1700s, the phenomenon of Holy Laughing burst forth during John Wesley’s series of revivals. At first, he considered it to be “of the devil.” However, after several observations, he considered that in some ways it may be the result of the Holy Spirit. Holy Laughter today is occasionally seen during charismatic revivals, small prayer group settings, or church worship services. Some consider holy laughter to be a sign of the filling and/or baptism of the Holy Spirit. Others explain holy laughter as psychologically induced “mass hysteria.” This occasionally occurs in highly emotional environments when someone begins an activity and those around are mentally and emotionally stimulated to join in the behavior. In sum, since the practice is never mentioned in the Bible—and certainly not in conjunction with any spiritual gift—many agree that all manifestations are psychologically driven. On the other hand, those who experience Holy Laughter explain the behavior as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Should You Pursue Holy Laughter? Finally, should you be pursuing holy laughter in your spiritual life? No, probably not. Practices like it are extraneous to the Christian life. As best as I can tell, if holy laughter is Holy Spirit inspired, there is nothing you can do to cause it to happen or bring it on by trying. If the Holy Spirit ever inspires holy laughter in you, then enjoy it. Otherwise, don’t do it and don’t worry about it. I hope this helps! Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I continually struggle with the story of Abraham and Isaac. In all truth, this story really bothers me. I realize that God did not have Abraham continue with the sacrifice, but by simply asking this of Abraham, is God not asking Abraham to sin? Is this not considered murder? I understand the principle that God desires our ability to surrender all to Him, even those dearest to ourselves, but asking us to kill, to put it bluntly, a loved one seems so awful. I always think of the Lafferty brothers, who are Mormon fundamentalists, who killed their youngest brother’s wife and baby “at God’s request.” I realize that this is incredibly outrageous and these men were not seeking God’s will, nor were they in reality receiving instruction from God, but how would one explain the difference to a non-believer? Thanks, Amy Dear Amy, Thanks for the question. I believe that the Abraham-Isaac event is a “TYPE” A “TYPE” is the theological term used to describe and Old testament picture (or allegory) engineered by God the Father to point to the coming death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Let me give you several examples of Old Testament TYPES. God instructed Moses to speak to the Rock at Meribah (Numbers 20:1-13) and life giving water would flow forth to quench the cravings of the thirsty-desert-dwelling Israelites. The flowing water was a TYPE of the Living Water which would one day flow forth from everyone who surrendered their lives to Christ as Lord and Savior (John 7:37-39). According to Paul (1 Corinthians 10:1-4), this Rock was a metaphor for Christ. Moses sinned that day at Meribah when the waters flowed (Numbers 27:12-14). God instructed Moses to speak to the rock. Unfortunately, in his anger Moses struck with rock. Then, he struck it again. He never got around to asking the rock to release the water as God intended. As a result of his disobedience, God disqualified Moses from entering the Promised Land. This punishment seems rather harsh until we see the Rock as a TYPE of Christ. In one sense, Moses’ first strike many have enhanced the TYPE. After all, Christ was struck hard when He was crucified. The rock struck and then asked to pour forth Living Water to all who requested it would make a powerful TYPE. Unfortunately, the second strike certainly ruined any sort of salvation picture the Father might have had in mind. God forbade Moses to enter into the Promised Land because he ruined the TYPE. Types are serious business to God. Amy, let me give you another example. In Psalm 22, the “Psalm of the Cross,” David is a TYPE of Christ. His experiences 975 years before Christ exactly mirror Christ’s crucifixion. Psalm 22 begins with the words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” and ends with the words, “It is finished.” Notice that these are the very words Jesus used to begin and end His work on the cross (Mark 15:34 and John 19:30). Psalm 22 pictures what Christ saw as He looked down from the cross. On the other hand, Isaiah 53 pictures the view of those who were staring up at Christ as He hung upon the Cross. Now, with the above background we can understand the Father’s murderous command to Abraham. It is one thing to view God’s command as a test of Abraham’s devotion to God. It is quite another to understand this event as a TYPE of Jesus Christ. Just so we can’t miss it, God carefully explained the meaning of the Abraham-Isaac story in Hebrews 11:17-19. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that Abraham believed all along that God would raise Isaac back to life: “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.” When Abraham raised the knife, Isaac was as good as dead. But, just in time, the Angel of the Lord told Abraham to cease and desist. By the way, the angel of the Lord is an Old Testament “epiphany” (literally “God shining”) or manifestation of Jesus Himself on earth before the incarnation. asa Abraham lowered the knife, he turned around and saw a ram caught up in the bushes. Isaac was saved when his father sacrificed the ram on the altar in place of Isaac. In the same way we are on the altar of justice and deserve to die for our sin (Romans 3:23 and 6:23). Just in time Jesus substituted Himself on the altar of sacrifice and died in our places in order to pay the price we deserve for our sins. Then, to carry the TYPE to its logical conclusion, we, like Isaac, are saved to new life. By the way, Genesis 22:14 says, “so Abraham called that place “The LORD Will Provide.” And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” By the way again, Calvary is the name we use today for Mount Moriah–the Mountain where God provided the ram for Isaac, Jesus lated provided Himself as a lamb for us. God never again asked a parent to sacrifice a child in order to determine devotion. In fact, God the Father absolutely forbids this practice. He declared in Leviticus 20:4-5: “If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death, I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people.” Some theologians argue that Jephthah’s vow in Judges 11:30-39 proves that God condoned the father’s sacrifice of his only daughter as a result of his prayer to God. Jephthah promised that if God would deliver Amorite enemies into his hand, “… whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” (v. 31). Jephthah’s virgin daughter came running out to meet him as he returned from battle. This sacrifice was not God’s prerequisite for victory. Judges recounts several events that occur that are the result of man’s rejection of His Creator’s authority. “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 KJV Regarding the second part to your question, I see the murderous instructions to Abraham as not murderous after all. They are an anomaly that occurred only once. People who claim that God told them to kill are misguided religious nuts, mentally ill people who need treatment, unflinching psychopaths and/or demonically deluded captives to the forces of evil. The Lafferty brothers, the Mormon fundamentalists that you mentioned, certainly did not kill their youngest brother’s wife and baby “at God’s request”. The Laffertys heard voices all right–but not from God! They were seduced by decptive “doctines of demons.” They murdered cruelly, were deceived mercilessly and will one day stand before god’s Great White Throne of Judgment. The Lake of fire will soon consume them. (Unless by God’s mercy and grace they surrender their lives to Christ–so vast is His forgiving power. Read my ASK ROGER answer entitled, “Rapists in Heaven?” to gain some insight on my last comment.) By the way, the infamous Mountain Massacre occurred in southern Utah in the late 1800s. A group of Mormon men dressed as Indians murdered an entire wagon train of men, women and children. Here is another example of people who are deluded into thinking that they are following the will of God when they are actually dastardly sinners acting upon the basest horrors of the human heart. Well, Amy, I hope that I’ve shared some thoughts and information which are helpful both to you personally as well as to your “unbelieving” friends. May God grant you blessings and success as you point them to the lovely person of Jesus Christ. