Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? 77 year old James Currens had a chronic problem with sleepwalking. Then on November 26, 1998 the retired maintenance supervisor from Palm Harbor Florida wandered off in a sleepy trance behind his home early one morning and fell in a large muddy pond. When he came to his senses, he realizes his legs were stuck in the mud and he was up to his armpits and alligators. Talk about a bad dream.
He had several small hungry-looking alligators that had surrounded him and he had defend them off by swatting and poking at them by his cane until help came. A neighbor eventually heard him yelling and called the police who used lights to scare off the gators and then extracted Currens from the mud who only suffered minor cuts from the fall. Friends, you know the Bible says the Devil is a coldblooded reptile that tries to get people when they are down. Stay with us we're going to learn more as amazing facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome in listening friends to Bible Answers Live and its true, lines are open. Really, give us a call if you have a bible question. 800-GOD-SAYS that's 800-463-297. That will bring your bible question into our studios here in Sacramento California. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross. Good evening listening friends and Pastor Doug. As usual let's be in the program with the word of prayer. "Dear Father, once again we thank you that we have this opportunity to study the word together and we ask for your blessing upon this program and especially we ask that you be with those listening wherever they might be in. Lord, lead us together into a deeper understanding of the scriptures for we ask this in Jesus name, Amen."
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Jëan Ross: Pastor Doug, you open the program and I can just imagine what it must be like. To be surrounded by alligators that's bad enough but then to be stuck in the mud and surrounded by alligators, you can't think of a worse nightmare experience than that.
Pastor Doug: And wonder how you got there. The poor man had a problem with sleep walking. It made me think about that many times in the Bible, Satan is actually portrayed as a coldblooded reptile. Probably the best analogy that you find one verse that sums up some of these metaphors for Satan, is in Revelation 12 and 13, actually starting in verse nine. "The great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the Devil and Satan is all--" The Devil is not a different person than Satan then the Dragon is not the different person than the serpent.
All these are names for the Devil and he really was an angel. By the name of Lucifer, that was a good angel that rebelled against God and he wanted Jesus's position. He wanted to be numero uno. You can read about that in Isiah 14, also in Ezekiel 28. He is coldblooded like a reptile. He has no feelings, it doesn't bother the Devil at all to see innocent people and children suffer. He'll tempt people to sin and he'll turn them in for doing it. His only interest he has come down with great wrath in the earth, because he knows that his time is short.
Matter of fact, Jesus when he talks about the Lake of fire he said: "Prepared for the Devil and his angels." It's not just Satan but, when Satan rebelled in heaven one third of the angels were thrown out with him. That's why people need to understand that God is good and the misery and the suffering that we see in this world, it doesn't come from God. There is an intelligent, powerful being he was a beautiful angel that rebelled against God and there's this great controversy.
Our planet really has become the staging ground for this war between good and evil. When you see suffering in the world and sometimes you wonder why the Devil gets you when you're down. He came to tempt Jesus when he was hungry out in the desert and alone and that's how he is. You just need to know that God is love, He is not like that. Maybe you'd like to understand, "Why would a loving God allow there to be a devil?"
"Isn't he more powerful? Couldn't God just snap his fingers and blink his eyes and make the devil vaporize? That rhymes it didn't for it to. He can get rid of the devil if he wanted to and why doesn't He?" We have a free lesson that will explain this whole battle in our cosmos between good and evil and it'll give you the biblical perspective.
Jëan Ross: The lesson is called, Did God Create the Devil? and we'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and ask for it. Our resource line is 8008356747 and you can ask for the study guide called, Did God Create the Devil? They will be happy to send that to you. You can also read this online at the Amazing facts website. It's Amazingfacts.org. You can type in the lesson, "Did God create the Devil?" and you can read it right there, right away. You don't have to wait.
And if you have a bible question our phone line here at the studio is 800-463-7297. It's a good time to pick up your phone, gives us a call we have some lines that are open. The number again is 800-463-7297 with your bible question. We'll pass it out I think we're ready to go to the four lines for this evening. Our first caller is Michael listening from New Jersey, on WMCA. Michael, welcome to the program.
Michael: Hello Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug it's been a minute but, I still thank you for your service.
Pastor Doug: It's a blessing to be able to share. How can we help you today, Michael?
Michael: Amen. Throughout the bible there's a saying or passages that say, when something happen to someone they would tear their clothes and put on sackcloth. Is that literal? Did that really happen like that?
Pastor Doug: Yes, it actually did. In different cultures when they are in a state of mourning would do different things. Some people would pull out their hair which is probably not a good idea. You've probably seen people in great anguish. You'll see even in Middle East when someone dies you'll see people smiting their breast. In the Middle-East when you are in mourning for whatever purpose, it might be-- when Job lost his sons he tore his clothes and he sat in a sackcloth. He repented, he wondered why God had brought this on him.
They would take a hold of their clothes, they weren't made as durably as they are now and you can easily rend clothes that were made of linen or some of the other clothes back then and they tear their clothes and humble themselves. Sometimes they sit and toss dirt up in the air and landed on their heads and I know it seems strange to us but, this was a sign of mourning. That basically meant when they throw dust on their heads, "Dust you are and unto dust you will return." It was a sign of humbling yourself.
