Hi Roger, Here’s what I thought of after your series on the end of times: You said that discerning Christians’ will recognize the signs that the end is near… How can I be sure I am a discerning Christian? Sincerely, S Dear S, The Bible is filled with signs as to what the end times will look like. Some signs are so specific we can’t miss them. For example, in Matthew 24:15-16 Jesus pointed out one sure sign: “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…” Jesus expects His readers to understand the signs of the end. How will we know what to look for? We study the Scriptures. Daniel 7-12 describes this “abomination” and how to recognize it. God told the prophet Daniel that when the end is near, many seemingly enigmatic verses will become clear. Probably because as the events prophesied are increasingly fulfilled, the more clearly other signs will become. As Daniel concluded his prophecy in chapter twelve he asked God to let him in on the timing of the end-time events. God deflected his request in verse four: “But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end….” (Notice that when the end is near everything will become more clear.) Daniel then asked the two angels standing nearby, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”The angel replied in verse seven, “It will be for a. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”The terms, “time, times and half a time” and the corresponding 3.5 years and 1260 days and 1290 days, are explained in the Book of Revelation.” Daniel confessed in verse eight that he still did not understand so once again He asked the Lord, “My Lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”God replied in verse nine, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end…. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.” So, rest assured that discerning spiritual men and women in the Body of Christ will be able to read the signs—and will be happy to share what they see with you. Notice I said, “spiritual men and women.” Jesus predicted that near the end of time many false individuals will confuse many (This, of course, is another sign in itself.).But, don’t stop by depending on the insights of others. Do your own homework. Be a Biblical “self feeder” and check these things out for yourself.So you won’t have to go searching, I’ve listed below the basic prophetical books and passages in order to help  make your study a little easier. Psalm 2 The Psalm of the battle of Armageddon: Nations rage; God laughs; and the exaltation of Christ as Lord The Book of Daniel An over view of God’s dealing with human governmentsA time line of events from the days of Daniel, 598 B.C. to Palm Sunday, April 6, 30 A.D.An overview of the last seven years before the Second Coming known as the Great Tribulation which begins with a peace treaty between Israel and a confederation of European states and ends with the Battle of Armageddon  and the return of Christ Ezekiel 37-39 The prophecy of the return of Jews from all over the world to the land of Israel to reestablish the nation of Israel (the dispersion occurred in 70 A.D. and against all odds, the return took place in 1948 A.D.)The battle between Gog, from the land of the north (Magog), that is directly north of Jerusalem (Russia??) and the nation of Israel. Gog, who is allied with a number of African nations is soundly defeated. The battle probably occurs before the time of Great Tribulation. Zechariah12:10-14 The Israelites weep and repent when they see the nail-scarred hands of Christ at the second coming. Matthew 24-25 Known as the Olivet Discourse, Jesus answers the Disciples’ questions about the end times and the future destruction of Israel. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:7 A description of the rapture when Jesus comes “for His saints” and takes them to Heaven.The swiftness and stealth of the Second Coming is detailed. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Beware of the coming Antichrist who is revealed when he sets up the Abomination of Desolation.The Antichrist has deceptive tools to fool the world.When “that which restrains” (either the Holy Spirit or the church) is removed from earth, the Lord’s wrath is unleashed. 1 Peter 4:7-11 An outline of how to behave during the last days 2 Peter A description of wicked men during the last daysThe Second Coming time table is right on schedule. God is not delaying.“The elements will be destroyed by fire.” Jude A picture of the destruction of ungodly men and women at the Second Coming The Book of Revelation A three-fold picture of what man does to destroy mankind (7 Seals); what Satan does to man (7 Trumpets); and what God does to mankind (7 Bowls of Wrath) A description of the person and ministry of the Antichrist. The Battle of Armageddon The Great White Throne Judgment Tossing Satan into the Abyss of Hell The millennium and the new Heaven and Earth So, “S,” in order to read the signs well and not be deceived I recommend that you carefully study the Bible passages referring to the end and keep an eye on world events.Then, listen to spiritual men and women who listen to God for their insights to the “times of the end.”Finally, remember that Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:4 : “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief…” I hope this helps. Love , Roger

Dear Roger, I have sons serving in the military. How can I pray effectively for deployed military personnel? We hear people say, “Pray for our Troops!” But what do we pray for? What, specifically, are their needs? Sincerely, A Concerned Mom Dear Concerned Mom, The world is a dangerous place. We must be vigilant to pray for our soldiers around the world. There are so many great resources on this subject, but my favorite is from the National Prayer Team. Here are their insights on how to pray for our military: Pray if they’re not saved that the Lord would send a witness to them and save them. Pray that he would have the peace of Christ with him—especially if he travels outside of his Forward Operating Base (FOB). Pray that he will depend on the love of God to keep him from bitterness at others (who needlessly make life difficult on their subordinates especially when they aren’t the most competent leader). Pray for his spiritual and emotional resiliency so that regardless of what they face, they will be able to be effective in his military role and responsibility. Pray for protection. “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever” (Psalm I25:2). Pray that he will be vigilant if he is called upon to fire upon the enemy. “Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:” ( Psalm 144:1 ). Pray that the enemy will be turned back. “Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.” ( Psalm 40:14 ). Pray that he will be fulfilled in his job. Without purpose, time in the combat zone is extremely long and difficult. Pray that he will resist lowering himself to lower levels of conversations and instead seek to be an example of goodness and righteousness. Pray that he finds “good and solid” Christian brothers to have fellowship. Pray that if he struggles or is discouraged, he will seek out his chaplain for wisdom and encouragement. Pray for the leadership in Platoons, Companies, Battalions, Brigades . . . depending on what level the soldier works. Leadership can make or break a man. How can you pray for the military home front? Many prayers are directed to our deployed military personnel, and that is so appreciated, but it is equally important to pray for their loved ones at home. Here are insights provided by military spouses in how to pray: Pray…for the home front spouse Pray if they’re not saved that the Lord would send a witness to them and save them. that they would trust God and that they would be firmly rooted in Christ and the Word of God and draw strength from Him for joy, hope, endurance, strength, patience, protection and safety pray against fear, loneliness, fatigue, despair, depression that support would be present when needed, that friends, family, co-workers, neighbors would rise up and extend assistance and encouragement Pray…for their marriage for loyalty and commitment in their marriage, and that their relationship would have trust that their love would grow stronger during the time apart pray against temptation or inappropriate relationships for a healthy way to fill the hours left empty that would have been spent with their spouse Pray…for their children that they would be strong for their children and would have wisdom and discernment in parenting that children would learn how to cope with the deployment fears, anxieties, sadness) and learn how to express themselves that schools would be understanding and helpful And keep praying following the deployment! Pray for the time of re-integration. After the happy reunion, the period of adjustment can be tough. The whole family has been affected/changed by the deployment   It may be a time of dealing with unresolved issues.   The deployed parent needs to fit back into the home that has managed independently without him/her for a period of time. Parental/spousal responsibilities may shift. Sometimes a return home is followed by a move to a new location. Please keep praying! What you can pray for parents of military personnel? 1. Pray if they’re not saved that the Lord would send a witness to them and save them. 2. Strong faith to entrust their son or daughter into God’s hands no matter the outcome. (Having no control of a child’s well being is extremely tough.) 3. That the fear regarding their child’s situation is replaced daily with God’s peace. (When communication is minimal anxiety is at it’s highest.) 4. They are able to physically rest and restore themselves in order to function on an everyday basis. (Insomnia is extremely common for these parents.) 5. They are able to accept their child’s decision to enlist. (When an enlistment is not the parents’ first choice or if it was a complete surprise, anger can surface.) 6. They find joy in everyday in the midst of the unknowns. (Severe depression is common with Blue Star Moms.) 7. For them to find creative ways to support their loved one, emotionally, and spiritually, from a distance. 8. That they would remain steadfast and not “loose heart”, but continue in prayer causing them to grow stronger in the Lord. 9. That family and close friends understand or at least accept and not criticize the roller coaster of emotions. (Without realizing it, family has the highest ability to hurt and isolate Blue Star Parents.) 10. For wisdom to know how to encourage their son or daughter throughout each stage of their enlistment. Knowing if they are to say something, what to say, when to say it and how to say it. (Some parents say too much too soon, others don’t say anything because they are unsure how their child will react.) 11. They be able to adapt to and accept the changes in themselves as well as their child that have occurred during their child’s enlistment. (Changes may be positive, like after boot camp; or negative, like after a deployment. Either way life will never be the same for any of them. The entire family has a “new normal” to adjust to.) 12. That they be led to those that will support and encourage them possibly by joining or starting a support group for other military families. (It’s extremely lonely for Blue Star Parents if they don’t have others in similar situations to share their hearts and the everyday uncertainties.) Also, something I do for those I’m praying for is ask God to lead me to a passage of Scripture that I can insert their name into and make it a personal prayer for them. Here are a couple great scriptures to claim. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. ~ I Peter 5:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. ~ Psalm 28:7

