Doug Batchelor: Hello friends this is, Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact. On July 15th 1942, a squadron of six P38 and two B17 bombers left from their secret air base in Greenland heading to England where they would joining the war against Hitler. While flying over the polar ice cap, they encountered a blinding blizzard, ran out of fuel and all the planes were forced to make emergency gear up landings on the bear and ice. About nine days later, the shivering pilots were rescued by dog sled. However, the new planes had to be abandoned in the frozen Wasteland.
Now fast-forward to 1980. That's when the US airplane dealer, Patrick Eats, told his friend architect, Richard Taylor, that the planes could probably be salvaged in nearly new condition. All we’d have to do is brush the snow off the wings, fill them with gas and fly them off into the sunset, nothing to it. It took the two of them eight years and multiple failed expeditions before they even located the aircraft.
Using a geophysicist and some sophisticated ground-penetrating radar they finally located eight large plane shapes beneath the ice in 1988. Then, with a steam probe, they began to melt a hole in the ice expecting to find the aircraft just a few yards down. The expedition members watched in disbelief as their steam probe descended some 250 feet before reaching the first airplane.
In 1992, after 50 years and millions of dollars one of the lost squadrons, P38, dubbed glacier girl, was brought up from 260 feet below the ice, transported to the US and restored to flying condition. Perhaps, the most unexpected outcome of this adventure was what it did to the theory of evolution. For years, the general public has been told that the build-up of Greenland and glacial ice takes thousands of years to create just a few yards, but the lost squadron was found to be 262 feet deep after only 50 years. Perhaps, the dating methods used to support evolution are a wee bit exaggerated. Stay with us friends were going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of bible answers live.
Pastor Ross: Welcome to bible answers live with author and evangelist Pastor, Doug Batchelor. Is understanding God's word a challenge? Are big passages of scripture that are a mystery to you? Maybe, it's difficult to reconcile what you 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. Call us now at 800 God says that's 800-463-7297. Now, here's your host Pastor Doug Batchelor.
Doug Batchelor: If you have a Bible question lines are opened the number 800 God says, 800-463-7297, and we'd be happy to take your phone call. Usually if you call now the top of the program very good chance you'll get to your question on tonight's broadcast. You have a question about the bible, the word of God, living the Christian Life. We don't claim to have all the answers but we love searching together. We have some Bible resources here where we'll be able to quote you some chapters and verses and give you some encouragement. Bible questions. One more time 800 God says that's 800-463-7297, my name is, Doug Batchelor.
John Ross: My name is John Ross, good evening friends and Pastor Doug as usual let's begin the program with prayer.
Dear father, we thank you that we can spend a few moments together this evening in your word. We ask your blessing upon this program, be with those who are listening. Father, lead us all into a clear understanding of the scriptures for we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
Pastor Doug, you opened the program by telling about a story. I've heard it before about the plane or I guess several planes, but they brought one up from the ice and it had been there for 50 years. I guess couple of things. Number one, it's rather remarkable that they were able to pull those planes up and put them together. I understand that at least it's on display, one of the planes, it might even be able to fly. The other amazing thing, is that it was so much deeper under the ice than first anticipated.
Doug Batchelor: Yes, it was incredible they took years looking for it. A matter fact, I think the History Channel did a whole program on recovering one of the planes. The B-52s were built with a little lighter frame. When they found them-- the reason that they found the planes in 1988. They didn't actually get one of them out until 1992,because the first one they located was a B-52 and it had pretty much been crumpled like tin foil by the pressure of the ice.
The P-38 had much sturdier frame and they came back then maybe there's a chance. These guys must have left lying because they spent Millions more than the planes were worth to get one of them back. It was just amazing that they had no idea. The geologist and everybody was amazed and they still have all these theories how you can get the planes. They know exactly when it happened, but to find them under 262 feet of ice, not only that, they were three miles. The glacier that they were in had moved three miles in that time period.
They learned all kinds of things. One of the things that was amazing is when they took ice core samples in, Greenland. They count the layers and they thought that each layer represents a year. What they found that was those layers actually don't represent entire years, those layers could represent every time it snowed. Every time it's thawed in a warm day and then froze at night, it would create another layer. They were greatly exaggerating the age of the ice cap by treating it like dendrochronologist look at tree rings, where one ring represents a year.
It wasn’t that way at all. Now, it’s pretty much been proven by how deep they can count the rings down to these planes and say, "That's what 50 years looks like, because we know exactly when it happened." It's rather turned that whole theory about the ice cores up on it. It makes you wonder how many other scientific methods are being used to prove the dates of things if they could be exaggerated as well. Like they tell a tyrannosaurus rex, they live 60 to 65 million years ago and a few years back they found a t-rex thigh bone with soft tissue and blood cells.
65 million years. That's pretty hard to comprehend and they're not even talking Jurassic Park trying to extract some DNA from that blood cell. I don't believe in conspiracy theories but if there was one that I'd fall for, it would be that there's a conspiracy out there in the scientific community to cloak the evidence for these exaggerated dates that they apply to the known world.
