Hello friends this is Doug Batchelor. I wonder would you like to hear a few amazing facts about the ocean? Well for starters did you know that 94 percent of life on earth lives in the water, yet we have only explored less than 5 percent of the earth’s oceans. In fact we have better maps of the moon and Mars than we do of the ocean’s floor.
The largest mountain range in the world is beneath the sea called the mid-oceanic ridge and this chain of mountains runs more than thirty-five thousand miles through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean into the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It has underwater peaks higher than those found in the Alps. And it comprises more than twenty-three per cent of the earth’s total surfaces. Well we all know that about 70 percent of the world is covered by ocean.
If when you consider that sunlight doesn’t penetrate more than three hundred and thirty feet below the water that means the average depth of the world’s oceans are about twelve thousand feet. Most of the planet is then in a state of perpetual darkness. Did you know that the Bible says that someday all of the world will be plunged into darkness for over a thousand years? Stay with us friends we are going to learn more as “Amazing Facts” brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live”.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Batchelor: Welcome listening friends to “Bible Answers Live” and that is what this program is all about. If you have a question regarding the word of God you can make a call and it is a free call in North America 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297. We have lines open if you have a question and one more time 1-800-463-7297. And we also have resources that we make available during the program and I will need to give you a separate number for that in just a moment. My name is Doug Batchelor and Pastor Jean Ross is returning tonight from a speaking appointment this weekend and he sends his regards, but with the help of our studio crew we are going to see if we can win this program.
We always start with a word of prayer. Father in heaven thanks to you for your blessings and we just pray that your presence will be here. And we pray Lord that you will bless in the nature of the questions that come in. We ask for the truth in the answers that we seek and I ask that we are all transformed just a little more like Jesus as a result of this study. We ask in Christ Jesus’ name. Amen.
Well friends maybe you are wondering about that amazing fact we did. I think it is fascinating because when you consider that the average depth of the worlds’ oceans is over twelve thousand feet. And sunlight only goes down about three hundred and thirty feet in clear water and that means that sunshine never shines on most of the world’s surface. And there is going to be a thousand years of darkness the Bible says coming in the future sometimes known as the millennium.
Let me read this to you Revelation 20: 1, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit. And a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” (KJV) Now there has been a lot of speculation about what is this bottomless pit where the evil is bound? You know it is interesting, but the word you find there in the Greek for bottomless pit is the word “abusos” that is where we get the word abyss. And it simply means the darkness and the void. If you read in the Bible, in the Greek version of the Old Testament, when it says that in the beginning the earth was without form and void it calls it an abusos. So this is a word that describes the condition of the world during the 1000 years.
When Jesus comes back that marks the beginning of the millennium. And the dead in Christ are caught up to meet Him in the air they go back to glory and we live and reign in that heavenly kingdom with Christ for 1000 years. In the meantime all the wicked on earth are destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming. Satan and his angels are bound in this dark planet and the Bible says that the sun becomes dark and the moon shines like blood. This planet is plunged into darkness for 1000 years and Satan is trapped there in this bottomless pit this abyss or abusos. At the end of the 1000 years Jesus comes back. His feet descend and touch the Mount of Olives.
The New Jerusalem comes down from God out of heaven. All the dead who have ever lived are raised and this is when you have this Great White Throne Judgment. And after they are judged the Bible says fire comes down from heaven and devours the wicked. It forms a great lake of fire around the planet that purifies the planet. And then God creates a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwells righteousness. This is why Jesus said blessed is the meek for they will inherit the earth. Now I just gave you a very quick Bible study on the millennium subject. But, you really need to understand this. There I s a lot more Scripture that I could share and that is why you need the study guide.
It is called “A Thousand Years of Peace”. Of course t is peace for the redeemed and it is darkness for the devil. It is called “A Thousand Years of Peace” if you’d like a free copy of this study not the millennium and if you have not read it you should because a lot of misunderstandings out there on this topic. Call the resource number 1-800-835-6747. That is for the free resource on the millennium called “A Thousand Years of Peace” 1-800-835-6747. And with your phone call that is 1-800-763-797 for Bible questions or just 1-800-GOD-SAYS.
Okay with that lengthy introduction we are going to start going to the phones. Hi we are talking with Doug who is listening from Englewood, Florida welcome Doug you are on the air.
Doug: Hi Pastor Doug how are you?
Pastor Doug: Doing great and your question tonight?
Doug: I don’t want to offend any people out there, but I was presented with a problem from some people that suggested that the God of Abraham, Yahweh, you know the “I AM” of the Bible is the same God as Allah. And I was wondering whether there is any Scripture or any Biblical teachings that we can cling to or you know go to that will explain that?
