Dear Roger, Christians said that if you believe Jesus died for your sins, is the son of God and if you believe in him, your sins are forgiven. However, Jesus said on the mount sermon that if you do not forgive men their sins, God will not forgive your sins. Based on this verse, is it a two-step system? Jim Dear Jim, Of course, you are referring to Matthew 6:14-15 : “ For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”   Simply stated your question is: “If I do not forgive others, does that mean my sins are not forgiven either?   We need to do a little work here to decipher the meaning of these two verses. On the one hand, this teaching from Jesus implies that our eternal destiny is tied to whether or not we forgive everyone who has wronged us. On the other hand, the Bible makes it quite clear that our salvation has nothing to do with our works; but instead, God’s forgiveness of our sins is based totally on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross ( John 3:16 ; 1 John 2:2 ; 1 John 4:10 ). . Perhaps Ephesians 2:8-9 sums up the answer succinctly: “F or by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”   Reading these verses limits us to the conclusion that Jesus will still forgive our sins even if we have yet to forgive another’s. So, we must look for an explanation somewhere else.   Perhaps Jesus is teaching us that someone who refuses to forgive is demonstrating that they have yet to receive the forgiveness of Christ in their own lives. Perhaps not.   I think that the key to unraveling this seeming dilemma is found 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.”   We’re talking here about our daily fellowship with Christ and not our eternal relationship with Christ. When we receive Christ into our lives God immediately becomes our father. For example, my physical relationship with my earthly father can never be broken. Genetically, no matter what I do we can never become unrelated.   However, my fellowship with God can be hampered just like my fellowship with my dad can be hampered when I do things that hurt him or estrange him..   In First John the apostle is describing our fellowship with God and not our relationship. Daily lives involve daily sins and daily sins dirty up our fellowship with God. So how do we get clean? We ask God for forgiveness and he promises to clean away our sins and so our fellowship with him can once again be sweet and intimate.    Unfortunately, most of us sin every day and sin dirties up our fellowship with Jesus. 1 John 1:9 is the prescription for cleaning up a dirty spirit and restoring close fellowship with our Lord.   Our sin transaction with Jesus is a one-step affair. On the other hand, struggling to forgive one who has wrong us is usually a multistep affair and often takes a significant amount of time.   Jesus provides the model of forgiveness. As his final three days on earth unfolded he received comfort from the angels. Like Jesus, in the process of forgiving, it’s important that we receive comfort for our hurts Next, Jesus understood that the soldiers, and even the Sanhedrin, did the not know what they were doing. Finally, only after completing the first two steps, He forgave those who are hurting him.   Receiving comfort, understanding the truth and reaching the freedom of forgiveness are seldom simple, one-moment endeavors. A long time may be needed to completely follow and experience Jesus’ model of forgiveness.   Once upon a time some parishioners in our church did not like the spiritual warfare ministry that was coordinated out of our counseling center. I had no idea that there was trouble until one of the Sunday school small groups asked me to teach them about spiritual warfare. About halfway through my talk the leader of the group got up and said, “He’s hung himself on his own words.” The group demanded that the ministry be stopped because, “Southern Baptists don’t do ministries like that.”   They made it abundantly clear that if I continued supporting this ministry they would do everything in their power to get me fired. The leader told me that he would ruin my ministry and reputation so that I would never be able to preach again. Among other things, He promised to get me on the front page of the Sunday paper and expose our spiritual warfare ministry while he branded me misguided, spiritually-dangerous, and a fool.   That afternoon he told one of our elders, “We’ve got him now; he’ll never be able to preach again. People will be lined up outside his door tomorrow demanding his resignation.”   His plan backfired. The next day I got phone calls from numerous pastoral friends thanking me for taking a stand on this issue. It was now much easier for them to follow in our footsteps and help many people who were struggling under Satanic attack. Eighteen people left the church. I never wanted to see any of them again. When one of the eighteen died I avoided doing his funeral. Would you think less of me if I told you that I was glad he was dead. After all he did to me, it seemed only right. Please don’t misunderstand; these were my emotions talking.I really didn’t want him to die, it’s just that I was still struggling with so much hurt and pain that he and the others had inflicted. Five years later I was performing a graveside service for the wife of one of our pastors. She was well beloved and hundreds had come to the funeral. I usually wait until most of the mourners are gone before leaving. Suddenly, Jack and Jill were walking right towards me. It was obvious that we were going to have a conversation. Frankly, I never wanted to see them again as long as I lived. Jill was one of the ringleaders. Jack was just along for the ride.   She shocked my core when she held out her hand and said: “I’m sorry for what I did to you 15 years ago. Would you please forgive me?   My heart rose into my throat and I stammered and stuttered and couldn’t say yes. At that moment all the hurt and pain and fear and anger and bitterness rose up into my throat and blocked any words. She repeated her request. My mouth was so filled with “pain stuff” that there was room for no words.   Jack said, “She’s asking for forgiveness. You’re a pastor. You’re supposed to forgive her.”   I turned to Jill, “Don’t ask me that now. I’d have to say, ‘No.” How about you and Jack and Julie and I meet for lunch tomorrow and talk through this?” They agreed.   At Macayos Jill again told me told me that she was sorry and asked for forgiveness. The problem was that she had hurt me 10 gallons worth of hurt but was only asking for a pints’ worth of forgiveness. It’s hard to forgive 10 gallons worth of hurt with her only asking for pints worth of forgiveness.   So I said, “Jill, you have no idea how much you hurt me. Would you mind if I told you? For the next 15 minutes I told her just how much her threats, behind the back maneuvering, recruiting, gossip and demanding had hurt me so deeply.. While I was speaking she began crying; then she was weeping. When I finished, she said, “I had no idea how much I hurt you. I’m so sorry. Could you ever forgive me?”   “Of course I can.” It’s easy to forgive 10 gallons worth of hurt when they’re asking for 10 gallons worth of forgiveness.   So I said to Jill, “I can imagine that I too hurt you deeply. After all I was a pastor. You honestly believed that I was off on a spiritual tangent and just wanted to help. I imagine how much you felt betrayed by me. I am so sorry. It must’ve been hard on you to leave all your friends at church. I know you were hurt deeply because many were glad to see you go. That was a peculiar hurt, wasn’t it? I’m so sorry that I caused you much pain.” I continued sharing the ways I had hurt her and then I started crying.   When I finally asked for forgiveness she looked up through her tears and said, “Oh yes…. I do”   We’ve been friends ever since.   Many Christians have difficulty with forgiveness because they struggle to understand what forgiveness is and isn’t. Let’s examine forgiveness a little more closely. First, forgiving does not mean that we let those who hurt us “off the hook.” They need to pay for what they did. This is what justice is all about. When we forgive we may let them off our “hook,” but they are still on God’s “hook”! Remember the Lord says, “Vengeance is mine.” So, let Him do His work. He dispenses justice in His own time.   Second, forgiving is not a sign that we’re weak. Forgiveness is a courageous act that integrates the grace, kindness, and compassion of Christ.   Third, forgiving does not mean that we forget what they did to us. Whoever told us that we can “forgive and forget” was quite misguided. The pain of some things is so intense that we will never forget them. Nevertheless, by God’s grace we can forgive them even though we may never forget what they did to us.   Fourth, forgiving doesn’t mean that we restore the relationship with the one, or ones, who hurt us — as if nothing ever happened. Something did happen. Trust was broken. Circumstances have changed. Abuse occurred. If the one who hurt us is repentant, we may choose to establish boundaries, giving the offender — over a period of time — the opportunity to regain our trust. We have the freedom to expand the boundary fence if we want to, or to leave it exactly where it is. We can restore the relationship someday if we want — or not restore it at all.   Fifth, you really do want to forgive before deep bitterness and resentment become ingrained. The desire for vengeance is like using your hand to point a gun at your adversary. Your pointer finger is pointed like a gun barrel at your adversary. Your thumb is the hammer, cocked and ready to fire. However, the other three fingers are pointed right back at you.   Sixth, it’s not possible to be at peace with all people ( Romans 12:7 ). As Christians we feel that we are required to fix every broken relationship and live in harmony with all of our brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, some relationships just will not work out. It is OK to leave them behind and go on with others.   Finally, you know that you have forgiven them when you don’t want to hurt them anymore. Well, Jim, I really appreciate your question. I hope that you and others find it helpful in your relationships in the days ahead.   Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger, There is this great spell caster on the internet I just met through a friends description and he have just helped me to get back my lover. I am so glad that I met with him he is just on the internet to help people and I am among those he have helped and I am telling you to also go and get hold of your own solution as he shall soon be living the internet he said he was sent on a mission to the internet to come and help people and to make those who are at a cross road be back to life just met him with your problems and consider it solved Name Withheld   Dear Name Withheld,   I have good news and bad news. First the good news: I am glad you believe you have found your true love. Now the bad news; according to the Bible, the spell caster is operating with a “spirit of divination” which is often demonically inspired.   I admire you for seeking the truth. Your heart obviously tuned into spiritual matters. You have probably read about spiritual things from a broad range of sources and have talked with friends about things of the spirit.   