Doug Batchelor: Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor, how about an amazing fact? Back in February 1961, a young Russian physician, Leonid Rosa Gulf, started to feel tired, weak and nauseous, later, a strong pain developed down the right side of his abdomen. Being a surgeon, he had no problem diagnosing that he had acute appendicitis and he also knew that he would need his appendix removed. But there was a little problem, Leonid was only the only doctor in a 13-man Soviet expedition sent to build a new base in the very remote anarchic Schirmacher oasis.
As his condition worsened and with no possibility of outside help, he faced the stern reality, he must operate on himself or die. With the help of his terrified comrades holding mirrors and instruments, Leonid successfully removed his own appendix in a two-hour procedure while using only local anesthetic. Afterward, he could see his inflamed appendix would have ruptured if he’d waited one more day. What could be more impressive than a doctor performing a self-appendectomy in the middle of a polar winter wasteland?
Did you know the Bible talks about a certain preacher that resurrected himself from death? Stay with us friends, we're going to learn much more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
Speaker 2: Welcome to Bible Answers Live with author and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor. Is understanding God's word a challenge? Are there passages or scripture that are a mystery to you? Maybe it's difficult to reconcile what you've read in the Bible to what you've always believed. If you have Bible related questions, stay tuned to get honest, practical answers straight from the Word of God on Bible Answers Live. Bible Answers Live is a production of Amazing Facts Ministries dedicated to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world. Our lines are open, so call us now at 800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 800-463-729-7. Now here is your host, Pastor Doug Batchelor.
Doug: Welcome listening friends to Bible Answers Live and if you have a Bible question, we have some lines open. Pick up the phone right now, give us a call at that number 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-463-729-7. One more time, 800-463-7297 with your Bible question. My name is Doug Batchelor, Pastor John Ross is returning this week from South Africa where he is doing some evangelism and mission training.
We're going to begin the program as we always do with a word of Prayer and then do a little follow up on our amazing fact. Father in heaven, we're just always thankful when we can come together as a radio family and study your word. We pray that your spirit will be with every listener, be with me as I share and pray that the Holy Spirit will quicken our minds to understand truth and the truth will bear fruit in our lives. Please bless for your name's sake we pray, amen.
You probably already figured out when I said there was a certain preacher in the Bible that resurrected himself, that can only be Jesus, the greatest preacher. People always ask if Christ raised himself then was he really dead. Well, let me read some verses to you friends and just so you can understand the conundrum, Luke 4:23, Jesus said you'll say this proverb to me physician heal yourself and never was that more true when Leonid had to perform his own appendectomy. But what about someone raising themselves from the dead?
Jesus says in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up.” The Jew said, “Well, it's taken 46 years to build this temple and how are you going to raise it in three days?” He spoke of the temple of His body, how could He raise Himself up from the dead? John 10:17, “For this reason,” Jesus is speaking, “For this reason, the Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from me but I lay it down of my own accord, I have power to lay it down, I have power to take it again.”
Then you can read in Galatians 1:1, Paul's an apostle, not of men but through Jesus Christ and God the father who raised him from the dead. All right, so which is it? Now, the problem is it's the old chicken or the egg problem, which came first? If Jesus raised Himself from the dead, then He had to be conscious to raise Himself or He wasn't really dead. If He was really dead, how could He be conscious to raise Himself? I'll admit, when we delve into these mysteries friends, that we are on holy ground. The Bible says there, “As the heavens are high above the earth so are my ways above your ways.” There are some things about God that are just past finding out.
Well, let me share some thoughts with you. The Word of God itself has creative power, it's that word that brought the world into existence. God said, “Let there be,” and there was light, there was land, there was the heavens and creatures. He speaks and things happen. When Jesus healed people, He often spoke a word and they were healed. Well, by the very virtue of Christ declaring that He would rise the third day, His words stored in eternity, He raised Himself up.
Also keep in mind God is one, well there's three persons, you've got God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and so it was really a cooperative miracle of God raising up the son of God. But you can't escape the Bible says Jesus died and He was dead, He gave up the ghost and yet He said, “I will raise myself up.” We have some questions to ask the Lord when we get to the kingdom, but you might want to know more about this subject of, is a person conscious in death, how could He raise Himself? We have a study guide we'll send anybody for free, it's got a lot of the Bible scriptures and teaching about the subject of death.
Maybe you have a dear one that's passed away and you're wondering, “Where are they now? Are they sleeping in the grave, are they singing in heaven, are they in the other place of torture and what does the Bible say? You should get this free lesson are the dead really dead? Are the dead really dead? All you've got to do is call our resource line and we'll send it to you. Now the resource line is a different phone number from the studio line, here's that line, 800-835-674-7, we'll send you that study guide are the dead really dead?
Keep that number by you because we mentioned other resources during the night. You can also read that lesson right now for free by simply going to amazing.facts.org and you can click under our free Bible library. You can even watch my sermon presentation on that subject, probably you'll find it on YouTube, are the dead really dead? Just type in Doug Batchelor. With that long introduction, we're going go to our phones and we'll begin with Fred who is waiting from line number three. Fred, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Fred: Obvious, I wanted to know the mark that God placed on Cain, was that on the forehead?
