Be Still - Hearing God's Voice

Pastor Doug: Welcome, listening friends. Would you like to hear an amazing fact? It might be hard to imagine, but there's a town within three hours west of Washington DC, where cell phones, radio, TV, WiFi, and Bluetooth are forbidden. Green Bank, West Virginia. Population 143, is home to the world's largest steerable radio telescope. It's called the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, better known as the GBT. The telescope is taller than the Statue of Liberty and the dish surface area is big enough to contain a college football stadium. This is why locals say GBT stands for great big thing.

The GBT is a highly sophisticated device that is extremely sensitive to even the faintest radio pulses traveling from distant galaxies. For the same reason, it's also extremely susceptible to any local interference. Those restrictions began back in the 1950s when the FCC created the National Radio Quiet Zone. It's a 13,000-square-mile section of West Virginia where the Allegheny Mountains help create a natural barrier for radio transmissions. The instruments in the GBT are so sensitive they can detect a transistor radio on Mars.

Any device in the quiet zone that generates electromagnetic radiation, even a garage door opener, can distort its readings. The people who live in these parts must, by law, forego some of the gadgets that most of us take for granted, but they don't seem to mind. It's hard to miss the irony that the scientists living in this area use some of the world's most advanced instruments, but they can't heat their lunch with a microwave. The Bible says, "We all need a quiet zone." Stay with us, friends. We'll learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.

Voice-over: You're listening to Bible Answers Live, honest answers to your Bible questions. Our phone lines are now open. If you have a Bible-related question, call us at 1-800-GOD-SAYS. That's 1-800-463-7297. Now, let's join our host, Pastor Doug Batchelor and our co-host, Pastor Jean Ross.

Pastor Doug: Welcome, listening friends, to Bible Answers Live. If you have a Bible question, the moment has come. Give us a call. We don't claim to have all the answers but we have fun looking together. If you want to call, lines are open right now, 800-GOD-SAYS is the number. That's 800-463-7297, and that will bring your question into tonight's live program. One more time, you're ready? 800-GOD-DAYS, 800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jean: My name is Jean Ross. Good evening, listening friends, and Pastor Doug, as usual, let's start with a word of prayer. Dear Father in heaven, we thank you once again that we have this opportunity to study the Bible together. We ask Your blessing upon those listening and guide us as we open Your scriptures here in the studio in Jesus' name, Amen.

Pastor Doug: Amen.

Pastor Jean: Well, Pastor Doug, you opened the program by talking about a rather interesting fact. I guess it's amazing today, thinking that we are so connected with our phones and our computers and WiFi and Bluetooth and you name it. To think of a place in modern society right in America where you can't have a cell phone, or you can't be connected to WiFi. Or you can't just hook up with Bluetooth any time you like, something rather different than what we're used to and it seems that folks kind of enjoy it out there. At least, those who live there.

Pastor Doug: The law first was enacted back in the '50s. Of course, nobody had wireless phones and wireless internet back then and so they designated this area, a quiet zone. People who had grown up in the area or those who have moved in, they knew the rules. They say, "We like it." There's even some people that say that they're physically sensitive to electromagnetic waves and they say they're healthier living there. Of course, that's not been backed up by science yet, but some of the people living there are quite sure of it.

It's interesting that the people that are there, when they're interviewed, they say, "Hey, we like it." Now, they do have some electric devices. They just have to be the ones that don't emit a radio magnetic signal. They actually can have a landline phone because that keeps the vibrations in the copper line. They can have internet, but it has to be hard-wired internet, but no cell phones. It is funny to think that here you've got these scientists living in a very sophisticated area like that but they can't have a cell phone.

Matter of fact, in the community here in Green Bank, there are actual trucks that work for the government that drive around with very sensitive equipment that listen to anybody that is emitting forbidden frequencies. If someone's got a phone-- and one time, they had this big disruption in the satellite. They tried to figure what it was and it turned out that someone had an electric bed for their dog, because it gets cold there in the winter. The dog came in wet, laid down. The bed was shorting out. The telescope detected that and it messed up their frequencies.

These guys are driving around in their trucks, and they have to use diesel trucks, because diesels have no spark plugs. Spark plugs emit a frequency that interferes with this. It's just a very interesting place, but it makes me think, we all need a quiet zone. The Bible even teaches that. You can read, for instance, in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." How long has it been, friends that are listening, since you just sat still and tried to listen to the voice of God's spirit speaking to you?

Even in Isaiah Chapter Five Verse Eight, there the prophet says, "Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there is no place that a man might be placed alone in the midst of the earth." It sounds like a modern subdivision, doesn't it? Sometimes you need to get out where you can just be still and listen to the voice of God speaking to you.

Now, prayer is where we talk to God but that is not all of prayer. Part of prayer is where we're listening to God speak to us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not just a force. It's not some mystical cloud that communicates with us. It is God the Spirit who speaks to us. It's important to understand this person of the God head. We have a free offer tonight that will tell you more about how you can be filled with the Spirit and know who God the Spirit is.

Pastor Jean: We have a book called the Holy Spirit: The Need, written by Pastor Doug. We'll be happy to send this to anybody who calls and asks. Just ask for the book on the Holy Spirit. It's called the Holy Spirit: The Need. The number to call is 800-835-6747. That number, again, is 800-835-6747, and ask for the book called the Holy Spirit: The Need. If you have a Bible question, our phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297.

Okay, one more time, you ready? 800-463-7297. Going to the phone lines, our first caller is Rolando listening from Western Florida. Rolando, welcome to the program.