As I read your letter it seems to me that you have not yet had an opportunity to examine things of the spirit from the Bible’s perspective. Permit me to give you an overview.   According to the Bible, when you enter into the realm of spell casting you enter into the realm of the occult–and you want to stay as far from the occult as you possibly can. Reconnecting to your “lover” may turn out to be one of the best things that ever happened. On the other hand, it may be one of the worst.   Let me show you the instructions that the Lord God Almighty gave to the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land (which corresponds closely to the boundaries of the nation of Israel today).   When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord;… 13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God ( Deuteronomy 18:9 - 13).   That passage is from the Old Testament of the Bible. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul lists sorcery as one of many sinful practices that mark the lives of people who choose to walk in or near the Kingdom of Darkness: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife . . . and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” ( Galatians 5:19-21 ).   A frightened sixty-year-old grandmother who was deeply involved practicing casting spells, divination and sorcery was frantically pouring out to me her story of a lifetime’s involvement in most all of the behaviors God forbade in Deuteronomy 18 .   “The spirits have turned on me,” she cried. “A fortune teller I go to occasionally revealed that I was marked for death and would die within the week. Her face was terror and despair as she begged me for help.”   I had little to give. At that point in my ministry I knew so little about engaging Satan in spiritual warfare.   T wo days later the funeral home called and asked if I could perform a funeral service for a sixty-year-old grandmother who had slipped in the bathtub and cracked open her skull on the faucet as she fell.   The Bible describes the bad spirits who operate in the spirit world as demons. Good spirits are angels.   Why is it so important to stay as far as possible from those who cast spells? Because, the language of spell casters, fortune tellers, sorcerers (et all) is the language of deceit.   The Apostle Paul wrote to a young pastor describing the process of deceit: “ The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons ( 1 Timothy 4:1 ).   The wisest man who ever lived taught: “ There is a way that appears to be right (to men and women), but in the end it leads to death” (Proverb 14:12).   One of our church ushers called to see me late one Friday afternoon.   He sat across from my desk as he detailed his experience attending a recent spiritism group meeting. He had invited a “spirit guide” into his life in order to give him help and guide him toward a successful and fulfilled life. He began to talk of demonic manifestations and strange occurrences and when he began to describe several out-of-body experiences I’d heard enough.   “What! were you! thinking!” I asked incredulously? “Didn’t you know that you were entering Satan’s territory?” I guess that I should not have been surprised. He was just a beginner in his Christian walk and didn’t know any better.   Suddenly, he stopped talking and fixed his eyes on a faraway place. After several moments, he twitched and said, “They’re back aren’t they?” “Yes,” I replied. “So let’s do something about it.”   By the way, while he was talking, I reminded myself that this man was a Christian and had all the power of the Christian Holy Spirit for victory over the demonic spirit guides. I in no way think or believe that a Christian can be possessed by a demonic spirit. But, I have no doubt that our usher was certainly under attack by the demonic world.   My understanding is that every area of our lives that is not under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit is open to control by a demonic spirit.   John, one of Jesus’ disciples wrote: “ You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” ( 1 John 4:4 ). The usher just needed to know how to secure victory.   Even the demons know that the Kingdom of Light holds more life and power than the Kingdom of Darkness. One of Jesus brothers wrote about the power of the Almighty God in a Bible book that carried his own name: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder!” ( Jude 19 ).   Jesus taught that in some circumstances the demonic stronghold is so entrenched that both prayer and fasting are needed to dislodge the manifesting spirit(s).   My experience is that 95% of the time getting free from a spirit guide or exposure to spiritism, sorcery, witchcraft, divination, and fortune telling (only God knows the future) is a simple matter of Christian discipleship.   The Process Is As Follows:   Surrender to Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Place your faith in Him as the one who died on the cross in order to forgive all your sins. At the moment you receive Him into your life He gives the gift of eternal Salvation ( John 3:16-18 ) as well as the gift of the Holy Spirit who indwells you in order to guide and empower your life ( John 3:5-8 ).   Check that no “Satanic Foothold” has taken hold of an area in your life ( Ephesians 4:27 ). A “Satanic Foothold” results from committing a particular sin again and again until we open up ourselves to a spiritual attack in that particular area.   Confess your sin of involvement with spirit guides, casting spells, divination and so forth.   Repent of your involvement. Repent means to turn the other way. Turn your back on the occult world and never look back.   In his book, James, the half-brother of Jesus described this part of the process: “Submit to God … Rebuke the Devil and he will flee from you” ( James 4:7 ). Actively rebuke Satan and demand that on the basis of the powerful work of Jesus, that he leave you alone. Actively engage in spiritual warfare prayer. Submit your life fully to God and He promises that any demonic spirit(s) will be forced to depart.   Name Withheld, You might find it interesting to discover that the spell caster is in a precarious before God.   Balaam was a spell caster in the Bible who was hired by Balak to curse God’s people, Israel, and thus gain a huge reward for his troubles. Four times he attempted to curse Israel and each time God stopped him. In fact, God made his feelings about casting spells so clear that Balaam refrained from sorcery and tried never to do it again ( Numbers 24:1 ).   However, God stands against Spell Casters ( Numbers 22:1 ).   Balaam’s demise is dismissed almost as an afterthought. But, God had not forgotten: “They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword ( Numbers 31:7-9 ).   I hope, Name Withheld, that I have given you a fair representation of the Biblical principles regarding the casting of spells. From my perspective, it is best to stay far away from the Kingdom of Darkness. I believe that now is a great time for you to come into the Kingdom of God by receiving Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord.   May God bless you with good days ahead.   Love, Roger

Dear Roger, How did God part the waters of the Jordan when the Israelites crossed on dry land in Joshua 3:14-16 ? Was the river shallow, and they stepped carefully on the rocks? Is the passage a metaphor? Or was this a real miracle?  Love, JNG Dear JNG, I am going to defer to our resident PITI scientist, Mark Marikos, for this fascinating answer. Joshua 3:14-16 describes the fact that the Israelites crossed the Jordan River after 40 years in the wilderness. In flood stage, due to the spring rains and snowmelt from Mount Hermon, the river comprised a formidable barrier to the conquest of Jericho and the rest of the Promised Land (up to a mile wide, up to 12 feet deep, and swift). So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ( Joshua 3:14-16 ) God stopped the water upstream, at the town of Adam, at just the right time, so that as the priest stepped out, 15-20 miles downstream, the water ceased to flow where they were. This brought back a lecture I heard while a graduate student in the Earth and Space Sciences Department at UCLA. A geologist from the Israeli Geological Survey spoke on Geology and the Bible. Among his topics, he spoke about the crossing of the Jordan. About 17 miles north of Jericho, at the site generally thought to have been the town of Adam (Tell ed-Damiyeh or modern-day Damiya), there is geological evidence that numerous landslides temporarily dammed the Jordan River at various times. At least seven historical earthquakes precipitated landslides that dammed the Jordan River near Damiya: 1927 AD (July 11 – stopped flow for 22 hours)1906 AD (stopped flow for 24 hours)1834 AD1546 AD (Jan 14 – stopped flow for two days)1534 AD1267 AD (December 8 – stopped flow for 10 hours)1160 AD Was this the mechanism God used to “pile up the waters” at Adam while the Israelites crossed the Jordan miles downstream? Some object, saying that such natural explanations rob God of the glory of a miracle. I disagree. Instead, I marvel at the precisely timed sequence of events that God would have had to execute to make it happen the way it did by natural processes. And He would have had to spend centuries, if not millennia, preparing the necessary conditions. You see, God was not just working upstream physically, but He was also working upstream in time. A little geographical and geological background will help set the stage. The name “Jordan” means “descender”, alluding to the relatively steep gradient of the Jordan River valley in the region. That portion of the Jordan River flows out of the Sea of Galilee at an elevation of 682 feet below mean sea level (MSL). About 70 miles downstream it enters the Dead Sea (Salt Sea or Sea of Arabah) at an elevation of about 1300 feet below MSL, the lowest dry land on earth. That is a drop of 620 feet in 70 miles, or about 1 foot every 600 ft. The Dead Sea basin formed because of regional-scale tectonic activity. The Jordan Valley lies along The Dead Sea Transform Fault Zone, (DSTFZ) where the African and Arabian tectonic plates move laterally with respect to each other in a motion very similar to that along the San Andreas Fault of California. When portions of a transform fault lock up, the surrounding terrain may be warped up or down by the stresses. In this case the Dead Sea has been warped down several thousand feet below the surrounding region into a “trans-tensional” or “pull-apart” basin. It remains tectonically active today, and history records at least 4000 years of earthquake activity. Because of its steep gradient, the Jordan River cuts several gorges, including one in the vicinity of Adam. There the river is deeply incised into marls of the Lisan Formation, loosely consolidated rocks formed in an ancestral lake that filled the entire Jordan Valley during the last Ice Age. Lake Lisan’s water level would have been about 90 feet higher than the current Sea of Galilee. The marls are comprised of alternating layers of coarse and fine grained sediments. Steep gorge walls of such rocks are inherently unstable and