Dear Roger, Regarding physical healings—Does God gift people with the ability to heal physical ailments today? Thoughts on “healing”? Revivals? Thanks! Question from Casas’ “What’s Next Class” Dear Ms. WNC, The gift of healing is one of the spiritual gifts mentioned i n 1 Corinthians 12-14 . I do believe that all of the spiritual gifts are still operational today; therefore , I am certain that there are people who have the gift of healing. The gift of healing is the ability to lay hands on these who are sick and they are healed from their illness. I have yet to meet someone who is to operate in that gift with 100% success. However, I have met some who feel that they have the gift of healing and I have noticed that their prayers seem more effective than others. I often view the spiritual gifts as being like a toolbox. God allows us to pull out just the right tool for use when we need them. In other words, I many not have healing as a primary gift but at times God might want me to pull the healing tool out of the box and use it. Let me share with you some healing observations from forty years of ministry regarding physical healings. My first healing experience occurred early in my ministry. Sally had suffered for years with left over pain from radiation burns to her back and spine from the early days when using radiation to eradicate cancer was not yet a precise procedure. She opened her Bible and read from James 5:14-15 : “Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.” “Would you please gather the elders and pray for me?” she asked. Unfortunately, it was not that simple. I grew up in a denomination that ill-prepared me for her request. The unwritten, but strongly implied rule of our denominational culture, stated that pastors who ministered in the area of healing were “charismatic” at best, and deluded at worst. Also, our churches were organized around deacons; we had no elders. Furthermore, I was not sure what a “prayer of faith” was. Finally, I had never anointed anyone with oil and was not certain how to do it. Obviously, we never discussed the “how-tos” of James 5:14-15 in seminary. “Sally, you’re the first person to ask me to pray for healing according to James five. I am not certain what to do.” I explained my pastoral dilemma and then proposed a solution: “I suggest that we both pray and fast for five days.  I’ll meet you in my office next Friday afternoon, and if God tells us to proceed, we will.” She agreed to the proposal. Five days later we both wrote on paper what we thought God told us and then exchanged papers. The conclusions were identical. We made plans for a healing service on Sunday afternoon. Since we had no elders I invited our deacons. During the thirty minutes before Sally arrived, I explained to the deacons her request, the background to her pain, and what I knew of James 5:14-15 . I asked if any one had participated in a healing service before. No hands rose. When Sally arrived, we asked her to confess any known sins. When she finished I took the bottle from Lucky’s Supermarket and prepared to pour olive oil over her head. One of the deacons averted a mess when he shook his head and whispered that a drop on a finger applied lightly to her forehead might work better. We took turns passing the bottle, anointing her with oil, and praying for her. I wondered if perhaps Sally would now leap up like on television and shout, “Glory to God! I’m healed!” But nothing happened. As she quietly departed, she thanked us for our prayers and left a room filled with emotions of disappointed confusion, mixed with some measure of hope. Unknown to us, the healing service had moved to another time and place. In the early morning hours, Sally was awakened by a strange sensation and knew instantly that she was healed. By the time she was out of bed, the pain was gone—never to return. Later Sally shared what happened that night in her bedroom: “I think that the reason God did not heal me in front of the deacons was because they might get proud. I think God waited until I was alone so He would get all the glory.” From that inauspicious beginning God integrated a physical healing ministry into our church fabric.  Since my encounter with Sally, God has spoken to me about a theology of healing which is fashioned upon a Biblical foundation, a solid dose of practical reality, and hours spent asking Him what to do in all sorts of complex situations. 1. Mistakes will happen in praying for healing, but the risks are worth it. Healing prayers are personally risky. When my prayers were not answered, I dealt with feelings of failure and embarrassment. Some people got well, and some died. I was exhilarated when some lived; I was embarrassed when some died. Once I prayed something I knew in my inner spirit would not happen; but I prayed anyway because I wanted to give hope and encouragement.  Ten of us were praying for a young mother whose breast cancer was raging out of control.  When the cancer was discovered early in her pregnancy, the doctors recommended an immediate abortion because chemotherapy would kill the unborn baby. At great risk to herself, she delayed the treatments and carried her child to a successful, full-term birth. Unfortunately, the delay proved costly.  Mom was dying as we gathered to pray the prayers of James 5 . As I dipped my finger in the oil and placed it gently on her forehead, I knew deep in my spirit that she was going to die. Nevertheless, I prayed earnestly for God’s healing and thanked God in advance that all would be well. What came over me? Several months later I stood in deep snow in a lonely country cemetery in Northern Arizona with her widowed husband and three children as they lowered her casket into the grave. That was not the first mistake I made praying healing prayers. Nor will it be the last. However, the risk of a few embarrassing incidents is small compared to the joys and benefits of God-honoring success. I am convinced that many people who would have remained sick got healed because we followed the explicit instructions of James five. 2. Intelligent praying for the sick requires an interactive understanding of God’s plan. It is not always God’s will to heal. He sometimes has other things in mind. In John 9 Jesus healed a man born blind: His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God may be displayed in his life.” The Apostle Paul accomplished some powerful healing and resurrection miracles; however, he did not do it every time. He could not help his sick friend Epaphroditu s ( Philippians 2:25-27 ). He left Trophimus sick at Miletus ( 2 Timothy 4:20 ). Instead of sending Timothy to the local faith healer, Paul told him to drink a little wine for his stomach troubles. When Paul was unable find relief from his thorn, God sent Dr. Luke as his companion. Just because someone is sick does not mean it is God’s will to heal them. Some sickness to mature us to look like Jesus. Some are discipline for sin. Some are unto death. It is time to die. My first child, Jessie, was born to die. I believe that God used her short life to bring glory to God. God never guarantees anyone a set number of years. Some live to the ripe, old age of eighty-five. Others fulfill their life destiny by the age of two. The woman who told us that if we just had enough faith our daughter would be healed was clueless. 3. The James five prayer of faith can be exercised only with an understanding of God’s will and intentions. After many experiences of praying for the sick, God demonstrated to me that the prayer of faith does not demand a leap into the unknown. It is not positive thinking. It does not mean to believe something so strongly that we make it come true—or that God must do what we believe.  