We can’t not worship. All of us worship someone or something. Either we worship the One True God, or we settle for a substitute. The opposite of THEOLOGY is IDOLATRY. The purpose of THEOLOGY is DOXOLOGY. “A LOW VIEW of God is the cause of a hundred lesser evils,” said A.W. Tozer. “A HIGH VIEW of God is the solution to 10,000 temporal problems.” SERMON NOTES Holy, Holy, Holy    Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-5, 8-9   Sermon Overview:    An attribute is not something God does; it is who He is. God is holy. When we understand the attributes of God, our hearts open to respond to God, not by what we can do for Him but by standing in awe of who He is.   Sermon Series Questions:   God is holy. How does Isaiah 6:1-5 explain what God’s holiness looks like? Holiness is Christlikeness. What aspects of how Jesus walked and talked do you admire?   Sermon-Specific Questions:    When we surrender our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, our testimony becomes a testament and a victory of a holy God who heals, saves, and delivers. What is one thing you know that God has healed, saved, or delivered you from?   What part of you has been or is being shaken right now?    How could that shaking enable you to redefine your identity and security in God?   What part of yourself can you begin to love, knowing that you were fearfully and wonderfully made by a holy God filled with intention and purpose? (Psalm 139:14)    How is it possible that God’s strength is made perfect in your specific weakness? (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

Dear Roger,   Let’s be honest. I’m a Christian and I’m scared. It seems like the globalization of our world teeters on the brink of collapse. I worry about  pandemics, recessions, climate change, economic collapse. I worry about our retirement funds. I worry about the future of our children. I can’t believe it, but I’m scared to go the mall. Will I ever feel safe again? I hate to admit this, but I’ve even gone into fast food restaurants and found myself looking with suspicion at the patrons, wondering if one of them is going to harm my family.  Stock market dives, natural disasters, violence, and political unrest terrify me! How do I find peace?   Sincerely, Fearful   Dear Fearful, I recently talked to a person who told me that He’d made plans to secure his future. When I asked him about his “plan” for surviving nuclear war, starvation, anarchy, or economic collapse, he was quite clear! Of course he knew that there are no guarantees.  Bill said, “Here is my plan to get ready:”  ·      Build a bunker. ·      Hide my guns before the government takes them away. ·      Buy gold and stash it. ·      Stockpile food and water.   He was ready for anything. Or was he? He sounded rather confident, but inside I know that he was at least somewhat afraid. Why else would he go to all this trouble?   If we look at his plan, the four things that concerned him are the same things that concern us.  We want to be safe from disaster (build a bunker) We want to be protected from danger and from evil men (have a gun). We want to be secure financially (buy gold). We want to have enough to eat and drink (stock pile food and water).  In the midst of all these threatening world-wide times and difficulties, I think that Jesus’ advice to us might will be, “Don’t be afraid; be at peace.”   I was chatting with a friend about our world situation, and what might happen if we entered a global recession and unmitigated chaos.  Many people around the world face these challenges every single day.  Will there be food in the markets? Can I find clean water? Will the banks have money left? Will I have a place to live? Will I be persecuted for my faith?   Shaky, in the midst of all these threatening world-wide times and difficulties, I think that Jesus’ advice to us might will be, “Don’t be afraid; be at peace.”   “I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears”( Psalm 34:4 )   Jesus is the Giver of Peace.   Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace give you, not as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” ( John 14:27 ).   We can’t procure our own peace. It has to be the peace that Jesus gives. We can key off of that.   We have the choice to calm down and trust God for the future, or we can live in fear and be miserable.   Regarding Building A Bunker:   “He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress. . . . He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge. “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. . . . “1000 may fall at your side, 10,000 at your right hand, but it will not come near you. . . . “If you make the Most High your dwelling. . . . Then no harm will befall you no disaster will come near your tent. “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” ( Psalm 91:1-4 ). Regarding Protection From Evil Situations And Evil Men:   “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away” ( Psalm 37:1-2 ).   “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” ( Psalm 34:7 ).   Regarding Financial Security:   “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” ( Philippians 4:19 ).   Regarding Food And Drink:   “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’. For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them.”   There is a caveat here.   The above versus are designed to bring us peace in the midst of difficulties. However, they are not guarantees that we will go through life without difficulty and suffering.   Jesus said that there would be war as well as earthly calamities. He said we would be persecuted and betrayed. But He promised He would be united with us in our hour of need.   “ I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” ( John 16:32-33 ).   Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” ( Matthew 5:11-12 ) .   Paul had a wicked thorn in his side. Truthfully, the verses above are not how life always works out. We use the verses as blessings and hopes through the difficulties of life.   Paul wrote: “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” ( Romans 5:1-4 ).   Peter wrote: “These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” ( 1 Peter 6-7 ).   Fear Of The Future Requires Action. What Do We Do?    FIRST, we saturate our minds with Bible verses about God’s care so that we have them available when we need peace. SECOND, we quiet our minds and practice David’s Psalm 131 .   “O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.   But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother’s breast; like a child that is quieted is my soul” (RSV). David tells us that he had the choice of calming his own soul or of letting it rage in fear and anxiety. He chose to calm himself.   We face the same choice. We can quiet down before God and calm our souls, or we can be miserable and afraid. This is what choosing peace is all about. FINALLY, we keep walking forward in faith. What does that look like? 1. Invest in His kingdom. He told us to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy. When our economic future is unsure, we do the opposite. We hoard. We stop giving to God’s work. Be frugal and wise, but remember you are investing in a kingdom that won’t pass away. 2. Share the gospel boldly. Everywhere. The command of Jesus at his ascension was “Go and Make disciples.” The worse the world gets, the more receptive people are to the good news of Jesus. They need hope. 3. Worship every day. Praise Him, sing to Him. OUT LOUD. Focus on His greatness. An old hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, simply says “…And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”  4. Meet with other Christians. God designed the church for a reason. We are greater together than alone. We may not always have that privilege.   Fearful, I know that you’ve been afraid; but remember that Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, I have overcome the world!”   I hope that these thoughts are helpful to you.   Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger, I’m reaching the point in life when I need to start over. I’ve made some mistakes and it’s cost me a lot. In fact, I’m shocked to find myself in situations where I never ever dreamed I would be. I’m not much concerned about how I reached this point in life (although I’ve learned some good lessons), I’m more concerned about successfully starting over. I’ve read some books filled with principles about starting over. They are helpful; but, I want to know if you can give me more than just simple platitudes. How about tying my situation directly to Bible a story so I’m certain that I get God’s perspective? Sincerely, Kaitlin   Dear Kaitlin,   One life story comes immediately to mind. If anyone needed a fresh start, it was Peter!   If children playing ball have a dispute about a play, and it seems there is no agreeable resolution, then someone says, “Let’s have a ‘do-over’” This is what starting over is about.   Peter’s life was filled with starts, stops, ups, and downs and restarts. Just like our lives.   Peter’s twitter account might look something like this.   Followed Jesus. #Fish4Guys   Rabbi heals. #PeepsGetWell. #Amazing   Told Rabbi not to go to the cross. Bit my tongue. #StupidWords   Rabbi transfigured in Heavenly Glory. Tried to sell tickets. Said something stupid. Again. #GodMad.   Cast out some demons! #JesusPower   Watched Jesus make tasty bread. 20,000 meals. #FoodMiracle   Walked on water. Should never have taken my eyes off of Jesus. #UnderWater.   Figured out Rabbi was the SOTLG. (Son of the Living God). #JesusImpressed    In the garden. Slept. Cut Malchus’ Ear.  Jesus said, “Put up UR sword.” #EarBlood #Humiliated.   Rabbi crucified. I ran. #Bummer #EpicFail   Denied Christ. #LiarLiar #HateMyself.   Gave up on Jesus. Lost it. #RTF (Returned to fishing)   Restored at seaside breakfast. #MySecondChance   Nothing but nets. Rabbi came. Big fish fry. #HeForgave   “Do you love me with divine love?” “I like you a lot.” “Do you even like me a lot?” #BrokeMyHeart.   Rabbi called me Rock. Cool nickname. We’re tight. #JesusMyBFF   Commissioned: Tend my sheep. Feed my lambs. Lead my church. #I’mBack   Preached with power. 3,000 saved. #HolyGhostRevival   Pastored FBC Jerusalem. #VictoryTime   Wrote 2 Bible books. Knew I could do it. Yea! #JesusInMe   Crucified. World looks funny upside down. #HeavenWaiting    Make a life-chart of your own ups and downs. See how many times you went down and had to start over. How carefully did you include Jesus in your new beginning? You’ll find your chart quite revealing. You’ll learn a lot about yourself-and about Jesus.   HOW DO WE GET OFF TRACK?   We forget what God has done in our lives. We become apathetic. We believe lies. We turn away. Sin is fun. We deliberately choose to live in the “flesh” and not in the Spirit. But ultimately, no matter how we look at it, the preeminent reason why we go down is because we take our eyes off of Jesus. That’s why Peter sank. That’s why we sink.   HERE ARE SOME REMINDERS FROM JESUS WHEN IT’S TIME TO START OVER.   1. Look at Peter’s up-and-down chart. Jesus’ gave Peter lots of second chances. Think about it, Jesus gives us lots of do-overs. He’ll give us five or ten or seventy. Even more if we need them.   2. Jesus forgave Peter for his sinful downer “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness” ( 1 John 1:9 ). If our downer involves sin, he’ll forgive us, too.   3. Jesus reminded Peter of who he was: he was the rock; the foundation of church ( Matthew 16:18 ). He reminds us that we are part of the Royal Priesthood, God’s special possession ( 1 Peter 2:9 ).   