Rolando: Thank you. Good evening, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross-

Pastor Jean: Evening.

Rolando: -your crew and your visitors. Thank you for taking my call and for doing the work of the Lord.

Pastor Doug: It's a blessing.

Rolando: [laughs] Here's my question. We know that we are to work on building our characters in this life, so that we can reflect Jesus. What about the thief on the cross? Will his character be perfected on resurrection day? If not, will he need to work on his character in heaven?

Pastor Doug: Well, can I answer your question with a question, please?

Rolando: Sure.

Pastor Doug: If a person comes to Jesus and when they accept Jesus and surrender their lives to him and accept the sacrifice that He's made for their sins, if they should die, are they saved?

Rolando: Yes.

Pastor Doug: How much time have they had to develop new habits, a new character? We're not just asking about the thief on the cross, we're asking about anybody, right?

Rolando: Right.

Pastor Doug: As soon as we surrender our lives to the Lord, when you have a born-again experience, the Holy Spirit moves into your heart right then. You are saved based on your faith and belief in God's substitution in your behalf. Now, part of the work of a Christian from that moment on is to strive to be more and more like Jesus. That's the character development that you're talking about. You're not saved based upon how advanced your degree of character development.

You're saved based upon your fully surrendering and accepting His sacrifice on your behalf. And then your sanctification continues to go on. We're saved based on not being perfect by a complete reprogramming at the moment of conversion. Because Isiah,said, "Learn to do good," that you resist the evil you learn to do good. But, it's being fully surrendered day by day as you follow the lord you maintain a saved relationship now you might have plenty of character development left to go.

It's the difference between justification and sanctification we are justified when we come to the lord just like we are that's the thief on cross. Now, I guess part of your question is, so if a person like the thief on the cross had accepting-- We have friends listening and they wonder what I'm talking about. There was a man that was crucified by Jesus and in the final hours of his life he turned to Christ and Jesus said, "You will be saved. You will be with me in paradise."

Well he didn't have a lot of time to learn to be a christian he hadn't gone to church, he hadn't been baptized and when he gets to heaven is he going to be just sort of a reforming thief? That's skewed. I would say that his heart, he got a new heart right there on the cross. And salvation is about the new heart and conversion. So really have a lot of learning left in heaven? Yes, matter of fact there is never a time in heaven when you stop learning, does that make sense?

Rolando: Absolutely. Thank you for taking my call.

Pastor Doug: All right. Thank you so much. Pastor Ross, might have found that.

Pastor Jean: You know we do have it well we got a book called, The Surrender Of Self, and I think that's the key. God is looking for men and women who are surrendered to him, so that he can work within them. I'll be happy to send this book to anybody who calls and ask, it's called, The Surrender Of Self. The number is 800-835-6747, you can ask the book called The Surrender Of Self. If you have a bible question we'd love to hear from you this evening we have some lines that are still open. The number to call is 800-463-7297 that number again is 800-463-7297. We are going to go to Patrick listening also in Florida, Patrick welcome to the program.

Patrick: Hello- [crosstalk]

Pastor Doug: Patrick you are on the air. Hi.

Patrick: How is it going?

Pastor Doug: Doing well, how can we help you tonight?

Patrick: Yes I just had a question as far as when we get to heaven. Would there be any procreation happening in heaven?

Pastor Doug: In other words will there be sex in heaven?

Patrick: Yes.

Pastor Doug: I don't think so and it's going to be hard to give you a chapter and verse on this, but there is that one statement where Jesus said, and Pastor Ross might help me look it up. It's in a couple of Gospels in his dialogue with, you look like you've got--

Pastor Jean: Mathew 22:30, is the one.

Pastor Doug: Yes. You want to read that real quick?

Pastor Jean: Yes Jesus speaking in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor give any marriage but are like the angles of god in heaven.

Pastor Doug: Now see, in the beginning when God made Adam and Eve, he told them, "Go forth, be fruitful and fill the earth." Well that mean populate the earth. Obviously at some point God will say, "Yes. It's pretty well populated and we'll stop right there." I understand that you got some places in the world were there is like 10,000 people per square mile, it's really densely populated. I don't think heaven is going to be that dense or there would be no country, we were just talking about that.

God is going to populate the world, the newer Earth He creates with the redeemed, so we may still have lots of close relationships in heaven and people we love but I don't believe there will be a need for procreation. Now some people want to hear that especially, I go around, I talk to young people and I do weeks of prayer at schools. And when the young people hear that I say there may not be sex in heaven, they think, "Oh, man I don't know if I want to go anymore." They're so insincere.

They think, it's one of the strong driving forces and God designed it to be pleasurable and people think, "Will I be happy?" I have to remind them, "You're going to be infinitely happier in heaven with all the--" The bible says, what is it, "Psalms 16, "At His right hand pleasures for evermore," all kinds of bliss and wonderful pleasures in heaven we can't even fathom, the colors you are going to see in heaven, would be better than any earthly desire here.

God says, you can't even imagine, what its going to be like. And so don't anybody think, "Oh, man if there is not marriage in heaven, or if there is no sex in heaven I'm not sure that's going to-- Just sitting on the cloud play harp, what are you going to do? I think it's just misconceptions about heaven. But, nope. I don't think there is going to be procreation. Did we lose? Patrick are you still there?

Patrick: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Okay. I don't know if that helps but there is not a lot of scripture on it, but it doesn't seem there is going to be procreation following the resurrection.

Patrick: Okay. What was that verse you said?

Pastor Jean: The verse is Mathew 22:30. Also Mark 12:25, AND Luke 17:27. Three Gospel records.