Michael: What about the sackcloth part?
Pastor Doug: Well, sackcloth is a very primitive-- the best thing I can compare it to you don't see it much anymore but we used to have what we called Potato Bags that were made of burlap. I don't know if you remember those days. Burlap is a very simple coarse cloth, it's not dyed, it's not soft. When they were on mourning they would put on burlap, the sackcloth and it was a sign that, "I'm humbling myself and I'm in mourning." There was even King of Israel that when the city was in mourning because they were starving in a famine.
By the way this is in Second Kings 6. It says, "He wore sackcloth under his clothes as a sign of mourning." That was the custom and they tear their clothes-- by the way the only person who was never supposed to tear their clothes was the high Priest. Because his garments represented the rightest robes of Christ his righteousness.
When the High Priest Caiaphas condemned Jesus, because when Jesus said, 'Hereafter you'll see the son of man sitting in the right hand of power' Caiaphas got upset and he tore his robes. Which a priest was never supposed to do. But that priest wasn't following much of God's counsel anyway. Hey, hope that helps a lot. Good question, haven't had that question in a long time.
Michael: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Appreciate it.
Jëan Ross: We have Sharon listening from Wisconsin, Sharon welcome to the program.
Sharon: Thank you. I understand that the results of hell-fire are eternal, the results.
Pastor Doug: Right.
Sharon: The hell-fire itself is not eternal but the results of it are? If that's the case, then can you please explain for me Isiah 66:24?
Pastor Doug: I'll do my best. Well go there real quick. It says, "And they'll go forth and look upon the corpses of men who have transgressed against me. For their wound does not die and their fire is not quenched and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." This is related to the verse that you'll also find in Malachi 4, where it says, "The wicked will be burnt up." And it says, "But unto you that fear my name, you shall grow up like calves of the stall. You shall go forth."
Going forth from what? Going forth from the New Jerusalem, you read in Revelation 21, that has come down from heaven. Now, there is a time, there is a period of time when the righteous will see the punishment of the wicked. If you look, I think it's still Revelation 21, it says, "When the wicked surround the city of God, and they seek to attack the city of God, God rains fire down from heaven upon them." And they are burnt up. Each one according to what they deserve.
The word quench here, when it says, "Their fire is not quenched." It means it's not extinguished. There's no fireman running around in the lake of fire extinguishing the fire. Everybody's punished according to what they deserve, and it says that there's not a cold to warm at when they're done. Christ uses the same terminology when he talks about the Valley of Gehenna. He says, "Where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched."
Pastor Jëan: The verse you're referring to in Revelation, in Revelation 20:9, it says, "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them."
Pastor Doug: The Bible says, "You'll trample the wicked for they will be ashes unto the soles of your feet." They're obviously not burning forever, it means no one can quench the fire until each person gets what they deserve.
Sharon: Okay, where was that verse in Malachi 4?
Pastor Doug: I think it's Malachi 4, it starts in the first few verses.
Pastor Jëan: Yes, the whole first part of the chapter.
Pastor Doug: Talks about, yes. "Behold the day comes that will burn us in oven, and all the proud, and all that do wickedly will be stubble. The day that comes will burn them up." I'm doing it from memory right now, but that's the gist of it. You read that, go ahead Pastor Ross.
Pastor Jëan: Yes, essentially verse one. Malachi 4:1.
Pastor Doug: You'd want to read probably one through three maybe.
Pastor Jëan: It's only six verses in the chapter. It's a good chapter. It's all worth reading.
Pastor Doug: Sharon, we have a study guide that has all those verses and an explanation with many more verses if you like a free copy.
Pastor Jëan: It's called, Is the Devil In Charge of Hell; dealing with this subject of the destruction of the wicked. We'll send this to you for free. Just give us a call on our resource line, or you can read it for free online at Amazing Facts. The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide called, Is the Devil In Charge of Hell? Be happy to send it anybody who calls, and asks. Our next caller is Nikki listening from Alturas, in California. Nikki, welcome to the program.
Nikki: Hi, Pastor Doug. Hi, Pastor Ross. Thank you for having me on your show.
Pastor Doug: Nikki, I just want you to know, I have been to Alturas. Now, anyone who knows where Alturas is knows that means something. That's commitment. It is in a far remote recesses of the Northern California. I've been there.
Nikki: Absolutely. In the corner, we are in the corner.
Pastor Doug: Yes, by Cedarville, right?
Nikki: Exactly, yes. Question for you, we were talking about this in church, and there seems to be a little bit of misunderstanding, is was Michael the archangel, is that Jesus, is that not Jesus? Can you enlighten me on this?
Pastor Doug: Yes, and people have to listen carefully when we answer this, because otherwise, you'll take away a very wrong understanding. The word angel does not always mean a cherubim, or one of these winged creatures, or a seraphim. The word angel means messenger. An archangel, the word arch, means the greatest or highest. They used to have these Roman arches that have the chief keystone was the highest stone in the arch.
An archangel, it means the greatest messenger. The name Michael in Hebrew means, who is as God.