Pastor Doug: Alright that is a good question. Is the God of the Bible and let’s see if I can summarize it and you can correct me. Is the God of the Bible the same God Allah that Islam worships?
Doug: Correct.
Pastor Doug: Now will tell you this is a tricky question and let me explain why. There is no question that here are similar roots of people in Islam except much of the Bible especially the Old Testament and they feel like the New Testament has been tampered with. They doubt the divinity and they refute it actually and they doubt the crucifixion of Jesus and they have a number of theories about what really happened then that don’t correspond to the Bible. There are similar roots to Islam that can be traced back to Abraham. But, when you say is it the same God that is really a different question because when you are talking about God you are talking about who He is and what He teaches, what He is like and while there may be a similar history there is a very different personality in the God of the Bible that you know Jesus portrayed and Jesus said if you have seen me you have seen the Father. And Jesus said that His word is truth and if you do not believe Moses and the prophets then you won’t be persuaded, but once you rise from the dead. So Muslims do not believe in the same person of God that Bible Christians believe they openly reject that and they believe many of the same prophecies and Scriptures and you’ll find some teachings that are similar, but the redemption of Christ is very different. It is more of a works oriented religion. We believe that we are saved by virtue of the mercy of God and His death on our behalf. It is not due to any good works that we do. And so does that mean that the God that we believe in never hears the prayers of the Muslim people. No god says He sends the rain and the sunshine on all kinds of people. He is a good and a merciful God and He hears the prayers of people that don’t even know they are praying to Him. So it is kind of a trick question. You know you are not trying to trick, but do you know what I am saying?
Doug: No, no I am not. I am not.
Pastor Doug: But, it is a difficult question because you have to answer it from two different perspectives. There are historical links and similarities and is there an overlapping history? Yes. Is it the same person of God that is the character that is represented in the Bible? No I think that there are big distinctions. I have a lot of Muslim friends and we study and talk about these things and their picture of God is very different. So anyway there are things to be admired and there are elements of truth in all religions. But, in the Bible it says one truth, one Lord, one faith, one baptism the Bible says. I hope that helps a little bit Doug. And it is a deep question. Very relevant these days and appreciate your call. With that we are going to talk with Patricia who is calling from Portland, Oregon and Patricia you are on the air.
Patricia: Yes good evening Pastor Doug. I have a question. How do you witness to someone who is not interested or who does not seem to believe in eternal life which is obviously very important to Christianity?
Pastor Doug: yeah well there are three things you can do to share your faith with someone if they are open and of course that is an, if. You can share in person, give them a DVD, a book or whatever a website so they can read, they can study, they can listen. You can use tons of resources that a person can look at. The other thing you want to do is pray for them. And if they are not open and they don’t believe in these things and pray to God He’ll soften their heart and pray to God He’ll give you wisdom if there is something you can say that would open their heart. And then the third thing is be a good witness and be a good example and sometimes that might mean not coming on too strong and that is something I have to watch you know you want to see everyone saved and you want to grab somebody by the collar and say listen you can’t do that.
Patricia: But, the issue is eternal life I mean what is that? Is this is like the way it has been why would they think that and want to continue living in sin?
Pastor Doug: Well they need to understand that the eternal life and you can read to them from Revelation 21 is very different. There is no more pain, sorrow, fears. Eternal is a very different life that will be extremely attractive. I wouldn’t want to live forever in the world that we have now with the injustice and the war and the pain and the sickness there is so much problems here, but eternal life is a completely different world and Paul says we can’t even imagine the things that God has prepared for those that love Him.
Patricia: Well that is why He made things difficult for people to understand this? Because you can’t put your finger on or handle it it is not tangible.
Pastor Doug: Well do you know what you might do? We actually at “Amazing Facts” have a lesson. And it is a lesson that deals with the subject of heaven that gives us some Scripture and also gives us some logical arguments for heaven. And we can offer them the lesson about “Heaven is it For Real?” We will send you a book or anyone out there listening if you have the same question as Patricia there is a book called “Heaven is it For Real?” And it will talk about eternal life Patricia. We’ll send you a free copy just call 1-800-835-6747. Of course you can also go to “Amazing Facts dot org” and they can read that book for free online. They can read that book for free “Heaven is it For Real?” Appreciate your question Patricia and with that we are going to Roberta who is calling from Columbia, South Carolina and Roberta you are on the air.
Roberta: Hi Pastor Doug, Thank you so much for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely.
