Love Thy Neighbor?

As a minister of the gospel, one thing that irritates me is when people handle the word of God deceitfully (2 Corinthians 4:2) to get something they want without acknowledging all of its commands. Sometimes I deal with pushy panhandlers who insist the Bible commands me to “feed the poor.” I reply by pointing out the Bible also says, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) 

During a recent vaccine mobilization event in Detroit, Vice President Kamala Harris declared we should all get vaccinated because it is “…the very essence of what the Bible tells us when it says, ‘Love thy neighbor.’ Right?” Wrong! Jesus actually said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Yes, we should look out for the welfare of others. That doesn’t mean we have to neglect our own. If vaccinations are so wonderful, why are vaccinated people still getting COVID-19? Others who have gotten jabbed have experienced side effects and even died!

On a related note, I’m so tired of people using the “love your neighbor” mantra to promote mask mandates. While I wore one on a Southwest flight a few months ago, the pilot announced on the intercom he was wearing a mask for me just like I was wearing one for him. Baloney! The pilot was inside the cockpit, where he is not required to put on a mask.

James 2:8-9 repeats the “love your neighbor” command but then goes on to say, “…if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” Governments and businesses are now offering rewards and perks to the vaccinated. I see this as bribery and discrimination. 

Love doesn’t pressure people to do questionable things that could harm their health. The best way for Christians to “love your neighbor” is not by getting vaccinated or wearing a mask but by obeying the Great Commission, which includes healing the sick.

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons…they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” - Mark 16:15, 17-18

Should Christians Vaccinate?

This year’s coronavirus pandemic has stirred up debates within the body of Christ regarding churches meeting in person and the moral aspects of wearing masks. Another issue that has come up is vaccinations. Some Christians have talked of getting one for COVID-19 when that becomes available. Others like myself balk at the idea. The financial elite are using this “plandemic” to push a socialist agenda and reduce the world’s population. (For more information on this, I recommend reading “The Phantom Virus” by Rodney Howard-Browne and Paul L. Williams.)

The medical practice of vaccinating has been around for just over two centuries. People in the Bible lived long lives without them. Nevertheless, there are vaccinations necessary in today’s society. I received a few as a boy before starting school. I also recall getting shots in 1985 while being inducted into the U. S. Army. Vaccinations are required to enter selected countries. If I were to go to India, for example, I would need to make sure I’m inoculated for hepatitis A, tetanus, and typhoid.

Many will argue diseases like polio and measles have been contained through vaccinations. However, there are reports of vaccines connected with the spread of autism. A close friend of mine who worked twenty years as a special education teacher can verify this. Recently, a worship leader I know posted a Facebook comment about his intent on getting a COVID-19 vaccine. One woman replied by pointing out her two-year-old niece “was killed by vacs - made me research and was horrified.”

Every winter, I see advertisements for flu shots. That reminds me of a story told by Kenneth Copeland. One time when his children were young, Kenneth gathered his family in the living room and announced it was time to take their flu shots. The kids had concerned looks on their faces until their father clarified to get their Bibles out. They “injected” themselves with healing Scriptures.

God has equipped us with something else to fight off sickness. It’s called an immune system. Our personal decisions can strengthen or weaken it. The few times I’ve gotten sick as a Christian has mostly been the result of eating much junk food. Amish people undergo immunization at a lower rate than the general public but experience lower levels of diseases because of healthier diets. Proper hygiene also stops the spread of germs.

Whether or not you receive vaccinations is between you and the Lord. Christian doctors like Don Colbert approve of some but advise against others that contain harmful substances like mercury. Some vaccines use fetal tissues from abortions. I encourage those of you uneasy about taking a particular vaccination to follow your conscience. Ultimately, Jesus is our healer.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” - Colossians 3:15

Why I Resist Wearing Masks

Last week, a pastor in Florida asked his Facebook friends if they thought there was a political agenda behind the requirement of wearing face masks. I wrote a response saying there was (more on that later). The pastor originally liked my comment but then unfriended me after someone else posted an opposing viewpoint. Since this pastor allowed public comments on his wall, I then wrote: “It’s sad the devil is using masks to divide believers.” The pastor reacted by blocking me.