4. Jesus restored Peter’s vision and life’s calling: “I’m a shepherd; UB a Shepherd, too ( John 21 ). He has special plans for us, too. “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 ).   5. Here’s the good news. We can change. We can have a fresh start. God still has work for us to do. God still has a calling for us “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” ( Philippians 1:6 ).   6. I’ve saved the most important take away for last. There’s one essential thing; one preeminent thing that really counts; one endeavor we can’t do without. Have I emphasize this enough?   If we want to start over well, and have fewer start overs in the future, walk in the life and power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing else will do!   In The Presence Of Jesus Peter DID The Miraculous. [1]   He walked on water ( Matthew 14:27-31 ). “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Peter had a 100% history of failure to walk on water: after all, he waded to the boat. Think of how much faith it took to put his leg over the side. I’m impressed! Then, he glanced back to impress the disciples: “Hi guys”. Then, he took eyes off Jesus and began to sink. How do you think he returned to the boat? Jesus didn’t carry him. He walked.   In The Presence Of Jesus Peter SAID The Miraculous.   Who do people say the Son of Man is? “( Matthew 16:13-20 ). “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But, Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not tell you this, but my Father in heaven.”   In the presence of Jesus Peter had MIRACULOUS COURAGE.   Jesus was arrested. Peter, full of courage, wanted to protect Jesus). “Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear” ( John 18:10 ). You know Peter was not swinging for Malchus’ ear. He was aiming to decapitate him. But Malchus ducked and Peter caught his ear instead.   WE KNOW WHAT PETER COULD DO IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS.   WHAT WAS PETER LIKE WHEN JESUS WAS IN THE OTHER ROOM?   When not in the presence of Jesus, Peter DID NO miraculous things. He was afraid of a little girl.   When not in the presence of Jesus, Peter SAID NO miraculous things. He cursed and three times denied Jesus. The rooster crowed.   When not in the presence of Jesus, Peter HAD NO miraculous courage. He deserted Jesus at the cross.   But then came Pentecost. Once again, we find Peter miraculously saying and doing what he did and said when he was standing in the presence of Jesus.   He again DID the miraculous.   He healed the lame man “Silver and gold I don’t have, but what I have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk ( Acts 3:1-10 ).   He SAID miraculous things.   He preached, “What shall we do?” 3000 saved ( Acts 2:36-41 ).   He had miraculous COURAGE.   The Jewish leaders threatened him with death if he kept preaching about Jesus. “We can’t help speaking about what we have both seen and heard!” ( Acts 4:18-20 ).   WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE? THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT.   On Pentecost Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to sanctify, encourage, comfort, teach, guide and fill us for holy living. By virtue of the Holy Spirit, we find that we can do miraculous things; say miraculous words; and have miraculous courage.   Acts 1:8 : “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”   Ephesians 5:18 : “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”   Let me illustrate: take an empty glove and see if it can move its fingers and play the piano and make beautiful No. It can do none of those. However, what happens when we fill the glove with the skilled hands? Now it moves its fingers and plays the piano and makes beautiful music.   A conscious choice, yielding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, submission to his desires, and a decisive choice to walk in step with the Spirit, are necessary in making a fresh start. Well, Kaitlin, I hope that I’ve done what you said and added a biblical perspective to all the secular platitudes.   Sincerely, Roger   [1] The following points are adapted from a sermon I heard by John MacArthur on a cassette tape over 35 years ago. I figure that since these principles have served me well, and I’ve never forgotten them, they’ll serve you well, too.

How can we survive economic setbacks? Do you fear the economic future of our country? There are only two approaches for meeting future financial needs including emergencies.  One way is to save a part of every dollar of income that comes into our hands to meet those needs. Another approach is to spend all we make as we make it. Solomon says, “Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house” ( Proverbs 24:27 ) Solomon’s economic principle is simple: “ Begin your financial planning on the basis of your financial resources, not on your desires. Too often we’re seduced into asking questions like: “What do I want? “What does my peer group say I should have?” What is fashionable?” We would do better to ask questions like: “What resources do I have?” “What can I do with the resources that I have?” “What buying power do I have?” “What earning power do I have?” When we take this approach we will allocate our resources rather than attempt to pay for desires . If we go through life attempting to pay for our desires, we will ultimately crash and burn. I was intrigued by Vladimir Putin’s comments regarding our dysfunctional US government’s inability to properly resolve the problem of our increasing national debt. He called us a parasite on the world’s economic system. He said that by our inflated, national debt and outright luxurious selfishness we are holding the rest of the world economically hostage. He was not impressed. Since the early 1920s our country has increasingly built our economy on what we desire rather than on what we can afford. Our standard of living has so far outstretched our ability to pay that we’d have national revolt is we tried to take back some of what we’ve given away. Think Social Security and Medicaid. Think Greek rioting because of planned austerity plans necessary to keep Greece from economic collapse. Think entitlements. Going into debt, not because of need, but because of desire, is not only a national issue, it’s personal as well.  Sheikh Fazaga proclaimed: “The fact that you could not control your desire, there is the problem. Part of having good character is to control your desires, not to let them control you…. “ We’ve created a society where it is possible to live on the basis of our desires instead of our resources. We do this though credit cards. We desire a new flat-screen smart TV. We don’t have the money; but, instead of saving up for one, we buy it on credit. But, why let that stop us? We end up with a giant television in our dens by somehow ignoring the pressure of  a monthly payments at 19% interest. We have just lowered our standard of living—but most Americans don’t seem to catch on to what the long-term result of that home theater system in the den does to them financially. What a shame we can’t print money like the federal government! Since we can’t print money our alternative is to secure every credit card in sight and use them to the limit. But, we’ve just put off the inevitable. The bills will come do—as they are now for our federal government. For centuries people were evaluated on the basis of how well they managed their resources to help others. That came way before the modern day concept of spending it all on ourselves. A friend shared with me that in Judaism the Talmud says that a person was judged on how well he managed his “kiso, koso, and ka’aso.” That is, his “wallet, his cup (alcohol) and his anger.” Since the Torah requires Jews to make provision for those less fortunate, interest payments on credit cards could interfere with that moral duty. Credit cards are permissible for Moslems only if the user pays off the balance each month before finance charges begin. Solomon says: “The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender” ( Proverbs 22:7 ). It is not a problem for us to owe money as long as we pay it back in timely fashion—and it does not interfere with things we should be doing: like building up our emergency fund, or having money for our children’s tuition, or making our next car payment, or having enough money to take a sick child to the doctor. God never intended for His people to live in bondage. Overly indebted people live in constant fear that their car is going to be taken away, or that they can’t make their house payment, or that they can’t pay the minimum monthly required on their credit card (cards?). A large manufacturing firm opened a new assembly plant in an underdeveloped Latin American country because labor was cheap and plentiful. The plant successfully opened and the operation was progressing smoothly—until the first paycheck. The next day, none of the villagers reported for work. Management waited … one, two, three days. Still no villagers came to work. The plant manager went to see the village chief to find out the problem. “Why should we continue to work?” the chief responded, “We have already earned all the money we need to live on.” The plant stood idle for almost a month. Then, someone came up with the idea of distributing mail order catalogs to all the villagers. Since that time there has not been an unemployment problem. Their vocabulary is enriched (?) with two new words: “Credit Card.” We take the fear out of finances by carefully monitoring the condition of our finances. In other words, everybody needs a budget! Solomon says, “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks. Give careful attention to your herds…” ( Proverbs 27:23a ). Since we don’t have flocks and herds, let’s insert some things we do have, like money, savings accounts, stocks, bonds, a house, a car. What this verse is saying is know exactly where you stand financially. Solomon goes on to say, “For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations” ( Proverbs 27:23a ). In other words if we don’t know where we’re going, then we’re not secure, and we will not succeed financially. This means that we must have some kind of budgeting system to keep accurate track of expenditures and income. The word, “budget” seems to scare many Americans. They see it as putting a limit on their freedom—instead of seeing it as a way to ensure financial freedom . Charles Dickens, the 19th century English novelist, knew about living with out of control finances: “Annual income $20,000, annual expenditures $19,000, result happiness. Annual income $20,000, annual expenditures $21,000, result misery.” I used to think that only the poor and middle classes needed a budget. Now I am convinced other wise. Those who have more than enough money are often very poor managers of what they have. When sports stars or celebrities live gold-plated-twenty-four carat lives, they might do well to reflect on the blessing they could have had if they invested in drilling clean water wells for the parasite-sickened thirsty people in the Sudan. We take the fear out of finances by saving for the future. This process is most critical in our current economic climate. Solomon says, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest” ( Proverbs 6:6-8 ). What does the ant do that we are to emulate? It stores food for future consumption. What the ant does instinctively , we must do voluntarily . We are not forced to do it. We must do it by choice and to do that, we must act against the instincts of our old sin nature. If