Doug: Well, the Bible does not specifically say, “I will place a mark on Cain's forehead or his right hand, or his back.” It doesn't say where, it says God marked Cain. Now, in the book of Revelation, those that get the seal of God, it says having their father's name in their foreheads. Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17 is in the forehead. When David brought down Goliath, that stone went in the forehead. And so it may be that this mark, if there was a physical mark, could have been on his forehead, but it doesn't say that, we're not even exactly sure how God marked Cain.
You've probably heard the expression, Fred, when someone says, “he is a marked man.” Well, that means there's something significantly different about that or people have taken note of that person, it doesn't mean someone went necessarily and put a red check on their forehead. Whatever the mark was that God put on Cain, it does make us think about the mark of the beast in Revelation.
Now, one more thought while we're talking about marks, you can read in the Book of Ezekiel 9 where it says that there is a mark place, and I'm just looking it up right now to be sure and it says -- let me see your Ezekiel, yes, foreheads. You go in Ezekiel 9 and you go to verse 4 it says, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over the abominations done in Israel.” Another mark on the forehead.
Fred, I'd just say if we were going to take an educated guess, if it was a visible mark, it was probably on his forehead. Hard to hide that for very long and you'd want a mark that made a difference. I appreciate your question and by the way, we do have a lesson, if you've not read it yet, Fred. You can ask for our study guide, The mark of Cain, speaking about the mark of the beast. Just call the resource line, 800-835-674-7 or you can read it online. I've got a recent YouTube that I did that talks about the seal of God and you can just go to Amazing Facts on the YouTube channel and see my recent study about that seal in the forehead.
Thank You Fred, does that help a little bit?
Fred: Yes.
Doug: I appreciate your call and good to hear from you again. All right, Rita calling from Indiana is listening on the internet. Rita, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Rita: Hi, Pastor Doug.
Doug: Good evening.
Rita: I was just wondering why Moses is not considered a first fruit. Because Jesus and several people were resurrected on the same day and did not die again, and they're considered first fruits. Moses was resurrected by Jesus. He came down and got him, and took him to heaven, and he has not died again either, so wouldn't he be considered a first fruit?
Doug: That's a good argument. I agree with you. I think that when the Bible speaks of the first fruits of those who He raised from the dead, Moses would be in that category. It doesn't explicitly say that he was raised, but we know he was because he appeared in the Gospels to Jesus. And then in Jude verse 9, it says Michael when disputing with the devil over the body of Moses, why were they disputing? Because Michael has come to resurrect him. It's got pretty good circumstantial evidence and I believe he was a first fruit. Yes, good thought.
Moses, he wasn't the first one that went to heaven, that would be Enoch, but Moses would be the first that was raised from the dead.
Rita: Oh, God.
Doug: So yes, I appreciate that.
Rita: I thought you were going to argue against that.
Doug: No. If it's in the Bible, I'm a believer. I just like the Word of God as the Bible says, and God said it and I believe it. So yes, you made a good case there. Thank you very much. With that, we're going to talk to Eli who's calling from Miami. That by the way frees up another line. If you want to call in with a Bible question, our lines are open, 800-GOD-SAYS. 800-463-7297.
Eli in Miami Florida, are you on the air?
Eli: Hi, Pastor Doug. Good evening.
Doug: Evening. Thank you for calling.
Eli: Thank you. Yes. My question is I just want an explanation of Ephesians 4:8, 9, and 10. I will start that it means that Jesus went to the middle of the earth to paradise and to paradise to heaven.
Doug: You mean you're talking about when he died?
Eli: Yes, when he died. Yes, exactly.
Doug: When it says, "When he ascends on high, he leads captivity captive." This is actually a verse I think Rita was referring to in the former call. When Christ ascended, perhaps you remember in Matthew 28, it says that there was a small group resurrected from some of the saints that slept around Jerusalem that went to heaven with him, and he led those captives free, and the captivity of death was broken. But this is talking about when he ascended. It's not talking about why he was dead. The Ascension of Jesus takes place after Acts 1 in Acts 1. It says, "They watched as he ascended to heaven and He was received into this cloud of angels."
When it says, “Now he that ascended, what does it mean but he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth, he who descended is also the one who ascended above the heavens that he might fill all things.” When Christ came to the lower parts of the earth, it's not saying that he went down into a cavern somewhere. It's talking about that He experienced the depths of sin for you and me.
When Jonah was swallowed by the whale, Jonah it says, went to the bottom of the mountains. The sufferings of Jonah, Jesus compares with his own sufferings during those three days and three nights. When Christ was paying the penalty for the sin of the world, Jonah was a type of that and yet Jonah came out alive, Jesus rose. But it seemed that's not just the death of Jesus, that's the sufferings and death of Jesus that started Thursday night. The heart of the earth, the depths of the world.
Hey, I appreciate your call. By the way, we do have a book we can send you for free, Eli, that talks about The Sign of Jonah. I think if you read that, it'll shed a little more light on what we discussed. We'll send it to you free, 800-835-6747. Ask for The Sign of Jonah.
With that also frees up another line. If you have a Bible question, 800-463-7297 with the Bible question that adds up to 800-GOD-SAYS. That's not because I'm in that position, it's because we're using God's Word. 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297 with your questions. Appreciate your call, Eli.
