Hello friends this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? On a beautiful Sunday morning June 10
th, 1990 a British Airways jet was packed with passengers flying from Birmingham, England to Malaga, Spain. Just as they were climbing to 17,300 feet there was a loud explosion which the flight crew assumed was a bomb. It turned out that the front windshield in the cockpit had failed. And had blown off and created pressure within the aircraft. Instantly the air in the cabin turned to a white haze. Everything that was not tied down was violently sucked out of the plane including about 50 percent of Captain Tim Lancaster.
Flight Steward Nigel Ogden, former rugby player, who was nearest the cockpit saw the Captain being sucked out of his seatbelt through the window and grabbed him around the waist just in time holding on for dear life. With the plane now spiraling down at 80 feet co-pilot Aleister Atchison who was fortunate enough to still be wearing his flight harness took control, even as the icy air in the cabin equalized and because the jet was traveling over three hundred miles an hour and half of the Captain was still bent out and thrashing outside the window and the crew could not pull him back in.
But, neither would they let go and eighteen minutes later the crippled plane and petrified passengers made an emergency landing at the South Hampton airport incredibly with only minor fractures. Except for some frostbite Captain Tim Lancaster was soon flying again. Friends you know the Bible says there as someone who will not let go of you. Stay with us friends and we will learn more as “Amazing Facts” brings you this edition of”Bible Answers Live”.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome listening friends. They say when you are having fun time flies and it seems sometimes this in the fastest hour in the week. But, we are just starting right now and if you have Bible questions we are going to do what we enjoy most talking about the truth and the word of God. Pick up your phone we have lines open. That number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS got a pencil? That is 1-800-463-7297 will bring your Bible question into the studio. And that is the purpose of this program and we don’t have all the answers, but we are going to do our best and the Bible at our fingertips to answer your Bible questions about the Christian life. One more time 1-800-463-7297 and we do have lines open and a good time to pick up the phone and call in with your question. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Ross: My name is Jean Ross and god evening listening friends and Pastor Doug once again let’s begin the program with a word of prayer. Dear Father in heaven we thank you we have a few moments to spend in your word and Lord we ask the Holy Spirit to come and guide our hearts and our minds and lead us into a clearer understanding and a fuller understanding of your word as we read in the Scriptures. Be with those who are listening where ever they might be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Ross: Pastor Doug you opened up the program talking about this remarkable story you know of the air pressure inside the aero plane changing rapidly because of a broken window and I mean how someone could be getting sucked out a plane including the pilot what a tragedy that must have been. So as he was being pulled out somebody reaches out and grabs a hold of him and holds on, but what an encouragement it must have been to him. As he felt himself being pulled out of the aero plane to have somebody hold onto you.
Pastor Doug: Yeah and there were some that were suggesting that they let go because they thought well he is dead for sure after that explosion and he was half bent over hanging outside the aircraft on the top half. And they said well we could never face the family saying well we just let go. Just they hung onto him and the one of the Stewards said he couldn’t hang on any longer and another one helped. The ultimately they tied him off with what was left of the seatbelt until the plane landed, but they said we’re not letting go. And it was really scary, but when the explosion took place the auto pilot and I read the whole report of this and it actually blew the door off. That is how the Steward saw, but he passengers could also see.
Can you imagine how horrifying it was the passengers in the first few rows could look into the cock pit and see that half of the Captain was outside the plane? They said that inside the cabin that people were rather nervous, but it ended with nobody seriously injured. And that is the amazing part of the story is that when they landed and the ambulance strapped in Captain Lancaster, he opened his eyes. And he said, “I want something to eat.” And they just couldn’t believe that he was still alive. And anyway it reminds us of how the Lord doesn’t want to let go of us. And there is a verse in the Bible and it says in John 10: 28 and verse 29 and Jesus is speaking, “And I give them eternal life and they will never perish neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. So when a person surrenders their life to Jesus as long as they don’t choose to turn away and let go God promises that the two strongest beings in the Universe God the Father and God the Son and the Holy Spirit say they will not let go of us. And so that should give us some confidence that He who has begun a good work in us will perform it. He will finish what He started if we will just trusting in Him. We have a whole lesson about the love that God has for you and how you can have that promise that you will never perish. And we will send it to you for free just for asking.
Pastor Ross: The number to call for our resource line is 1-800-835-6747. And the study guide we are offering tonight is a study guide called “Rescued From Above” Again the number to call is 1-800-835-6747 and the study guide you can ask for is called “Rescued From Above”. It talks about how we can trust in Christ and how that He will hold onto us so long as we put our confidence in Him. We are going to go to the phone lines this evening and our first caller is Mark and Mark is listening in Knoxville, Tennessee. You are on the air.
