Hello friends this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? For nearly thirty years a ghostly recluse haunted the woods of central Maine. Whether phantom or big foot the scoop is the locals only knew something or someone was raiding their homes and vacation habits. Unseen and unknown he lived in secret quietly creeping into homes in the dead of night. He even escaped the notice of watch dogs. He survived on what he could steal. He became somewhat of a legend and some people even wondered if he was real.
Until early one morning on April 4th, 2013 the phantom was captured and when arrested Christopher Thomas Knight had been isolated from human contact for so long he could barely speak. And with some difficulty at first he said that he had walked into the remote woods surrounding Rome, Maine in 1986 where he had lived in isolation in tents or under tarps for more than twenty-seven years. He subsisted by pilfering food, clothing and supplies from cabins and vacation homes from the surrounding area.
Born on December 7th, 1965 he said that he had no address and no ID and he didn’t receive mail. At some point during 1990s Knight said he suddenly encountered another hiker while walking in the woods and he simply said, “Hi”. Other than that simple syllable he had not spoken to nor touched another human being until his arrest. What totally surprised the locals was how he could survive the cold, wet, snowy winters in the Maine woods for twenty-seven years. What did he do with all his time?
Evidently he also stole books and did a lot of reading. Knight is now out of jail and working in an undisclosed location until his probation expires. Did you know that the Bible speaks about another hermit that lived in the wilderness for years surviving on food brought to him by birds? Stay with us friends we are going to learn more as “Amazing Facts” brings you this edition of “” Bible Answers Live”.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome friends to “Bible Answers Live” we hope you came here by choice or possibly by providence, but either way we’re glad you are here listening. And this program is dedicated to doing our best to answer your Bible questions. If you have a Bible question we have several lines open. You can call in our Bible questions and we are sitting here at our computers and we’ll do our best to answer them. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Ross: My name is Jean Ross. Good evening listening friends. And Pastor Doug once again let’s begin the program with prayer. Dear Father we thank you that we have this time once a week. Where we can study your word with so many people listening around the world, around the country and around the globe and Lord we ask your special blessing upon our time together and bless us as we search the Scriptures. For we ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Ross: Well Pastor Doug you opened the program with another remarkable fact of a person that is almost hard to imagine living for twenty years.
Pastor Doug: Twenty-seven years.
Pastor Ross: Well twenty-seven years in the life of a hermit and then of course living in a tent up in the Northeast is just amazing.
Pastor Doug: It gets below freezing—I went to school in Maine and when I lived in New York City I used to go to summer camp in Maine and the bugs at around sundown they have these black flies and mosquitoes that will eat you alive. And then in the winter it frequently goes below freezing and snowed. And you know to me I heard that and I thought someone asked and he said you never get sick if you are not around people. I liked his answer.
So they’re very interesting stories, but as you know and some of our listening friends know I lived as hermit for about a year and one half. I mean not totally, I’d go maybe five days without seeing people then I would hike to town. But, I lived I the mountains all by myself for about a year and one half. But, I got lonely after awhile when you don’t have anyone to bounce your intellitect off of you become eccentric.
The Bible talks about a prophet that basically they had an all points bulletin searching for him. King Ahab had a poster wanted dead or alive on every telephone pole in Israel. His name was Elijah and you could read 1 Kings 17: 5 & 6. There was a three and one half year famine and you know for during a good part of that it says Elijah. It says that Elijah went and did according to the word of the lord and he stayed by the brook which flows into the Jordon and the ravens brought him bread and meat I the morning and bread and meat in the evening and he drank for m the brook. And so for quite some time he just sort of lived there hiding in the sycamore shade and drinking from the brook and eating what the ravens fed him and spiritual meditation, but he was living something like a recluse.
And you know even Moses he got in trouble and he went into the wilderness. He spent at least forty days and forty nights up in the mountain, just him and God. And as Jesus spent some time like that in the wilderness forty days and forty nights. But, you can actually read a story in the Bible. There are three individuals that spent forty days and forty nights in the wilderness. Their names are Moses, Jesus and Elijah. Three of them fasted for forty days and forty nights Moses, Elijah and Jesus. And they all appeared together in the New Testament and many people don’t know that. Last prophecy Old Testament friends in Malachi Chapter 4 it says, “Remember the Law of Moses my servant and behold I send you Elijah the prophet.” Then you go to the New Testament and it says Jesus goes up a mountain with Peter, James and John and Moses and Elijah appear in their heavenly bodies to Jesus who is also glorified at that time.
And many people wonder what that was all about? And then you read in Revelation about these two witnesses and some have speculated are they Moses and Elijah? Found in Revelation 11 and if you want to understand these things we’ve got a little book we will give you and it is free tonight, Pastor Ross.