I'm going talk next with Billy. Billy who's calling from North Carolina with a Bible question. How can we help you tonight?
Billy: Referring back to the Ephesians 6:10, it says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness in this world and in wickedness in high places." I've been struggling with this for three years, Mr. Batchelor. What it was is I had dated an occultist, didn't know she was a wiccan. And now it comes and goes. I’m awake, I get false hurtings like--
Doug: It's a kind of phantom pain?
Billy: It's a phantom pain and then it – then the mind starts taking over then you think it's something to do with this, then it's demonic oppression. And that was the [unintelligible 00:15:27] she put them on me.
Doug: Would you like to be free of that?
Billy: Absolutely. I’ve tried for years.
Doug: Well it's not your trying. Let me just share with you, Billy. The Bible says, "Jesus is more powerful than the devil." Do you believe that?
Billy: Yes, I do.
Doug: The Bible says, "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." Now, the best way to get darkness out of a room is not with a snow shovel. The way you get darkness out of a room is not with a vacuum cleaner. You get darkness out of a room by turning on the light. When the light of the world is in your life, it dispels the darkness. As you daily surrender your life to Jesus, now, you have to do it every day. Even the Apostle Paul said, "I die daily." That means he had to die to himself every day and invite Christ into his life. It's a day-by-day experience. That's why in the Lord's Prayer it says, "Give us this day our daily bread. Today, deliver me from evil. Today, lead me not into temptation.”
Billy: I have quoted that. That Bible reference time and time again. As before I go to sleep, I have no [unintelligible 00:06:35]. He used to hit in the night-time or in the early morning time.
Doug: Let me give you some suggestions, some practical things. Do you have a regular time in the morning when you first get up and you pray?
Billy: Yes.
Doug: Do you listen to spiritual material like good sermons or Bible readings, or something?
Billy: Yes. You and also some AND, all of them. Spiritually I feel good, I feel close to the Lord but I'm thinking, “Why is the Lord--? Why am I going through this?” Because honestly, I walk to the Lord my best way I can for the last 10 years.
Doug: Well, I tell you what, do not be discouraged if temptation comes because everybody is harassed by the devil, even Jesus was tempted by the devil. Don't get discouraged. I don't believe that the girl that you may have dated even though she was a Wiccan has placed a whammy on you. If that does happen, as a believer, you can shake that off. I really believe that. You don't need to be subject to those things or in bondage to those things.
I'm going to pray with you Billy. I just believe that as you continue daily, listen to the Word of God. When the devil was tempting Jesus, Jesus just quoted the scriptures to him. Don't be discouraged if you do have some tempting thoughts or dark thoughts that come. Everybody wrestles with that. It doesn't mean you're different. You just spell it. You just put it out of your mind.
I had a song coming to my head yesterday I didn't really want. The Bible says, "You overcome evil with good." I didn't want that song going through my head. It was an old song I knew, so I started singing a good song, a new song. And you know what? Pretty soon I was humming a good song and the bad song was gone. That's all you need to do, is just continue to walk with the Lord. I'm going to pray with you right now and others listening can join.
Father in Heaven, be with Billy. I pray you'll set him free from some of the temptations and problems he's encountered in the past. And help him to just feel a light and a relief of your peace entering his heart and mind that if you make us free, we can be free indeed. I pray he'll experience a new beginning spiritually and just the refreshing in his soul. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Thank You Billy. We do have some study guides if you've not seen the Amazing Fact Study Guide Series. If you enroll online, it's free. Just go to BibleUniverse.com, sign up there. That'll really give you some encouragement.
All right with that, that does free up another line. If you have a question, 800-463-7297. We're going to talk to Kaye from Athens. Texas. Kaye, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Kaye: Yes. Good evening.
Doug: Evening.
Kaye: My question is when people die, where do they go?
Doug: Good question I like simple direct questions like that. Thank you so much. Well, it depends. First of all, you don't go anywhere right away because there are two events that don't happen until the resurrection and the judgement. They are both future. You can read where Jesus said and He talked to Martha and others in John 6 and John 11. He said, “The resurrection in the last day.” The resurrection is clearly at the end. 1 Thessalonians 4, "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of the Archangel, the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise when the Lord descends, when he comes.”
Then there's great Judgment Day you read about in Revelation when there is executive judgment. It says that the wicked are cast into the lake of fire, there's that punishment there. The righteous who are saved, they're being judged before the Lord comes, that's why Peter said, “judgment must begin at the house of God.” If the saved are going with Christ to glory when he comes, I know you know the verse where Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will receive you unto myself when I come and take you to those mansions that I prepared.”
He's taking us to heaven when he comes but that doesn't happen until the resurrection and it doesn't happen till the second coming. The wicked are not punished until the judgment. The dead right now are sleeping a time ignorant, dreamless sleep. If you're saved and you die, your next conscious thought is the presence of the Lord, but it hasn't happened yet, it's because they don't have any consciousness of time when they're dead.