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Abraham was known in the Bible as a man of great faith. By faith He left Ur, following the call of a God he had never known before, travelled hundred of miles to settle in Palestine. By faith he was willing to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to God. The list of his faith triumphs is long (Genesis 12-25 and Hebrews 11:8-19. Then, why did he allow his wife, Sarah, to be taken into the King’s harem not once—but twice (Pharaoh in Genesis 12 and Abimelech in Genesis 20)? It seems to me that he had no faith at all when he claimed she was only his sister and gave her up to the harem. According to the Bible he was more concerned with his own personal safety than with protecting and sheltering his wife from harm. How can he be the “Father of the Faithful” and fail so miserably in giving away his wife—twice? Sincerely, Julie Dear Julie, Wasn’t the harem we visited in Istanbul fascinating! The Topkapi Palace, with all that gold, silver, and jewelry gathered from centuries of Ottoman Empire, made the treasures of the kings of Europe look paltry. Remember how entry to the treasure rooms was free and uncrowded? On the other hand, the ticket booth for a tour of the Sultan’s harem was crowded and the entry line was out of sight around the corner. I guess that people can see gold in museums all over the world. The chance to see a real harem doesn’t come along often. I’m not certain that I knew what to expect behind the entry door. As we stood in line I imagined that there would probably be one big room with a really big bed. I soon discovered that the harem was not like that at all. The guard room, designed to protect the women in the inner sanctums, was “manned” by eunuchs. I thought about how much fun guard duty was until I considered what it took to be a eunuch. I decided that it wasn’t worth it. The harem rooms were arranged in succession designed for having that night’s woman to emerge ready to meet the Sultan in his bedroom. Each room performed a different function—bath, perfume, nails, hair, make-up and dressing. As far as I could tell, the harem was just an assembly line to have a new woman primed and ready if needed for that night! The girls who best pleased the King might become wives. Others were relegated to the level of concubine. Some were cast out never to be heard from again. There was nothing sexual at all about the place. If I had known at the beginning of the tour what I knew at the end I would not have blushed so much as we stood in line waiting for our turn to go in. I just knew someone from Casas would walk by and seem me entering the harem! By the way, one of the most interesting harem stories in the Bible is recorded in the Book of Esther. Esther was a young teen-ager when she was noticed by a Persian noble and commandeered into Xerxes’s harem. God used her in those circumstances to save from destruction an entire nation. She courageously appeared before King Xerxes unannounced, not knowing if he would receive her or kill her for her brashness. She began her mission in surrender to God. “If I perish, I perish,” she said. She didn’t perish; neither did her nation. You might consider reading the Book of Esther. I think you will enjoy it. When Sarah entered the harems on both occasions she did not immediately enter the King’s bedroom. I would imagine that she was placed at the end of the line of women waiting their turn for a night with the King. Let’s not miss the fact Sarah was in these predicaments because of Abraham’s lack of faith. He abandoned his faith and trusted in a lie that Sarah was his sister and not his wife. Abraham believed that if Pharaoh thought she was his wife he would kill him to get her. Let me share the story recorded in Genesis 12:10-20. You will find it quite fascinating. Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarah, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarah. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had. My heart hurts for Sarah. She was twice rejected, abandoned, betrayed and belittled. Who can imagine her pain and disillusionment as she was given up by the man she loved and placed into the hands of another? It is little wonder why she was commended by God as a woman of faith in the Hebrews 11 hall of faith! Now, let’s not be too hard on Abraham for his failure faith. He did a dastardly thing; but even the most faithful can struggle with doubt. John the Baptist was chosen by God to announce both the coming of the Kingdom of God and the appearance of Jesus Christ as Messiah. John even baptized Jesus. However, unfortunately, his faith faltered while imprisoned for his faith. Simply stated, his faith failed. He sent a message of doubt to Jesus: “Are you the one or shall we look for another?” Jesus didn’t scold him for doubting. Instead, He sent John the Biblical affirmation of the prophesied work of the Messiah. “Go back, Jesus said, “and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Luke 7:22-23). Almost every Christian struggles with doubts at one time or another—just like Abraham. However, as he or she grows in maturity, doubts become fewer and less frequently. Doubts don’t cancel out faith. Faith enables a man or woman to answer doubts with victory. Not much faith is needed to experience the deepest levels of God’s power. Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). Of course, it is one thing to tell a mountain to move. It is quite another to have enough faith see it really happen. As I study the Scriptures I am impressed that there are different levels of faith. Some people have no faith at all. Jesus spoke to this subject when He contrasted the great faith of the Roman Centurion with the lack of faith in Israel. Complimenting the Centurion, Jesus declared, “I have not found such faith in all of Israel” (Matthew 8:10-12). We are talking here about those who have no faith in Christ at all. I use the term “insufficient faith” to describe those who are definitely intrigued by Christ but who have not yet enough faith to fully surrender their lives to Him. For example, one night the Disciples were about to drown in a horrific storm on the Sea of Galilee. The panicked disciples awakened the sleeping Jesus and shouted in terror, “Lord save us! We are going to drown!” Jesus replied, “’You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then, He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (Matthew 8:23-27. His men had enough faith to summon Jesus in their hour of need; but, as evidenced by their amazement at His power, not enough to believe that He really would or could save them. Some have enough faith to recognize that there is something special about Christ’s life and power. They may even give mental assent to the truths about, and person of, Christ; but, they are not yet willing to put their total faith in Him as their own Savior and Lord. This faith is insufficient for salvation; however, it is certainly headed in the right direction. We might describe the next level of faith as “Saving Faith”. I sometimes refer to this level as “Nursery School Faith”. Some take a while to transition from no faith to insufficient faith to saving faith. Others can make the jump in moments. For example, Paul and Silas sang hymns of praise until past midnight in the local Philippian jail. After an earthquake opened the prisoners’ cells the jailer was about to commit suicide which was the penalty for allowing a prisoner to escape. When Paul reassured him that no one had escaped he moved quickly from no faith to saving faith! He cried out, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul responded with utter simplicity, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. So, he did (Acts 