Pastor Ross: The book is entitled “The Two Witnesses” and that of course comes from Revelation Chapter 11. And we will send that to anyone who calls and asks for it. “The Two Witnesses: Moses and Elijah” the number to call is 1-800-835-6747. And again that is 1-800-835-6747. And you can ask for the book “The Two Witnesses” and we’d be happy to send that to anyone and asks. The phone number here to the studio if you have a Bible question is 1-800-463-7297 and looks like we have maybe two lines open at this time. 1-800-463-7297. Well Pastor Doug we are ready to go to the phone lines. We have Cathy who is listening from Tallahassee, Florida. Welcome to the show Cathy.
Cathy: Hello how are you this evening? My question is regarding the Sabbath and what would be good and not be good. I listened to some sermons recently Pastor Doug that you did and I belong to a church that honors the seventh day Sabbath. And my husband and I are at odds on what is appropriate and what is not appropriate because he wasn’t raised in the same faith as I was. So my question is it appropriate to have your children engaged in forced activities on the Sabbath? And is it appropriate to watch sports on the Sabbath? I live in a college town here and it is a big struggle so I am just hoping that you can elaborate on that topic?
Pastor Doug: Yes other people might--
Cathy: I have already tried to point out somethings to him.
Pastor Doug: Sure yes and I am sure there are others out there that wonders. The issue Jesus had to this was with the Pharisees over some of these issues because He would heal somebody on the Sabbath and the religious leaders who had a bunch of manmade traditions that they had attached to the Ten Commandments. They’d say you know you can’t carry your sleeping bag home after you have been healed on the Sabbath. And they even told Jesus you can’t heal people on the Sabbath. One lady was all crippled up for eighteen years. She was just doubled up with possible osteoarthritis and he healed her and straightened her out. And He said look on the Sabbath you will take your donkey and oxen and bring them to water how much more should this daughter of Abraham be liberated than this who have been suffering for eighteen years from the affliction of the devil. SO that was one extreme, but the other extreme was keeping that day holy for God. Obviously Jesus said the son of man is Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus was the one who made all things and including man and the Sabbath And you can read in Isaiah 58 it says, 13 “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:” 14 “Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (KJV) Anyways so there are great promises there and secular television would not be something that Jesus would be doing on the Sabbath because it is not time and it’s the same thing that is engaging in the sports. That is not to say that getting some exercise wouldn’t be great and getting out and visiting some people who need encouragement and doing Bible studies and Christian fellowship there’s a lot o good things like sharing literature. There are a lot of good things a person can do for the Sabbath day of the week. But, it would be one day you wouldn’t want to be crowding away holy thoughts screaming at your favorite team. And you know Cathy I just finished a book on that subject called “How to Keep the Sabbath Holy” and if you call “Amazing Facts” they can tell you more about that.
Pastor Ross: Or you can just go to the website just “Amazing Facts dot org” and type in the book “How to Keep the Sabbath Holy” and you will get more information.
Pastor Doug: Thank you I appreciate your question Cathy.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Jennifer and Shawn from Crestwood, Illinois. Jennifer and Shawn you are on the air.
Jennifer and Shawn: Hi Pastor Doug. Hi Pastor Jean. Thank you for taking our call. God bless your ministry.
Pastor Doug: Thank you. And your question?
Jennifer and Shawn: My question is on Exodus verses 12: 17. And this is the NLT version. And I also compared it to the King James. In regards to the Passover the festival celebrating the unleavened bread.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Jennifer and Shawn: Is that in the NLT says is a permanent law. And in the King James it says to observe the ordinance forever.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Jennifer and Shawn: Also in Leviticus it has instructions for offerings that state permanent law and in the King James it states perpetual statutes. I am just wondering why these aren’t observed any longer if they say permanent, but we have to observe the Ten Commandments. So that is just my question.
Pastor Doug: Yeah well in a sense and everyone listen very carefully in a sense we do still celebrate the Passover because when Christ established what we call the Lord’s Supper, He said I long to eat this Pascal with you. It was a Pascal or Passover meal and so whenever Christians are celebrating the Lord’s Supper instead of offering a lamb as they did when they came out of Egypt now we offer the Lamb of God. Christ said this is my body when He broke the bread and instead of putting the blood of a lamb on the door of our house we by faith apply the blood of Christ the Lamb of God to our hearts. And so in a sense we are keeping the Passover more fully now because all that it pointed to came with Jesus. And so we are saved and that angel of judgment passes over because of the blood of Christ. And you can also read in the Bible where it says Christ is our Passover that is sacrificed for us. So in that sense we are still keeping it.