In the Old Testament, there were what they called Christophanies, where Jesus appeared even Old Testament times. You have Christ before Abraham was, and Jesus existed before his incarnation. When Joshua saw this general, he actually I think saw Michael the archangel, he takes off his shoes because he says this is holy ground. When you read in the New Testament, it says, "The Lord himself." This is 1 Thessalonians 4, "The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel. The Lord, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God."
Michael the archangels is one of the terms that is used for Jesus in His pre-incarnation names. Jesus is not an angel. Jesus is the son of God, but he is the greatest messenger. Now, to some other quick verses. In Daniel 12:1, it says, "At that time, Michael will stand up. The great prince that stands for, or stands in behalf of our inner seeds for the children of your people." That's Christ. And then you read in book of Jude verse 9, it says that Michael is the one who comes to resurrect Moses.
Well, who is the resurrection of life? That's Christ. Matthew, Henry, many of the greats scholars and reformers, they all saw that Michael was a code name, and old testament code name for Jesus. Jesus is not an angel. Don't go away and say, "Well, Pastor Doug says Jesus is an angel." We don't believe that, we believe Jesus is the son of God, just Michael was one of the Old Testament titles.
Pastor Jëan: We have a book called, Who is Michael the Archangel. We're happy to send that to you Nikki or anybody wanting to learn more about this interesting subject. The number to call for our resource line to ask for the book is, 800-835-6747. Again, you can ask for the book called, Who is Michael the Archangel? If you have a bible question now, phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. Again, that's 899-GOD-SAYS, 463-7297. Good time to pick up your phone and give us a call. We have Andre who is listening from Staten Island, New York. Andre, welcome to the program.
Andre: Hi, you hear my voice?
Pastor Jëan: Yes, you're on the air.
Andre: Yes, I would like you to send me an E-book for free, okay? A one you could send me, okay?
Pastor Jëan: We sure will.
Pastor Doug: We'll send you our book called-- that we're talking about where the devil come from tonight, so we can't send you every book we've had.
Andre: Whatever you got. Whatever you have there free, you send out.
Pastor Doug: On one condition Andre, will you read it?
Andre: Yes. I'm a Christian. I love reading.
Pastor Doug: And then you got to read it, and you got to share it with someone else.
Andre: Sure. Definitely.
Pastor Doug: Now, do you have a question for tonight?
Andre: Sure. Here's the question. If an angel is perfect, right? What happened, how did evil entered into his conscience and cause them to rebel against God?"
Pastor Doug: All right. Let me explain. You can have a baby that is a perfect baby. A matter of fact, parents can have twins and they can even be identical twins. They can be placed in different families, and because of circumstances growing up, and choices that they make, they can end up very different. God makes all of his creatures free, perfect, but they're also free. You can't love if you're forced. God does not pre-program all his creatures where we are required to love him, because that's not love if it's forced.
He gives us the freedom to love him. He made Lucifer the highest of his angels, eons ago, who was a very powerful, beautiful free creature, and he loved God, but Lucifer began to love himself more, and be jealous. It may have happened over ages. He eventually rebelled against God, but God made him perfect. The very fact that creatures, even good angels could rebel against God, is proof that we are made free moral agents that are able to choose to love him, or not to love him. God doesn't force us to believe in him. He doesn't force us to love him. It's a choice. Does that make sense?
Andre: Yes. Thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: We'll send you that book on, Did God Create a Devil?
Pastor Jëan: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the free study guide for tonight. It's called, Did God Create a Devil? Again, 800-835-6747. That is the resource line. Our phone line here to the studio with your bible question is, 800-463-7297, 800-463-7297. We have Regal, listening from looks like North Carolina. Regal, welcome to the program.
Regal: Yes. Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Yes, welcome.
Regal: How you doing?
Pastor Doug: Doing good.
Regal: An honor to meet you sir.
Pastor Doug: Likewise.
Regal: Question is, when Jesus died on the cross, why wasn't there-- what was the need for him to come a second time if he had beaten Satan when he resurrected?
Pastor Doug: Why didn't he just rise and take us all to heaven right then?
Regal: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Well, part of what Christ's mission was, was to try to save as many people as he could, and also to vindicate his name because of the false accusations the devil had made. The devil said it was impossible for the people to follow God. That God was unfair, His laws were unreasonable. These are all part of the foundation of Satan's rebellion. Jesus spent three and a half years training apostles to take the message to the world. So that there would be a great revival of truth before the end and things would reach a head when he comes.
In order words, Jesus poured out his spirit at Pentecost. The truth began to spread and grow, that's called the former rain. Before the harvest at the end of the world, things had been growing, and the Lord is going to wait until the world is ripe. It wasn't ripe then. And it's just about there now. He wanted the message from the apostles to spread and that's why Christianity has gone from 12 people to the largest world religion right now.
Even when he ascended to heaven, He said, "I want you to go into all the world, I've given you work to do and I'm coming back." He didn't say when. A good question, I appreciate that.
Speaker 2: All right buddy, thank you.
Pastor Doug: Take care Amigo.