16:29-31). call the next level of faith “Little Faith” or “Kindergarten Faith”. At our conversion we begin a life time of growing in Christ. The maturity level of our faith matches the maturing of our spiritual lives. Jesus spoke to this level of faith when He said with compassion, “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-29). Like kindergarten, we are putting in place the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual tools that will serve us for the rest of our lives. “All I Ever Needed To Know I Learned in Kindergarten” declares one of my favorite books. Play fair. Share. Don’t throw sand in the sand box. Be kind to others. Obey the teacher. These are just a few of the things we learn in kindergarten which are useful in later life. We learn the basic lessons of faith in spiritual kindergarten. The next level is what I call “Growing Faith”, or perhaps “High School Faith”. We know the basics and are testing our wings as we seek to integrate what we know with what we are experiencing during our years of spiritual adolescence. The writer to the Hebrews illustrates this level in Hebrews 11:6: “… without faith impossible to please him.” We are at that stage of life where we really take hold of the Christian life—or not. How we respond to the coming victories and defeats of life is greatly determined by how we handle these adolescent years of maturity. We have come a long way in our faith but many more faith lessons are yet to come. Finally, we enter into the level of “Mature Faith”. This is “Post Graduate Faith” as outlined by Jesus in John 14:12: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” At this level we experience staggering moments of faith. By faith, we witness some of the most astounding miracles, supernatural events and divine encounters. We are qualified for entrance into God’s Hall of Faith described in Hebrews 11. By the way, the Spiritual Gift of Faith (1 Corinthians 12:9) is one of the spiritual gifts given to the church by the Holy Spirit. Those with this gift have an almost supernatural faith to see ahead and enjoy in advance Gods victory in any situation. As a result, those with the spiritual gift of faith are great encouragers for those who don’t have the gift—those who are building their faith step by step. The gift of faith is not tied to any level of faith. It transcends them all. However, it doesn’t come ready to operate. It must be developed and matured by practice, patience and hope. Finally let me share several general observations regarding faith to keep in mind as we mature in our own personal faith. First, Jesus is looking for great faith. In Luke 7:9, after the faith declaration of the ‘Centurion He revealed the one thing He was searching for: “I tell you the truth, I have not found such great faith even in Israel!” This is significant! Israel was where He expected to fin faith. After all, Israel practically invented faith. They were the descendents of Abraham, the Father of Faith. If you were going looking for faith you’d go to Israel! They saw the Red Sea split; watched the Jericho walls fall. They won a battle when the sun stopped in Joshua 10. When Christ came the first time He was looking for faith. When He comes the second time He’ll still be looking for faith: “However, when the Son of Man returns to the earth, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). It is fair to say, in light of the Luke 7 passage that Jesus sizes everybody up according to their faith! Second, God is building faith. Faith matures with ongoing experiences with Christ. I remember when my daughter, Brie, needed a car. Her car was dying and not far from the junk yard. So, she asked God to provide a car. Several days later a woman where she worked said to her, “We have an extra car, could you use an extra car?” Let me tell you, it was not just any old car, it was a Jaguar. Third, faith always rests on a word from God. Faith is not a blind leap into the unknown. Hebrews 11:6 clearly teaches that there can be no faith if there is not a Word from the Lord to have faith in. Often these Word promises are found in the Bible. Just as often the Words of God we need to rest our faith upon are discovered as we seek God’s will for the incidents and circumstances surrounding us. Fourth, during the times when we struggle with doubt, faith may be nothing more than a cold-blooded decision to believe—despite our feelings, emotions or circumstances. Fifth, great faith enables Jesus to work miracles on our behalf. In responding to the Centurion’s request to heal his sick servant, Jesus said in Matthew 8:l3: “Go, it will be done just as you have believed.” The Greek words, “it will be done,” are powerful words. They come close to implying, “It must be done for you.” In other words, there was something about the quality of this man’s faith that obligated Jesus to do something. Wouldn’t it be great to hear Jesus Christ say, “Go your way; I have to do what you want me to do.” I believe that’s the kind of faith we all want! Sixth, we don’t have to have a doctoral degree in faith to experience moments of doctoral faith. Think about Esther. When she was first approached by Uncle Mordecai to save her people, she faltered. She was more concerned with her life than with saving the lives of thousands. Nevertheless, in a moment of post-graduate faith she crossed the threshold into the throne room. It is not that nursery and kindergarten faith Christians can’t have times of great faith, it is just that as they grow in faith they will experience less and less kindergarten and more and more doctoral! Maybe now we can get a better understanding of Abraham’s faltering faith. When he tossed Sarah to both Pharaoh and then to Abimelech, Abraham was more at the beginning of his faith life than at the end. He probably had Kindergarten Faith when he denounced his marriage vows, “chickened out’ and tossed his wife to the wolves. Having only beginning faith was no excuse for his miserable behavior. Fortunately, he got back on track, studied hard and eventually graduated with a Post Graduate degree in faith. I once heard Ken Gaub share a faith story so astounding that I got Ken’s phone number in Washington State and called him personally to verify its veracity. His faith-building experience is perhaps my all time favorite in the great galaxy of faith stories. Ken was drained and discouraged. The pressures of ministry and pastoring were overwhelming. He took his family for an extended get away in order for him to think though the current issues and to consider his future. He was ready to quit the church and never come back. He was driving in Dayton, Ohio, when the kids wanted pizza. He pulled off I-75 at place with several fast-food restaurants. He asked his wife to take the kids for pizza. He, in turn, just wanted to stretch his legs and think. He decided to head over to Dairy Queen for a soft-serve cone. As he approached, the pay phone outside the Dairy Queen began to ring. No one came to answer even as it rang 15 to 20 times. Finally, Ken walked over, picked up the receiver and said, “Hello.” “I have a long distance call for Ken Gaub,” said the operator. “This can’t be,” Ken thought. “It must be a mistake. Is Ken Gaub there or not?” “Is this a joke? I am Ken Gaub.” “That’s him, Operator,” said a woman’s voice on the line. “I recognize his voice.” Ken took the call. “What can I do for you?” “My name is Millie from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My life is a disaster. I had given up all hope and sat down to write a suicide note when I remembered once seeing you on television. I knew if I could just talk to you that everything would be all right. But, I knew it was impossible. I had no idea how to reach you. Then some numbers came to mind and I wrote them down. I looked at the numbers and wondered if I had a miracle from God. What if this was your phone number? So, I dialed the operator and made a person to person call. Is this your office in California?” “No. My office is in Washington. I’m at a pay phone outside a Dairy Queen in Dayton, Ohio.” He counseled the woman and hung up dazed. Should he stay in the ministry? It certainly seemed like he had an answer straight from Jesus. He wondered whether or not to tell his wife? Who would believe him? “Barb,” he said, when she climbed back into the car, “You won’t believe this. God knows where I am.” Well, Julie, I hope this gives some insight into your question about Abraham and his faltering faith. By the way, the next time you want to “Ask Roger” a question, you don’t need to email it, just ask me in bed. Sincerely, PPP of P