Roberta: My question tonight is about when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane what was the role of the Holy Spirit? Was the Holy Spirit there to comfort Jesus or did He have to turn His back on Jesus as the Father did?
Pastor Doug: Well God is omnipresent with the Father so the Spirit was there observing, but in order for Christ to experience our separation from God because he took our penalty I believe the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from Him and that was one of the things that brought such anguish to His heart where He wept and prayed and he dried and He perspired some blood actually came out. And I think that feeling the void and that is why David prayed in Psalm 51 take not thy Holy Spirit from me. So we all agree that the Holy Spirit can leave a person, if the Spirit of God was withdrawn from King Saul and an evil spirit came in. Christ when He was burying our sins the father and the Holy Spirit were withdrawn from Him because He was experiencing what the lost experience and the devil and all his minions crowded in on Jesus to tempt Him to give up, to lose faith, to sin and that was part of His terrible suffering that we can’t even comprehend.
Roberta: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: So yeah it is an amazing thing. You know there is a book we can send you that talks about this subject and it is called “The High Cost of the Cross”. If you will call our resource number we will send you this book that talks about the sacrifice of Jesus and it is a beautiful moving book “The High Cost of the Cross”. Call 1-800-835-6747 and we will send that to you Roberta. Appreciate your call. Talking next with Michael who is calling from and without Pastor Ross takes a minute to man the phones. Michael you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live” from Kentucky.
Michael: Hi and Pastor Doug how are you?
Pastor Doug: Doing good.
Michael: Good, my Bible question is if a good person dies without accepting Jesus will they be in heaven?
Pastor Doug: Well there is a verse where Jesus says there is coming an hour when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and they that have done good will come forth in the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. So we aren’t saved by our goodness so the best thing we can do is to accept the life of Christ and to accept His forgiveness. He then fills our heart where we are transformed with love and we do good because we are saved.
Michael: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: So does God want us to do good? Yeah. There is no question about it the Bible says that God saves us for good works. That simply means for doing what is right for doing what’s good. And the Commandments of God are called good. The Law of the Lord is good and so obeying Him and doing his word yeah in that sense, but we have got to be careful. You know sometimes we tell kids, if you do good you go to heaven if you do badly you go to the pother place. And we are not really saved based on our good works or our bad works. We are saved upon accepting Christ. But, if you do accept Christ you will have the fruits of the Spirit which will play out in good works in the life. So the work is really an indicator of whether or not the heart has been changed. Does that makes sense Michael?
Michael: Yes it does. Thank you so much.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Hey I appreciate your question. Thank you very much and with that it opens a line if you want to call with a Bible question. One more time the number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297. We are going to talk to Denny calling from Minnesota. Welcome Denny you are on the air.
Denny: Thank you Pastor Doug and for your ministry and I have some questions on the deity of Jesus and the attributes and one of the questions is on the omnipresent and I wondered if Jesus Christ is still omnipresent because He took on human form and was ascended in a glorified body and He or well the apostles I believe that He was sending someone in His place.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Denny: And omniscience which is knows all things.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Denny: And I understand that He does not know all things He does not know when He is coming next.
Pastor Doug: Alright.
Denny: So did He lose those things?
Pastor Doug: Good question. God is described in three main categories. One is omnipotent He is all powerful and the other is omniscience meaning all knowing. And the third is omnipresent. Now when Jesus came to earth He apparently sacrificed both His omnipotence and some of His omnipresence and His omniscience because you know He is a five year old boy playing like a normal five year old boy. Jesus did not have all the infinite knowledge of the cosmos swimming around in His little head. He had to learn to talk and walks like other children. So it is a mystery for us on how did God become a man? It tells us in Philippians and Colossians that Jesus laid aside His divinity. So He just let go of certain divine powers including His omnipresence and omniscience. He said I don’t know of the hour of my coming, but the Father only. Well that was while He was on earth and what would it have meant to the disciples even if Jesus had said I am coming in 1930 or I mean what I was going to say is He said I am coming in 2030? Just pick a number. Well what would 2030 even mean to the disciples? They didn’t even use that dating method so for Christ to announce the date of His coming wouldn’t have made sense. But, now as Jesus is in heaven on the right hand of the Father, I seriously doubt that the Father is holding a secret piece of paper and says I have got the day and the hour Jesus and I can’t tell you because you might let it leak. I mean now He knows that I am sure. Although He didn’t know all thing, but the big question you asked is about the omnipresence of Christ when He took on human form. You know it appears to me from everything I read in the Bible that Jesus made a sacrifice that He will take with Him through eternity. Christ can know everything and be with us all through God the Spirit, but Jesus took on a human form and ever since the resurrection He never appears at more than one place at a time. So it appears and you have to be careful when you are talking about God because His ways are higher than our ways as the stars are above the earth. But, it appears He sacrificed a dimension of His divinity and He no longer is omnipresent, physically. He is through His Spirit He said I am with you where ever you go to the end of the age. Do you know what I am saying?