We see no evidence of evolution taking place. If we say, it really happened over millions of years it's hard to disprove because nobody can go back that far. All this effort has been put into trying to make things sound like they're much older than they really are. If our friends would like to know more about this subject, we have a free book we'll make available tonight. Tell us about it.
John Ross: We have a book called When Evolution Flunk the Science Test, tricking title. It deals with some of these things that we’re talking about this evening. We’ll send you this book for free. All you have to do is just call out resource line the number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book, How Evolution Flunk The Science Test. We’ll be happy to send it to anybody who calls and asks. Again, the number is 800-835-6747. If you have a Bible question, the phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297, 800-463-7297.
Pastor Doug, I think we're ready to go to the phone lines let's try Alex. Alex is listening in Bakersfield California, Alex welcome to the program.
Alex: Thank you so much for having me.
John Ross: Thank you for calling.
Alex: Thank you so much, yes Mr Doug my question it comes from 1st Samuel 15 verse three, where God is telling Saul he saying, “Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not but slay both men and women infant suckling, ox, sheep camel and ass." My question has to with the infant. It shovels me that God told him even slay the infants and on top of that what's going to happen to those infants? Were they just doomed from their birth because of where they were? Are their souls going to be saved? I guess that’s just it.
Doug Batchelor: That’s a difficult passage. Of course, we don’t need to limit that to the commandant of Samuel to Saul regarding the Amalekites. Just give you a little background, the Amalekites were the avowed enemies of Israel. The first Nation to attack Israel and they attacked their women and children when they left Egypt was the Amalekites
They're the ones who attacked David's family and carried them away captive.
They had been enemies, desperate enemies for many many generations, but the question is if in a judgment from God children die. You don't have to talk about the Amalekites what about when everyone was destroyed except Noah and his family there were no doubt men women and children that were outside the Ark, they were destroyed right? Are you still there Alex?
Alex: Yes.
Pastor Doug: After the flood or when the fire and brimstone came down on Sodom and Gomorrah they were probably men, women and children in the city. Children often suffer with their parents in a judgment because of the decision their parents made. If children are saved, then if they die from a heart attack or if they die from a flood or if they die from a scorch, you don't have to worry about the destiny of the children. I know one thing, the little children that would die in one of these things, God doesn't throw them if they're before the age of accountability, God doesn't throw them in a lake of fire. We've got a whole lesson on that.
Alex: Okay, that was pretty much my thing about their souls and what happens because they really didn't have a chance.
Pastor Doug: Yes, I know this sounds brutal. These were brutal times but it's hard to imagine if armies are rampaging through another kingdom that has vowed. Now, these Amalekites were vowed to kill Israelite's and they thought, "If we let them live even as they grow up they'll continue the battle." You think about soldiers going through and they'll say, "We're going to kill all the men, women, all the children above the age of accountability, but we're going to adopt the babies."
It's not practical for soldiers either. I'm not justifying that. I'm just telling you that this is what they did back then. I know we call it genocide today. They did send kingdoms and they did it to each other, where they were just trying to annihilate their enemy so they'd never have to worry about a reciprocal attack.
The thing is that Saul did not do it because you find King Saul was told to do that a few years later. The Amalekites were attacking David and I'll give you a little bit of extra history. By the time you get to the Book of Esther, it is Haman the Agagite, that's an Amalekites descendant, who tries to destroy all the Jews. Here you've got a descendant of the Amalekites in the Book of Esther, who makes a law to have all of the Jews annihilated on a certain day. You could see how the vindictiveness of these nations for each other.
Alex: Yes, okay that brings some clarity, I haven't got to that part yet. [laughs]
Pastor Doug: All right, good question. I appreciate it and you would enjoy our Amazing Facts Bible study series. We'll send you a free enrollment if you call the resource line.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. This for anyone who would like to enroll in the Amazing Facts correspondence Bible school. Just ask and we'll be happy to send you a card and you can actually enroll, I think right over the phone. It's free, you'll learn through our great illustrated Bible lessons.
That will be a great resource for anyone. If you have a Bible question, the number to call is 800-463-7297, again 800-463-7297, with your Bible question. Our next caller is David and he is listening from Sacramento. David welcome to the program.
David: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi David, thanks for calling.
David: My question is, can someone grieve away the Holy spirit just by thinking a thought?
Pastor Doug: There's not one time that a person might think a thought and grieve away the Holy Spirit. I shouldn't say that. I suppose it's like they say, "The straw that broke the camel's back." It's usually a pattern of thoughts over a period of years that people are slowly telling God, "No, they don't listen to the Lord." David, I don't think you need to worry about whether, "Have I done that," because usually people who have grieved with the Holy Spirit, they don't think it.
They have no spiritual hunger and if you suppose still have a spiritual hunger to know God, and have God speak to you and to hear his voice. That's the Holy Spirit working in your life. David, we wrote a book and we'll send you a free copy and that book is called, Beyond Mercy. It talks about what is the unpardonable sin, what does it mean to grieve with the Holy Spirit. We'd be happy to send you a free copy or anyone really that would like to have a copy that.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-834-6747, and the book is called, Beyond Mercy. Again 800-835-6747. Ask for the free resource, the book called, Beyond Mercy. We'll be happy to send it to. You can also read it for free online at the Amazing Facts library, just amazingfacts.org. Click on the library link and type in the words, Beyond Mercy and you can read that resource for free. Our next caller is E. Frank and he's listening from New York. E. Frank, welcome to the program.