Dear Roger, What does the Bible say about plastic surgery? Anonymous Dear Anonymous, What does the Bible say about plastic surgery? Absolutely Nothing! Plastic surgery is never mentioned in the Bible. Except for primitive attempts to put back together broken faces in war time, plastic surgery is seldom mentioned in historical records. As far as I know, plastic surgery is unknown in Bible times. Nevertheless, please allow me to share several Biblical examples of what we might call “Divine Plastic surgery”. Your question appears to be more than simply idle curiosity? Could you be referring to your own baby? Perhaps a close relative’s? Maybe a close friend’s? I grieve for mom and dad. Few things are more difficult than expecting a happy, whole and healthy baby—and then have one born with defects. I hurt for all who are involved in this tragedy. If plastic surgery is helpful, nothing in Scripture prevents it. James 5:14-16 gives some guidance regarding plastic surgery. “Oil” was of great medicinal use in the first-century world. This passage encourages us to utilize both prayer and anointing with oil (medical help) when we are in need of healing. Therefore, it seems to me that utilizing plastic surgery to reconstruct a physical “defect” is all right with God. Some would say, “But, if they are born with a defect it must be God’s will for them to look like this—after all, He did create the child.” These folks would discourage surgery. But, remember, this is a fallen world. It is much more likely that the defect is a result of a broken world than the intentional actions of God. Biblically speaking, I would feel free to utilize plastic surgery to help shape the mouths and faces of those born with cleft pallets. Their appearance and functionality are so marred. Since several simple surgeries can effect such a great restoration, I can’t imagine not using plastic surgery to bring physical, emotional and mental relief that comes with restoration. On the other hand, desiring plastic surgery for a tummy tuck or face lift might fall into the category of vanity. You and God will have to sort that out together. I am not going to engage in that discussion. Paul encouraged Timothy, his son in the Lord, to remind Christian women to consider carefully their dress, makeup, and jewelry. As Christians they were to be more concerned with showing off the Lord Jesus Christ than with showing off themselves. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:9-10: “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” Paul’s instructions don’t necessarily mean that women should never wear make up or jewelry. It means that these artifacts are not to distract from their inner Christian beauty and behavior. Biblically speaking, I would feel free to utilize plastic surgery to help shape the mouths and faces of those born with cleft pallets. Their appearance and functionality are so marred. Since several simple surgeries can effect such a great restoration, I can’t imagine not using plastic surgery to bring physical, emotional and mental relief that comes with restoration. On the other hand, desiring plastic surgery for a tummy tuck or face lift might fall into the category of vanity. You and God will have to sort that out together. I am not going to engage in that discussion. Paul encouraged Timothy, his son in the Lord, to remind Christian women to consider carefully their dress, makeup, and jewelry. As Christians they were to be more concerned with showing off the Lord Jesus Christ than with showing off themselves. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:9-10: “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” Paul’s instructions don’t necessarily mean that women should never wear make up or jewelry. It means that these artifacts are not to distract from their inner Christian beauty and behavior. I define Divine Plastic Surgery as an inside change or experience with the Lord Jesus that manifests in our outside appearance or demeanor. Most of us are concerned with how we look. Surveys reveal that many women struggle with their looks, never being satisfied with their appearance. In personal interviews over the past-fifty years the vast majority of Miss Americas admit disenchantment with their bodies in one area or another. In fact, many admit to thinking that, “they are not really pretty”. (As I read these surveys I often wonder that if the most beautiful people in the world don’t think they’re pretty, what chance do I have!?” The adverse affects on someone’s self images based on their looks is disappointing—if not down right devastating for many women. Divine plastic surgery is the antidote to this twisted way of thinking. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day…. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Divine plastic surgery allows those of us with less than perfect looks to look forward to Heaven’s glory whenwe will all look just like Jesus! n 1 Samuel 16 God confided to Samuel that one of Jesse’s seven sons would be the new King of Israel. As Jesse introduced his sons, Samuel waited for God to reveal His choice. Big, strong, muscular, good looking, first-born Eliab began the parade! Samuel said to himself, “Surely, Eliab is the choice! Men can’t get any better than he!” But, God was not impressed with Eliab. The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). The young-teenager David was the Lord’s chosen. What does it do to your heart to realize that Jesse considered David so insignificant that he failed even to invite him to the parade! David had a heart for Godly things. His physical looks were insignificant to the Almighty. After spending forty days in God’s presence, Moses descended Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments. He had no idea that his face was shining with the radiance of God until the Israelite people shied away and refused to come near Him (Ex 34:29-32). Moses enjoyed a few fleeting moments of divine plastic surgery. When we spend time God’s presence our faces might not shine like Moses; but, there is little doubt that we’ve been with Someone mighty special. Unfortunately, for Moses in his vanity, it wasn’t long before the glory dissipated. Can you imagine that Moses put on a veil so that the people wouldn’t notice the shine was off! There is a strong lesson here for us. God uses divine plastic surgery to transform our inside beings. Eternally speaking, if our insides are godly, our looks matter little. God is a skillful surgeon. He knows just how to achieve the look He wants: “For the word of God (Jesus) is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart “(Hebrews 4:12). One of the happiest, most radiant, well-adjusted men I know stands just under four-feet tall. He has walked with Senators, influenced Washington lobbyists, testified before Congress, played basketball with the NBA Sacramento Kings (in practice), and produced television shows in Hollywood. I was delighted to perform the wedding for one of his daughters. I’m not playing “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” with you. Everything I wrote about him is true. I once asked him how he could put so much into, and got so much out of life!? I mean, he was really short. Most people naturally felt sorry for him. In today’s world—in any world—his lack of height is certainly not viewed as a strength to help him get along well or succeed. “So, I asked him, “How do you do it?” He replied, “It was my dad’s doing. He never let me think I was short! He drilled the same simple truth into my heart over and over again for twenty years. He said: ‘Never ever think of yourself as short. You are not short. You’re just not as tall as others.’” My friend’s attitude is the epitome of divine plastic surgery. God is not nearly as concerned with our outside appearances as we are—and that makes all the difference in how we get along well in life.