Jennifer and Shawn: You know I--
Pastor Ross: That verse is in 1 Chronicles 5: 7 where it says that Christ is our Passover.
Pastor Doug: 1 Chronicles?
Pastor Ross: I am sorry 1 Corinthians.
[Laughter]
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Jennifer and Shawn: And I was also thinking about Malachi the last verse when you were talking earlier about keeping the law Moses I didn’t know which Law they were keeping then.
Pastor Doug: Well there are several Laws that Moses assigns the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial laws and Moses also gave a lot of civil laws that we still follow and there are health laws that were given by Moses. They are the laws about sanitation and laws about certain foods being unclean. These are just practical health laws that apply across the board. But, the laws that had to do with circumcision and Paul was very clear about this and that the sacrifices on the sanctuary when the high priest tore his clothes at the trial of Christ and the veil in the temple was torn, you have the tearing of the priest hood and the tearing of the temple because we have a new priesthood now. Christ is our high priest and are a Nation of priests. And you have got a new temple now in that we are a temple of God. And the Bible says we’re living stones and Christ is the cornerstone. And so it is obvious the economy became clearer. Before it was shadows and the symbols were a little fuzzy. Now we know what it means. So yes those were the ceremonial laws and it says in Colossians that the ceremony Sabbaths they were nailed to the cross.
Pastor Ross: We have a book dealing with this very topic called “Feast Days and Sabbaths” so are they still binding and we will be happy to send that to you Jennifer. Or anyone who calls and asks for it and you can ask for the book “Feast Days and Sabbaths” and the number is 1-800-835-6747 and we will be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks for it.
Pastor Doug: Thank you Jennifer for your call.
Pastor Ross: We have John who is listening in Orlando, Florida. John welcome to the program.
John: Yes thanks for taking my call. I have a question regarding hell and whether it is everlasting or not. There are certain denominations that do not believe that, but in some verse like Matthew 18:8 where Jesus uses the phrase of having two hands and two feet, it would better not to than to be cast into everlasting fire. So I was wondering what your opinion of this is?
Pastor Doug: Well there is no question about the results of the fire—see we believe that the Bible is pretty clear there is a hellfire. You can read about that in Revelation 20 about the lake of fire. The results of that fire are eternal they are everlasting and there is no parole and there is no repentance that will save and there is no reprieve. There is no second or third chance. It is called the second death in Revelation and Jesus said—and pastor Ross might look it up I think it is in Matthew 10. Jesus said do not fear him that can destroy the body, but fear him that will destroy soul and body in hell.
Pastor Ross: That is Matthew 10: 28. So it is telling us in that everlasting fire that the soul and the body are destroyed.
Pastor Doug: And then of course it says in John 3:16 that we have two options. Believe in Him for everlasting life or don’t believe and perish. And so you use the words that are used in the Bible about speaking about the wicked and it says, they perish, they consume, they are no more, they are burnt up, they are devoured and it says in heaven there is no more pain, there is no more crying, in the new earth, the new world. So the idea comes from the dark ages that the Lord has created a torture chamber for it says that humans are created and we are born with these sinful natures. It says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, so we are born with this propensity to sin. And for God to take a thirteen year old girl who didn’t accept Jesus and maybe didn’t know and with no idea is that God is going to take her because she didn’t learn about Jesus, but God said we are born on it. And He is going to plunge her and torture for zillion of years go by and you’ve only begun. There’s no end to it and that is almost incomprehensible.
John: Is that part-- isn’t that the girl you mentioned earlier isn’t that covered? In Romans Chapter 2 where it says that it is not the people that hear the law that are saved, but those that do the law are saved. So if she was a good girl, she is still getting to haven according to Romans Chapter 2, even though she hadn’t heard the law she did the law without having heard it.
Pastor Doug: Well you are right and you are talking about something really different there. There are going to be people that lived up to the life that God gave them. But, we are talking about now that are some thirteen year old girls that maybe were bad or boys, you know. The reason I picked that age and I am looking at young people that have crossed the age of accountability. So they are old enough to be responsible for their salvation, but they have barely lived and to torture a young person like that for eternity for the sins of a decade that is one of the things that drove me from God because I went to a Bible church that taught that and it wasn’t until I learned the Bible truth on this subject that I could really love God. Up until that time I thought He was a sadist. Now there is punishment for the wicked, but Jesus said everyone is rewarded according to his works. According to what he deserves. Different works, different punishment. They don’t all burn forever. So you know I would like to suggest John in case you have not seen it John “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” or anyone out there if you give our resource line a call we will send that to you. If you have any questions about this read what the Bible really says about punishment of the wicked. Don’t believe that God is a sadist that tortures people that’s a medieval teaching.
