Dear Roger, What nations will be involved in Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ? Scared   Dear “Scared,” Folks have speculated about Biblical prophecy for millenia. Those in the first century expected Christ to return in their time. And we are still at it today. Even news headlines are filled with questions, trying to make sense of the series of disasters and revolutions that are occurring as we speak. God promises a special crown to the Christians who are longing for the appearing of the Lord. You may enjoy a link that appeared on a video leaked from Iran, saying that the Muslims believe the Twelfth Imam, the Messiah, is near and that current events prove this. Many Bible teachers and authors have cried “Wolf” and end up standing on the roof with no Return, but we should constantly pray and be prepared as Scriptures instruct us to do. It goes without saying that Israel will be involved in end time events. At the turn of the 20th century, no one would have dreamed that Israel would be back in her land, let alone occupying Jerusalem. Jerusalem is definitely at the center of geopolitics and stands alone against many enemies;  Zechariah 12:3  confirms this: “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.”   Let me begin by saying that many scholars devote their entire lives to the study of eschatology . These are the prophetic events as I best understand them.   The prophetic “…words are sealed until the end of time.” according to Daniel 12:8-13 .   The events of prophecy will become increasingly clear as we approach the end of the age. Certain historical events, such as the restoration of Israel as a nation in 1948, have indisputable endtimes significance.   We don’t want to be too hard and fast with conclusions. Prophecy is best understood after it happens: “Oh, that is what it meant.” Nevertheless, as God said to Daniel, those who are wise can see God’s hand at work in the world–and be greatly encouraged–and prepared.   If you read carefully Revelation 17:10-11 , you will see a picture of a beast with seven heads and ten horns:   “They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.”   The “Beast with seven heads” are identified: one is Rome.  Five are past: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece.   Now we come to the EIGHTH BEAST!   Robert Van Kempen, author of The Sign , has an intriguing perspective on the nations’ involvement in the last days. He identifies those nations by people groups instead of changing political boundaries. I am summarizing his book along with my own commentary to assist us in understanding what happens in the last days.   The seven-headed beast has TEN HORNS . The Antichrist is the eighth beast who is joined in confederacy with the ten horns.   THE TEN HORNS HERE are the same as the ten horns in Daniel’s vision of the ten horns on the composite beast in Daniel chapter seven and is the same ten-nation Satanic empire seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the ten toes in chapter 2.   Remember THE IRON MIXED WITH CLAY of the multi-metallic man of Daniel 2 ?  Let’s talk about the IRON.  There will be three iron nations.   READ DANIEL 7:8 , 24 :  As for the 10 horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise [representing the final beast empire] and another [Antichrist] will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.   The “little horn” of verse 8 is the same as “another” kings of verse 24 and is a depiction of Antichrist, who will come up from “among them,” over-throwing the rulers of three nations.   These three power-base nations will drive the final beast empire. The three power-based nations are identified.   Ezekiel 38 , 39 reveal clues about those dominant three nations.   EZEKIEL 38:1-3 :  “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the Chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.”   Gog (who, as we shall see, is Antichrist) is a Magogite and will rule over three nations, Magog, Meshech, and Tubal-in perfect consistency with Daniel 7 that pictures the little horn overthrowing the three larger horns. (v.8)   WHO IN THE WORLD ARE MAGOG, MESHECH, AND TUBAL?   Does the Bible give us any clues? Yes, we have seen those names before.  They may be found in the TABLE OF NATIONS in Genesis 10 .   The table of nations following the flood may be found in Genesis 10 , as the races are traced from the three sons of Noah: Ham, Shem and Japheth.   READ GENESIS 10:1 : “This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood..”   We know in general that SHEM fathered the Semitic peoples who are considered Jewish or Arabic who settled throughout the Mideast and southern Asia.   HAM fathered the Hamitic peoples and produced the black races who moved into Africa.   JAPHETH fathered the Japhethite peoples who are the fair-skinned Caucasian races who moved northward into Turkey and Russia and then migrated into Europe and across much of Asia.  By the way, the Antichrist will descend from Japheth.   Let’s get a little more specific.   After the ark rested on Mt. Ararat, present day Turkey and God commanded them to, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” ( Genesis 9:1 ). For three hundred years they disobeyed God’s command and remained at Babylon (southern Iraq). In their arrogance they built the Tower of Babel ( Genesis 11:1-4 ). Greatly angered by their rebelliousness, God dispersed them. ( Genesis 11:8-9 ).   Well who are Magog, Meschech and Tubal? Genesis 10:2 “The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.” There they are. They are sons of Japheth.   And we know where they settled! The Japhethite tribes of Magog, Meshech, and Tubal were among the first to push out the fringes of civiliation–especially to the north, where the weather and terrain were more difficult to overcome.   THE IDENTITY OF MAGOG   Josephus, the great Jewish historian of the first century A.D. identifies the Magogites as Scythians who branched eastward and westward from the region north of the Black Sea.   This is in agreement with the writings in the Jewish Talmud.  This source also comments “considering that the Goths were a Germanic people, the identification of Magog’s descendants as the Goths is in accord with Targum Yonasan to Genesis 10:2 .   The Encyclopedia Britanica notes that the Gothic language was the most certain base of the language spoken by the eastern Germanic tribes (Visigoths) in Europe.  It seems beyond doubt, therefore, that the Germanic line as we know it today is descended from Magog.   Although the majority of Magogite ancestry ins concentrated in modern-day Germany, large numbers of Magogite ancestors are also concentrated in Austria, and in the Volga River region, south and a little east of Moscow. Thus it could be that the people representing the Magogite/Germanic ancestry could come entirely from within the borders of the former Soviet Union.   THE IDENTITY OF MESHACH AND TUBAL   The identity of the other two nations, Meshech and Tubal, is relatively simple. Certain Jewish writing indicate the by the eighth century A.D. the descendants of Meshech and Tubal located in what is the former U.S.S.R., with Meshech in the west near Moscow, and Tubal located 1,000 miles east of Moscow, near the Russian city of Tobolsk.   Meshech clearly is preserved in the name Muskovi (the former name of Russia) and in Moscow.  Tubal is known in the Assyrian monuments as the Tibareni, and has been preserved in the modern Russian city of Tobolsk.   A QUESTION ARISES: I THOUGHT THE TEN TOES AND HORNS WOULD ARISE FROM THE OLD ROMAN EMPIRE?   The significance is that the strength of the final beast empire, the iron, will come from its ancestry in the “legs of iron,” in other words, from the ancestry of the Roman Empire.   Ancestral lineage is the way God reveals his plans throughout scripture.  Matthew traces the line of Joseph, Luke the line of Mary. The key is ancestry, not geography.   It is necessary to have at least some understand of what the ancestry of Rome was.   But just where did the Roman people originate, those people who empowered the legs of iron that became the sixth beast empire?   Cyril Robinson, in his book A History of Rome, explains:    At a very early date the Kittim were either absorbed or evicted by invaders [the Roman ancestry] coming from beyonds the Alps-[who are the true Italian race].  The original home of this extremely virile people appears to have been in the Danube basin or even farther north.  They were, in fact, a branch of that great Indo-European stock, tribes of which in the process of migration found their way into many lands.  For from the language that they spoke was derived not merely the Italian tongue, but Greek, German, Anglo-Saxon.   It is clear that these peoples moved westward from the areas of the Black and Caspian Sea, to what later became the German speaking countries of Europe, and then down into the Italian peninsula.   It is more than coincidental that the German title Kaiser is derived from Caesar and that so much of today’s German culture can be traced directly back to the old Roman Empire.   Just as Kaiser is a derivative of Caesar, so also is the Russian title Czar.   It does seem certain, however, the Gog (AntiChrist) will come from the Germanic line of Magog, which seems most probably to be the iron ancestry of the Roman Empire.   The overthrow of the three nations by a man of Magogite lineage will doubtless be a well-known public event when it occurs.   THE CLAY MIXED WITH IRON (THE SEVEN SECONDARY NATIONS)   Remember THE CLAY MIXED WITH IRON of the multi-metallic man of Daniel 2 ?  Let’s talk about the CLAY.  There will be seven clay nations.   Iron represents the strength or leadership of the 10-nation coalition with its iron roots extending back to Rome. Clay, on the other hand, is a composite of various minerals, which perhaps may bond together, but nevertheless will not bond to the iron, “even as iron does not combine with pottery.   The origin and identity of the other seven nations can be clearly determined.   THREE SECONDARY BEAST NATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED BY REVELATION 13 .   REVELATION 13:1-2 : “The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.”   Revelation 13 refers to the final beast empire of Satan as having “10 horns and seven heads’ and  “was like a leopard [Greece] and his feet were like those of a bear [Medeo-Persia] and his mouth like the mouth of a lion [Babylon].   Have we seen these before?  You bet!   In Daniel the first three kingdoms of the statue were given an extension of life-they would continue to exist as a people. Daniel 7:11 , 12 reads:   “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)”   The temporary extension of life for an appointed period of time then refers to the fact that the dominion of these three kingdoms would be taken away (i.e., each of these three kingdoms came to an end before Christ).  But, each of these kingdoms would have “an extension of life.” Like their forefathers, the descendants of these three former beast empires will once again align themselves with Satan in attacking the Jews to form his final evil empire.   HERE ARE THE THREE CLAY NATIONS:   In summary, we see that the final beast empire of Satan will include the descendants of the Babylonian (the general vicinity of modern-day Iraq ), the Medeo-Persian  the general vicinity of modern-day Iran ), and the Greek (the general vicinity of Greece to Syria .)   FOUR SECONDARY NATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED BY EZEKIEL.   After declaring God’s judgment against Magog (Rosh) Meshech, and Tubal, Ezekiel goes on to include four other nations.   READ EZEKIEL 38: 1-4 , 5-6 .   Four other nations are identified here.  (Persia already having been included in the previous group of nations just discussed in the Beast image of Rev 13 .)   The modern-day locations of these nations are as follows:   CUSH : Genesis 10: 6 Cush, a son of Ham, migrated into and corresponds to modern Ethiopia and probably eastern Sudan in East Africa.   PUT : Genesis 10: 6 Put corresponds to modern-day Libya.   