Patrick: Okay. All right. Thank you so much.

Pastor Doug: Thank you. Next call is Jaime, also listening in Florida. Jaime, welcome to the program.

Jaime: Yes. Good evening Pastor Ross, Pastor Doug. I got a question. Okay. Because I know-- I understand and I see very clearly the saddest truth, then I see that the Fourth Commandment is the seal of God. Now, when I read Mathew 5:19 is telling me that, "Those that don't keep it and don't teach, there are going to be least in the Kingdom of Heaven and not great. Which means they are going to be in the Kingdom of Heaven also. And I have heard you say that millions of people that are someday keepers will be in heaven. How could that be if you don't have the seal of God on your forehead, because you don't keep the Sabbath?

Pastor Doug: All right. You are asking a couple of good questions here but I got to divide them. First of all will there be people in heaven that may be didn't keep the 10 Commandments the way they should? Absolutely there will be people in heaven like King David that had way too many wives not to mention he did commit adultery, but he repented to that. And Solomon that had too many wives. God winked at their ignorance because they didn't know. There will be people in heaven that went to church maybe, or kept the wrong day as the Sabbath, because they didn't know.

The bible says, "Sin is knowing to do good and not doing it." That's one issue but I think you are misunderstanding Mathew 5:19 where it says, "Those who break one of the lease to the commandments and teach others to do, so will be called least in the kingdom. It doesn't mean they are there and they don't have the gold medal, they had the bronze metal that's not what it's saying. It's saying those in the Kingdom of Heaven call them the lowest kind of person.

They are not in the kingdom, they are being spoken of by those in the kingdom as the lowest, that's what it's saying. It's not saying that there, it says those in the Kingdom of Heaven will call them the lowest person. It's not that they just-- I mean God is not going to take someone to heaven that is teaching others to break his law.

Pastor Jean: Of course, here Jesus is talking about.

Pastor Doug: Not knowingly anyway. Sorry.

Pastor Jean: Yes. Jesus is talking to the religious leaders in particular here.

Pastor Doug: Yes.

Pastor Jean: And they were considered to be great law keepers by the people, but in reality they were breaking God's commandments. And Jesus goes on to site some examples of that and he is really telling them, people might think you are great here on this earth, but it's a different story in heaven. And that's kind of the point that's being emphasized there.

Pastor Doug: Yes. I don't think people who are deliberately teaching others to break God's Law- [crosstalk]

Jaime: That is true.

Pastor Doug: -knowing they break God's law or going to be there. I'm sorry. Are you still there Jaime?

Jaime: Yes. But real quick, real quick. Okay. So people that will have ears to hear what the word is saying. They don't see when they read the Bible to tell the truth. Because it is so clear that something that God kept to himself in the first week of creation. He is holy and sanctified and kept to himself, I think He's- [crosstalk]

Pastor Doug: Well there are people that, we got to be careful not to judge others. There are people that read things in the bible and they are not sure what it means and maybe there is religious leaders that tell them well this is how you interpret it and they are sincere and they don't know. God knows what their level of understanding is, but and it's not just with his one commandment it's with several of the commandments. People they are doing their best to live up to what they understand, but there's a lot of things they don't understand. We have got a book that talks about the law in particular that we can send Jaime a copy of.

Pastor Jean: We have a book called, Why God Said Remember, that talks about the fourth commandment and will be happy send this to anybody who calls and asks. The number to call is 800-835-6747, you can ask for the book called, Why God Said Remember. The number again is 800-835-6747, and the phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. Again that's 800-463-7297. [crosstalk]

Pastor Doug: Thank you, Jaime.

Pastor Doug: Our next caller is Phil listening from New York. Phil welcome to the program.

Phil: Could hear me okay?

Pastor Doug: Loud and clear.

Phil: Yes. Could you tell me if you know what is meant by the term-- I think it's pronounced tetragramaton and does that have any connection with the letters is Y-H-W-H ?

Pastor Doug: Yes. They are one in the same. That is a long word-- I think that's a Latin, isn't it? that is talking about the Holy Name of God and the Jews when they would come to the name Yahweh. No one knows exactly how to pronounce it. Some will argue that it's Jehovah others Yahweh they would leave out the vowels. It left people--if they felt this is the sacred name of God and it was considered too sacred to even write. Sometimes you'll just see the word Lord in your King James Bible. It's capital L-O-R-D and that's usually where you would see the word Yahweh, those four sacred letters.

Phil: Okay. I thank you so very much. So there is a connection between the two things I mentioned?

Pastor Doug: Yes I think that you're talking about the official word for it. Now I've got a book I can send you, where I talk about that and it's called the Name of God, we'll send you a free copy if you like.

Phil: You know what? I appreciate it, you already answered my question, you guys have a great show. You know precisely what you're talking about, but you use plain language. I think you're hitting the nail right on the head and I really appreciate it.

Pastor Doug: That's very kind, thank you so much Phil we appreciate it.

Phil: Good.

Pastor Jean: Thanks for your call Phil. If you have a Bible question the phone line here in the studio again is 800-463-7297. We've got Susan who's listening in Utah, Susan welcome to the program.

Susan: Hi. How are you?

Pastor Doug: Doing well. How can we help you tonight?

Susan: I had a strange thing happen to me and I've researched it trying to find it to see if it's true. Years ago I had a bunch of traffic tickets and I went to jail. I was just waiting to go to the church on Sunday and Saturday night I had gotten a verse out of the Bible, and I taped it to my bunk. For some reason the next day when I went to church I was in a really bad mood, I don't know why. I sat in the very back. The preacher lady comes in, it was not the regular one and she said she had a lesson that she had all planned out, but God put it on her heart to talk about something else. The next words out of her mouth was that verse and then- [crosstalk]

Pastor Doug: Now what's the verse?