Dear Roger, I recently became a Christian. The pastor told me that now I needed to be baptized. I told him that I was baptized as a baby and didn’t need to be baptized again. He told me that being baptized as a baby was not really baptism. I felt angry and rejected. Now, I don’t know what to do. Do I need to get baptized again? Sincerely, Kate Dear Kate, I am sorry you felt hurt and rejected by your pastor. His “bedside manner” may not have been the best; however, I agree with his thinking. The purpose of baptism is to give visual testimony of your commitment to Christ. It is the first step of discipleship (Acts 8:26-39). According to Romans 6:1-10, baptism pictures at least three things. First, it is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. As you stand in the water you are representing Christ on the cross. As you are dipped underwater you illustrate the burial of Christ. As you come out of the water you demonstrate the resurrection of Christ. Second, baptism is also a personal testimony to you of the washing away of your sins. As you go under the water you reconfirm that your sins are forgiven and as you come out of the water you are raised to live a new life. Third, baptism represents your personal identification with Christ. Paul declares in Romans 6: “We were buried with Christ in baptism and we are raised to walk in a new life.” Being sprinkled when you were an infant missed the point of baptism on all three of the above levels. I’m sorry. The Bible teaches that commitment to Christ always precedes baptism. In fact, baptism is your testimony of surrendering your life to Christ. The New Testament order is not be baptized and then receive Christ. It is always first you receive Christ and then you get baptized. I think it likely that you were not aware of your infant baptism so it was not possible to think of your baptism as a personal commitment to Christ. Remember that baptism never washes away sins; the blood of Jesus washes away sins. I believe that I can say that being baptized is the first responsibility (test?) for a new Believer. I’m certain that you are wondering where infant baptism originated. Let me give you a brief overview. Infant baptism basically came into vogue from teachings by some early church fathers (Iraneus??????????in particular) that baptism washes away sin. If you died without being baptized then you died in your sins and went to Hell (or purgatory as that concept developed over time). With the high infant mortality rate the concept of baptizing babies as soon as possible came into vogue. Since it is not necessarily good to push baby heads underwater, the idea of sprinkling took hold. The translators of the first Bible into English came to a problem with how to translate the Greek word for “baptism.” The word never meant “sprinkle or “pour”. It literally means to “dip” or to “immerse”. For example, when Odysseus was escaping from the Cyclops he took a stick and “baptized” the stick into the eye of the Cyclops. He did not sprinkle it in. He “baptized” it deeply into his eye. When it came time to translate “baptize” into English the translators faced a problem. If they translated the word a firestorm would erupt because most of the church practiced sprinkling and not full immersion. Interestingly enough, the Anabaptists were persecuted mercilessly for practicing baptism by immersion. They were the only ones following the correct Biblical teachings on the subject. So, instead of translating the word, they transliterated it. Transliteration means that they simply took the Greek letters and transposed them into English. The word “baptism” in Greek is spelled, “βαπτιζω”. The transliterated English letters look like this: “baptidzo”. Notice the close parallel. Crisis was averted and the new English Bible was less likely to be offensive to some and rejected. You may find it interesting that early writings from some 2nd century Christian desert communities dealt with the practical issues of baptism in the desert. They taught that if not enough water existed for full immersion then pouring on the head was acceptable. If not enough water existed for pouring then sprinkling was acceptable. And, if water was in really short supply then sand may be used. Again, this is not Biblical teaching. It was expedient. Baptizing babies is not Biblical; but, it is expedient based on a false assumption that baptism washes away sin. Throughout the years of the Church, baptism by immersion has taken several forms. Some baptize by dipping three times in the “Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Others use the Jewish model for baptizing Gentile converts into Judaism. The initiates wore white robes and were dipped three times forward and three times backward. The most common mode of baptism is once backward which corresponds to portraying closely the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Well, Kate, I hope this sheds some light on the subject of baptism and I hope it is helpful to you in making up your mind regarding your own baptism. Love, Roger

Dear Roger,   My marriage is a bust. My wife and I are fighting constantly. I wonder why I ever married her. I feel that my love for her is gone. We have been to counselors many times but nothing seems to help. I think all the fighting is scarring our children. They are upset, scared, and confused. I know we are damaging them. I want out; but I am a Christian and I am afraid that God will punish me for getting a divorce. Can you give me some guidance? Specifically, what does the Bible teach about divorce? I am struggling with whether to stay in this marriage or to get out. I want a divorce but I don’t want God to desert me if I do something wrong.   Sincerely, “Composite of scores of questions from people for divorce guidance over the years” Dear Composite,   I grieve for you and your and wife. Neither of you intended when you took your wedding vows to one day get a divorce. I know this is one of the most painful times you will experience in life and the potential for loss is already causing you much grief, anger and depression. I want you to know that I feel deep sorrow for the hurt you are going through. So is Jesus. You mentioned that God may punish you. I think more of God weeping for you than waiting to punish you if you do wrong. You have my deepest sympathies.   Divorce is rampant world-wide. So, you are not alone. In fact, recently a sign was hung in a Hollywood jewelry store that rather sums up the problem in America. The sign said, “We rent wedding rings.”   Julie and I were in a Middle Eastern country recently and were talking with a person who was criticizing the soaring divorce rate in America as a sign of the decadence of our country. He mentioned that America grants more divorces than in the rest of the word combined. I said to him, “It is culturally unacceptable for people to get a divorce in your country, isn’t it. He agreed. Then, I said, “But how many people would get out of their marriages if they could?” Silence…Happy marriages are no more abundant in the Middle East than they are in America. Divorce was a serious problem in Jesus’ day, too. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5:31-32 ): “I t has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce;’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”   In Matthew 19:3-12 J esus expands on this basic teaching by saying that Moses allowed divorce because so many people couldn’t live with the rule. Jesus also added that some were choosing not to get married so they could better serve without distraction in the Kingdom.   The liberal attitude toward divorce in Christ’s day was result of 2 things: (1) a blatant ignoring o f Genesis 2:23-25 ab out total commitment of the total person for the total lifetime; and (2) a biased interpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1 ab out a man divorcing his wife for anything that displeases him. The word “displeasing” really refers to sexual impurity as explained in Deuteronomy. 22:16-19 . The more strict interpretation is the one Jesus was referring to in Matthew 19:8-9 . God’s will is that people should not divorce!  Society cannot survive on the dissolution of the family.  God’s will is for husbands and wives to stay together and grow together. In fact, God says, “I hate divorce,” God says in Malachi 2:16 ; then, He goes on to say, “and I hate a man covering his wife with violence.” Some have interpreted this verse to expand the rules justifying divorce to include physical abuse (as well as mental abuse and cruelty).   The principle Christ laid down is that the only grounds for divorce is marital unfaithfulness. However, as Paul teaches, there are other passages and principles that come into play as well (like Malachi two).   By the way, divorce is not the unpardonable sin. (The unpardonable sin is rejecting the prompting of the Holy Spirit to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior.) Martin Luther: taught “Let Christians know that by their divorce they cease to be Christians and become heathen and are in a state of damnation.” For Luther, divorce cost a man his salvation. I find no justification anywhere in the Bible for his declaration. God can certainly forgive the sin of an unjustified divorce. At the opposite extreme from Luther are the people today (like the liberal view of many rabbis in Jesus’ day) who teach “no fault” divorce for any cause!   I do not wish to condemn anyone or to create unjustified guilt. But, I do wish to acknowledge that divorce is at best a failure in the Kingdom of God. Marriage is no light affair. The hope of the world rests upon the solidarity of the family. Modern pressures upon marriage and the fact that “everyone’s doing it” are not legitimate excuses for passing off Jesus’ words as being outdated.   Too many couples approach marriage with the attitude that, if the going gets rough, they can always divorce. The Christian approaches marriage with the attitude that divorce is out of the question; therefore, when the going gets rough, he or she concentrates on overcoming the problem instead of dissolving the relationship. However, as we shall see, I believe that the Bible teaches that there are times when a marriage is so “over” that it is best to admit failure and start over.   WHAT ARE THE BIBLICAL GUIDELINES FOR DIVORCE? 1. “Pornea” Is Always Grounds For Divorce ( Matthew 5:31-32 ).   “Pornea” is the Greek word for sexual sin. Obviously our word pornography is a “derivative” of the word. If your partner has committed an act of fornication, without a doubt you have scriptural grounds for divorce. “Pornea” is more than adultery. It includes such sexual sins as incest, prostitution, bestiality, homosexuality, lesbianism, etc. We need to be careful in handling pornography in our pornographic society. Pornography as we know it hardly existed in Jesus day. Books filled with pictures of sexual acts and nudity didn’t exist in Jesus day. Just because a person my glance occasionally does not mean there is grounds for divorce. That behavior is a sin—like so many others. Consider that the person caught in the trap of porn is addicted and needs counseling and help to get freedom. Look at them as victims who have sinned but need therapy and accountability and are worth “saving” and not abandoning.   2. “Pornea” Never Necessitates Divorce. The theme of scripture is always reconciliation.   Reconciliation has always been God’s way of dealing with relationship sin. Of all people, Christians should work out their differences and reconcile. 3. Christian Couples Are To Remain Married ( 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 ).   Christian couples are to uphold God’s ideal of the permanence of marriage. If anyone has power to work out marriage problems it is Christians! Christian’s have Christ’s power and life of love. Christians have Christ’s power to forgive.   4. Nevertheless, When A Divorce Has Occurred Between Christians, Only Two Options Are Available ( 1 Corinthians 7:11 ).   According to Paul Christians are either to remain single or be reconciled to their marriage partner. If a Christian’s ex-husband or ex-wife has remarried then remarriage is permitted.   5. The Willing Departure Of An Unbeliever Is Grounds For Divorce ( 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 ).   If you’re a Christian and you’ve been married to an unbeliever and the unbeliever wants out of the marriage, then let them go. You are no longer under bondage. You have the right of remarriage. 6. A Christian Married To An Unbeliever Is To Remain Married And Help Lead The Unbelieving Partner To Christ ( 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 ).   7. Biblical Divorce Always Includes The Right To Remarry ( 1 Corinthians 7:15 And 7 :39).   If your divorce is right, then remarriage is always right. Divorce, God’s kind, always dissolves the marriage–and the right of remarriage is in place. The question is, has there been Biblical divorce? That’s the whole issue! God views divorce the same as he views death–a complete cutting off. If you have grounds for divorce, then you always have grounds for remarriage.   8. It Is Always Sin To Remarry Without The Proper Grounds For Divorce ( Matthew 19:8-9 ).   It doesn’t matter what situation we may bring up, if we have no Biblical grounds for divorce, it is always a sin to get married again. This is obvious, but, the guilty party in a “Pornea” marriage is not free to remarry. Sin doesn’t set us free after all. 9. It Is Always Sin To Marry Someone Who Has Been Divorced Without Biblical Grounds ( Matthew 5:32 ).   10. In Certain Cases It Is God’s Will To Remain Unmarried ( 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 , 27 , 39-40 .   Christians who divorce are not free to remarry. When society is crumbling it is better not to marry. Widows must consider that at times remaining a widow is better than remarriage.   11. Death Of A Partner Severs Responsibility. There Is Freedom To Remarry ( 1 Corinthians 7:39-40 ).   12. A Decision To Accept Christ As Savior Affects Our Position Before God As To What Happened In The Past.   