The prayer of faith does not rest on human emotions, feelings or desires. It is based on a word from God. In every case the heroes of Hebrews eleven based their faith on a word they heard from God. The prayer of faith is no different.By definition, it is not possible to pray in faith when there has been no word from God. However, on those occasions when God makes His will clearly known, I find it exciting to pray—and watch God work. My first attempt at praying a prayer of faith occurred when a young mother was rushed to the hospital with a brain aneurysm. As I walked down the hospital corridor, I contemplated what words of comfort to share with her and just how to pray about her situation. I paused outside her door and sought help from God. Several moments later I had a deep inner impression that she was going to be fine. In my innermost being I sensed God say that Rhonda’s sickness was not unto death. She would survive with no complications and live to raise her children. An intense mental struggled ensued: “Was God really speaking to me? Was I just making this up? What if I told her what I heard and she died, I would look like a fool.” However, I could not ignore that immediately after I asked God how to handle this situation, I got an instant response. Rhonda was awake, alert and afraid.  “Surgery is scheduled for Monday,” she said. “The doctors want the swelling to subside before they operate. There is no guarantee that the artery will hold until then.” Fear filled her eyes. With all the courage I had I looked into those eyes and said, “Rhonda, God told me that your sickness is not unto death. Whether the doctors will operate on Monday or not, I don’t know; but, you are going to be fine. Be at peace. All is well.”  Never had I said words as bold and direct these. The sense of embarrassment and risk diminished as I began praying for her healing with no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts.” I reminded God that she had young children to raise, and there was no reason I could see why she should not be allowed to raise them. Besides, God told me she was going to be fine. My prayer of faith rested on hearing a word from God. Rhonda’s surgery on Monday was a complete success. In the twenty years since we prayed together she has led a relatively normal life. Her daughters are grown and married. She is alive and well. The truth is, I usually have no idea what God intends when I pray alone or with our elders (we have some now) for the sick. In those cases I pray a standard prayer based on James 4:2 (“You do not have because you do not ask God.”). I always ask God for a full recovery with no problems or long-term complications. I want no one to miss out on God’s blessing because we failed to ask: “Father, you told us we could ask, so we did.” Then, I pray for submission to God’s will: “Now, since we do not know Your will in this case, we submit to what You have in mind. Your will be done.” Finally, I ask God to pour in the power of Christ and strengthen the family for any situation. 4. Prayers for healing are not intended to replace medical attention. Going to a doctor does not invalidate earnest faith.  Occasionally I encounter Christians who are afraid that seeking medical help symbolizes a lack of faith. These people need instruction. Evangelicals seem divided as to the meaning of the anointing oil in James five. Some anoint with oil as a sacred symbol of the Holy Spirit. Others believe that the oil represented good, first century, medicine. James may well have had both meanings in mind. Two extremes are to be avoided.  One extreme is to pray with faith and refuse medical attention. The other extreme is to resort to medical help and never pray. God taught me a hard lesson about this.  After suffering with an intestinal disease for almost a decade, I decided during seminary to pray in faith for God’s healing. As a young, idealistic student, searching for the boundaries of practical Christianity, I reasoned that taking cortisone and sulfa drugs was a sign of unbelief. I told God that I would stop taking my medicine and place my full faith in Him for my healing. In less than a month I was hospitalized, and shortly thereafter the surgeon removed my entire colon. My “faith” was sinful, misguided presumption: “Thou shalt not put the Lord your God to the test.” I encourage people to pray hard and seek the best medical help they can find. Faith plus modern medicine is often a good prescription for healing. 5. God heals in a variety of ways. I wish someone had explained to me before we prayed for pain-racked Rhonda why “gifts of healings,” as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:9 , is a double plural. Then I would not have been disappointed when she did not jump up healed. After many prayers I have learned that God uses a variety of healing methods—some immediate and some resolving over time. The Bible demonstrates that God’s healing hand moves with diversity. Occasionally healing is spoken directly. Peter said to the lame man, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” ( Acts 3:6 ). Sometimes hands are laid on the sick: “His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went into see him and, after prayer, placed hands on him and healed him” ( Acts 28:8 ). Sometimes a healing occurs immediately, like with the man born blind ( John 9:1-41 ). Sometimes it takes a while, like when Jesus healed a blind man and the job was only half finished: “I see men as trees walking” ( Mark 8:24 ) . Jesus then went on to finish the job. My favorite unusual divine healing happened one Sunday evening after church. A medical student approached me in tears. Cancerous lesions were on her cervix and she was meeting with her doctor in the morning to plan a course of action. Judy stood with her husband and poured out to me her fears of pain, suffering and possible death. As a medical student she knew better than most the risks and complications involved. If she did live, she may never have children. She wanted prayer according to James five. I invited several spiritual men and women to a corner of our now deserted church auditorium to pray for her healing. When we finished both she and her husband, Bill, thanked us and departed. The next morning Bill called. “You’ll never guess what happened after we got home,” he said. “We were discussing the prayer time and Rhonda said, ‘I felt God’s power on me tonight. Wasn’t that exciting when the lighting crew turned that bright spotlight on me when Roger began to pray?’ “I said to her, ‘What spotlight? Nobody turned on any bright light.’ “She said to me, ‘Oh, yes, there was a light. You mean you did not see the light?’ ‘”No,’ I replied. ‘I did not see any bright light.’ That’s when we realized the tech crew had gone home much earlier. The bright light had to be from God.” The lesions were gone. She needed no surgery, no therapy, no treatment. She finished medical school, internship, and residency. Rhonda and Bill have two healthy children. She is a pediatrician and testifies to a living God who loves to heal. 6. Healing is a ministry tool to help hurting people. A church that helps hurting people will always have a market. A large share of the market consists of people who are unhealthy or sick. Healing is never put on ostentatious display in our church.  We treat it as one of the tools in our ministry toolbox. Our goal is not to be known in town as the local healing church. So we keep it in perspective. A young couple approached me after a worship service. “I want to encourage you with how God is working,” the husband began. “My wife is pregnant and having numerous complications. She just developed gestational diabetes. It is questionable whether or not the baby has damage. We were sitting in church, waiting for the service to begin, when a woman came over and wanted to pray for my wife and the baby. We were delighted. Suddenly she paused in her prayer and said, ‘I have this strange impression that I need to pray for your blood.’ She knew nothing of the diabetes.” He then continued, “You don’t know how frightened we are—and how comforting it is to come to church and have someone we have never seen minister to us in such a manner. Thanks.” Healing is a divine tool for helping people in need. God has much to say through the ministry of healing to those He heals, those He does not, and those who do the praying. I hope this answer is helpful to you. I will try to answer your question on revivals very soon. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I believe that I’m a +3 on my spiritual journey. I want to propel myself on the scale. What specific steps or what should I be doing to move on to step 4? Sincerely, Questioner #1 from Casas’ “What’s Next Class.” Dear Roger, I feel I am at a +5 but I still have the question of how do I get to the point of having Jesus as my complete foundation? How do I completely be in love with Jesus? Sincerely, Questioner from Casas’ “What’s Next Class.” Dear Questioners, I will gladly give you some direction regarding your spiritual growth; but, first, let me set the context for our readers by explaining the meaning of “+3” and “+5”. We utilize the “Engel’s Scale” at Casas to help people determine just where they are on their spiritual journey. The scale moves from -10 to 0 to +10. A -10 describes someone who has never heard of God or Jesus Christ. A -4 describes a person who is seeking to find truth about Christ. A -1 is someone on the verge of accepting Christ. 0 is the moment of conversion. In the positive direction, +1 to +2 describe spiritual babies; +3 to +4 describe spiritual children; +5 to +8 describe a spiritual young men or woman; and +9-+10 describe spiritual mothers or fathers (See 1 John 2:12-14 and 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:3 for some of the Biblical support for Engel’s Scale.). New Christians are often told three things about what to do in order to mature in the Christian life: (1) read the Bible; (2) pray; and (3) go to church. These are three are just as essential for +1s as they are for +10s. Here is why. The Bible gives guidance and maturity as the Light of God’s Word ( Psalm 119:105 ). We find God’s plans and intentions here. Prayer               brings us into relationship with the Living Christ ( John 7:37-39 ). Going to church brings us into the Light of God’s people ( Matthew 5:14-16 ). The Christian life is never an individual thing. It is always lived out in the context of relationships. Bible study can be done in many contexts from individual to group to sermon experiences. Prayer is both talking to God and listening to Him speak to us. Church settings allow us to have our needs met in a loving environment and to use our skill and gifts in meeting in the needs of others. Over time, these three essentials will move us steadily along in our spiritual journeys. Please use books and resources like commentaries, dictionaries, maps and concordances to help in Bible study. These will make the Bible come much more alive in your heart. Take notes. There are two kinds of Bible students: those who take notes and those who do not. One group tends to get farther along in the journey faster than the other. Prayer can be a continual thing. You don’t have to get on your knees in a quiet place all the time. The farther along in our journeys the easier it is to imagine Jesus sitting right beside us in the car as we drive. He enjoys a good sharing time, even as we move down the road—with our eyes open. Choose your church carefully. Look for a functional one filled with openness and grace and where conflicts are never allowed to go underground. Find one with a worship setting you can enjoy. Consider that you want to sit at the feet of a man or woman of God who consistently teaches and/or preaches the Bible with integrity and truth. Evaluate the leadership. Is the pastor autocratic? Do several men or women “run the church”? Stay away from those places. Do you sense the Spirit of God in the people as well as in the pastor? A.W. Tozer advises: “Listen to the people who listen to God.” Those thoughts give some insight into is the kind of church you are looking for. Let me add another thought. Watch for God’s hand at work in your life. God may surprise you in how he works in developing your maturity and guiding you into His plans. He uses all sorts of tools in His processing us to maturity. In every event in life—from good to great to stress-filled to painful—and everything in between—don’t miss the hand of God at work. He is everywhere and continually working to move you along in your spiritual journey. Let me add one more thought. Every evening when you go to bed and ever morning when you awaken pray for God to mature you into a spiritual mother or father at any price. This is one prayer He is certain to answer. Well, questioners, I hope these thoughts not only give you some direction but also help in taking you on to maturity. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I heard that it has been determined that all mankind is descended from one human mother. Is this the Eve of the Bible and does this prove that the Bible is correct about Eve being the first woman and mother. Sincerely, Susan Dear Susan, According to mitochondrial DNA studies the woman you refer to did exist centuries ago and, in fact, every human being alive today traces their ancestry directly back to her. We might say that she is the great, great, great … and so on, (n+1) grand mother for every Homo Sapiens. She is named “Mitochondrial Eve” by many in the scientific community. I first read about her soon after the genetic studies were published in the 1980s. I was so excited that here was scientific evidence which would once again prove the validity of the Bible and especially that all mankind descended from one woman named Eve—whose husband was Adam. The results of this particular study did not address this issue. I was hoping for clear-cut answers from the scientific community. (By the way, if the Bible and science ever agree completely on an issue that might not be good. Science is constantly making new discoveries and changing all the time. The Bible is timeless .) Nevertheless, Mitochondrial Eve is more intriguing than I first thought. I am not championing her cause; and certainly I am not refuting the Bible with what I am about to share. I want to explain in simple terms the scientific findings and then draw a few possible implications. You can make up your own mind about Mitochondrial Eve and the Eve who was created out of dust and rib in Genesis two. Mitochondrion is the energy, power source of human cells. It is transmitted to future generations completely intact. When an egg from the mother and sperm from a father fuse, the only mitochondria that become part of the newly formed cells are from the egg. In other words, Mitochondrial DNA is inherited solely through the maternal line. Since DNA in is inherited through the mothers line, it eventually leads back to a single ancestral female. Because of its basically unchanging nature, Mitochondrial DNA functions as a long-term genetic clock. Scientists teach that Mitochondrial Eve is dated backward from present-day human kind to one particular woman who lived approximately 150,000 years ago. This does not mean that she was the only woman alive at that time. Systematic analysis places the human population of her people group at about 10,000 individuals. The point is that many of Eve’s contemporaries were producing children and descendant generations besides Eve. However, all of their progeny died out some where along the line. Only Eve’s descendants survived until the present day. Therefore, all alive today trace their ancestry to Mitochondrial Eve. Now, let me make a few observations. First, some Christians will out and out declare these scientific findings to be false. They reason that they must be false because they consider them a threat to Biblical truth and to Faith. These folks will