Days before I posted this on my social media pages: “What would Jesus do regarding COVID-19? I can’t imagine Him staying home and wearing a mask. He’d be out healing the sick.” That stirred up negative remarks from a minister’s wife I met four years ago. She insisted God wants us to wear masks and quoted Isaiah 26:20 claiming it’s a command to self-quarantine…

“Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.”

This verse was a command to Israel during a time of divine judgment. It had nothing to do with a pandemic. I kept reminding this woman Christians are under a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:6).

The coronavirus is real. I know a few people who have been infected including three elderly ministers who have recovered from it. What I dispute is the seriousness of the virus to where government leaders are forcing businesses and churches to shut down. The mainstream media continues to highlight the number of cases attributed to COVID-19. Yet I’ve seen increasing proof these statistics are inflated. 

One minister I know shared a story involving a woman in Tyler, Texas. She along with her husband and their children went to a place that provided free COVID-19 testing. After waiting in the hot sun for two hours, they left without getting tested. A few days later, they received a call from this place saying her entire family tested positive for the virus. She pointed out why that was impossible. The lady on the other end of the phone replied, “Oh, then never mind…disregard this message” and hung up. I've since heard many stories like this.

Despite many businesses opening up again, an increasing number of them are requiring customers to wear masks. This is mostly in areas where Democrat Party leaders are imposing ridiculous restrictions upon their constituents. I’ve refused to wear masks except in certain situations… 

• Two months ago, I flew to Denver to meet up with a friend for a road trip to his house in Virginia. Originally when my ticket was purchased, passengers weren’t required to wear masks but that changed days later. At the Minneapolis airport, I kept my mask off until hearing a Southwest employee announce they had to be on before boarding the plane. After getting settled in my seat, I noticed a woman nearby not wearing a mask at all. None of the flight attendants said anything to her. Therefore, I kept my mask off my face until we landed.

• Three weeks later, I went with a fellow missionary on a road trip from Virginia back to Minnesota. Twice I stopped to use the bathroom at businesses that posted signs saying masks were mandatory. I complied since it only took me a couple of minutes to use the toilet. 

• The following Monday, I showed up for an evangelism outreach at a local church. I was shocked to find out church leadership required us to wear masks. I still took part in the outreach but felt awkward considering this church preaches divine healing. Unless the Lord leads me otherwise, I will wait on going out on the streets with them again until the mask mandate is lifted.

• A couple of weeks later, I bought a new laptop computer at an electronics store that gave out masks at the front door. I put one on but kept the mask off my nose because it’s hard to breathe through those things (I’ve seen videos proving masks reduce oxygen intake and won’t stop the spread of many diseases include COVID-19).

I’m not judging brethren who choose to wear a mask. However, I wish some of them wouldn’t look down on us who trust in the Great Physician. One organization calling itself The Gospel Coalition recently released an article titled “4 Reasons to Wear a Mask, Even if You Hate It.” TGC has released other articles critical of ministers who preach a so-called “health and wealth gospel.” Healing is part of the atonement as well as salvation (Isaiah 53:5).

Some Christians say we should put on masks to “love your neighbor.” I agree we need to be sensitive to those fearful of the virus. Currently, I attend a church where the pastor has never worn a mask. He does have congregation members wearing them during services but haven’t been shamed for doing that. The best way to love your neighbor is obeying the Great Commission, which includes laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover (Mark 16:17-18).

Other mask-wearing Christians are quick to preach about “obeying the laws of the land.” Those in America need to be reminded this nation was founded by God-fearing men who stood up against tyranny from the king of England. Nowadays, pastors and congregations have been threatened with fines and jail time for having meetings. Meanwhile, politicians like New York City mayor Bill de Blasio encourage Black Lives Matter protest gatherings where “social distancing” (a phrase I now detest) isn’t practiced.

So how should Christians respond to the coronavirus? Test positive for faith, keep your distance from doubt, and isolate yourself from fear. I will trust God through this exaggerated pandemic without wearing a mask. What about you?

