Doug Batchelor: Welcome listening friends. Would you like to hear an amazing fact? The worlds oldest person and last known to have been born in the 1800s, died April 15th, 2017. Associated Press reported Emma Morano, 117 years old of Italy, died tranquilly Saturday afternoon while sitting in a rocking chair in her home, located in the northern town near Verbania. Born on November 29th, 1899.
Morano's life spanned three centuries. She was believed to be the last surviving person born in the 1800s. Morano was the oldest of eight children. Her siblings and one child all preceded her in death, including their sister who lived to be 102. She worked in a twine factory and at a boarding school kitchen and retired at 75 more than 40 years ago. Can you imagine that, retired at 75, 40 years ago?
When asked if she had any secrets for long life, Emma explained, she ate simple food, did not over eat and got plenty of rest. She went to bed early sleeping at least 10 hours every night. Her friends said she also had very good genetics. Doctors say the three most important thing you can do to lengthen your life is, "Eat natural food, get plenty of exercise and choose your ancestors very carefully."
Did you know the Bible says, having the right ancestors can actually lengthen your life? Stay with us friends. We're going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome listening friends to Bible Answers Live and we are live this Easter day. If you have a Bible question we invite you to give us a call. That number 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7. We like the acronym its 800-God says, because we find out what God says in His word to get our answers. One more time, maybe two more times, 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7 or I could say it this way, 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7. If you have a Bible question give us a call. We have lines wide open here on the studio. We'd like to find out what are your Bible questions. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Jean Ross: My name is Jean Ross. Good evening listening friends and Pastor Doug, once again let's begin the program with a word of prayer.
“Dear father thank you, that we have this opportunity to take a few moments here at the beginning of a new week to spend time studying your word. May I ask for your blessing to be with us Lord, guide us to their understanding of Bible truth. For we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.”
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Ross: Pastor you spoke about this individual who lived what, 117 years? Born back in 1899? You know when you're reading that fact, you reminded me several years ago now I had a church member who was born back in the 1800s, 18 somewhere in 98 I think. And she's in a nursing home I'd go visit her and she would tell me stories, how bad her father was captured by Native Americans in North Dakota and how that the cavalry had to come in to rescue him. And I just sat listening. She was really sharp and just had all this history. Amazing stories.
Pastor Doug: I know what you mean. I had a church member that could go back and tell you about when Teddy Roosevelt was president and it was pretty amazing listening. I had another member that we would talk about World War I and the battles in World War I and just some of those folks they had incredible history. Like my grandfather lived through World War I and II. And he just lived through a very interesting time of history.
With this lady, is one of the last ones where they think the last they know of, that her life actually spanned over the 1800s. She covered the 1900s and made it to 2000 and 2017. But that is quite remarkable. And her friends say, of course, her simple lifestyle, staying active and the exercise, simple diet, not over eating, plenty of rest, those are all very important. And you are born with a disposition sort of genetic factors that can give you better odds.
Many of us remember George Burns who lived to about 100 but he always had a drink in one hand and a cigar in the other and he said, "Well, it's not going to hurt me." But I think he would've lived 115 if he hadn't done those things. He just had good genes. But the Bible actually says that, “Who you're related to can make a difference in eternal life.”
First of all, when you study the genealogies in the Bible you do see certain families did live longer because many of them it gives their life spans. Like you look at the tribe of Levi and Levi lived very long time as did his descendants. Amram, and Jochebed and then Moses, Aaron and Miriam all three lived over 120 years. So they had pretty good genes. And of course, they tell you some people can get a DNA test now and it'll tell you if you get genetic markers, that you get a better chance of outliving heart disease or whatever it is.
But in the Bible when you become a Christian you are adopted into the family of God and those genes, the DNA of Jesus gives you everlasting life. That's the life I want. This body, you do your best to take care of it and that's important, but it's not going to last forever, but if you have everlasting life, that's the life that never ends, a life that is eternal, that can be measured with the life of God.
There's a verse 1 John 5:12 "He that has the Son, has life, he that doesn't have the Son does not have life." Friends do you have the Son of God or have you been adopted? Have you accepted Jesus? And you don't need to be afraid of death because you'll be in that resurrection of the righteous. Or if you're alive when Christ comes you'll be transformed and given a glorified body. Maybe you'd like to know how to get your genes repaired and then all you got to do is call and we'll send you a free book on the steps to heaven.
Pastor Ross: The book is called Three Steps to Heaven and it's a free offer this evening. If you'd like to receive it, just give us a call on our resource phone number and that number is 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7. Again, you can ask for the book called Three Steps to Heaven. That number is 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7 and if you have a Bible question the phone line here to the studio with your Bible question tonight is 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7. That's 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7.
Well, I think we're ready for our first call this evening and we have Shantelle listening in Salem, Oregon. Shantelle, welcome to the program.
Shantelle: Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening Shantelle, how are you doing?
Shantelle: Pretty good, pretty good. How are you?