GOMER : Genesis 10: 2 Gomer was a son of Japheth and corresponds to the Ukraine province in the western portion of the former U.S.S.R.   BETH TOGARMAH : Genesis 10: 3 Togarmah corresponds in general to the province of Armenia in the southwestern portion of the former U.S.S.R. and perhaps the far eastern portion of Turkey and northwestern part of Iran.   WHEN WILL THIS BE?   NOTE EZEKIEL 38: 7-11 , 14-16 .   V.8–”…people gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel.”  This event happened in 1948 and continues to this day. V.8—“..long been desolate”  The Kibbutz restoration of Israel. V.8-11”…living in safety.  Why?   WHAT IS ONE OF THE CLEAREST SIGNS? A PEACE TREATY SIGNED WITH ISRAEL.   READ DANIEL 9: 24-27 . This covenant will be made for the protection of Israel from a group of nations Israel would otherwise consider to be a threat. Since the power-base nations will be Germanic/Russian in their ancestry, one can quickly understand how Israel (not realizing that the “covenant maker” is the Antichrist incognito) would think that a covenant with the leader of these Aryan nations would be in her best interests.   Therefore, just before the seventieth week begins, we can expect to see the overthrow and consolidation of those three nations to form the three-nation power base that AntiChrist will use to build his empire.   Whether some of the other seven nations line up immediately with Antichrist, I am not sure. But the overthrow of the “power-base three” is a specific event that will be immediately recognizable to those looking for it, and it will occur before the covenant is signed initiating the seventieth week.   Ezekiel 38: 14-16 reads: “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.”   It is also important that the ancestral lines of the 3 power-base nations are all located in central or far eastern Europe though all are “north of Israel.”   Those “many peoples” represent the other seven nations that will come together to form the final beast empire of Satan, most of them coming from north of Israel as well.   Another striking fact comes to light when we consider Joel 3:11 , 12 and Zechariah 12:6 , both of which indicate that the nations surrounding Israel will come up against her.  When the geographic locations of the 7 secondary nations are noted, the phrase “surrounding nations” takes on remarkable significance.   Those seven nations will literally surround Israel, while the armies of the other three nations, which will be from the north, may already be in Jerusalem with their leader, Antichrist.   Here are my observations. I hope this helps. For more complete information on this topic, read The Sign by Robert Van Kempen and other great prophetic commentaries.   Roger

“Forty-two percent of the women in our church were sexually abused, inappropriately touched, fondled or molested before the age of sixteen!” I couldn’t believe my ears!   Steve and I were leading a women’s conference for 200 women in our church. I’ll never forget the results of an impromptu survey we administered near the end of the final session. We passed out paper and asked the women to answer “yes” or “no” to the question above: “Were you sexually abused … before the age of 16?”   I was stunned by the result! The women were aghast!   Forty-two percent answered, “Yes.”   Later, reflecting on the results, it dawned on me that if 42% of the church women answered, “yes,” what must be going on among the women outside the church?   About one-half of the questions to “Ask Roger” are about sour relationships. Most of these are from women tormented in one way or another by the man in her life—or by the men and boys in her past?   Last week I received an insightful poem from a woman abused. She shares of her shattered life, and of the hope and wholeness that came from the Lord Jesus Christ. (I’ve made several small editorial changes—Roger)   She once laughed with abandon; but now she’s scared to feel joy. She cringes at the sounds of his coming.   Tears fill her eyes: she knows that no matter how she tries, she’ll never be good enough, pretty enough, or smart enough, for the one who thinks that he’s perfect.   She puts up her invisible wall, and he wonders why.   She cries rivers of tears, and he steps right over them, afraid that his feet might get wet.   Sometimes she prays for his demise— lost in wicked imaginings. At the same time prays for her soul.   Sometimes she prays to be gone— finally she would be free.   When he soaks her in poison, she prays it won’t seep into her soul… for she knows she’s better than this.   She gives until she’s spent. She loves ‘til she’s depleted.   She once sang with angels, but her voice is now stilled.   A girl forgotten and unloved, abused and beaten, pushed away and shoved.   How are some girls worth fighting for… while I’m all alone…bleeding on the floor.   I cried, “God, where are you?! Rescue me!” and finally He came.   “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” ( Psalm 34:18 ).

Dear Roger,   The man I am love with is anti-social, and a very shy person. He lives in the country with little to no communications with others other than a small number of work companions and his parents. He has never been married. He has no children. He tells me he loves and wants us to be together forever. He says we have a commitment under God to each other.   However, he feels that going to get a “piece of paper” (marriage license) is not biblical. It is another man made law where they can get money from you. I have researched as best I can and actually do not find that I will not go to Heaven if I do not have this license.   I do know fornication will keep me from Heaven but as he states, we are committed and have a marriage is a “commitment” “not a piece of paper”. Please help me to know that God is not going to keep me from Heaven if I do not have this license.   Dear Questioner,   Obviously, marriage covenants are important to God. Why would a license be needed?   Let’s start with a few biblical examples:   When was the first wedding?   God presented Adam with his wife Eve in Genesis 2:24 . After every act of creation, God declared that it was “good.” But when God saw Adam, he said it was “not good” for him to be alone, and God made a helper perfectly fit for Adam. “Who gave this woman to be married to this man?” God did! Adam and Eve became “one flesh” and bore children.   God must be the center of your union. Paul describing Christ, the husband, and His church, the bride, in Ephesians 5 , paints the perfect picture of marriage:   25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her  26  to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  27  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” NIV   There are three reasons you should consider an official marriage license.   1.)  Because God says to honor the government.   “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. God has established the authorities that exist. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” ( Romans 13:1-7 ) NIV   The United States provides valuable benefits and protections for couples obtaining an official marriage license. (See the list at the end of this article.)   2.) Wedding ceremonies have been practiced around the world for centuries. Abraham took great care to obtain a godly woman for his son Isaac. God answered Abraham’s prayer by “camel-watering.”  The patriarch’s servant presented a dowry to young Rebekah, and an agreement was made between families.   Boaz received permission to marry Ruth by approaching the elders at the city gate. Instead of a license, he used a sandal! ( Ruth 4:2-5 )   Jesus first miracle was performed at the wedding at Cana. He would not have attended such an event if He did not approve of what was occurring. Jesus’ presence at a wedding ceremony by no means indicates that God requires a wedding ceremony, but it does indicate that a wedding ceremony is acceptable in God’s sight.   Also, Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is one of many examples where Jewish law required a certificate of divorce to dissolve a marriage. The fact that a divorce certificate was needed indicates that a Jewish marriage was a binding relationship under the Law.   God used altars and covenants as physical reminders of contracts, promises made between God and His people. Just as a wedding ring reminds a husband and wife of the vows they made to love, honor and cherish each other, a license is a binding document of the covenant made between a man and woman.   Every culture has an event, action, covenant, vow, or proclamation that is recognized as declaring a man and woman to be married. If God is convicting you to get a marriage license, then do not violate your conscience. It will impair your relationship to God and to your potential mate. If he truly loves you, he will honor your beliefs.   Now, as promised, here is a list of benefits and protections for couples that choose to become legally married in the United States:   ·      Joint parental rights of children ·      Joint adoption ·      Status as “next of kin” for hospital and medical decisions ·      Right to make decisions about the disposal of loved one’s remains ·      Immigration and residence for partners from other countries ·      Crime victims recovery benefits ·      Domestic violence protection orders ·      Judicial protections and immunity ·      Automatic inheritance in the absence of a will ·      Public safety officers death benefits ·      Spousal veteran’s benefits ·      Social Security ·      Medicare ·      Joint filing of tax returns ·      Wrongful death benefits for surviving partner and children ·      Bereavement or sick leave to care for partner and children ·      Child support ·      Joint insurance plans ·      Tax credits including child tax credit ·      Deferred compensation for pensions and IRA’s ·      Estate and gift tax benefits ·      Welfare and public assistance ·      Joint housing for the elderly ·      Credit protection ·      Medical care for survivors and dependents of certain veterans   A legal document probably won’t change how whether or not you “feel married.” You value what God values when your heart is changed, and this only occurs when you place your trust in God so you are in agreement with Him. ( Hebrews 4:12 ).   I hope this helps!   Sincerely,   Roger