Susan: I can't remember it exactly it was David asking God, "What is it that You need me to do for You? Or something along those lines, because it was years ago, I can't remember. Right after she said that it got my attention so I started listening and everything she was talking about was my life, it was me.

At the end of the service everybody was going up to her and as soon as I went up to her she said, "You're the one God's talking to aren't you"? I immediately started crying and said, "Yes. I think so". She told me something that is very strange. She said, "I have the crown of Barnabas." At the time I had no clue who Barnabas was. Then she had somebody read off Isiah 41:10 to me and ever since then I've read about who Barnabas is. I could be like--

Pastor Doug: Susan let me try and dive in here, because we got to pull this into a question. First of all, the word crown in the Bible is Stephanos, and I don't know that there's anywhere in the Bible that talks about the crown of Barnabas. The name Barnabas means son of consolation. Whenever we see Bar in the Bible, it means son of. I don't know what this sister may have been sharing with you. Who knows what the Lord put on her heart at that moment when she shared that with you.

She might mean when she said Barnabas was always a very consoling person, he took Paul under his wing, he was very kind person in the Bible to others. I don't know if she was saying you've got this aura of Barnabas character about you. When the place where the Bible where it says, "Lord what will You have me do?" There's a couple of places where individuals said that to the Lord, I'm trying to think where David said it though. It's important that all of us humble ourselves before the Lord and say, "Lord what do You want me to do? I'm yours." I don't know if that's helping answer your question Susan that you had?

Susan: I was wondering just like the crown thing do the saints have crowns? I don't understand all that.

Pastor Doug: All right there is a place in the Bible where it talks about the redeemed do have crowns in Revelation. In the Bible Paul says, "Don't let anyone take your crown and we're all going to be rewarded in the Kingdom". That could be what they were talking about.

Pastor Jean:: Yes the version you're referring to is the Revelation Chapter Three Verse 11, "Behold I'm coming quickly, hold fast what you have that no one take your crown". It's a crown of life, a crown of victory.

Pastor Doug: We appreciate your call Susan we're going to try and squeeze in one more before I have time break.

Pastor Jean:: We have, Jim, listening from Las Vegas. Jim, welcome to the program.

Jim: Hi. Good evening. How are you guys doing?

Pastor Doug: Doing well. How can we help tonight?

Jim: I have a question. My in Christ and I were speaking and he brought up a hypothetical situation. He said, "What if a person had robbed a bank or even committed murder and did not tell anyone, then all of a sudden he accepts Christ as his personal savior. He becomes a Christian and he said, "Do you think that person still goes to Heaven"? I said, "Well, there is no condemnation for those who believe in Christ." That's what the Bible tells us and I'm not sure. I said, "That's a good question" and that's why I decided to call in and ask that question.

Pastor Doug: All right we appreciate that. First of all there is no question that there are people that were robbers and even murderers that repented of their sin. David committed murder, Moses committed murder, Paul committed murder, he was an accessory anyway. They were all forgiven so the question might be more precisely can they be forgiven without confessing? Of course, you've got to confess your sin to God and I would say that if a person comes to the Lord; if you're a thief and you've stolen something, and you say, "Well, thank you Jesus," and you've still got your neighbor's chainsaw in your garage. You got to take it back.

You can't just repent and say, Lord I'm sorry and not go tell your neighbor and take back the chainsaw. Some things you cannot reverse, you killed somebody you can't bring them back. You might need to come clean with what your crime is and sometimes there's consequences for those things but hope that helps a little bit, Jim. That's a quick answer but God--there's going to be murders in Heaven and there's going to be thieves in Heaven and there's going to be adulterers and adulteresses in Heaven, all kinds of things that God forgives. Anyway hey we appreciate your call, we do have some lines open friends, call for the next half 800-463-7297 for your Bible questions. We're going to catch our breath and we'll be back in just a moment.

Voice Over: Stay tuned Bible Answers live will return in a moment.

Voice Over : Amazing facts began in 1965 with a God inspired concept.

Joe Cruz: Hello this is Joe Cruz, on the Amazing Facts broadcast. Facts which affect you.

Voice Over: His radio broadcast would begin with an amazing facts from science, nature or history, followed by a Bible message that touched the hearts of listeners from every walk of life. The program was an instant success and the Ministry soon began expanding to include Bible lessons. In 1986, Amazing Facts added the medium of television to its growing outreach efforts, offering soul winning evangelistic messages for viewers around the world. In 1994 Pastor Doug Batchelor assumed leadership of the Ministry adding the Bible Answers live call-in radio program.

New Ministry TV programs began airing on multiple networks around the world. For 50 years the driving vision of Amazing Facts has been the bold proclamation of the everlasting Gospel. With the team of evangelists circling the globe and thousands of men and women being trained through the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism Program AFCO. The Ministry is helping God's church see a rich harvest of souls. Amazing Facts, God's message our mission.

Voice Over: Every Bible question you have answered moves you one step closer to the fullness of God's will for your life. What are you waiting for? Get the answers you need for a fuller, richer, more confident life. You're listening to a bible answers live. We still have a few phone lines open. If you have a bible related question call us at 1-800-GOD-SAYS, that's 1-800-463-7297. Now let's join Pastor Doug Batchelor and John Ross for more bible answers live.