Pastor Ross: You know, let me just mention one verse to you. On the subject of hellfire in Malachi Chapter 4 the last book of the Old Testament it says, “Behold the day is coming burning like an oven and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly shall be stubble. And a day which is coming shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” So from what the Bible says ultimately the wicked are burnt up according to this verse.
Pastor Doug: Nothing left, no root, no branch and anyway appreciate your question John. And do send for that book “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?”
Pastor Ross: For anyone wanting to learn more about the subject—take a look at—well first of all you can call the 1-800-835-6747 and you can ask for the study guide “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” But, you can also visit a website called “Hell Truth dot com” and actually I think the lesson is available at that website along with some video content. And a great Bible study. It is one of the most popular website in what happens to the wicked. Just type in the question what happens to the wicked. Because really Doug this reflects on the character of God when you look at the destruction of the wicked. What kind of a God is He? How is He going to take care of this problem?
Pastor Doug: I have met so many people that said you know once I understood the truth about that they really felt they could trust and love God. And up until then they just did not understand the justice of what He was doing with the lost.
Pastor Ross: Absolutely.
Pastor Doug: Alright, thank you John appreciate your call.
Pastor Ross: We have Annette who is listening from Georgia Annette welcome to the program.
Annette: Hi thanks for taking my call. The question I have is on tithing. In the New Testament there is a new covenant and what does it say about tithing?
Pastor Doug: Well there is not a lot of tithing because really—what happens in the New Testament is the standard of giving is stronger than in the Old Testament. The Old Testament and God said and it goes back to you know even Abraham. He said a tenth of what he gained he gave at Mount Kisadek. And Jacob gave a tenth, he promises a tenth and that is where you get the tithe is a tenth. And so the Jews would give tithes and offerings which was a tenth of their increase that was specified for the support of the ministry in the kingdom. And offerings were just free will as God blessed them.
But, when you get to the New Testament the Holy Spirit is poured out boy it tells us that people were selling their property and Secia gave a half of her goods and gave to the poor at fifty per cent. Plus he gave more on beyond that and they sold their land and laid the price down at the apostle’s feet and no man said naught that he has is his own, but who ever had possessions they sold them and I mean the sacrifice in the New Testament was a lot more than tithe.
But, tithe would still be in effect because Jesus says in Matthew 23: 13 that speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, “Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (KJV) Notice that? He said you are paying tithe on your herb garden and He said don’t forget judgment, mercy and faith. But, do not leave the other paying tithe undone. So Jesus did support tithe that’s Matthew 23:23 and I think we have got—do you have any other verses?
Pastor Ross: Well I was just going to mention study guide on the subject.
Pastor Doug: Yeah well great.
Pastor Ross: It’s called “In God We Trust” and this verse and a lot of other verses and then when you take the New Testament they talk about the tithing and other Bible principles. And by the way friends, let me just say that this is a blessing that God has given to us. Time and time again when we have seen Pastor Doug and even in your ministry, too, when people who are faithful and give tithes that nine tenths seems to go further with God’s blessing than keeping the whole thing the ten tenths.
Pastor Doug: Oh that’s the truth.
Pastor Ross: Yeah that is how miracles happen you know there are countless stories that come through for those who are putting their trust in Him in being faithful in returning their tithes and offerings.
Pastor Doug: Christians should be the most generous people in the world and I don’t think we’re supposed to because we are pastors--Pastor Ross and I we both pay tithes. I think we should support other worthy causes.
Pastor Ross: You know somebody once told me I don’t know if I can afford to pay tithe. You know my response was well brother it doesn’t sound like you can afford not to pay tithe. You need God’s help in a special way to help in your finances. So there is one other test in this God says try me now. I am faithful and you can put your trust in Me. So we just encourage people to be faithful and in returning their tithes and God will bless.
Pastor Doug: Amen. I appreciate that Annette and don’t forget the free study guide on that subject.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 1-800-835-6747. The study guide once again is called “In God We Trust”. The number is 1-800-835-6747. And that is the resource line to the studio and the phone number 1-800-463-7297. If you have a Bible question again that’s 1-800-463-7297. We have our next caller who is Charlotte listening from Queens Charlotte welcome to the program.
Charlotte: Yes. Hi and thank you for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: Sure.
Charlotte: What about Christmas are we supposed to celebrate it or not. I have heard different points from people about it.
