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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

Dear Roger, I am so pleased to find this site as I am a former Casas member. We are in another state now, and attend a PCA Presbyterian church (reformed). My trouble with Presbyterians is they practice what I call a “wet dedication.” Baptize infants by sprinkling as a symbol of the parents’ promise to raise the child in a Godly home. I never heard of the early reasons for baptizing infants with sprinkling. My kids are dunked, as have been I, I won’t budge on this one! Thanks for your insight. Sincerely, Rachael Dear Rachael,   “Wet Dedication” does sound a little strange. The practice probably has its roots in the Roman Catholic practice of baptizing infants in order to wash away original sin. From my perspective there are several misconceptions concerning this practice. First, the blood of Jesus washes away sin and not water on a baby’s head. Second, the New Testament order is faith in Christ followed by baptism-not baptism followed by a later commitment to Jesus Christ. Finally, faith in Christ is a personal-life-time decision which babies are incapable of making.   Baptism by immersion pictures four things: (1) our personal commitment to Christ; (2) the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; (3) the washing away of sin; (4) and, our lives crucified with Christ, and buried in baptism so that we rise to live the resurrected life of Christ. Infant baptism fails to achieve any of the four pictures.   I am a dedicated fan of mom and dad arranging for a dedication service before God and family. The purpose of the service is not only to dedicate the child to Christ, but for mom and dad to dedicate themselves to raising their child with Christians morals, values and commitment to Christ.   Many denominations and religions have what we might call “baby dedications”. You will recall that Jesus experienced his own baby dedication in the Temple when He was eight days old. Both Jesus and his parents were blessed by Simeon:   On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, … Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. … Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon. … Simeon took him in his arms … Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him ( Luke 2:21-40 ).   Hannah is another mom who arranged a baby dedication for her son. She was the mother of the Prophet Samuel, a great man of God. When Samuel was about three-years old, mom dedicated him to the Lord’s service: “Hannah said to her husband, ‘After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always'” ( 1 Samuel 1:22 ).   Using Jesus and Samuel as models, I am much in favor of a dedication services when the children are young. In an attempt to put all things in perspective, I am more thrilled about the parent’s dedicatory intentions than I am with what the ceremony may or may not look like.   As far as I know nothing exists in Presbyterian theology that equates “wet dedication” to infant baptism where water is poured on an infant as a procedure to wash away sin.   Therefore, you might consider budging a bit. If the practice in your church is simply a time of parental dedication, then, I would say, “Don’t make an issue of it. Enjoy your church and the ministries there.” Finding a church home is a difficult endeavor. Finding a church where you agree with everything is impossible. All other things being equal, I would not let this one issue cause you to begin another search.   I hope this helps. You might read my recent Ask Roger answer entitled “What about baptism: sprinkling or immersion?” on PreachItTeachIt.   God bless, Love Roger

Dear Roger, I am scared. It seems that the world is falling apart and I have so many questions. Like, how will we know who the Antichrist is? Are we Christians going to suffer through all the violence and disasters talked about in Revelation? “I REALLY DON’T WANT TO BE HERE FOR THE TRIBULATION. WHEN WILL THE RAPTURE TAKE PLACE?” I was reading in Revelation that Jesus told us to pray, “even so, come Lord Jesus!” I can hardly wait for the second coming but I have so many questions about when it happens, and what happens, and what it looks like. Can you sort these things out for me? Sincerely, Angie   Dear Angie,   I wish that I could answer all of your questions clearly and with great certainty.   Unfortunately, God has chosen not to give us all the information necessary to answer all of our questions with certainty. Fortunately, God gave us enough information to get us way down the road in understanding the book of Revelation and in discerning what’s going to be happening in the end times.   Understanding the return of Jesus and end-time events starts in Daniel 9:24-27 . I have given you more information in another article about the Battle of Armageddon . These verses form the skeleton for all prophecy. All other prophetical passages are the meat on the skeleton.  Revelation, Ezekiel, the Olivet Discourse, 1 & 2 Thessalonians are only understood with a foundational understanding of Daniel 9 .   Without going into detailed explanations, trust me to give a simple overview.   God had a plan for Israel that lasted 70 years. We know these years as the Babylonian Captivity. At the conclusion of the 70 years, God revealed to Daniel that He had another program for Israel ( Daniel 9:1-23 ) which would last 490 years and culminate at the second coming of Christ.   God’s new plan for Israel began at the command of Artaerxes (444 B.C.) to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem. The program would end 490 years later at the second coming of Jesus Christ.   Let’s simplify: The time from the decree to restore Jerusalem until Jesus would come is 483 years. Using Jewish prophetic years of 360 days per year this figures out, incredibly, to April 6, 32 A.D. 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, Christ rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The 483 year period is over. There are seven years left to complete the plan.   Jesus knew Daniel’s prophecy. He knew that this was the exact day he was to enter Jerusalem. Unfortunately, He knew that the people failed to understand what was happening. “If only you had known,” He said. And He wept over the city.   This is a tremendous confirmation of the Word of God! 483 years after the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, Jesus Christ road into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey.   THREE EVENTS OCCUR AFTER THE END OF 483 YEARS AND BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD.   1. Jesus Was Crucified. Daniel 9:26a : After the 483 years, the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. Here is one of the clearest testimonies in the Bible of the death of Jesus Christ ( Isaiah 53:8 and Matthew 16:21 ).   2. The Temple And The City Of Jerusalem Was Destroyed.   Daniel 9:26b : The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:   The “Ruler who is to come” refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans who were led by Titus in 70 A.D.  Titus foreshadowed the Antichrist who would eventually destroy the temple and then rule during the last seven-year-period known as the Tribulation. He’s the little horn of Daniel 7:8 and the Beast of Rev. 13 .   3. Wars Will Continue Unabated Until The 70 th “Seven” Commences.   Daniel 9:26c : War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.   THERE IS A “TIME OUT” AFTER THE END OF 483 years AND BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. WE ARE NOW IN “TIME OUT” ( Luke 4:18-21 , Isaiah 61:1-2 and Hosea 3:4-5 ).   At the Triumphant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, 30 AD, God’s prophetic time clock stopped. The hands are poised at 483, indicating that there is still one “seven” to go.   Think of it like the time clock at the end of a football game. Time out is called with ten seconds left. All the fans are anxiously waiting for final play. How long is football game? 60 minutes. Not really. The time from start to finish is often three hours. How long is God’s plan for Israel? 490 years. Not really.   The time period between the crucifixion of Jesus and his second coming is known as the “Great Parenthesis” or, the “Church Age”. At the conclusion of this period, the final-seven years will occur.   THE 70 TH YEAR EVENTS ARE DESCRIBED IN DANIEL 9:27 .   Daniel 9:27 : He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”   The final seven years begin when the Antichrist makes a peace covenant with the nation of Israel. Three and one-half years into the final seven the Antichrist breaks the covenant. He puts an end to sacrifices and offerings in the temple; and, indwelt by Satan ( Revelation 12:9 , 12 ; 13:4 ), he sets up the Abomination of Desolation in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus says, “Get out of town fast the Holocaust is now beginning!” The Battle of Armageddon soon follows and the Antichrist is cast into a hellish prison ( Revelation 19:20 ).   Now, we can discuss the 2 nd coming of Christ.   The second coming of Christ is in two parts: the RAPTURE which occurs sometime around the beginning of the last seven years and the REVELATION which concludes at the end of the seven years.   Note the following verses that reveal a Biblical paradox concerning Christ’s second coming. In each case, the first verse describes the Rapture while the second verse describes the Revelation.   1 Thessalonians 4:17 : “…we will meet the Lord in the air.” Zechariah 14: 4-5 : “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.”  1 Thessalonians 5:2 and Revelation 16:15 : “He will come in secret, as a ‘thief in the night’”. Revelation 1:7 : “Every eye will behold Him.”  Titus 2:13 : “The return of Christ is a time of blessing and hope.” 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 : “The return of Christ is a time of punishment and judgment.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and John 14:2-3 : “He will come “’for” His saints.’” Zechariah 14:5 ; 1 Thessalonians 3:13 ; Revelation 19:11-16 : “He will come “’with’” His saints.”   The only way to reconcile these verses is to understand that Christ’s Second Coming is in two stages:   The first stage occurs when Christ comes in the air, in secret, in great blessing and hope, for His saints to remove them to Heaven. This is called the Rapture . Rapture is a Latin word, Rapturo which means to catch away .   The Rapture is not without precedent (Both Enoch ( Genesis 5:24 : Hebrews 11:5 ) and Elijah ( 2 Kings 2:1 and 11 ) were raptured.   The second stage occurs at the end of the last seven-year period when Christ comes to the ground, with every eye on Him, with His saints, to bring judgment and punishment. This is called the Revelation .   “WE CHRISTIANS ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE, ARE WE?” THAT DEPENDS UPON WHICH SCENARIO YOU CHOOSE.   There are THREE major choices with A NUMBER OF variations TO CONSIDER AS WE ATTEMPT TO PINPOINT the time of the rapture:   Pre-Tribulation is the view that the rapture will occur sometime before, or at the beginning, of the final seven years. This is the view my wife espouses. She doesn’t want to be anywhere near those last seven years   God has rescued His people from great trouble in the past. He closed the door of the ark and Noah and his family were saved from the flood. He opened the Red Sea to make a way of escape for Israel when the Egyptians were on them. In Daniel 3 Daniel is absent from the fiery furnace. Some believe that by missing the fire he is a pre-figure of the deliverance of Christians by the rapture.   