Dear Roger, Our pastor mentioned Enoch in his Sunday sermon. I’ve never heard of him. He was teaching on the book of Jude and I never read much about either one of them. What are your insights? Edgar Dear Edgar, I am going to teach you three short verses in Jude that describe the coming crisis in the end times, and the devastation Enoch predicted before the flood in Noah’s day. Enoch is one of the few end-time prophets we never hear about. Enjoy.   Iran and Iraq were not ready for the 7.3 earthquake that devastated the land and killed hundreds of people. The ground undulated like a waterbed disturbed from its calm serenity by a child jumping on to play. Buildings collapsed by the hundreds, bridges collapsed, roads and sidewalks crumbled, and people 8,000 victims died or were injured. Some were buried alive.   They were not prepared for the crisis that faced them.   Jude, in verses 14-15 mentions such a coming crisis.   Jude 14-15 : Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Jude 16 : These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.   May I summarize the two statements Jude is making: In verses 14-15 he says, “God is attracted to a godly life and repulsed by an ungodly one.” Then in verse 16 he says:  “Apostates don’t like God so they make up a god they can like.”   Or, “God is attracted to a godly life and repulsed by an ungodly one.” We are all like that. God says that a beautiful Christian life is like a sweet smelling aroma rising up to His nostrils. Or, I might say, “a beautiful Christian life is like the fragrance of a juicy steak grilling on the barbecue—or chicken breast. What is the opposite of that juicy, grilled aroma?  Well, I know. Julie and I on vacation and returned home to open the refrigerator door.  The compressor failed—best we could figure at least two weeks earlier.  The putrid, decaying meat aroma was overpowering.  Had to tie on bandanas to go near the open door.  “God is attracted to a godly life and repulsed by an ungodly one.”  We understand this.  Now we can go on to verses 14-15.   Jude 1:14-15 : Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”NIV   Enoch spoke these words just seven generations after Adam. Enoch pronounced this prophecy about 900 years before the worldwide flood came.   What is unusual here is that while Enoch is a character in the Old Testament, this prophecy is not found in the Old Testament.   This quote is from the Jewish intertestamental book, 1 Enoch. Enoch was a well-known book in the first century.  It was one of Jude’s favorites. He has already made several references to it, I just did not point them out. It is crucial to note that Jude does not refer to 1 Enoch as Scripture; that is, the critical word graphe (Scripture) is not used here. Since it is here we know Enoch spoke it.   Four times in this passage Jude quotes Enoch using the word “ungodly.” He says it so many times it becomes a rather awkward thing to read.  Nevertheless we cannot mistake his meaning. This strong word describes a total moral and spiritual breakdown, “impiety in thought and act”.   It is in a time of crisis that our true inner character will come out.   Be like Job: When all is stripped away, you want to be able to live with yourself. When you stand before God, you want your heart to beat at a pure pace.   “God is attracted to a godly life and repulsed by an ungodly one.”  We understand this.   The contrast here is between these ungodly people back before the Flood and– Enoch himself!  Enoch was a godly man.  This godly man was selected to pronounce the prophetic judgment upon the ungodly people.   Enoch appears in Genesis 5:21-24 . “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.” NIV   This verse means that Enoch did not die, but, like Elijah, was transported directly to heaven. A little girl described this experience to her mother.  “Mamma,” she said, “one day Enoch and God took a walk together.  They walked and they talked and they walked until Enoch said, “Oh, my.  God, it is getting late.  I’d better go home.’ And the Lord said, ‘Enoch, we’ve been walking so long together, I believe we’re closer to my home than to yours.  Why don’t you come home with me tonight?’ So Enoch went on home with God.”   Why did God take him on to Heaven? Hebrews 11:5 , reads, “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”   Our Father is attracted to a beautiful, lovely life.   Genesis 5:21 : “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.   After he became the father of Methuselah, he walked with God. I am sure that during the first sixty-five years of his life, Enoch was certainly a man of God, but then something happened which caused him to enter into a closer fellowship with the Lord.  He had a son. Sometimes just having a son will draw us closer to God.  We begin to think about values we want to pass on to our children.  But there is more here. When this child was born, Enoch was given the amazing revelation that when this child should die, every living creature upon the earth would be destroyed by a universal flood. That was when God inspired this godly man to make a prophecy about a coming time of ungodly men on earth. “God will come with his angelic host to judge all the ungodly acts of all the ungodly people, etc.”   So, he named his child accordingly. “Methuselah” means “when he is dead, it shall come.”   As Enoch watched his son grow, every time this strange name was spoken, the terrible prophecy of God was repeated: “When he is dead, it shall come.” The life of all men hung upon the life of this one baby, this one boy, this one man, Methuselah.   According to the chronology of Genesis 5 , it happened exactly as God prophesied.  When Methuselah died, judgment from God was sent. The fountains of the deep opened up and the rains began for the next 40 days.  (Tradition says that he died seven days before the Flood).   Now let me teach you a lesson.  Who was the oldest man who ever lived? Methuselah. How old did he live to be?   969 years.  See the lesson? Methuselah’s long live shows God’s grace and mercy.   Here is a picture of God’s grace.  God extended the life of Methuselah for 969 years to provide maximum opportunity for men to repent and turn to God.   For 120 years before the fulfillment of the prophecy inherent in the name Methuselah, Noah went about as a preacher of righteousness amid the godlessness of his time, warning of the coming Flood.   Grace is when we receive what we don’t deserve. The Prodigal Son ran away from his father, demanded his inheritance and wasted his life in wickedness. He ended up poor, miserable and alone. In desperation he returned to His Father to beg for forgiveness. To his surprise, Dad welcomed him with open arms and prepared a feast in his honor. Now, that’s grace. He received what he didn’t deserve.” Wasn’t that nice?  What a graceful thing for her to do.  Grace is when someone gives you what you don’t deserve.   Grace is different from mercy.  Mercy is when you don’t get what you do deserve! English history records one of the assassination plots against the great Queen Elizabeth I was foiled when attendants discovered a woman dressed, as a boy page, hiding in the closet of the queen’s bedroom one night before she retired for the evening.  They confiscated the long, wicked-looking hair pins she had intended to plunge into queen’s heart. Immediately thrust before the queen for judgment, knowing that her case was hopeless, humanly speaking, she threw herself down on her knees and pleaded with the queen to have compassion on her and give her mercy. Queen Elizabeth looked at her coldly and the following exchange occurred: “If I give you mercy, what promise will you make for the future? The woman looked up and said, “Mercy that has conditions, mercy that is bound by precautions, is not grace at all.” Queen Elizabeth caught the idea and replied, “You are right.  I grant mercy and pardon without conditions.” History tells us that the queen had no more faithful, devoted servant than the woman who intended to take the Queen’s life.   For 969 years God granted grace and mercy to the ungodly people of the earth.  He gave them what they did not deserve—time to repent—and held back from giving them what they did deserve—judgment.   But, seven days after Methuselah died, the time for grace and mercy were over. And the crisis began. The rain began to fall.  Judgment had come.   The same thing is going on in our generation.   Jude uses Enoch’s prophecy as a touchstone to remind us of the coming judgment in the age in our generation. 2 Peter 3:9 : The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.   God is now extending grace and mercy to mankind.  But judgment is coming on the ungodly in our world. Now let’s talk about this coming judgment.   Jude 14-15 : Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” NIV   Both the Old Testament ( Daniel 7:10 ) and the New Testament claim that Jesus will be accompanied at his 2 nd coming by huge numbers of angels and by the saints ( Matthew 25:31 ).   Jude’s word for judgment is krisis .   When we stand before God to be judged it will certainly be a crisis!   Who will be judged? Enoch said simply, “all”, but the Holy Spirit has enlarged upon this in scores of passages throughout the Bible. There are numerous judgments mentioned in the Bible: Angels, fallen angels, the earth, the nations, cities, Christians, Non-Christians—which occur at different times and places.   Jude is specifically referring here to the judgment of the ungodly, the apostates, Non-Christians.   This Judgment is specifically called in the Bible the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20:11-15 describes the judgment and conviction of the ungodly dead.   Revelation 20:11-12 : “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” NIV Revelation 20:13-14 : “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.” NIV Revelation 20:15 : “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”   The Book of Life is the listing of all the persons who settled their cases with God before they died. Not one person at the Great White Throne has their name in the Book of Life.  No Christian will be judged here.  Christians settled their case out of court with God a long time ago.   If your name is not in the Book of Life, you will be judged on your behavior, how good and bad you were on earth.  God will look in the books of works at your life.  It is not, more good deeds than bad deeds, or if you have a certain number of good works, you make it.  The issue is, have you ever done just one thing bad.  If you have you are judged as being unfit for Heaven and cast in punishment into the Lake Of Fire (Hell).   In the choir of life it is easy to fake the words, but someday each one of us will have to sing solo before God.   Let me show you something both merciful and graceful: Jesus declared plainly that no believer would ever come into judgment krisis .   John 5:24 : “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned ( krisis ); he has crossed over from death to life.” NIV   A Welsh poem tells how shortly after the creation God held a review of all the heavenly bodies He had created. One by one the sun, moon, stars, and planets all passed by.  And as they paraded before Him, their Maker greeted each one with a smile.  But when the earth passed, God blushed.   That is what happened before the Flood.  The Bible says that God saw the wickedness of the earth and repented that He had ever made mankind on it. “All have sinned.”  Every one of us.  All are condemned.   In John 5:24 we have a declaration of the gospel—how to go to Heaven. How to avoid the “Krisis” of Judgment at the Great White Throne. God looked at the sin-filled earth and knew the judgment that would come—so He devised the gospel (or good news plan). God Himself would put on a body and come to earth and take sin’s punishment for all mankind.  So Jesus died on the cross in our place and whoever believes in the Father’s plan in surrender, commitment, and like a marriage relationship to Jesus Christ, has sins forgiven and will never come to crisis.   God wants to take your life and make it something special.   Two brothers were convicted of stealing sheep, and in accordance with the brutal punishment of the day, were branded on the forehead with the letters “S. T.” which stood for “Sheep Thief.”  One of the brothers, unable to bear the stigma, tried to run away to a foreign land.  But people would ask him about the letters on his forehead. He wondered from place to place, full of bitterness, died and was buried in a forgotten grave. But the other brother, who repented of his misdeed, decided to stay at home.  He said to himself, “I can’t run away from the fact that I stole sheep, so I will stay here until I regain the respect of my neighbors and myself. As the years passed, he gained a reputation for respectability and integrity.  One day a stranger in town saw the old man with the letters “S T” branded on his forehead and asked a native what they signified.  After thinking for a little while, the villager said, “It all happened a long time ago, and I have forgotten the particulars; but, I think the letters are an abbreviation for the word, “Saint.”   Yes, that is the grace and mercy of God designed to change us from the ungodliness of sin into people of honor and beauty before God. Well, Edgar, I hope this information is both informative and inspiring to you. If you haven’t given your heart to Christ, today is the day! Love, Roger