Pastor Jëan: You know I just think have a verse connected with that in Second Peter 3:9. It says, "The lord is not slack concerning his promise," and that promise is the promise of the second coming. "But his long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Why has Christ not come back before now? The bible says his long suffering towards us, not willing that anyone should perish. So he's giving us as much time as he possibly can to allow people to make their decision. Our next caller is Jose listening from New York City. Jose, welcome to the program.
Jose: Hello.
Pastor Jëan: You're on the air.
Jose: Hi yes. I was calling regarding Moses and the striking of the rock at Marba. What I wanted to know is--, I'm not really getting what he did that made him not be able to enter the promise land. It seems like--, I just don't-- I'm not understanding it.
Pastor Doug: First of all, God didn't tell him the second time to strike the rock. I think he was told to speak to the rock. You'll notice that before he strikes the rock, he sort of loses his temper. Moses was one of the meekest men in all the world according to the bible. But he had lost his temper 40 years earlier when he killed an Egyptian.
Jose: Oh yes.
Pastor Doug: And one of the Egyptians-- he saw him beating an Israelite, and he went after him. He had this righteous indignation, not that it was a bad thing. And then a few weeks after that, when he saw these shepherds were mistreating the seven daughters of Jethro, Moses took after the shepherds. I guess he did a good job because he delivered the women. But he stayed pretty calm then for many years after that. But just when he got to the borders of the promise land--
Well you know he threw the stones out of his hands at one point. You can understand this anger. But he got upset. God said, "Speak to the rock." Because striking the rock was not the symbol that God wanted. And Moses said, 'must we fetch you water from this rock you rebels?' And he got mad and he whacked on the rock, I think twice. And God said, "No, Moses that's not-- at all. You're not bringing--" You see, Moses made it sound like we're bringing water from the rock.
Pastor Jëan: Because the rock there represents Christ. Now, Moses was told at first to by God to strike the rock and then the water would come out of it. This was earlier in the story and he did so. That rock represents Christ and of course Christ was crucified so that we can have eternal life. But then Christ only died once, he was crucified once. And for us to receive that life given life, we simply need to ask. That's why God told Moses the second time to simply speak to the rock and it would bring forth the water. So there is great symbolism involved in this story.
Jose: I just wasn't getting it. I still feel bad for Moses. Either--
Pastor Doug: All right. Well you know what? Moses is in heaven now. You can read in Mark 9 says, "Elijah and Moses appeared to Jesus. So he's there, and God showed him the promise land. He gave him some heavenly binoculars and he said look I'm going to let you see it all. And God raised Moses three days after he died. So Moses got to watch the children of Israel cross over with Jericho, saw the walls of Jericho come down across the Jordan. He saw all of that from heaven. And so, yes he wanted to bring them in, but he knows he got them safely to the borders of the promise land. Appreciate your question, Jose. All right, we have time for another question.
Pastor Jëan: Okay. Let's see, we have Greg listening from North Carolina. Greg, welcome to the program.
Greg: Hello.
Pastor Jëan: Yes, you're on the air.
Greg: Hi there, good evening gentlemen.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Greg: My question is in reference to the conversation that's-- what's taking place with Eve and Satan. Now, I understand that the world serpent is in reference to Satan I think?
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Greg: So did Adam and Eve know who they were talking with? Was it an actual slithering serpent? I don't think it was, because at the end, God curses the serpent says that you'll crawl on it's belly for the days of his life. Who was this being that she was talking with? Did they know who it was?
Pastor Doug: I don't think at first that they understood who the serpent was. But I do think that Adam and Eve had been warned that Lucifer was out there. And that's why God said, "Don't go to that forbidden tree." There's really no record that God or that Adam actually spoke to the serpent. It says Eve spoke to the serpent, and Eve spoke to Adam. But it doesn't say that Adam spoke to the serpent. But the devil possessed a very real creature.
Now before the serpent was cursed, most bible commentators agree that it didn't have to crawl on it's belly the way we see snakes today.
As a matter of fact, serpents have something that are called vestigial remnants on their ribs where some say where there are legs. But some commentators think that they had wings. As a matter of fact, we already know that there are many winged dinosaurs; pterodactyls, peridactyls and others.
It's believed that the--, you know bible says a serpent was one of the most subtle, one of the most hypnotic of all the creatures in the garden. And the devil chose to speak through that serpent. Now we all know if God can speak through a donkey, as he did in the story of Balaam, the devil can speak through the serpent.
Pastor Jëan: When you read in the New Testament how the devil occupied pigs and they went running off into the water.
Pastor Doug: That's right, the devil possessed the-- a whole herd of swine and they ran off. So, yes. I think that the devil spoke through the serpent. And everyone feels sorry for the poor snakes now because they've had a-- They don't have a leg to stand on anymore. [laughter] After all that happened. So yes, I appreciate your question Greg.
You know, since that's on the same category as our lesson that we dealt with a little bit ago, with Satan. We'll send you that free study guide. Did God Create the Devil. And you can just go to the website, amazingfacts.org and you can download and read it there or we'll send one to you. You call 800-835-6747, did God create a devil. You're listening to bible answers live.