Pastor Doug: Welcome back, and those who join this long way, this is Bible Answers Live and we have some lines open. If you have a bible question good chance your question will be part of tonight's broadcast. That number once again 800-463-7297. That's 800-GOD-SAYS with your questions, and my name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jean: My name is Jean Ross, and we're going to go to our next caller. We've got Kimberly listening from Virginia. Kimberly, welcome to the program.

Kimberly: Hi. Good evening. How are you doing?

Pastor Doug: Doing well. Thank you for call.

Kimberly: Good question. I wanted to know, there's a scripture and I can't remember exactly where it is, but I think, I know Paul. It's either Ephesians, or maybe Romans I'm not sure, where it says your loved ones that ahead before you, or cheering you on, or rooting you on. My question is, what does the decease-- are they able to see or what do they see, or they even able to see what's going on on the earth?

Pastor Doug: All right. Well, first of all, I think there's a couple of verses you could be referring to. One, maybe Hebrews 11, where it says-- or 12, "Where we're surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses."

Pastor Jean: Yes.

Kimberly: Yes. That's it.

Pastor Jean: That's 12:1. Let me read the verse. Just read the context. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by such a great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Pastor Doug: Paul makes that statement at the end of chapter 11 of course, where he highlights chapter 11 as call, the hall of faith that highlights all the great men and women of faith in Bible history. He's just saying that, we have the testimony of all these great witnesses that surround us. It doesn't mean -- the way we think about it, it doesn't mean Moses and Abraham and all those are looking down on everybody on earth. Most people, I mean, you have Elijah went to heaven, in a firey chariot. Moses was resurrected, tells us that in Jude.

We have Enoch that walk with God and God took him, but for most people that died says, "The living know will die." This isEcclesiastes9, but the dead know not anything." So the dead are sleeping a peaceful dream will sleep until the Resurrection. Now, if you are a believer and you die. It doesn't seem like any time has gone by, because for you, your next conscious thought was the Resurrection, and for you to absent from the body. Next thing you know is the presence of the Lord.

It will seem like -- the bible calls it, moment of twinkling of eye, but Jesus is really clear the Resurrection is the end of time. He says that three times in John 6, "The last day I will raise above, the last day. The great judgment day is in the future." And so the Judgement and the Resurrection haven't happened yet for us living on earth and so the dead are not up on heaven spying on us. Which is probably a comforting thing. Because just think about it for minute, if you had a great Christian mother and she died, and she's up in heaven. She's looking all the troubles and tribulation you go through- [crosstalk]

Kimberly: Why?

Pastor Doug: - They may not be very happy in heaven seeing all that.

Kimberly: Got it.

Pastor Doug: So they're resting and they will be -- that's why they say R.I.P on the graves, "Rest In Peace." They resting in for the Resurrection, and so- [crosstalk]

Kimberly: Which book is that?

Pastor Doug: -that verse on Hebrews 12 is just saying, "We got these biblical record of witnesses that should encourage us. It doesn't mean we're being spied on.

Kimberly: Beautifully said, I think it's perfect sense and that's what I thought, but I wasn't sure and I'm just wanted to get clarity on that. You said Ecclesiastes 9, piece where the dead doesn't know the living at this point? [crosstalk]

Pastor Doug: Living they will die, dead know not anything, Ecclesiastes 9.

Pastor Jean: Well, you know, we got a study guide.

Pastor Doug: Yes. Matter of fact- [crosstalk]

Pastor Jean: That actually got that verse and a lot of other verses, Ecclesiastes 9:5 and others. It's called, Are the dead really dead? We'll be happy to send this to you, Kimberly or anybody wanting to learn more about the subject. All you'll have to do is just give, us a call on our research phone line which is 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the study guide called, Are the dead really dead?

We'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks. You may also go to a website that amazing facts has called, Deathtruth.com. Just Deathtruth.com. You can read the scriptures there related to the subject. You can even watch videos, dealing with the subject on what happens when a person dies.

Pastor Doug: You know Pastor Ross, just before we go to the next caller.

Pastor Jean: Sure.

Pastor Doug: You reminded me of something. I just totally forgot about, as of these broadcast this weekend, a movie opened on the theater. I don't ever encourage people to go to the theaters and that's starting now, but I just wanted to tell people that there's a new film out called, Hacksaw Ridge by Mel Gibson. That is about a -- it's actually about a Seventh Day Adventist war hero named, Desmond Doss. It's a true story and I knew the man, and he's wife would come to our church. Her family was in our church, up in Northern California, and it's an incredible story.

We have the book, Amazing Facts and Remnant Publications has been allowed provision to a print the authorized biography of this guy man's life. It is so inspiring how just-- He stood for his truthful convictions. He wouldn't carry a gun in the battle and yet he got the Congressional medal of honor for Heroism. If you want to know more about how you can get a copy of that book to read it or to show with your friends.

This is the great time to share the Gospel. In the back of the book, it talks about the faith of Desmond Doss, I wrote a little section in there. Then go to amazing facts website. You'll see the Ad there for the Hero of Hacksaw Ridge. It's called the, Hero of Hacksaw Ridge, we actually got permission from the movie theater to put out this book, and I think one million of them had been printed in preparation for this. So get them and send them out.

Pastor Jean: Again just go to the amazing fact website. Just Amazingfacts.org and if you don't see the battle ad at the top just type in the search bar, Hacksaw Ridge. It will take you straight to the resource, click on that. I think we have a limited number pastor, that we actually giving away for people actually go to the website--

Pastor Doug: We are given away some for free.