Denny: Yeah, but during the rapture isn’t everybody going to be able to see Him? Wouldn’t He be omnipresent to everybody?
Pastor Doug: Well it says that every eye will see him, but that is because He is sweeping around the circle of the earth and things are being caught up as He arrives in the sky.
Denny: Oh.
Pastor Doug: To me so I don’t know how people on the western hemisphere would see Him at the same time as those people who are on the eastern hemisphere. I think He is just saying the day He comes that everyone will see Him. It doesn’t say simultaneously. So that is a good question and I appreciate that. It makes us all think and by the way I do have a book I’d be happy to share with you on the subject of the trinity. “The Trinity is it Biblical?” And just cal Denny at the resource number 1-800-835-6747 and we’ll send that to you. Thank you very much for your call and with that we are going to talk with Michael calling from West Orange, New Jersey listening on WMCA Michael you are on “Bible Answers Live”.
Michael: Pastor Doug thank you for your service. And I have two quick questions. One is the New Earth and I am not getting a lot of details that I want to get about the New Earth. And then when you tell me that I will ask you my second question. It is just a quick one.
Pastor Doug: Well the New Earth is just a Biblically way of saying that the Lord is going to remake this planet. If the world is destroyed by the brightness of His coming and if at the end of 1000 years fire is reigned down from out of heaven on the earth it says and it devours everything. There are a number of Scriptures I can give you to talk about what happens. Let me give you one 2 Peter Chapter 3 “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heaven’s will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat.” Not just heat, fervent like volcanic heat. Well at the end of those 1000 years it says God makes a New Heaven and a New Earth. The New Heaven is the atmosphere around the planet and the New Erath is He is going to take this planet and recreate it and make perfect again. He is going to finish His plan for paradise. So what was your second question Michael?
Michael: Well the second question was would the disciples being with Jesus for three years how comes no one in the Scriptures I am reading asked Him a more detailed description of God and of heaven?
Pastor Doug: So you are saying how come nobody asked for more detail? Well I don’t know what they asked. They did ask Him about His coming and the end of the world. You know let me tell you one thing. When He came the first time they thought He was here to overthrow the Romans and reestablish the Kingdom of David and Solomon and give them eternal life right there in the world. And they even struggled with His resurrection and they kept saying to Him Lord are you going to restore this kingdom at this time? They kept thinking about the earthly kingdom and they didn’t think about the new world with no more sin or pain. It really didn’t become completely clear until the Revelation of the apostle John was given. And you know the last book in the Bible He said Jesus appeared to him and then it was very clear about the tree of life and no more pain and no more sorrow, the river of life and the city what it looks like. How it will come down from heaven and he makes it all very clear there. Go ahead.
Michael: So basically they really didn’t think they were dealing with God?
Pastor Doug: In a way they thought they were dealing with what King David did and then they saw even the waves obeyed Him and He could turn the water to wine and do what Moses did. But, they didn’t understand that He was God. They started to capture it because they called Him the son of the living God. But, they didn’t recognize that He Himself was also divine. So yeah that really did stun them Michael. I appreciate your question and o course we have our study guide that talks about the “Heavenly City”. And if you would like that book we mentioned earlier “Heaven is it For Real?” it talks about that and by the way there are a number of Old Testament Scriptures in Ezekiel and even John in the beginning he is quoting from Isaiah where it talks about the wolf lying down with the lamb. In Ezekiel it talks about this river of God and the trees that are for the healing of the Nations. And so Zachariah and Daniel some of these Old Testament prophets had glimpses of heaven and they wrote about them in small segments in their prophecies. Okay friends we are having a break in just a moment, but before we go to the break I want to tell you about something exciting that is coming up. We still have a couple of months, but we still want to get the word out there. I will be gong with Pastor Ross to Albuquerque, New Mexico and starting for believe it or not October31st and for the month of November through to November 22nd we’re going to be doing a special Bible Prophecy study series on TV that will of course be seen on the internet around the world and it is called “Landmarks of Prophecy”. It will be up linking live and it will be on Three Angels Broadcast as well as “Amazing Facts TV” as well as you can go to the website and it says simply “Landmarks of Prophecy” and then during that series we are going to be covering the most popular themes of prophecy that you hear us talk about on this program. And one reason I thought about that is our last question. It talked about heaven and we have a whole presentation that talks about