Dear Roger,   If I have a mortal sin on my soul, can I still attend a Sunday mass; will I still receive graces even tough I receive no communion? Harry   Dear Harry,   The nature of your question seems to indicate that you have a Roman Catholic background.   As best as I can understand, the Roman Catholic Church divides sin into two categories: venial sins are relatively minor; mortal sins are more severe. Venial sins hurt our fellowship with God while mortal sins separate us from God. Theologically, a mortal sin is believed to destroy the life of grace within the person and thus creates the threat of eternal damnation.   Basically, any sin can be either mortal or venial depending on degree. A proper distinction revolves around the concept of love. Mortal sins violate and decimate the love we owe God and others while venial sins are not serious enough to remove the love we have for God and others.   Whether or not a particular sin is mortal or venial depends on several things.   First, a mortal sin must be a serious matter. Mortal sins are sins which violate the Ten Commandments or the Seven Deadly Sins: wrath , greed , sloth , pride , lust , envy , and gluttony . The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists other sins as mortal like blasphemy , extramarital sex , divorce , masturbation , apostasy , renunciation of faith and religion, desecrating the Eucharist and having an abortion . This list is not inclusive as any sin can be mortal depending on the next two factors.   Second, the person must know the sin is serious.   Third, a mortal sin must be a deliberate personal decision to commit the sin.   Mortal sins are called mortal because they result in the “spiritual” death of the soul (separation from God). Those who die without repenting of a mortal sin are separated from God for eternity. Those who turn back to Christ and receive the Sacrament of Penance are restored to a state of grace as sure and certain as the grace that they had before committing the mortal sin.   Receiving forgiveness for a mortal sin involves going to confession, naming the sin, giving details about the context of the sin, who was involved, the number and type of occurrences, and any other factors that may exacerbate or lessen culpability.   Catholics are not allowed to receive communion if they have unconfessed mortal sins.   Venial sins, on the other hand, do not break relationship with God; but, they do hinder it. Venial sins are reparable by love. They do not deprive the one who sins of sanctifying grace, however, they do merit earthly punishment.   Maybe the distinction between moral and venial sins might be expressed like this: Gossip that destroys a person’s reputation might well be a mortal sin. However, gossip about trivial matters is only venially sinful.   Now, Harry, we can proceed to answer your question. According to Roman Catholic theology, you may not attend a Sunday mass and therefore you can’t have saving grace.   My advice to you as a Catholic is to go to confession, repent of your sin and ask for forgiveness. I am certain that you will need to do some acts of penance in order to have the ability to freely attend mass once again. Then, according to Roman Catholic teachings you will once again attain a state of grace.   According to the Bible, I believe that once you receive Christ as your personal savior, you receive from God permanent grace and it can never be taken from you. I believe that gaining forgiveness and a state of grace can occur without ever going to a priest.   You obviously have a broken heart over whatever sin you committed. This alone tells me that you are repentant of the sin and wish you had never done it and really don’t intend to do it again. If that is the case, the Bible says in 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sin to God, He will forgive our sin and cleanse us from all of the impurities that resulted from our sin.   Paul wrote in Romans 3:23 : “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”   Paul wrote in Romans 6:23 : “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Notice that the gift God gives to us is eternal life. This spiritual life lasts forever. It is eternal; therefore it can’t be taken away from us—no matter what sins we may commit.   Jesus died on the cross to forgive us of our sins . John 1:12 says, “to all who received Jesus God gave the power to become children of God.” By surrendering your life to Christ you have received all the grace you will ever need to one day enter into Heaven and enjoy God forever.   My suggestion is that you confess your mortal sin to God and bask in his free cleansing of your soul. Then go ahead and attend Sunday Mass without feeling guilty. There is no where else God that God would rather you be than in church on Sunday.   Regarding communion, my advice is to feel free to experience it and thank God for the saving sacrifice He made on the cross to forgive our sins.   I hope my thoughts are helpful.   God bless, Roger

Dear Roger,   Violence, vengeance and hatred plague our nation. I have had enemies, but I don’t try to kill them! However, I can’t get past my own wounds. I have spent my life with a person who is angry, abusive, slanderous and deceitful. I don’t know if I can go another day without retaliation. I know as a good Christian, I shouldn’t want to get revenge, but my enemy fills my thoughts and haunts my dreams. In every dream I tried to kill him. How do I get past these vengeful thoughts?   Sincerely,  Angry   Dear Angry,   When we get wounded, our natural response is to get even.   Who is your enemy?   Our ability or inability to handle the trauma of being wronged can make or break us as Christians.   We have a classic case of how to deal with revenge from David who has been wronged by his superior, King Saul.   David was anointed by Samuel to be king. He then returned to tending sheep. Some time later, the young teenager slaughtered Goliath the Philistine and scored a great victory for the Israeli army. He joined Saul’s court and fought in his army. As David the conqueror entered Jerusalem, women cried, “Saul killed his thousands, David his tens of thousands.” Saul was enraged, so he tried to kill David.   David became a fugitive, pursued mercilessly by Saul.  He lost everything: his place in the king’s court, his wife, his dearest friend Jonathan and his self-respect.   How does mistreatment evolve into revenge?   INJURY; VULNERABILITY, DEPRAVITY: When we mix all three together, we get REVENGE.   Injury -Someone harms me. I have been personally injured. Vulnerability – I’ll lie in wait until he’s in a vulnerable position, and then, Depravity – I get even.  It’s the nature of our humanity.   Cain and Abel’s story is the perfect illustration. Cain was injured when God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and rejected his. So when his brother was vulnerable , he killed him. The word is to cut the throat. Cain brutally murdered his unsuspecting brother. That’s depravity . That’s the nature of the beast.   In 1 Samuel 24 and 26 , we find David presented with two golden opportunities to rid himself of Saul, his mortal enemy. David had the opportunity to shorten the days of his suffering and claim the throne that God had promised to him. After years of being hunted by Saul, David found Saul relieving himself in the back of a cave. David’s soldiers offered to kill his demented enemy. David entered the cave, intent upon ridding himself of his would-be assassin. But then the spirit of God convicted him. He cut off a piece of the wicked king’s robe and confronted Saul the next morning:   1 Samuel 4: 8-12 :   These words of David persuaded his men not to kill Saul. “After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, David came out and shouted after him, ‘My lord the king!’ And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him. Then he shouted to Saul, ‘Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? This very day you have seen it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave, and some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm him—he is the Lord’s chosen king.’  See what I have in my hand? It is the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you! Doesn’t this convince you that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for my life?” “The Lord will decide between us. Perhaps he will kill you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you.” Living Bible   Wise Solomon penned these words in Proverbs 16:7 :   “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes them his enemies live at peace with him.” NIV   But forgiving an enemy may not mean that you are reconciled forever.   Saul went to his home, and David and his men went to the stronghold. David didn’t go with Saul to his home. He knew Saul too well. Saul will again turn on David.   This may be your story: You get snatches of hope, and suddenly that kind of person who wants to believe a lie will turn on you again and again. You’ll get your hopes up, and he’ll continue to wound you.   David never lived with Saul again. Saul still sought to rid himself of his “threat.”   HERE ARE SEVERAL HELPFUL PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY WHEN MISTREATMENT HAPPENS.   1. SINCE MAN IS DEPRAVED, EXPECT TO BE MISTREATED.   The same nature that beats in the heart of Saul beats in the heart of every one of us.   Since man is depraved expect mistreatment.   2. SINCE MISTREATMENT IS INEVITABLE, ANTICIPATE FEELINGS OF REVENGE.   I didn’t say retaliate. I said, anticipate feelings of revenge. We all have them. That’s part of our depraved human nature.   Handling mistreatment doesn’t come naturally. It is a learned behavior. Rare is the individual who will not retaliate.   3. SINCE WE ALL DEAL WITH FEELINGS OF REVENGE, HANDLE MISTREATMENT GOD’S WAY.   Let me draw some principles that no doubt pleased God with the way David responded.   A. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SHARING THE TRUTH WITH OUR ENEMY, WHOEVER OUR ENEMY MIGHT BE.   We cannot change our enemy, but we can be sure he’s got the right input. There is wrong being done against David, just like against some of us. Our tendency is “Oh, just leave it alone. It will work out.” David told Saul, “You’re listening to false counsel. Why do you listen to men who say David seeks to harm you? That is a lie.”   Jesus spoke about declaring the truth in Matthew 18:15-17 .   When we have been wronged or injured, we don’t ignore it. We go and confront the person and get it settled. We do not circumvent the conflict by gossip and disguised contempt. Jesus said, “No! It’s between you two. Don’t go to anyone else.”   How does reconciliation happen?   Reconciliation only works if you both want the relationship to continue; and, if your enemy is from a functional background and knows how to handle conflict.   I wish I could promise you that when you do what is right your enemy will in this way suddenly see his wrong and turn and repent and view your correctly. But I can’t make that kind of promise, which leads to a second Biblical principle.   B. IF POSSIBLE BE AT PEACE WITH EVERYONE; UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES IT IS JUST NOT POSSIBLE.   In ROMANS 12:18 , Paul teaches that we can’t change the other person.  We do all we can to be at peace. Make certain that as far as we are concerned, there is nothing between you and that person.   We are not responsible for making the enemy change his opinion. He may die believing the lie. We can’t change depravity. But down inside our hearts, we will know that the fulfillment of that sense of righteous dealing. Our conscience will be clear.   C. DON’T SPEND LIFE TRYING TO GET EVEN. REPAY EVIL WITH GOOD.   “Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it. Don’t take the law into your own hands. Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty give him something to drink and you will be “heaping coals of fire on his head.” In other words, he will feel ashamed of himself for what he has done to you. Don’t let evil get the upper hand, but conquer evil by doing good.” Living Bible   If we learn to repay evil with good, we will make a powerful impact for the Kingdom of God on earth.     I have been deeply impacted by the powerful book from Charles Swindoll, A Man of Passion and Destiny: David. 2000: Thomas Nelson Publishing.