Pastor Doug: That is a good question. Usually we get those kinds of questions from people around November, but let me answer you to get a head start. First of all there is nothing wrong with giving gifts. There is nothing wrong with people remembering the day that Jesus was give to the whole world and that event. There is no command in the bible to remember a particular day and it is almost certain that Jesus was not born on the 25th of December. If the world is going to be pausing to remember that Jesus came into the world and even if we don’t know the exact date and it was probably fall is all we know. Even though we don’t have the right date it is probably a good opportunity to witness and to exploit that for good purposes. But, if a person doesn’t want to this is where I would use Romans 14. “If a man is going to regard a day, regard it to the Lord.” In other words don’t make Christmas about elves and Santa Claus and those kinds of issues. You want Christmas to be about talking about the gift that God gave. It does seem kind of strange preaching about the wise men going to Bethlehem in the middle of June. Well friends you are listening to “Bible Answers Live”.
Pastor Ross: We are going to be taking another break here in a few minutes Pastor Doug. I will sit for a whole half an hour of questions. So don’t go away friends. If you’d like to give us call and before we take our break, I‘d like to mention and event coming up in November it is something we have been looking forward to and preparing for. It’s called “Landmarks of Prophecy” and it is about is a Bible prophecy seminar.
Pastor Doug: Yeah we are actually starting on the 31st of October. So we are starting on Halloween and we are going to study the beasts among other things. But, it is going to be a Bible Prophecy extravaganza Bible study that will be broadcast on radio all around the country through satellite television and it will be on “Amazing Facts” TV as well as 3ABN broadcasting network and also—
Pastor Ross: Something new it is also going to be on you tube live. People can watch it live on you tube.
Pastor Doug: That’s right so we’ll be advertising and if you will go to the website there will be more information. The website is the same as the name of the series. “Landmarks of Prophecy dot com”. We have some lessons where people can study along with us. Bring some people to your home and watch it together and you can bring a soul to Christ. Going to take a brief break, but don’t go far because we are coming back with Bible questions.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: welcome back to “Bible Answers Live” and if you have just joined us this is a live, interactive, international Bible study.
Pastor Ross: Well we are going to go t our first caller. Scott and he is listening from Irvine, California. Scott welcome to the program you are on the air.
Scott: Hi how are you guys?
Pastor Doug: Doing great and your question?
Scott: My question is on the fourth commandment and the seal of Go d. And if you have to have the seal of God—and I am a little bit apprehensive-- to get to heaven? And when does that come into play?
Pastor Doug: Alright, for our listeners let me give you a little background. In the Bible and you have to know your Old Testament there was a King of Babylon that made everyone bow down to an image that he made. And if you did not bow down to the image you would be killed. Of course to the Jews in his Kingdom one of the commandments is don’t bow down to graven images. So Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down.
Well he threw them in the furnace, but God delivered them from that experience. Then again in Persia the King Darius he made a law that everybody had to pray to just him for 30 days. Well in the Bible one of the Ten Commandments the first commandment says don’t have other gods. Because Daniel would not only pray to the king and he prayed to the Lord and they threw him in a lion’s den and God delivered him. Well the devil is going to continue testing people and he has through history. Trying to get God’s people to obey him instead of God and break one of God’s commandments.
In the last days the issue is going to revolve around worship. And the other commandment dealing with that is the name of the Lord dealing with the fourth commandment and the Sabbath. Just think about it for a minute. A seal has three outstanding characteristics. Like the President when he gives a speech you’ll see the Presidential seal on the front of the podium and all seals will contain the title of the individual and their name and the territory. It will say the President, Barrack Obama and United States of America. In the Bible when there was a seal placed on the tomb of Jesus it said Pontius Pilot, Governor, Judah name, title, territory.
In the middle of God’s law you have got the longest commandment which is the Sabbath Commandment. It’s the only commandment which begins with the word “remember” and of course many people are getting it. And in that commandment it says, God, Jehovah and He is the creator. He created the heavens and the earth and that is His territory. So the three components of a seal are found within that one law in the middle of God’s law where you find holy. So the issue in the last days is about whom do you worship? Do you worship God or do you worship the beast?
And so we believe that in the last day. And there will probably be people in heaven that broke the Ten Commandments and there will be people like David who had too many wives like Abraham and there are going o be people in heaven that had slaves inspite of the fact that it is not God’s will. And so people live up to the life they have and the Lord knows that. But, before Jesus comes He wants us to turn back to HIs word and the Sabbath truth has been greatly neglected. So we think t is going to be an issue in prophecy.
Pastor Ross: We have a very important study guide dealing with this subject and by the way friends one of the most fearful warnings that you never read about in Scripture is found in Revelation 14 and it is a warning not to worship the beast and not to receive his mark.