Mark: Hi thanks for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: Good evening. Yes sir.
Mark: Yeah since Genesis 1:20 refers to the Cambrian explosion would the land plants of verse 11 refer to somewhere in the Protozoaic eon?
Pastor Doug: Well you know I believe that the six days and I know about the Cambrian explosion that actually was one of the things they called the Cambrian explosion. That is a real mystery for evolutionists how suddenly all these small, but very complex life forms appeared out of nowhere with such great diversity. And there is no good answer for that so they just explained it by calling it an explosion. But, I have never seen an explosion produce life. So you are wondering if the part of the creation record in Genesis 1 where it talks about verse 11 if that is corresponding to a different age in the geologic column as verse 21?
Mark: Right because the fossil record a lot of them claimed the plants arrived in the solarium period, but that is after the Cambrian period so some are saying that the land plants may have occurred as early as the solineum period.
Pastor Doug: Well let me give you something to think about Mark that helped me. It is that the geologic layer, the column, you know that you see in some of the evolution text books is not a s affected by creation as it is from the flood of Noah. All creationists, scientists whether they are creationists or evolutionists agree that there was catastrophe and some say this is what killed off the dinosaurs. Bible readers call it Noah’s flood, but there was catastrophe that involved copious amounts of water washing over the world because of the way the fossils are laid down.
And one of the things that happen when you have such an epic churning of the oceans is things settle at different speeds. The water creatures that are already saturated they are the first thing to drop shells and those things in simple forms of life. They will settle very quickly on the bottom. As the other layers of silt and animal life then settle down and this is exactly what we see. Some of the last things you would see are your mammals and that is because mammals when they die they tend to bloat and float and they are among the last that will end up sinking. And so they’d be on the top layer.
And with that understanding it really helps a person see that the geologic column is really reflecting what is happening—you know what they find in geology is what is reflecting in the Bible is with this catastrophe of Noah’s flood. You know we have a booklet and we’ll be happy to send you a copy of this Mark and it is dealing with that subject. It is called “When Evolution Flunked the Science Test” and we’ll be happy to send that to you for free. And there will be some stuff in there to help you with your question.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 1-800-835-6747. That is the resource line and you can just ask for the book “When Evolution Flunked the Science Test”. It talks about Noah’s flood and the things that we have seen in the geological column. And also some of the various rock formations. That we see in our world today and how the flood explains how all of these things were laid down. Again 1-800-835-6747 ask for the book “When Evolution Flunked the Science Test”. Our next caller is Patricia and see is listening from “Bible Answers Live” Patricia you are on the air.
Patricia: Hello Pastors how are you? My question has to do with the New World Order. Is there any reference to it in the Bible?
Pastor Doug: The New World Order?
Patricia: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Well it doesn’t use that term and I think one of the first American leaders that used that term and he didn’t invent it was George Bush Senior. When he talked about it he was really talking about in the context of the economy of the world that was becoming more of a global economy. The idea of the New World Order that most Christians think about is this teaching in Revelation 13 that encourages a global economy where you cannot buy or sell unless you worship this beast system, but our economy is involved in it. Some have wondered if the United Nations and America issuing economic sanctions on countries is a sample of that by not only buying and selling as individuals, but not buying and selling by countries that will cooperate in the last days until they come in line. And so this is the thing about the New World Order I think is and I know Pastor Ross wants to add to that. But, it creates a bigger picture of what happens in Revelation 13.
Patricia: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: Where everyone is compelled to be part of one economy and one religion in the New World Order.
Patricia: You see a lot about this online and in the devil worship that is behind it. Is that just somebody’s theory or idea or is that any truth that it is pretty ominous and scary, but true and they say everybody that is involved in that New World Order is devil worship of the devil.
Pastor Doug: I wouldn’t go that far because everybody and if you have somebody that believes we need to have more of a global economy I wouldn’t put them in the category of a devil worshipper. I think a lot of people just see the benefits of it and not selling their souls by thinking those things. So is the devil involved in what is happening in these governments? I think there is no doubt that he is. And I think there is a great controversy going on between Christ and Satan and a matter of fact you can read in Daniel. Is it Chapter 10 Pastor Ross where it talks about the prince of Persia battling with Michael? And it is this political battle and the King of Persia was going to let the children of Israel go, but the devil is working with leaders in Persia to prevent it from happening. And God sends Michael to labor with a fight with the devil in that category.