Pastor Doug: Great.
Shantelle: I have seen all your presentations on how the Sabbath was changed to Sunday, and I'm familiar with all the points that you explain and what people may say in return as you mentioned a certain point. If I speak to somebody for the first time about the difference and I expect the first question would be, "Why do I go to church on Saturday instead of Sunday?" My question is which of your points would you begin with?
Pastor Doug: First of all, I'll try and get them to agree that it doesn't make a difference which day we keep as holy. And God of course in the Ten Commandments is extremely definitive. He says, "The seventh day, remember the seventh-" He didn't say remember 'a seventh day'.
Shantelle: Right.
Pastor Doug: And so when we make that clear to them that they're to remember a particular day and then he tells them what that day was and then there are even people who are punished for not observing that day. It's obviously important to God. And so if we show that hasn't changed, there's nothing in history that shows it has changed, then you have to ask yourself the question, Does God still want people to keep the Ten Commandments, including that one commandment? Actually commandment number four, but that one commandment that says, "Remember the Sabbath day." I'd start there and just get agreement on that.
Shantelle: Okay. All right and then I was also going to go back to being a memorial of creation and that. All right.
Pastor Doug: Yes, that's true in Ezekiel it says, "It's not only a memorial of creation, but it it's a memorial of sanctification." God made the day holy. It also tells us He can make us holy. So we all still believe that God is our creator, we believe that God is our sanctifier and every Sabbath we're remembering that He can recreate us and He sanctify us.
Shantelle: Okay the point about Constantine changing it would that be an early point you bring up or further out.
Pastor Doug: If they're wanting to know the history of why does so many Christians observe the first day as opposed to the day that that Jesus kept then you can say well it didn't happen overnight you explained over a period of 300 years and it gradually changed. Several factors happened together Shantelle. One was the Jews became very unpopular in Rome when they rebelled about 70AD, 60AD and their religion was forbidden.
Well, there were so many similarities between the Christians and the Jews they used the same book the Bible and they had a lot of the same laws of course. Christianity is rooted in the Bible in Judaism, that Christians wanted to distance themselves from the Jews and so for a while they began to keep two days gradually they gave up the seventh day in preference for the more popular Roman day, but it’s easy to demonstrate that history.
Shantelle: I'll definitely be sure to tell them about Sabbathtruth.com right?
Pastor Doug: Yes, Sabbath truth is a great website has some good history good resources.
Shantelle: Other than that during the conversation do I just let them lead with their questions just whatever point they make just go in that direction and let them.
Pastor Doug: Yes. Pray and see how the Holy Spirit might guide, you try to basically scratch where person's itching and if they're interested in the history you share the history, if there under what there was spiritual reasons are, you share those and pray the Holy Spirit guides.
Shantelle: Yes that's really a huge part of it, historical change it went off in a different direction that huge part of it.
Pastor Doug: You can always ask a person if a person is a good Bible Christian you say all right show me the commandment to keep the first day holy, now I know what I'm saying is almost anathema today because it's Easter and many are very excited. We believe in this, we believe that Jesus rose Sunday we have no problem with that of course but nowhere in any of the events around that we can did Christ say now this is the new Sabbath.
Shantelle: Yes Right, it's very important and it's going to take an extremely important event as everything all three birth, death and resurrection really all three brought together but it doesn't make it a substitute for the fourth Commandment.
Doug: Exactly absolutely, hey thank you very much, we appreciate your question and for a listeners that opens up a line we still have lines open if you have Bible question we're going to be here another 50 minutes answering questions. The number 800 God says 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7.
Ross: Our next caller is Malik [sic] listening from Orlando Florida. Malik. welcome to the program.
Malik: My question today is if the Messiah was the only be gotten son of God. When you go through his messiah lineage you might think that God is either Mary or Joseph lineage in the Bible.
Pastor Doug: Well I would respectfully disagree I think that Jesus is if you look in the book of Luke where it talks about the genealogy of Jesus in Luke chapter three it said, Seth who is the son of Adam who is the Son of God. You even find the phrase Adam being a Son of God in the genealogy of Jesus so is that what you're talking about?
Malik: I'm not sure which chapter.
Pastor Doug: Luke chapter three.
Malik: I guess when it goes through Seth, Mary and Joseph lineage.
Doug: You will you find the lineage of Mary, I’m sorry the lineage of Joseph is in Matthew is that right Pastor Ross. The lineage of Joseph’s father in law which would be Mary's father is in Luke. Luke traces it through Mary side. Joseph traces it through Matthews I’m sorry Matthew traces through Joseph side so you get both in the Bible.
Malik: That’s two separate chapters correct?
Doug: Yes Matthew Chapter one first chapter in the New Testament is a genealogy the traces from Joseph back to I think it was King David.
Pastor Ross: Goes all the way up to Abraham.
Pastor Doug: Abraham, okay that’s right.