Pastor Jëan: Passed it out last year, just before our break, I just want to mention this. We were over in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we did a whole bible prophecy series called, Landmarks of Prophecy. And all of the programs, they were actually archived online at the website called Landmarks of Prophecy. We want to let our listening friends know about this great resource, to study these various important end time prophecies.
Pastor Doug: And we made quite a splash in Albuquerque. We had that-- what was it? 20 foot tall.
Pastor Jëan: We did [laughs] The annual two statute, yes.
Pastor Doug: It was a replica of the statue, in Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar's dream and it was right on the interstate there. And I think we may have caused little or few traffic delays there. But we were at the Merit Hotel. We videotaped it professionally. Some are broadcast nationally now. You can see them. You can go to the Landmarks of Prophecy website, if you'd like to understand prophecy. Now we're not going away for good friends, we're just halfway through our program. There are more bible questions coming. We have lines open, call now with your question 800-463-7297. We're coming back.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: We are back and locked and loaded for more Bible questions. If you have a question, we have lines that are open. We here sometimes give out two different numbers on the program because one is a resource number. Takes you to a different line and people are even there willing to pray with you. If you need a Chaplin or if you'd like to ask about one of the free offers and give them your information, they will send it to you. That number is 800-835-6747. Once again to call in with your question is 800-God-Says, which is 463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Ross: My name is John Ross and we are going to go straight to the phone lines. Pastor Doug, we have Howard who is listening from Minnesota. Howard, welcome to the program.
Howard: Yes, Hello.
Pastor Ross: You are on the air, Howard.
Howard: Thank you.
Pastor Ross: And your question?
Howard: My question is, the length of time that people live nowadays and ever since the Bible times, earlier days, why was it they lived so long? How was that possible? And why don't people live longer when there is so much stress and plan on being happier in every aspect of life is ways and means. I think to be happier and progressive inspired by reading good literature. Thank you, sir.
Pastor Doug: Yes. Well, if you read in the Bible, you will see that in beginning, when God first made man, of course, this when Adam used to be able to eat from the tree of life, there were no genetic deformities. Man was perfect and God intended man to live forever. So once man was unplugged from the tree of life, our lives wound down. You will notice that the lives didn't get short. They didn't go from 900 years-- No man lived over 969 years, which was Methuselah other than Enoch, who of course went to heaven. He is still alive.
But, they from 900 years and then to eight, seven, six. Noah after the flood, he lived a total of over 900 years. I think he lived 965, which is if I'm not mistaken. Adam lived 930. Then their lives began to get very short. They went down to 500, 400. Abraham's father lived over 200 years. Abraham 175. His son lived a little longer. Isaac lived 180. Then you get to Moses, 120. I just heard in the news this week that the oldest person in the world was a lady, 116 years old. She passed away.
Now it's dropped it back down. The oldest person is 115. They are very happy. They are very old. You don't hold that title for very long. With medical improvements, the things that took people lives have gotten better. Back in the time of David, we leveled off. David said three I just heard in the news this week that the oldest person in the world was a lady, 116 years old. She passed away. Now it's dropped it back down. The oldest person is 115. They are very happy. They are very old. You don't hold that title for very long.
With medical improvements, the things that took people lives have gotten better. Back in the time of David, we leveled off. David said three score and ten which is 70 years and that's the average in much of the world today. I think in China your average is close to 80. A little more than 80. North America, women, 78, men, 75. Until we get back to heaven, we can eat from that tree of life and whatever that vital enzyme was that kept our cells from degenerating will be restored, we are going to get old and die and that's why we need new bodies.
Pastor Ross: Yes, of course pastor and it's also interesting. You remember, God told Adam and Eve if they would eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the very day they would die. It's kind of interesting that nobody ever lived and died after living for 1,000 years. The Bible says, one day with the Lord is as a thousand years. Methuselah 969 … it’s kind of interesting.
Pastor Doug: Yes. No one made past that first millennial day.
Pastor Ross: The only exception is that, of course, is Enoch. He never died.
Pastor Doug: And that's-
Pastor Ross: And Elijah.
Pastor Doug: -the whole purpose for this program, is God is offering you Everlasting Life. These bodies, we know what happens to them, but God is offering you a resurrection and a glorified body and if you are alive when Jesus comes, it tells us in 1st Corinthians 15, "You will be transformed and this mortal will put on immortality and we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air." I absolutely believe it. Thanks for your question Howard and that frees another line if you want to call in with your question.
Pastor Ross: The phone line into the studio is 800-463-7297. We have Trudy listening from Virginia. Trudy welcome to the program.
Trudy: Yes, I enjoy tremendously. I listen to you every day.
Pastor Doug: Well, thank you.
Trudy: God bless you. You have a humble spirit in how you answer. Nobody can reject that even if they didn't agree [laughs].
Pastor Doug: Well, bless your heart. I appreciate that.
Trudy: Getting to my question, I'm a little confused I was told that Moses wrote the History of the old testament, not all of it but a lot of the books of the Bible and I want to know if he came after Abraham, how did God use him to write the history or who wrote the history of Abraham--
Pastor Doug: Well, Genesis. Moses wrote we believe the first five books of the Bible. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and he also wrote the book of Job. Most scholars agree. The language and style is similar--that date for Job is just prior to the time of Abraham. Before the time of Moses--keep in mind Moses lived 120 years, their health was better. Matter of fact when Moses died it says, "His natural strength had not abated nor had his eyes dimmed."