heaven. We talked tonight about the millennium. We’ll be talking about angels and the beast and second coming of Jesus and the Messiah and what His first coming was like. And the history of Israel and much, much, more “Landmarks of Prophecy” is the website and pray for the event. You are listening to “Bible Answers Live” and while we are on the subject of websites there are a lot of Bible students out there that want to better understand some of the prophecies in the Bible. We have a website called “Bible Prophecy Timeline”. Do you want to understand the whole scope and panorama of Bible history this is a website for you. It is simply “Bible History dot com” and all you have to do is remember “Bible History dot com”. And when you type in Bible Timeline it comes up top of the list on Google and Yahoo. You’ll see all the segments of Bible history mapped out in easy to understand format and then you will see Bible characters and where they lived over the last six thousand years. And what is really neat is you will see where they lived in relation to each other. You’ll be surprised to find the lives of Ruth and Samson and Eli and how these all overlap. “Bible History dot com” take a look there and we are going to have more Bible questions coming your way, stay tuned.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back listening friends. This is Bible answers live and if you have tuned in along the way this is an interactive international, live Bible study. And Pastor Ross is out of town tonight and coming back soon if you have missed him. And we are going back to the phones now. We will start out talking with Steve who is waiting patiently calling from Minnesota and Steve you are on the air.
Steve: Hi and the first thing I want to say is I am a believer, but I have a question about fossil fuels and I know this hasn’t got anything to do with a Bible question. But, how is it that there is so much to do with fossil fuels that you can trace extensive barrels of fossil fuels how could there have been that many fossils to create that much fuel over relatively a shorter time of maybe five or six thousand years?
Pastor Doug: Yeah well I think it is important to understand and even the fossil record tells us there used to be copious amounts of vegetation. And you have seen the artist’s concepts of what the fossil record looked like and there was extremely dense lush. I mean just the very size of the creatures both animals and reptiles. Now there were enormous beavers in North America that were thirteen feet tall. I have been on the Island of Malta and went into one of the museums there and just some skeletons of mammals and we are not even talking dinosaurs. Just they were enormous and the whole ecology of the world radically changed with the flood. The flood was a radical change. I mean before the time of the flood God sys that it never eve rained. It was the world was so moist and even the polar caps and vegetation prove that. You find a lot of the oil up in Siberia. And so there was an extreme radical convulsion in our planet that took all our vegetation around the world and covered it rapidly and you know through compression it develops into coal and oil and gas and the different things that we have.
Steve: Right.
Pastor Doug: But, when the whole planet not you know right now we have a lot of desert in the world. And you know right now we have a lot of Arctic and ice in the world. But, like before the flood there was this polarized and uniform vapor that covered the planet and the temperature was mild everywhere. And so the vegetation and I am not talking about a little grass on the hills they had—look at the deepest rain forest that we have now that are hundreds of feet deep. You know from the treetops of the canopy to the ground. Think of what It must have been like in its pristine version. It could have been you know five hundred feet deep. I know that is exaggerated, but it could have been much deeper and bigger reaching some fine trees that are just fabulous. So I think we underestimate how much vegetation was overturned and compressed and converted into these fuels.
Steve: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Kind of strange when we think we drive down our road running on the world of Noah.
Steve: Right, right. Okay. But, hey thank you very much that will answer it.
Pastor Doug: I am not an expert, but that is the answers that I have heard that satisfy me.
Steve: Well thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Well okay. Thank You Steve I appreciate your call and we are going to talk next with Sharon who is calling from Newark, Delaware. Sharon you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Sharon: Hi Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Sharon: My question is I know about the state of the dead and I know the truth about that. But, I had a good friend of mine about a week ago pass away and that night I dreamt that my mom called me and told me that he had passed away and my mom being dead. And again I emphasize I know about the state of the dead and I know they are sleeping, but what I was wondering is whether Satan can read our thoughts and can he do anything with our dreams?
Pastor Doug: Sure I think the dreams come through three or four things. Most of the time a dream is that our dream is through our brain that is like a computer and it kind of reboots at night during the dream process. Have you ever fallen asleep for just a few seconds and you feel better?