E Frank: Yes, thank you. I would like to ask Pastor Doug, if you are a saved christian, you're a Bible believer but you want to convert others into Christianity and help society. Can you go into their beliefs and research their beliefs to become an example to them as Christ was with the sinner?
Pastor Doug: Jesus and Paul were acquainted with the beliefs of the other religions in their day. I don't think there's anything wrong with a person wanting to know how to better reach people. If you're a Christian and you're wanting to witness to Buddhist or Muslim neighbors, then it would be a good idea to be sensitive to what their beliefs are. So you don't say or do anything that want to necessarily offend them and then share your faith.
I think it's okay. You might want to spend an inordinate amount of time baptizing yourself in another person's religion or you might write some of it mistakes but to be educated is probably a good idea. E. Frank, it seems your call dropped off but I'm trusting you were able to take the answer over the air and we appreciate your call. I'm trying to think what we have-- we don't really have a book on that specifically, but I appreciate your call, thank you.
Pastor Ross: The next caller is Michael listening from Miami, Florida. Michael, welcome to the program.
Michael: Hello Pastor. Good-evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Michael: Yes, I think my question actually might be a little bit related to the question just before me. That is, I've been in public school for most of my life even up to now while in college, and need say I've come across a lot of friends who are contemporary to atheist or secular. I was wondering-- I'm a preacher, every situation is different obviously, but relatively speaking, is there a general way to best approach them, especially people who are very apprehensive to anything spiritual like a third dimension of the Bible and Christ? Christianity be like, "Oh, here I go," and they don't want to hear it. Is there-
Pastor Doug: What's a good way to approach a secular unbeliever, a secular atheist?
Michael: -exactly, people who are very apprehensive to it.
Pastor Doug: Obviously you can't just say, "Hey, the Bible says this," and I should be, either an atheist or an agnostic. It varied from week to week. One of the things that convinced me was, there's so many things that happen historically and in life that cannot be scientifically explained by coincidence. They're beyond coincidence that you just say, something supernatural happened. I can cite a lot of examples of things that happened to me personally.
The other thing is, if they are going to at least be open to the Bible, what you could show them from the Bible because at some point they've got to develop faith in the Bible if you're going to give a Bible study. You can show them from the Bible, very clear prophecies that were made before the event transpired and then it happened exactly as it was foretold. We know that it was written before it happened you can take the prophesies about Jesus. We know from the Dead Sea Scrolls, these scrolls were written before the time of Christ.
The whole book of Isaiah is there, the Psalms are there and then the Songs like Psalm 22, it says, "They pierced my hands and my feet, they gamble for my clothing." Then you go to the history of Jesus and all four gospels and it says, "They gambled at the foot of the cross for his clothing and they pierced his hands and feet." You go through a number the prophecies about the Messiah for instance that he would be born in Bethlehem.
That he would ride a donkey into the city and that he'd be betrayed by his friend for thirty pieces of silver. How can you foretell all of that unless there's something supernatural about the Bible. Michael, I think you just have to give them logical evidence because I think Christians can have logical evidence for our faith. Does that make sense?
Michael: Yes, it does.
Pastor Doug: We have a book that we can share with you and it's called, The Ultimate Resource, and it tells you why the Bible is a unique document that deserves our intelligent consideration. I came from a place where I was a total unbeliever and through just reading the Bible, I realized it was an incredible document that is supernatural. I appreciate your question and we'll send you that resource if you ask for it.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is, 800-835-6747, that is our resource line. You can ask for the book, The Ultimate Resource. Again 800-8326747. The number with your Bible question here to the studio is, 800-463-7297 with your Bible question. Tanya is listening from Detroit, Michigan. Tanya, welcome to the program.
Tanya: Thank you. My question is, "Can you lose your salvation?"
Pastor Doug: I think when you are asked that, a lot of people believe in something that's called, "Once saved always saved." In other words, once you make a decision to come to Christ and
[00:20:00] [END OF AUDIO] surrender your heart, nothing you can do can reverse that decision. I don't believe that's biblical as many Christians also question it. Now, that doesn't mean you cannot have security about your relationship with the Lord and about your destiny. We've got to be very careful even Paul says, "Let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall."
The idea that once you accept the Lord, nothing you can do can make you be lost is basically saying, Jesus doesn't really save us from our sins.
If you accept the Lord, there are struggles involved in being a Christian. It says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, there's wrestling that goes on. Paul said that we need to strive, we run a race, we box. Jesus said he did endures to the end will be saved.
There's some effort involved in being a Christian. We're saved only by faith but the idea that there's no personal effort involved in resisting temptation, is not a reality. People are misled by that. Of course, their struggles involved. If we come to Christ our biggest struggle is maintaining our relationship with him. He will give us the strength. He says, "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me."