The Biblical-World View and the Non-Biblical-World View approach the sex issue from entirely different perspectives. One is founded upon a sexual ideology where anything goes. The other is designed to include Jesus Christ as an intimate partner in a marriage setting. It is the love of Jesus Christ flowing through a marriage relationship that raises sex to a spiritual, emotional and intimate relationship that transcends anything that the world system can engender. Somehow, in comparison, “friends with benefits” pales to insignificance. In this age of internet dating I am dealing with this issue of living out godly sexual values in an increasingly secular culture. Once upon a time I was asked, “Roger, how can I reconcile a world view with the teaching of the Bible in my personal relationship?” A question or two later and I knew that for this individual, as well as for thousands of other Christians, the bottom line answer can be found only by sorting out the dynamics of proper sexual values and behaviors in a variety of Christian and Non-Christian settings. Let me begin my answer with a letter my pastor Glenn Barteau shared with me that puts the Biblical World View regarding sex in a helpful perspective. Then, I will answer the question many Christians struggle with in today’s degenerating sexual miasma. “It’s a lot different being married than living together. And I’m glad the distinction has been so clear-cut for me. When we lived together we were committed as long as we were in love. But now we are in love because we’re committed. This is a real difference-our life is not perfect, many marital problems are a clear result it seems to me because of our past [living together]. I wish we had never lived together. In our case we would have had greater respect for ourselves. We would have learned to resolve disagreements and to negotiate rather than the style we learned of secretly evaluating each problem and asking the question quote: “Is this worth breaking up over?’ Such thinking teaches us to deal with problems with bitter acquiescence, or stiff-necked inflexibility depending on our secret answer to the question. This assumption ruined true trust and intimacy and encouraged fantasies about living alone. Now we face problems and we know the old ways are inappropriate. We don’t really have any substitutes, and we no longer have the old breaking up option as an escape route.” Now, let me I exalt the high calling of following the Biblical principles regarding the holiness of sex inside a marriage setting. First, God’s design is for Jesus to be the third partner in a marriage. We need His love and guidance to ensure a vibrant, fulfilled and successful marriage relationship. Solomon recognized this in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 . Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Second, only a Christian marriage can experience the deepest levels of divine-agape love. Three levels of love are delineated in the Bible. “Eros” love is sexual only. “Philos” love describes love between friends or marriage partners. “Agape” love, which is intended to occur in Christian marriage is divinely inspired. The “agape” love of God never quits, loves the unlovable without ever considering the worthiness or not of the one loved. Jesus alone can overflow His divine-agape love into two Christians in marriage. Third, Jesus often pictured Himself as the groom and the church as His bride: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.). Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” ( Revelation 19:7-9 ). Marriage for Christians provides the opportunity to picture to the world how much Jesus loves His church represented by those who enter into a marriage relationship with Him when they surrender to Him as their Savior and Lord. Developing a loving Christian marriage is a high calling because of how it represents our married relationship with Christ. Fourth, marriage provides the setting in which a husband can love with divine agape love. He is responsible for laying down his life in sacrifice for his wife just as Jesus laid down His life for His church. I find it interesting that never in the Bible is the wife instructed to love her husband. She is told to respect him and follow his guidance, but she is never called upon to love him. Why? I believe that when her husband loves her with all of his heart, constantly concerned with putting her needs before his, providing spiritual leadership and carefully protecting her wholesome purity, love for her husband is second nature. Paul laid down these principles for the husband’s love leadership in Ephesians 5:25-33 : Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church, for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery, but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Show me a husband who loves like Christ loves and 95 times out of a 100 I will show you a wife who loves her husband. Fifth, the Biblical definition for marriage is one man with one woman for one lifetime ( Genesis 2:18 ). Strong marriages provide the foundation for a stable society. Loose sex, outside of marriage, undermines the very fabric of society. Our current degenerating Secular World View regarding sex and marriage is destabilizing the most fragile segment of our society: our children and adolescents. No society has survived the destruction of the family caused by degenerating morals. Ours will not be the exception. In fact, it is quite easy to make a case that the Secular World View that permeates our culture is already bringing down the wrath of a holy God upon our nation. Wrath, brought on by the rejection of God often takes the form of runaway sex as described by Paul in Romans 1:18-27 : The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Returning to a Biblical World View, especially in the sexual arena may be the only hope for the salvation of our country. Sixth, one of the most significant issues for Christian singles regards how to handle their God-given sexual drive. I always bring up this issue when giving guidance to those who are struggling. Unfortunately, I choose not to relate the contents of the ensuing discussions because of the privacy and intimate nature of the issues involved. However, I will give you some food for thought. I think that a healthy Biblical understanding of sexual-self stimulation revolves around several things.Jesus declared in Matthew 5:27-28 : “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Exactly what does “looks lustfully” involve or not involve? Also, we must factor in Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 : “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” In my experience many singles want to know if getting married is the only option for handling the passion when the right marriage partner is simply not anywhere around? Their questions are best dealt with by a trusted counselor. Seventh, in simple terms, we must choose between functioning as a Christian with a Secular World View and thus impairing our ability to see God ( Matthew 5:8 ), or, surrendering to the Biblical World View and thus having an intimate relationship with Christ. We cannot have both. Finally, when as Christians we mess up and handle our sexual drives improperly, we need to get over it. I know some who are still struck with shame and guilt years after the fact. Long-term shame and guilt were never designed by God to continue even for a short time. This is not at all what Christianity is about. We need to follow John�s instruction in 1 John 1:9 : “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Let’s move on.In John 8 Jesus dealt with the shame and guilt of an adulterous woman by telling her that He did not condemn her. He made it quite clear that she was to pick up the pieces of her broken life and get on with it. Nevertheless, He made it quite clear that He expected her not to sin in that area again. Well, I hope that answer has revealed some of the beauty of the holiness of living out a Christian lifestyle in the sexual arena. Love, Roger

A friend of mine is watching his daughter die. She’s only eighteen.   Last month, they were sitting side-by-side on the bleachers at her volleyball games, cheering her team to victory. And today they sit beside her hospital bed, watching her chest rise and fall slowly, listening to the monitors beep once…and again…and again.   He is a writer too, and I’ve been following their horrific journey day by day through his eyes. The hope. The prayers. And finally, today, the utter defeat when there are no words to pray anymore.   He calls it “sacred sorrow.” It’s the moment when your insides squeeze so tight that you can hardly breathe. Your heart wells up with pain, anger, fear…and then comes the silent scream…one that flows through your whole body and yet cannot be expressed.   I’ve been there more times than I can count. Some days I sit on the floor of my closet, in the dark, with my arms wrapped around my sides, rocking back and forth as the tears flow. I can’t even pray…nor do I try to anymore. I just give myself up to the hurt and cry until I’m exhausted. Then I start life again.   When I was about seven years old, I heard Mark Lowry (the comedian) say something that changed my entire view of God. He said, “When you’re mad at God, you might as well tell Him. He knows anyway.”   I think so many of us feel the expectation to pray with pretty words. To ask just the right thing. To formalize our requests and our needs with a “Dear Lord” and an “Amen.”   Isn’t that just like us as imperfect human beings? If we pray the right way, God HAS to answer. It says so in the Bible. He fits in a box.   Or if we don’t pray exactly right, God won’t listen. He’s so high and mighty, why would He listen to me? I have to ask with the perfect words so He’ll listen. Then maybe, just maybe, He’ll act. Maybe.   Nope. That’s not who God is. At least, that’s not the God I know. That’s not my Father.   My Daddy and I talk. I just let the words flow whenever I’ve got'em.   “Today is gonna suck. I have too much to do and not enough time. I feel miserable. And I need help. I’m gonna trust you to be with me because You said You would. And I love You.”   “I hurt. Again. Why do I have to be so sick all the time? Why did you let me have such a broken body? It’s not fair. I’m ticked. SO MAD!” (Ten minutes go by while I write about a special-needs orphanage in Russia and the kids there who need help.)   “Father, I’m sorry. I forgot that life’s not all about me. I sure am thankful that I live in an age and a place where there are docs and meds that keep me alive and able to do work that matters. Be with the children who have nothing…please let them know that they are loved…that they have not been forgotten…”   But here’s the deal. Straight up. I truly believe that there is always a purpose in our pain. That swell of “sacred sorrow,” that deep, gut-wrenching suffering that goes beyond words? It changes me. Every time.   God allows us to hurt to make us more like Jesus.   I heard my Dad preach on 2 Corinthians 1 many times. You’ll recognize the verses. Take a sec to read them:   All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.   Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings , you will also share in the comfort God gives us. ( 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ; I emphasized some parts on purpose. I’ll show you why in just a minute.)   I used to read these verses and focus on the comfort. I read them to be warm and fuzzy, encouragement just when I need it most. “God is the source of our comfort…He comforts us in all our troubles…share in the comfort God gives us.”   