Pastor Jean: I don't know how long it's going to last, so if anybody would like to get one and get it for free. You probably need to go to website long away.

Pastor Doug: [chuckles] All right.

Pastor Jean: Our next caller is a Pedro listening from San Antonio, Texas. Pedro, welcome to the program.

Pedro: Hello.

Pastor Doug: Hi. You're there.

Pedro: Yes. My question is from Revelation 4:4. It talks about 24 elders. Who are these 24 elders and where did they come from?

Pastor Doug: I got a non written agreement with Pastor Ross that I get 65 books in the bible and he gets one.

Pastor Jean: [chuckles]

Pastor Doug: I let him do the Revelation questions. [laughs]

Pastor Jean: Well, it just happens that Revelation happens to be one of my favorite books and I do have an opportunity to a teach our Evangelism group, the book. The 24 elders that you read about in Revelations chapter-- and pastor I do jumping and I'll just share what my understanding is. There's two principle interpretation as to who they are. The one being, that they are the representatives of the unfallen worlds. It's the same group that you read about in the book of Job, where it talks about the sons of God meeting.

And Satan came representing the earth and God said, "Where did you come from?" He says, "Walking up and down on the earth," and that's the one ideas to who they are. I think that is the accurate on. There's another that suggest that at the time of Christ resurrection, when the graves open and many of those who slept in the grave arose, that they went with Jesus to heaven when He ascended.

The verse that it says, "He laid captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men," he reference to those as first fruits that rose from the dead with Christ and ascended to heaven, that they could be the 24 elders. I think if you line up all of the scriptures, it seems to make more sense that these 24 elders would be the representative of the unfallen world. We also read in the old testament about how it says the Lord reigns before his elders gloriously, so we have reference that is also from old testament.

Pastor Doug: Does that help a little, Pedro?

Pedro: That helps. That helps very much.

Pastor Doug: All right. Thank you very much

Pedro: Thank you. God bless you. Bye, bye.

Pastor Doug: God bless you. I was just thinking, we have that book that does talks about that who are the sons of God.

Pastor Jean: That's right. [crosstalk]

Pastor Doug: Pedro, we got the book, we can send you. I don't know if you still listening. Call the resource number and ask for the book, Who are the sons of God?

Pastor Jean: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the sharing book called, Who are the sons of God? That number again is 800-835-6747. If you have a bible question, the phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. 800-463-7297. Quinneeta, is our next caller listening from Alabama. Quinneeta welcome to the program.

Cornelia: Hello, how are you doing?

Pastor Doug: Good, well. I'm just curious did we say your name right?

Cornetta: Miss Cornetta.

Pastor Jean: Cornetta, all right.

Pastor Doug: Okay. I wasn't sure either. Thank you, so much for your call. Your questions tonight?

Cornetta: Okay. My first question is, where can I find in scripture about how to raise your children in the Lord?

Pastor Doug: Okay. Well, this is actually quite a few. One of the most important is-- Well, the Bible tells us, Abraham commanded his household after him. Then you go to Deuteronomy, and after Moses reads the Ten Commandments for the second time, he says in Deuteronomy 6, "And these words that I command you this day will be in your heart." He goes onto say, "You shall teach them diligently to your children, when you lay down and when you rise up. When you walk by the way, they're to be on the doorpost of your house."

And so, one thing is, have morning and evening worship, set down the principles of what it means to be a christian for your children. And it says when you walk by the way, your children need to see their parents walking the walk. One thing if you say we are going to have morning worship and evening worship and you're going to the read the verse here and read the verse there, and even memorize the Bible, but if you're not living it. They need to see when you're walking by the way, they need to see at the door post of your house; meaning it's observe in home. And Paul talks about training your children in the admonition of the Lord. There's quite a few verses that talk about the importance of training children. You got a gaggle of kids. Any tips guys for us?

Pastor Jean: [laughs] Well, I think absolutely what you're saying Pastor Doug, it's not only what you say, but it's who you are and what you do. And you've probably heard it said, "That most of our kids learn from their parents, they learn by observation, not necessary by instruction." So the way we respond to each other is going to be an object lesson for the kids.

Yes, share with them the scripture, make sure you make that a priority; morning worship, evening worship and then of course, live your christian belief. Pray for the kids that they will also found the Lord.

Pastor Doug: I heard one person say that, "Christianity with children is more caught than taught." They catch it by watching. [crosstalk]

Pastor Jean: That's right.

Pastor Doug: Thank you, Cornetta. I appreciate your question. I'm trying to think, well, we got books on that. We got a very old series that we did, we did a series on Christian Parenting.

Pastor Jean: Yes. Raising Kids for Heaven. That's I don't think that we can give that away for free but you can got to the Amazing Facts Website. [crosstalk]

Pastor Doug: This may not be on YouTube yet, huh? And so many of our things people buy them and put them on YouTube.

Pastor Jean: Yes, I haven't seen it there. But just go tO the amazing facts websites, Amazingfact.org. Our next call is, Arlene listening from Brooklyn, New York. Arlene welcome to the program.

Arlene: Hi. good evening.

Pastor Doug: Good evening.

Arlene: I must say I enjoy the program week after week. My question is more of a moral christian rather than directly Bible. It's based on Biblical living, Christian living. I've been going to various places from time to time to do shopping, whether bakery, whether hardware store, whatever. But what I have been finding, if I go to place and I bought something and then the next thing I know when I get whether to car or at home, I found that I got more than what I bought.