may fail when rattled by even minor earthquakes. This story occurs when the Jordan River was at flood stage. So it was likely a period of increased rainfall that would have saturated the rocks, making them even less stable. The steeper a river’s gradient, the higher is its flow velocity. This figures into the story in several ways. First, high velocity makes a river more likely to undercut steep valley walls, making them more prone to failure. Second, it makes crossing more difficult. Third, it determines the size of particles that make up the riverbed. And fourth, it affects the rate at which volume changes can propagate downstream (e.g. cut-off, and restoration of flow). So, for the sake of argument, let’s assume that a landslide dam was the mechanism God used to “pile up the waters” near Adam. How could that have occurred at just the right time, in just the right manner, and lasted just the right amount of time to explain the phenomena recorded. “… as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.” In lower-gradient rivers, the decline of water flow following a sudden damming of the river upstream would be relatively gradual, maybe taking a few hours at least to completely stop. However, in a steep-gradient river, the cessation of flow can be rather rapid, because of the high velocity. Steep-gradient rivers also tend to have rocky, or gravelly river beds, rather than muddy beds, because the high velocity water washes fine sediments downstream instead of depositing them on the river bed. In this story, twelve large stones were carried out of the river bed, on the shoulders of twelve men to make the memorial at Gilgal ( Joshua 4:4-10 ). This implies a stony river bed, that would drain (dry) quickly once flow stopped. God’s first miracle was the precise timing required to stop flow at the crossing point at the precise time the priests step out. There is a time lag between the damming event and the passage of the last water 15 to 20 miles downstream. It would take a fairly sophisticated hydraulic model to predict what that time lag should be. But surely the Creator of hydraulics knows enough to do that without the help of a computer. For the flow-cessation to be so rapid, the dam would need to be emplaced almost instantaneously, and be of such tight construction that there were no significant leaks to leave a trickle in the channel. Therefore, the landslide or rock-fall would have to be large enough to fill the river channel well above the river’s flood stage, and be traveling at a high velocity. The mix of landslide materials would need to be evenly graded from large boulders (for structural stability) to fine clays (for low permeability), with just the right proportions of the various grain sizes to be structurally stable and hydraulically tight. The source materials would need to be carefully selected and transported in such a way as to provide the required mix at precisely the time of dam emplacement. The source materials for the dam would all have to have come from the volume of failed valley-wall, in the proper proportions to be mixed within the landslide and emplaced in their proper places. That means the rock units forming the gorge walls would need to have been deposited in a particular sequence, and be of suitable thicknesses to contribute the proper mix. Engineered landslides are sometimes used to construct dams, but not always with such predictable results. And they usually require months, if not years of engineering and preparatory excavation to ensure success. But surely the Engineer of the universe could design and build such a dam. The dam would have to have a specific size and geometry to contain the flood-waters of the Jordan river for just the required period of time, and then fail in a predictable manner to restore the flood flow just as the priests step out of the river channel. Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Command the priests carrying the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before. ( Joshua 4:15-18 ) The events recorded do not appear to describe a catastrophic dam failure. Rather, it appears to have been a controlled release of water (at flood flow), probably by overtopping. The overtopping would have had to occur over a portion of the dam, or surrounding wall rock, not prone to rapid erosion that would render the structure unstable. Again, there would be a specific time lag between overtopping and re-establishment of flood flow 15-20 miles downstream. The dam would have to have an impoundment capacity equal to the Jordan River’s flood flow for the time required for all of the Israelites to cross, for the twelve men to collect the twelve large stones from the river bed, and for the priest to carry the ark up out of the river channel – minus the time required for the overtopped water to travel the distance from the dam to the crossing point. Surely the Creator of time itself would have no difficulty performing such a precise sequence of events. To ensure that all of the conditions and materials were available at the right place and the right time and under the right conditions would require millennia of preparation, and would include: Building the required tectonic stress patterns into the region to trigger release of the landslide at the proper time. Tectonic down-warping of the Dead Sea basin to provide the proper stream gradient, Setting the course of the Jordan River by sculpting the land surface and emplacing fracture zones in the rock to guide erosion of the channel, Laying down the required sequences and volumes of the various rock types, Each of these, in turn would involve countless details to ensure the required conditions. Hopefully you are beginning to grasp the wonder of God using natural phenomena to do the miraculous! I don’t know if God did use a landslide at Adam to “pile up the waters”, but if He did, it is no less wondrous than some supernatural method. I look forward to the “instant replays” in Heaven, so we can see how far off are our speculations and ruminations. I am sure my wife, Mary, is even now in heaven, chuckling at how wrong I had this or that scenario. But in the meantime I can rest assured that God does indeed “work upstream” in my life. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. ( Psalms 139:13-16 ) God exercises the same care and precision in preparing the circumstances of my life, so that when I come to those critical “crossings”, everything unfolds according to His plan. If I could but know His methods, I would see the many years and decades and even centuries He spends bringing me to such critical junctures, and preparing my heart to “cross over” at just the right time. Only an eternal, omnipotent God, who stands above time, could do that. Only a God who loves me unconditionally and desires the best for me would do that. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ( Jeremiah 29:11 ) The only question is, will I step out in faith like the priests carrying the arc, and witness the mighty hand of God? References: Ben-Menahem, A.; 1991 Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 96, pp. 20 , 195-20 , 216 Garfunkel, Z., and Ben-Avraham, Z.; 1996 Tectonophysics, vol. 266, pp. 155-176 Ken-Tor, R., et al.; 2001 Nur, A. 1991, And the walls came tumbling down: Old Testament writings of doom and destruction are now providing researchers with a record of earthquakes spanning 4000 years, NewScientist.com news service, 06 July 1991 , High-resolution geological record of historic earthquakes in the Dead Sea basin, Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 106, pp. 2221-2234, The structure of the Dead Sea basin,, Four Thousand Years of Seismicity Along the Dead Sea Rift,

Dear Pastor Roger: I lost my puppy. He was very sick. Will I see him again in heaven? Sincerely, Kenton, Age 9 Dear Kenton, Let me answer your initial question and then deal with two relevant questions you didn’t ask: “Can dogs be religious? and, Do dogs go to Heaven?” Julie and I love our dogs. I never knew they could become such an integral part of our lives. As you know in Psalm 23 David mentioned “Goodness” and “Mercy”. These are the names of the two sheep dogs who watch over God’s flock: “Surely, Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” Several years ago, Becky, our fourteen-year-old border collie died. After an appropriate time of grieving, we looked for another dog. Julie fell in love with a lovely Golden Retriever puppy we met in Oklahoma City. We flew home to Tucson with the puppy under Julie’s seat. Since I eventually wanted three dogs, “Surely”, “Goodness” and “Mercy”, we named the Golden, “Surely.” We bought our Welsh Corgie from a breeder in Phoenix. When he ripped the cloth skirt off the couch in our den we realized we were in for a challenge. Goodness (we call him “Goody” for short) is a tough, little cattle dog. We haven’t found a “Mercy” yet! Now, about your question:  “Can dogs be religious?” and “Do dogs go to Heaven?” First, can dogs be religious? The answer has to do with theories of the Mind. Mind theories come in a variety of shapes and sizes. However, several essentials are common to all of them if religion is to develop. One essential is the concept of self awareness. Self aware individuals see themselves and others as distinct entities. Only the self aware can conceive of another individual apart from themselves whom they might identify as a separate, divine supreme being. The next essential is what we might call causal curiosity—most religions look for causes behind things that occur in life. The explanations often take the form of actions attributed to a thinking deity. When lightning strikes and earthquakes rumble humans ask, “Why?” Today, we know the real causes behind lightning and earthquakes. However, in different times and places many cultures attributed the causes to the actions of separate entities called they called “gods”. The final essential for religion is the ability to have insight into the thinking, motives and intentions of others. For example, was there something that angered the gods and caused them to send a storm in judgment? If so, what could they do to placate the gods to preclude future judgment? Consider the statement: “Life is great. God is blessing me!” All three dimensions of distinct entities, the search for causes and the ability to read into the motives and thoughts of others are demonstrated here. Likewise, consider this statement: “My wheat was destroyed by a swarm of locusts. I probably did something to anger the gods.” Again, here are all three essentials. Let’s apply the same three criteria to dogs. Are dog’s self aware? New research is pointing to the conclusion that the answer may well be “yes.” The mirror test to see if dogs recognize themselves as distinct from the dog in the mirror is a poor test. Dog’s brains do not understand mirrors in the same way that most all dogs fail to recognize dogs on television or in the same way why dogs do not recognize their masters’ voices on telephones. Goody is not Surely. They both know it. Surely and Goody have different and distinct personalities. I observe is that Surely and Goody both know who they are and who they are not. They are aware of their own needs and have multiple ways of making known their wishes and