To be blunt, that’s definitely the mindset of a young, unseasoned, immature Christian. “Let me pick the parts of Scripture that make me feel better.” I truly saw my Father God as a teddy bear. I could run into His arms when I hurt and receive that warm glow of peace in my heart.   Please, don’t misunderstand…God IS my comfort and will always be. I do rest in my Daddy’s arms and meditate on His goodness. I do sense His very real comfort and peace often.   But His comfort has a partner; it is rooted in suffering. SUFFERING.   I missed this truth for so long. God comforts us in our troubles. He doesn’t keep troubles away from us. We live in a fallen, broken, ugly world and will until we get to heaven. But that’s when and where we will truly experience God’s comfort…as we fight through the pain and experience the sorrow.   Dad called out the suffering part. He actually challenged me to pray to experience Christ’s sufferings, so I would grow to be more like Jesus…He said it was the prayer of a spiritual young man or woman who wants to become a spiritual mother or father.   Talk about a terrifying prayer. “Lord, let me share in Your sufferings.”   It’s hard for me to list all of the suffering He’s allowed in my life and the life of my family. I was shot in a drive-by at school when I was 13. I’ve had cancer three times. I struggle with a serious, lifelong immune deficiency…and if I don’t spend six hours a week getting gamma globulin through painful needles in my belly, I simply will not survive.   My dad had open-heart surgery when he was 13 and has had life-threatening heart problems ever since. I remember when he wore a bulletproof vest to preach every Sunday and a police car sat outside of our house because of threats to our lives.   So when I close my eyes, I can imagine the “sacred sorrow” Jesus felt in the Garden of Gethsemane when He knew He was going to die…and especially when He discovered that His closest friends were sleeping. He was alone.   I can picture the drops of blood on His forehead and the agony in His hands and feet as His mouth opened in the “silent scream” of wordless pain. I can feel at least a little of the pain He felt when His insides squeezed so tightly with fear, anger, and sadness that He couldn’t pray a word.   God has allowed me to go there just a little bit…and each time, I come back stronger.   So when I’m angry with God, I tell Him. When I’m in pain, I scream out for Him to make it stop. When I’m afraid, I cry with the soundless scream that wracks my whole body.   And then I remember that I asked Him for this…because I desperately want to be like Jesus. Because of Christ’s sufferings, I no longer fear death. And in His sufferings, I find hope.   One final thought. It’s not all about me. “ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”   I think that’s what real spiritual maturity is, and that’s what I’m beginning to be able to focus on. The sufferings I experience…the sacred sorrow…allows me to give comfort to others. I truly “get it.” I feel their pain, and I can take my eyes off of my own long enough to love them through it. When they have no words, I can pray in their stead. I can enter into their sufferings…we will shoulder the burden and hurt together.   That’s my prayer for you, more than anything. How much do you want to be like Jesus? Enough to ask to share in His sufferings…and then actually endure it? Are you ready to become like Him at any cost?   Some days I’m brave and say yes with confidence! Other days, I can’t believe I signed up for this. But I promise. It’s worth it.

Dear Roger, I recently read in “People Magazine” about the high school principal in North Point, Florida, George Kinney, who hypnotized more than 70 students during his tenure as principal. His stated intention was to increase the students’ grades and sense of well-being. He admits to hypnotizing three of his students who subsequently committed suicide over a four-week period. All three were apparently normal, happy and well-adjusted students. The common denominator was that all three have been hypnotized by Kinney. I’ve often heard that people being hypnotized are under the control of the hypnotist. My pastor teaches us that we should never relinquish control of our minds to anyone. An open mind might open the door to a satanic attack. I’m confused. Hypnotherapy seems to work very well in helping individuals gain healing and relief in numerous areas. What should Christians think of hypnosis? Specifically, is hypnotism okay for Christians? Sincerely, Julie Dear Julie, The word hypnosis traces its origin from the third century B. C. The Greek word “hypnos” means “dream”. Today, many are the thoughts and theories about the success as well as the danger of hypnosis. Those who believe in and practice hypnosis arrange a positive definition. Those who don’t really believe in it have a different definition.   Here is a negative definition: “The induction of a state of consciousness in which a person loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction.”   Here is a positive definition: “Hypnosis is a state of human consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness and an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion.”   Here is my favorite definition: “A state which resembles sleep but is produced by a person who can then make suggestions to which the person in this state can respond.”   While most people think of hypnosis as a way to get somebody to bark like a dog, or hop like a rabbit, or take off their clothes when a certain word is spoken, hypnosis can be a valuable tool in helping people overcome fear, reduce stress and anxiety, conquer agoraphobia and stop smoking. For example, people who have been smoking for years, no longer smoke due to hypnotherapy and at a much higher rate than patches, gum or drugs.. We might say that hypnosis consists of three types. First, Stage hypnosis is a comical, entertaining show. Second, hypnotherapy can be quite beneficial in helping reduce unwanted behaviors and enhance wanted ones. Finally, self-hypnosis can be quite effective in helping people enter into the positive aspects of meditation. In many ways hypnosis is simply deeply-focused meditation where good things can take place. The Bible is filled with injunctions for Christians to meditate upon the Word of God. Twice Peter entered into meditative states and the Bible approved his “trances” both times. Isaiah, Daniel, Paul and Jeremiah all experienced times of hypnotic trance and heightened awareness inspired by God to give them deep insights into his personhood and character. IS THERE ANY PASSAGE IN THE BIBLE THAT FORBIDS HYPNOSIS? No. Opponents of hypnosis turn to Deuteronomy 18:9-13 . As the Israelites are entering into the Promised Land God gives them a warning not to enter into the practices in the pagan lands ahead. God said: “let there be found no wanted sacrifices his child in the fire; stay away from those who practice divination and sorcery, engaging witchcraft; cast spells,… Opponents focus on the Hebrew term “cast spells” as being the same as hypnosis. Their interpretation is really a stretch. Read my article on “casting spells” where I cover the subject in more detail and give warnings of how spell-casting is demonic and destructive in nature.   WHAT CHRISTIAN GROUPS APPROVE THE USE OF HYPNOSIS? ARE THERE ANY CHRISTIAN GROUPS THAT EXPRESSLY FORBID IT? Roman Catholics, the Anglican Church and Lutherans actively support and utilize hypnosis in helping people. On the other hand, the church of Christ, the Seventh-day Adventists, the evangelical church, fundamentalists and charismatics tend to preach and teach against it. Most churches and groups are in the middle where hypnosis is really not an issue. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HYPNOSIS? As mentioned earlier, hypnotherapy can tap the resources within us to help heal our hurts, cure unwanted or unhealthy behaviors and enhance our well-being. Hypnotherapy gives a person the power to use what he or she already possesses, but has not been able to access or control. During hypnosis many people gain control over bad habits, fears, phobias, and anxiety— just to mention a few areas.   Since hypnosis is all about intense focus which removes peripheral distractions, we may use it as a tool for Christian meditation which is helpful in allowing us to experience the person and character of Christ. I suppose that this state is best produced through the process of self-hypnosis as opposed to the other kinds. Let me recommend to you the book “Experiencing The Depths Of Jesus Christ,” by a 15 th century, fourteen-year-old French girl named, Madam Guyon. Catholic Leaders of her time demanded that she recant the teachings of the book because her basic premise was that anyone, at any time, could come into contact with the living God– without having to go through a Catholic priest. She teaches us how to quiet our minds and move into deep meditation focusing on a Bible story, event, person, verse or phrase. What she’s really doing is teaching us how we can experience Christ through the art of deep meditation, or what might be described as self-hypnosis.   WHAT ARE THE RISKS INVOLVED IN HYPNOTHERAPY? First, it is important to get a proper diagnosis before beginning. A wrong diagnosis could be harmful. Second, the therapist, or hypnotist, must be appropriately trained and someone who you trust implicitly. Ascertain that their character and values line up with yours. In this regard, I would certainly opt for a Christian therapist. Remember though, just because someone is a Christian does not mean that they are best to the exclusion of all others. In other words, a well-trained and experienced non-Christian therapist might be much more effective than a poor-quality-Christian therapist. Third, invite a family member or close friend to sit in on the session. After all, the therapist is working with your brain and it’s important to have the safe back-up of a trusted companion to observe what’s going on and be certain that all is well. CAN HYPNOSIS OPEN THE DOOR OF MY MIND TO A SATANIC ATTACK? In spiritual warfare it’s important to remember that every area of our lives not under the direct care and influence of the Holy Spirit is open to control by a demonic spirit. Notice the difference between control and influence. God intends for us to be free to make our own decisions. He will never take control of our minds. However he influences us by the Spirit who lives within us. On the other hand, Satan desires to take control of our minds. That’s why Paul warns us to take every thought captive: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” ( 2 Corinthians 10:5 ). Paul says that we must be careful to guard what goes into our minds lest we open up an unprotected area where Satan can gain control. So the question is, “Can hypnosis open my mind in any way that might allow Satan to get control of my thinking? Unexpectedly for many of us, the truth is that during hypnosis, we often have more control over our minds than ever before. Just because we may be more susceptible to suggestions in no way means that we lose control of our minds and do things that we never intended to do. LET ME CLOSE WITH A WORD OF CAUTION. NOT ALL HYPNOSIS IS SAFE. SO BE CAREFUL. For example, the occult world uses it as a staple. In the hands of the wrong people I believe that it can do much harm. Some, like George Kinney, seemingly use it with ulterior motives–perhaps accidently—perhaps not.   Well, Julie, I hope that I have cleared up some of your “confusion”. May God give you grace and peace.’’