endeavor to invalidate the scientific evidence as irrelevant or false because it is at odds with their perspective of the Bibles’ teachings in Genesis three. Other Christians will be thankful for the information so as to be able to more intelligently discuss these issues with their non Christian friends. Some Christians will have their faith shaken by these and other scientific findings which they see as possibly invalidating the Word of God. My thought here is to encourage these Christians to remember that our faith never rests on scientific findings . Paul clarified i n 1 Corinthians 15 that our faith rests on the resurrection of Christ and never on how we try to reconcile the Scriptures with science or with anything else for that matter. Our faith settles in on the fact that Jesus was not in the tomb on Easter morning. Some will struggle with trying to reconcile 150,000 B.C. with the indeterminate and imprecise length of years in the early chapters of Genesis. Some will struggle with the issue of identifying the real “first” Adam and Eve if Mitochondrial Ev e is 150 , 000 years old. Some settle this by postulating that Adam and Eve were the first homo sapiens to develop God consciousness. Some have suggested the existence of many human kind at the time when Adam and Eve were specially created by God and inserted into the ongoing life of the time. By the way, Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 clearly believed and taught that there was a real man named, “Adam”. Some will flat-out enjoy the intellectual stimulation from pondering the truths as well as the intricacies of science. In the third century A.D. St. Augustine saw no contradictions between the two. He enjoyed studying both. In fact, most of the scientists who began the scientific revolution were pastors! Francis Bacon wrote that God was the author of two books. One was the Word of God and the other was the Word of Nature. God intended for mankind to search out and enjoy the intricacies of both. (By the way, both genetic, anthropological, and new dating tools indicate that Neanderthals and modern humans co existed for 60,000 years before the Neanderthals all died out. Many have wondered about interbreeding between the two races. The relatively-large distance between the mitochondrial DNA sequencing of Neanderthals and humans today precludes interbreeding between Neanderthals and anatomically-modern humans.) Well, Susan, I hope this gives you some “food to chew on” as you consider the complexities in answering your question. I simply have presented the observations of the scientific community. Don’t allow any of these difficult issues to alter or shake your faith. I remember the story of a preacher who was good friends an atheist. His friend delighted in making fun and trying to tear down the preacher’s faith. One day at lunch the atheist asked the preacher. “Do you believe everything in the Bible?” “Yes,” replied the preacher. Well, aren’t there things in the Bible you puzzle over or can’t figure out?” asked his friend. “Certainly, I have all sorts of questions I can’t answer.” “Well, how do you handle them?” I guess I handle them the same way I handle this fish I’m eating for lunch. I eat the good meat and push the old bones to the side of the plate for any old fool to choke on.” Remember, Susan, Mark Twain said, “It is not what I don’t understand about the Bible that bothers me; it is what I do understand! ”Susan, thanks for asking the question. Ask me another one soon. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, If you have never accepted Jesus and then something happens to you and you become a “vegetable” (ie. brain damage), can you ever get a chance to accept Christ again? Sincerely, Questioner from Casas’ “What’s Next” Class. Dear Questioner, Let me begin by saying, I simply don’t know the answer to your question. However, I can share with you several Biblical passages that shed some light on your query. First, according to Hebrews 9:27 , the answer is a resounding, No: “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment …” This verse gives all of us the impetus to surrender to Christ while we are alive and still mentally capable. It matters not whether we die without Christ in a car accident or lose our thinking capacities through a stroke. The time to receive Christ is while we are alive—now. This is why the writer in Hebrews four repeats again and again, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Second, in Romans one through three Paul declared that the entire world is guilty in sin and thus needs a Savior. A careful reading of Romans two will show that Paul left open the door for people who have never heard of Christ to have a chance after they die—especially if they have lived moral lives according to the several markers Paul outlines in that chapter. Unfortunately, no one lives up to those moral standards, or even comes close. Third, in 1 Peter 3:18-2 0 Peter seemed to describe a time between Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection when Jesus went to Hades and gave all the Old Testament people who had rejected God’s offer of salvation before the Flood a second chance to receive Christ: “He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.” Some feel that if these people got a second chance then God may give others second chances as well. Fourth, in an argument from silence, some reason that God will, of course, give brain-damaged humans another chance because God is a God of love and it is only fair for these folks not be to penalized just because of an unfortunate incident leading to their brain damage. Finally, your questions begs the question regarding the many babies who are born brain damaged who never even reach a level of consciousness where they could accept or reject Christ! Do they go to Heaven or to Hell? Children with “Downs Syndrome.” are some of the happiest people l know. However, depending on the severity of their afflictions, many can never comprehend the theological dynamics of Christ’s work on the cross or of our need for a personal reception of Him into our lives. I believe that in Matthew 19:14 Jesus assures us that we will one day see these folks in Heaven’s glory: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Well, I hope these thoughts are helpful. Nevertheless, I think that the main focus is on the death and judgment passage in Hebrews 9:27 . We must assume that people who die or become incapacitated without Christ will be judged according to whether or not they received Christ before they died. This truth powerfully affects our evangelism. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, If Adam and Eve had only boys, how did their children reproduce to create the world’s people? Incest? Sincerely, Questioner in Casas’ “What’s Next Class” Dear Q, According to the Bible incest is as good a guess as any. Let’s look at several options. We shall begin with the Biblical Foundations. According t o Genesis 4:1-2 Cain and Able were born to Adam and Eve: “Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Of course, we know that Cain murdered Able and was banished to distant lands according to Genesis 4:15-16 : “Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Then, in Genesis 4:17 we discover that Cain had a wife: “ Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. Finally, in Genesis 5 : 4-5 we find that the first human parents had other sons and daughters besides Cain and Able: “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.” So, where did Cain get his wife? Let’s consider three options. First, Cain married one of his sisters. This was incest. Of course, it makes sense that the fallen, broken, human race begins populating itself by incest. No wonder there are so many mentally and physically challenged people in our world! A second option is that when Cain went off to Nod he found a woman there and