“And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.” - 2 Chronicles 16:12

March Madness

Every year at this time, fans flock to college basketball tournaments often referred to as March Madness. However, a new kind of craziness has affected this and other events. For the last few days, the airwaves have been dominated by reports concerning the coronavirus. Sporting events have been canceled. Schools are closing. Flights to the U. S. from Europe have been halted. Stores are being depleted of toilet paper and other necessities. I can imagine things like this happening after the church is raptured.

Some churches have canceled services in response to political leaders discouraging large gatherings of people. However, believers who know their authority in Christ can resist all diseases including the coronavirus. Back in 1910, a plague swept through portions of Africa. An American missionary named John G. Lake went over there to help and the plague never touched him. A doctor asked Lake what he’d been doing to protect himself. Lake replied…

“Brother, it is the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. I believe that just as long as I keep my soul in contact with the living God so that His Spirit is flowing into my soul and body, that no germ will ever attach itself to me, for the Spirit of God will kill it.”

Lake invited the doctor to take the foam from the lungs of a deceased plague victim and put it under a microscope. The doctor found masses of living germs. Then Lake told the doctor to spread the deadly foam on his hands. The doctor did so and the germs died instantly!

President Trump has declared today a national day of prayer. Instead of repeatedly sharing problems the coronavirus has created, let’s glorify the Solution to all this madness.

“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling” - Psalm 91:9-10

Disabled for Christ?

A friend of mine once sent me an email that intended to be a praise report. Due to personal health issues, he was approved to receive disability payments. This man became (as he called it) “disabled for Christ.”

In one way, it was good news my friend started receiving a consistent income stream. From the time I’ve known him, he’s struggled with finances and keeping a steady job. I can identify with creative individuals who have difficulties finding their niche in the workplace. Aside from that, my friend prefers to be in ministry and occasionally does volunteer work in that area.

On the other hand, I don’t consider being “disabled for Christ” a praise report. Immediately Philippians 4:13 came to my mind, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Sadly, there are people who don’t want to be healed for fear of losing money and people’s sympathy. It reminds of a joke I heard years ago…

A Republican with a hunched back entered a restaurant one afternoon and asked the waitress for a cup of coffee. He shuffled over to a booth, painfully sat down, and glanced across the restaurant and asked, “Is that Jesus over there?”

The waitress nodded, so the Republican said to give Jesus a cup of coffee, his treat.

The second patron to enter the restaurant was a Reform Party supporter on crutches. He hobbled over to a booth, sat down and hollered, “Hey there, sweet thang, how's about gettin' me a cold glass of Coke!”

He, too, looked across the restaurant and asked, “Is that God's boy over there?”

The waitress nodded, so he said to give Jesus a cold glass of Coke, on his bill.

The third patron to come into the restaurant was a Democrat in a wheel chair and he asked the waitress for a cup of tea. He also looked across the restaurant and asked, “Is that Jesus sitting over there?”

The waitress nodded “yes,” so he told her to give Jesus a cup of tea on him.

As Jesus got up to leave, He passed by the Republican, touched him and said, “For your kindness, you are healed.”

The Republican felt his back straightening up, and he rose up his hands, praised the Lord and did a series of back flips as he went out the door.

Then Jesus passed by the third party guy, touched him and said, “For your kindness, you are healed.”

The man felt the strength come back into his legs, got up, and danced a jig out the door.

Then Jesus walked towards the Democrat. Suddenly the Democrat jumped up and yelled, “Don't touch me...I'm drawing disability!”

I’m not saying it’s wrong to receive any form of government assistance. Personally I would like to see more done for our military veterans who sacrificed their lives to protect the freedoms we often take for granted. As a young Christian, I briefly collected unemployment benefits but didn’t feel comfortable with that. Once I submitted an application for subsidized housing but later found a place to live through a pastor I know. I felt this was a reminder believers should avoid looking to the government as their source of supply.

God wants to be our provider as well as our healer.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.” - Psalm 103:2-3

Natural and Supernatural Dentistry

As a full-time missionary, my needs are often met through non-monetary means such as hospitality offers and people giving me things without asking for them. On rare occasions, I have sought assistance from (mostly Christian) organizations. In November 2011, a filling came out while staying with friends in Minneapolis. Soon I heard about a ministry in St. Paul called the Union Gospel Mission, which provided free dental care for people considered “low income.” My first checkup there revealed other cavities in my mouth. I had those filled as well.