Pastor Ross: It was Daniel Chapter 10: 13.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. And you can see it in Isaiah where it talks about Lucifer and it compares him to the King of Babylon. You can see it where there is a King of Tyre I think that is Ezekiel 28. I might be getting them backwards. Ezekiel might be the King of Babylon. And Isaiah might be the King of Tyre. But, these governments the devil he works through them and I am sure he is doing this in the last days as well. So we do have a book that talks about the Anti-Christ. And that is something I think you’d really be blessed by Patricia. And we’d be happy to send that to you.
Pastor Ross: The study guide is called “Who is the Anti-Christ?” we’d be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks for it. It talks about what the Bible teaches in Revelation 13 about this power that will gain influence in end times all over the world. Call and ask for that resource we will be happy to send it to you. The number again is 1-800-835-6747 that is the resource line and you can ask for the Study guide entitled “Who is the Anti-Christ?”
If you have a Bible question the number her e to the studio is 1-800-463-7297. Again that is 1-800-463-7297. Our next caller is Stewart and he is listening from Bronx, New York Stewart welcome to the program.
Stewart: Yes YAH WAH blesses both you and Pastor Batchelor.
Pastor Doug: Thank you.
Stewart: I wanted to ask this question a long time because I know you guys believe that once someone in YAH WAH dies and they are a believer and they don’t have conscious existence until the resurrection. In light of that how do you understand when the sixth seal is opened in Revelation Chapter 6: 9 & 10? There is a conversation there between those who died and fro their faith and they are having a conscious conversation with YAH WAH and they say how long until you avenge our death and this was before the sixth seal was opened?
Pastor Doug: You’re right. In Revelation 1o and maybe we should read this for our listening in verse 9, “And when he opened the sixth seal I saw under the altar…” and okay so one thing we have to notice is it says under the altar and also in the temple. The souls of them that were slain for the word of God and the testimony that they held and that was millions or billions of people who were slain for their faith and the cried, “Oh Lord God how long holy and true does not thou judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given to each of them and it was said to them that they should rest…” They were obviously going back to sleep “… yet for a little season until their fellow servants also the brethren also should be killed as they were to be fulfilled.” When you read in Revelation I think you agree Stewart there is a number of visions. You have in Revelation that has obvious symbols when it talks about a woman sitting on a beast with seven heads and ten horns.
So when you see these visions they are symbols and it tells us in the Old Testament God says to Cain after he killed his brother Abel. God says the blood of your brother cries to me from the ground. Well it doesn’t mean the blood is really shouting. The little cells are making noise. God is talking about justice calling out. It is the same language being used here that there is justice being called for by the lives of those who had died for their faith. I don’t think can you imagine people dying and going to heaven and being crying under the altar? What saved person would be crying under the altar?
So it is not a picture of a very happy state. I think it is just talking about their lives are crying out for justice. I don’t think that they are consciously alive and writhing under the altar.
Pastor Ross: And also if you look at the seals. And of course this is one of the seals that you spoke about. The seals represent different time periods of the Christian era and Christian history and the description that we have here is the time period of extreme persecution during the time period against Bible believing Christians and it seemed it would never end. And so the question of how long are you going to allow this to happen? And the answer comes the time is not yet fulfilled rest a little longer there are still things that ought to happen and so it describing a time period when many of God’s people were severely persecuted.
Pastor Doug: Umm-hmm. Absolutely. I am just wondering what we might offer Stewart that give a deeper study into that? Oh you know I don’t know if it was a book or a sermon, but Joe Crews used to have a sermon preaching the souls under the altar.
Pastor Ross: Hmm.
Pastor Doug: And if Stewart types that into the search bar on the internet “souls under the altar” “Joe Crews” he may either find his sermon or an article on that, but he goes into more details on that subject. Appreciate your question Stewart. Thank you.
Pastor Ross: We have Ingrid listening from Yonkers New York. Ingrid welcome to the program.
Ingrid: Hello. Just a moment I am next to my radio. My question is on the Trinity. For those who are just coming into Christ or are no yet a Christian how can I explain it to them? And in a simple away to where they can understand it? Because a lot of them usually ask and say well if they come—I mean God came as Jesus into the world in the flesh so that He may you know—I am sorry I am a little nervous.
Pastor Doug: Um-hmm. That is alright. So that God could reveal who He was.
Ingrid: Right. Right.
Pastor Doug: And also to save us.
Ingrid: Right. So many people say well if He was one you know He well Jesus spoke well like my Father in heaven. SO many of them say well--
Pastor Doug: How could He be one?
Ingrid: Right.