Of course, there are numerous pictures in Revelation of Christians who are undergoing suffering. Many suppose that these are people who missed the rapture but received Christ afterwards. Or, on the other hand, Post-Tribulationists believe this.   Mid-Tribulation is the view that the rapture will occur in the middle of the seven years when the Antichrist sets up the Abomination Of Desolation on the altar in the Temple. Like pre-Tribulationists, mid-Tribulationists will not experience the horrors of the last 3 ½ years described in Revelation.   I espouse the Mid-Tribulation (my wife is pre-tribulation!) position and expect to figure out who the Antichrist is through the number of his name: 666. I want to see the peace treaty; no matter what, I want out of here before the last 3 ½ years occur.   Post-Tribulationists believe that the rapture occurs after the seven-years, and that, therefore, Christians will go through the horrors described in the book of Revelation. There are verses that may support this interpretation, but I hope not. I don’t want to be anywhere around that horrible time!   HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR HIS ARRIVAL?   1. Don’t be caught off guard . Live a pure and holy life. Prophecy is a call to holy living.   2. Be certain that you are a Christian : “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”   3. Plan as though He weren’t coming for 1000 years; but live as if He were coming in the next 10 minutes .”   Well, Angie, I hope that I’ve been able to take a fascinating and complex subject and make it as simple as I can. I hope you find it helpful.   Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I am a pastor and my members are always asking me why I don’t preach the Book of Revelation. Can you help me? Why should I preach this complicated book? How do I even begin? Love, A Frustrated Pastor Dear Frustrated Pastor, I am so glad you asked! I am completing a set of twenty-two sermon notes to be used by pastors when preaching the Book of Revelation. They provide historical context, prophetic interpretation and application (including illustrations). Hopefully it will help pastors and Bible students like you. Love,  Roger   REVELATION IS AN OPEN BOOK, INTENDED FOR FULL UNDERSTANDING.   Revelation 1:1-2 : The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw– that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Blessed …   A. Blessed, not confused, is the one who reads it. Revelation means “to reveal,” not “to hide” or “confuse.”   B. Some Bible books were sealed ( Daniel 12:1-4 , 9 ) and not intended to be understood until the end of time.   C. Revelation is unsealed because the “time is near” ( Revelation 22:10 ).   2. THE REVELATION IS FROM JESUS CHRIST (SOURCE), ABOUT JESUS CHRIST (CONTENT) AND BELONGS TO JESUS CHRIST (POSSESSION) ( Revelation 1:1 ).   A. The gospels give us a picture of the human, humiliated Jesus. The theme of Revelation is the glory of Christ (Read Mark 13:32 ; John 17:5 ; and Acts 1:7 ).   B. Revelation is more apocalyptic than prophetic . There is a difference.  Apocalyptic writings are marked by distinctive literary features, particularly prediction of future events and accounts of visionary experiences or journeys to heaven, often involving vivid symbolism.   C. Revelation had a context in the first century and it has a context still in the future. Both the Double Fulfillment (fulfilled at the time and also at a future time) and Mountain Peak Principles (one can see multiple visions, but the distance between them isn’t clear) of Prophecy are important.   3. A THREE-FOLD BLESSING IS PROMISED TO THOSE WHO READ, HEAR AND HEED THE TRUTHS IN THIS BOOK ( Revelation 1:3 ).   Revelation 1:3 : Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.   A. Anyone can enjoy the blessing.   B. In Greek the term “blessed” literally means “to make happy;” however, the Hebrew root word means “to find the right pathways in the face of false pathways.”   4. THE BLESSING OF GRACE AND PEACE COMES FROM THE TRIUNE GOD ( Rev. 1:4-6 ).   Revelation 1:4 : John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,   A. The blessing comes from God the Father— Him who is, and who was, and who is to come ( Revelation 1:4 ).   B. The blessing comes from God the Holy Spirit— and from the seven spirits before his throne ( Isaiah 11:2 ) ( Revelation 1:4 ).   C. The blessing comes from God the Son, Jesus Christ ( Revelation 1:5-6 ).   Revelation 1:5-6 : and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father– to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.   1. Jesus is identified by three titles: The Faithful Witness (Prophet); the Firstborn from the Dead (Priest); and the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (King) ( Revelation 1:5a ). 2. The Book is dedicated in praise to Jesus Christ for His three-fold work on behalf of His followers: He loves us; He freed us from sin at the price of His blood; He has made us a kingdom of priests ( Revelation 1:5b-6 ).   5. JOHN EXPERIENCED HIS FIRST VISION OF THE GLORIFIED Jesus Christ ( Rev. 1:7-8 ).   Revelation 1:7 : Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.   A. When Christ comes in blazing glory, there will be two different responses ( Revelation 1:7 ).   1. Some will welcome Him. Read Daniel 7:13 , 14 . 2. Those who pierced Him ( Zechariah 12:10 ) and those who never knew Him will mourn.   B . Eternity and permanent glory belongs to Jesus Christ Who here clearly identified Himself as God ( Revelation 1:8 ).   Revelation 1:8 : “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”   VI. WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN TO ME?   A. Those who read and apply the book of Revelation will be on the right path in life.   B. Two categories of mankind stand in stark contrast. Either your judgment is finished and behind you at the cross, or it is still looming ahead at the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ.   C. Jesus is inviting us to experience Him personally—in His omniscience (all knowledge), omnipresence (all presence) and omnipotence (all power).   There are those who anticipate this hour with delight. Then, there are those who mourn this hour.   At His first coming the judgment on sin was taken care of on the cross. And those who believe have release from sin. At his second coming the judgment is ahead—for those who do not believe.   What does this mean to you? Your judgment is either behind you at the cross or still looming at the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ when He returns.   POSSIBLE ILLUSTRATIONS   J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings—fantasy has captured imagination of multiple generations. How many of you have read the trilogy, seen either or both of the recent movies? The marvelous land of Middle Earth, threatened by the power of a vile overlord, can only be saved by the daring deeds of a few noble hobbits. Unknown to the hobbits, they are being helped on their quest by the true king of Middle Earth who is working undercover.  The hobbits know him as Strider, the humble Ranger who roves the land homeless and seemingly friendless. In the great climactic battle at the end of the age, good is engulfed by evil until in one hair-raising last moment, Frodo the Hobbit performs a heroic deed—Darkness turns to Light. Aragon the King, Strider in disguise, is revealed in his entire splendor.   What did I just describe? The book of Revelation.   For those of you who are fans of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the reason it is so popular is that it is all God’s story. He knew that human history is really a battle between good and evil. He knew that the true king is working in seeming disguise, behind the scenes, who will one day be revealed in all His splendor. Tolkien based everything on the Book of Revelation. Tolkien knew the true King of Kings.    What John presented in reality, Tolkien presented in fiction. John is not concerned with Middle Earth , he is concerned with Planet earth.   Old Testament Prophecy Books are:     Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Hosea Apocalyptic Books-Not normal prophecy are: Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Revelation                                                       A BLESSING IS PROMISED TO THOSE WHO READ AND ACT UPON THIS BOOK.   Revelation 1:3 : Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.   Blessed is an overworked term; We use it at almost every meal.  Greek means “to make happy.” Make the food happy: Maybe I don’t mean bless the food, maybe I mean, bless those of us who eat this meal together. But, Hebrew root word ashar means “to find the right pathways in the face of false pathways.” It has to do with the discovery of the meaning of life in the midst of chaos. Give us an understanding of the meaning of life as we encounter so many false pathways. Psalm 1 : Bless us in this journey of life. Help us NOT to walk in the counsel of ungodly people, stand in the way of sinners, sit in the seat of scoffers. The Beatitudes have the same implication:  Blessed are merciful people: not happy, but on the right path Blessed are you when you are persecuted for righteousness sake: not happy, on the right path.   The blessing is for everyone who reads, hears and heeds to the truths of the book.   Illustration:  Ray Stedman’s theory of eternity: When we step out of time and into eternity everything will be one big panorama. We will see the past; we will see the present; we will see the future—perfectly unfolded and it will all work together for good to those who love God—and it will make sense.    One and one time only does Christ pay for the sins of the world. No reason for the ongoing Mass—where Christ is brought back again and again to the cross—and to place a crucifix with Christ in his body on the cross—He is gone from the cross—this is message of Hebrews.   Illustration:   Auschwitz was the first German concentration camp to become an extermination camp. Gas chambers were in constant use. Nazis installed shower heads with 11 holes so gas could still get in. Great influx of prisoners, also used firing squads. One day commandant picked 10 men from one barracks for execution by firing squad. One was father of a large family. Fell to knees and begging for commandant to spare his life. The commandant was unresponsive until the man standing next to the fallen one, a Roman Catholic priest named Maximillian Kolbe, stepped forward and offered his life in exchange for the man on his knees. Surprisingly the commandant agreed to the arrangement. But instead of being led to the firing squad, Father Maximillian was throne into a tiny damp cell where he suffered the agonizing death of starvation. Today he is honored by millions because he died in place of one man.   Does that touch your heart? Jesus died an agonizing death not for one, or ten—but for all people. That is why you should study, preach and teach the Book of Revelation. I’ll give you 21 more reasons in my sermon notes in the coming weeks.