Since then I’ve returned to the Union Gospel Mission after two more fillings came out. The most recent happened just over a year ago. It was discovered the cavity in that tooth had grown to where another filling could not be put in permanently. The dentist advised me to either get a root canal (which I would have to pay for) or have the tooth extracted. Apart from the expense, I didn’t want a root canal after reading negative reports from people who had gotten one. I also wasn’t fond of having my tooth pulled. 

While researching alternative forms of dental care, I learned about oil pulling. Swishing a tablespoon of organic coconut oil in my mouth every day for 20 minutes can remove toxins and even reverse tooth decay. I went through a couple of jars of coconut oil without any noticeable problems with my tooth. I figured it was healed.

Then last Monday while chewing on a piece of licorice, I suddenly felt a throbbing sensation in my tooth that became very uncomfortable. For the next couple of days, I hardly slept at all. I called the Union Gospel Mission to schedule an extraction. The soonest they could get me in was the following Monday. 

In the meantime, I continued oil pulling and tried other natural remedies while praying for my tooth to be healed. God had done a miracle in my mouth before. In 1999 during a church service in Oklahoma, all my amalgam fillings suddenly turned into a whitish-gold color. I’ve also met people who experienced supernatural dentistry such as gold fillings and new teeth manifesting. However, my jaw started swelling and I decided to take immediate action. An abscessed tooth left untreated can cause serious health problems...even death! 

On Friday morning I walked into another clinic that provides discounted dental care on a sliding fee scale. The receptionist told me an X-ray plus an extraction would require a payment that day of around $200, which I didn’t have on me. Another customer who overheard my conversation mentioned a local government agency that could help me receive free health care right away. I didn’t have peace about pursuing that.

Instead, I went to a coffee shop until knowing what to do next. From there I emailed a friend who works in the medical field. The night before when I asked for her prayers, she offered to search for another place to possibly get my tooth pulled at no cost. To my surprise, my friend replied to my latest email urging me to go back to that dental clinic and offered to pay the bill with her credit card.

After X-rays were taken, the dentist warned excruciating pain might result if I got an extraction before taking antibiotics for a few days. I decided to go ahead with the extraction and silently asked the Holy Spirit to be my anesthesia but still had a novocaine injection. The extraction wasn’t painful at all. The dentist then removed the pus built up in my jaw and prescribed penicillin to eliminate any remaining infection. At the time of this writing, the swelling has almost totally disappeared.

While it’s God’s best for us to walk in divine health, sometimes He will guide us to see a physician. Many well-known evangelists labeled as “faith healers” also endorse natural medicine. Benny Hinn occasionally has doctors as guests on his TV program “This Is Your Day.” During one episode, Benny made a statement I’ve never forgotten: “Do what you can in the natural and God will move in the supernatural.”

Tooth problems can be painful but they don’t compare to the everlasting torment people will experience if they die without knowing the Great Physician.

“And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” - Matthew 25:30

Not On My Bucket List

The latest Internet craze to go viral is the Ice Bucket Challenge. By dumping a bucket of cold water on their heads, people from all walks of life have raised awareness and funds to fight Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ALS (also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”) is a progressive degeneration of the central nervous system, leading to the weakening of muscles and paralysis. 

My friends have expressed mixed reactions to the Ice Bucket Challenge. Some have participated believing it’s for a worthy cause. Others oppose it because many ALS organizations conduct embryonic stem cell research, which results in the killing of pre-born human life. A few God-fearing participants of the challenge have specified their donations go to pro-life organizations like the John Paul II Medical Research Institute in Iowa, which uses adult stem cells.

As for myself, I’ve chosen not to participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge. I’d rather give my time and money to organizations that minister divine healing. God can heal all kinds of diseases including ALS like what happened to one Michigan woman.