we save, we are wise. If we don’t, we are foolish. Solomon says, “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has” ( Proverbs 21:20 ). A wise man does not spend all of his income as he earns it. He saves some of it for future consumption. The fool consumes all of it as it comes in. The Bible teaches that in lean economic times, we must help provide for those less fortunate. Paul the apostle wrote: “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” ( 1 Timothy 5:8 ). The Greek verb, translated, “provide,” is hard to translate into English; however, it includes the idea of “taking thought in advance … to anticipate … to think beforehand.” Paul is saying that the Christian head of the household who fails in advance to anticipate the financial needs of his family and to provide for them has violated the Christian faith. Paul took this principle a step further when he wrote: “After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children” ( 2 Corinthians 12:14 ). Formulate clear-cut financial goals like for retirement, or family inheritance or funding your children’s education. A great goal is to provide greater financial security for your family by building up an emergency fund. We would be wise not to make any long-term, illiquid investments until we have an emergency fund in cash, in a safe place, available without loss of interest or penalty. Many recommend at least three months salary. Some recommend six months salary. In today’s economic climate, I recommend at least that. We have to save now for our family’s future financial needs. We do well to ask ourselves two questions: “Am I anticipating my family’s future financial needs and setting aside the money to meet those needs?” Or do I just hope that the money will be there when the need arises? We know we are following good Biblical Economics when the following seven financial pillars are firmly entrenched in our financial dealings. These principles, with slight adjustments will work in anyone’s financial plan regardless of race, color or creed.  Foundation Stones For A Biblical Financial Plan   1. The top 10% (tithe) of our pay checks are immediately returned to God (Proverb 3:9-10; Malachi 3:6 ; and Luke 11:42 ). 2. We are regularly and honestly paying taxes to the government ( Matthew 22:21 ; and Romans 13:1-7 ). 3. We are making more than we spend ( Proverbs 21:20 ). 4. We are anticipating and saving for the future financial needs of our families ( 1 Timothy 5:8 ). 5. We are out of debt on depreciating items ( Psalm 37:21 ; and Romans 13:8 ). 6. Part of every pay check is saved to build up an emergency fund to pay for future (usually unexpected) needs ( Proverbs 6:6-8 ). 7. We produce a surplus so that we may regularly give to those less fortunate than we ( 2 Corinthians 8:14 and 9:10-11 ).  We take the fear out of finances by experiencing godliness with contentment. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. If we have food and clothes, we shall be content with that” ( 1 Timothy 6:6-8 ). How might we survive economic down-turns? By emulating the financial philosophy of a wise man named Agur who prayed in Proverbs 30:7-9 : “Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” True wealth is when we are content with just what we need. John Henry Jowett wrote: “The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money.”  Fareed Zakaria, “The Debt Deal’s Failure.” Time Magazine, August 15, 2011, p. 31.

Dear Roger, My life is getting more and more difficult. It seems that everything I do is a struggle. I pray to God to make things smoother; but it seems that life is just getting rougher. I feel like I’m slogging my feet through deep sand. It’s not more than I can bear; but it sure seems that way. Can you help me? Sincerely, Kyle   Dear Kyle,   Let me answer your query by referring to a Bible story with principles that have guided me for years. It’s amazing how some truths stick with you for a lifetime.   I believe that if these truths have worked well for me, then they’ll work for you, too!   After feeding the 5000, Jesus instructed his disciples to get in the boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus dismissed the crowds and then went to a quiet place to pray. But things were not going well on the boat.   “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary” ( Matthew 14: 24 ) (KJV).   “For the wind was contrary”. In other words, it was blowing the wrong way.   Kyle, you’re not alone. Most all of us, at one time or another, are torn by winds blowing the wrong way. Wherever we turn the wind seems against us.   Contrary winds can blow from any direction. Broken homes, loss of jobs, sickness, death, accidents, children who don’t turn out right, parents who should never be parents, marriages that break and cause great heartache, sexual abuse, verbal abuse and physical abuse roar and rage against us.   Kyle, let me share a little story with you. A mother noticed all was quiet in back yard. She thought that she had better go check on the children. Outside, she saw her children huddled around a mother skunk and four baby skunks all plugged in and getting their morning meal. As soon as she recovered her speaking voice, she cried, “Run, children, run!” And each child picked up a baby skunk and ran.   I meet people every day who are carrying an old skunk that the wind has blown to them and they can’t seem to get rid of it.   The winds on the Sea of Galilee were ferocious that night. The Disciples wanted to go west toward home. They were being blown back east!   Sometimes, no matter which direction we turn, were always fighting a headwind.   Let me share some truths about contrary winds in the hope that you will be better able to withstand them.   FIRST: CONTRARY WINDS COME TO ALL CHRISTIANS .   I’ve heard some imply that if you’re a Christian you should never have to struggle.   Nothing could be further from the truth. All Christians feel the wind at times blowing against them! Cares go with having a body. Cares go with having a family. When my friends weep; I weep. We have cares because we are fighting Satan. Satan’s fighting us!   Don’t ever think that because you’re a Christian and because you have cares, that you’re abnormal. All of God’s people have cares.   In Psalm 73 , Asaph is going through a rough time. It seems that his unbelieving friends have more blessings than he. He complains that their kids are healthy and his are sick. Their houses are in great shape and his roof is caving in. His non-Christian friends are being promoted and he’s worked the same job for years.   He almost concludes that if God really cared, he wouldn’t be fighting a headwind.   So Asaph declared, “It’s not worth it for me to be a believer!”   God replied, “Your problem is that you’re looking in the present. Look on down the line!”   Asaph then tells us, “I went into the sanctuary of the Lord and I opened my eyes and saw that God had placed the unbelievers on slippery places.”   Contrary winds might blow in our faces but, no Christian ever stands in a slippery place. It might be a hard place, but it’s not a slippery place because our feet are on the rock.   SECOND, CONTRARY WINDS OFTEN STRENGTHEN US FOR MORE DIFFICULT THINGS.   When winds blow against us it’s a challenge to rise up and walk anyway.   A contrary wind blew away John Milton’s eyesight. He stood against the wind and wrote, “Paradise Lost”.   Contrary winds destroyed my daughter Brianna’s health. She writhes in constant pain and writes with all of her heart. She has now raised a billion dollars for non-profit ministries. Only God could have given her the strength to stand in the storm.   Contrary winds blowing against us today strengthen us to do greater things for God tomorrow.   THIRD, CONTRARY WINDS OFTEN BLOW US TO SOMETHING BETTER.   A contrary wind blew Paul from a life of Christian-hating, scheming, murdering Pharisee to the greatest Christian messenger God ever had.   A ship sank leaving one lone survivor. Days passed with no rescue. He built a shack, still no rescue. One day he his cook-fire burned out of control and burned down his hut and all of his possessions. “What else could be worse? This is the worst day of my life!” Then he heard a ship’s horn and a small boat coming to shore. “Ahoy!” they shouted. “We saw your smoke and have come to rescue you!”   We’ll find that contrary winds, those troubles and heartaches which hurt us so much, will often blow us to something better if we’ll just open our eyes to see it!   FINALLY, CONTRARY WINDS BRING JESUS TO US!   Contrary winds brought the disciples troubles and problems. But, in the midst of contrary winds, here came Jesus walking on the water.   Peter asked, “May I come to you walking on the water?”   When trouble comes, when life falls in, then look up and see Jesus because contrary winds will bring Jesus to us every time.   Jesus comes when the winds are contrary winds because He cares for us.   “Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you” ( 1 Peter 5:7 ).   Lay hold of that! Christians have cares and Jesus cares for us.   Wouldn’t it be great if we could pay Jesus to do our worrying for us?   But why should we pay? He’s offered to do it for free!   Well Kyle, I hope you are at peace knowing that contrary winds are normal for Christians. Rejoice that they often strengthen us and that their gale force brings us to better things. Finally, I hope you’ll experience the care of Jesus whenever the winds are contrary.   Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger, It seems to me that churches today are filled with spiritual children. I don’t see many men or women around that I would call spiritual young men and women, or spiritual mothers and fathers. Why is that? It breaks my heart. Sincerely, Disappointed Dearn Disappointed,   Peter Pan , the children’s tale by Sir James M. Barrie is a fictional story of a boy who refused to grow up. Peter Pan the boy makes for a charming story. But Peter Pan, the man or the woman who will not grow up, is a tragedy. Jessie was full-term when she was born weighing 3 pounds, 10 ounces. She died nine months later weighing 5 pounds, 2 ounces. She had physical problems which precluded her ability to grow up. Julie and I were heartbroken. I know what it’s like to have a child that can’t grow up. I believe that I have a small sense of what goes on in God’s heart when one of his spiritual children refuses to grow up. Why Too Many Spiritual Children are Choosing Not to Grow Up In  Hebrews 5:11–14 , the author was desperately concerned about young Christians who were lagging behind in their spiritual growth: We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. 1. “I’m too lazy.” The Greek word above translated as “slow to learn” is often translated as “lazy”. These Hebrew Christians were lazy. The writer of Hebrews expected them to grow up, learn the foundational truths, and be well on their way to maturity. But by their own choices, they’d quit. They were stymied, moving backwards on their spiritual journeys. 2. “I can’t help it if there are not enough mentors to go around.” Mature Christians have an awesome responsibility to help the less mature grow up. Peter reminded the church leaders of Ephesus:  “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be”  ( 1 Peter 5:1 ). 3. “What I don’t know is probably not important.” We might refer to this as pride, arrogance and deception. 4. “Materialism is so attractive.” Jesus told us that materialism is the rival god. Jesus taught us that the enamoring cares of this world choke out the spiritual life. Frankly, many of us are more concerned with getting what the world has to offer than we are with getting what God has to offer. 