I'm perplexed, then it's happening. I stop going to one place, I go some place else the same thing happened. I don't know the people, but I'm getting more than what I've paid for. Yesterday it happened again. I went to the hardware store and the young lady couldn't find the price of the thing and whatever I mean she said, "You know what? Just take it. Forget it."

I'm wondering yesterday started to concern me, "Well, is this a blessing? Is this God? Just because I'm going through season. Is this God encouraging me? Is this God showing me favor, or should I return this thing when I discover. if I buy one bread, I get an extra bread or something like that. Then it's not like something's not an oversight, it's purposefully done and it's happening from place to place. What do you think as a Christian, what should I-- What do you think-- what could you advice?

Pastor Doug: Yes. Well, it's a good question. I think that the first thing is, if you're at the checkout stand and they knowingly say, "We're going to give you a better price, or we are going to just let you have this," I'd count that as a blessing, it's perfectly legal. They're just wanting to bless you and I'd say, "Thank you," and be grateful. If you walk out of the store and you bought one hammer and the recipe says one hammer, you got two hammers in your bag, you might want to go back to store and say, "I don't know how I ended up with two hammers in my bag."

Now, the reason I say that is you remembered when Joseph's brothers, when they left Joseph put their money back in their bags, they were honest, they were back to the steward and said, "You know, we brought back money because we ended up with extra money and grain in our bags." The steward said, "The Lord's bless you, keep it. The Lord put money in your bag." And so as long as they were upfront with it, it was a blessing from God. But they didn't feel comfortable taking something where it could have been taking advantage of somebody.

So once or twice I've walked out of the store and I saw they give me too much change, or you're looking your bag and say, "Oh, I thought I only paid for one of these and they put two in the bag." Your conscience says you need to go back and make it right and sometimes it's a great witness, when people know you've gone out of the store with extra money and your conscience goes back and you say, "Look. I am christian and I just realized you gave me too much change and I can't take this." It makes a statement, it's an opportunity to witness. That's a great question, if they give it to you at the checkout stand and they were aware, then it's a blessing. But if you get home and you think it was a mistake, then you want to write that. Appreciate your question Arlene, thank you very much for calling.

Pastor Jean: The next call is George, listening from Montana. George, welcome to the program.

George: Hi. Good evening.

Pastor Doug: Good evening.

George: My question has to do with the commandments. "Thou shalt not kill." Along that line, people think that I've talked to, who are Christians think that that is basically you're not supposed to kill anything. Are we supposed to kill in the name of the Lord?

Pastor Doug: Well, the killing-- the commandment technically does not say, "Thou shalt not kill." I know if you read it in the Bible you're going to find the King James Translation says that. But if you look for instance in Luke 18, where Jesus says, "You know the commandments. Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. The word murder is really what you find in the Hebrew, where it says, "Thou shalt not kill. It's talking about the wrongful taking of human life.

George: Right.

Pastor Doug: When you kill, you swat a mosquito, you're killing technically. If you're going down the road and you hit a bunny, you killed it I mean you're not going to be called a murderer. And even if a person dies accidentally, in the Bible, you're forgiven if there was an accident or murder. You get flee to the city of refuge and be forgiven. And then in our culture, they called it manslaughter. There is variety of different statues on how they deal with that. It's premeditated taking of innocent life.

If someone dies in self-defense of your family, if you got an intruder in your home and you killed in the process, you'll never prosecuted as a murderer. When God sent his army out to fight in defense of the country, obviously God is commanding them to kill. But they are not murdering, we never called soldiers murderers when they are defending the national interest. The word technically is murder, otherwise every time you pulled a weed in your garden, you're breaking a commandment, which means that I murder several weeds today.

George: [laughs] Right. I understand that.

Pastor Doug: Yes. And so look at the new testament where Jesus says, you'll see that in Luke, Mark, Matthew, Jesus uses the word murder when he recites that commandment. Because it is technically is a different word.

George: Okay. Luke, Mark and Matthew?

Pastor Doug: Yes. Luke for instance- [crosstalk]

George: Because I knew I read it in the Gospel, I thought it was John but--

Pastor Doug: Mark 10:19 Jesus said, "Do not murder," Luke 18:20, he says "Do not murder," and then other several references here. Matthew 19:18 is it there. Thank you very much, we appreciate your question George and we do have a book on the law version your free copy and it's called Written in Stone, free study guide.

Pastor Jean: The number to call is 800-835-6747, you can answer this study guide called Written in Stone and we will be happy to send this to you George, or anybody who calls and asked. Our next caller is Henry listening from Bronx, New York. Henry, welcome to the program.

Henry: Yes. How are you? Thank you for taking my call.

Pastor Doug: Yes.

Henry: I have a cold. I don't want-- My question is, when God made all the animals in the garden of Eden, they put dinosaur there?

Pastor Doug: Yes. No one will say the word dinosaurs, we're always thinking of the very large reptiles, the fossils of--

Henry: Those of reptiles.

Pastor Doug: Yes. But I think that there were all kinds of animals that were in the garden and in the world before the flood that have been rendered extinct since then. Even in the last 300 years, there are thousands of species of animals that have gone extinct. And so there were a lot of very large not only reptiles, but we have fossils of very large mammals that lived in antiquity.

The Bible talks about Nimrod, the mighty hunter. He wasn't called the mighty hunter because he was shooting rabbits. I've been talking about rabbits a lot tonight, poor things. You can call the mighty hunter, when you're bringing down mighty beasts, and it could have been that he was fighting with some of these lizards. Bible and history all over the world talks about dragons. And so I think there were very large reptiles that lived contemporaneously with men.