married her. Where did she come from? She was his distant cousin. You know the exponential potential of multiplying 2 X 4 X 16 X 32 X 62 X 128, etc. as each succeeding generation doubles, quadruples, and on and on. Not many generations are needed for the earth to be filled with people. With the length of time the early patriarchs lived (see “Ask Roger” regarding the long years in Genesis), it is easy to imagine a populated earth with multitudes already living in Nod not too many years after Adam and Eve began having babies. Finally, some have proposed the “Spike” theory in response to the idea that human kind may have erupted on the scene in various locals at the same time—like in both the Rift Valley of Africa and in China. This idea postulated several Adams “spiked” by God into a variety of locations simultaneously and gives insight into where Cain may have found his wife. Unfortunately, this theory raises many more serious questions than the initial one of where did Cain get his wife in the first place, and by adopting this theory the literal interpretation of Scripture is called into question. Well, Q, I hope my answer throws some light on the issue of Cain and his wife. Numbers one and two above seem plausible to me. Number three seems rather strange. Probably the real answer is behind Door Number Four which we will open on the other side of Heaven’s gates! Love, Roger

Dear Roger, How were years determined in Noah’s days? Sincerely, Member of Casas’ Discovering Christianity Class Dear Member, You are obviously referring to the genealogies in the early part of Genesis which list the ages of death of many men during the Patriarchal Age. Let me remind you of a few passages from Genesis 5 : “Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.” “Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.” “Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.” “Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.” “Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died.” “Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.” Of course, the list goes on and on. Now, in answer to your question, I have absolutely no idea why they lived so long! As far as I can tell from reading and hearing possible alternatives, I don’t’ think anyone else has a satisfactory answer either. Some people say that these are not really years but months. If that is true it means that when Enosh became the father of Kenan at the age of 90 years (months?), then he fathered his first child at the ripe old age of 7 years and 6 months. If years are months then Kenan became a dad at about 6 years of age and Mahalalel fathered his first son at age 5. Others have postulated that the almost perfect atmospheric conditions soon after the Fall of Adam and Eve into sin were especially conducive to long life. For example, the early chapters of Genesis describe a thin cloud cover surrounding the earth and a mist rising up from the ground to water the earth. These folks postulate that the perfect environment kept bodies from wearing out quickly. Others have concluded that the freshly-made, early bodies soon after Adam and Eve had few of the elements that contribute to death in those early years. For example, cells are only able to replicate up to 50 times during our life times. Each time a cell divides crucial DNA is lost until the cell can no longer make an exact, fresh copy of itself. The body now begins to age rapidly and soon wears out. Again, perhaps they had far fewer genetic “T” cells and were less likely to get debilitating cancer. So they lived longer. While other theories exist, none seems satisfactory to explain the long lives of the early Patriarchs. Of course, some say that allowing long lives is just the way God wanted to do it, so He did. After all, He can do anything He wants to!! God did not let long-life spans go on forever. God said in Genesis 6:3 : “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” As time passed, so did the era of long lives. Abraham died an old man at the age of 120. By David’s day, 70 to 80 was enough: The length of our days is seventy years — or eighty, if we have the strength” ( Psalm 90:10 ). Despite what seems obvious, we might do well not to skip too quickly over the genealogies. They are filled with great spiritual truths. For example, think of the spiritual lessons behind the life and intimacy that Enoch had with God as revealed in the genealogy: “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away ( Genesis 5:21-24 ). Think of the implications of having a close walk with Jesus in our generation. By the way, Methuselah, one of Enoch’s sons lived to be the oldest man who ever lived. He died at the age of 969 years ( Genesis 5:27 ). Did you know that the name “Methuselah” means, “When he is gone, it will come”? Did you know that in the same year Methuselah died that the Flood came? Consider the patience and compassion of God in holding off the Flood until the longest living man in history finally died. See, there is much to learn in the genealogies. Women were considered to be so insignificant in both the Old and New Testaments that no one even bothered to keep their genealogies. So, why then would Matthew include five women when relating the genealogy of Christ ( Matthew 1 )? Well the answer to that is for another time. Ask me that question some day and I will be delighted to answer it! Well, my friend, I hope my thoughts are helpful. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I have experienced depression often and my Christian friends have told me that truly spiritual people are never “down.” How should I handle my depressed feelings? Am I really an immature believer because I get depressed? Sincerely, Adam Dear Adam, Many Christians feel that they shouldn’t have their day ruined—mature believers should always be “up”. To their way of thinking, this positive response of “faith” and “trust” are indicators of good Christianity and depressed feelings always indicate unbelief. However, wise Christians know it is all right to respond to loss with some measure of grief, hurt, and depression. There is no lack of faith here. Job’s response in Job chapter three reveals how best to handle loss—we mourn it and grieve it. To some, this response may seem unspiritual. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Job’s response is the most natural and spiritual thing in the world. I don’t know of a person on earth who claims Job 3 as their favorite chapter in the Bible. We want to pass quickly over this chapter—unless we have known the black hole of depression ourselves. Then we read Job’s story, not shocked, but with understanding expression. Job 2:11-13 r eveals that in Job’s darkest hour of suffering and loss, Job’s comforters were in place. Don’t ever begin mourning without comforters in place. God, understanding friends and family are an essential part of the healing process. Don’t mourn alone. Paul reinforces this concept in his letter to the Corinthian believers: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God”. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Mourning and depression are often situational. It is normal for times of mourning and depression to follow times of loss. A loss of job, health or a family member may trigger bouts of depression and should be expected. When a great task is completed, the depletion of adrenaline in the body will also be felt. Elijah suffered depression following his great victory over the prophets of Baal ( 1 Kings 19:10 ). Jonah sat under a broom tree, angry and depressed when he finished his preaching assignment in Ninevah and the king himself repented and turned to God ( Jonah 4 ). Even the godly can be depressed. There is no contradiction between being a person of great faith and a person of great despair at the same time. We often think that great people and grand accomplishments have grand beginnings. Great accomplishments and great lives often are birthed in sorrow. Those who have plumbed the depths of their own inadequacies are the ones God invariably calls to shepherd others. Why? It is because those who have suffered have “walked in their shoes.” However, it is not normal for depression to go on all the time. Brain chemical imbalances like a serotonin deficiency can trigger “grey glasses” that rob joy and color every aspect of life. We live in a time when doctors have tools to assist a person who is chemically depressed. If your depression is situational, process the hurt with trusted friends or a competent Christian counselor. If your depression is chemical and sabotages your joy and relationships, see a doctor. For more information about mood disorders, check out our series: https://piti.wpengine.com/messages-sermon-support/sermon-series-detail/resource/series/Mood-Disorders-and-Brain-Chemistry/ I hope this helps. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Do you have to publicly become a Christian or can you do it in private? Sincerely, Anonymous (from Casas Church Discovering Christianity Class) Dear Anonymous, When I was growing up every worship service ended with a call for people to “surrender their lives to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.” People were invited to the front of the congregation to declare their commitment to Jesus. They were thus identified as “new Christians”! The impetus for giving this type of invitation to follow Christ was Jesus’ own declaration i n Matthew 10:32-33 : “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Again and again I heard our pastor say, “Every disciple Jesus called, He called publicly. There is no such thing as a secret disciple. If you come forward then Jesus will confess to His Father that you are one of His children. But, if you don’t come forward He will deny that He ever knew you!”   I believe that my pastor’s intentions were good and he was on the right track, but He didn’t carry the meaning of Christ’s words far enough. Walking down the aisle of a church never made anyone a Christian! Becoming a Christian is a deeply personal, carefully considered decision of life-time devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. This decision is made privately in the deep recesses of the human heart.   In direct answer to your question becoming a Christian is a private—not a public affair. Of course, the internal decision may be followed immediately by walking the aisle of a church and openly declaring faith in Christ. But, not necessarily. Jesus’ point is that the decision to follow Christ will not stay private. Following Christ results in an inner transformation which produces outward behaviors that reflect Jesus and His Kingdom on Earth.   If the private encounter is real, and our surrender to Christ is indeed a life-changing commitment, then Jesus will easily declare to His Father that we are truly His children and be welcomed into the eternal Kingdom in Heaven. On the other hand, if the inner commitment is faulty or incomplete, then outside religious behaviors will not fool Jesus. With a broken heart He will be forced to tell His Father that we are not one of His. We will then enter into an eternal kingdom where we really don’t want to spend any time at all! May I add one more thought as I answer your question. The primary context of Matthew 10:32-33 is persecution. Jesus taught His followers that they would be called up on to testify before powerful authorities whether or not they were one of His followers. On that day, true Christians will declare their surrendered relationship with Christ—even at the cost of their lives. Jesus will gladly acknowledge us to the Father in Heaven as His. Unfortunately, the reverse is also too true.   Well, Anonymous, thanks for asking the question. I hope my answer is helpful to you. May you shine like a city on a hill in the darkness of night.   Love, Roger

Dear Roger, My kids are growing up to be teenagers. The way I have been disciplining them does not seem to work. They tell me I treat them like babies and that I am over-protective and controlling. What should I do? We are growing farther and farther apart. Your Friend, Sharon Dear Sharon, Passing on your values and life to your children is a lot like running a relay race. Any track coach will tell you that relay races are won or lost in the transfer of the baton. I. LET ME OVERVIEW GOD’S PLAN WITH YOU. A. Children need a Directive parenting style. They have much to learn and are open to hear. B. As they become teenagers, God intends for parents to transition into a Coaching, Mentoring style. C. Eventually, God loves to see us transition into an Adult Friends relationship with our children which is filled with mutual respect, love, honor and trust. D. Finally, when our parents are old and needy, the child becomes the parent. II. LET ME SHARE WITH YOU FROM A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE THE TRANSITIONAL HANDOFFS THAT OCCURRED IN THE LIFE OF JESUS. A. Mary and Joseph parented Jesus in his early years with a highly directive parenting style, as it should be ( Luke 2:40 Luke 1:80 ). B. At the onset of adolescence at the age of twelve, Mary and Joseph transitioned into a coaching and mentoring parenting style ( Luke 2:40 : 41-52). C. When Jesus began His adult years of ministry the relationship transitioned into adult friends ( John 2:3-5 ). D. Finally, hanging on the cross, while dying for our sins, the Son became the Parent ( John 19:25-27 ). III. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME? A. Godly Parenting During The Childhood Years Means Understanding And Following The Guidelines Of Ephesians 6:4 . Ephesians 6:4 : Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up (nurture) in the training  and instruction of the Lord. 1. Nurturing Love looks like intimacy, comfort, meeting needs, and security. 2. Training involves communicating Godly principles for life from the Bible (especially Proverbs). 3. There are four keys to Godly Discipline (Proverb 29:15, 17). While today’s society tells us that children are basically good and seem surprised when something bad pops up, the Bible teaches just the opposite. It is matter of world-view. Proverbs 22:15 : “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.” a. A deep relationship exists between the parent who disciplines and the child undergoing discipline. b. Godly discipline awakens the conscience to the truth there is a righteous Judge over us whose laws and principles transcend every dimension of life—for our own good. c. Godly discipline intertwines the Biblical twins of fear and love. d. The parent takes on the role of a priest who mediates forgiveness and reconciliation. What about the use of corporal punishment? The forms of discipline morph and change continually as the child grows older. B. As Adolescence Begins, Parents Transition Into The Role Of Mentor And Coach. 1. The basic teaching is finished.  Now parents just add a few footnotes. 2. This is the era when adolescents trade their parents in for their peers. Don’t fight this. God has genetically hardwired this transition into the teenage years. Encourage your teen’s relationships with Godly peers. Like, get them involved with church! 3. Listen Intently. Don’t Always Try To “Fix It”. 4. Choose Your Battlegrounds Carefully. 5. Set Teenagers Free To Test Their Wings. 6. Affirm Every Manifestation Of Maturity. 7. Pray For A Miracle. When my children were young, I prayed these things daily for my children: a. For God to protect my kids—from harm, evil in general and from evil people b. For their spiritual growth and vitality. Courageous choices for God at the intersections of their lives c. For their relationships and friends d. For Sexual purity, honesty, ethics, values and character e. For their school work f.  For their joy and happiness g. For their lives’ calling. To know and pursue the calling of God and that they would love what they do some day h. For their future marriage partners—his life, purity, calling and character development C. During The Adolescent Years Plan To Transition With Your Children In To A Relationship Of Adult Friends. D. Be Ready For The Days When The Child Becomes The Parent. IV. LET ME SHARE A FEW CLOSING WORDS. A. Some of you did not do your own adolescence well.  You rebelled, you puffed out your chest and went off on a tangent. Some of you are still bearing the scars. B. Some of you messed up when your kids were going through adolescence.  Some of you need to stop bearing the load of guilt about that and get it covered at the cross. C. Some of you did really well during the time your kids were going through adolescence and the truth is, you did not mess up, your child messed up.  You’ve lived with an unbelievable burden that it is all your fault. You need the Holy Spirit to say, “Let it go.  It was their choice.  Let it go.”