5. “The cost is too high.” In  Exodus 20  Moses invited the Israelites to come close to Mount Sinai so they could hear God speak. The people declined the offer because, “We’re afraid that if we hear the voice of God it will cost of our lives.” Truer words were never spoken. When we hear the voice of Jesus it may well cost us our lives. However, one day we will discover that it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Jesus Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” 6. “I’d rather keep my pet sins than see God. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. The degree to which we purify our lives is the degree to which we can see and hear God speak. 7. “I’m afraid that I will be persecuted if people find out that I’m a Christian.” The temptation to compromise our biblical values and ethics in sensitive situations (at work or in school or in day-to-day living) can be incredibly difficult. “If I take a stand for Jesus in front of my peers, they may reject me!” 8. “I’m afraid.” Have you ever heard a spiritual child say, “I’m afraid that if I tithe I won’t have enough money left to meet my needs”? “If I take a stand for Jesus in front of my peers, they may reject me!” “If I open my mouth and share the gospel I’m afraid that people will think that I’m crazy.” Those are the musings of a spiritual child who is afraid to trust God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”  ( Proverbs 9:10 ) must be balanced with the parallel truth in  1 John 4:18 :  “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 9. “I grew up in a dysfunctional family.” People who are broken, traumatized, wounded and/or emotionally damaged for one reason or the other will need special compassion and care from those further along the spiritual journey. For example, spiritual children must be led to see the heart of the real God of the  Bible  before they can ever embrace Him as Father and go on to maturity. Those who are hurting often have “hang-ups” that need addressing before they can feel free enough to go on to maturity. Spiritual children who remain children for too long become hardened to spiritual things.  Paul was both brokenhearted and angry at the many Corinthian Christians who had decided to remain spiritual babies: Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?  ( 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 ). The first use in this passage is of the word translated as “worldly” ( sarkinos  in Greek) refers to smooth, tender, fresh, brand-new skin, baby skin. Paul’s point is that all Christians start out as “fresh-skinned” babies. He characterized this group as “mere infants in Christ.” At this point, if babies drink spiritual milk, taking in biblical truth, they will begin to mature. Tragically, some infants have chosen otherwise. Paul described the second group as “worldly.” But, this time he used a slightly different Greek word— ( sarkikos ) which has to do with old, weathered, hardened, and sun-damaged flesh or skin. After plenty of time to mature, this group of Christians were still in infancy—only of a twisted sort of hardened infancy. Have you ever noticed the skin of a man or woman who has spent an inordinate amount of time out in the sun? Before the skin-damaging properties of the ultraviolet rays were widely understood, people actually used to sit out in the sun and “soak up the rays.” Now, thirty, forty, or fifty years later, their “fleshly”  sarkinos baby skin has become like leather: hard, dry, and cracking…  sarkikos. Paul declared that these Christians were now “hardened flesh.” Instead of living as spiritual men and women, they were living as spiritually-hardened babies. The warning is clear. Anyone who remains a “fresh-skinned” baby Christian long enough will eventually become hardened. If we don’t move deliberately forward in our spiritual journeys we are in grave danger of becoming unable to mature into the image of Christ. How long can we remain as fresh-skinned children before we begin to harden? My guess is three years. Why three years? Jesus’s disciples were trained and ready after three years of discipleship. Paul spent three years teaching the Ephesian church the  “whole counsel of God”  ( Acts 20:27 ). When he departed, he called all the elders together and declared them ready to carry on the ministry in Ephesus. They were mature after just three years. How do I grow up? The answer is simple. There are no secrets here: Go to church, study your Bible, and pray. We go to church to mature in our relationships with others. We study our Bibles to get to know the word of God. We pray to get to know the heart of God. It’s never too late to begin praying the prayer that God guarantees to answer! “Dear Lord, would you please make me a spiritual father (or mother) at any price. I don’t care what it costs.” Along the way we may discover that it costs a lot more than we bargained for; but, spiritual maturity is worth it at any price. Dear Disappointed, I hope you find this helpful. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I am really hurting. My life hasn’t turned out as I expected because of my handicaps. I need some words of encouragement. I’ve struggled with MS all my life and I’m getting rather tired of it. Can you give me some advice on how to handle setbacks well? Sincerely, MS   Dearn MS, I have never known a person who was  not  dealing with a handicap. Alexander McLaren, the famous Scottish preacher, used to say often: “Please be kind to everyone you meet because everyone is fighting a battle.” Perhaps there is one, young superman somewhere who has never been aware of his limitation, but I suspect not. Even Superman has his kryptonite. Harry Emerson Fosdick’s, “Overcoming Handicapped Lives” has helped me victoriously handle many of the handicaps with which I struggle. I was twelve years old when I received the book. I don’t know how I would have handled my open-heart surgery at 13 if I hadn’t read it.  Fosdick wrote: “Recognize that life is filled with unsung heroes who jumped the hurdles and finished the race victoriously.” The great scientist, Louis Pasteur, developed the process of pasteurizing milk. We are certain that he must have had robust health. Yet, we discover that he had a paralytic stroke at 46 and was handicapped for life. Beethoven composed his finest works after he grew deaf. Blind Milton penned exquisite poetry. Handicapped people have done great work! How do they do it?  What was the inward technique with which they handled limitations? Is there any one of us who does not need to learn that? In  2 Corinthians 12:1-10 , Paul described how he overcame a dastardly thorn (handicap) that tormented him for a lifetime. He began the chapter by discussing the many extraordinary visions that God had given to him. He described being “caught up to paradise where he heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell”. But notice, in the moment of Paul’s greatest exaltation came also his greatest humiliation. “Because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a all way home from so and run when it’s all for the show I read the somewhere goal messenger of Satan, to torment me” ( 2 Corinthians 12:8 ).  “Thorn” is the same word as “stake.” Paul had a stake twisting in his body to keep him humble. If Paul had been like some of us, many would know. Think of writing all those letters and telling no one the symptoms of his trouble. What was his thorn?  There are several main guesses. 1. Paul was ugly  ( 1 Corinthians 10:10 ):  “… his letters are weighty but his bodily appearance was weak. Three times he was flogged with 39 lashes. Five times he was beaten with rods.”  As a result, Paul probably walked with great difficulty. He was bent over and twisted strangely. His face was scarred and worn. 2. He struggled with epilepsy  ( Galatians 1:14 ): The Greek word translated “reject” is literally translated “to spit.” The ancient world believed epilepsy was caused by demons. So they spit at Paul to ward off demons. 3. He was dogged by malaria.  Malaria was prevalent in Asia Minor and some think that he contracted it during his first missionary journey. 4. I think most probably he struggled with eye trouble.  Scales fell off his eyes at his conversion. In  Galatians 6:11  he wrote  “see with what large letters I write with my own hand.” In  Galatians 4:15  He wrote to the Galatians,  “You would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me if you could have.” At his trial in  Acts 23  Paul was slapped when he chided the high priest. One of the soldiers asked him, “Didn’t you know that you were speaking to the high priest?” Paul replied, “No I didn’t see him.”  What’s your thorn? Do you have an alcoholic father? Are you severely depressed? Do you struggle with sickness? Is one of your children extraordinarily difficult? Is it trouble at work?  We know nothing about Paul’s trouble except that, behind the scenes, just like the rest of us, Paul had to handle a limitation that he prayed to escape, that he could not evade, that he had to somehow or other settle down and live with. “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”  ( 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 ). God didn’t give him what he asked for. God did answer his need. God’s grace was sufficient for every situation. It is a crucial moment when we stand open-eyed before our handicap. Every garden has its weeds; every rose has its thorns; every life has its strife. Think of a woman who in her youth had all the natural ambitions for success but who now recognizes that she’ll never write poetry or compose music or hold the business positions about which she dreamed. Think of a man who has expectations of a normal, well-adjusted, happy life, but like a beast from ambush, an accident, or sickness leaped and now he must work with crippled machinery. How many of us have stepped on the gas but we have to admit that the power just isn’t in us? God didn’t equip us with 8 cylinders or with 6 – only four – and those none too good. Maybe yours is a life that wanted love and missed it. Maybe yours is a home where  marriage  might have been a thing of beauty but was a tragedy instead. Maybe yours is a family where a child created as a blessing became an inward agony. Maybe yours is a household where death has severed the tie that binds. Here are six lessons for overcoming handicaps.  1. Handicaps are not accident. God’s plan is in place.  The thorn was no accident. It had a purpose. God had a plan in place; it was God’s gift to keep Paul from becoming conceited about his visions. God has very definite plans for us:  Psalm 139:16 :  “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”  Any know many that God has worked handicaps into our lives should be no surprise. 2. There are two reasons that God allows handicaps to come to his children.  Correcting —God disciplines his children for the same reason that he disciplines us. Spank your child ( Hebrews 12:5-11 ). Perfecting —Suffering produces perfection ( 1 Peter 1:6-7 ). Suffering produces perfection. 3. Say, “what an opportunity” instead of, “what if?” “That us why I delight in weaknesses, insults, hardships, and persecutions”  ( 2 Corinthians 12:10 ). How often we stroke our wounded spirits and cry, “If I had not this handicap, what a person I would have been.” We dream of what we could have been and what a glorious paradise we could have had if only we had not this handicap. We must realize that very few of us are able to live life through with no limitations or handicaps. Whoever had the chance to live out a life under the ideal conditions that they would have chosen? I’m certain that Paul would rather not have had this thorn in his flesh. But I suspect that there are qualities of understanding and sympathy in Paul and a moving music in some of the great passages of his epistles that never would have been there if he had not had to finish on three strings. 