desires. By the way, researchers have identified over twenty-different barks and sounds that dogs use to communicate both with humans and with other dogs. Are dog curious? Of course they are. Do dogs search for causes? Of course they do. Surely continually scrapes her nose as she sticks it under the fence to investigate the other side. Goody spends a lot of time investigating the yard to see what he can find. “Do dogs search for the causes of actions and events around them. My daughter’s and son-in-law’s dog was extremely curious. He learned to turn the door knob to let himself out of the house. He watched Brie and her husband open the door and figured out the connection between the door knob turning and the door opening. They now lock the door with a key. The key is well hidden and out of Maverick’s reach. Who knows what might happen if they let him have his own key! Can dogs read the minds, motives and intentions of others? Surely surreptitiously sneaks discarded food from the kitchen garbage can when the opportunity presents itself. She waits patiently until Julie and I leave the kitchen and then sneaks for the garbage. One day I hid around the corner and waited until she made her move. As I stepped out from my hiding place she froze with a look on her face that said, “I’ve just been busted.” She knew—that I knew—exactly what she was up to. She backed slowly out of the kitchen. Bronwyn and Ricky, my other daughter and son-in-law, have two miniature dachshunds. Bailey lives a life of frantic curiosity; Beauford lives a life of quiet contemplation. The other night Bronwyn finished her bowl of oatmeal and placed it on a tray beside the couch. Beauford never acknowledged the existence of the half-filled bowl. At bedtime all four piled into bed for the night. At 2:00 a.m. Bronwyn awoke to the sound of clanking in the den. She frantically shook Ricky awake and whispered, “Some one’s in the house. You go look in the den!” Beauford was on the couch eating left-over oatmeal; the spoon clanked with each lick. According to Bronwyn’s interpretation, Beauford knew that if he went immediately for the bowl Bronwyn would remove it. So, he planned carefully for a later maneuver. After she and Ricky were fast asleep he made his move. Dogs can conceive of other entities. Dogs can discern the causes behind certain actions. Dogs seemingly can read the intentions and motives of others (at least to some degree). Of course, engaging in these rudimentary abilities does actually not mean nor make any one religious! Conceptualizing and engaging in a working religion involves navigating an incredible number of multiple levels. Trying to sort out the desires of God, the meaning and interpretation of the Scriptures and the relationships with other church people is incredibly complex. I doubt seriously that dogs are religious. But, just for a moment, let’s consider an animal species with a much higher intelligence level than dogs. Some chimpanzies are able to communicate with humans by using sign language. Some have over 400 word vocabularies. Some chimp moms have passed on sign language words to their offspring. The jury is still out over whether chimpanzees are religious! However, it is quite intriguing that during thunderstorms chimpanzees often congregate with their hands in the air and their hair on end as they sway and shuffle together in what some consider a form of dancing. Are they superstitious? Are the afraid? Are they worshipping? Final answers must await further studies. Let’s consider the final question: Do dogs go to Heaven? Psalm 49 is called “The Psalm Of The Rich Materialist”. A materialist is one who lives for riches and not for the Lord. Note the contrast between the spiritual man (with body, soul and spirit) who lives for eternity and the materialist (with only body and soul) who lives for the now. Psalm 49:12-20 declares: “But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish…. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, … death will feed on them…. But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself…. Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,… Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—and men praise you when you prosper—he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light [of life]. A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” The phrase, “like the beasts that perish” implies that there is no life after death for animals. In the same way there is no life after death for materialists. In Psalm 49 materialists are compared to animals who have bodies and souls, but no spirits. If animals have no spirits, then they are incapable of living on into the next life—neither are rich materialists. On the other hand, I long to see Becky again! So I look to Paul’s concept of redemption in Romans eight. According to Paul the entire creation will one day be redeemed. Romans 8:18-22 declares: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Do dogs go to Heaven? Fortunately, Walt Disney has the definitive answer. He even made a movie about it entitled, “All Dogs Go To Heaven?” Can the answer be any clearer than that! I am looking forward to great reunions in Heaven with friends and family. Then, after I see Jesus, I want Becky to lick my hand—and me to rub her tummy—one more time! Kenton, you did not ask about cats. So, I will. “Do cats go to Heaven?” Who knows! This is one of those $1,000,000 questions. Who can understand what goes on in the mind of a cat! In closing, Kenton, thank you for asking your question. I hope you don’t mind me taking some extra liberties in answering it. I had fun. I hope you did to. Love, Roger Here’s an article from a friend in the U.K. you might enjoy!  https://www.dogowner.co.uk/dogs-mental-health/

Dear Roger, What can we do about the person in our small group who talks too much? He has a “know it all attitude” and tries to dominate every conversation. It is getting to the point where we are talking about how to get him out of the group. Any help? Sincerely, N   Dear N,   My experience is that people tend to come in three categories. I call them Drainers; Energizers; and Neutrals. Most any small group has at least one from each category.   Let me illustrate each of the three types of persons.   Let’s say a Drainer invites you over to dinner. You really don’t want to go; but, since they are in your small group, you really have to go. You get there at 7:00 pm and after what seems like several hours you look at your watch—only 7:30 pm! They are sucking you dry!   On the other hand, some people are what I call Energizers. Let’s say that an Energizer invites you to dinner. You look forward to the evening for several weeks. Finally, Friday night arrives. You ring the doorbell at 7:00 pm. You have been there for what seems like 30 minutes. You look at your watch—11:30 pm! Where did the evening go! You walk down the sidewalk and say to yourself, “What a great evening! I can hardly wait to be with them again.   Finally, there are what I call the Neutrals. You go to their house for dinner at 7:00 pm and about two hours later you look at our watch and it is 9:00 pm. Most of the people we know are Neutrals. We have a nice time with them and if we do or don’t have dinner with them again, it really doesn’t matter. They are just good people to be around.   Now, let me share several observations.   First, Jesus had some of each type in His discipleship group. Peter, James, John were Energizers. Philip, Matthew, Andrew and Nathaniel were Neutrals. Thomas and Judas were Drainers. If we are not careful we will try to spend all of our time with the Neutrals and Energizers—and avoid the Drainers.   In following Jesus we must keep a balance. We need some Energizers who are like best friends. We may not need the Drainers; but, the Drainers might need us.   Drainers for some people might be Energizers for others.   Now, let me be more specific in answering your question. It is not necessary to allow the Drainers in your group to dominate and ruin it. Sometimes in church work we refer to the Drainers as EGRs—Extra Grace Required. They need a little more grace and guidance. Usually, they don’t recognize that they are dominating or “ruining” a group. Set some boundaries. Designate two or three from your group to approach the Drainer and outline his or her offending behaviors. They might well be so offended that they quit the group. Well, that is a shame; but that’s their choice. However, many will respond well. Next, explain to them the offending behavior. You’re not just helping them function better in your group; you are probably helping them in improving many of their life skills.   Then, set up some boundaries. For example, they are not allowed to interrupt one who is already speaking. They may speak in the group setting no more than three minutes at a time. They have to let five people speak before they can have another turn. Then, make up a signal for when they overstep the boundaries: like clearing your throat twice, or snapping your fingers. Make the signal not too obvious, but enough to get their attention.   Be certain that everyone in the group knows the boundaries and the signals so all can help modify the Drainer’s behavior.   There is no reason to let anyone ruin your group. Don’t suffer in silence. Take the “bull by the horns” and address the problem in a kind and loving way. Like Paul did:   “We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” ( 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9 ).   Well, N, I hope this helps. My advice won’t work in all situations; but I hope it works in yours.   Love, Roger