RU-486 has once again burst upon the American moral consciousness. The FDA has relaxed its rules and given women more opportunities to abort their babies by simply swallowing a small little pill.   Once upon a time it took the approval of two doctors to prescribe the pill and allow the mother seven weeks to slough off the unborn child. Now the process requires only one doctor and the mother has up to ten weeks to do the deed. For those who believe in the sanctity of human life, we see the murdering process heading in the wrong direction.   LET’S LOOK BEYOND THE ISSUE TO THE PAIN. Thousands of articles are written about why abortions are wrong and what we ought to do about it. We have dumped plenty of shame and guilt on mothers who aborted their children and on the husbands and/or the men who encouraged them to do so. There’s no need for me to repeat what’s been hashed over thousands of times.   I want to help hurting women grieve. Here’s how to have a funeral service for the sake of the moms who are grieving their miscarried or aborted babies.   Suggest To Your Pastor That Your Church Have A Funeral Service For The Parents Of Aborted And/Or Miscarried Children.    You may want to tailor the service to one or the other, or combine if you focus on grieving the loss.    I know a mother who has three healthy children; unfortunately, somehow that’s not enough. She’s still grieving the one child she aborted when she was so young. What a relationship they might’ve had! But it will never be.   Many women are grieving alone. It’s time to help them bring closure to a dark part of their lives. That’s what funerals are for.   As long as it’s only a fetus it’s easy to dismiss the deed and get on with living. But when it’s a baby it’s much harder to pass it on by. Think about the guilt that will, one day, if not already, intrude the soul.   Let’s not focus only on the aborted. I’ve seen many mothers grieve deeply over a miscarried child.   I met a woman who gave birth to a stillborn child. One thing led to another and before long she was sharing how much she was hurting because her priest refused to baptize the baby. She was never going back to that church again. I comforted her about what the priest did, the child she’d never know, the dreams that would go unfulfilled, and not to fear, Jesus said little children will be in heaven with God the Father. She could see her child again.  Then she stunned me, “I guess the reason it hurt so bad is because I’ve had four miscarriages.” “Oh my goodness, I am so sorry.” So, I decided to comfort her four miscarriages worth of hurt. “Did you name them?” Yes, she had a name for each of them. Then I asked, “And I bet your husband didn’t get it, did he? She looked up at me, “How did you know?” “It’s not hard; you have a child growing inside and in too short a time, your child isn’t there anymore. And your husband says something like, “It’ll be okay; we’ll just have another one!” It’s just a bump in the road for him; but probably a giant wreck for you.   We decided for our church to help heal the pain and suffering in our midst by having a funeral service for the parents of miscarried and aborted children.   1. We publicized the upcoming funeral event. 2. We bought 200 white roses and placed them carefully on a table at the front of our church. 3. We arranged for a number of counselors and compassionate people to comfort, encourage and provide counsel to those who wanted it when the service was over. 4. We designed the service much like the ones we usually used for a funeral. 5. Below is an outline of the service we used with several annotations. You can use your normal funeral service. It will work just fine! By 7:00 p.m. it was standing room only.   MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MISCARRIED AND ABORTED BABIES   PRE-SERVICE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC:  Soft, acoustic or recorded music that would reflect a peaceful mood. MercyMe’s classic song and video “ I Can Only Imagine ” is an example of a comforting message.   PRAYER (Focus on the hearts of the women and the compassion Jesus feels for them).   SCRIPTURE READING ( Isaiah 40:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5 ) (Talk about how God brings us personal comfort and about our opportunity to comfort those around us. Encourage the people that the purpose of this funeral is not to bring guilt or shame for women who have aborted a child, but instead to find comfort for our hurts from both God and the people around us).   SOLO (appropriate for the tastes of your audience) A female soloist would be preferable.   PERSONAL REFLECTIONS   (Invite beforehand two women, one who’s had an abortion, and/or one who’s had a miscarriage, to tell of their experience and how Jesus met them in their pain. Emphasize that others can find healing and hope as well.)   SERMON (For mothers who have ended a pregnancy, use this time to talk about the healing and restoration that comes in Christ. Give hope by sharing John 8: 1-12 by emphasizing that Jesus is in the business of helping us pick up the pieces and start over again. This is a good time to explain and share how you personally grieve for the women who experienced those difficult times.) For mothers who have lost a baby by miscarriage, talk about how lonely it feels to lose a child, no matter how far along the pregnancy is. Solicit understanding and prayer. Those who aborted their children usually don’t want to let anyone know. Those who lost a child may not want to show sadness, but comfort should be offered. Have counselors available after the service for the grieving moms. Unfortunately, most mothers don’t have a physical place to go to grieve, (like a cemetery). Most mothers will deal with the feelings of guilt, anger, loneliness, abandonment, depression, grief, and, “second guessing” how it would be if they could turn back the clock and make a different choice, or what would have happened if their baby had reached full term. Talk about the resurrection power that makes all things new.   CONFESSION FOR MOTHERS WHO HAVE ABORTED A BABY  ( Psalm 51:1-2 ; 7-12 ; 15-17 and 1 John 1:9 ) (Explain the meaning of repentance, godly sorrow, confession and forgiveness. Talk about the cleansing joy and freedom that comes as we experience forgiveness and enter into the reality of Christ as he restores our relationship with him.) (Now give the women enough time to work through the process of finding forgiveness.)   IF THE SERVICE IS FOR MISCARRIED BABIES , it would be appropriate for the spouse or family members to come and pray over the grieving mother. If they have named a child, it might be appropriate to use one of the mementos mentioned below.   MEMORIALIZE THE MOMENT WITH WHITE ROSES ( Joshua 4:1-9 ) (Share some examples of what the women might do to memorialize their aborted or miscarried child.) (“PASS Support Site” has a number of great contemporary ideas: to a memorial for your child on a website; buy a special piece of jewelry in remembrance; write a poem or letter to your child, then go to a special place and bury it or burn it as a memorial; consider a birthstone ring to wear in honor; commission a small headstone and place it in your garden; donate a memorial tree in a park or special place.)   (Now it is time to invite the women to come to the table with white roses and select a rose for each child they aborted or miscarried. In our services, the Holy Spirit poured out as women flooded forward. Some women selected one rose, others more. But I watched in disbelief and sorrowful grief as one woman picked up five roses one by one.)   (I began to worry that we were going to run out of roses. Thank God we just had enough. When the women finished only four were left.)   SONG:  For example, Hillsong “ Heart Like Heaven .”                                                                                                                           SCRIPTURE ( Luke 4:18-19 )   CLOSING PRAYER                                                                                                          DISMISSAL AND INVITATION TO STAY FOR COMFORT AND COUNSELING FOR THOSE WHO DESIRED it.   POST-service music.