Pastor Doug: Well you know how I would answer this is Ingrid you now in a marriage it says a man and a woman leave their father and mother and cleave to one another. And they become one. But, God looks upon them as one. Meaning united. Jesus prayed in John 17 about the apostles and of course there are twelve of them. And Jesus said Father I pray that they might be one. Even as you and I are one so again Jesus here is saying oneness is not talking about numerical quantity. You can have one family with twelve people in it. You can have the Apostle with twelve in it or ten in it so you know what I am saying?
Ingrid: Right.
Pastor Doug: In the Hebrew mind one did not mean and it was not talking about numerical. It was talking about unity.
Ingrid: Right.
Pastor Doug: We know Israel and the Lord our God is one and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. Our God is one where the Egyptian gods and the Greek gods they were all fighting with each other. And there was a god of the bushes who was a god of the oceans. And when the god of the ocean was winning there were the drama bushes and they had all these different things about the gods all in conflict with each other. Moses was saying our God is not like that. We have a God as one. The Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father. They are perfectly united, but they are three distinct individuals between the Father, Son and Sprit.
Ingrid: Right.
Pastor Doug: And one place that you see that is the baptism of Jesus and you have the voice of the Father saying this is my beloved Son and you have Jesus getting baptized there in the river and God the Spirit comes down like a dove. There you have three persons of the godhead in one event. And of course at the great commission Jesus said go teach and baptize in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. So we do have a book we will send you a free copy on that subject you can read it and then share it with a friend.
Pastor Ross: The book is entitled “The Trinity is it Biblical”. If you call and ask for it we’d be happy to send it to you. Then number is 1-800-835-6747 and again just ask for the book “The Trinity is it Biblical”. Anyone wondering about this by the way if you go to the “Amazing Facts” website you can just type the name in at the search bar and read the book online. And right now at “Amazing Facts”. Thanks for your call Ingrid. Our next caller is Sebastian calling from Florida. Sebastian welcome to the program.
Sebastian: Thanks for having me this evening Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Pastor Ross: Hello.
Sebastian: Nice. I just wanted to know are there any biblical principles against smoking marijuana for recreational purposes? And then what about smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes is it simple?
Pastor Doug: Well two questions. You really have to treat them distinctly. There are all kinds of trees out there that were used for medicinal purposes. Now Pastor Ross is going to have to look this up for me. But in Ezekiel there is a parallel verse Jean that talks about the leaves for medicine. And I think you might even look for the word medicine. It’s similar to what we find in Revelation where it says the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations. What is that verse?
Pastor Ross: Ezekiel Chapter 47: 12.
Pastor Doug: Okay. 12 “And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” (KJV) God recognized certainly because God knows everything, but when He made an incredible diversity of plants that there would be some herbal or medicinal values that could be used if sin entered the world.
And marijuana is just another weed. And I just need to come clean. I was a teenager and I did all that for a little while I even grew it for we are talking thirty years ago friends. So just so you know and hopefully the statutes of limitations are up now. After I became a Christian I gave it all up. But, so I know it and I know what the drug feels like and I know what it does to you. And it is bad for your body and bad for your health and it is not good for your mind and it does not raise your I.Q. which we all need more of so smoking pot is not good for you spiritually no question.
Most of the people today that say they are smoking pot for medicinal purposes it is bogus. Now I didn’t say all I said most. And there are a lot of doctors and we are in Northern California so Sebastian where not far from and Pastor Ross had s been to my house. We are surrounded by what they call the emerald triangle. There are three counties in Northern California where the principle income is marijuana or it is the principle crop. That is Mendocino, Trinity and Humbbell counties and I mean it is just everywhere. You fly over and it is everywhere. And everybody has got 25 plants in their yard because they have a medical marijuana license. There are doctors up there and some of them they will give a medicinal marijuana license to people that grow it, but they don’t grow it for medicine and so I just want to be sure that I am being clear that there may be some medicinal value to marijuana as with aspirin. But, as it comes from a tree and valium comes from a layering root and there is all kinds of medicines that comes from plants. Most people aren’t using it that way. And there are probably other medicines and I may be wrong—but, there may be other medicines that can do some of the same things that they are claiming marijuana does. Smoking anything is probably not the best way to take a medicine. Because you get all the bad side effects of the smoke and the toxins that are in it and they go into your lungs.
So I guess I sound a little bit cynical about smoking marijuana for medical reasons and I am absolutely clear in my mind that a Christian should nit cloud their mind with smoking marijuana recreationally. I know that is a long answer sorry Sebastian. Did that help any?
Sebastian: Oh no thank you. I am really actually satisfied with the answer because I know it is a topic that is really up for a great controversy and like the whole Christian thing so it was lingering in my mind a lot and that is why I just wanted to get clarification on it. But, thank you.
Pastor Doug: I appreciate it very much and I don’t know Jean if you wanted to add anything to that?