Sharon: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Just like a little cat nap? Dreams come through the multitude of business. Now that’s a Scripture in Ecclesiastes I think. It’s a dream that comes through a multitude of business simply meaning that if you do a lot of things then you are apt to dream about it at night. I used to play chess or checkers and I would dream about the chess board. Probably from staring at it all day and that is common and God can inspire dreams we know He gave dreams to Joseph and to a number of the characters in the Bible. And the devil-- I mean you know who hasn’t had a nightmare where you wake up in a sweat I mean like someone is strangling you? If we know Satan can put temptation in our mind then why can’t he do it when we are asleep?
Sharon: Right.
Pastor Doug: So certainly Satan can whisper temptations even to our subconscious. So I think Satan can influence our dreams and I think even in the book of Job he talks about that in the night this terror comes upon him and makes his skin crawl. It is almost like he is describing a nightmare or something that frightens him. So yes and what was the cause of your dream? I don’t have that gift of Joseph. But, it does sound strange when those things happen. Sometimes we think about people that we love when they pass away and wonder whether they are trying to communicate with us. And it is just part of the grieving process because we have all these memories of people. And my brother passed away and it was my older brother and there was never a time in my life when he wasn’t there until he died. And my mind was so full of memories of him that. He felt like to me he was around like I had remembered, but he had passed away. It’s strange that your mind will play tricks on you. Anyway I appreciate your call Sharon and I don’t really need to send you the study about “Are the Dead Really Dead” because I am sure you already know that. We’re going to talk then to Deborah calling from WMUZ from Detroit, Michigan. Deborah you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Deborah: Hi. How are you?
Pastor Doug: Doing great.
Deborah: Hey I was calling because I think that you were telling her about are the dead really dead?
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Deborah: Does it tell you about your soul and when you die your soul die and your breath goes back to God and you know like your body goes to the grave. So mow okay I have always been told that when you die that your soul keeps you alive so if you could kind of explain this to me please?
Pastor Doug: Yes. And it is easy Deborah for people to kind of be confused on this because it is true that when you die, whether you are saved or lost your next conscious thought is the resurrection. Now we know that the resurrection is in the future. The Bible says that when the Lord descends from heaven that the dead in Christ will rise and Jesus said the hour is coming in which all that are in their graves will hear His voice and those that have done good come forth unto the resurrection of life and the others to the resurrection of damnation. You can read in Chapter 6 and Chapter 11 that John says when Jesus raised Lazarus that on the last day there will be a resurrection and he called it the last day resurrection. So the resurrection is in the future, but if you die you have no consciousness of time for you if you are saved the next thing you know is you are caught up to meet the Lord in the air and you’re in His presence. But, the resurrection hasn’t happened. And furthermore the judgment hasn’t happened. You know the great judgment day so obviously it is still in the future.
Deborah: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And so this confuses people sometimes and you now physically we live in this world and we watch clocks and we live in a measured time. But, God is not confined to a measured time like we are and when someone dies they are resting in the grave until the resurrection.
Deborah: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And so I do have a study and anybody listening can get it by calling 1-800-835-6747 and ask for “Are the Dead Really Dead”. We will be happy to send a copy out to anybody who calls and asks. And anyone can go to “Amazing Facts dot org” or “dot com and in our Bible studies we have that study you can read it online. It’s the one about death which is a very misunderstood subject. It is very strange you can even go to the Bible belt and go to one of these church cemeteries and walk around in one of these old cemeteries and even on the grave stones the same denomination church cemetery you will see on one tombstone it say s our mother singing with the angels and the next tombstone it says our mother sleeping in Jesus. And it is like they don’t know is she conscious and up in heaven? Or is she sleeping awaiting the resurrection? So it is a common misunderstanding. Thank you Deborah for your call and with that we are going to go to Christine who is calling from Kent, Michigan listening on WMUZ. Christine you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Christine: Hi and I am calling in regards to salvation. I wonder and question now if I am even saved and I not bearing fruit. I live under oppression and I am not a real good dog. I am not a scholar, but the point is that years ago I did receive Jesus as my savior. But, I fell and I fell hard and I have been trying to get back. And although I did receive the salvation I didn’t learn a lot. I had a misconception of salvation. So I wasn’t what you would call a mature Christian at the time, but for over fifteen years day after day all I have done is pray and try to get back or try to find out whether or not I am even saved because I don’t bear good fruit. I fall into temptation too easy. I am weak. And I wasn’t raised with any learning so I don’t know.
Pastor Doug: Well let’s talk about the answer. Alright first of all we all have sinned. WE know that right?
Christine: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And the Bible often says without God we can’t do anything. But, then it goes on and says that through Christ all things are possible. And so when we say nothing is really more important to us and we accept Jesus and we repent of our sins the Lord begins to work on our hearts. Now we can accept Jesus right now. And it doesn’t matter if you have done it a thousand times before. Paul says I die daily and that means you can be born again every day. You can renew your love and your commitment to Christ each day.