Dear Roger,  Great site!!!! Will you be adding links to Bible Commentaries and Concordances for assistance in preparation to teach in Sunday School or Adult Bible Fellowships? I happen to know that you have taught the Bible effectively for many years. Your teaching ministry and Bible counseling have blessed the lives of thousands. I am blessed to see you still faithfully passing on the truths of the Bible to your students. I am also blessed to hear that you are continually updating your resources with the best materials available. I need to get some recommendations from you. What would you have in your library? A Pastor   Dear Pastor, Of course, our main task as Bible students is to discover what the Biblical writers had in mind when they wrote what they wrote. I have often heard: “You can interpret the Bible many different ways!” I say, “Not so! There is only one correct interpretation for every passage!” Our job as Bible students is to find it! Proper Biblical hermeneutics (interpretation) requires that we follow some basic rules. To begin with this means that all persons, places, objects and events must be accurately identified and defined before attempting to interpret a Biblical passage. I remember a lady who said: “I can’t believe Bible is true because it is impossible to carry Noah’s Ark around in wilderness for forty years.” Of course, she had the wrong ark. They carried the Ark of the Covenant—a wooden, gold covered box—around for 40 years, We must carefully identify people and places. For example, there are ten different Simons in the New Testament, four men named John and three men named James. In Acts twelve James has his head cut off. Several chapters later Peter says, “Go tell James I’m out of prison.” How can this be? There were two different men named “James”. The Herod who tried Jesus Christ and the Herod who murdered the babies are two different Herods. We must know the correct meanings of words. For example, Hebrews 13:5 in the King James Version of the Bible is translated: “Let your conversation be without covetousness.” This seems simple enough to interpret: “Don’t talk about money.” But, words change over time. In 1611 when the King James Version was written, “conversation”, meant, “lifestyle”, or “behavior. The verse has nothing to do with talking. An accurate translation would be: “Let your lifestyle be without greed or materialism.” The KJV translates 1 Peter 3:1 as “Let the husband be won by the conversation of the wife. If she is not careful, she will try to talk her husband into the Kingdom. This is the very opposite of what Peter recommended. Husbands are more likely to be led to Christ by wives who are compassionate, loving and chaste rather than by wives’ constant talking. The best way to get a handle on these things is to access some good Bible tools—dictionaries, translations, commentaries, and concordances. If we want to fix a car, we need good tools. If we want to build a house, we need good tools. If we want to interpret the Bible, we need Bible tools. Many of these resources are available online or as e-books. Here are the best resources I have found online . However, many pastors and teachers love to own hard copies of reference books. If others have taken the time to identify all of the people, places, events, etc., then we certainly should utilize their work. We don’t go out and dig our own oil or manufacture our own electricity. Why should we go out and write our own Bible Dictionaries. While Paul was in a Roman prison awaiting death, he wrote to his friend, Timothy. “It’s cold; bring my coat before winter, and bring my books, and especially the parchments.” The parchments were the Scriptures and the books were his study helps. Bible concordances are designed to help us find verses which contain particular words. Often we can remember a word in the Bible, but can’t remember which verse it is in. Concordances help us find them. Concordances also allow us to find all the verses which contain a particular word or phrase. Some relevant concordances are: “Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance”“Young’s Analytical Bible concordance” Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias illuminate the background material for words, people, places and events. For example, if you want to know more about the life of David, a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia provides page after page of relevant details. Some good Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias and handbooks are: “Zondervan’s Pictorial Bible Encyclopedia” (five great volumes at basement bargain prices)“Wycliffe Bible encyclopedia (two volumes)”“Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary” “Halley’s Bible Handbook” “What the Bible is all About” by Henrietta Mears To understand the words correctly use updated translations of the Bible. A little old lady once said that if the King James Bible was good enough for Paul, then it was good enough for her. You know good and well that Paul didn’t write the King James Bible. He wrote in Greek. He never even heard of English. It is good to have modern translations, not because the Bible changes, but because language changes. Bibles come in two basic varieties: translations and paraphrases. Translations attempt to put the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic words and phrases into the English language as closely and accurately as possible. The struggle here is to translate the many words and phrases that have little or no English equivalent. A struggle also occurs as the translators try to reflect idioms and grammatical constructions that simply do not come across well in English. Biblical paraphrases are not translations. Paraphrases attempt to put the words of the original writers into conversational renderings that reflect the essence of what the Biblical writers intended to convey. Some helpful modern translations are: The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is the most accurate English rendition of the Greek text. Since English has only three principle parts for verbs while Greek has six, the NASV uses consistent helper words to enable the reader to decipher which Greek verb renderings are being used. The New International Version (NIV) is perhaps the most widely used English version in the protestant world. It is rather close to the Greek text while taking some liberties in an effort to give the sense of what the writers were conveying instead of their exact wording. Balancing literal text with meaning is a difficult task for the translators. The King James Version (KJV) was the accepted English translation from 1611 a.d. to the early 1950s. It is often hard for those who have used it for decades to give it up. For those who like the KJV, the Revised Standard Version (RSV) updates the wording to delightful reading while still retaining the flavor to the KJV words. The “New King James Version” (NKJV) is also an update; however I think I like the wording of the RSV) much better! The New English Bible (NEB) is an updated, more readable translation produced by British scholars. The NEB may also be purchased with the Apocrypha which is also a collection of the books written in the 400 years from the end of the Old Testament (Malachi) to the coming of Christ. The Roman Catholics accept the Apocrypha as divine scripture while most all Protestants—and even reiligious Jews—do not. Some helpful Paraphrases are: Philip’s Bible was one of the earliest paraphrases—written in the early 1950s. It has stood the test of time quite well. The Living Bible was a tremendous success when it was published in the 1960s. Many Christians found that the Living Bible more easily allowed them to get at the meaning of the Scriptures without needing some one to unlock its secrets for them. The Message Bible is the newest paraphrase on the market. Since words have changed over the last half century, it was time for a new paraphrase to put the Biblical language into more contemporary wording. The Message is an extremely hard hitting, yet powerfully enjoyable way, to get the sense of what the Biblical writers were communicating. Remember that paraphrases make great devotional reading. They are not good for serious Bible Study. Paraphrases are no guarantee that the author fully understands the text at all! I have occasionally finished my interpretative Bible study and then read a paraphrase of the corresponding passage and concluded that the author has missed the sense of the passage by a mile—or more. Consider translations as Holy Scripture. Consider that the paraphrases are helpful, but not necessarily accurate renderings of the divine Word of God—and treat them accordingly. By the way, Amplified Bible is in a class by itself. I use it all the time. It is a translation which attempts to enhance the understanding of Biblical words and phrases passages by putting in parentheses other multiple shades of meanings for a particular Greek word or phrase. It “amplifies” the multiple meanings of various words. The Latin Vulgate was used for years as the primary Roman Catholic Version of the Bible. It is now increasingly being replaced by the Douay Version. I love to read the Douay Version. I love the way the translation flows. In fact, during my senior year in high school the Douay Version was the first Bible I ever read cover to cover. Interlinear Bibles are helpful tools for non-Greek readers. Just below the original Greek text is the English translation. When used in conjunction with the word numbering system in Young’s Analytical or Strong’s Exhaustive Concordances anyone can mine the riches of the Greek words used in the Bible. Now, let’s consider another set of necessary Bible Study tools. We call this category “commentaries.” By giving insight, history, background and meaning, commentaries help to open up the real meanings of the Bible. We must sort out the context and the background before interpreting any passage. If we fail to make proper observations then our Biblical interpretations will be inaccurate. Bible commentaries make these things possible. Occasionally I hear some one say, “You can prove anything by the Bible!” That is true if words and phrases are taken out of their context. For example, Psalm 14:1 says, “There is no God!” But, the entire verse says, “The fool says in his heart there is no God.” The partial interpretation is totally out of context and woefully lacking in accuracy and truth. By the way, Bible passages are often the best commentaries on other passages. Use cross references to let the Bible interpret itself. For example, the best commentaries on Mark are Matthew, Luke and John. The best commentary on Hebrews is Leviticus. Ephesians is the best commentary on Colossians. After feeding the 5,000 Matthew tells us that Jesus made His disciples get into a boat and leave! Why? Matthew doesn’t tell us. But, John 6 does. They were trying to make Him king. However, that moment was certainly not the time nor the place for such behavior! Reference Bibles like The Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible are great resources for finding which verses throw light on other verses. Commentaries come in various shapes and sizes—and often have different purposes. There are three basic types. “Critical Commentaries” have few devotional thoughts or helpful applications. Their purpose is to give us a critical look at the text and some of the cultural context and background to the passages. They usually delve deeply into problem texts and intense textual criticism. Unless we are doing more scholarly work, there is little need for the average Bible student to spend much time here. Some Critical Commentaries are: The Keil and Deilitzch Old Testament Commentary are so critical that only people fully conversant in Hebrew will find much help here. The Expositors Bible Commentary (12 volumes) by Barker, Kohlenberger and Gaebelein gives alternative insights into the Bible that will be found in few other places. This is a great set that many find helpful. The Tyndale Old and New Testament Commentaries are short abridgments of critical material which I believe can be useful to many levels of Bible students. The New International Commentary is one of the most highly regarded sources of current scholarship. It is an exacting study of the Greek; it offers careful exegesis as well as helpful footnotes, grammatical, historical and textual details. The Bible Knowledge Commentary by Radmacher, Allen and House is power packed and succinct. “Laymen’s commentaries” is my label for commentaries which contain some “low level” critical material while also addressing some contemporary applications. Some Laymen’s commentaries are: The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren Wiersbe is a two-volume set which reads like letters from a good friend. It emphasizes personal application as well as Biblical content. Also, Wiersbe’s “Be” series covering each book in the New Testament is head and shoulders above most all other commentaries in getting into the heart of a passage—while providing some practical application as well. The John MacArthur New Testament Commentaries (27 volumes) is one of the most clear-cut expositions of Biblical truth with a foundation for helpful application. Macarthur utilizes exceptional skill in a down to earth style which includes short introductions and non-technical passage by passage explanations with cross references and sidebars. The Bible Exposition Commentary by Walvoord and Zuck is the work of two conservative writers both known for their solid understanding and honest appraisal of the Scriptures. The Teacher’s Commentary by Lawrence Richards is designed especially for teachers. It covers the entire Bible in accessible units. It also provides historical background information, definitions of key terms, maps and leaders’ guides. Finally Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the whole Bible (six volumes and very inexpensive—also included in many Bible software packages) is several centuries old. However, every good Bible student would do well to have a copy in their working library. Its rich expositions and useful applications have stood the test of time. “Devotional commentaries” consist mostly of relevant applications and stories. They are most helpful in adding “windows” to let light into preaching and teaching. Some current Devotional Commentaries include: Barclay’s Daily Study Bible is a wildly popular collection of penetrating insights into the Scriptures by the effective use of Biblical, cultural and textual stories and illustrations. This set is in the process of being updated for today’s generations. “The Life Application Bible” is exactly what the title says. This easy to use commentary gives, background, history, practical application for every verse in the New Testament. It follows up sections of critical Bible commentary with pages of helpful stories and applications. Many other Bible tools are available for the asking. For example, Holman Bible Atlas: A Complete Guide to the Expansive Geography of Biblical History is as enjoyable to peruse as it is useful to sort out the sites and places mentioned in the Bible. Most pastors and Bible students will be working with a limited budget. As a result, let me recommend what I consider the best investments to get a working set of Bible tools in your hands. Concordance: Either Young’s Analytical or Strong’s Exhaustive Bible Concordances Bible Dictionary: “Zondervan’s Pictorial Bible Encyclopedia ”Layman’s Commentary: “The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe Devotional Commentary: “Barclay’s New Daily Study Bible ”Bible Handbook: “What the Bible Is All About” by Henrietta Mears New Bible software is coming on line daily. The ones I currently recommend as most helpful are: Bible Works 7.0 allows users to cross reference many different Bible versions including Greek and Hebrew. It also contains a variety of commentaries and other resources. It is available on line at www.bibleworks .com. Bible.org hosts not only the NET Bible but also countless articles on Biblical studies as well as theological and current topics. Christian Classics Ethereal Library is an online collection of historical writings in the public domain. Access is free, and the collection is quite extensive. It can be accessed at www.ccel.org . Logos Software is a combination of Bible commentaries, dictionaries, encyclopedias and other Bible resources. It is available for a variety of educational and interest levels, from the “Christian Home Library” to the “Scholar’s Library.” It is available at www.logos.com . Other Bible software programs worth investigating are Bible Gateway, Biblesoft PC Study Bible 5.0, and QuickVerse 2008. Christian Book Distributors (CBD) is a valued resource for religious books and software. Most materials are discounted 35% to 50%. Ordering from CBD is a great way to stretch your Bible resource dollars. Contact them by phone at 1-800-247-4784 or on the internet at “ Christianbook.com ”. Just looking through their monthly catalog will whet your appetite to learn more about the Holy Scriptures. In closing, let me add several thoughts. The true test of Bible students is not how much they learn but how much they live. Mark Twain said, “It is not what I don’t understand about the Bible that bothers me—but what I do understand! In After encountering Jesus on the road to Emmaus on Easter evening, Mr. and Mrs. Cleopas said, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” ( Luke 24:32 ). The proof that we learn from Bible is not a big head but a burning heart .