4. Stop window shopping and live with your own inventory.  “We do not compare ourselves… When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, then they are not wise”  ( 2 Corinthians 10:12 ). The reason so many of us fret at our limitations is that we keep comparing ourselves with others and wishing to be what they are or do what they do. Born to be berry bushes and produce good berries, we lift envious eyes to apple trees with larger size fruit, or, born to be apple trees and produce apples, we look with jealousy at maple trees with their greater shade, or, born to be maple trees, we are anxious because elm trees are taller and more graceful. God has given all of us a special field to till. Accept it. If the soil is thinner and the rocks more numerous and the prospects less promising than another’s field, that is simply life! We must stop looking over the fence and daydreaming about what we could do with someone else’s field. Live with what you have. Live with your own inventory. And in Christ, that’s a lot!! 5. Recognize that thorns lay the foundation for spiritual ministry and maturity. “For when I am weak, then I am strong”  ( 2 Corinthians 12:10 ). If Paul hadn’t had that thorn, he’d never have been Paul. You bring on some shining specimen of manhood who’s never had a handicap, who has an integrated personality, fortunate circumstances, and great physical health, and however energetic may be his active service; there are simply some things he can’t (or won’t) do for others that deaf and blind Helen Keller could! 6. Find strength in God’s grace. His energy enough when things get tough. Notice, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” While Christ’s grace is sufficient and inexhaustible, he never dispenses it superfluously or needlessly. God gives us the grace we need for any particular situation. Charles Spurgeon, pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London was asked, “Do you have enough grace to burn at the stake in the town square tomorrow?” Spurgeon replied, “I don’t need that much grace today; but by 12:00 noon tomorrow I’d have the grace.” God doesn’t give martyr’s grace to an office worker. But let the office worker become a martyr and He will pour out martyr’s grace. Well, MS, I hope that my answer will stimulate thinking it will help you discover ways to find victory over your handicap. Please let me know how you getting along. Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger,   Greetings.  Does the Bible really mean that we will be judged and punished in heaven for our sins?   As a Christian, I did “big” wrong things that I regretted and have not done them again. Does 2 Corinthians 5:10 really mean that when I go to heaven I will be judged and punished for those sins?   Rosalina   Dear Rosalina, Be at peace. All of our sins were forever forgiven when we gave our lives to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When we get to Heaven our sins will never be seen or mentioned again. We will be given pure white robes and ushered into the glories of Heaven where we will have a wonderful time.   With that being said, let me describes what the Bible says about this subject. Two judgments are laid out before us. The Judgment of Believer’s works is described in 2 Corinthians 5:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 . This will occur in Heaven and only Christians will be there. The other judgment is described in Revelation 20:10-15 which is called the “Great White Throne Judgment” when at the end of cosmic time Jesus will judge Satan, his demons and everyone who failed to surrender to Christ and become Christians. Only non-Christians will attend this judgment and they will be judged. out of the Books of Works which record everything they ever did. Not one single person at the Great White Throne is good enough for heaven. Jesus has the Books containing all or their works on earth and no one lives up to the perfection of Christ. They, along with Satan and his demons are all thrown into the Lake of Fire.   Paul explained precisely what will be evaluated at the Judgment of Seat of Christ. Let me explain.   “ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” 2 Corinthians 5:10 .   The translation of “Judgment of Christ” is better translated by the term, “Reward Stand” from the Greek word, “bema” which can also be translated as “throne.” The “bema” was the award stand at the Greek Olympics. All winners stood before the “bema” to receive the laurel wreath that encircled the winner’s head. All Christians “win” as they appear at the “Bema” of Christ. The terms “good” and “bad’ in Greek have more of the idea of “profitable” and “unprofitable”. Our sins are not brought up. The issue is how well we furthered the Kingdom of God on earth. In other words, the rewards we will receive (or don’t receive) in Heaven are based on the profitable or unprofitable things we did for the kingdom.   The kind of lives we build determines the rewards we receive at the Judgment Seat Of Christ. If we build lives of gold, silver and costly stones we will receive many rewards. Those who waste their lives building with wood, hay and straw will receive few, if any rewards. The profitability or unprofitability of our lives is determined by fire. Wood, hay and straw are consumed and destroyed by fire. Gold, silver and costly stones withstand the onslaught. By grace, even if all we build is burned in the fire, we still get forgiveness and Heaven because Jesus is the foundation of our lives and He remains unscorched no matter how hot the fire.   10  By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, … But each one should build with care. 11  For no one can lay any foundation other than …  Jesus Christ. 12  If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13  their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14  If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15  If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames ( 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 ).   The Bible identifies some of the rewards as crowns. For example: The Soul Winners crown for leading people to Jesus The Victors Crown for those who persevere and refuse to give up during persecution The Crown of Glory for those who pastor well Christ’s “flock” The Crown of Life for martyrs The Crown of Righteousness for looking with anticipation for the Second Coming   By the way, we don’t keep all of the rewards. We will lay them down at Jesus’ feet because He alone is worthy to receive glory and honor and praise. Those Christians who have their earthly works consumed by the fire will still receive great things because of the love, grace and mercy of Christ. In the letters to the churches of Revelation Jesus tells about the gifts He has in store for all Overcomers ( Revelation 2-3 ).   Overcomers will: Eat Fruit from the Tree of Life Escape the second death (the Lake of Fire) Be given Heavenly manna Receive a white stone with Jesus “pet nickname” for them written on it Lead nations Receive the Morning Star (Jesus) Be dressed n pure white robes Have their name written securely in The Book Of Life for Eternity Be a pillar in God’s Temple Receive a tattoo with the name on Jesus on his/her body Have the right to sit with Jesus on the throne of Jesus   Rosalina, I really appreciate this question. I hope that it is a great encouragement both to you as well as to the ones who read my answer to your question. Ask me a question whenever you like. God bless you, Love, Roger

Dear Roger, Can a church look good on the outside, and yet really lose their love for Christ? How can you tell? I never want that church to be mine, or that person to be me! I know that Jesus was impressed the ministries of the bustling church at Ephesus, but He knew they had lost their first love. Sincerely, Dave Dear Dave, Here are some thoughts from Scripture, especially the letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation, that will help you discern Jesus’ words for your church. Do you ever wonder why Hindu women wear red dots on their foreheads? This is an ancient, sacred tradition—symbolic of a husband’s love and commitment to his wife. The intended cuts his finger, takes his own blood and places it on her forehead as sign of his willingness to sacrifice pain and suffering for her protection. (Today they wear stickers and even little children have them).   Hindus often have arranged marriages. Sometimes the young couple doesn’t meet their new spouse until the day of the wedding. It works well. One wife said, “We spend all our growing up years training to love and serve the one we will marry.”   “Some marry the one they love. We love the one we marry.”   My daughter Bronwyn’s teacher from India knows that. She has been happily married for 35 years. By the way, the divorce rate in India is miniscule compared to the U.S.   It is sad to fall out of love. It can happen to you. It can happen to me. It can happen to a church. In the opening pages of Revelation, Jesus ministered to a church that fell out of love with Him and with one another.   By the way, can you imagine that the God who created the universe would be grieved if we turn away from Him?   READ JOHN 21:15-17 :   The key to understanding this passage lies in the Greek words, agape and phileo. Agape is divine love. This Greek word describes the kind of love which loves the unlovable and never stops loving. Philos is human love like that between friends or husband and wife. Throughout the passage Jesus asks Peter if he loves him with divine agape love. Having recently denied Jesus, Peter replies that he has feelings of philos love. The third time Jesus asked Peter he said: “What I really want to know is do you even philos me?” Peter is brokenhearted but it’s obvious that philos was the best he could do.   The point is that God is interested in how we love Him. The creator God wants to have a loving relationship with Him.   READ JOHN 21:18-22 : By the way, Peter wore the red dot—He was sacrificed upside down.  John lived to see the Revelation.   Chapters 2-3 consist of 7 letters written to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia.   Remember that there were no Bibles in those days. Letters were written on scrolls The letter of Revelation was passed from one church to the other along one of the circular mail routes of Turkey.   It makes no difference that these letters were written in the first century. They sounds as if they are written in the 21 st century – because these seven performance reviews contain relevant, timely, penetrating, piercing words for any church in existence.   These seven actual churches represent EVERY type of church—and they represent every type of church member. In our own church we can find some Ephesians, some Laodiceans, some Ephesians, some Philadelphians and so on.   Jesus is giving each church a performance review.   Jesus uses the same pattern in all seven letters:   He shares a Characteristic of the Christ (Read Revelation 2:1 ) In each evaluation Jesus describes Himself with the descriptions in the vision John saw in chapter one. He Commends them for strengths (Read Revelation 2:2-3 , 6 ) He Criticizes their weaknesses (Read Revelation 2:4 ) He offers Correction for their problems (Read Revelation 2:5 ) He Counsels consequences for the disobedient and rewards for the obedient (Read Revelation 2:7 ) Two of the seven churches need no warning. All is in order.   