Christine: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And the promise is if we come to Jesus just as we are and it says if we confess our sins He is faithful and just—in other words He is not only faithful t do it and have a right to do it because he has taken our sins to forgive us all of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And so if you have been cleansed from all unrighteousness and you sincerely repent and you come to Him, He gives you a gift of everlasting life. But, after you have accepted Jesus and see you can have everlasting life right now if you are sincere and you pray that and ask Him and you know get off by yourself and get on your knees and just say you know Lord I have fallen one hundred times. Jesus asks us to forgive each other seventy times seven so how much will God forgive us?
Christine: Yeah. Alright.
Pastor Doug: And but, then this time Christine say Lord I want to feed on your word. A baby does not grow if it doesn’t breathe and I have done some funerals for some children who have died in their sleep.
Christine: Okay.
Pastor Doug: You know the infant death syndrome. And if they don’t breathe they have a problem. A baby needs to eat and a baby needs to get some exercise and then they will grow. They don’t worry about growing they will automatically grow if they are breathing and eating and get some love and exercising.
Christine: Okay.
Pastor Doug: You have to feed your soul and the word of God is that bread. Spend time every da y seeking after God. He promises if you search for me I will draw near to you.
Christine: I have been seeking Him, but if I could be correct I don’t seem to be relating or accepting a lot of things. It like I lack not just wisdom, but His life in my soul.
Pastor Doug: Well that is the Holy Spirit and you need to feed on the word of God. Reading is prayer and sees you are seeking after God right now and I believe He can hear your prayer. And the third thing is share your faith. Talk to other people about what Jesus means to you. And if you are feeding your soul that side of your spirit will get stronger and the flesh will get weaker and it is at the same time we don’t want to be feeding the carnal or the fleshly side of our natures. If a person typically is watching good old American television that is really not good for their spirit and so you want to feed on the good things. But, Christine I need to take another call and can I pray with you before I get off of here?
Christine: Sure yes you can.
Pastor Doug: Father in heaven I just want to thank you for Christine’s appeal. I believe there are many out there that want to come right now to Jesus and accept you. Christine says Lord I stumble and I fall, but help her to be encouraged that she should press on and just as Peter and David and others fell, yet You forgave them and they got back up and had new beginnings. And they will be in the kingdom and I pray Christine can experience your Spirit in her life and others that might be searching after You and that she’ll feed her soul. Bless her with Your presence and sweet assurance Lord. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Christine: Thank you, thank you.
Pastor Doug: You are welcome. Thank you very much for your call Christine and you know I would like to send you a book or anyone who prayed that prayer with me. It’s called “Three Steps to Heaven”. It’s free and you can read it online right now at “Amazing Facts dot org”. Or call our resource line and we will send that out to you. Ask for the book “Three Steps to Heaven”. Here is the number to call 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the book “Three Steps to Heaven”. It talks about and walks you through the process of salvation. I know that will be a blessing for you Christine. Alright with that we are going next to talk to line 3 to Dave listening in Newport, Virginia Dave welcome to “Bible Answers Live”. You are on the air.
Dave: Yes thanks for taking my call. Pastor Doug I am a first time caller.
Pastor Doug: I am glad you called.
Dave: My question is in relation to a friend we had a conversation about a week ago when Jesus has the final judgment and those who do not accept Christ will basically perish in the lake of fire. The question was is it going to be an eternity of being in hell or will they perish and it was one and all those who followed Satan will perish and they will be no more?
Pastor Doug: Well first of all there are two extremes when it comes to the subject of hell. One group is kind of universalism and they believe that everyone is going to be saved and the Bible is very clear that is not true. And they think there is no lake of fire and that is not true. The Bible is very clear there is a place called hell and where all the wicked are punished. Every man is punished according to what he deserves. But, then likewise the Bible is true that God is just and it says when heaven begins there is no more pain. There is no more sin because sinners are not immortalized. John 3: 16 says there are two choices everybody has. Eternal life or perish and when the wicked perish they will be burned up and I am giving you a bunch of Scriptures. You can read Malachi Chapter 4 it tells us that fire comes down out of heaven. Revelation 20 and devours the wicked, it calls it the second death and eternal life is not promised to the lost. God doesn’t say I will give you eternal life in heaven or give you eternal life in hell. With eternal life man does not have immortality the Bible says only God has immortality an it is a gift He gives to the redeemed when Christ comes and then this mortal will put on immortality. So the Scriptures are full of references that explain yes there is a punishment and everyone gets according to what they deserve. By the way if everyone burns trough eternity, not only does that make God sound sadistic, but when you really think about it, it is creepy to me.