Pastor Ross: No you sad it all Pastor Doug.
[Laughter]
Pastor Doug: Probably too much.
[Laughter]
Pastor Doug: Alright do we have time to take another call before we are going to do our ID?
Pastor Ross: Alright we have time for one more we have Louise calling from Brooklyn, New York.
Louise: Oh good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Louise: How are you?
Pastor Doug: Good and we have about a minute before we have to take a break Louise so.
Louise: Okay I have it is Peter 1: 19 by whom also He went to speak to the sprits in prison?
Pastor Doug: Umm-hmm.
Louise: I don’t understand this.
Pastor Doug: Alright well the Bible tells us that one of the principle reasons that Jesus came is to set the captives free. The devil imprisons people in sin. And when it talks about the sprits in prison it is talking about that through the Spirit of God He frees people that are in prison by sin by the devil. That is why it refers to them as spirits in prison. It is not talking about a jail down yonder. Or that God is holding people captive somewhere or somehow in a big dark prison. You are listening to “Bible Answers Live”.
Pastor Ross: Well thank you for your call Louise we are going to come up on a break here in just a few moments and we are going to take another half hour of calls on Bible questions when we get back. But, before we do Pastor Doug I just want to mention a few of the websites that are very popular talking about a topic that is very intriguing and it is a “666” website.
Pastor Doug: Yeah on the way to the studio I saw a car with 666 on it and I was going to take a picture of it just to show at our meetings coming up in Albuquerque and that car is bad luck and what does that number mean? It is a very ominous number and people say “666” and hopefully you can see that it is diabolical. Go to that website. “666Truth” you can understand this subject and you can see a lot of great information there. We’ll be back after this brief message.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Alright we are back listening friends to “Bible Answers Live” and in case some have joined us along the way this is live, international, interactive Bible study. Just a couple of weeks ago Pastor Ross I was in Australia and it was fun there and visited with people that were listening to the program some hear it o the internet and some actually hear others that rebroadcast the program, but for many people it is live across North America and others capture and rebroadcast it into different parts of the world. And of course it is at the “Amazing Facts” website. It is archived there so it is just a joy to see how the program is touching lives around the world. Back to the phones.
Pastor Ross: Alright we have Peter who is listening from Arizona. Peter welcome to the program.
Peter: Good evening I enjoy your program.
Pastor Doug: Thank you.
Peter: I am a born again Christian and I have been struggling for years when I witness to people who die who don’t know Christ. And here is the scenario. A soldier goes to war he fights for his country and does what is right. He dies and innocently because of the war and I don’t know the intent of God or the intent of the individual if he was saved or not, but it just seems rather unfair that young men go to war and die and then they all go to hell because they are not born again Christians. I am struggling with that and trying to put that in my head and explain it to other people. Can you help me?
Pastor Doug: Well there are a lot of people and Jesus said no greater love has a man than to lay down his life for his friends. And many soldiers have laid down their live s for friends whether it was jumping on a hand grenade or covering someone else when bombs were going off. But, soldiers are taught about being willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. And I think that the Lord that He recognizes that. Now there is and will be people in the kingdom who may didn’t know everything, but because there has been a misunderstanding between church and state, but the chaplains used to be and would pray with soldiers who were about to go into battle to issue New testaments and prayed with them. They used to pray in Jesus’ name. Have you been in the military?
Peter: Yeah I remember.
Pastor Doug: But, now there is so much pressure now to distant our self form any particular religion. And it is just unfortunate. But, you know some people have taken the command that says do not kill and they think it means the same thing as do not murder. The original language of this command did not say do not kill it said thou shall not murder. Murder is the unwanton taking of innocent life. Soldiers by definition are not murderers. They are doing a duty to protect the country. And now there are soldiers that are murderers if they have taken and some have gone over the line of fighting the enemy and done atrocities. Most—the Bible wouldn’t call a soldier a murderer if he is defending his country. Anymore than you would call a policeman a murderer if he kills a robber that is holding hostages. Do you know what I am saying?
Peter: Yeah. I just knew that is a good answer. I appreciate that and that really helps clarify it for me. And I thank you for your show. I really enjoy it.
Pastor Doug: Alright thank you a lot Peter appreciate it.
Pastor Ross: We are talking now to Richard and Richard is listening from Manitoba, Canada. Richard you are on the air.
Richard: Hi pastor Doug?
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Richard: I am having a little bit of trouble trying to articulating my thoughts here so be patient.
Pastor Doug: Alright do your best.