Otherwise, it really confuses people because they say, “Wait a second, you know what? The Bible says Jesus said our friend Lazarus is asleep, he was dead for four days, then he raised him. did Jesus pull him out of heaven? Did he pull him out of hell? How come the dozen people or so that are resurrected in the Bible never comment on what they felt in death? It’s because they knew nothing. The Bible says, “The living know they'll die but the dead don't know anything,” it's a dreamless sleep until the resurrection.
If you have someone you love and they’ve passed away, and they're saved, you can rejoice for them because as far as they know, their next thought is the presence of the Lord. But you and I live in time, that hasn't happened yet because the second coming hasn't happened yet and the judgment hasn't happened yet. Does that make sense?
Kaye: Yes.
Doug: We have that lesson that I offer to everybody tonight, we will send you for free it's called, Are The Dead, Dead? You can just call 800-835-674-7 or you can read it for free online at amazingfacts.org. Thank you so much Kaye for your call and with that, we're going to talk next to Tino calling from Garfield, New Jersey listening on 560 am. Tino, you're on the air with Bible answers live.
Tino: Hi pastor Doug Batchelor, I gave you a screener in the wrong version. I'm going to Revelation 4. First of all, I want to congratulate you and thank you for the great job you're doing.
Doug: Thank you.
Tino: You're welcome. Its’ Revelation 4 verse -- I’m sorry. Yes and basically it says well –
[crosstalk]
Doug: You want me to read it?
Tino: - reach out upon.
Doug: Go ahead.
Tino: Sorry?
Doug: I just didn't know if you want me to read it but you're going to read it, so go ahead.
Tino: No, you read it Pastor Doug.
Doug: “He who sat there was like Jasper and a sardine stone in appearance and there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald,” is that the verse?
Tino: Bible says so. My question is this, I'm 25 years old, I'm Christian, but when I was younger, I looked at God as an old man with a great beard in heaven on the throne. Then it says in the earlier chapter in the Bible, one of the earlier chapters that Moses saw a burning bush. My question is this it says he sat on a throne. The question is, what does God look like? The part where it says here, “A Jasper and a sardine stone,” what is that?-
Doug: Well sardine stone is a -- it's like a bluish stone and that's just telling you that he had this beautiful, stone, mineral throne that he sat on but that it's real. The Bible often talks about God sitting on thrones. Now, you asked an important question; does God have a form? Can we know what he looks like? Well –
Tino: Pastor Doug, yes, that's excellent. The form part, is God everything the air, the water, the chair I'm sitting on, is God everything or is he a particular form? What’s that answer?
Doug: Okay, God does have a particular geographic place, the Bible talks about the dwelling place of God, the paradise of God, the throne of God. It says God has hands, eyes, feet, hair and many other features. When Moses said, “Can I see the Lord?” God said, “You can't see my face and live,” God in his glory, He said, “But I'm going to put you in the cleft of the rock and I'll pass by, and you'll see me as I pass by from behind.” The Bible is very clear that God does possess time and space.
Now, because the Spirit of God is everywhere, some people get into a pantheism and they say, “Well, God is in the bush and He's in the tree, and God is in everything.” Well, God can see everything and the power of God is in all His living creatures but God does have a real form and a body, and a geographic place because we are made in the image of God and so we know that just because He made us like him. We’re going to be with God, it says in Revelation, “We will see His face.”
Good questions and you will enjoy our lesson, Tino, that talks about the City of God. If you would like a free copy of that, you can just call our resource line, 800-835-674-7 and ask for our study guide dealing with that glorious City and space, and we'll send that to you for free.
We have some lines open friends, if you've got a Bible question, we're just about halfway through the program but there are more questions coming, and time for your question. Just pick up the phone, dial 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297, one more time, 800-463-729-7, we'll bring your Bible question into the program. Got several lines open. All right, talking next with Anita who's calling from where? You’re on line five. Calling from Tri City, Washington. Welcome Anita, we got about two minutes before the break.
Anita: Hi, Pastor Doug.
Doug: Hi.
Anita: I just was wondering, I’ve just recently have come across a thing where some people are saying that Jesus inherited our simple nature. In Luke 1:37-
Doug: Yes, get real close to your phone.
Anita: Okay, can you hear me now?
Doug: A little bitter.
Anita: In Luke 1:37, I won't read the whole thing but it says, “Therefore also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the son of God.” In Hebrews 4:15, it says, “Jesus was tempted like us-”
Doug: In all points as we are.
Abita: -yes, right, but without sin.
Doug: Yes, did He have a fallen sinful nature, is that the question?
Anita: Yes.
Doug: That's a very important question and it confuses some people. Obviously, Jesus was different in that His birth is different He's divine, He's the Son of God, He never sinned. The big question that makes this so important, did Jesus live a holy life because He had some supernatural essence in Him and body? Or did He live a holy life using the same power that's available to you and me? Jesus was born with the same physical tendencies that Adam and Eve had, that's why it gives His whole chronology and He did come from man but He never sinned.
There’s a book we’ll send you for free and it talks about Was Jesus Like Us? Call the resource line, we'll send that to you. You're listening to Bible Answers Live. Friends, I do want to remind you that Amazing Facts has a very interesting Bible study guide called Biblehistory.com, you take a look at that. We’ll be back in a moment with some more Bible questions.