Dear Roger,   My ex-husband and I divorced and he wants to reconcile with me and have sex he has not spoken of marriage but of a starting over again in a relationship. Is this a sin to have sex with your ex-husband. What does the bible say about this? Sincerely, J Dear J, According to the Bible sex is for married couples. Sex is a holy thing and to be expressed only in a marriage setting. Sex with someone who is not your spouse is a sin because it defiles both of your bodies and brings with it an ungodliness that breaks Jesus’ heart. Paul wrote about the very issue in 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 :   Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit , who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.   Notice that our bodies are not necessarily ours to do with as we please. When we received Christ into our lives our bodies and everything else about us became His. After all, He bought us with the blood that He shed on the cross when He forgave our sins. At the moment of our surrender to Christ the Holy Spirit Himself came to inhabit our very beings. To take our holy temples (our bodies) and have sex with someone who is not our spouse defiles our temple. Our lives are no longer holy places where God can dwell in loving purity. His ability to pour into our lives the abundant life promised by Jesus is severely compromised.   I think that it is wonderful that you husband wants to reconcile with you. Do you want to reconcile with him?   You mentioned that “he has not spoken of marriage but of a starting over again in a relationship.” Let’s consider that for several moments. God’s design is for no sex until the wedding night. This is both a trust and a purity issue. I don’t know whether or not you had premarital sex with your ex the first time around, but if you did, you basically started out your marriage without Jesus being closely involved and able to freely empower your marriage forward to success.   If you both decide to begin the relationship again, then I suggest doing it God’s way this time. Keep your bodies free from premarital sex so that your “marriage bed may be undefiled:” Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” ( Hebrews 13:4 ).   As you consider his sex request and his desire to begin a new relationship, let me encourage you to carefully examine the role of both husbands and wives in Ephesians 5:21-33 :   21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.   22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.   25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”   32 This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.   J, read the passage carefully and let me point out several things.   Note in verse 21 that you and your ex are to submit to each other. This means meeting each other’s needs first.   Submitting to your husband as the “head” of your relationship puts more responsibility on him than on you. Being the “head” does not mean that he is free to treat you any way he wants to, or that he can freely order you around. Being the head is like being a shepherd. The shepherd will do everything imaginable to care for his/her sheep. He subordinates his own needs for the good of the sheep. So, likewise, your husband’s job is to do everything in his power to make sure that your needs are met. If he does his job well then you will have no trouble submitting to his leadership. Make his job as easy as you can by following God’s role for you.   In the next several verses Paul makes it clear that the primary job of the husband is to love his wife as Jesus loved His church. And, how did Jesus show love for his wife? He gave up His life on the cross for her. Be certain to notice in verse 26 how important it is for every husband to express love for his wife by doing everything possible to keep her pure (sexually and other wise. By the way, one of the ways he does this is to teach you the Word of God in such a way that others are able to see Jesus in you and Jesus is better able to work His life through you to others.   Consider that fulfilling your ex’s desire for sex with you while not being married will simply put a spiritual stain on your life before God. When your ex decides to renew your relationship in holiness and purity then you may talk to him about beginning a new relationship and perhaps one day about remarriage.   If he decides that it is not worth the wait, then you have a clear-cut indication of where his heart really is.   My advice is not to give anything away for free.   By the way, one of a woman’s greatest need is security. One of a man’s greatest need is respect. When he loves you like Jesus loved His church you feel secure and your respect for him soars. You both are blessed and on the way to a great marriage.   Well, J, thanks for the great question, I imagine that many of my readers are wondering the same thing. My God bless both you and your ex. I hope things work out for the best.   Love, Roger   invitjud@yahoo.com

Dear Roger,   Is it a sin for a Christian to purchase a lottery ticket? Sincerely, T,   Dear T,   Once upon a time I played the lottery—just once, just one ticket. Our family was playing Yahtzee which is a lot like poker, only you play with dice instead of with cards. The goal is to roll more good poker hands than anyone else. Rolling five dice with the same number at the same time is called a “Yahtzee” and is worth fifty points. The odds of rolling five dice with the same number at the same time are 3,125 to 1. In the first game I rolled a Yahtzee. We all cheered with delight. In the second game I rolled another Yahtzee! 3,125 to 1 again! We couldn’t believe it. In the third game I rolled another Yahtzee. No one said a word. We were all dumbfounded. I grabbed my dad and said, “This is a sign from God. We have just enough time to get to the “7-11” and buy a lottery ticket before the lottery ends at 10:00 p.m.” As I recall, it was one of those power ball lotteries worth at least half a billion dollars!   I bought one ticket. One was all I needed. Dad and I raced home to watch the drawing on TV. By the second number I was out of the game. My mother asked my dad if he’d bought any tickets and he pulled twenty losing tickets out of his pocket. She yelled at him for the next fifteen minutes for wasting twenty of their hard-earned dollars.   It is no wonder, T, that you’ve asked this question because gambling and buying lottery tickets are never expressly approved or condemned in the Scriptures.   We must be careful in deciding what to do with issues that aren’t expressly forbidden or approved in the Bible. Considering the issue of gambling and lottery tickets we must not turn our personal convictions into what we consider to be Biblical truths for ourselves and for everyone else ( Romans 14:1-23 ; 1 Corinthians 8:1-12 ; 10:13-11:1 ).   Whether or not a buying a lottery ticket is a sin depends on our personal convictions. Personal convictions are the expressions of our inner conscience. If we think it’s a sin to buy a ticket and proceed to buy one, then we’ve committed a sin because we’ve violated our consciences. Violating our consciences is expressly forbidden in the Bible because a violated conscience impairs our ability to hear God speak. ( Romans 10:23 : “Whatever is not of faith is sin.”)   This is why the same behavior can be a sin for one person and not a sin for another. If you can buy a lottery ticket without breaking your conscience then buy the lottery ticket. You have not sinned. Understanding the relationship between sin and the conscience is the key to handling the “gray areas” of the Bible which are not expressly forbidden or approved—or not even mentioned.   By the way, always beware of Christians who try to make their personal convictions into biblical truth. They harm Christians.   My personal conviction is that I do not buy lottery tickets. I’ve thought this through and have a number of reasons for refusing to buy one. Buying a lottery ticket may be all right for you; but it is not right for me.   I don’t waste money on the lottery because of the Biblical teachings about stewardship and management ( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ). Not a single dollar that comes into our hands is ours. It all belongs to God. We are to manage it well.   I perceive that the Lord Jesus is not particularly excited to watch us throw money away. We have such slim odds of winning that we might as well drive by the “7-11” and throw money out the car window.   Here are the odds of winning some recent lotteries:   The Pennsylvania Match 6:  1 in 4,661,272.3 The New Jersey Pick 6:        1 in 13,983,816 The Ohio Mega Millions:       1 in 175,711,536   You can purchase a ticket if you want to. After all, Paul wrote: “Everything is permissible—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible—but not everything is constructive” ( 1 Corinthians 10:23 ).   God says that there are better things to do with our money than to throw it away. Excess money should be saved for future needs or given to the Lord’s work, not gambled away ( 1 Corinthians 4:2 ).   Several other Biblical principles come into play regarding my conviction not to play the lottery.   The Bible clearly states that the lottery is a “get rich” scheme and “get rich” schemes are to be avoided at all costs. Solomon wrote from experience: “A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished” (Proverb 28:20). (See also Proverb 13:11; 23:5; and Ecclesiastes 5:10 .). The principle is that if we spend the same amount of time planning and investing as we do trying to get rich quick we will come out way ahead in the future.   Get rich schemes often tempt us away from trusting God as the real source of our financial security. They can lead us to trust more in our money than in our God. They can mess with our minds regarding the real dangers of materialism ( Matthew 6:24 ; 1 Timothy 6:10 ; and Hebrews 15:5 ).   People often ask, “Isn’t buying stocks like playing a long-term lottery?” No, investing in the stock market is not gambling. The difference is that in the stock market we actually own a portion of the companies that we invest in. We are buying something of value in the stock market.   Others ask, “Is it OK to play poker?”   Playing poker with friends is seldom a sin. Not enough money changes hands. We receive real value when we play poker with friends—the value of a good time and enhanced friendship. In one sense this can be the same as going to a movie with our friends. We buy a ticket and receive value in the form of enjoying the movie and in experiencing it together. We go to a good restaurant and pay money for an expensive meal. We receive value in the form of good food and a pleasant evening with our friends. By the way, I learned to play poker with our church staff gambling for matchsticks. We had a rollicking good time! I finally looked at my watch and it was 3:00 in the morning. Where did the evening go!   The danger here—whether it is the lottery, or the poker, or the casino is when someone gambles to the extent that they or their families can’t afford food, bills can’t be paid, children can’t be clothed, addictions begin, drinking to excess occurs, and on and on goes the list. The danger here is if we begin to love money.   When we buy a ticket we become participants in the wicked and immoral ways that our governmental leaders use a lottery to steal from the poor people.   The state government says, “We need more money for education (or whatever) in our state. How can we pay for it (get the money)?” Instead of admitting that we can’t afford it, or that we have to make cuts in other programs because of new priorities, the government officials decide: “Let’s have a lottery that the poor and stupid can play. The rub is that people who have money or who are wise don’t buy lottery tickets. The percentage of tickets bought by the people who can least afford it is out the roof.   The Bible has nothing good to say about entities or people who rob the poor.   