Richard: Okay. Recently I have been researching what the Rabbis of old thought the Messiah would be and what prophecies they expected He would fulfill. AND I have read some statements in the Talmud and different books that refer to the normal tradition and basically all the texts that awe use for identifying Jesus as the Jewish Messiah that there have been traditions in the Rabbis that have interpreted those processes in the exact same way. And it sort of strengthened my faith a lot in how Jesus is the Messiah, but one question has always been nagging at me and I don’t think it is very accurately answered is how does Jesus inherit the royal right to the throne of Israel from Joseph his father?
Pastor Doug: Alright yeah because his genealogy is traced down through Joseph.
Richard: Yeah. And it ends with Him, but Mary is also descended from--
Pastor Doug: David.
Richard: --from David, but the objection is that Jesus could not have the royal right to the throne because Joseph was not his biological father even though he may have been his legal father.
Pastor Doug: Well let me give you something to think about. Now Iam going to tell you what a Jewish theologian told me. When I was a young student in college I asked the same question. And he said how do you know that Joseph wasn’t His real father? I said well it says He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He said well conception means that the egg of Mary is obviously fertile. Right? I said, “Yeah”. And he said well where does the male cell come from? I said well God somehow produced it. And he said well if he traces the line through Joseph can God produce a cell that has the DNA of Joseph in it? I said well God can do anything. It says that the conception takes place by the Holy Spirit, it doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit had intimate relationship with Mary it is talking about that God impregnated Mary somehow through the medium of the Holy Spirit. But, where did the seed come from? Well this particular Jewish Scholar said it was Joseph’s seed that God implanted with His Spirit in Mary. I had no way to refute that because I had never heard it before, but that would solve your problem if it is true about was there anything of Joseph in Jesus. So I would and again I am speculating a little bit, but what gives Jesus the right to the throne of David he gets that through Mary and through Joseph. Through Joseph just by the family, but Joseph and Mary were related also. So either way Christ is a descendant of David. And ultimately the New Jerusalem is going to settle down on this planet and Christ is going to reign and he will be the King of Israel and He’ll still be on the earth as God promised to David through seed this is your son and you will have kingdom that will last forever. I think that is 1 Chronicles Chapter 17. Anyway I hope that helps a little bit Richard. It was kind of a convoluted answer, but I admit I am speculating little bit there. But, it is a good question. Thank you very much.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Alex. And Alex is listening in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Alex welcome to the program.
Alex: Thank you. Dr. Ross I mean Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug I am just looking forward to you coming to Albuquerque.
Pastor Doug: You know we are coming to Albuquerque. We are going to be there and looking forward to it.
Alex: I saw you the last time you were here and I enjoy it every time you come. It is like the Holy Spirit lifts my spirit up.
Pastor Doug: Well praise the Lord.
Alex: I think I am always looking forward to hearing you guys come down. The question I have to ask is about the getting prepared time for the coming of the Lord. Now when the abomination of desolation comes in to run to the mountains or whatever it is what is this we can’t take anything with us? Are we allowed to prepare ourselves up there or what? Or how does that go?
Pastor Doug: Well there is going to come a day where as in the same way as Lot had to drop everything and flee. Matter of fact the angels at one point had to take him by the hands and said flee into the mountains lest you be consumed. But, when the time comes when God is about to withdraw His spirit and the seven last plagues are going to fall God will supply for His people. The same way He fed Elijah in the wilderness and He fed the children of Israel in the wilderness. And you know the Bible even says after Jesus’ forty days of fasting and after His temptation His angels came and ministered to Him. And so there may be some time of trial, but I think God will provide for us. We don’t need to worry about loading up a motor home and trying to head for the hills. I think at that point it is going to be almost pointless. Right now with drones and infra red I mean you even wonder where people can hide at that time. I think God’s angels will keep us close to the Lord, but there is a period of time when we near the end sometimes referred to as a time of trouble and may not be a bad idea to be living in the more rural regions where you can grow a garden during that time. There will be a period of time when believers cannot buy or sell. You might have to grow some of your own food.
Alex: Yes.
Pastor Doug: But, when the time to flee and the abomination of desolation and that time come I think that is just before the end when the seven plagues are falling.
Alex: Would that be more or less especially from the cities? Than if you live on a farm or a ranch out there in the middle of nowhere?
Pastor Doug: I think that you might be better off, but I think that if you are living in a place and your neighbors know who you are and they get the nark of the beast. You are going to be in a very precarious situation and run to a more remote region. I think that is one reason Jesus is coming soon is we are running out of those remote regions. I appreciate your call Alex and look forward to seeing you in about a month.
Pastor Ross: You know Pastor Doug this may be a good time just to mention something about the meetings we will be doing in Albuquerque starting October 31.