Smyrna ( Revelation 2:8-10 ) suffered intense persecution. Persecution produces pureness. Philadelphia ( Revelation 3:7 ) – Totally involved in winning souls to Jesus. The church that is persecuted by the world and the church that’s confronting the world with the gospel are the two churches that need no warning.   Characteristic of the Christ ( Revelation 2:1 )   Revelation 2:1 : “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:   This letter was addressed to church at Ephesus. I have travelled there. Ephesus has been wonderfully unearthed. I saw the roads the roads the Apostle walked. St. John’s Basilica dates to 350 A.D. John pastored there.   This is not bathroom humor, but check out the ancient bathhouses on the main street. Paul also sat here! He preached here in 40-seat auditorium. He was stoned here.   Ephesus was the most prominent city in Roman Asia. It was a great port with a trade route to east, a wealthy city.   The church at Ephesus had a beginning like no other church. Paul came in and flipped Ephesus on its ear to start that church. ( Acts 18-19 –tells the story of how the church was founded).   Ephesus housed the Temple of Diana. Idol sales fell off so much that a riot began. In the midst of all that chaos, a small group of Christians huddled there. That little church was pure and solid. Paul pastored Ephesus for over three years. When Paul left, they had another good pastor – Timothy. Then Aquila and Priscilla led, and then Apollos–followed by John in his aging years before John was exiled to Patmos. That was the ranking staff of the New Testament! The best that God had to offer He gave to Ephesus.   Revelation 2:1 : These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:     Jesus was “…Walking amongst the churches” He knows all about His churches and spiritual children: their struggles, battles, sufferings, relationships, sins and deeds. Even the hairs on our heads! Each church has a lamp stand with an oil lamp and Jesus is tending to each lampstand in turn. Christ is going to give a performance review of each church. Commendation for their strengths ( Revelation 2:2-3 , 6 )   Read Revelation 2:2a : I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.   He names three strengths of the church. “Your deeds” “Your hard work” “Hard Work” = “ kapas”, “sweat” – really worked hard and labored for Jesus. They visited the sick, mended clothes, committees, activities, the chariot parking lot ministry and their shut-in ministry.   “Your perseverance”   See verse 3. Revelation 2:3 : You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.   It was terribly unpopular to live in area of Artemis worship. She was the many-breasted goddess of Asia. If you did not worship her, you were a marked individual, snubbed in public and maligned in private. Your business would be boycotted. You’d be marked as one who wasn’t a worshipper of Diana. You’d be like the Jewish merchant in Berlin in the 1930’s – not an easy place to be.   Jesus said, “I know you hold up under the load!”   Read Revelation 2:2b : I know that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.   “They were doctrinally discerning.” They stood for the essentials of the faith: the authenticity of the Scripture – its verbal and plenary inspiration. They believed in the Trinity and Deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They stood for the Virgin Birth, and Christ’s sinless life and bodily and visible resurrection and the Second Coming. They preached faith plus nothing equals salvation!   They didn’t grow weary in keeping out the false teachers. Today it seems that the more intellectual a person becomes, the more heretical in his thinking, the more we seem to elevate him/her as a person of advanced thought and scholarship. The men like that appeared in Ephesus. Christians were called liars.   Revelation 2:6 : But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.   They hated the Nicolaitans. I will talk more about the Nicolaitans with the Pergamum church. These heretics seduced people into doctrinal and moral impurity.   Jesus commended the Ephesian Christians: “You hate that, and I also hate that.” This helps clarify who Jesus is. He is not some sort of spineless, wimp. Christ is only about “Love, love, love.” There are things that are false that Jesus hates. He commends them.   This is one dynamic church! They had something for everyone. Their programs abounded, People were flourishing in ministry. The place was hopping! If you attended this church you would immediately sense that you are in a special place of God’s chosen followers. “The few, the proud, the Ephesians!”   What could possibly be wrong with a church like this?   Revelation 2:4 : Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.    Criticism of their weaknesses ( Revelation 2:4 )   Revelation 2:4 : This is a performance review by a Boss. He goes on and on and on about great qualities. However, there’s a “but” in here someplace. But what? Jesus said, “You left your first love.”   Jesus’ criticism is too important to leave in English. Let’s go to the language in which it was written.   The Ephesians did have a first love for Jesus—and for each other. Ephesians 1:15-16 : For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.   Notice the end of Ephesians: Ephesians 6:24 : Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. It was pure, incorruptible.   It took 35 years—35 years from time Paul wrote this in 61 A.D.   The word “left” refers to a slow process – erosion. You don’t wake up in the morning and say, “I don’t love Jesus anymore. I’m not going to follow Him anymore.”   No, it occurs over a long period, after hardship, suffering, questions that can’t get answered, trials that don’t seem to have reason, loss of health, loss of hope, loss of a loved one. Little by little, the love of the Ephesian Christians had cooled off.   There was a lady in my congregation who had been married 27 years. Her husband came in, looking tired. He confessed, “I need to tell you something, I just don’t have the love for you when we first married. I’m not walking out, I’ll be a good Dad, still get a paycheck, sleep here, go on vacations together, go to church and watch TV and watch the kids grow up, but I’ve got to tell you, I just don’t love you anymore.”   Is that okay? No! Nothing is right! Is it? It’s just a series of activities to deaden the pain of an empty life, if he doesn’t love you anymore.   These Ephesians had broken the Lord’s heart! They don’t talk with Him like they used to talk. They are not intimate with Him like they used to be intimate. God says, “I know you’re busy and I know you’re putting up with a lot, and I know it’s a difficult time, but I miss you.”   It is fair to say that there are many of you who are passionately in love with Jesus Christ. It is also fair to say that there are some of you who have fallen out of love with Jesus. What does He tell the Ephesian Christians to do? Correction for their problems ( Revelation 2:5A )   Revelation 2:5a : Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.   Christ’s command to this loveless congregation was a three-pronged remedy:   Remember – Repent – Return to the things you did at first.   Jesus said, “Let’s fix this.” He’s no longer criticizing.   Remember – the Prodigal Son in the pigsty remembered his daddy – and went home. Peter denied Jesus three times, the cock crowed – “and Peter remembered and wept.”   Remember where you started.   Repent – Remember is imperative, we must keep on remembering. But this is aorist. At a point in time take responsibility. The Lord hasn’t moved, we moved.   Repeat – Go back to the beginning and repeat – your life, your habits.   Strong words of counsel come at the end: Or else! I’ll remove your lampstand.   Counsel of consequences for the disobedient and rewards for the obedient ( Revelation 2:5B , 7 )   Revelation 2:5b : If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.   You stay like you are and the light will go out. I know many churches where the light has gone out. I know Christians where the light has seemed to go out.   Do you want to hear something sad? Ephesus didn’t repent and it doesn’t even exist today. Jesus came and wrote “ Ichabod ” –the glory has departed—over it.   You know any churches to which Jesus has done that? I do. Churches are there, people are meeting, but the world doesn’t know that they’re there. They have no power with God, with man, with the community, because they left their first love and Christ took away their lampstand.   This penetrates my heart. If Satan can do it there, Satan can do it here.   Here’s a great truth: “It’s never too late to start doing what is right.”   Revelation 2:7 : He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.   What is the “Tree of Life?” It’s an apocalyptic scene of intimacy with God. He’ll give us the kind of fellowship that Adam and Eve knew.   WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME?   We Must Keep The Message Of Christ Doctrinally Correct And Pure In Both Our Thoughts And Actions.   We are in a struggle today for the purity of the Christian faith. Some say, “I’ve studied all religions so I know where I stand.” No. Study the truth and you’ll recognize error.   If What We Believe And How We Behave Does Not Lead Us To A Deeper Love For God And For Others Then There Is Something Wrong With What We Believe And How We Behave. The Bible Gives A Checklist For Ensuring that Our First Love Is Still Passionate. When my delight in the Lord is greater than my delight in someone or something else, I love my first love ( Mark 12:30 ). When my fellowship and intimacy with God in His Word and in prayer is passionate, I love my first love ( Psalm 42:1 ; 10:4 ). When I treat people as I would treat the Lord Himself, I love my first love ( Matthew 25:40 ; 1 John 4:20 ). When I am burdened, upset and convicted about the sinful conditions around me, I love my first love ( Matthew 24:12 ). When my Christian life centers more on what God and others are receiving from me, instead of centering on what I can get out of God and others, I love my first love ( John 21:15-17 ). If Your First Love Is Wavering: Remember, Repent, And Repeat.   Presbyterian pastor Clarence McCartney loved to tell stories of people in the Scottish highlands. A shepherd raised his little daughter, who meant the world to him. He took her with him over the moors to tend the sheep. She loved to hear him call the sheep with the shepherd’s call. She grew up, went off to Edinburgh to take a job. At first, she wrote him letters every week. Then, she wrote less and less. Finally, she ceased writing altogether. There were rumors in the village that the shepherd’s daughter had been seen with immoral company and in questionable places. One day, a lad from the village saw her in the city and spoke to her, but she pretended she didn’t know him. When the shepherd heard this, he gathered some clothes and, clad in his shepherd’s smock, staff in hand, he set out for the city to find his lost daughter. Day after day he sought her on the avenues and in the slums, all in vain. Then he remembered how his daughter loved to hear him give the shepherd’s call. He sounded the call. People turned to look at the old shepherd going up and down the streets sounding the shepherd’s call. At long last, in a house in a dirty, degraded street, his daughter, surrounded by her loose-living companions, suddenly looked up in astonishment. There was no doubt about it. It was her father’s call, calling her. She rushed to the door, flew into father’s arms and he loved her back to decency and to God. Hear the Shepherd’s call and come home!