Were you married and divorced 13 times before you became a Christian? That is in the past! Our position before Christ really makes a difference. “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.” It’s no surprise when people lost in sin get caught up in all sorts of sins. Things become different when we’re saved! WHAT IF I HAVE ALREADY BLOWN IT? Pick up the pieces of your broken life and start over ( John 8:1-11 ).   Maybe you’ve been divorced and are now remarried. But, you didn’t have any Biblical grounds! What do you do? Does God hate you? Will God forever withhold blessing from my life?   If you’ve remarried without scriptural grounds for divorce you may be tempted to ask, “Do I have to divorce my present husband and try to straighten it out with my original husband? NO! God says, “I hate divorce.” Another divorce won’t straighten it out but only complicate matters! If you divorced without scriptural grounds and then remarried, there is still forgiveness and hope! ( Isaiah 1:18 and 1 John 1:9 and 2:1 ).   Perhaps it might be of interest how I treat and advise couples in the throes of divorce. First, I try to comfort them in their pain because I know they are hurting desperately. Second, I advise them to do everything possible to fix their marriage—including working with close Christian friends and receiving good Christian counseling. My experience is that many Christians receive much counseling, but are still unable to reconcile. Second, I review with them the Biblical grounds for divorce as mentioned above. I cannot apply these principles to their own hearts. These issues are between them and God. I can advise; but the final conclusions are between them and God. Third, seldom do I advise one partner or another to get a divorce; but, I have done it. When physical, mental, or verbal abuse is bringing irreparable harm I advise them to leave immediately for their own safety (and often for the safety of the children). Fourth, when a marriage is obviously dead, I advise people on the basis of John 8:1-11 t o pick up the pieces and start over. John 8 is the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery and the men who want to stone her. Jesus forgives her and as He sends her on her way He advises her to stop her sin. Some marriages are caustic for one or both partners. Get out and start over; the long-term damage can be devastating. By the way, some people shouldn’t be married. Many mental disorders are incompatible with successful marriages.   As I give guidance concerning the Biblical guidelines for divorce I remember that that every marriage is an individual thing; no two are alike. Marriages can’t be grouped into categories and treated as such. Each one needs individual care, understanding, and attention.   Remember: God’s ideal is the total commitment of the total person for the total life ( Genesis 2:18-24 ).   Remember: Jesus is in business of picking up pieces and starting over again ( John 8:1-11 ). To all of you who have asked me throughout the years about marriage and divorce I hope I have shared helpful Biblical teaching that will give you guidance. For all of you I hope for happy and fulfilled marriages that last a life time.   Love, Roger

Dear Roger, How many times must I pray for someone to be healed? I have friends who want me to pray again and again for their healing. The call goes out from the church to pray for somebody who is sick and we are encouraged to pray again and again while nothing happens. Frankly, I get rather tired of it sometimes. Is there a limit to how many times we should pray for someone’s healing? Sincerely, Many Questioners Throughout The Years Dear Many Questioners Throughout The Years, I have heard thousands of prayers in 40 years of ministry for God’s supernatural healing hand to touch people with complete healing. I have been privileged to witness some great healings. However, some of the people I pray for never were healed. Some of the Christians I know who experienced physical and mental infirmities received no healing from God. Many received medical attention that alleviated their problems. Others died from their sicknesses. Jesus gave us an invitation in Matthew 7:7-11 . The verbs are continuous action in the Greek. “Keep on asking and it will be given you, keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds’ and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” The premise for Jesus’ promise is the Father’s infinite love for His children recorded in the following verse. “which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?” James 5:14-15 commands us to call the elders of the church to pray when we are sick. James gives us insight in his letter about conditions for unanswered prayer-unbelief, unconfessed sin, etc. But the question remains, is there a time when God says “I have something else in mind”? I’ve thought a lot about Paul’s healing prayers as recorded in the Bible. There are none—except three times for himself. I am certain that he prayed for people to be healed physically; but, those prayers were not recorded because they were never the focus of his prayers. Instead, Paul’s prayers reveal his deep concern for the maturing of the internal-eternal-human spirit. He never prayed for anyone else’s body to get well—he never stopped praying for the development of the inner person. Here are two examples: For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:15-19). For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19). When Timothy was sick with various stomach ailments Paul did not pray for his healing or send him to the local faith healer. He advised him that a little wine would be good for his stomach (1 Timothy 5:23). I think we might do well to follow Paul’s example in praying for Jesus to heal his own physical malady: To keep me from becoming conceited, because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But, He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). “Thorn” is the Greek word describing a “tent stake” that is driven into the ground. The Babylonians used the word to describe the sharpened trees used for impaling people. “Torment” is a Greek boxing term meaning, “to beat, to strike with the fist.” Paul had a stake impaled in his body tormenting him to keep him humble. There are four Main Guesses as to the nature of Paul’s thorn. First, he was ugly—probably a result of his five beatings with rods, three whippings, and one stoning (2 Corinthians 10:10). Second, he was often incapacitated with malaria contracted in the marshy areas of the southern coast line of Turkey. Third, he struggled with epilepsy which was considered in the ancient world to be caused by demons (Galatians 4:3-14). Finally, and most probable of all, he had some sort of debilitating eye trouble. Think about the blind scales falling off of his eyes at his bright-light conversion in the desert (Galatians 4:15; 6:11; and Acts 23). I think we should follow Paul’s example in praying for healing. Three times may enough. If we are not healed after three prayers we can assume that God has other things in mind. At that point we start praying for wisdom to understand the reasons behind the sickness and get with His plan to use grace to strength to us and glory to His name. God often allows or creates circumstances so that we may know Him better. He wants to sensitize our