The idea that once you're saved you can't be lost, means you'll lose your freedom of choice. You cannot choose to turn away from the Lord. That would mean you're not free anymore. You're a slave, of course you want to go to heaven or not. The world is, right now filled with people who they go to church when they're 10 years old and they come forward and say I want to accept Jesus and then they walk away from the Lord and they live like the devil, and they say, "Well yes, well I'm saved."
Jesus said, "It's not everyone that says unto me, Lord Lord that will enter the kingdom, but they that do the will of my father in heaven." We can't just be saying Lord Lord. We need to be willing to do his will. Now, that's a long answer Tanya. We have a book we'll send you. You're still there?
Tanya: Yes.
Pastor Doug: We've got a book will send you for free, that talks about can a save man be lost? Which is exactly what you're asking. Once we're saved can you be lost? Now, don't be discouraged those who are out there listening. A lot of people who believe, once saved always saved. When they hear the scriptures on the subject, they say "Man, am I going to make it?"
You can come to Jesus and have assurance. Jesus said, "Peace I give you." Be of good cheer. In the world you'll have tribulation but I have overcome the world. We don't have to be discouraged. We shouldn't be presumptuous and say, "Well once I'm saved I can do anything I want and God still has to save me." That's not biblical. I appreciate your call Tanya. As for that book, Can a saved man be lost?.
Pastor Ross: Then number to call his 800-835-6747. The book is called, Can a saved man choose to be lost? We'll send it to anybody who calls and asks. Again, 800-835-6747. It's free. Give us a call and we'll send this to you for free. You can also read it online at amazingfacts.org. We've Charles listening from Charlotte North Carolina. Charles, welcome to the program.
Charles: Thank you, good evening.
Pastor Ross: Good evening.
Charles: I have a question about the second coming of Jesus. We know when he comes, the dead in Christ will rise, those that are left will be caught up. Then it says about Jesus, if they say he's in the chambers do not go or in the desert. I think in this time where we are now, in the world with current events and everything, some people with not really even whatever denomination you're, whether you believe in the rapture or not.
A lot of people think that a delusion is going to come and even the Bible calls for a delusion. I know at one point Jesus come down on the Mount of Olives and the mountains [inaudible 00:23:52] will part and Jesus will come down. Then like I said we have the part where he comes down the dead in Christ, how do we know that we're not being deceived? What will we see with Jesus??
Pastor Doug: Well for one thing it's going to be very hard to reproduce an illusion of lightning shining from the east even under the West. Christ said there will be absolutely no doubt. Nobody's going to have to say-- they're not going to elbow a person sitting next to him and say, "What do you think, is this is the second coming?" Christ is telling us you look at the the scope of everything happening, the confluence of all these events.
It's at the conclusion of seven plagues, it tells us that every island and mountain has moved out of its place. The light shines from the east and to the West. The Lord will roar when he comes. There'll be a trumpet, there'll be a shout. Every sense that a person has will be screaming and this is it, because there'll be a resurrection taking place.
There's going to be earthquake, there'll be tsunamis, the heavens will peel back it's a scroll, the stars will fall, the Sun will turn dark, the moon will turn to blood. You just look at everything. The total cataclysm of the elements, that happen when Jesus comes. It's not going to be something you read in the newspaper and say, "Wow look at that Jesus came yesterday." You would enjoy a book that we wrote on this subject Charles. We'll send you a free copy called, Anything but secret Second Coming is, Anything but secret.
Pastor Ross: The number to call 800-835-6747 you're going to ask for the book, Anything but secret dealing with the second coming and what the Bible says, "What'll happen when Jesus comes." If you have a Bible question the number here to the studio again is 800-4637-297, that's 800-God says 800-463-7297. We have Curt listening from Brooklyn. Curt welcome to the program.
Curt: Yes, hi good evening Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Curt: I have a question. I recently found out that there's two schools of thought when it comes to the beginning of the Sabbath. Some believe that it's in the evening, some believes that is at dawn, that's the rise of the Sun. Besides the Genesis account, is there any other scripture that talks about the Sabbath begin in the evening?
Pastor Doug: Well, I think there are two or three verses that you'll find on this. You can read for instance in Leviticus 23:32. From evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath. Now, that by itself is very clear. There's another verse in Mark I believe Pastor Ross and I can't remember it offhand you might know it, where it says that, at evening when the Sun had set, they brought all of the sick to Jesus because they didn't want to bring the sick to Jesus for him to heal on Sabbath.
Not that there was anything wrong with it, but they were afraid of their tradition and their religious leaders. They waited till sundown when the Sabbath was over. You've got several verses I think in the Bible that tell us that the evening in the morning were the first day and at sundown is when the day ended.
Pastor Ross: The first you thinking of these, Mark chapter one and verse 32.
Pastor Doug: Yes, that sounds right.
Pastor Ross: Mark 1:32.
Pastor Doug: Are you still there Curt?