Dear Roger,   Why are there so many false religions, and how do I know which ones are real?  I hear a lot of singers, movies and writers talking about ancient gods or mythology stories. For example, Rain Man is the nickname for Amun-Re, or Re, who was Horus Re, or Horus the Egyptian Sun God. I saw that Amun means “let it be”. And “contentment” or “forgiven sins.” Just say his name and Amun will forgive your sins and help the poor.   Superhero stories are everywhere. They seem like “god creatures,” battling evil and saving the innocent. I think people want someone beyond themselves to save them from the darkness. How do you know which God is real?   I know I’m not the only one. And as Christians we need to fight against the constant battle of Satan trying to disprove our Faith…   I will always love and worship Christ. But I bring the path that I went down on attempting discovery because I am not the only one or only Christian that is walking down this path. I will always be a Christian. But do you have any thoughts and wisdom for the countless loss souls who are being sucked away through this path of misleading truths?   Sorry for not giving my real email and name. I’m reaching out here because I’m a bit afraid of what my preacher will say to these questions. I will look back again later though.   Thank you so much. “Always Christian”   Dear “Always Christian,”   I am fascinated by your question. I am sorry that you are afraid to ask your pastor. However, I’m glad you feel free to share with me. My opinion is that pastors need to be secure enough in their own faith that they can allow people to express their searching times away from Christ as well as the deep inner questions they harbor about the validity of Christianity. Your questions are quite applicable to today and I agree that many are asking the same questions or others like it.   As I consider how to approach your letter, I think it best to deal with the general principles for identifying false religions, false teachers and false prophets. We live in an age of religious confusion—just like the Roman empire of Christ’s time. Virtually any world view is available in today’s pluralistic market place of ideas. Our generation is in ideological and societal agony—grasping for anything that promises to offer the ecstasy of a cosmic relationship—or peace and stability in a wavering world. Let me share a simple Bible check list of how to spot a false prophet or religion.   THE BIBLE REPEATEDLY WARNS US TO BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS.   As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives He said to His disciples: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” ( Matthew 24:3-5 , 24 ). Paul’s last words to the Ephesian elders included a somber warning about inevitable false teachers: “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you and not spare the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away the disciples after them. So be on the alert” ( Acts 20:29-31 ). There has always been a large market for false prophets. They were loose in the first century and every century since.   HOW CAN WE RECOGNIZE A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING?   1. They Teach The “Broad Way” Without Any “Narrow Way.”   Jesus taught, “Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many are there who find it. But narrow is the way and confining is the gate that leads to life, and few there be who find it” ( Matthew 7:15-20 ).   According to the false religions of today you can believe anything you want and behave however you like. False teachers say nothing that might offend or turn people away. You never have to change your actions or behavior. God can be anything you want him to be.   Today’s religions offer a christ without a cross or physical resurrection, a gospel without repentance or forgiveness, to an audience of potential equals without sin or shame who are in no peril of perdition.”   2. They Minimize The Sinfulness Of Sin.   Peter wrote, “Many follow their shameless ways and bring the truth into disrepute … By appealing to the lustful desires of the human nature, they entice people .They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of depravity” ( 2 Peter 2:2 , 18-19 ).   3. They Ignore Repentance.   Jesus declared, “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” ( Luke 13:3 -   Repentance means “change your mind.” The primary meaning here is, change your mind about Jesus. He is not a teacher whose teachings we can accept or reject at will. He is Lord and Savior of the world. A secondary meaning refers to the fact that no one can come to a perfect God without repenting of their own person sin by receiving Christ’s forgiveness as He died in our place on the cross.   4. They Look To Things Other Than The Bible For Ultimate Authority.   “If anyone adds to the words of this book, God will add to him the plagues of this book. And if any one takes words away from this book, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life” ( Revelation 22:18-19 ). For example, when someone says to you, “Your Bible is fine, but it’s not sufficient. You need the “Book of Mormon” or the “Pearl of Great Price” or the “Koran” or “Science and Health: The Key to the Scripture,” in order to find true meaning you are listening to a full-fledged “wolf” who is chomping at the bit for your soul!   5. Their Truth Hinges On Unverifiable Claims Of Special Discoveries And Revelations.   Paul warns of this in Galatians 1:8-9 : “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.”   Mary Baker Glover Patterson Eddy the founder of Christian Science wrote: “God has given to me the keys to understanding the Bible.” You need my book to understand the Bible.”   According to the Bible, Joseph Smith’s angel from heaven is a fraud. The Mormons have invented from a special “angelic” revelation an entire Central American civilization which Christ supposedly visited sometime after His resurrection in Jerusalem.   In contrast, the Bible commits itself to literally hundreds of dates, places, peoples, cities, lakes, streams, mountains and historical events. It is no wonder Paul declared in Acts 26:25-26 : “This thing was not done in a corner.”   6. They Have A Flawed View Of Christ.   In Hebrews 1:1-3 the writer to the Hebrews stated: “In these last days He has spoken to us by His son.… “The son is the exact radiance of the God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”   Mormons declare that Jesus and Satan were brothers and that Jesus was the Son of Adam and Mary. Christian Science teaches that Jesus was a mere man who demonstrated the divine idea. It doesn’t matter whether Christ ever existed, and his blood doesn’t cleanse from sin. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God. He is Michael the Archangel. The New Age movement teaches that “We are all Christ.”   7. Their character is more self-centered than God-centered.   “They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion” ( Jude 11 ).   The “way of Balaam” is using Christ for personal gain. Korah’s Rebellion demonstrates a rejection to authority. It is the idea that we are accountable to no one.   Look for spiritual leaders whose deepest motives and life patterns are to honor, glorify, and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek out those who desire to grow in humility, holiness, and obedience. Those who are oriented toward acquiring money, prestige, recognition, popularity, power, sexual looseness, and selfishness do not belong to Jesus Christ. A.W. Tozer wrote: “Listen to the person who listens to God.”   8. They Imply Other Ways To God Than The Substitutionary Death Of Jesus Christ On The Cross.   The “Way of Cain” mentioned in Jude12 ab ove refers to offering any other sacrificial offering to God than the shed blood of Christ: “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” ( Genesis 4:3-8 ). Abel’s offering was accepted; Cain’s was not. The shedding of blood in Old Testament times was a foreshadowing of Christ’s work on the cross.   “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” ( Ephesians 2:8-9 ). When someone declares that there are twelve to fourteen steps which must be done to reach the third heaven, then you know he or she is teaching a “works” system that is not from God.   9. They Diminish The Fact Of Final Judgment And Eternal Destiny.   “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that comes judgment” ( Hebrews 9:27 ).   The idea of reincarnation is foreign to the Bible. According to the Bible, no one returns to earth after death in an attempt to live a better life in order gain an even better life and standing before God, others and self.   Well, “Always Christian,” I hope you find some guidance and help from my answer. I am glad that your spiritual journey returned you to Christ and for your desire to follow and remain true to Him at any cost. May God bless you richly.   Love, Roger