Dave: Right.
Pastor Doug: But, you just think about a zillion years from now and your pain is not diminished.
Dave: Well I think that is what his question is about. Well he said if I am doing badly all my life it is only going to be a second that I am dead and perish so you know if I--
Pastor Doug: Well first of all why would a person want to turn down eternal life?
Dave: Right.
Pastor Doug: And why were they saying that because it doesn’t say a second and you will perish. You know there is one Scripture talking about the devil burning day and night.
Dave: Right.
Pastor Doug: And so if everyone is going to be punished according to what they deserve there will be varying degrees of punishment. You know Jesus talks about weeping and gnashing of teeth. So it is not a snap of your finders and it is over. People are going to have to face their wasted lives and all of the evil that they have done. And so if it were not for the mercy of the Lord you know there is that parable of the unmerciful debtor in Matthew 18 and when that man would not forgive his fellow servant as a king forgave him the king delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due. It is enough to make us shutter when we think about it. So here is a hell and there is a punishment. Have you read our lesson Dave about “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?”
Dave: I don’t think I have no.
Pastor Doug: Can I send you a free copy of that?
Dave: Sure that would be great.
Pastor Doug: All you have to do is call the free phone number I am going to give 1-800-835-6747 it is called “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” or ask for our study guide on the lake of fire and they’ll give it to you. Or you can go online “Amazing Facts dot org” and read it right now. You know we don’t want to make people wait if we don’t have to get their study. If you just go to the website you can read it. You can download it. You can print it in color if you want to. That is “Amazing Facts dot org” under the Bible study tab. Thank you for your call Dave and with that we are going to move on and talk with Paula who has been waiting patiently online 6 Paula you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Paula: Thank you. I have been struggling with this and I am a mature Christian. Why is it when Adam and Eve were created and prior to the fall and we don’t know how long they were in paradise.
Pastor Doug: Right.
Paula: Why is it that after they had sinned they suddenly realized that they were naked and hid? Why it was that nakedness suddenly was a bad thing?
Pastor Doug: So why did they suddenly realize that or why is it suddenly evil? Well let me tell you I think it is not clear for most people that Adam and Eve were not streaking around the Garden the way that it is sometimes portrayed in paintings. They have always got the leafs in the right place hiding things. Adam and Eve had garments of light before sin. Do you remember when Moses if when Moses was talking to the Lord on the mountain he came down his face was shining so much they couldn’t even look at him. Jasper veiled his face do you remember reading it?
Paula: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: When Jesus went up the Mount of Transfiguration in Mark Chapter 9 it says He began to shine. When Adam and Eve could talk to God and were sinless they had these robes of light. And they didn’t even think about nakedness because they just emanated light. And after they sinned the light went out. It means a lot today when people are walking by the light if the Lord they turn from God and they sin it just gets dark.
Paula: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: And then suddenly it is like all the contrast has changed and they saw all the shame and the nakedness of their robes of light. In Revelation it says all the saved are given these robes that are washed in the blood of the Lamb and I think they are living robes of light that god gives. He is not giving us clothes of skin. He is not giving us wool or cotton. These are heavenly garments of light and so when Adam and Eve sinned the lights went out and they saw their nakedness. So I know you have to prove that by going to other places in the Bible where it talks about this garment of light that creatures had and how they shined when they talked to God.
Paula: Yeah I am aware of that I just have never been able to comprehend until your response about them being covered in light. Well I just don’t get I mean I just still don’t see for myself make the connection on why the nakedness was viewed as a bad thing.
Pastor Doug: Well sin is shame and suddenly they were aware of their shame and you know they were uncovered. And when Jesus died on the cross they stripped Him of His clothes and it brought on that same kind of shame. I hope that helps a little bit Paula because we are kind of running short on time. Listening friends I don’t think it would be fair to take another caller because I’d probably have to cut them short on their question. So please permit me I the closing moments of our broadcast I think we need to admit we do not smother this broadcast with appeals. But, I hope you will if you have been blessed to keep this program on the air and say you know I would like to give. The Lord will bless you when you do and he promises it is more blessed to give than receive. And He will open the windows of heaven. Help us get the word out. It is easy just go to “Amazing Facts dot org” and you can make a donation right there on line where it just says donate. And in the mean time be sure and download some of the free studies. All of it we are sharing with you is free. “Amazing Facts dot org” and God willing we will talk again next week.
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