He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty (Proverb 22:16).   Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them (Proverb 22:22-23).   People can go to Las Vegas and have fun. We have. The glitter is incredible. Excitement is all around. Good things for families to participate in abound. But there is more to Las Vegas than the “Strip”. The real city is two blocks away on the other side of the Strip. Here we find residential areas with real life people and schools and stores just like any other city.   The tragedy of Las Vegas is not the multitude of people who live and act in moderation while spending time in “Sin City—among other things. The tragedy is the poor people who will not win. After all there is a reason that the House always wins. All the games are rigged.   The sign at the First Baptist church loudly announces, “We have no money to give out.” I asked the pastor about it. He said, “We have three or four people every day come knocking at our door who’ve lost all their money and need help with meals, a place to stay, or a bus ticket home. We’ve helped all we can. We have nothing left. We must turn them away. I am sorry for the church; but the church is not the problem. The gambling industry ensconced in Las Vegas is the problem. Their entire system from dark rooms with no clocks so people lose track of time to free food in buffet lines so people can eat and hurry back to gambling all entice the wasting of more and more money. The casino is designed to oppress the poor and to separate the foolish from their money.   Can you have fun in Las Vegas without sinning? Sure, if your conscience is clear and you have balanced limits, keeping in mind the dangers and pitfalls, you can play the slots and receive the value of a fun experience. But, remember Paul’s advice: “All things are permissible, but not all things are profitable.”   Paul gave an intriguing picture of what happens when the line is crossed and we trust more in our money than in the God we worship. Paul addressed this in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 ).    (6) But godliness with contentment is great gain. (7) For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. (8) But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. (9) Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.   Here is the Biblical formula for real wealth .A good paraphrase of verse six is, “Being pleasing toward God coupled with contentment equals great wealth.”   Verses nine and ten are rather strong, aren’t they? This verse is talking about “those who would be rich…” In other words, “those who set a goal in life of accumulating wealth fall into the trap that leads to ruin and destruction.”   The sin of materialism is the desire to get rich. It is not the possession in and of itself. It is not making a profit in business… having property… but it is the desire to be rich… it is the longing for material things.   Notice what Paul says happens to the person who desires to be rich! He falls into temptation and a trap. It is the trap of materialism. Then he falls into many foolish and harmful desires which – watch it – plunge him into ruin and destruction.   Now, it doesn’t matter whether wealth is sticking to your fingers or slipping through. It doesn’t matter what your level of affluence is… what the size of your bank account is… The question is, What is your attitude toward it?   “Pierced themselves” is an interesting phrase. It literally means to put on a spit. You know what a spit is. You put a raw piece of meat on a spit and then turn it over again and again over an open fire.   I want you to get the picture portrayed here. Instead of putting a piece of chicken or beef on a spit, suppose you put a live human being on the spit and turn him over and over again and roast him on an open fire–a fire ignited by the very material things he has chased after! This is a picture of torture. It is a metaphorical picture of a person torturing his own soul.   Believers who are guilty of being eager for money will ultimately end up being tortured in their own souls.   I want to suggest to you a paraphrase of verses 9-10 which is intended to bring out the richness of the Greek text in order to sum up the essential message of these verses. I don’t claim that this is perfect; but I believe that it will help to make the central message clear:   “They that accept becoming rich as a goal in life fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and hurtful cravings which ruin lives and lead men to hell. For the love of money is the source from which all kinds of wvil can originate. Some Christians have grasped after wealth and have gone into a reverse spiritual growth process, and have tortured their souls with their sorrows.”   Do you think that those are strong words? I haven’t been able to find any stronger words in the Bible addressed to Christians than these right here.   I think that I know why. Because the sin of materialism is essentially the sin of idolatry. It is the worship of a false god.   Fortunately, Paul goes on to tell us how to find victory and contentment in our struggle with materialism.   He says, “run away from materialism and run toward godliness and holiness.   Well, T, I suppose you will need to answer your own question. The Bible is silent on the subject. Discern what your conscience is saying and live accordingly. I really appreciate your question. It is so timely and relevant in a society that has lost its way in using money wisely.   Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I am from Malaysia and we live in a country with mixed races. Islam is the main religion and whoever embrace Islam cannot be converted to other religion but if you are from other religion you are allowed to convert to Islam. If you are to marry a Muslim girl, you first need to convert and then you are allowed to marry her.   My son was brought up the Christian way and was baptized and confirm in the Methodist Church. The problem is that he intend to marry a Muslim girl and he need to convert to Islam before he can married this girl. We have advise him many, many times not to get involved. Now he is converted and we have disown him for he have disgrace the family and God. What is your advice? Thanks   Dear Thanks, I know how much you are hurting about your son’s conversion to Islam. Unfortunately, this was his choice and you cannot undo what has occurred, though God is powerful and can change his heart, as well as the heart of his new wife.   What you do now is really important in whether he remains a Muslim and whether or not your daughter-in-law finds Jesus as her personal savior and becomes a Christian. I know that it is against the law for her to convert and that her family ties demand that she stay with her family in Islam. Nevertheless, don’t give up hope. The love of Jesus Christ is powerful in drawing people from many religions and backgrounds to His heart. There is hope that your son can return to Christianity and that she chooses to follow Christ as well.   I think that it is best if you stop disowning your son and receive him back into your family in welcome and love. Your relationship with him is most important.   Who knows, if you receive him and welcome him back into the family, then he might be so impressed by your love that he might even one day come back to Jesus.   The same thing goes for your new daughter-in-law. Wouldn’t it be thrilling if she converted to Christianity!   The best way for her to become a Christian is to know and see Christians in loving relationships with each other. Love attracts.   “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” ( John 13:35 ).   The best chance for her to experience the love of Christ is in your presence–to see love abounding in your family. Who wants to believe in a Savior who causes Christian parents to throw their son out of their family? She needs to experience your love and acceptance. When she sees how much you love her and your son, she may decide that love is more attractive than Islam .   I know you are praying for his soul. I will join you in praying for him. Pray for your daughter-in-law, also. Jesus takes the way we see people and flips it upside down. His love moves us to love everyone, including Muslims. Let God speak to you as you read this article from Frontiers USA. 1) God loves Muslims! Muslims are loved by God in the same way that He loves all people. Like all humans, Muslims are created in the image of God ( Genesis 1:26-27 ). Like all humans, Muslims sin and fall short of God’s glory ( Romans 3:23 ). Like all humans, God loved them so much that He sent His Son, so that those who believe in Jesus will have eternal life ( John 3:16 ). 2) God calls Muslims to Himself! God designed all of us to seek after Him. That includes Muslims. “From one man, He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth…God did this so men would seek Him and perhaps reach out to Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being” ( Acts 17:24-31 , espec. 26,30). Like you and I, God has placed “eternity in their hearts” ( Ecclesiastes 3:11 ). 3) Muslims are our neighbors. Whether in America or in the Middle East, the overwhelming majority of Muslims are peace-loving, hospitable people. 4) Muslims are people like us! Most Muslims are concerned about the same things as you and I. They want to raise their children well, they are concerned about rising crime and pornography, and they work hard to pay their bills and survive. Like us, most Muslims decry human suffering and violence between peoples. Like many westerners, a large majority of Muslims yearn for peace, friendship, and a happy life. 5) God is at work among Muslims! Many Muslims are sensitive to God and spiritual things. Because they fear God and are aware of spiritual reality, Muslims often speak of how God appeared to them through dreams and visions (see Acts 10:1-8 for an example of this). Stories abound of healings because of God’s power through Jesus’ name. An increasing number of Muslims are hungry to know about God’s dramatic work through Jesus. 6) We are spiritually related. All Muslims look to ‘Ibrahim’ (Abraham) as “our forefather” ( Romans 4:1 ). Since those who follow Jesus call Abraham “the father of all who believe” ( Romans 4:11 ), that makes us ‘cousins’ ! Like us, Muslims believe in one true God, the Creator of all peoples. 7) They value our Holy Book and Jesus. The Qur’an specifically commends the Torat (books of the Law, the first five books of the Bible); the Zibur (the Psalms, or wisdom literature); and the Injil (the Gospels). According to the Qur’an, Jesus was sent by God to earth; He healed many during his ministry; and He is returning to judge the living and the dead. 8) Muslims have some things to teach us. Muslims take the spiritual world very seriously and generally are more open to discuss spiritual issues. They have a very high respect for God and His power. Muslims place a high value on community and loyalty. Hospitality is very important to them. These are qualities that most westerners appreciate in their Muslim friends. 9) God made promises to their ancestors. Many Muslims look to ‘Ibrahim’ (Abraham) as their ancestor through his first son, Ishmael. God made this promise to Ibrahim: “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation” ( Genesis 17:20 ). God fulfilled this promise, for there are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world today! 10) God promised that Muslims who follow Jesus will be part of the multitudes who are gathered about the Throne of God. When God gathers all His people at the end of time, there will be representatives from every people group on the earth, “from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing before the Throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes . . . crying out in a loud voice, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne . . .”( Revelation 7:9 , 10 )! www.frontiersusa.org . Used by permission.