Curt: Yes I am thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: All right, I hope those verses help and you would enjoy, there's a new magazine, Amazing Facts, just put out. It's become very popular. It talks about the rest of your life. It's plain words. It's all about sabbath and what the blessing of sabbath is, how to keep it, when it begins. If you call, our office will send you a free complimentary copy of this magazine called The rest of your life. In a moment, we're going to take a little break. there's going to be more bible questions. We do have some lines open. 800-God says 800-463-7297. You're listening to Bible Answers Live.
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Pastor Doug: Welcome back friends you're listening to Bible answers live. I think we've been doing this program about 18 years and it's just an exciting adventure, every program. Never know exactly what questions are going to come in. If you have a Bible question, it's a free phone call to our studios that are here in Sacramento. 800-God says, 800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.
John Ross: My name is John Ross. Pastor Doug, just before we go to the phone lines again, we'd like to let our listening friends know about an upcoming event that'll be taking place in October. It's actually a series of 10 presentations that you'll be doing called Heroes of Faith. It's going to be aired live on AFTV and 3ABN. Also available to see online. I want to let folks know about that. I'm very excited about that upcoming event.
Pastor Doug: Yes. It's a special new series where we're actually taking the heroes of the Bible and we're showing the basic Bible teachings from these great stories. Stories about the battle of Jericho and Rahab and Mary Magdalene and Jonah and the fish. All of these, like the story of Rahab and Jericho blowing seven trumpets, city of destruction, only those in the house will be saved. It's a great story about the second coming of Jesus and the church.
Then you look at the story of Jonah. It talks about the will of God. When you run from the will of God it doesn't go well. When you obey the will of God people are saved and things go better. We'll take all these different great stories and we'll bring out the elements of salvation and Christian theology. It's a revival evangelistic program. You could bring your friends, too. Bring them to your church and you can turn it on, watch on TV. It'll be on 3ABN or AFTV or as Pastor Ross said we're going to stream a nice clean signal over the internet.
Pastor Ross: To get more information about the series called Heroes of Faith you can go to the Amazing Facts website. There is a banner right on the homepage. You can click on that and that'll take you to the website for this special series. The web address is www.theheroesoffaith.org. You'll be able to learn more there at that website as well. All right, Pastor Doug we're ready for our next caller. We have James. He's listening from Spring, Texas. James, welcome to the program.
James: Hi. Good evening, gentlemen. How are you doing today?
Pastor Ross: Good.
Pastor Doug: Doing well. How are you?
James: I'm all right. First time I'm calling and my question has to deal with wedding rings. Me and my small study group had a big question on that. There has been a pretty controversy between everyone. I was wondering if you can clear that out for me?
Pastor Doug: Well, tell your friends let's not get too deep a controversy. You would have a good spirit there. The question on wedding rings, biblically, you're not going to find wedding rings in the Bible. It's really a tradition that has come down through history. It's become, of course, very popular. People use it as a badge whether or not a person is on the market and available, engaged in a civil way, what does the ring tell us?
I understand it dates back, if you delve deep into the history, to ancient Babylon. That if you had a woman that was a slave that was no longer a virgin they would put a ring on her finger and if she was owned. Even in India you pinned the pastor and even the India, Pastor Ross. It's been a long day friends. The married women often have a ring in their nose.
Pastor Ross: Yes. Actually, a necklace they also wear symbolizing they're married.
Doug: Yes. Different cultures have different customs but they didn't have any such custom in the Bible so if you're asking me what the Bible says about it, it's not in the Bible. Now I personally, I think Pastor Ross also, I take the approach, I don't wear any jewelry. A few years ago a number of televangelists got into trouble. One of the things that the secular people were doing they were making fun of these televangelists because they were asking for everybody's money and they're wearing Rolex watches and big old rings and their wives are bejeweled.
I think Christians ought to be simple. The Bible does say in, what was it, first Peter chapter three, "Let it not be the outward adorning the wearing of gold and putting on apparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart." Then Paul says in, I believe it's first Timothy, that, "The women adorn themselves in modest apparel not with gold or pearls or costly array." Christians through history have been known for their modesty and simplicity.
It used to be Protestants. Christians, they didn't wear any jewelry. Catholics, too. It's just that things have changed in the last 50 hundred years. I'm old-fashioned that way. My wife and I have never worn wedding rings and we're still married. Anyway, obviously, there's going to be a lot of people in heaven that wore wedding rings so don't go out of this phone call and think, "Pastor Doug says if you wear wedding rings you can't go to heaven." Just telling you what the Bible says.
We have a booklet that talks about jewel--I think Joe Crews has a book called Colorful Cosmetics and Jewelry.
Pastor Ross: Yes. This one actually deals with that. Colorful Cosmetics and Jewelry is the name of the book. We'll be happy to send it to anybody who calls asks. 800-835-6747.
Pastor Doug: Now, can they read that online for free as well?
Pastor Ross: They can read that online. Just amazingfacts.org. Our next caller is Fred, listening from Irvington, Texas. Fred, welcome to the program.