Their minds were so sharp, they had virtually what we call a photographic memory. The families used to pass on-- They had no television, they had no internet. They would pass on oral traditions where people would remember vast portions of history and they would pass that on. Some people read that famous book by Alex Hailey called, Roots. He found African tribes that had an oral history that went back many generations. They would do it just verbally. Well, not only that but Moses also had the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
God spoke to him through the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, "Holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The Holy Spirit revealed to Moses this history plus I'm sure what had been passed on orally and that's how you have the record of creation all the way down to the time of Moses. Genesis tells about the time prior to Moses, Exodus begins with Moses's birth. Then Moses is there until you get to the end of Deuteronomy. He may have written Job first. Moses probably did the writing of Genesis and Job while he was in the wilderness taking care of Jethro's sheep.
Trudy: Okay. He wrote all the-- what do you call--the Pentateuch?
Pastor Doug: The Pentateuch. It's like we have the pentagon has five sides, Pentateuch is the five books of Moses. That's Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Trudy: And he wrote Job?
Pastor Doug: And Job.
Trudy: Okay.
Pastor Doug: I'm pretty certain.
Trudy: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: All right. thank you very much. I appreciate your call. By the way Trudy, you might want to take a look at the website. There is a free book. We'll send you talking about the bible. It's called, The Ultimate Resource. Just ask for it and we'll send it to you.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. That is, of course, the resource line and you can ask the book called, 'The Ultimate Resource: All about the Bible. Our next caller is Promise listening from Virginia. Promise, welcome to the program.
Promise: Hello, how are you doing?
Pastor Doug: Doing better than we deserve. How are you doing?
Promise: [laughs] I'm doing great. My question is concerning 1st Corinthians 7:9. Says, "But if they cannot exercise self-control then [unintelligible 00:38:31] it would be better to marry than to burn with passion." Could you explain that because it almost sounds like if you cannot control yourself it's good to marry just for sex. That's pretty much seem to me like face value.
Pastor Doug: Well, there is a little more to that. But I can understand from that verse in 1st Corinthians 7, Paul is addressing a specific problem during a specific time. The Christians in the Roman Empire had been declared by the Caesar to be what they called, Religio licita. It had been declared a forbidden religion. Rome had a lot of different religions, some were permitted-- Because of the rebellion of the Jews, Christianity which was associated with Judaism was forbidden. They were being persecuted severely.
Paul said because of the persecution, it might be good not to marry and have children, because it creates a lot of hardship if you got to run and flee or you are in prison and you've got a family to support. He said if you meet someone you fall in love and you feel like I got to have this person you are better to marry than to burn. I don't think he was just talking about burning with sexual desire, he was also talking of burning with love and burning with passion and romance and all that's involved in those fluttering infatuations of young love.
Promise: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Paul understood that nature. He said, "Otherwise I advise you to be like me". Paul was single. The other thing they were trying to get as many missionaries out there as they could. If you're a missionary and you're going solo, you're a little freer than if you have a family, you're not as mobile. The early Christians were very itinerant. They were going from country to country sharing the gospel, many of them anyway so Paul was also telling them keep that in mind. Later in the book he makes it clear, it's certainly noticed, it's not to Saint Mary, it's part of God's desire. And the Lord said, "Be fruitful and multiply," but Paul said if you don't think you can control yourself, marry. I think everyone knows that there is a very strong drive both women and men have that drives us to each other. That doesn't mean marry the first person that comes along just for that, you got to make sure you marry the right person.
Promise: That's true. [laughs]
Doug: All right, I appreciate that question Promise. We have Manuel listening from Yonkers, New York. Manuel, welcome to the program.
Manuel: Good evening Pastor Doug, good evening.
Doug: Evening.
Manuel: Good evening. Thank you so much for picking up my call. Thank you. It's an honor to speak to you.
Doug: Well, likewise.
Manuel: I wanted to ask you, because they were-- Somebody called and you mentioned something about dinosaurs.
Doug: Yes.
Manuel: I just got in the car, because I'm listening to you on the radio. I really don’t got much but when people ask me-- because I love the Word of God, I love to share the Word of God and I believe that God called me for that. Of course, to save me but also just share the Word of God. Because it's in me, I feel it. If someone was to ask me, are dinosaurs real? I wouldn't know how to answer that because the Bible tells me the world was formed thousands of years ago and not millions of years ago. They teach us in school about dinosaurs.
Doug: Yes, so let me give you a quick answer to that Manuel. The Bible is clear that two of all creatures, two of at least of the unclean creatures, seven of the clean creatures were taken on the ark and we know from the fossil record that there are many creatures, not just dinosaurs that were destroyed in some cataclysmic flood. It's interesting that even paleontologists agree that-- they used to say "Well, they all got sick and died out or that the mammals ate up all their food and they starved."