Speaker 1: Bible Answers Live will return in just a moment. If you're looking for Bible based materials for further study, sign up for Amazing Facts’ free correspondence Bible study course or check out our sale catalogue featuring hundreds of inspiring books and tapes. To order, call our resource line at 800-835-6747, that's 800-835-6747. Amazing Facts is a faith-based listener-supported ministry operating exclusively through the generosity of your prayers and financial gifts. WE would love to hear from you, write to us at P.O Box 909, Roseville, California, 956-78 or online at amazingfacts.org.
You're listening to Bible Answers Live with Pastor Doug Batchelor. If you have a Bible related question, call us now to receive clear, honest answers directly from Scripture. We have a few lines open, so please give us a call. The phone number to the studio is 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297.
Speaker 2: If you've enjoyed Bible Answers Live, you'll love Pastor Doug's book of Bible Answers straight from the broadcast. The very best questions and answers have been compiled as an awesome resource for Bible study and personal evangelism. Each answer has been expanded with more Bible verses and insightful commentary. The book of Bible Answers can be yours today for just $12. Call now 1-800-835-6747 and request offer 257. That’s 1-800-8356-747.
Doug: Welcome back friends, you're listening to Bible Answers Live and for some that may have tuned in along the way, this is a live Bible study where we invite you to participate, you can listen, you can pray for us, as we answer the questions and you can call in with your Bible question. We've got Tom showing two lines open. The number, free phone call, 800-463-7297. Of course, it's free in North America. 800-463-7297 will bring your Bible question into the studio and then we give out another phone line to pray with the chaplain, or perhaps you would like one of our free offers we mentioned.
My name is Doug Batchelor, my regular co-host Pastor John Ross is on the other side of the world, returning shortly from South Africa. We’re going to go next to the phones. By the way, I just got off the phone with a caller, had a question about the Human nature of Christ. And I gave the wrong book name. The book we're offering for free is Christ's Human Nature by Joe Cruz. We’ll send that to you if you ask. The number is 800-835-6747. Tell them you're listening to Bible Answers Live, and the book you're asking about is Christ's Human Nature. How was Jesus like us and yet how was he different? And this book has got great scriptures on the subject.
Okay now we're going to go line six, and we're going to talk to Sandra calling from Oakland, Michigan listening on 103.5 FM. Sandra you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Sandra: Hey.
Doug: Hey.
Sandra: I’m calling about 1 Corinthians 14:2 about tongues. I was just curious, it say, “He who speaks through the tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him however in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”
Doug: You wonder what does that mean.
Sandra: Yes.
Doug: All right. First of all, I believe in all the gifts of the Spirit including the gift of tongues., I don't believe that a number of churches are rightly interpreting what the gift of tongues is, because the examples for tongues that you see in the Bible, found in Acts 2, Acts 10 Acts, 19. In all three cases, there are multiple language groups present. Jesus, he says in Mark 16, “You will speak with other tongues.” In Acts, he gives the Apostles the ability to speak other languages to preach the Gospel to the listening Jews.
The word tongue simply means languages, an old English word for language. What was happening in the Corinthians churches, people began to speak in other languages with no one translating what they were saying. Paul said they ought to keep quiet. When it says in 1 Corinthians 14:2, “He that speaks in an unknown tongue or unknown language, they're not speaking to men but unto God.” In other words, if I should just now start speaking in a language no one in the room understands, God knows because he knows everything.
He says, “How be it in the spirit he’s speaking mysteries,” and the way that reads really in the Greek is, “How be it in the spirit he’s speaking mysteries to those listening.” In other words, the people listening don't know what he's saying because he's speaking in a foreign language. It's still talking about in the presence of others, “He's speaking mysteries to the people present, but he that prophesies,” in other words, if you're preaching in a language that people understand, “He's speaking to man for edification, exhortation, comfort,” that's the next verse.
The one thing that Paul is saying more than anything else in 1 Corinthians 14, it says, “If you're going to speak in a language, make sure people listening understand.” You're reading verse 5, 1 Corinthians 14:5. “I would that you all spoke with tongues but rather that you prophesy, for greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, except he interpret or translate that the church might receive, edify, people get built up.” Let me see here you go to verse 8, “For if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who's going to prepare for the battle? Likewise, except you utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken, you're speaking into the air.” Is that clear?
Sandra: Yes.
Doug: Does that make sense? If people listening don't know what you're saying, Paul says you're speaking into the air. Speak unless you get a translator. I've been in many countries where I had one, and in one place I had two translators. I'd say something in English and they get translated by two other people. That takes a long time to preach a sermon that, and that's exactly what Paul talks about. The Corinthian church was having that confusion.
Sandra, there's a book I've written on the subject because it was a special interest to me. I will send you a free copy and it's called, Understanding Tongues. Understanding Tongues. Just call 800-835-6747, tell them you're listening To Bible Answers Live and you're requesting the free offer Understanding Tongues and we appreciate your call. With that, let me see, Glenn's been waiting the longest, so I’m going to go talk to Glenn. Glenn, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live listening from KDIA in Oakland, California. How can we help you tonight?
Glenn: Okay, concerning the Sabbath, would actually [unintelligible 00:35:17] find the fourth commandment, hate to say I was fully. How does that related to the New Testament church? Do we find that actually written in the New Testament or it is in Exodus 20?