Fred: Yes. Actually, I'm calling from Irvington, New Jersey. Thank you for taking my call. This is my first time calling and my question is regarding divorce. Two weeks ago I was listening to the show and there was a guy who brought up the question but the answer did not given out. I know in the Bible of Matthew, Jesus said, "Whoever split aside his will to marry another woman commit adultery." I just want to know, whatever the person does and you did not-- let's say you have a unfaithful wife and then she was caught cheating and then you divorced her, are you allowed to remarry again or until that person died?
Pastor Doug: No, you can remarry if you have biblical grounds. Jesus said in Matthew 5:32, "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason, except sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery." He's talking about if you divorce and remarry. He's not talking about if two people separate. The only biblical grounds for divorce and remarriage is adultery, marital unfaithfulness. Or Paul in first Corinthians chapter 7, Paul says that if you've got two people that are pagans and one becomes a Christian and the former pagan spouse says, "I'm not going to live with my husband or my wife anymore. I'm out of this relationship."
If you're abandoned or they divorce you because you have converted to the faith, you're then free to remarry somebody in the faith. That was happening in the Roman Empire as people went from worshiping Jupiter you get two people that worshiping the Roman gods and they become Christians. One would say, "I didn't sign up for this. I'm leaving you." Paul said if you can keep the marriage together, by all means keep it together but if the unbelieving spouse departs, that the believer is not under bondage in these cases. I think it means not under the bondage of that vow, and they're free then to look for a believing spouse. I want to do anything too quick though.
Fred: They have to stay unmarried until the other partner dies?
Pastor Doug: No. If you've got biblical grounds for divorce you don't have to stay unmarried until the former partner dies. If you have biblical grounds for remarriage then-- but again, I want to do anything quickly but you are permitted to remarry. God hates divorce. You can read where the Lord says that in Malachi and it's something that we certainly should avoid.
Pastor Ross: We have a book called Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage and it deals with this subject. We'll be happy to send this to you, Fred, or anybody wanting to learn more. The number is 800-835-6747. Again, you can ask for the book Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. You can read it for free online at amazingfacts.O-R-G. Our next caller is JR and he's listening from Clovis, Minnesota. JR, welcome to the program.
JR: Yes. Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross, how are you all doing tonight?
Pastor Ross: Good.
Pastor Doug: Really well.
JR: I'm from Clovis, New Mexico.
Pastor Doug: Right. I know where that is.
JR: Okay. I thought they said Minnesota somewhere.
Pastor Ross: I did. I got mixed up with the N and the M.
Pastor Doug: Pastor Ross and I, we're dyslexic but we get the Bible right.
JR: The question I wanted to ask about Revelation 12:17. Would it be related to John 14:15?
Pastor Doug: I know what Revelation 12:17 says. You said is it related to John 14:15, "If you love me keep my commandments"?
JR: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Yes. Because it tells us that the dragon is wroth with the woman and he goes to make war with the remnant of her seed that keep the commandments of God. The devil hates those that love God's commandments. If you love God, Jesus said, "If you love me, obey me," so yes, the two are related.
JR: Amen. Amen. That's what I wanted to get straightened out. I appreciate you all answering me that. Do you have a book or anything that I could ask for on the seal of God? I think Joe Crews had a little sermon about the seal of God.
Pastor Doug: Yes. I think we've got that new magazine that we just talked about called The Rest of your Life. We will send you a free copy of that. There's a segment in there that talks about the seal of God. Of course, the first part of the seal of God is the Holy Spirit but there's something deeper than that that you find in the law of God. For our friends that are listening, a Bible seal contained three obvious characters. It's like if you see the president give a speech it'll have the presidential seal. It'll say, "President Barack Obama, United States of America." It's got the name, the title and the territory. In the law of God you can find the name, the title and the territory. You take a look get that study or that magazine, The rest of your life and there'll be more there. Thank You JR.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Barbara listening from Huntsville, Alabama. Barbara welcome to the program.
Barbara: Good evening, how you all doing?
Pastor Doug: Hi Barbara, how are you?
Barbara: You're doing a great job, I'm just really proud of you guys. My question is the wine that Jesus made through a miracle at the wedding in Canaan was it fermented or not?
Pastor Doug: I firmly believe it was unfermented and I think there's good reason for that. At the end of the story it says that the governor of the feast-- by the way friends this is in John chapter two. It's only found in the Gospel of John, first miracle of Jesus was turning the water to wine. That wine is a symbol of the blood of Christ which is pure. It's not fermented. Just like he said, "My body is the bread." He also gave them at the Last Supper wine.
The word grape juice does not appear in the Bible because they called the grape juice wine. They had strong drink and they had fermented wine. Jesus talks about new wine he says, "You don't put new wine and old wine skins." Obviously, new wine is not fermented. At the end of the wedding feast governor said, "You saved the best for last." You could get fermented wine all year long and what you couldn't get was fresh wine except right at the harvest time.
Somehow, Jesus had produced brand-new fresh wine, the very best, at this wedding feast that may not have even been during harvest time, so they were all surprised by that. Can you picture Jesus giving people those vessels that they filled with water were like 30 gallons a piece I can't imagine that there were six of them, six times three is what a 180 gallons of booze. I can't imagine Jesus getting everybody drunk, especially since people get addicted to alcohol and it destroys their lives. It's hard to comprehend. Bible says, "Wine is a mocker strong drink is raging whoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Thank you Barbara we do have a book we'll send you, called The Christian and alcohol.