They had all these theories about what happened to the dinosaurs but then they finally looked at all the fossils and they saw that the fossils were in piles of petrified mud in great graveyards and they said "You know, this looks like some kind of water cataclysm." Then they said there was an asteroid hit the world and it caused a massive Tsunami and it killed off the dinosaurs. There have been several theories about what caused the flood that killed the dinosaurs, not only the dinosaurs, there are many what they call mega-mammals.
I've been to museums in North America where I've seen they got beaver 15 feet tall maybe it was 13 feet tall but what's the difference that point. They've got these giant sloths and all these moose that were as big as caterpillars, just incredible creatures that were-- they're extinct now. After the flood, the environment changed and many of these great reptiles, there's still dinosaurs, they're just little ones now, they're called alligators and Komodo dragons and so forth, iguanas.
Everything was much bigger and so yes there was some massive creatures, mammals, and dinosaurs and they did live thousands of years ago. The problem with paleontology and the whole evolutionary scenario, their dating methods are very flawed, majorly flawed. There's a great bias that goes into those dating methods. I've been to the Glen Rose, Texas and I've been to where they have a dinosaur park and there are dinosaur footprints going all across this riverbed, it's petrified and you see human footprints in with the dinosaur footprints, they lived contemporaneously.
That's the answer I would give. Now, Manuel we do have, a magazine that talks about dinosaurs. It's not something we typically we give away free but if you call amazing facts and ask about it and you're real nice, the might just send you one. It's got all this evidence about where the dinosaurs came from. You there Manuel?
Manuel: Batchelor, I appreciate everything you do. Thank you so much.
Doug: Thank you so much, appreciate your call.
Pastor Jëan: Our next call is Larry listening from North Carolina. Larry, you're on the air.
Larry: Hello.
Doug: Hi.
Larry: My question is about the early harvest and the late harvest. The early harvest I think occurred at the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Doug: Springtime, yes. After correct, after Passover.
Larry: Was that the barley harvest?
Doug: I think so. I'm not a farmer but I forget when the wheat and the barley ripen and I know they're different. You had your first harvest, I know what time of the year it was, that was in the Spring. In the Fall is when you had the latter rain, they had the former rain in the Spring, the latter rain in the Fall. I don't remember what grains, to be honest, maybe Pastor Ross knows whether it was wheat or barley. Some of the grains would grow through the winter and in the springtime-- Probably was barley because wheat is in the summer. At least in North America, it's the same climate, the wheat is usually, you've lived in Iowa?
Pastor Jëan: You know there is a wheat that they grow in winter, I was just thinking about it.
Doug: Winter wheat?
Pastor Jëan: Yes.
Doug: When do they harvest that?
Pastor Jëan: In the spring I believe,
Doug: It might be.
Pastor Jëan: But I don't know what's -- we're in the Middle East different, I don't know
Larry: I think conflict in information reason I'm, asking. I think in my Bible in Exodus 34:22, I think is says the grain at the Pentecost was the wheat harvest.
Doug: Oh, then that would mean they were growing winter wheat and it was harvested then.
Larry: What is the larger harvest? I've read the encyclopedia and I've just not been able to pin this down.
Doug: Well, you know you're making us curious. We've tried not to tell folks we have all the answers and this is one, I don't think-- we're kind of looking at each other like we're scratching our heads here. I don't remember when the different grains came ripe. I'm pretty sure that in Iowa in the northern hemisphere at the end of summer they're harvesting some big fields of grain. It might be wheat, it may not.
Pastor Jëan: I know at the end of summer it's corn in the middle east but there is-- in the Dakotas I think there's a lot of farming of wheat in portions of it. I know about the winter wheat.
Doug: They can't be growing wheat in Dakotas, I tell you, the snow is 20 feet deep.
Pastor Jëan: Yes, it's true. [laughs]
Larry: I realize this is a hard question, so--[crosstalk]
Doug: But we're having fun.
Larry: I think there could be agri-farmers these days in Israel.
Doug: Now we're going to get a call-- someone's is going to call with the answer to that question. There's got to be a farmer out there listening. We sure appreciate it Larry and wish we could help you better with that but keep searching, we'll look it up too and see if we find a better answer for you.
Pastor Doug: We have Mican listening from Orlando, Florida. Mican, welcome to the program.
Mican: Hello.
Pastor Jëan: You're on the air.
Mican: Hey, can I ask a question?
Doug: Yes, that's why we're hoping you called.
Mican: [laughs]
Doug: Bible question.
Mican: Yes. I am a same sex attracted Christian and I was really shocked, I was visiting a church recently and a leader told me that if you are same sex attracted, you're sinning and then he explained that he was not saying, in other words if you are lusting at someone if you're same sex attracted and you're lusting at someone of the same sex that's sin. Then what he was not saying that if you're lusting at someone that is sin, that's clear.
If you have sex with someone of the same sex, that's sin, he wasn't saying that. What he saying was, is you are just simply attracted sexually to the same sex, you're sinning because in Romans 1, it says that is not natural, is not a natural affection, it's a unnatural affection, therefore you are sinning.
Speaker: All right. I think I understand what you're saying Mican. There's a difference between being tempted and sin. People can be tempted with all kinds of things and it doesn't really become sin unless you are processing it in a positive way in your mind. An evil thought, all kinds of evil thoughts, a person who is Christian might be, the devil say, "Steal that cabbage in the market."