We have a study guide dealing with the subject called “The Mark of the Beast” we’d be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks for this and again this is getting right to the very end of Bible prophecy and a very important study. The number to call is 1-800-8335-6747 and you can ask for the study guide called “The Mark of the Beast” and we’d be happy to send that out to you tonight. Call again 1-800-835-6747.
I was thinking Pastor Doug another resource people might want to take a look at is the new documentary that “Amazing Facts” did called “Babylon: The Bride, the Beast and the Dragon” on Revelation.
Pastor Doug: Yeah you can type in “Revelation Mystery dot com” I guess we only have about fifty websites. “Revelation Mystery dot com” and that will take you to the trailer we have a new trailer up for “Babylon: The Bride, the Beast and the Dragon” I hope you got all that Scott sorry we turned your volume down because we were getting feedback on that on your line.
Pastor Ross: Alright we have our next caller who is Eric and Eric is listening from Little Falls, Minnesota. Eric you are on the air.
Eric: Hi guys how are you?
Pastor Doug: Doing great and how are you?
Eric: I’m doing alright. Say I have a question on debt on personal debt like for home and credit card and vehicle. First before tithing wouldn’t it be better to pay of that debt first? And then begin tithing once you are free and clear?
Pastor Doug: you know the challenge is that the devil could keep you in just enough debt where you never pay tithe. So if you—there is a Bible principle and I know it doesn’t make any sense because it is a spiritual principle that ninety per cent that is blessed by God will go farther than one hundred per cent that is cursed. So God says if we are faithful in paying tithe he will rebuke the devourer and things that devour our increase the devourer of our income. He’ll open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there is not room enough to receive it. Quick lesson about tithing friends. When I was first learning about tithing I was up in the woods wife three kids and made money selling firewood. Not much money hard work. And I made up my mind to start paying tithe because I read it in the Bible. But, it was a struggle because I would sell a cord of wood for sixty-five dollars and I’d go to town and buy my gas and oil and things I needed for the saw and by the time I’d get home there wasn’t much left and I decided to go ahead and pay tithe on six dollars and fifty cents and that week seven thousand dollars came in the mail. Now that doesn’t always happen that way, but I did with me.
Eric: Sure.
Pastor Doug: And so I never anticipated it. And so the Lord He does bless us. And I guess what had happened is my dad had taken out a life insurance policy on me because he thought I was going to kill myself as a teenager and once I was old enough he just said I am giving it back to you and so yeah anyway the Lord blessed. So that’s the story.
Eric: Okay. Thanks.
Pastor Doug: Put God first and we’ll send that lesson that we have been talking about tonight “In God We Trust”. It will encourage you Eric.
Pastor Ross: The number to cal is 1-800-835-6747 and that is the resource line. And Eric you can ask for the resource line and it is about putting God first. Our next caller is Alisha listening from Mississippi well actually Georgia is where she might be from. Alisha welcome to the program you are on the air.
Alisha: Hello.
Pastor Ross: Yes you are on the air.
Alisha: Yes goodnight. I am blessed to be here tonight. I must say I am very impressed of the word and how you are breaking down the word.
Pastor Doug: Well thank you. Now you need to turn your radio off in the background if you are hearing that because then it will be delayed and then it will confuse you.
Alisha: Okay I have a question. I would like to know I have three Christians here to back it up. Under what heading do you baptize?
Pastor Doug: Okay when Jesus said in Matthew 28 go therefore and preach the gospel to all nations and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then you read in Acts it says to baptize them in the name of the Lord.
Alisha: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And you read three different things in Acts it says in the name of the Lord it says in the name of the Lord Jesus and I think it says in the name of Jesus Christ. So they are not exactly the same the title under which a person is person is baptized and this is your question right?
Alisha: Yes it is my question.
Pastor Doug: Well the name and title varies slightly with those verses. The point is that Jesus wasn’t emphasizing the utterance He was emphasizing that the covenant was made. Now a baptism is like when a person is getting married to the Lord and I’ve done several weddings and I did a wedding last week and when people get married and I sometimes say to the bride and groom do you want me to be a little more formal and say do you James Seymour McDonald marry Sally Beth Smith? And I will do all three names and or sometimes I will say do you Bill marry Sally? It doesn’t matter in any State in North America when as long as the people making the covenant in front of the witnesses realize who they are talking to the exact utterance of the names is not as important, it is a binding covenant. So with God--
Alisha: Umm I think we—some of us misunderstood this picture and we you know put it in our own way. We interpreted in or way some of us. And so when He said, “Go ye therefore teach all nations baptizing them in the name…” (s) that is now one “s” that is it means that is one singular of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and for the purpose for teaching them to observe all things or to I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even until the end of the world. And in Acts 2: 38 it says they shall be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sin. I see the name there because if they use theology the term just now like for a wife and a husband and in the same way I think if you are married. And if you have to I am a female I’m going to marry then I have to get the male’s name which I am going to wear his name because we are going to be joined together.