Doug: Well, you don't. There's a couple of commandments you don't find verbatim in the New Testament, you only find the Ten Commandments in two places. In the old, you find it in Exodus 20, in Deuteronomy 5, but you do find the Sabbath reiterated in the New Testament. It says in Hebrews 4, “there remains therefore, the keeping of a Sabbath for the people of God.” Then in the whole experience of Jesus, there were quite a few Sabbath disputes, the dispute that Jesus had with the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath, was never whether or not to keep it, was always how to keep it.
They were saying you couldn't heal on the Sabbath or they couldn't pick pieces of grain when they walked through the field, and Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man. It doesn't say the Sabbath was made for Jews because the Sabbath goes back to the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2, it says, “On the seventh day, God blessed that day. He sanctified it, made it holy.” That was just Adam and Eve back then. All the other Ten Commandments, most Christians have no problem with. I don't know any preacher out there that says, it's okay to worship idols or to commit adultery, or to kill, or to covet or anything that.
We need to be reasonable and think the one commandment, that's the longest of the Ten Commandments in the middle of God's law, and the only commandment that begins with the word remember, is probably not the only commandment he wants us to forget. Obviously, people still need physical rest, we still need corporate worship. Yes, I'd say the Sabbath is definitely still part of God's plan.
Glenn: All right, I agree and it was just because of Colossians 2:16 where--.
Doug: Well, let's look at that. I'm glad you're asking because some people read that they get confused. If you read in Colossians Chapter -- what I'm going to read Colossians 2, you start with Verse 13. “And you being dead in your sins and in the circumcision of your flesh, he's quickened together with him having forgiven all your trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances.” Now, this has talked about handwriting, the Law of Moses was written on paper by hand, those are the ordinances, ceremonial laws, ceremonial Sabbaths, annual Sabbaths.
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, that was against us which was contrary to us taking it out of the way nailing it to his cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers. He made a show of them, openly triumphing over the minute. let no man, therefore, judge you in meat or in drink,” he’s talking about meat and drink offerings, “Or in respect of a holy day or a new moon, or the Sabbath days,” and those are the talking about the Sabbath days, notice the sense isn’t over, “Which are shadows of things to come.”
The ceremonial Sabbaths, the annual Sabbaths of Passover, Yom Kippur Feast of Trumpets, and so forth, they were all nailed to the cross, they were written on paper, they were part of the ceremonial law. The weekly Sabbath, that was part of creation in the Ten Commandments, that still is kept. Then you look at the example of Paul, and the Book of Acts it talks about so many Sabbaths a Paul kept. That he would gather with Gentiles and Jews on the Sabbath. Never does he say, “This is no longer to be kept,” like he does with circumcision. Colossians 2:16 is talking about the ceremonial Sabbaths, not the Ten Commandments.
Glenn: Okay. Well, that was very well done, thank you so much.
Doug: Thank you and you know what? We’ll send you a book on that, anybody that has a question about that, you just go to Amazing Facts and you can read Feast Days and Sabbaths. Or if you want a free copy, just call, we’ll send it to you, 800- 835-6747 and ask for the book Feast Days and Sabbaths. Thank you Glenn, I appreciate your call. Talking next with Michael calling from Tempo, Florida. Michael ,first time caller, welcome to the program.
Michael: Thank you for the call.
Doug: How can we help you?
Michael: My question is in Genesis, before Adam and Eve sinned, they say that they walked and talked with God. Then after they sinned, they would hide from him. Then even when Jesus came here, God put on human flesh and [unintelligible 00:39:52] Jesus and came here. He was talking with the Jews, and he says, “You’re studying what you don’t know but I’m telling you what I see and I’ve heard with my ears. I am the only one that’s seen God.” I’m wondering what kind of person was Adam and Eve [unintelligible 00:40:10] was it a preincarnate God or what?
Doug: Well, that's a good question. I'm just bringing your volume down because there was a little background noise. The Bible tells us that no man has seen God and you have several cases in the Bible where individuals say they saw God. When Jacob wrestled with the angel, afterward he said, “I have seen God.” When Minoa, the parents of Samson, when they saw the angel they said, “We’re going to die now for we’ve seen God.” The Bible even says in Exodus that the Elders of Israel saw God and they did eat and drink.
Jesus is clear, no man has seen the Father. You’ve got God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit. The Lord has communicated with humanity through God the Son, Jesus is the mediator. The word mediator mean He's the go between man and God. People have seen God the Son and many times in the Old Testament when people say they saw God, it was what you call the Christophany. They saw the preincarnate Jesus. That’s why Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” He also said, “Abraham longed to see my day and he saw it.”
When Abraham talked to God, there's a case where he sits down and eats with the Lord in the in the book of Genesis. He’s looking at Christ before the incarnation. Jesus appeared many times in the Old Testament. Does that make sense?
Michael: Very clear, thank you very much.
Doug: All right, here, I appreciate that. You know, we have a free book we’ll be happy to send you on the Trinity. It talks about the nature of God in this subject. Just call 800-835-6747 and ask for the book On the Trinity, is it Biblical? We'll send that to you for free or I always like to remind folks, if you're close by the Internet, you can read these things online. Amazing Facts does all we can to get the resources in people's hands, we just do it by faith, we send them out and trust that supporters will keep us on the air.