Hi Roger,   Long story short. I had a bad childhood and parents that I couldn’t count on for anything. I moved out of my grandparents house when I was 19 to live on my own because that environment was toxic.   I was in college at the time and needed someone to help me pay the bills. Since I was working 5 days a week, going to school full time, and had no one I could count on, I let my boyfriend of 2 weeks move in with me not only to help financially but because he was homeless and had no mother, and an alcoholic father who is dirt poor, and I love to heal a broken wing.   Anyway we really butted heads and I felt trapped but pushed through it all because I am serious about pulling myself out of poverty.   Once we became successful, we got “married” at the justice of the peace and thought it would financially be a good move since it saved us tax money. We didn’t have a witness or friends or family involved. I didn’t wear a dress, we didn’t get rings, and I didn’t change my name. It honestly was just a financial move.   My main concern now is that we have a mother-child relationship and it has always been this way. I love him, but have never loved him like a husband, only like a family member. This is complicated to me because on one hand I feel like I’m living a lie, yet on the other hand I don’t want to lose him. I just don’t know what is right. My heart says he is not the one for me and at the same time it sings out “don’t abandon him”. What does God want me to do?   Sincerely, “VB”    Dear VB,   A co-dependent relationship is one in which one person exists to keep the other person afloat. It sounds to me that you are co-dependent with your friend. Co-dependency is never a satisfactory relationship for the one who is doing most of the giving. Unfortunately, co-dependency assures that your partner will struggle to get his feet on the ground and struggle continually to ever lead a profitable life. I suggest that you chart a course out of co-dependency as soon as possible. Counseling may help you work through the issues and develop a more functional relationship with him.   If no capable counselor is available then I recommend that you select one or more of the many good Christian resources to guide you to freedom. I just googled “codependency books” on the internet and scores of good options are available. Of course, you probably don’t need a hard-back book. Plenty of good articles are available right on the internet.   In my experience, extracting one’s self from the prison of co-dependency is incredibly difficult, but certainly not impossible. Co-dependency is so dysfunctional and the freedom that comes from functionality is so refreshing that it is well worth the pain and effort.   I really appreciate your strength of character. To victoriously overcome so many setbacks and difficulties is remarkable. Many would have surrendered long ago. I believe that God has many good days in store for you in the future.   As I read your letter, it sounds like your “love life” hasn’t turned out the way you thought it might.   Remember that love in the Bible is never a feeling. It is always a verb. In our culture we have deep emotional feelings that we call love. But according to the Word of God love is an action. When we begin to act lovingly toward someone, the feelings will often follow. You might try acting in a loving way toward him and perhaps the feelings of love will come and he actually will be the “one” who is for you.   The Love Chapter of the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13. In verses four through seven Paul shares fifteen characteristics of love: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”   In English translations each portrayal of love is a simple descriptive adjective. But, not so in Greek. In Greek each is a verbal adjective–verbal adjectives imply and signify action. They don’t just “feel” good; they do things.   Occasionally, I counsel with couples who “don’t love each other any more.” After describing their problems, the husband (or wife) might say something like this, “So, you see Pastor, we might as well get divorced.” I often reply, “You’re telling me that even though Jesus said that we are to love our wives, you can’t do that.” “Yes, that is right pastor.” “Jesus says we are to love our neighbors. Well can you love her like a neighbor?” “No, not really,” he replies. “Then,” I say, “Jesus says that we are to love our enemies. I guess that you will just have to love like an enemy.   I relate this little scenario to help illustrate from God’s perspective, that love is not always a feeling; but, it is always an action.   New Testament Greek has three different words, all of which are often–but not always–translated as “love” in the English Bible. This is important because you are trying to decide whether or not you really love him. “Eros” is the Greek word for erotic of sexual love. Perhaps you experienced that in your relationship with him. But, he was never your real “love.” “Philos” is the Greek word for brotherly love. It describes the feelings and commitment that you will likely have with a close friend. It is often is used to describe the love of a man for a woman and vice versa. You have most likely experienced “philos” with your friend. What I don’t hear in your letter is what the Bible calls, “agape,” love. Agape is like God’s divine love. God’s love never stops loving. God’s love loves the unlovable. Agape puts the needs of others first. Agape love is worth exploring as you consider your relationship with him. Finally, your last questions makes it sound like you would like to get out of the marriage. Frankly, I question whether or not you are married now or that you ever had a marriage in the first place. You went to the justice of the peace with the intent of lowering your taxes. What you did was not marriage. It was a federal income tax matter. I suppose that a marriage that was entered into with fraudulent intentions might find justification for ending the fraud and starting over. You will have to decide just how you plan to handle the co-dependency issue and whether or not you can, or really want to, end the relationship. Either way, I encourage you to make your decision and get on with your life as soon as possible. You also must decide whether or not you love him. If you decide that you do, I suggest that you strongly consider marriage. (Don’t miss the fact that marriage to someone with whom you are co-dependent often brings years of misery and heartache–for both of you.) If you don’t really love him and conclude that he is “not the one”, then I would strongly consider that it is time to break the chains and get on with your life   VB, I’m sorry that you are in such a tough situation. Life shouldn’t be this way. I am sorry. Fortunately, it seems to me that you have a great deal of insight and the courage and strength to make the right decisions. I will pray for God to bless you with such clear-cut direction that you can’t miss the plans that He has in store for you. May He grant you good and wise solutions–and good days ahead.   Let me know how things turn out. Love, Roger   Dear Reader, I always invite those who write me to tell me some day how things are working out. Several weeks after I answered VB’s letter, I received the following response from her:   “Thank you Roger. You provided a wonderful and well thought out answer. It was the answer I needed. We are in a co-dependent relationship and we did enter into this marriage for financial reasons. I honestly knew those things but never really thought “this is co-dependent”. That’s an important thing for not only me, but for him to understand as well. I feel like love should be 100% selfless, especially after reading your response about what the Bible says. I never knew love was a verb. That concept is one I have really just begun to understand. Now that I know love is not a feeling, but a verb, I feel that it is important to get counseling. I also feel like if this marriage ended that I could start over and it wouldn’t be the end of the world since it wasn’t entered into for pure reasons. We will work on it though because I won’t give up easily. We have been together for 5 years and I will try counseling and let you know what happens.   Thank you, VB

As you read, remember this…if God could make Paul victorious through Christ in his trials, then he can certainly give us power to get through ours: Dear Roger,   Greetings in Jesus name.   Let me be sincere with you, things are NOT well with us. Due to the challenges we have undergone last year in our church, my family has been severely affected. Right now, we have no more support from the church, and we are in a serious need.   I together with my wife and our two daughters, we don’t know where our next meal will come from, let alone paying the bills. And for this reason, kindly I need your prayers. If you are in position to help us, kindly help us. We are in need. And we are trusting God to make a way for us.   Sincerely, Pastor E   Dear my friend,   I believe that the key to finding strength and hope is found in the book of Philippians 4:10-14 where Paul wrote,   “I have learned the secret of being content in every situation. So, you are going through difficult times. Remember that God allows those times for the purpose of becoming like Jesus—with strength, patience, gentleness, and humility. I can do all things through Christ, who pours in the power ” (my paraphrase).   As followers of Christ, we are made to survive even seemingly impossible circumstances…when we trust Him to give us the fierce determination and generous grace we need. But remember, with that ability to walk through suffering and scary times comes two even more precious, remarkable gifts from God: patience and contentment .   Dr. Harry Ironside was becoming deaf in in his old age. One of his students asked Ironside to pray for him to have more patience. Ironside bowed his head and prayed, “Lord, please give this young man some problems.”   Knowing that Ironside was deaf, the young student raised his voice and said, “No! No!” I did not say problems, I want patience.”   So once again they bowed their heads, and Ironside quietly said, “Don’t you know that troubles and problems produce patience?”   Alongside patience, difficulties offer the opportunity to learn contentment. We can come to understand how to respond when things are bad; and how to respond when things are good…if we choose to.   Another of my favorite theologians and pastors, A.W. Tozer, shared a truth I repeat nearly every day: “Suffering brings bitterness or compassion. You choose.”   God told Paul that when times were tough, Jesus will pour in the power and give us the strength to be victorious in every situation. This does not mean that all of our problems go away. It means that Jesus Christ gives us the power to handle them well when they do come.   Let me give you some encouragement. I’m going to quote a rather long passage in which Paul describes his sufferings for Christ: ( 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 ). “Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”   Through these things, Paul learned to be content. In Tozer’s words, “He chose compassion over bitterness.”   That doesn’t mean Paul’s life immediately became easier…or even a little better. In fact, to keep Paul from becoming proud, God allowed Satan to thrust into Paul’s side a thorn, a twisting stake, to torment him. Three times he prayed for God to remove it; and each time God said, “No.”   However, God told Paul exactly how to be victorious in the midst of it. In 2 Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 7-10; God said to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”   And Paul continued to lead thousands to Christ with the honor of writing God’s very words. You see, God gives us just the amount of grace we need to power through even the worst difficulty. Every time.   So what do we do when times get tough?   First, we study our Bibles to see how God acted in securing the lives of His people in trying situations. If God can do it for them, He can do it for us. Be encouraged, Jesus Christ is right there.   Second, we pray . In prayer, we develop an intimacy with God that helps us through those difficult times. James says, “We have not because we ask not.”   Third, we go to church to find strength and fellowship from the people around us.   I hope that this gives you some encouragement, strength, and peace.   Remember,   “ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” ( Philippians 6-7 NLT )   Let me know how things are coming along.   Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger, I have a question and it should probably go to a pastor. The Bible most commonly refers to God in the masculine. Therefore, many Christians believe he is male. That does bring up one question in my mind, though (and I’m looking for some biblical examples/references). When someone loses their father, they can turn to God the Father. However, how might God the Father heal or help someone who has lost their mother and will live without her for the rest of their life? Unsure Dear Unsure, You have asked two questions. What does the Bible say about the gender of God? Is God male or female? And how can God comfort you? God chose to reveal Himself in masculine terms, primarily. God is never described with sexual characteristics in the Scriptures, but He does consistently describe Himself in the masculine gender. God’s Gender Described as Masculine While God contains all the qualities of both male and female genders, He has chosen to present Himself with an emphasis on masculine qualities of fatherhood, protection, direction, strength, etc. Metaphors used to describe Him in the Bible include: King ( Psalms 5:2 ; 24:8), Father ( Isaiah 63:16 ; 64:8), Judge ( Psalms 7:11 ; 94:2), Husband ( Isaiah 54:1 ;  Jeremiah 3:14 ; 31:32), Master ( Malachi 1:6 ;  Colossians 4:1 ), and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ( Romans 15:6 ;  2 Corinthians 1:3 ). Jesus taught his disciples to call God “our Heavenly Father.” ( Matthew 5:48 ; 6:14). Therefore, the loving relationship Christ has with the Father from eternity now extends to those adopted into God’s family ( Romans 8:15 ). The father-son relationship is the most intimate personal relationship, one marked by reciprocal love and respect, and it is God’s supremely personal and loving nature that the term  father  is meant to underscore. Feminine Descriptions of God in Scripture Feminine images are used throughout Scripture to describe God’s compassionate and loving nature. Examples include the frequent images of God protecting and comforting his children ( Isaiah 66:12 –13;  Hosea 11:1 –4). But it’s important to note that God is never addressed as  Mother . This phenomenon is unique compared with the cultures surrounding the original biblical writers. Most ancient Near Eastern societies had a goddess as the main cult figure or at least to complement a male god—Asherah in Canaan, Isis in Egypt, Tiamat in Babylon. If patriarchy is responsible for cultures portraying God as male, then we would expect goddess worship to reflect a matriarchal society—one in which women are given superior status or at least are equal to men. But this is not the case. Even today, many societies devoted to goddess worship remain oppressive toward women. Those who argue that God is feminine usually base their premise on the virgin birth of Jesus. Some theologians and philosophers argue that the birth of Christ implies that Jesus was unique in his genetic makeup. They postulate that males have XY chromosomes, while women have XX chromosomes. Each parent contributes their set of chromosomes to the fetus. Since Jesus was virgin born, they believe He couldn’t have had a Y chromosome. The Spirit, they teach, who is responsible for impregnating Mary, has consistently been understood throughout Scripture as feminine. Both the Hebrew word (ruah) and the Greek word (pneuma) for Spirit are female gendered. They teach that the literal acceptance of Jesus’ virginal conception would conclude he cannot biologically be a male, although he obviously was physically a male as attested to by his crucifixion, and much earlier, his circumcision (Edward L. Kessel, “A Proposed Biological Interpretation of the Virgin Birth,” Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation [September, 1983]). You also must refer to the prophecy about the virgin birth from God Himself. The angel Gabriel spoke these words to Mary: “You have found favor in the eyes of God. You will conceive and give birth to a child, and you will call  him  Jesus.  He  will be great and will be called the  son  of the Most High. The Lord your God will give  him  the throne of his father David, and  he  will forever rule over Jacob’s descendants,  his  reign will know no end”  ( Luke 1:26-35 ) I tend to agree with C. S. Lewis’ assumption that God is much higher than we imagine and that sexuality has a deeper meaning than we comprehend. For instance, He suggests that God is so masculine that we all are feminine in relation to Him. If this is true, it might explain why the church is referred to as the bride of Christ, though it is composed of both men and women. Genesis 1:27 :  “God created humanity in God’s image, in God’s image God created them, male and female God created them.”  You can find worth and dignity in the image of God! You can find comfort in a God of compassion!  Psalm 68:5 :  “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling.”  I am so sorry about the loss of your mother. The shortest verse in the Bible is  “ Jesus wept .”  ( John 11:35 ) Jesus didn’t weep for Himself. He knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead. He wept for Mary and Martha in the loss of their beloved brother. When you grieve, God is grieving with you because He loves you.

Dear Roger, Our small group had a long discussion about the Battle of Armageddon. This was not the assigned topic for the night but when Becky mentioned how ridiculous for the President to guarantee that Iran would not ever have a nuclear weapon based on their newly reached treaty with Iran, everyone had something to say! One thing we tried to discuss with intelligence was the Battle of Armageddon and the maneuvering of the nations in battle for the end times. We wondered where and how Jesus fit in with the Battle? Will America be involved? We read Jesus’ Olivet Discourse in  Matthew 24  where He describes the times and the signs preceding the Second Coming. With wars and rumors of wars, and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and genocide occurring all over the earth, do you believe that these things are being fulfilled today? Could you please shed some light on this for us? We would really appreciate it. Sincerely, Christopher Dear Christopher, “Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon“ ( Revelation 16:13-16 ). Christopher, I would be delighted to give you some thoughts regarding the Battle of Armageddon; but, with several caveats. First, God has not chosen to give us  all of the details regarding the end times. In other words, no one can answer this question exactly, not with absolute certainty. Second, I’ve been fascinated by this study for years. I’m going to present to you the best picture I can give of what the  Bible  does say about the Battle of Armageddon and the events leading up to it. Third, I will be sharing with you a simple summary of the events as I see them. Fourth, I am taking a literal perspective as if these events are indeed still in our future. This is based on  Ezekiel 37 . Fifth, if I could meet with your small group, we could expand this answer of mine to a two- or three-hour teaching. Since we can’t, I hope this summary will at least answer some of your questions while I know it will bring up many new ones. Sixth, I have made a lot assumptions in my description of Armageddon and the events preceding it. Others will look at my answer and disagree with most everything I’ve written. Nevertheless, what I present to you is something I’ve worked on for several decades. Hopefully you’ll find my perspective interesting and helpful to your group. Okay, ready? Napoleon called the geographical Armageddon the greatest natural battlefield in the world. But the fact is that no one knows exactly where the battlefield is located. Most likely the Valley extends for some 15 to 20 miles north and south in the northern part of present-day Israel. The Book of Daniel provides some of the foundational truths that make up any study of the end times. Daniel 2  – God’s plan for the Gentile nations begins with King Nebuchadnezzar and follows the historical sequence of human governments from him to a 10-nation confederacy during the end times which occupies the area of the old Roman Empire. The Antichrist will gain control of these nations and, after guaranteeing Israel’s peace and security, will break that treaty 3 ½ years later and will launch an attack against Israel. Daniel 9  – God’s plan of 490 years for Israel predicts to the very day on April 6, 30 A.D when the Messiah will enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This time period begins with the decree from Persia to rebuild and restore Jerusalem. This time period lasts for 483 years. Hence, there is one seven year-time-period left. On Palm Sunday, God stopped the prophetic clock with seven years to go. The clock will restart when the Antichrist makes his peace treaty with Israel. The first 3 ½ years are peaceful between the ten-nation coalition in Israel. Although, during this time, Israel may be under attack from Rosh – a nation that lies due north of Jerusalem. The Antichrist breaks the treaty after 3 ½ years and then all hell breaks loose with what is called the time of Great Tribulation. This is the time of: The  seven seals  of man’s destruction upon himself, The  seven trumpets  of Satan’s destruction on mankind, And finally, the  seven bowls  of God’s wrath which are poured out on mankind. Now, at what point during this time will The Rapture occur? Some argue at the beginning of the seven years, some argue in the middle of the seven years, and some argue at the end of the seven-year Tribulation. You can make your own choice. Remember that the Rapture need not necessarily be tied to the seven years at all. It may occur before the seven years’ time clock even begins. Revelation 16:17-21 : The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. …The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. “It is done” is followed by a great earthquake. This reminds me of the words of Christ on Calvary, “It is finished.” Jesus statement there was followed by a great earthquake, too. We must realize here that every man or woman stands in the face of one of these two statements. If a person doesn’t want, “It is done” at Calvary, then he or she will hear “It is done” at Armageddon. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO DESCRIBE, AS I SEE THEM, THE EVENTS WHICH LEAD UP TO THE BATTLE Ezekiel 37  —  EZEKIEL’S VISION OF THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES coming together to make a skeleton and being covered with flesh and then coming alive is a prediction of the Jewish people coming together from places all over the world to become a living, breathing soul. This prediction became a reality in 1948 with Jews all over the world returning to Israel and establishing a nation. EZEKIEL 38-39  — THE GOG AND MAGOG INVASION INTO PALESTINE Ezekiel 381-4: The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[b] Meshek and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Magog, Mesheck, and Tubal were all sons of Jepheth (the son of Noah) who migrated to the area of modern-day Russia – ( Genesis 10:2-3 ). Magog means the “Chief Prince” or “Prince of Rosh.” Rosh is the old root word for the name Russia. Meshek corresponds to the old name for the capital of Western Russia, which is today the city of Moscow. Tubal was the ancient name of one of the dominant Asiatic provinces of Russia. Ezekiel 38:15 — “You will come from your place in the far North (the Hebrew word means “the uttermost part of the North”). What’s north of Jerusalem? Moscow. What is further north than Russia? Nothing. Ezekiel  38:5-6  identifies the rest of the participants. Persia is a reference to modern-day Iran which changed its name in 1935. Cush describes present day Ethiopia and the black nations of Central Africa. Put is Libya, located in northern Africa. Gomer are the people who settled in Germany. Beth Togarmah is Asia Minor and Turkey. MAGOG’S DECISION TO INVADE ISRAEL ( EZEKIEL 38:7-13 ). Ezekiel 38:14-16 : “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.” In other words, this occurs at a time when Israel dwells in peace… When is that? Probably during the first 3 ½ years before the Antichrist breaks his treaty with Israel. At that time, the people of “Rosh from the North” will seize the opportunity to quickly invade Israel. Rosh and the nations with her will be utterly destroyed by God. In other words, these nations will have no part in the battle of Armageddon; they have already been defeated. It is my guess at the Antichrist is the one who engages these nations in battle and destroys them. In the rest of Ezekiel 38-39 God describes his destruction on Gog and Magog. We see in these verses what seems to eerily describe a nuclear holocaust. Fire and brimstone fall from the sky. The earth shakes. The faces of the invading soldiers melt like hot wax. It takes Israel seven years to decontaminate the land. The burial of radiation-contaminated men and women injures even more. Thousands of invading soldiers lie unburied. God sends the birds of the air to pluck the flesh right off their bodies. This sounds just like the grisly feast of God in  Revelation 19  at the Battle of Armageddon. The Antichrist uses this move by Russia against Israel to set up the Abomination of Desolation and move his forces into Israel. The nations which comprise the land area of the old Roman Empire include England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Greece, Macedonia, Belgium, and the Netherlands, among others. DANIEL 11:36-45  REVEALS THE MOVEMENTS OF THE ANTICHRIST 3 ½ years into the final seven year period the Antichrist places what Jesus called the Abomination of Desolation in the holy place in the temple in Jerusalem. This is a small statue of the Antichrist which comes alive and desecrates the place of sacrifice. The Abomination of Desolation compels Jews to worship the Antichrist. This is crucial to his plan for world dictatorship. Jesus said, “When you see the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet set up in the Holy place, Run! …Woe if you are pregnant. Run away as fast as you can.” The Antichrist demands to be worshiped and brands all of his followers with the number 666. John tells us that those who will worship the Antichrist and take the number will avoid economic sanctions but will be doomed to hell. Those who refuse to take the number and won’t follow or worship the beast will be put to death as martyrs. In the middle of Tribulation, Satan is cast from Heaven and personally indwells the Antichrist. The Great Tribulation (the final 3 ½ years) has begun. The rest of  Daniel 11  describes a massive battle between the king of the North and the King of the South. The king of the North is obviously the Antichrist and the King of the South refers to an Arab-African Confederacy. The battles are intense with the King of the South initially victorious. But the Antichrist builds a massive army and moves into Israel and utterly defeats the King of the South and his forces. The Antichrist is in full control of Israel, killing Christians and Jews quickly and mercilessly. Then, tidings from the East warn the Antichrist of a gigantic invasion of the Kings of East which comprise an army of 200 million soldiers. In  Revelation 9  the Euphrates River impedes the movement of the Kings from East. This is the sixth trumpet. In  Revelation 16  the sixth cup of God’s wrath is poured out as the Euphrates dries up and allows the Kings of the East to March into Israel to battle with the Antichrist. “Tidings from the North” refers to Russia restored which then returns for a second time to invade Israel. At this point all the armies move into the Middle-East and spread out along the entire length and breadth of Israel, with the greatest concentration poised for the fiercest and final battle on the Plains of Armageddon. THE FINAL BATTLE IS DESCRIBED IN  REVELATION 14:15-20  AND  16:16-21 . Some feel that these verses are descriptive, poetic pictures of Armageddon. I am taking the literal position here. The islands flee away. God rearranges the surface of the earth. Just as Africa, Europe, South America, and North America used to be one land mass, God will speed up the process and change it all. The mountains will not be found. This would indicate a complete renovation of the earth, which may be a fulfillment of  2 Peter 3:10 , which predicts that the entire earth will be destroyed and “the elements shall melt with fervent heat: the earth and also the works that are in it, shall be burned up.” While this great battle is raging, every city in the world is going to be leveled. This will take place by what is called an “earthquake” ( seismos  in the Greek), but that’s not the only meaning. The word itself simply means “a great shaking of the earth.” The earth could be shaken either by a literal earthquake or by a full-scale nuclear exchange. Just think of the great cities of the world: London, Rome, Paris, Berlin, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Tokyo… all of these great cities are going to be judged at that time! ZECHARIAH 14:1-13  DESCRIBES WHAT OCCURS AT THE VERY MOMENT OF THE SECOND COMING Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives and a great Earthquake takes place which splits Israel from East to West and brings water from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to Jerusalem. By the way, there  is  a fault line that runs from the Mount of Olives all the way to the Mediterranean Sea… Jesus then enters the fray and destroys the forces of the Antichrist, the King of the East and the king of the North as recorded in Zachariah 14:12-13: “This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another.” For hundreds of years, students of Bible prophecy have wondered what kind of plague could produce such instant ravaging of humans while still on their feet. Until the advent of the atomic bomb such a thing was not humanly possible. But now everything Zechariah predicted could come true instantly in a thermonuclear exchange. At the Second Coming, the nonbelieving Jews of Israel will see the nail prints in Jesus’s hands, feet, and side and realize that they crucified their Messiah. It will break their hearts: ZECHARIAH 12:10 : “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” FINALLY, THE TWO SUPPERS OF GOD AT END OF TIME! The Supper of God  —  Revelation 19:17-18 : “And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.'” The Wedding Supper of the Lamb  —  Revelation 19:9 : Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”  This is the  marriage  feast when Jesus, as the Bridegroom, takes His church for His Bride. It is a tremendous time of fellowship and praise! There is a telling word picture here and we all have a choice: We can  enjoy  the wedding supper with Jesus or we can  be  the supper. Revelation 20  and  21  wrap up the story with the destruction of Satan and his followers, the 1000-year reign of Christ on Earth (the Millennium), and the new Heaven and the new Earth which are designed for eternity. Well, Christopher, I hope this gives you some insight into the battle of Armageddon and to the extra material beyond your question that you may find helpful. May God bless you in your studies of the Book of Revelation and please remember that God promises a blessing for those who read it often. Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger,   With the passing of Billy Graham, I have wondered a lot about the verse in Matthew 24:14 : “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Bill Bright started Campus Crusade for Christ, and Billy Graham’s evangelistic crusades reached the world with the gospel. Could they be the two witnesses that re-appear in Revelation? Does this mean that we are in the end times now? Sincerely, Allie   Dear Allie, I too, have deeply grieved over the loss of these two saints of God. They definitely were instrumental in preaching the simple message of the Gospel throughout the world. World leaders were touched and countless servants of God were sent forth by these godly men. However, there are other great Christian leaders who impacted the world for Christ in a great way. Martin Luther, John Calvin, George Whitfield, Charles Spurgeon and Dwight L. Moody are men from the past who shaped the faith of future generations. Many, like Luis Palau and Paul Yongghi Cho, powerfully influenced countries that are non English-speaking. Organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators have brought the message of the gospel to people who have never heard. Paul the apostle was the first Christian missionary to the Gentiles.  So, to answer your question from a biblical perspective, let’s talk about the most likely answer.  The key passage to which you refer is in Revelation 11:3-12 : 3  And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”  4  They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” [ a ]   5  If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.  6  They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. 7  Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.  8  Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.  9  For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10  The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11  But after the three and a half days the breath [ b ]  of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.  12  Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.” NIV The two witnesses appear after the Tribulation is in full swing. In fact, they begin preaching at the end of the Tribulation. The most likely candidates are (1) Moses and Elijah (2) Enoch and Elijah (3) Two unknown believers whom God calls to be His witnesses in the end times. (1) Moses and Elijah are seen as possibilities for the two witnesses due to the witnesses’ power to turn water into blood ( Revelation 11:6 ), which Moses is known for (Exodus chapter 7), and their power to destroy people with fire ( Revelation 11:5 ), which Elijah is known for (2 Kings chapter 1). Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus at the transfiguration ( Matthew 17:3-4 ). But Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed to a man once to die, and after that the judgment.” Of course, Moses did die once ( Deuteronomy 34:5 ). But the people Jesus resurrected during His earthly ministry also died and were raised. Enoch and Elijah are considered because God took them before death. ( Genesis 5:23 ; 2 Kings 2:11 ). One final thought  we should ponder is from www.bible.org .  “The two unknown witnesses could follow the pattern of John the Baptist: (1)  Luke 1:17  clearly states that John the Baptist, as a forerunner of Christ, would go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah (cf.  