Incidentally, this is not meant as an attack on the medical community (I have an uncle who’s a doctor). Medical research can be beneficial to society when done ethically. However, it should be pointed out that during Jesus’ earthly ministry, He never referred anyone to Dr. Luke or some other physician. Whenever someone came to Him for healing, Jesus healed that person directly without the use of drugs. When Jesus hung on the cross, He was offered a type of drug to ease His pain but refused it. 

Under the New Covenant, believers are commanded to heal the sick. While healing can still manifest through doctors and medicine, I believe it’s God’s best for His people to walk in divine health. In 2 Chronicles 16:12-13, King Asa died because he sought help from the physicians instead of the Lord.

One Facebook friend offered this challenge that I will embrace: “Let’s spend one hour a day in the morning with Jesus and pray, worship and seek Him and He will dump a bucket of oil on your head.”

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” - Psalm 23:5

Toking the Ghost Revisited

Back in February 2007, a fellow missionary I was traveling with started talking about “smoking the weed from heaven.” He would pretend to have a joint of marijuana between his fingers and have “smoke breaks with Jesus.” He also encouraged other believers to take “hits.” I was a bit uncomfortable with this idea but didn't contest it.

Then in October of that year, I heard John Crowder preach on “toking the Ghost” at a church in my hometown of Fargo, North Dakota. I was inspired to make a video with John to share with my missionary friend. During the filming, I experienced much laughter. I decided to make the video public figuring other people might enjoy it also.

Two weeks later at a church in Minnesota, I heard Benjamin Dunn share testimonies of people getting healed from “toking the Ghost.” This was just before he and John Crowder started ministering together. I believed this was God confirming His word in the mouth of two or three witnesses. 

Many people were blessed by my “Tokin' the Ghost” video including those who got saved out of the drug culture. However, numerous individuals took issue with it. One woman emailed me saying she couldn’t find basis for it in Scripture, where there are plenty of references to the Holy Spirit being like wine. 

In response, I referred to the leaves from the tree of life mentioned in Revelation 22:2. Evangelist Jesse Duplantis testifies in his book “Close Encounters of the God Kind” that when he went to heaven in 1988, he saw people smell leaves for healing or when they felt weak. I suggested that has a similar effect as “toking the Ghost”, which is breathing in the presence of God.

This same woman also asked if I thought John Crowder and Benjamin Dunn have a genuine reverence for God. Only God knows their hearts. James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” John’s ministry is involved with taking care of orphans and “loving the lepers.”

Two years ago I decided to remove the “Tokin’ the Ghost” video from YouTube. In recent years, I’ve seen John teach things I thought were inaccurate and unscriptural. Therefore, I no longer endorse John’s ministry but still consider him a friend and brother in the Lord.

As far as I know, both John Crowder and Benjamin Dunn have stopped promoting “Toking the Ghost.” Their like-titled electronica CD is now out of print. Nevertheless, they continue to receive flak for preaching that. One man emailed me wanting to use my “Tokin’ the Ghost” video as part of an exposé on John Crowder’s ministry. I refused his request because I don’t want to give heresy hunters additional ammunition.

I used to get drunk on alcohol before becoming a Christian and yet “drinking of the Spirit” initially offended me. Since then I’ve embraced that just like “toking the Ghost.” Both of which are prophetic acts that I now rarely do in public. Even things clearly encouraged in the Bible such as speaking in tongues can be detrimental if done with the wrong motive or at the wrong time.

 “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside.” - Colossians 4:5

Rise Up and Walk!

A few years ago in Virginia Beach, Virginia, I attended a conference where Gordon Robertson (one of the hosts of “The 700 Club”) ministered on the importance of intercession and then instructed us to pray for each other.  At one point, a man in a wheelchair named Clay was handed the microphone and gave a few words of knowledge.  Clay called out the names of various diseases and people came forward to receive their healing.  Throughout the service, several people prayed for Clay to be healed from cerebral palsy.  The thought kept going through my mind, “Why won’t he just get up and walk?”

The Lord then instructed me to approach Clay.  After hesitating for a while, I finally went up front and told Clay I had a word for him.  Then I opened my Bible and read from Acts chapter 3 about the lame man at the temple gate…

3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”

5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.