All right, I want to talk to Charles who's calling from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Charles, you're on the air listening on satellite radio. Welcome to Bible Answers Live, Charles.
Charles: Hey pastor, my question is this and it’s book of Genesis, the [unintelligible 00:42:30]. Explain to me what your view is on it regarding [unintelligible 00:42:41] when he said the sons of God came down and basically mated or laid with--
Doug: The daughters of men.
Charles: Earthly women. What’s your say?
Doug: You will find that Genesis 6. Well I'll tell you what the churches belief for years. I've heard some really strange theories about this in just recent years, where folks say aliens or angels had intimate relations with women on earth and they had these supernatural babies. There are movies that have come out that have taken this theory and run with it. That is not at all what the church has always understood.
There are two groups of people in the garden or in Genesis before the flood; the children of Cain, which had turned from the Lord, they were called men, the sons of God are the ones who had believed in the Lord, they were the descendants of Adam and Seth, the ones who stay true to God. As long as the children of Seth or the sons of God did not intermarry with the daughters of Cain, the daughters of men, there was a holy nation.
But when the sons of Seth called the Sons of God intermarried with the daughters of Cain, the holiness was lost. They ended up having children that were giants but that's very common, that's called genetic vitality. Whenever you intermarry two groups that have been separated, you can end up having more vital genes. They were called the neitheirm [sic], these giants, mighty men, but they were humans. Now, let me give you some verses on that. It says in 1 John chapter 3:1, “Behold what manner of Love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called sons of God.”
The sons of God are the believers. In Isaiah it says, “We are sons and daughters of God.” If we don't have eternal life, they are just sons and daughters of men, the word is Enos there. I have a book I'll send you for free, Charles, if you can just call and ask for it. It's a fairly new book and it’s called Aliens Angels Were Adopted; Who Are the Sons of God? Just tell them you want the book Who Are the Sons of God? We get this question a lot, it is full of Scripture references and we’ll be happy to send it to you.
Thank you very much for your call, Charles, and hope you'll make sure and send for that free offer. Okay, talking next with Michael calling from Tampa, Florida. Michael, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. Michael, can you hear me? Michael may be going down the road and doesn't hear me. One more time, Michael, go in. Go in. All right, going to go talk to Bob who's in there, maybe Michael, he'll come back on, we’ll try him again. Bob in Hudson, Michigan on WMUZ. Bob, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live
Bob: Hello, thank you for taking my call. I was raised in my religion to believe that I lost my mother and my sister in a car accident when I was pretty young. Killed by a drunk driver and I was always led to believe that they were in heaven looking down on me and I could pray to them, and talk to them, and this and that, and everything. But then I heard a previous caller ask you basically the same question, what does the Bible say and your answer was that nobody goes to heaven. They’re not there until the second coming of Christ.
Doug: Yes, would you like some more verses on that?
Bob: Yes, I really would. The only reason I’m just very confused about this, I'm 61 years old now, and this happened when I was 14. [Unintelligible 00:46:53] a lot of family people. But the religion I'm from like I say who it is, I was said that a lot of things were absolute and I found out that they were not because the religion that I was brought up and changed the rules as I went through life. I couldn't eat meat on Friday, if I didn't go to confession, that I would die with mortal sin on my soul and I would go to hell, and this and that-
[crosstalk]
Doug: Where is that in the Bible? Yes, that's not in the Bible either. Well, let me give you some verses real quick, Bob. My heart goes out to you because I've lost loved ones and my whole immediate family on my side has passed away. My brother lost a son. You yearn for people that you love and sometimes you'll sense their presence, and some of that can just be what they call Déjà vu. Your mind is bringing back all the memories of them.
But Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep,” he is speaking of the dead, “That you do not sorrow as others that have no hope.” He says we don't need to be sad concerning believers who have died, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, God will bring with him.” He’s talking about when Christ comes in the dead rise.
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, we who are alive and remain at the coming of the Lord will not prevent those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, the trump of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then, we who are alive and remain will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” So we're going to be together with them, we're caught up to meet the Lord.
There's many other verses in the Bible where it says the living know they'll die but the dead don't know anything. Now, you can rejoice in the knowledge that your loved ones that trusted in the Lord when they died, they will be with Jesus. As far as they're concerned, their next thought is the resurrection and being with Christ. But time is a mystery because God can go forward in time, he can go back in time. You and I live in time unless God takes us back and forth in vision or something. It hasn't happened yet and this is what confuses people.
Sounds like you would really benefit, Bob, by that lesson that we offered earlier dealing with the subject of the resurrection, Are the Dead Really Dead? Would you like us to send your free copy?
Bob: Yes.
Doug: All right. You can read it online if you want to do that and just go to amazingfacts.org, you can type in Are the Dead Really Dead? Or give us your address, we’ll mail it to you. That phone number 800-835-6747 and ask for the lesson Are the Dead Really Dead? Hey, thank you so much for your call and I know you're learning a lot of new things. Just say, "Lord, I'm willing to believe it if it's in your word.” And he will guide you. I appreciate that. Talking next with Tim in Orlando, Florida. Tim, welcome to the Bible Answers Live radio program.