Pastor Doug: But, do you know what you believe on this subject?
Alisha: Yes I know what I believe.
Pastor Doug: So do you believe that a person when they get baptized the minister should say in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit or in the name of the Lord Jesus?
Alisha: I believe according to the Scripture because the Bible says if we—
Pastor Doug: What do you believe?
Alisha: I believe in Acts 2: 38.
Pastor Doug: So what do you think about when Jesus says in Matthew and I will tell you how I cover it is when I baptize in the name of the Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit so I cover all bases. So do you think if a person is baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit that their baptism I somehow invalid?
Alisha: Yes it is not because the apostle and in the New testament God in order to come to Him in grace and then the law and grace we are under grace now in the New Testament.
Pastor Doug: Well what do you do with Matthew?
Alisha: When the apostles were baptizing they did not baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Pastor Doug: Well what about John the Baptist? When John the Baptist baptized Jesus what name did he use?
Alisha: John baptized in Jesus’ name and in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost which are one. And then they found that the Holy Ghost is the Holy Spirit. He is omniscient. He was man and he was God.
Pastor Doug: Alisha can I—
Alisha: So He was Omniscient. He was everywhere at the same time. So when John was baptized in His name John was using his name—His name to baptize Him.
Pastor Doug: Alisha well but, Jesus had not even announced His name to anybody. I mean John had called Him the Lamb of God so I don’t think that John baptized Jesus in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. John wasn’t even quite sure he asked Jesus later are you the one we are looking for. And then later ties in to be that when Peter came to John the Baptist and got baptized what name did John use? Before Jesus was even announced?
So the big issue was not the utterance of the name, but I’d be very careful about telling people that their baptisms are invalid. If a person didn’t say in the name of the Lord Jesus as opposed to the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit because I would think if you did it exactly the way that Jesus said it you’d be safe.
Alisha please send for this book. And you can read it online it is called “The Name of God” the copy of the book. It tells you about the name of God and it will just tell you about the Bible and give you all the verse. And that phone number if you want to go to the phone.
Pastor Ross: That number is 1-800-835-6747 and that is the resource line and you can ask for the book called “The Name of God” that is 1-800-835-6747. We have Melissa who is listening from Brooklyn, New York. Melissa welcome to the program.
Melissa: Good evening. My question is on John 14: 15 and Jesus said, 15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (KJV) So is He talking about the Ten Commandments?
Pastor Doug: When–well all of the disciples certainly knew the Ten Commandments matter of fact when the rich young ruler came to Jesus and this in Matthew 18 I think and he said, “Good Master, what shall I do to have eternal life?” Jesus said keep the Commandments. And he said, “Which ones?” And Jesus began to recite the Ten Commandments. So you know the disciples of Jesus all knew the Ten Commandments. And so when he said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” And when Christ says in the same chapter I have kept my Father’s Commandments and abide in His love. I am sure that would include the Ten.
Pastor Ross: And of course if you love God with all of your heart, soul and mind, then you’ll love your neighbor as you love yourself which is a summary of the Ten Commandments. You’ll be faithful to God’s will as revealed in the Ten Commandments. The first four have to do with our relationship with God and the last six have to do with our relationship with our fellow man.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. So even on the Sermon on the Mount Jesus quotes from the Ten Commandments several times in Matthew Chapter 5: 17 He said, 17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (KJV) And so Jesus came to explain the depth of the Law and to live it in His life.
Pastor Ross: Of course the New Covenant the Bible says is God writing His law upon the heart. The table is the heart. God is writing His law of love upon our hearts we would desire to keep those commandments. Not out of trying to save ourselves, but because we love God.
Pastor Doug: Now we have a study guide Melissa and I think it is called “Written in Stone”.
Pastor Ross: The number to cal is 1-800-835-6747 Melissa or anyone else who wants to get it. Call 1-800-835-6747 and again the study guide is called “Written in Stone”. WE have Jerry who is listening from Oregon Jerry welcome to the program.
Jerry: Thank you Pastors Ross and Batchelor. I am following up on an earlier question. The caller announced she had other lines available. It has to do with eternal punishment and I agree with you that I look at Scriptures that tend to indicate that the wicked they just need to be destroyed, but there is one really problematic Scripture in Revelation 14: 9, 10, and 11 referring to those who worship the beast.
Pastor Doug: Umm-hmm.
Jerry: And it says he will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb and the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast or his image. But, some people will accept this.