God told Noah, take two everything on the flood, on the ark. He didn't need to take great, big dinosaurs. He could have taken baby ones or eggs, even. He was ordered to preserve life of all creatures but following the flood, wickedness increased again and a lot of animals, I think, were exterminated. Some maybe didn't survive.

Those fossils that we see of these great reptiles that may have lived hundreds of years. You know, crocodiles can live over a hundred years now, they get pretty big. Yes. I believe that there were great dinosaurs and there were also enormous mammals. I saw a fossil of a 13-foot tall beaver. [laughs] They had all kinds of enormous animals that we've heard about, the Megalodon, these sharks that could swallow a Volkswagen. Anyway, so that's a long answer, Henry. [crosstalk]

Henry: They tell you it was over a million years ago since the dinosaurs were here.

Pastor Doug: Well, I respectfully disagree with the dates that are given by a lot of paleontologists. I think that those dates are-- they're using bad science to come to those dates. They just discovered a Tyrannosaurus Rex, I guess it's been about six years ago. They saw through a thigh bone and they found soft tissue.

It just set the paleontologist on their head, because they said there's no way soft tissue and blood cells could survive in the marrow of a bone for 60 million years. I think they're beginning to reconsider their dating methods may be very flawed. Hey, thank you. I appreciate your call, Henry. Now I wonder, we got a magazine at Amazing Facts about dinosaurs.

Henry: We do. Yes.

Pastor Doug: Yes. We call it a comic book because it's illustrated but it's really actually very informative.

Pastor Jean: Probably you have to go to the Amazing Facts website for that.

Pastor Doug: Order that one, yes. [crosstalk]

Pastor Jean: Just Amazingfacts.org, and you can, I think it's in our resource area, and you can type in there dinosaurs. We'll have some resources including that book. Our next caller is Carol, listening from San Francisco. Hi, Carol. Welcome to the program.

Carol: Hi, thank you. I'm struggling in believing in God. My brother says that I feel like I'm more moral than God, because I told him I'm struggling with a God that would torture sinners who didn't make it, forever and ever and ever. I don't know what the purpose of that would be.

Pastor Doug: Carol, I'm so glad you called. I've got good news for you

Carol: [laughs] I hope so.

Pastor Doug: The Bible does not teach that. One of the things that kept me away from God-- I was an atheist growing up, and one of the things that kept me from God is, I went to a couple of Christian schools where I was told if you're real good, you go to heaven. If you're bad, even if you die at 15 years old, you're going to get tortured in fire for billions of years times billions of years beyond eternity. I thought, "Why, our God is a sadist."

The Bible does say there is punishment for the wicked. The wicked are cast into the lake of fire and it says, "They are consumed." The Bible says, "They are devoured." You can read in Malachi Chapter Four, "The day is coming when all of the proud and all that do wickedly will be stubble. It will burn them up. It will leave them neither nor branch." Jesus said, "We have two choices, whoever believes in him will have everlasting life and they will not perish," and so it's you either perish or everlasting life.

Adam and Eve were told, "You eat from the forbidden tree and you'll die." In Ezekiel, it says, "You either live or die." The wicked are punished. They are cast in a lake of fire. People have misunderstood a few verses but there's a whole lot more verses in the Bible that make it clear that the wicked do not burn forever, that everyone is punished according to what they deserve. Now follow me, Carol. The Bible says, "The penalty for sin is death." Jesus died on the cross to take our penalty. If the penalty for sin is burning forever in hell then he didn't take our penalty because he just was in the grave for three days. Are you with me?

Carol: I am, I am. I'm glad to hear this.

Pastor Doug: Teaching that came out of the medieval Church began to mingle Greek mythology with Christianity to scare people into the church, but this is not what the Bible taught. It's not what the apostles believed. I know there's some dear Christians out there that believe that. I was so relieved to read for myself what the Bible really said. We will send you a study guide that has all the Biblical references on this, or anyone that wants to better understand the love of God regarding the punishment of the wicked.

Pastor Jean: The study guide is called Is the Devil In Charge of Hell?. We'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks. Again, it's called Is the Devil In Charge of Hell? The number is 800-835-6747 and ask for that study guide. Also, Carol, you can go to our website called helltruth.com and you can study the subject further. The website is just simply helltruth.com, or call our resource phone number and ask for the study guide called Is the Devil In Charge of Hell?

Carol: I wrote that all down. Thank you so much.

Pastor Doug: Thank you, Carol. You're going to find God is a god you can love. That's what really changed everything for me. Listening friends, I don't think we've got time to do another question, just as I see a few calls standing by. If we did not get your question tonight, we apologize. We hope you'll give us another chance. I want to reiterate an announcement we made a little earlier. There is a phenomenal story that is hitting the theaters about an incredible man by the name of, Desmond Doss. The name of the movie is Hacksaw Ridge.

I understand it's a very violent movie. I've not been to see it. We don't encourage people to go to theaters and as a practice. I don't go to the movie theater because most of it, probably not good for your soul. The story is a true story and if you'd like to read the biography of this man, Desmond and Florence Doss were actually supporters of Amazing Facts. I love to throw that in. He was a credible, a World War Two hero.

If you go to the Amazing Facts website, you look at our banners that rotate through there, you'll see one about the Hero of Hacksaw Ridge. You need to read that biography. For a short time, we're giving away copies of the book. You want to go there and you buy it, it doesn't cost that much either and it'll change your life. Buy a bunch and share with your friends. Friends, God bless you. Remember the reason we do this is, because Jesus is the truth and it's going to set you free. We'll talk together again next week.

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