Pastor Doug: And this is not just about Albuquerque Pastor Ross and I will be doing some meetings there for about 21 days. And it will be broadcast around the world both on “Amazing Facts” television and 3ABN and You Tube. Everybody can tune in and if you want more information on this series go to the website. It is just like the name of the event. “Landmarks of Prophecy dot com” “Landmarks of Prophecy dot com” and find out how you can tune in and take your friends and neighbors through the end times events.
Pastor Ross: Again that website is “Landmarks of Prophecy dot com”. And let me add just one more thing Pastor Doug this year it is going to be quite different in that people will be able to register at this website and then they will get an alert on their phone and they can click on their link and they can actually watch the program live wherever they might be. So they can watch it online and watch it on their phone.
Pastor Doug: Wow.
Pastor Ross: All they have to do is just go and register at the website.
Pastor Doug: That’s right I am getting excited and I might watch it on my phone.
Pastor Ross: You know while you’re preaching.
[Laughter]
Pastor Ross: We have Patricia listening from Detroit, Michigan. Welcome I am sorry I meant Patrick welcome.
Patrick: You are.
Pastor Jean: Patrick yes.
Patrick: Thanks for taking my call. My question is when I read through the Bible I am under the impression that God has cursed the earth more than one time and I would like to know exactly which events cause these different curses. And where in the Bible do I find these curses? And what events will bring these curses to an end or will God arrest them?
Pastor Doug: Alright good question. One curse is in Genesis 3 where man and woman initially fall and they sinned and God said the earth would be cursed. And the farming was much easier and agriculture it was just so much more natural, but God said by the sweat of your brow you are going to have to till the ground and work the earth to get your food from it. The earth was further cursed because of the wickedness and it is the sin of man that brings the cursing on the planet. During the flood violence filed the land and God said the thought so men’s hearts were only evil. Continually and I think you will find that in Genesis it might be Chapter 8. You find a curse in Chapter 11 on the language. Again man would not obey God and scattered and filled the earth and he congregated and tried to make his own religion and again you found a curse that brought confusion to their communication. And even now Paul says the whole earth writhes and travails and the curse of sin will be removed ultimately when God makes a new heaven and a new earth at a conclusion of the 1000 years. And that you find in Revelation 20. And we have a lesson that talks about both this new millennium and heaven. “The Space City” and we’ll be happy to send you a copy that talks about that curse being reversed.
Pastor Ross: Just call our resource line that number 1-800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide called “The Colossal City in Space” it is all about heaven a place for all those who love him. The number to call to get in your question is 1-800-436-7297 and call this number to get your question in on tonight’s program. Lines are open and there is a good possibility right now 1-800-463-7297. We have Phil who is listening from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Phil welcome to the program.
Phil: Hi and thanks for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: yes our pleasure.
Phil: I likewise this is related to a previous call that I heard the call earlier from the gentleman concerned about soldiers losing their life in the line of battle.
Pastor Doug: Umm-hmm.
Phil: And I was really confused about the call and you made a statement like if a person lays down their life for another like God will somehow recognize that and take them into heaven and my question is , is there any other way to get to heaven than by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?
Pastor Doug: The only way to be saved is through Christ. I believe that and it says in Acts there is no other name given in heaven whereby a man can be saved and given among men where we are saved. But, something I believe that may be different than what others believe is that there are people who have walked in the light that they have. Jesus said if you do not know you have no sin, but if you do know then your sin remains. I think that is in John Chapter 9. And so there are people who maybe the Holy Spirit or the angels are guiding them and they are living up to the light that they have. They may have been removed from access to the gospel and you think about that I just came back from Australia. And I was working among the Aborigines in the Northwest Kimberly region and those people for thousands of years never had a missionary. Does that mean that all of those people on that great continent were automatically doomed to be lost because they hadn’t heard of Jesus? Now Christ when He began His ministry He preached in his home church. And what He said was there were many lepers in the land in the days of Elijah, but none of them was healed except Naaman he Syrian. Naaman was not an Israelite. And then He went on to say that there were widows in the land in the days of Elijah when there was a famine, but Elijah was not sent to any of the Israeli widows he was sent to a Canaanite widow in Tyre. And God blessed her and her son was resurrected. Jesus is telling us that many will come from the east and the west and sit down in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Everyone there is there because of the sacrifice of Jesus and there is no other way to be saved. But, some may be there without ever having heard His name. Because keep in mind Phil what about all the Old Testament characters that didn’t know Jesus’ name. Do you know what I mean?
Phil: Yes.