Pastor Doug: You know you are right. That is probably the single most troubling verse for the punishment of the wicked. The word that is used there is “enon” and that’s where we get the word it won’t happen in eons. And sometimes that word was use to describe until a person ends. And now let me give you Biblical support for this. When for instance you read in the book of Jonah an when he says the earth with her bars was around me forever. Well I suppose it felt like forever for Jonah in the belly of the fish, but it wasn’t. It was three days and three nights. But, it was a in the belly for three days and three nights and it probably did feel like forever and ever. And there may be some people that suffer that long. We don’t know. When Hannah brought her son to the temple she said, “He will abide here at the temple forever.” Well she meant as long as he lived. There was a Hebrew ceremony where if a servant liked his master and even though he was allowed to go free after seven years they would go through a ritual which he would stay with his master forever and well that meant until he died. And there are several other examples of the word forever meaning as long as the person exists. And so I think it is telling us when—the smoke is rising up forever. And I don’t believe we are going to be in heaven looking at pillars of black columns of smoke rising u from around the new earth or the abyss somewhere that is you know the burning residue of people burning.
Pastor Ross: You know just also let me give you a cross reference for this. A lot of what Revelation has is actually a quote from the Old Testament and this specific quote is actually a verse from Isaiah Chapter 34: 10 where you see the same imagery. Let me read it, it says, “It shall not be quenched night or day the smoke thereof shall go up forever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste none shall pass through it forever and ever. (KJV) It is talking about the destruction of a city and then it goes on to say, that from each generation shall I waste. No one will pass through it forever.
11 “But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.” So he is talking about a city being destroyed and it is broken down and talks about it being burns with fire that burns for ever or smoke that ascends forever. And it goes on to talk about how these wild animals will dwell I that city. So the term smoke ascending for ever and ever represents complete destruction. And says it will never be rebuilt.
Pastor Doug: And another way to say that is when we say smoke ascending for ever I used to drive across Texas and every ten miles they had a city and every city had their own dump and a lot of times people would burn their trash and they’d throw their garbage out with hot coals still in it and the dumps were always smoldering. And if there was no wind and a lot of garbage that smoke went up forever meaning it went out of sight. And so when it is talking about—and you know you picture a nuclear blast—because it is talking about the smoke going up for ever and ever. It just means it is out of sight. And it tells us Sodom and Gomorrah is what is going to happen a next example of them being burned with eternal fire. Big question—are they burning today? No it says they were turned into ashes being an example for the ungodly. So Sodom and Gomorrah are an example of what the wicked are going to get. Anyway, good question Jerry. I appreciate your call and it seems like you understand it, but for anyone else that wants that lesson you can both call and get “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” Or just go to “Hell Truth” it is probably is the most important website on this subject with a lot of Biblical references.
Pastor Ross: And again the website is “Hell Truth dot com” and that phone number to call is 1-800-835-6747 if you would like to get that free resource is 1-800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” We have Paul who is listening from Texas Paul welcome to the program.
Paul: Hey how is it going? Can you hear me?
Pastor Doug: Loud and clear what are calling about tonight?
Paul: I am a true believer who loves taking the gospel to the streets and I have a brother who he is a pastor and I am a truck driver and I don’t get to go to church often because I am always out here. He was preaching on tongues and was pushing people to talk in tongues. And I thought it really bothered me.
Pastor Doug: Well let me—I know exactly what you are talking about and when I first became a Christian I fellowshipped with other Christians that spoke in tongues and we believe in all the gifts I the Bible. But, when talking about tongues you’ll find it in Acts Chapter 2 and Acts Chapter 10 and Acts Chapter 19. All three times when the disciples spoke in tongues, they were given the supernatural ability to speak in a language that they didn’t formerly know or understand. And at Pentecost they were filled with the Holy Spirit and it said they spoke the wonderful works of God and everybody understood them. Some churches teach that everybody is supposed to speak in tongues and the bible doesn’t say that. When you read gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 tongues is one of the many gifts, but Paul says do all speak in tongues? Of course not and Paul says even if I spoke with the tongues of men angels I don’t have love I am just making sounding brass. Tongues are often listed as the least of the gifts that are in the list of gifts. And so the Bible doesn’t say the fruit of the Spirit is tongues. It says the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy peace. Jesus only mentions tongues one time. And he says you will speak with other languages in Mark Chapter 16. We are out of time and we do have a study Jerry. We’ll send it to you for free or you can read it online. It I called “Understanding Tongues”. Friends we have used up our time so go to “Amazing Facts dot org” to find out more about the ministry and help us stay on this station. We sure appreciate if you would click that donate button. And keep us going. God bless you and spread the good news and we will talk together again next week.
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