inner-God consciousness. Satan wants to focus our minds on our bodies or adverse circumstances in order to sensitize our mental and bodily consciousness. Too often we are obsessed with removing pain and problems. God, on the other hand, is obsessed with sensitizing our inner spirits. God will sacrifice the body every time if that is what it takes to mature the eternal! We can pray seven times to be healed of cancer; nevertheless, we will eventually succumb to death. Life is a terminal disease. Praying for healing is not eternally effective. There are no Biblical verses which describe angels rejoicing when bodies are healed! On the other hand, the angels rejoice when a lost sheep enters into eternal life. Too many Christians beg for God to change their situations and heal their bodies while not having the slightest idea of God’s eternal intentions. Praying from the inside out allows us to see things from God’s perspective and interpret the circumstances surrounding our souls and bodies in the light of how our requests affect their inner spirits. To one degree or other, we are all like Paul in our weaknesses. Pray for healing. However, look for a reason Jesus, might be saying, “No.” If no healing occurs, consider that God wants us to live with it and find grace and strength accordingly. I was invited to a healing service for an American missionary serving in a Middle Eastern country. People had prayed for his healing for over ten years. He was at his wits end. As we prayed it became increasingly obvious to me that he was struggling with brain chemistry-neurotransmitter imbalances. When the prayer time ended I gently told him that it was time to stop praying for healing: “If God hasn’t healed you after ten years of praying then another year will probably not do it either. God’s answer is, ‘No. Stop asking Me. My grace is sufficient for you’.” There comes a time when it is time to stop praying and figure out how to live for God’s glory while the “stake” twists in your body. Consider that up to this point his prayer was for the Holy Sprit’s healing oil to bring supernatural healing as mentioned in James five. God has His healing oil. However, oil was also used as medicine in the Biblical world. It was time to turn to a good physician for help. After the meeting we discussed the genetic implications of his disorder. We shook his family tree and all sorts of ancestors with the same malady fell out. “There is medical treatment which can give you great relief. Explore your medical options as well.” The next morning the missionary said, “Thanks, I needed those insights about Paul and his thorn. I’d forgotten that His grace is sufficient.” Well, Questioners Throughout The Years, I wish God had shared this thought with me earlier. Nevertheless, I hope it gives you some insight into how and when and how much to pray for some one’s healing. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, How should one witness to a friend that was raised Roman Catholic and is starting to go towards Islam? I don’t know how to really witness to him, without him saying that I am preaching to him. Sincerely, Question from Casas’ “What’s Next Class” Dear Questioner, It blesses my heart to know that you are interested in leading your friend to Christ. May God bless you and your endeavors. Now, to begin with, notice my use of the word “leading” in the previous sentence. I believe that sheep need to be led, not driven. Be careful of the temptation to force Christ or your beliefs upon anyone. They will soon tire of pushing and many times religion becomes an “off limits” subject in your relationship. So, use some creative thinking and carefully find the right time to approach in as natural a way as possible. Listen carefully to what he has to say about his spiritual journey without getting defensive or threatened. Your goal is to lead him to Christ, not to win an argument and especially not to “turn him off” by not listening to him openly or lovingly. Let me share a few thoughts about Christianity, Islam and Roman Catholicism. The key here is the resurrection of Christ. What separates Christianity from all other religions in the world is the resurrection. All religions (with a few slight exceptions) have leaders who died in their cause but only Christianity has a Leader who was resurrected. As I understand it, there is some controversy in Islam as to the disposition of the Prophet Mohammad. Some traditions say that he died about 600 a.d. and was buried while others postulate that he was bodily assumed into Heaven. Here is where it gets personal: Jesus promised that if we believed in Him we can cheat death and live forever. He proved His promise by His own resurrection. A man once approached the brilliant Frenchman, Talleyrand, seeking advice on how to start a new religion to supplant Christianity. Talleyrand told him that the first thing he needed to do was to go have himself crucified, and then resurrect back to life! The man left and never started his new religion. By the way, Christianity stands apart from all the religions in the world by its grace system. All other religion has a works system of one sort or other by which people fulfill obligations in order to please God and earn eternal life. Christianity teaches that no one is good enough to earn eternal life, so God gives it away for free to all who will receive it by faith in Christ. Who would want to enter a system depending on their own good works for success when they can receive grace to stand before God not on the basis of their works, which may or may not be good enough, but instead by the work of Christ on the cross which is totally good enough. Now, let me give you one more thought about your friend’s Roman Catholic background that may have some bearing on his leanings toward Islam. Catholicism focuses very little on the resurrection. The focus in this religion is on the sufferings of Christ on the cross. When you examine religious works by Catholic painters which span the centuries you will hardly ever find pictures of the resurrection; however you will find thousands of paintings of the death of Christ on the cross (and of the virgin Mary holding baby Jesus or ruling with God in Heaven). If you remember Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion, you watched two hours of blood and guts as Christ suffered and only 15 seconds of a flash of His resurrection. Mel Gibson has a strong Roman Catholic background. So, you can imagine that as your friend grew up he received little teaching or exposure to the facts surrounding the resurrection and its significance for us today. The best way to lead someone to Christ is to show them something better than they already have or are planning to get. Therefore, focus your talks with your friend on the glories and beauties of Christ. Let him see the living water of Christ flowing through your own life and be attracted to the Christ in your life and your friend may soon want to experience the same strength, peace, and love you exhibit. Certainly, my answer is not all encompassing, but I hope it gives you a few ideas on reaching your friend for Christ. God bless and good luck. Love, Roger