Dear Roger, How can we tell the difference between Christ and Antichrist? I have heard a lot of theories. What do you think? Sincerely, Kevin Dear Kevin, Who is Antichrist? In summary, Antichrist is the false messiah who seeks, and likely achieves, world domination so that he can destroy Israel and all followers of Jesus Christ in the last days. We think of the prefix “Anti” and think of one opposed to Christ and we mistakenly identify him with the worst of tyrants. Now the prefix “anti” can mean opposed or against, but it can also mean, “instead of .” Instead of Christ . ANTICHRIST WILL BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR CHRIST. HE WILL BE AS MUCH LIKE CHRIST AS IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A TOOL OF SATAN TO BE LIKE CHRIST.  So as we recognize him, we will keep our eyes on Jesus.   1. ANTICHRIST WILL BE WANTED–NOT REJECTED. Revelation 6:2 “I looked, and there in front of me was a white horse (a sign of peace). Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed upon his head; he rode out to conquer in many battles and win the war.”   Christ “came unto his own, and his own received him not.” ( John 1:10-11 ; Isaiah 53:3 )   2. ANTICHRIST WILL BE APPEALING–NOT REPULSIVE. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”   Christ “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” ( Isaiah 53:2 )   3. ANTICHRIST WILL BE A GENTILE, AN ARYAN OF “EXALTED” RACE–NOT A JEW. Revelation 13:1 “And now, in my vision, I saw a strange Creature rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, and ten crowns upon its horns. And written on each head were blasphemous names, each one defying and insulting God.”  He emerges “out of the sea” a reference to Gentile world powers.  Christ came as a Jew as “the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” ( Revelation 5:5 ) Although, some theologians believe he will be Jewish, I do not.   4. SATAN WILL INHABIT ANTICHRIST AND BE THE SOURCE OF HIS POWER. Revelation 13:2 (12:1-9,12)  “This Creature looked like a leopard but had bear’s feet and a lion’s mouth! And the Dragon (Satan) gave him his own power and throne and great authority.”  Christ is “in the Father and the Father is in Christ.” ( John 17:21 ; 8:28-29 ; Colossians 1:15-19 )   5. ANTICHRIST SURVIVES A MORTAL WOUND (A COUNTERFEIT RESURRECTION). Revelation 13:3   “I saw that one of his heads seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed!  All the world marveled at this miracle and followed the Creature in awe.”  Christ was “resurrected just as He said.” ( Matthew 28:6 ; 16: 21 )   6. ANTICHRIST SUBDUES KINGDOMS BY DECEIT, FORCE, BOASTFUL PROMISES, AND MANIPULATION. Daniel 7:19-25 ; Revelation 17:12-13 ; Matthew 24:15-16   “His ten horns are ten kings who have not yet risen to power; they will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment, to reign with him. They will all sign a treaty giving their power and strength to him.”  Christ was led “like a sheep led to the slaughter.” ( Isaiah 53:7 )  He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” ( John 8:36 )   7. ANTICHRIST DEMANDS TO BE WORSHIPPED. Revelation 13:11-17 ; 16:2 ; 14:9-11   “ So the first angel left the temple and poured out his flask over the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the Creature and was worshiping his statue.”  Christ receives worship only after humbling Himself to death on a cross. ( Matthew 28:9 ; Philippians 2:5-11 )   8. ANTICHRIST WILL BE DESTROYED AND CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. Revelation 19:20 ; 20:10 ; Daniel 7:11 “And the Evil Creature was captured, and with him the False Prophet, [ a ]  who could do mighty miracles when the Evil Creature was present—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the Evil Creature’s mark, and who worshiped his statue. Both of them—the Evil Creature and his False Prophet—were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire that burns with sulphur.”  Christ will reign forever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. ( Revelation 5:6-14 ; 17:14 )   Why should we worship the risen Jesus instead of Antichrist, His counterfeit?   Paul gives us the answer. “Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all, and, in fact, Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together.    He is the Head of the body made up of his people—that is, his Church—which he began; and he is the Leader of all those who arise from the dead, so that he is first in everything; for God wanted all of himself to be in his Son.” Colossians 1:15-19 Well, Kevin, I hope this helps. There are many books, studies and conferences on Antichrist. These are just a few verses to begin your own investigation. Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger,   So much interest and confusion today are “swirling around” the issues of Muslims, Islam, acculturalization, burkas, terrorists and Islamic Jihad. Could you please give us a simple understanding of what Christians need to know about Islam? Sincerely, Rachel   Several weeks after 9-11, I began to wonder if I had met one of the terrorists who flew into the Twin Towers. Most of the terrorist pilots learned to fly in Tucson, not far from our church.   I remembered one Sunday morning after worship, when a young man with Arabic features approached me. He looked to be in his early thirties, nicely dressed with dark slacks and a white button-down shirt.   He wanted to know the differences between Christianity and Islam. When I shared the gospel, he became quite agitated. The idea that our good works counted for nothing on the road to heaven was anathema to him.   Our discussion moved to a rapid conclusion when I quoted Ephesians 2:8-9 : “For by grace we are saved through faith–and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast!”   Not out of control, but clearly disagreeing, he punched the Communion Table and firmly said, “No, that cannot be.” He rapidly departed.   Could he have been one of those pilots?     THE ORIGINS OF ISLAM   Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was born in 570 A.D. He spent his early years as a camel driver and managed his wife’s estate.   One evening as he went to pray he heard a voice commanding him to “Read.” He countered, “But I can’t read.”   Mohammed later wrote that he saw a scroll emblazoned with words and miraculously began to read. Then the angel Gabriel appeared to tell him that he was to be Allah’s messenger.   For the next several years, he faced exile and persecution while he claimed to receive more messages from Allah.   Mohammed recognized Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as prophets. However, he set himself above all others. He believed he was the ultimate prophet of God. And he declared that none would follow him.   When he was sixty, Mohammed and his armies captured the city of Mecca and declared it to be “The Holy City of Islam.” Two years later he died.   Some of his followers captured Jerusalem in 715 A.D. and started the rapid spread of Islam throughout northern Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the United States. That conquest continues today.   Much of Islam’s advancement is done by quiet assimilation, over time, into another culture–not by military occupation.   The supplanting of one culture with or over another culture is not limited to Muslims. Historically, the assimilation of one culture into another is an ongoing process.   For example, the United States is rapidly becoming a non-European-based country. Hispanics, Asians, Middle Easterners, Moroccans and Balkan refugees are flooding into our country, and their cultures will soon supplant our present European-American culture. Not one gunshot will be needed to accomplish the assimilation.   Like Chinatown in San Francisco, people tend to congregate with others from their own background. There will soon be more Muslims in France than Frenchmen. Unofficially, the France government is clamoring for native French people to have more babies.   Problems arise when Muslims gather in cultural groups that exclude all others and begin to superimpose their own beliefs. This process is occurring in France where Muslims have carved out their own territory, rejecting the laws of France, and wanting to live by their own laws with their own culture.   But we must remember—with all that being said—many Muslim immigrants are doing their best to respect and honor our American culture.   THE BELIEFS OF ISLAM   Christianity has its own set of essential beliefs. The Bible is the Word of God. Jesus Christ is 100 % God and 100% man (the hypostatic union). He died a substitutionary death on the cross in our place to save us from our sins. He was bodily resurrected on Easter Sunday morning. Whoever believes in Him will have their sins forgiven and experience eternal life.   Muslims believe that the Koran is the divine word of God. The Koran reads much like the Old Testament—same history, events and teachings. In fact, Muslims believe in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.   However, Muslims believe that both Testaments have been altered by the Jews and the Christians. Wherever there are conflicts between the Bible and the Koran, the Koran takes precedent. Muslims also believe that the Koran is God’s last word to the world, and it was written by the followers of Mohammed soon after his death.   Muslims believe strongly in the prophets, with Mohammed being the greatest. They believe that Jesus was a prophet sent only to the Jews.   Muslims believe in angels as messengers of God.   Muslims believe that all men and women will be judged according to their works. Muslims will enter into Paradise. Non-Muslims will be condemned forever in burning fire.   THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM   The “Five Pillars of Islam” are the actions every Muslim is responsible for during their lifetime. However, not every Muslim group recognizes or agrees about what the five pillars are … or even how many there are.   The majority of Muslims follow the pillars recognized by the Sunni people group.   1. Faith : A Muslim must recite this often to show personal belief, “There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.”   2. Prayer : Prayers must be made five times a day facing Mecca.   3. Alms : 1/40 of a Muslim’s income is to be given as alms to the poor.   4. Fast : Fasting throughout the daylight hours during the time of Ramadan, a religious holiday.   5. Pilgrimage : All pilgrims must journey to Mecca sometime in their lives.   