Pastor Ross: All they'll have to do is give us a call on our resource line the number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book Alcohol and the Christian. Again 800-835-6747 a next caller is Joseph listening from-- actually it's Dominic, excuse me, Dominic calling from Long Island, New York. Dominic welcome to the program.
Dominic: Thank you and God bless.
Pastor Ross: Thank you.
Dominic: My question is about the both the Antichrist the Bible would obviously be considered a false prophet.
Pastor Ross: All right.
Dominic: I'm worried about in this day and age where we have a foreigner addressing Congress, let's put it that way, what should we fear? Should we fear something? I think we should?
Pastor Doug: First let me talk about the word Antichrist. It's amazing that everyone thinks about the book of Revelation when they talk about the Antichrist. The word Antichrist does not appear in Revelation. It does appear in the letters of John. If you look for instance in first John, chapter two, verse 18 he says, "Little children, it is now the last hour."
As you've heard that the Antichrist is coming even now many Antichrists have come by which we know that is the last hour. Then you can also find in first John 2:22, "He is Antichrist that denies the father and the son." Then the fourth reference is in first John 4:3, "And this is the spirit of Antichrist you have heard this coming and is now already in the world." Back when John wrote his gospel the spirit of Antichrist, that spirit of replacing the truth with counterfeit teachings of Jesus and counterfeit leaders that are against Christ.
That's what anti means, against, for a person is anti-establishment. They're against establishment. Antichrist is against Christ. There is a supreme Antichrist in the last days and Antichrist power that is found in Revelation it's not named, it's often called the Beast and many Protestants for hundreds of years associated that with the Catholic Church and the Pope.
I'm just telling you, friends don't hang up on me. Don't change the channel, this is just history. All you got to do is read what Martin Luther and Charles Spurgeon and John Wesley and George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards and Cotton Mather. You name any of your Puritan Protestant reformers, they all read Revelation 17 and Revelation 12 and they said, "This is pointing to the organization in Rome." When a man lives in a palace and he says he's the representative of Christ and they thought that was Antichrist.
Dominic: Now, we have this problem before Congress.
Pastor Doug: Yes, it's very interesting that Pope is now for the first time going to address-- the Pope's been to America before Pope's even address United Nations. This is the first time a Pope is going to be addressing a joint session of Congress, which is the most powerful assembly of American leaders that legislate. If the Catholic Church in Europe is the first beast of Revelation 13, and if America is the second beast in Revelation 13, this is a significant event that I think people need to-- let's see what's the date today it's about one month from today, he's going to arrive.
Speak to the United Nations he's going to talk to Philadelphia about the family and sounds like good things and going to the White House and he's going to address the Congress. Now, the issue I have with this as an American citizen is the Pope is a leader of a church but he's treated as a leader of a country because the Catholic Church formed the Vatican as an independent state so they could be a diplomatic power.
The US would never ask for any other leader of a denomination to address the government, with all the separation of church and state that they're pushing, that's pretty amazing. It is historic, Dominic.
By the way friends we have a lesson that talks about the Antichrist if you've not seen it, we'll be happy to send you a free copy.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747 that is the resource line. You can ask for the study I'd called who is the Antichrist again 800-835-6747. Also you know Pastor and I just for a limited period of time, we've made available on YouTube a documentary on the book of Revelation that we've done at amazing facts called revelation the bride, the beast and Babylon. It is now available in its fullest in two hours in length and it deals with Revelation 12 Revelation 17, gets writing to these prophecies, a great resource for anyone to take a look at.
Our next call is Joseph and he's listening from Denver, Colorado. Joseph welcome to the program.
Joseph: Hi, I was always taught that when Jesus was on the cross he felt everybody's pain. First, is that true and if it is, who gave him that pain and how did he get it? Because I don't think just being tortured by man could produce that much pain.
Pastor Doug: I don't know if Jesus simultaneously felt the pain that every human has ever felt. What Jesus did, is he suffered for all of the sins and the guilt of the world of everybody who sinned which is a little different from the physical pain.
Now, a man could never endure that if you took the pain of three people and heaped it on one person that might kill him. It depends on how much pain or what that pain is. Jesus wasn't just a man, Jesus was God become a man. He suffered in a way that no human could ever bear the suffering. When he was on the cross, he suffered physically. He suffered nakedness. He suffered emotional pain. He suffered the pain of isolation. He suffered the pain of imprisonment, pinned there on the cross.
Jesus tells a parable one time he says, "I was hungry and you gave me drink, I was thirsty you gave me food, I was sick or in prison or naked and you came to me." He said, "In as much as you've done it to the least of these, you've done it to me." When Jesus hung upon the cross, he was hungry, he was thirsty, of course he said, "I thirst." so there's no question about that it, he was naked, they took away his clothes and gambled for his clothing, he was imprisoned he felt sick, he was a stranger.