Mark 1:2-3  with  Matt. 3:3 ), i.e., he was a virtual Elijah. (2)  Matthew 17:10-13  teaches us that Elijah had come and that John the Baptist was that Elijah. (3) John himself said he was not Elijah, only a voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare men for Messiah ( John 1:21-22 ). John denied that he was a literal Elijah, though he saw his role as a virtual Elijah doing what the Malachi passage said Elijah would do ( Mal. 3:1; 4:6 ).”   We do know that we will not be here at the time of the preaching of the two witnesses if we believe in Jesus’ death on the to forgive our sins, receive Him into our hearts, and join the dead in Christ at the Rapture. We will only see these two witnesses from our view in heaven!   If you know Christ, you will never meet them.  I hope this gives you some food for thought!   Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger, I am a Christian and I hate (Is “hate” too strong a word?) our governmental leadership. I don’t trust our political leaders or the news media either. I know, as a Christian, I am to love and forgive. But, come on, when can Christians stand up and stop the madness? Or, are we going to sit idly by and let our freedoms circle down the drain? I want a biblical answer, not a political one. I don’t expect you to expose your political leanings. What does God say, and, as a Christian, what am I supposed to do? Sincerely, Disgruntled and Depressed Christian   Dear D.D.Christian,   I sympathize with your pain and fear. But before I continue, I must remind you that God has given us a wealth of Scripture to use to pray for our country and for our leaders. One of the very best sites is a list of Scripture prayers. It is a comprehensive and extremely helpful guide. www.prayingscriptures.com/government.shtml   Regardless of who leads our country (or any country), I wonder if we are getting what we deserve. In the Bible book of First Samuel, Israel began asking for a king ( 1 Samuel 8-12 ). The Lord God Jehovah had protected Israel and given them great victories. However, the people clambered for Samuel to give them a king like all the other nations.   God said to the people, “OK. If you don’t want me then I’ll give you a king. Let me tell you what the king will do to you. Your enemies will take your fields and your vineyards. He will take your sons and make them serve in the Army where they will be killed and mutilated. He will take your daughters and they will be raped and made slaves. The king you want will take a 10th of all your grain and of all your wine. He will take for his own use the best of your flocks, donkeys and cattle. And the day will come when you will cry out for relief, but I will not answer you”.   On the day of anointing, Saul, the King Elect, was nowhere to be found. Three days later he was located hiding among the donkeys. Poor leadership here! Such was the first king of Israel.   In my (and Jesus’) opinion we are not to hate our leaders, nor speak ill of them. But we certainly can sympathize with them.   Without a doubt, our nation’s problems (and the world’s) seem insurmountable. Without a doubt we have the right to disagree with policies, leadership, attitudes and refusal to compromise. By the way, it is not the job of one party or another to blame their opponents for refusing to negotiate. Securing beneficial compromise is one of the first orders of business. Solomon wrote in Proverbs that we are to seek wise counsel, and fear God.   Everything that God said to Israel came true. As the years passed, and the people continued rejecting God, the entire nation slid into chaos. You can read all about Israel’s inadequate leaders in the Book of Judges. The nation was a wreck.   Many Christians are wondering when God is going to judge America for its sin and debauchery. According to Romans Chapter One, our nation is already under the judgment of God. “If you don’t want me, then you are on your own,” says God.   Mrs. Billy Graham said, “If God does not judge America, he will have to explain why not to Sodom and Gomorrah.”   In my opinion, when great leadership and integrity was called for, Israel got King Saul instead. For years, we may have gotten the leaders we deserve.   However, some believe that Christian leaders have more influence in this government than they have had in many years.   Many Christian groups and churches proactively pray for our nation and its leaders. One example is the Presidential Prayer Team: www.presidentialprayerteam.com . Don’t fret alone. Find a prayer group and get busy. One of the characteristics people look for the most in their leaders is integrity. We want a person who is honest and fair.   In Genesis chapter eighteen we see that God will stay his hand as long as there is a greater proportion of God-followers compared to God-rejecters.   We are entering what sociologists are calling “Generation None”. The rise of the “Nones” suggests the end of religion as we know it. Forget churches; forget priests and pastors; forget the Bible; forget Jesus, and on goes the list. None of us know the time schedule when, finally, the weight of the Nones out balances the number of Christians in America. But when that day comes, the fire will fall.   I don’t believe that it’s hopeless. You ask what should we Christians do to stand up to this madness?   Let me give you several suggestions of what we can do.   First, we can pray and do all we can to support our government and its leaders ( Romans 13:1-7 ). We are to obey our elected officials, the laws of our land, and the Constitution. Paul tells us that governments are ordained by God to keep law and order. So we pray for our president and politicians because when life is easier for them, the better it will be for us.   Of course, civil disobedience is always a consideration in a democracy. When a government leans toward totalitarianism, it has lost its right to lead.   Second, We Can Run For Political Office and Vote.   At the very least we can volunteer to help politicians who have the same values as we. Everyone knows that the real power in America is at the grassroots level which determines who wins and who loses.   Third, Remember Love.   This is our best chance to win our country to Christ and bring in the Kingdom of God on earth.   D.D. Christian, I sense much emotion in your email. I think that the bottom line of your question revolves around loving the man, or at the very least feeling compassion for him, while hating the things he does that you don’t like.   I hope that you find my response helpful. We could talk politics for hours. My greatest hope is that our political leaders will lay aside personal agendas, return to godly values and lead with wisdom, humility and integrity. Otherwise, we will slip further and further into abysmal destruction. We need God’s mercy and a revival.   “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” ( 2 Chronicles 7:14 ).   Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger, What does the Bible say about swearing? Sincerely, David Dear David, Swearing is as old as the human race. The Bible is filled with examples of people who swore. Let me share and comment on several verses which apply and then share several Biblical principles that might help us all in determining our level of swearing—or not swearing!   But, first let’s define the word. Swear has two main usages. First, it is used in the context of swearing an oath. To swear means to make a solemn declaration, invoking a deity, or a sacred person or thing, to confirm the honesty or truth of the declaration. One example of swearing an oath is swearing on a Bible to “tell the truth and nothing but the truth” in a court of law. Jesus denounced this practice in Matthew 5:33-37 : “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord. But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”   In addition, the word, “swear, may also be defined as using abusive, violent, or blasphemous language. Words like, “S-O-B” and “G-D,” to initialize just a few words, are good examples of this second definition of swearing.   David, I am assuming that your question has mostly to do with the second definition. So, let me share some Scriptures.   First, many people look to the second commandment, “Thou must not take the Lord’s name in vain” ( Exodus 20:7 ) as a prohibition against swearing. However, this commandment has nothing to do with cursing. It refers to the sin of emptying the Name of God of power—thus saying that God is not able to create, judge or provide the strength for victorious living.   Second, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus declared the consequences of swearing and pronouncing curses upon another person. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” ( Matthew 5:21-22 ). By the way, Raca” means vain, empty, or worthless. The Jews used it as a word of contempt. It was derived from a word root meaning, “to spit.”   Third, in his letter to the Galatians, Paul used what could be considered the strongest swear word in the Greek language to denounce the people who were tempting his readers to alter or desert the true Gospel of Christ. Paul wrote: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” ( Galatians 1:8-9 ). Notice that Paul repeats his invective. Paul seemed to violate Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:21-22 . I am not certain how to reconcile this discrepancy except to say that Paul was speaking with tremendous righteous indignation in order to keep the Gospel pure and clear.   Fourth, no one will dispute that Peter’s cursing as he denied Jesus was shameful and wrong. But notice that he cursed himself—not others: “Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!’” ( Matthew 26:74 ). We are never to curse ourselves. Cursing ourselves is to forget the high calling and great worth we are to God as Christ Followers. In Romans 12:3-4 , Paul warned us about the dangers of pride: ”Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” The corollary to this principle is to not think of ourselves too lightly either. As God’s children, loved by Him, sins forgiven, we are never to curse ourselves.   Finally, let me add two helpful principles.   Jesus gives us advice on how to respond when we are negatively cursed by others. By the way, cursing may take many forms. It can be as innocuous as talking derogatorily “behind our backs.” It can be verbal and quite hurtful. It can be as demonstrative as using vulgar and unmistakable hand gestures out a car window. Jesus encouraged us in Luke 6:27-28 : “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”   Paul gives us positive advice on how to use our words—not to curse—but to bless others. He wrote in Ephesians 4:29-30 : “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” The meaning of “unwholesome talk” is rather is rather obvious. One of the purposes of our talk is to build others up—according to their needs. This implies that we know what their needs are. They may need comfort, guidance, encouragement, acceptance, approval or even loving rebukes—just to name a few things. Can you imagine what our homes would be like if nothing but wholesome talk came out of our mouths? What wonderful people to be around!   Well, David, thanks for asking such a timely and relevant question.   Love, Roger   Greatscottchris@hotmail.com