Note: A large faction of Muslims hold to a Sixth Pillar known as “Jihad” or “Holy War.” In effect, this is a requirement to kill anyone who is an unbeliever—not a faithful Muslim.   INCOMPATIBILITY WITH CHRISTIANITY   Islam asserts that the Gospel picture of Jesus is incorrect. They believe that the correct view was given by revelation to Mohammed. In other words, the Jesus revealed in the Koran is not the same Jesus who is portrayed in the Gospels.   The Gospels clearly proclaim that Jesus is virgin-born, and therefore He is God. Islam counters with a Jesus who was simply a prophet. According to the Koran, Jesus is also a prophet only for the nation of Israel. In contrast, Mohammed is the Prophet for the whole world.   The Bible declares that Jesus is the divine “Word” of God ( John 1:1 ) who created the universe and died on the cross to forgive the sins of the world. “Word” is the Greek word logos which means “the unrevealed wisdom of God.” In John 1:14 , the Bible declares that “the unrevealed wisdom of God” (Jesus) has put on an actual body.   The Koran declares that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified. Those things only “appeared” to happen. They do not believe that Jesus has anything to do with salvation or eternal life.   Islam teaches salvation by works. The number and quality of deeds is weighed at the end of life, and if good works outweigh the bad ones, the individual will go to Paradise. However, if the bad ones tip the scale, the individual will go to hell.   In contrast, the Bible clearly teaches that we receive salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not because of the works we do on Earth (see Ephesians 2:8-9 ).   Next, Mohammed’s account begins 600 years after the events of the first century. The New Testament contains eyewitness testimony of the life and ministry of Jesus. Therefore, it is more trustworthy.   This is just a small comparison, but it hits the highlights. If you want to study more about the differences between Islam and Christianity, or even understand more about why Christianity is the truth, take a look at this resource. I found it helpful.   HOW WE TREAT MUSLIMS   This is the kicker. No matter what others believe—no matter how they treat us or what their religious beliefs say about who we are—Jesus calls us to love them as we love ourselves. That means we treat Muslims just as Jesus wants us to treat people everywhere.   Julie and I have traveled all over the world, and I can tell you that people everywhere are the same.   Muslims, like all of us, want to live in peace and safety. They’d like to have a good job and good health. They want good friends and neighbors. They want to watch their children grow up to be well-adjusted adults.   When you see a woman wearing a burka or a hijab, remember that the woman behind the veil is a real person just like everyone else. Love her the same.   I know that’s tough, especially because we see terror strikes by Muslim extremists in the news every day. But catch that word, “extremists.” Muslims who act in hate and violence are the minority. You do not have to fear them … even if you might meet one like I did on that Sunday so many years ago. “Perfect love drives out fear” ( 1 John 4:18 ).   Rachel, I hope this answers what you have in mind.   Sincerely, 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,   My youngest daughter was sexually abused by an Argentine exchange student when she was 16. Like so many victims, she kept the experience hidden. Some years later we noticed that she occasionally acted strangely around boys. We never figured out why until she joined the fencing team in college.   One evening she told us how she sometimes liked to aim her rapier (fencing sword) at her opponent’s (male) private parts and thrust hard. It wasn’t long until the whole, ugly, devastating story spilled out all over the kitchen table.   Thank God for Anne. Anne specialized in helping sexually abused women find healing and wellness. Today, our youngest is happily married, has a great job and is enjoying life.   I can’t tell you how much I grieve for you. What happened was so unfair and ugly. I’m not surprised that you banished the memories from your mind.   Several years ago one of our counselors and I surveyed a women’s Bible class of over 100 women and were shocked by the results. Fully 42% of the women in the room reported some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16.   You are not alone.   Fortunately, healing and relief are available.   Like my daughter who “acted out,” many sexual abuse victims discover a number of feelings end emotions that will need healing along the way   Before we talk about strategies for healing, let me share a few of the struggles you may encounter.   When we get hurt, the next emotion we feel is always anger. The hurt of your abuse is merciless. Somebody has stolen your happiness, and part of your life is missing. Don’t be surprised when you struggle in both of these areas.   You may find yourself angry with God. Once I was counseling a young rape victim who spit out the question: “Where was Jesus Christ when I was being raped at 14?” The abuse began with her father and expanded to include several of his friends. If her question is not answered properly she may find herself unable or not wanting to look for God’s help as she works on her healing—or wanting nothing to do with him at all. I looked at her with compassion and said, “We live in a fallen world and you were betrayed by the very persons Jesus brought into your life to care for and protect your. In a fallen world people do dastardly things. Fortunately, Jesus is in the business of helping us pick up the pieces, get healed, and get on with our lives.   Many counselors discover that almost all victims feel responsible and guilty for the abuse—especially those abused as children. These feelings often result in tremendous shame accompanied with a deep sense of worthlessness and self-condemnation.   You may discover that your trust in men begins eroding away. Either consciously or subconsciously, all men are potential threats.   You may struggle with relationships especially if a relationship becomes too personal and intimate. It is not uncommon for victims to sabotage the relationships they desperately need.   Many begin to neglect personal looks and hygiene, often subconsciously, to make themselves unattractive to boys (men) because of their fear of ever again trusting a male or having a relationship with one.   Many try to “wall off” the experience and ignore it or live as if it never happened, or in your case, the trauma is so painful that the brain buries it so deeply that you can’t even remember that it happened.   Unfortunately, for those who have buried deeply the abuse, the inner poison often begins to ooze out about the age of 35 or 40. All hell can break loose in a marriage   Those married to abuse victims often feel that they are “walking on eggshells” around their spouse. I call these minefields. The triggers are often unknown to either partner; but when one is stepped on, the resulting explosion hurts everyone.   The husband may do or say something rather nondescript and suddenly the wife explodes with anger. She doesn’t know why? He is hurt and can’t understand what he did. An argument ensues.   The husband, and his wife, need to understand that when she erupts over something seemingly small and innocuous her husband just stepped on a mine.   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 concern about the threat to your marriage is not unusual.   You are right when you say that neither you nor your husband knows what to do. In my experience sexual abuse, childhood abandonment and/or neglect are the “big three” that need special counseling attention. Most life issues can be addressed by a competent counselor—except these three. Only an expert with much wisdom, experience, and spiritual sensitivity can help you navigate the treacherous water to safety.   Search until you find, “Anne.” Anne specialized in helping abuse victims get well. Anne saved my daughter and a good Anne can save you.   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 available on line. Also, many bookstores have books that 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 of comfort and patience when you fall into guilt or depression or erupt with anger!   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.   We thank God that our Lord Jesus Christ is the all-time best healer of broken hearts.   He healed the broken heart of the woman at the well who was on her sixth live-relationship in John 4 . He forgave and restored the woman who was caught in the act of adultery in John 8 . He so well restored the prostitute Mary Magdalene that God granted her the privilege of being the first individual to see the open tomb and the resurrected Christ. Again, in John 8 Jesus teaches that He is forever in the business of picking up the pieces of our broken lives and helping us to start over again. In Joel 2 God says that He can supernaturally restore again the years the “grasshoppers have eaten away.”   Somewhere along the line you will need to deal with forgiveness. Don’t be in a hurry to think that you have to do this immediately. You have a lot to work through before you may feel that you want to address this issue.   Let me give you a few reminders of what forgiveness might look like.   Forgiveness doesn’t mean that what happened was okay.   Forgiveness doesn’t mean that what happened is forgotten.   Forgiveness doesn’t mean that everything returns to the way it was before the perpetration.   Forgiveness especially doesn’t mean that family members should excuse the wrong behavior because they are “family.”   Forgiveness doesn’t mean that we should hide, or not talk about the abuse or shy away from conflict by not talking about the abuse.   Forgiveness does not mean that if we “truly” forgive, we will “trust” each other implicitly. A sacred trust is broken, it takes time (often years) to rebuild trust with your abuser. Frankly, my experience is that such trust seldom is restored.   Forgiveness does not mean that we are “letting them off the hook” for the injustice of what they’ve done. They are still on God’s “hook” and vengeance belongs to Him.   You know you have forgiven when you don’t want to hurt or see them hurt anymore.   Again, Name Withheld, I grieve with you for what someone did to you when you were young. I have already prayed for your healing—and will continue to do so. May God grant you great progress and total healing. May your husband be your rock and comforter as you continue getting well.   Let me know how it all turns out.   Love, Roger