Dear Roger, My mother died this week. I’d like to know what the Bible teaches about what happens after death. Love, Roger Dear Roger, Death and dying is a subject on the back burners of everyone’s minds from preschoolers to the oldest adult. Some 9-year-old children were asked what they thought of death and dying. Brittney: “When you die, they bury you in the ground and your soul goes to heaven, but your body can’t go to heaven because it is too crowded up there already.” Judy: “Only the good people go to heaven. The other people to where it is hot all the time like in Arizona.” John: “Maybe I’ll die someday, but I hope I don’t die on my birthday because it is no fun to celebrate your birthday if you’re dead.” Martha: “When you die, you don’t have to do homework in heaven, unless your teacher is there, too.” Death is nothing to fear; in fact, we Christians can look forward to it with anxious anticipation. In Philippians 1:21-23 , Paul declared: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” However, God still had work on earth for him to do. So, he stayed around a little while longer. The Bible is quite clear about what happens after death. To begin with, let’s put to death the idea of Reincarnation which is the idea that we come back to earth again and again for multiple lives. Reincarnation teaches that the present life forms—from insects to humans—is a direct reflection of how well we behaved in previous lives. The better we were, the farther up the food chain we return. When General Patton arrived on the Carthaginian battlefield he observed, “I have been to this battlefield before. I fought here with the Romans.” Unfortunately, Patton was deceived. We only get one life. Sylvester Stallone once related that in a previous life he was a monkey in Central America. That may be true!—no, probably not. Reincarnation is foreign to the Bible. In fact the Bible teaches just the opposite. Hebrews 9:27 declares: “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that comes judgment.” The essence of reincarnation is that we come back for many lives.  This allows us to avoid the reality of facing God in judgment for our behaviors. Why might some believe in reincarnation? The Bible teaches that there are evil spirits (“familiar spirits”) who have been around for centuries. These spirits know intimately the lives of others down through the centuries and may influence present-day people with thoughts, emotions, and experiences of people who are long dead. These deceived people begin to believe that they have existed in previous lives and that the thoughts and emotions of others are really theirs. Also, our brains are capable of connecting all sorts of our present and past events and then melting them together in ways that make us think we have lived certain situations and events before. Reincarnation is the ultimate déjà vous. Let me weave together a number a verses which summarize succinctly what happens after death. At death, the bodies of all believers and unbelievers go to the grave. At death, the spirits of Believers in Christ go to Heaven, in the presence of Christ. At death, the spirits of Unbelievers go to Hades, which is a waiting place of torment ( Luke 16:22-31 ). The second coming of Christ is in two parts. The first part is often called the “rapture” from the Latin word meaning “catching away”. At the rapture the Bible says that Christ comes in the air with the spirits of the Christians who previously died and gone to Heaven ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ) . At that moment the Believers’ bodies will be resurrected from their graves and joined with their spirits. This is the called the “first resurrection”. They now have spiritual bodies which will one day be redesigned when God makes the permanent Heaven as described in ( Revelation 21:1-5 ). A twinkling of an eye later the Christians who are alive at that time will be instantaneously transformed into their spiritual bodies, and will ascend into Heaven to receive the rewards that they earned for Christ on earth. They will stand before the “Bema” or “reward stand” to receive crowns based on profitable ministry during their lives on earth ( 1 Corinthians 3:10-13 ). We will lay these crowns at the feet of Jesus ( Revelation 4:9-11 ; 5:9-14 ). Only He is worthy to receive them. They will then sit down to enjoy a time of great fellowship at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” ( Revelation 19:9 ). Unbelievers are not raised at this time. Their bodies remain in their graves and their spirits remain imprisoned in Hades. Part two of the second coming occurs 1000 years later when Christ returns to establish His Kingdom on earth. At the conclusion of the millennial reign of Christ on earth the Great White Throne Judgment occurs ( Revelation 20:11-15 ). Jesus sits as the judge. The bodies of all Unbelievers in Christ (non-Christians) will be resurrected from their graves to stand at the Judgment. Simultaneously, their spirits, long entrapped in Hades, will come forth for the Judgment. No Christians will be in attendance here—only those who died without receiving Christ—thus having their sins unforgiven. All in attendance at the Great White will be judged according to how well they lived their lives on earth. Since not one of them is perfect and, they will be judged unworthy to enter into the Heavenly kingdom and will be thrown into the Lake of Fire—consigned to Hell forever. The Lake of Fire is referred to as the second death. According to the Bible, we want the first resurrection and only one death. What we don’t want is the second resurrection (to the Great White Throne) and the second death (to the Lake of Fire) ( Revelation 20:1-6 ). By the way, Christians are not perfect either; however, their sins are forgiven and blotted out by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to forgive all the sins of all time. So, none stand before the Great White Throne. This is why Jesus pleads with us to settle our cases out of court before we come to trial ( Matthew 5:25-26 ). When we receive Christ and accept His work on the cross our sins are forgiven before we die and we never come to trial. This is grace and mercy. If we die unforgiven then we will receive justice from God. We don’t want justice. We want grace and mercy. So, avoid the second death at all costs ( Revelation 2:11 ; 20:6 , 14 ; 21:4 , 8 ). Receive Christ before you die and your destiny is determined forever! My mother and father purchased cemetery plots side by side. However, my mother was a worrier and got to thinking about worms crawling into her casket so she traded their plots for two in the above ground mausoleum. Dad died first and mom said to me, “What if a tornado hits the mausoleum. Maybe we should change back?” “Mom,” I said, “Your spirit will be with Christ and He can take care of your body whatever state it’s in when the time comes.” So, now their bodies rest side-by side, awaiting the trumpet to sound announcing the Rapture, while in Heaven their real selves are enjoying the presence of God Himself. Well, Roger, since your mom was a Christ follower, she is now in the presence of Jesus. I hope you find this answer helpful, informative, and comforting. Ask me another question some time. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Why did Jesus call himself “Son of Man” and then call God his father? What did he mean when he called himself the “Son of Man”? Sincerely, Jonathan Dear Jonathan, Jesus utilized many terms to describe Himself. He was the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World, the Door of the Sheep Pen, and the Bread of Life. But the term He used most often to refer to Himself (88 recorded times) was, “Son of Man”. The term refer to a mixing of both His deity and humanity. “Son of Man” had significance far beyond the literal words and needs to be understood that light. When Jesus used the term it spoke volumes to those who heard Him.   For example, “Son of Man” was a Messianic title. Calling Himself the “Son of Man” was His declaration to be the Messiah. The Pharisees knew this and hated Him for it. The reference comes from Daniel 7:13-14 : “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”   Jesus was saying by using the term, “Son of Man”, that He is the “Ancient of Days” (a further reference to God Himself) who would one day receive dominion, glory, and a kingdom that would span all eternity. Identifying Himself as the “Son of Man’ was not to deny His deity. Using the term was in fact a statement of His deity.   Jesus clearly claimed to be God on many occasions ( Matthew 16:16-17 ; John 8:58 and 10:30 . The Bible declares that only God can forgive sins ( Isaiah 43:25 and Mark 2:7 ); but, as the “Son of Man”, Jesus had power to forgive sins ( Mark 2:10 ) . When Caiaphas, the high priest, asked Jesus whether or not He was the “Son of God”, Jesus responded in the affirmative by declaring that He was the “Son of Man” who would come in great power and authority ( Matthew 26:63-64 ) , thus identifying the term “Son of God” with His deity.   A second meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” refers to Jesus’ full humanity. When God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times, He was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. Jesus used this term to identify Himself with all mankind because He was, in fact, fully human. For example, Jesus’ humanity shines through in His encounter with the woman at the well ( John 4 ). W e find Him at noon, sitting on a well, hot, tired, hungry, thirsty, and asking her for a drink. The Book of Hebrews teaches emphatically that the reason for His humanity was to allow Him to experience all of our human temptations and sufferings. As a result, He could be the Great High Priest who entered the eternal-Heavenly temple once for all in order to offer His own blood as a sacrifice for all the sin of the world for all time. “Hypostatic Union” is the theological term used to refer to the intertwining of Jesus as fully God ( John 1:1 ) and fully human ( John 1:14 ). We see both natures joined in Philippians 2:6-8 .This doctrine is said to be inscrutable. In other words, it is beyond the reach of human understanding.   As to calling God, “His Father” there is no contradiction with His deity. This was a statement of His submission to the assignment He undertook to put on a body in order both to unveil the true character of God as well as to die on the cross as a sacrifice for sin. Philippians 2 tells us that He emptied Himself of His “glory” in order to put on a body. In the upper room He prayed earnestly for his mission to be accomplished successfully in order to get His glory back.   Well, Jonathan, thanks for asking the question. I hope my answer helps. Ask me another.   Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Did you always know that God wanted you in the ministry? How did you balance the feelings of what you knew to be the desires of your heart, with God’s timing to fulfill that desire? Sincerely, Mark S Dear Mark S, I became a Christian when I was seven. Several weeks later I was sitting in church when I felt God call me to be a pastor. In fact, it was almost like an audible voice behind my right ear: “When you grow up, I want you to be a preacher.” Growing up I always knew what I was going to do with my life. Airplanes have always fascinated me. Since Dad was an airline executive we flew all over the world in my younger years. I thrilled at the idea of flying airplanes when I grew up—yet, all the time I knew that God had made my future life’s work abundantly clear. As college approached I toyed with the idea of attending Northwestern University and becoming an aeronautical engineer. But, I knew that would never come to pass. I was going to preach. I wanted to play professional football; however, I knew that would never happen. God had laid out a different course for me—and I was excited about it! I preached my first sermon when I was thirteen. Throughout my life, I have preached 1800 sermons for over forty-five years. That is a lot of sermons and I have never regretted for a moment the call God put on my life! Preaching and pastoring is the delight of my heart! I was fortunate, God laid His will for my life right before my eyes. My experience is that He doesn’t operate that way with most of us. The Lord has numerous methods He uses to direct our lives; one of the most delightful is the one I call, “ Delighting in the Lord.” Now, let me address the second part of your question regarding Psalm 37:4 : “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I believe God speaks in a variety of ways—but, my favorite is when He speaks by putting the right desires in my heart. Delighting in the Lord has multiple aspects. For example, it connotes the idea of intimacy in the presence of God. This experience is exhilarating! However, it is not the only dimension of finding delight in our Lord! We might define delighting in the Lord as obeying His will for our lives. He must get much pleasure from our obedience—and we will find much delight in aligning our lives with the desires of His heart. The Bible reveals six things that are the will of God for us: 1. It is God’s will that we trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord ( 2 Peter 3:9 ). 2. It is God’s will that we keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit. ( Ephesians 5:17-18 ). 3. It is God’s will that we be pure and holy—sanctified—set apart from what dirties up our lives ( 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 ). 4. It is God’s will that we submit to every authority—even when submitting brings pain or suffering ( 1 Peter 2:13-15 ). 5. It is God’s will that we suffer for doing something good—not something bad ( 1 Peter 3:17 ; 14:19 ). 6. It is God’s will that we be joyful, prayerful and thankful always ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ). When we are delighting in the Lord He delights in us and the door is open for Him to load the right desires He longs for us to experience right into our hearts! When we consciously engage with these six things then we can do whatever we want—trusting that God has placed the right desires in our hearts according to Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. I believe that many misuse this verse by saying things like: “Just praise God and He’ll give you whatever you want?” NO! NO! The Hebrew construction reveals differently! It’s not that He gives us what we want; He gives us the correct wants. Then, we simply follow the leanings and longings of our hearts. Well, MS, I hope my answer is helpful. The proper understanding of “delighting in the Lord” has brought me much delight since I sensed God’s call for me to preach when I was seven. Love, Roger