6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Three people helped Clay get out of his wheelchair and take a few steps.  Although Clay didn’t walk under his own power, he commented that this was the loosest his muscles ever felt.  When Clay returned to his wheelchair, I shared with him how as a young man Kenneth E. Hagin was healed from a crippling disease.  Kenneth made a decision to believe God’s word, climb out of bed by hanging onto the bedpost, and then walk around in his room before he felt confident enough to go downstairs boldly proclaiming to his relatives that he was healed.

James 2:20 and verse 26 both say, “…faith without works is dead.”  Some healings won’t manifest until sick people take corresponding action to indicate they received the answer.  So if you find yourself in a wheelchair but believe God has healed you, don’t just sit there.  Rise up and walk!

“You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.” 

- James 2:22

Last Dance (on Earth) for Donna Summer

At the end of every year, the media reflects on the numerous celebrities who passed away during the previous twelve months. One who died this year was singer Donna Summer. The “Queen of Disco” succumbed to throat cancer on May 17th at the age of 63.

Donna grew up in Boston and originally sang in churches but gradually drifted away from the things of God until she rediscovered her Christian faith in 1980. That year she released an album called “The Wanderer”, which contained the track “I Believe in Jesus.” 

Donna’s recordings from the late 1970s appealed to me not so much because of her voice but because of the innovative sounds created by her producer Giorgio Moroder. His use of synthesizers in songs such as “I Feel Love” was ahead of its time. It was one of the things that inspired me to later create my own electronic tunes.

However, the anointing of God was certainly on Donna Summer’s voice. A few years ago while at a bookstore, I paged through Donna’s autobiography “Ordinary Girl: The Journey” and read testimonies of people who experienced supernatural healings as a result of listening to Donna’s music. 

Perhaps when I go home to be with the Lord, I will get to dance to Donna Summer singing along with God’s angels. Heaven knows how soon that might happen.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” - Mark 13:32

A Vow to Cherish

Christian television can be beneficial to one’s spiritual growth in addition to attending regular church services. Nevertheless, one shouldn’t blindly accept everything said by any preacher. We must be like the Bereans who “…searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

Recently one well-known minister was asked on TV for his counsel regarding a man whose wife suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Because the wife didn’t recognize her husband anymore, this man started seeing another woman. The minister replied by saying, “I know it sounds cruel, but if he’s going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her.”

The minister’s co-host reminded him that marriage vows include taking care of each other “for better or for worse” (the marriage vow also specifically mentions “in sickness and in health”). His immediate response to that was, “If you respect that vow, you say ‘til death do us part...This [Alzheimer’s] is a kind of death.” He went on to talk about a man he knew whose wife also had Alzheimer’s but still saw her every day until she died. In addition, the TV minister encouraged the viewer to “…get some ethicist besides me to give you the answer because I recognize the dilemma.”

While I honor this minister as a man of God, I must take exception to his initial advice. It’s one thing to divorce a spouse who is unfaithful and not willing to make the marriage work. But it’s another thing if your spouse becomes incapacitated. Jesus said in Luke 6:31, “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” If you were married and suddenly became bedridden, wouldn’t you want your spouse by your side?

This reminds me of the Terri Schiavo case in Florida a few years ago. In 1990, Terri collapsed due to cardiac arrest and was in a near vegetative state for 15 years. Terri’s husband Michael repeatedly petitioned the courts to have his wife’s feeding tube removed against her parents’ wishes. In the meantime, Michael Schiavo moved in with another woman and fathered two children out of wedlock before Terri died in 2005. Although one might sympathize with Michael’s desire to have normal marital relations again, he still committed adultery.

I also recall Billy Graham’s film ministry releasing a movie in 1999 called “A Vow to Cherish.” Ken Howard played the part of a business executive caring for his wife (portrayed by Barbara Babcock) whose memory was failing due to Alzheimer's. While I personally found the movie depressing, I liked that it showed a husband willing to remain faithful to his wife despite his brother and a new female friend suggesting he “move on” with his life.

God is bigger than any disease and can bring healing to anyone including the elderly and those with Alzheimer’s. As long as a sick spouse is breathing, there is still hope for recovery.

“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” - Deuteronomy 34:7