The last word about Moses as a person in the Old Testament leaves him in the grave. But what happened to him; what happens to us after that? The New Testament delivers a glimpse of Jesus transfigured and talking with Moses and Elijah. Soul sleepers are those who believe that the spiritual component of a human being is "asleep" until the return of Christ, yet that theory does not quite fit the story found in Luke 9:28-36. This is a vision, but it is not a vision of a future resurrection. They spoke of what was to take place at that time not in the future. There is no basis in the context for that theory. Most Christians take the verses at face value and do not even try and retrofit them to a half-baked notion. On face value, it is an interesting and encouraging glimpse of life after death.

Why did Jesus reject a formerly mentally ill man from going with him? The story is in Mark 5:18-20 and it is a great object lesson for us. As we see our earnest requests declined at times, it is obvious that many of us do not handle rejection well. Our focus is on the desired result and we have not given thought to alternatives. The man now healed of his demons, showed remarkable mental health as he faced rejection. Instead of getting upset, he focused on the alternative suggestion made by Jesus. It was not his place to be one of the twelve, but his calling was to go and tell "everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been." We too are given a similar assignment. What has God done for us? Can we start with life, breath and health? How merciful has God been?

A Christian in a healthy church may eventually run across these two words. Some will dismiss them as just for theologians to understand. Cults avoid them because these tools expose their false doctrines. Those who really wish to explore the Bible will desire to become proficient in both. Hermeneutics involves methods of proper Bible study and exegesis is the result. Some may say that the Holy Spirit leads me into all truth (John16:13), and therefore I don't need anyone else. The truth is that he illuminates the Scriptures to the whole church and not just a corner. So, if our interpretation is very different, perhaps we may need to take a second look. We don't have to become proficient in Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and German to become good Bible students. We have tools available to us from those who are experts: commentaries. The best commentaries go into great detail.

Why did Jesus allow Legion his way? The story is told in Mark 5 where Jesus confronted the demons in an insane man. They asked his permission to enter a herd of 2,000 swine. Knowing the destructive potential of evil, why did Jesus allow it? The issue is broader than this event. It begs the question as to why God allows evil at all. God has given us freedom to choose. He does not revoke that decision even if we choose incorrectly. The destruction of a very large swine herd is an object lesson of the ultimate purposes of evil. Those who let it possess them are also allowing something into their lives that is disposed to destroying them. God allows evil in this world for now, not because he enjoys it, but because he hopes that we will learn not to choose it forever.

There are times when the storms of life overwhelm us, and it seems as if God is asleep. Jesus Christ was certainly asleep when a raging storm threatened his disciples on Lake Galilee. The story is in Mark 4:35-41. Like those disciples, we may very well ask God, "Don't you care if we perish?" Sometimes when we pray to God in heaven, we may also be in terror and panicked. The situations we sometimes face put even the most patient and calm person to the test. How often do easygoing and coolheaded people become hysterical and fearful under adversity? We tend to mirror our circumstances and scoff at miracles, until we really need one. We plead for Jesus to intervene and when he does, he may ask, "Don't you have any faith?" And we may ask ourselves, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"