Hi Roger, Last night I dreamt that Satan tried to possess me during my unconscious state. I called on Jesus and at first his name could not come out of my mouth but a very vile inhuman sound was coming from my throat and my body was shaking terribly. I had a pentagram marked on my right leg that I discovered after dreaming of enticing an old boyfriend from college to sleep with me…in my dream….my stomach was swollen with an inguinal hernia or with Satan because after my stomach swelled, I noticed the pentagram and suddenly called on Jesus…because   in my unconscious state, I knew that I was a child of God. After the horrible take over of my body, and voice, I tried calling again as loud as I could…and I suddenly woke up! I did not return to sleep until daybreak after asking believers on Facebook to pray for me.   Had I allowed Satan to take a foothold of my spirit? Is that possible? Did I somehow make myself susceptible to satanic attacks, by having unconscious longings? I haven’t seen my exboyfriend since 1987; he’s happily married and I have no desire to be a home wrecker. In my dream, I did not care if he were married or not….I was not saying anything remotely Christian to him; but only interested in fleshly desires. Can Satan take over when we think ungodly thoughts conscious or unconscious?   Could Satan mark me as his b/c my thoughts were impure conscious or unconscious even though I have given my life to Christ and repented of my sins and waking with Jesus daily? I know that Jesus has not given me a spirit of fear, and that the blood of Jesus has made me whole, and also He is greater than Satan and all of his demonic forces…but why did I dream such a nightmare….something so vile and evil….seeming to possess me? Sincerely, Catherine Dear Catherine,   My first impression is that your dream was a reflection of a really, really, really bad day. Of course, upon further review, much more was going on.   Can Satan control your sub-conscious? No.   Can Satan control or influence your consciousness? Yes.   Your dream reminds me of the night one of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, watched a demonic spirit “glide” past his eyes in the darkness. He was having a rough night and was in a “deep sleep” when the dream apparition scared him senseless—just like your dream scared the life out of you.   A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it. Amid disquieting dreams in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake. A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end. It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice: . . . ( Job 4:12-16 ).   This passage is difficult to interpret properly. So many questions arise. However, it is significant that the “demonic form” proceeded to give Eliphaz the working outline for Job’s three friends to use in judging and tormenting Job for the next thirty chapters or so.   Your experience matches Eliphez’s—awakening from a deep sleep into a full blown satanic attack .   We will keep this discussion simple. For our purposes, consciousness occurs when we are awake; we are in a sub-conscious state when we are asleep.   As I read the first paragraph of your letter it seems to me that your inability to call out for Jesus may have been some sort of satanic attack; however, it seems quite possible that the hand-off between your sub-conscious and your conscious was fumbled momentarily and neither entity was in control.   When we go to sleep our conscious mind makes a “hand-off” to our sub-conscious. Perhaps you’ve been almost asleep when you suddenly jumped and were wide awake. The conscious mind was handing control to the sub-conscious mind and the transition was poorly made—and vice-versa.   When we sleep our brains produce chemicals to paralyze our bodies. Otherwise, we would act out our dreams . Sleep walkers have a deficiency of these chemicals—some more than others.   Perhaps you were coming out of the “paralyzed” state and thus couldn’t move or speak until the transition of control was returned to your conscious mind. You were hindered from calling out the name of Jesus until the transition was complete and then you were back in control of your voice and able to call out for Jesus.   Eliphaz’s demonic dream occurred in that transition moment from “paralyzed” subconscious sleep to wakeful consciousness ( Job 4:12-16). I postulate that you were not fully awake when you called out for Jesus. The timing described in your first paragraph makes me think it is possible that your entire dream occurred completely and rapidly as your conscious brain was struggling to take the handoff from your sub-conscious.   However the scenario may or may not apply to you, there is no doubt that you awakened terrified and afraid and in the midst of a full-blown satanic attack.   May I answer your questions with some of my personal observations regarding your experience in light of Biblical truth?   I do not believe that Satan can enter, influence or control our subconscious minds. His attacks are limited to the times when we are fully awake and can defend ourselves.   It is possible for Satan to grab a “foot hold” in our lives. Paul tells us that this may occur if we continue to sin again and again in the same area. Control of that particular area is ups for grabs and if Satan gains control we must repent of our sin (which you did) and pray for Satan to depart. When the sin is forgiven Satan no longer has a foothold ( James 4:7 ).   I don’t believe that our subconscious longings can be sins. After all, by definition we cannot know what is occurring in our sub-conscious.   I don’t believe that we can sin during our dreams. You did not sin when you dreamed about “fleshly” longings for your old boyfriend.   As Christians, we can open up our lives to Satanic attacks. My guideline is as follows: “Any area of our lives not in full surrender to the Holy Spirit is open to attack by a demonic spirit.”   God has given to us every “tool” we need to over come satanic attacks.   Julie and I go to bed praying for the Lord to build a spiritual, Holy Spirit hedge of protection around us as we sleep. We travel a lot. We spiritually “clean out” every hotel room in order to remove any satanic activity that may have occurred in that room.   We overcome satanic influences in our lives by resisting the Devil when he attacks. When we demand that he flee from our presence he must depart, as you affirmed earlier in your letter: “Greater is he than is in us than he that is in the world!”   Wisely, you didn’t attempt to handle the satanic attack alone. You enlisted the help of other Christians.   Catherine, the Bible is filled with dreams. I think it will be profitable for us to delve into the subject just a little more.   No one knows all the reasons why we sleep. We do know that getting too little sleep is harmful in both the long and short term. A group of MIT masters’ level students were kept awake for 48 hours. eeg Brain scans then revealed that their brain functioning was indistinguishable from those of schizophrenics.   Most dreams are what we might call normal. They are pleasant, enjoyable experiences—if we remember them at all. Our brains covet sleep as the time that our sub-conscious processes the events in our lives. Dream studies reveal that most of the events that occur in our lives are laid down permanently in long-term memory during our sleeping hours. Regretably, as we grow older, our brains become less and less proficient at locking in memories as we sleep.   Obviously much processing occurs in our subconscious as we sleep. We may discover that our subconscious brings up repressed memories that need revealing and healing. Perhaps issues in our lives are need attention and resolution. Perhaps God has a message to share with us—a lesson, encouragement, comfort, warning or direction—just to name a few.   The Bible is filled with dreams chock full of meaning. If these dreams were important in Bible times, then we can suspect that they are important in our lives as well.   Some are nightmares (Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of coming world empires– Daniel 2 ). Some are warnings (Gabriel to Joseph warning about fleeing to Egypt– Matthew 2 ). Some give advice (Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dream about seven good years of abundant harvests to be followed by seven lean years of harvest– Genesis 41 ). Some are daydreams (Joseph interacting with his brothers– Genesis 37:19 ). Some are prophetical (Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of his coming insanity–( Daniel 4 ). Some dreams give guidance (Paul’s vision about going to Macedonia–( Acts 16:6-10 ). Some dreams carry messages (Gabriel explaining to Joseph about why Mary was pregnant–( Matthew 2:20-25 ).   In the last days God’s people will have many dreams to share about the Kingdom of God ( Joel 2:28-29 ).   Catherine, I hope you are getting the idea that God often speaks in dreams. It is OK to analyze and/or consider that they have special meaning for us. The same reasons God used dreams in the Old Testament are the same reasons that He gives dreams to us as well.   It is possible that the awful nightmare you experienced may have tucked inside of it a lesson or word of victorious living. In the midst of your terror you didn’t stumble. You knew to go straight to Jesus. I hope you learned that no matter how treacherous and tormenting is the satanic attack, relief is just a prayer away.   Thanks for the good question. I hope you find some helpful things to consider as you digest my answer.   God bless you for great days ahead.   Love, Roger