Tim: Thank you. I'm here.
Doug: Yes. How can we help you tonight?
Tim: My questions is how do you overcome self and your own will to sin when you know God is guarding--
Doug: Yes. Well, you're asking the most important question because the biggest battle we all wrestle with is just our selfish natures and it's only through the power of God that we can get the victory over our selfishness. The biggest battle -- and all sin springs from selfishness. The biggest battle that Jesus fought was there in the Garden in Gethsemane when he prayed just before the cross, "Father, not my will, but your will be done."
First, before I forget, I would like to send you a book. It's called The Surrender of Self. The Surrender of Self, we’ll send it to you free. All you have to do is ask for it. Would you like a copy of that, Tim?
Tim: Yes, sir.
Doug: If you want the book, you got to call the number. That number is 800-835-6747. Did you get that? 800-835-6747. It's an easy to read book. It's very inspiring and it will encourage you. But it gives you the tips on how to overcome self. Of course, it's partly through prayer, through looking at Jesus because we become like who we look at. As we study the nature and the character of Christ, we become like him. Call the number, we'll send you that. If you want to see it right now, you can type in the title of the book, Amazing Facts and you can read that book right there online.
Appreciate your call, Tim. You can get the victory so that it's not I that live but Christ who lives in me. All of us struggle, me too, with selfishness and wanting to put ourselves on the throne. We're all mixed up with self-worship. We want to put our will ahead of God's will. You are on the big question there. With that, I’m going to talk next to-- Monica has been waiting patiently on line three. Monica, listening on Sirius XM. You're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Monica: Hi. Thank you.
Doug: Thank you. We've got just a couple of minutes. You got a quick question?
Monica: I do. The scripture that says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Would you share your view on what that means, please?
Doug: Yes. If a person dies and they're saved -- By the way, that's going to be in a 2 Corinthians 5:6. If a person dies and they're saved, their next conscious thought is when the Lord descends, the trumpet sounds. They are caught up, they meet the Lord in the air. They're in the presence of the Lord. It says there in 1 Thessalonians 4, "So, shall we ever be with the Lord." But it hasn't happened yet. That's why Paul says, "You know, I struggle sometimes, whether to stay here in the world and lead you folks or to die and to be with the Lord.” Because the next thing he would know is a resurrection.
But Paul also said that it was not until the judgment that that would happen and the judgment hasn't happened yet. Isn't that right? The great judgment day.
Monica: Yes.
Doug: That's what confuses people, is the Bible writers knew -- Have you ever had a long, hard day and you go to sleep, and even though you might have 6 or 8 hours of sleep, it feels like you just closed your eyes and all of a sudden they're open and you go, "Wow, where did 6 hours go?"
Monica: Absolutely.
Doug: Yes. Well, it's much more like that when you die and you're not thinking anything. Let me give you proof. Acts 2, Peter is preaching and he says, "Let me talk to you about the patriarch David. That he is dead and buried and his tomb is with us." He says, "David has not yet ascended to heaven." If David is dead and buried, and not ascended in heaven, and we know David's going to be saved, and a thousand years have gone by, we know that the dead are asleep.
Send for the free study guide, friends, we are out of time. Check it out, amazingfacts.org in the last few seconds that I'm talking, please help us stay on the radio. If you've been blessed, donate. God bless you, friends. We'll talk together next week.
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Speaker 2: I grew up in a church-going family. We were at every meeting, I sang in four of the choirs there. I directed three. Very involved, very active. It almost seemed like busy work sometimes. I went to Sunday school. I knew about God. I knew about Jesus. But I didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. My senior year in high school, I got the news, my father had been murdered. I played it off well. No one really saw that I was struggling with it. It just really felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled and I tried to fill it with drugs, with alcohol, with partying. After college, I just stopped going to church all together.
One day, on a Sunday, because I didn't feel like going to church with my mom, I though I should get a little bit of work. She had the satellite system hooked up and I'm flipping through channels, and then the logo pops across, "Amazing Facts presents." I've listened to a lot of different minister but here, this was the first time and he's actually saying something where I had to grab my Bible, and actually pick it up. I've never heard this before. Let me look through and find this. I went through all the histrocals, I went through all the study guides and. I just couldn't get enough.
Then the Sabbath came on. He's going through the appeal while I'm just going, "Lord, I hear you. I have to go to the church.” I show up. It was funny, I didn't feel like I was going to be judged, anything judgmental, or anything. I walked in the door and I just felt at home. But there's still a problem. I'm still partying. I was still going out to the bars. At this time, I was selling cocaine to pay my rent. 16 days later I find myself in a life-or-death situation. I just came back from a liquor store and grabbed a bottle of vodka.
There I am, high of cocaine, with my Bible in hand, trying to do a Bible study. I heard an audible voice, "Just look at yourself.” I did and I was like, "What am I doing?” I got on my knees, I said, "Lord, if you do not take this away from me now, I'm going to kill myself.” I was going to continue this lifestyle and I was going to end up overdosing, having a heart attack, whatever it was. "You have to take this away. All of it." That day, He lifted all of it away. It was all God. When God does something in your life, He does it complete.
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