Of course I don't know why he'd steal a cabbage, but, anyway, a person might have any kind of crazy evil thought. I'd be terribly embarrassed for people to think if I had a screen that would announce all the crazy things that goes through my mind, I think all of us feel that way, is not always a sin. Jesus was tempted and Jesus never sinned.
When the devil plants thoughts in your mind it were if you because of your upbringing and circumstances in your life if you find yourself, your wires are a crossed with your attractions. If you're not fulfilling those things and you're following the Lord and when temptation comes you reject that, that's where victory comes in. Is that the question you were asking Mican?
Mican: Yes, I think you understand, I really said this, I may not quote the scripture correctly if I don't you can correct me. I think the scripture says that Jesus was tempted in every way that is common to man but was without sin. Something like that.
Pastor Doug: Yes. So are you wondering? Does that mean Jesus was he tempted with same sex attraction?
Mican: Yes sir. Absolutely.
Pastor Doug: Well let me rephrase that thought just a little if you'll allow me. There are three areas where everybody is tempted. You've got-- and this is in 1st John 2. There is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. You know the story when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, there were three areas, three temptations came. Those three temptations cover every temptation. In other words the lust of the flesh, whether it's a person who is feeling a forbidden lust for the right sex or the wrong sex, any forbid lust is a lust of the flesh.
Jesus was tempted in that. Jesus was tempted with the pride of life, Jesus was tempted with the lust of the eyes. All the things that we are tempted with he is tempted with. It doesn't mean Jesus was tempted to use heroin because they didn't have heroin back then. I mean so be careful not to read into that more than it's really saying. It doesn't mean that Jesus was tempted with you know the internet because they now have it back then. So but he was tempted with the categories of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
Pastor Jëan: We have a book Pastor Doug that I think is good for any Christian who is serious about living a victorious Christian life. It's called Tips For Resisting Temptation.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely.
Pastor Jëan: It just give some solid biblical principles that defines what sin is and then how can we resist temptation. So just call our resource line, we will be happy to send it to anybody who calls and asks. The number to call is 800-835-6747. And again the book is called Tips For Resisting Temptation. Just call and ask for that, we will be happy to send it to you. Mican and anyone who calls and asks. This is a very important subject.
Pastor Doug: It is, I think we even have another book if we still carry it called, Is it a sin to be tempted. And you might ask for that when you call because both of that book also would be right in connection with your particular question. So yes Tips For Resisting Temptation and Is It A Sin To Be Tempted.
Pastor Jëan: Our by next caller is Mark listening from Medford Oregon. Mark welcome to the program.
Mark: Hey, how are you guys tonight?
Pastor Doug: Doing well how about you?
Mark: Pretty good. I got a couple of questions I usually live in Iowa, so if you want to know about corn, soybean and all that I can tell you.
Pastor Doug: Well tell me when they-- we want to know when they harvest the wheat?
Mark: The wheat is probably in the northwest mostly.
Pastor Doug: And when to they harvest it?
Mark: They harvested in-- I'm pretty sure it's August. It is just before the October Fest.
Pastor Doug: Yes. I think you're right. Okay, well that helps hopefully-
Mark: It has to do with the 13 moons of the year.
Pastor Doug: Interesting. And your question tonight-- we better get off the wheat harvest we are out of time. Your question?
Mark: I was born in Iowa but anyway talking in tongues. I keep to my cross individuals who speak in tongues. And they're always trying to convince me that the Holy Spirit is talking through them but they don't-- I never understand anything of their saying, number one. Number two, they don't actually live without sin and they say, "Oh, nobody can live without sin" But didn't Jesus say to the woman, "Go and sin no more?"
Pastor Doug: Yes, the Lord wants us to turn from our lives of sin and he says, "Be holy for I am holy" So the idea for every Christian is to live a godly life. Now it doesn't mean that we won't be tempted and fall, the Christian should definitely be living different kinds of lives than the people in the world. We ought to be living, Bible calls them Saints living holy lives. Now back to tongues, there is a definite gift of the Spirit called The Gift of tongues. What you see happening in many popular churches today is not the same thing that happened at Pentecost.
At Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out, Jesus had said in Mark 16, "You will speak with other tongues," that means other languages. The Lord gave the apostles the supernatural ability to speak in languages of the visiting Jews at Pentecost and they preach the Gospel to them. And when people are babbling in churches today and they say this is a gift of tongues, there is no example of that happening in the Bible. When first Corinthians 14, when it talks about tongues, it's talking about people standing up in church and speaking in other languages without translators.
Paul said you need to have a translator if no one understands what you're saying let them keep silent. "Oh they were out of time" We have a bookmark, we will send your free copy Understanding tongues. Understand in tongues, anyone that wants to know about that or read it for free, amazingfacts.org, I've got a sermon on the subject at amazingfacts.org on tongues. Listening friends keep in touch with us. If you like to keep the program on the air, it's a blessing. You can give, please do it. Go to amazingfacts.org and click donate and we'll keep talking. Studying with you next week, God bless.
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