Dear Roger,   A friend told me that Demons rule over nations. Is that right? Sincerely, Quinn   Dear Quinn,   Yes, your friend is right. According to the Bible, every nation has one or more demons assigned to wreak havoc on the people in that nation. It is fair to say that every nation also has more than one angel who seeks to bring prosperity to that nation. A tremendous spiritual battle is going on behind the scenes for the good-or bad–of every nation.   Daniel 10 records the story of a messenger angel, Gabriel, who appears to Daniel as a man. The angel was sent to answer Daniel’s questions about when the Seventy-Years -Babylonian-Captivity would end.   The story really begins in Daniel 9 when Daniel was confessing Israel’s sin and praying for forgiveness for his people. While he was praying, the angel Gabriel arrived to give him an answer about God’s upcoming plans for Israel.   Gabriel told Daniel that his prayer was answered three weeks earlier. The reason for the delay in getting the message to him was that the “Prince of Persia,” engaged Gabriel in battle and impeded his progress. Michael the Archangel was dispatched to neutralize the Prince of Persia and free Gabriel to continue his journey to deliver God’s “Truth” to Daniel. The Prince of Persia was a demonic spirit that ruled over the land of Persia.   As chapter 10 begins Gabriel tells Daniel that he will soon return again to fight with the Prince of Persia. Gabriel tells Daniel that Michael the Archangel is the only one assigned to assist Gabriel in his fight and together they will overcome the Prince. Gabriel reveals that his next assignment is to fight against the “Prince of Greece.”     As described in places like Job 1-2 spiritual battles between demonic and angelic hosts affect earth and are occurring behind the scenes all the time.   When the Bible talks about “nations” it’s good to remember that oftentimes a synonym for “nations” would be “people groups.” Most national lines are artificially drawn. For example, think about Iraq. The Iraqi people live in the southern part of the country. The North is dominated by the Kurds. Kurdish people overflow into Turkey. Both Turkey and Iraq persecute the Kurds mercilessly. As far as “people groups” are concerned we have three “nations” here: Iraq; Turkey; and what we might call, “Kurdia”.   The spiritual battles over nations manifest themselves on earth in economic, sociopolitical realms.   For example, it’s hard to imagine the state of Nevada as being anything other than demonized. Gambling, prostitution, Mafia activities, drunken-inspired weddings, lewd dancing and floor shows, out of control use of drugs, alcohol abuse, abortions and broken lives are more than just sins of the flesh as described by Paul in Ephesians Chapter Four. The demonic strongholds in that state are practically unshakable.   In the biblical tradition, I believe that it’s safe to say that the Prince of Nevada is having a heyday!   While it appears that some demonic spirits are assigned to specific territories, others are free to roam here and. For example, in Daniel 12:1 we ’re told that Michael the Archangel is the protector of “God’s people” Israel. Not all of God’s people live within the boundaries of Israel. Michael fights to protect God’s people wherever they may be.   THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT SATAN IS THE RULER OF THIS PRESENT EARTH.   One of the clearest indicators of Satan’s ruling the nations of the world is revealed during the wilderness temptation of Christ:   “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ’I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to. So, if you worship me it will all be yours” (Luke: 4:5-7).   The point is that Jesus did not challenge Satan’s claim. Satan really is the ruler of this present world ( John 12:31 ; 16:11 ).   Paul acknowledged this in 2 Corinthians: 3-4:   “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”   SATAN WORKS THROUGH FALLEN ANGELS AND ORGANIZED GROUPS.   In several places Paul mentions that Satan’s kingdom is arranged in demonic hierarchies. We might call this Satan’s Command Structure. Other passages which describe the demonic levels of organization are found in Romans 8:38 ; Ephesians 3:10 ; Colossians 1:16 ; and Colossians 2:15 .   The most complete example is in Ephesians 6:10-12 :   “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” ¶   Notice that our fight is not against “flesh and blood.” Often we feel that we are fighting against people. Paul wants us to know that oftentimes our battles are really with the spirits who are operating in and/or around a person. Of course, battles are not always demonic struggles. Many times we’re just fighting with the “flesh”.   We might describe the RULERS as the generals who rule over nations. They develop strategy and tactics designed to wreck havoc in the nation.   We might describe the AUTHORITIES as full Colonels who have the responsibility and authority to fulfill the general orders.   We might describe the POWERS as the lieutenants and noncommissioned officers who are actually involved in on-the-ground combat.   We might describe the FORCES OF EVIL as the corporals and privates who follow the Powers into battle.    Jesus taught that some demons are more powerful than others. They are obviously higher up the ladder. Jesus said that some can only be forced out with prayer and fasting. Others are easier to dislodge.   EXAMPLES OF DEMONS TAKING OVER NATIONS   THE PAST   Adolf Hitler, aided by the Prince of Germany dabbled with his closest officers in witchcraft and mind numbing drugs: fifty million people died.   Joseph Stalin worked with the Prince of Russia to murder thirty million people during and after WWII.   Demonic inspired leaders led by the Princes of Sudan, Uganda, the Congo and Cambodia committed genocide murdered millions of men, women and children.   The Aztecs in Mexico and the Incas in Peru practiced human sacrifice. God calls this an abomination. Human sacrifice is never God’s plan; human sacrifice was a demonic practice. Unfortunately, the Princes of Mexico and Peru deceived the national rulers into committing horrible atrocities.   I would love to have watched as the 9-11 terrorists stood before God and judgment. God asked, “Why did you do it? What were you thinking?” “We did it because Allah told us to; that’s what we were thinking.” “It was not Allah. You were seduced by the Prince over Al Qaeda. Now, go to hell. I have a special place prepared for you there.”   THE PRESENT   It’s impossible to describe Al Qaeda or ISIL as nations. They are demonically inspired terrorists united under a single set of beliefs that transcends national lines. Nevertheless, for those nice to see, the Princes of Al Qaeda and ISIL are hard at work.   The demonic spirit who rules over Singapore, “Pa”, demands worship above all other gods.   In Tibet demonic powers have ruled over the nation for ages.   In Indonesia’s “cities of devils” demonism, witchcraft and spiritism hold sway.   THE FUTURE   In Revelation Chapter Twelve Satan, who was identified by Paul as the Prince of the Air, is kicked out of heaven to the earth where he instigates unimaginable horrors.   In Revelation 20 Satan and his Rulers, Authorities, Powers and Forces of Evil are judged by God and cast into the Lake of Fire.   WHAT CHRISTIANS CAN DO   1. We live by the principles of the kingdom of God in order to push back the Darkness.   2. We remain aware of impending satanic attacks as described in 1 Peter 5:8 : “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil goes around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”   3. Every demonic issue is a prayer project. So, we pray daily for spiritual battles to be won worldwide. Personally, I find it encouraging to pray for victory for my guardian angel as he fights spiritual battles on my behalf. I’d like to think that he and I are close friends.   4. We use every means possible to restore truth, values and justice to our nation.   5. We utilize Jesus marching orders as recorded in Luke Chapter Four and Isaiah Chapter Sixty-One to preach the gospel to the lost and care for the hurting and for the victims of our society.   6. We Christians must love each other according to Jesus’ words in John 13 so that we may show the world the attractive, agape love of Jesus.   THE UNITED STATES   No nation lasts forever. We are most naïve if we think that our country will be different.   I doubt that America will be overrun by a foreign country. I believe that, like the Roman Empire which lasted for 400 years, America will slowly implode.   I could write for hours about the erosion of common values, overwhelming selfishness, economic decay and the downward spiral of honest, moral national political officials. I’m certain that the Prince over America is quite pleased with what’s happening.   If you were to ask me what was the one watershed event that will guarantee the failure of our country, I would say it was the day that the Supreme Court ordered the Ten Commandments out of the public schools.   The problem is that the court failed to put in their place a set of common values which would provide a moral foundation for all of us to live by –especially for our children to personally assimilate.   Well, Quinn, I hope that you find this answer helpful.   Sincerely, Ask Roger   P.S. You may wonder why angels do not win more battles. The reason is because Satan and his forces now rule over the world. So what good is it to have angels fight? The answer is simple. Think how much worse off the world would be without Angels struggling against the Evil One and his Minions.   This coming a time when God will hold back evil; but that day is yet to come.   P.P.S Let me encourage you to read Frank Peretti’s book, “This Present Darkness.” You may or may not agree with all of his theology and/or biblical interpretations. That’s okay. What you will receive is realistic feeling and insight into the spiritual battles between Angels and Demons which affect us all.