Everything he identified about the suffering of humanity. All of the suffering humanity can fit into one of those six definitions Jesus experienced on the cross. He suffered for the whole world. He took the sin of the world in those hours. He was actually on the cross seven hours, six hours alive, one hour dead. In those six hours alive, he was going through that valley of the shadow of death and the devil heaped upon him all of the misery he possibly could. Hey, I appreciate that Joseph I don't know if I answered your question.
Joseph: You did.
Doug: All right. Well, thank you we've got a great book that talks about the High
[00:50:00] [END OF AUDIO]
Cost of the Cross. We'll send you a free copy.
Pastor Ross: The number to call 800-835-6747, that is the resource line. You may ask for the book called The High Cost of the Cross. The number is 800-835-6747. We have Mark, listening from Westland, Michigan. Mark, welcome to the program.
Mark: Hi, thanks for taking my call. Your radio ministry is a tremendous bloodline to the community, so thank you for having the show.
Pastor Doug: Privilege. Thank you.
Mark: My question pertains to the trumpet, and I'm going to ask that really quick too. I just thought it was interesting what you just said about the Pope coming to the United States and addressing, I think he said the Congress or something like that, and how that may be fulfilling some scripture and Revelation. 12 and 13 I believe you said that. If I heard you correctly and it is 12 and 13, which seem to imply that we would be in the middle of the Tribulation. Because my understanding has been the Rapture would have taken place by Chapter 4 Revelation and so the Church will be out in the world. After chapter 4 there will be no mention of the Church in the Book of Revelation after Chapter 4-
Pastor Doug: Well, let me jump in. We got to tie it off as a question mark, we're going to run out of time. First, based on what you just said, I don't believe that we are in the first three and a half years of the Tribulation yet. I think what Revelation is saying is that these events, where the beast power could be compelling the governments of the world to keep certain religious laws that violate the law of God, it's what it says, compelling the world to worship in a way that's not biblical. Or they cannot buy or sell.
I think we're on the cusp of that. That's the beginning of the Tribulation. You would really appreciate our video called The Bride, the Beast, and Babylon and, by the way, friends, we just did something because of the times we're in, we have actually posted that video in high definition for free. I think it's up for a few more days. If you type The Bride, The Beast, and Babylon, you will see the video, you can watch it and there's a study guide. You had a quick second question, Mark, but we got about a minute left, on the trumpet.
Mark: People around the world reported in I think the year 2011 that they heard loud sounds like trumpets around the world. If that was the case, which trumpet would it be pertaining to the scripture?
Pastor Doug: I've heard that, I think I saw some YouTubes about that, but I think the trumpets that are sounding, of the seven trumpets there in Revelation, they're telling us about things that happen historically. When Jesus descends from Heaven with the voice of the archangel and the trump, that's going to be a real audible trump everyone will hear. The seven trumpets of Revelation, I don't think you're going to be hearing this loud trumpet blast in the sky. The devil could counterfeit something like that. I think there are things that happened where you see historically the military attack on the Church.
Pastor Ross: In the Bible, of course, Revelation is a symbolic book, and so we have these different symbols of seals and horses and trumpets and beasts. If you look in the scriptures, a trumpet was often used to announce war. It was also used for warning and announcement, but particular war. When you look at the trumpets listed in Revelation Chapter eight, and then later on the seven trumpets in Revelation Chapter 11, it's really announcing different judgments or wars that have come against God's people over time.
Now, the first trumpet has been identified as being the destruction of Jerusalem back in A.D. 70 by the Romans. We don't have time to get into all the symbols there, but really, the trumpets follow a sequence of judgements during the Christian era. Brings us all the way until today.
Pastor Doug: Amen. Well, thank you very much, Mark. It would not be fair to a caller if we took a question, by the time you'd finished the question, we'd be going off the air. What I like to do in the last few seconds is just tell you what a blessing it is to study with everybody here. Keep in mind, even though the program's over, we have material and Bible answers available all week long at our website. It's new and updated if you've not been there, lots of free things you can download: books, audio, video, amazingfacts.org. amazingfacts.org. God bless you. We'll talk and study together again next week.
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Speaker 1: I grew up in a Church going family. I mean, 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 that my father had been murdered.
Now, I played it off well. No one really saw that I was struggling with it. It just really felt that there was a whole 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 altogether. One day, on a Sunday, because I didn't feel like going to Church with my mom. I thought, "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 ministers, but this was the first time that he's actually saying something where I had to grab my Bible and actually pick it up and "I've never heard this before. Let me look through and find this." I went through all the storybooks, I went through all the study guides and I just couldn't get enough. Then the Sabbath came up, and he's going through the appeal and I'm just going, "Lord, I hear you. I have to go to Church." So, I show up.
It was funny, I didn't feel like I was going to be judged, anything judgemental, anything. I walked in the door and I just felt at home. 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 had just came back from a liquor store and I grabbed a bottle of vodka. There I am, high off cocaine, with my Bible in hand, trying to do a Bible study.
I heard an inaudible 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 it all away from me. It was all gone. When God does something in your life, he does it complete.
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