Pastor Doug: There is no evidence that Samson or other characters like Gideon may not have known Jesus’ name, but the will be in heaven because of faith looking forward to Jesus. So living up to the light that God gives you and trusting in God. It may be possible that some people had Revelation of that. And that can be saved. But, they are in heaven because of a sacrifice of Christ. Now I might sound like I am splitting hairs, but do you see the difference?
Phil: I do and I like your answer and I am going to keep an open mind to that and I also have been concerned about that. And I hope that is true and I do feel we need to be very careful about when we are witnessing to somebody it might make them feel like yeah there may be different ways. I think we should just share the gospel in a very direct way without mentioning that possible there may be other cases.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely. Yeah you don’t want to give people the idea that all you have to do is be a good person to be saved because that is not the way to eternal life. But, I think we need to be careful not close the door on God and say that He is not able to save other people that may not have gotten a missionary on their coasts.
Pastor Ross: Yeah absolutely and along those same lines it doesn’t mean by default that everybody who lays down their life for somebody else is going to automatically be saved either because Paul says though I give my body to be burned and I have no love it profits me nothing.
Pastor Doug: Umm-hmm. Exactly. That is a good point.
Pastor Ross: You know God knows the heart, but at the same time He is going to hold us accountable for what we know. And He judges us not based upon not necessarily what we don’t know, but what did we do with that which we did know? That is the important question. And could we have learned more?
Pastor Doug: Yeah absolutely.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Jonathan listening from Yonkers, New York. Jonathan welcome to the program.
Jonathan: Hey thanks for having me.
Pastor Doug: you’re welcome glad home.
Jonathan: Yeah my question is Exodus Chapter 3:13 &14 where Moses talked to God. Was he actually talking to Jesus?
Pastor Doug: I think He was and the reason is Christ says to the religious leaders before Abraham was I Am. He uses the same title that Jesus used and I could be wrong Pastor Ross, but I thought also in Hebrews it leads us to believe that Jesus was the one that led them through the wilderness.
Pastor Ross: Umm-hmm. He was the cloud.
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Pastor Ross: And the rock.
Pastor Doug: Yeah and that is in 1 Corinthians Chapter 10.
Jonathan: In verse 5 it says, “For if you believe in Moses you will believe me for he wrote of me.”
Pastor Doug: That is a good point. And then in Deuteronomy 18 Moses said the Lord your God will raise up a prophet to you like me whom you shall hear. So I do think it was Christ. And even there at the burning bush. And Christ is the one of the Godhead through whom God reaches man. It is usually not the Father himself because the Bible says no man has seen the Father so that would mean it was God the Son that Moses communicated with. You know in the Old Testament there is a Christophony times when Jesus appeared in the Old Testament in some pre incarnate form like when Jesus appeared to Abraham and when the two angels were on their way to Sodom. Hey I appreciate your question Jonathan and hopes that helps a little.
Pastor Ross: We have Joyce listening from New York. Welcome to the program.
Joyce: Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Joyce: I have a question. If you eat pork and you are a Christian is it going to hinder you from going to heaven? And what about the Scripture that Jesus said what I quoted to you no man quoted to you.
Pastor Doug: Okay good question. First of all there will be many people in heaven that ate pork. There will not be people in heaven that deliberately disobeyed God. So someone who doesn’t know the Bible says that God winks at our times of ignorance. If we know God’s will and they read in the word of God where it says certain things are an abomination and we shouldn’t be eating them. And we say oh well it doesn’t matter I am going to do it anyway and do whatever I want to do. Well that is a sin. Because the Bible says that he who knows to do good and is not doing it that is a sin. Now the verse you quoted in Mark Chapter 7 do not unclean what I have cleansed. Well first of all that is in Acts Chapter 10. It is about not calling the Gentiles unclean. It had nothing to do with any particular food. Peter said God has shown me not to call any man unclean. It had nothing to do with the food that needed cleansed. So we do have a study guide we will send to you froe free Joyce and it is called “God’s Free Health Plan”. And it gives you what the Bible says about healthful living for Christians. Including why God said some foods are unclean and others are clean. And it is a very important study and once I learned these things wow. It made a wonderful difference in my health. Listening friends if we didn’t get to your call tonight we will and God willing we will be back on the air again. We just want to say now at the end of the broadcast because during the broadcast we like to reserve every free second to do our best to answer your questions to try to disseminate Bible truth. If you are blessed and edified by this program please help us keep it on the air. We just let people call with Bible questions and we are completely supported by people like you listening right now, God will bless you because it is more blessed to give than to receive. It is real easy to do online. All you have to do is go to the “Amazing Facts” website “Amazing Facts dot org” and click the donate button and that will make us very happy. God bless you and we’d love to hear from you. God bless until next week.
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