Malik: There is a specific chapter which I should have loaded before I called, there is a specific chapter which is the lineage of Mary and Joseph in the same exact chapter and God name is no way, so more likely the next time I will call I definitely have for you guys you didn't look at that particular chapter. But that chapter I read it doesn’t have God’s name in there like--
What I’m saying is when it comes on the context the something from what my understanding with aguish the context of that. That’s what I’m speaking about should be somewhere within that exact since it’s like I’m supposed to be somewhere combining us well. I think I’m just trying to find the context, that’s what I’m asking.
Pastor Doug: Do you have a problem or you take issue with the idea that Jesus is the Son of God?
Malik: Yes I don't, I still don’t believe that.
Doug: Well, if you're if you're going to go by the Bible and say you're asking us a question about the Bible when the angel appeared to her, the Angel actually says that the holy child that she would have because he's conceived by the Holy Spirit would be the Son of God. It’s in the context of-
Malik: I’m sorry, go ahead.
Pastor Doug: No, I was just going to say it is in the context of the story of the biblical account of Mary's pregnancy that Jesus would be called the Son of God, because she was in inseminated by the Holy Spirit according to the Bible for lack of a better term.
Malik: I got you, but I know when Jeremiah 31:9, it says, “Israel and Ephraim is my first born. That's another verse in the bible saying, its God’s first born.
Doug: I'm glad you asked that, the answer I'd have for that is you go back all the way to Exorcise, you're on to something interesting there. Is that when the Lord brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, God called Israel the whole nation his first born as a nation not any one person. So when God talks about Israel and or Judah and Ephraim, He's talking about the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel they are his firstborn, because God chose a nation when He chose Israel. He said this is like my firstborn nation not saying Jesus can't be the first born because He uses the metaphor of the nation being a firstborn.
That's why God slew all of the firstborn in Egypt. He said, “If you're not going to let my firstborn go, I will punish your firstborn.” And that Angel of Death went through during the Passover and all the firstborn of Egypt died. In the houses that did not have the blood over the door. Malik, appreciate your question hope that helps a little bit and when we might have to have a longer conversation, because it sounds like you're certain but we're going to take another call. So, Pastor Ross who do we have lined up?
Pastor Ross: We got Carolyn listening in from Minnesota Carolyn welcome to the program.
Carolyn: Hi, welcome to my favorite Pastors. My question is tonight how often did they do the sin offerings?
Doug: Well, the temple they had a daily sin offering that was to for the nation, the priest would offer they had the morning and the evening sacrifice. Then they had special offerings during the feasts. Among the seven Jewish feasts there were three of the seven and Pastor Ross jump in if I get this wrong but I'm just going from memory. Three of the seven feast the men would go up to Jerusalem there was an assembly they could bring their families but the men were required to come Jesus went to his first Passover when He was twelve and they would have special offerings there.
But throughout the course of the year any family leader could go and make a sacrifice for his family. They didn't do it on a daily basis I mean you think every time we sin or do something wrong we kill the lambs all day long. That's not what they did back then. But when there was something particular otherwise those offerings were covered during the annual feasts. Men could not afford to be going to the temple once a week to offer a sacrifice.
Carolyn: How did they determine when they were going there to have a sacrifice?
Doug: Well it was usually predetermined by the three annual feasts. And they would sacrifice them for the sins of the past. Of course the big one was young keeper the day of atonement where they would-- all the nation's sins that are accumulated through the past year, we're covered during that ceremony.
Pastor Ross: And also the sin offering that was off in the sanctuary in the morning and the evening that was a regular daily thing. That represented the nation of Israel as a whole, so in addition to that you could bring and offering, but that was the purpose of the sin offering, was for the nation of Israel.
Carolyn: And who took care of those sheep that the priests use for sin offering every day. Where do they come from?
Pastor Doug: Well, it was an agricultural society and many people back there had their own sheep and goats, and they would bring them up to Jerusalem. Anyway, I hope that helps a little bit Karolin, we do have a lesson that talks about the temple and the sanctuary services, we'll be happy to send you a free copy.
Pastor Ross: Are you thinking about the one "God Drew the Plans", talking about the sanctuary.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Pastor Ross: Then I’m going to call these 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7 that is the resource phone number, and if you would like to learn more about the sanctuary and the sanctuary services, any significance to the heavenly administer of Jesus, we'll be happy to send you this study guide called "God Drew The Plans". Again that number is 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7. If you have a Bible question our phone line here to the studio is 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7. Our next called is-- let's see, we have Ronald listening in Minnesota. Ronald welcome to the program.
Ronald: Yes, it is Ronald in Michigan.
Pastor Ross: Michigan, alright.
Ronald: It is Revelation 3:9, and it is the second line down which says "They are Jews, and are not, but do lie" who are those folks?
Pastor Doug: Well I think he is talking about people from the "Synagogue of Satan" as he calls it, Pastor Ross.
Ronald: Who are the-- where is the "Synagogue of Satan", who are they?
Pastor Doug: Well, that is talking about people who claim to be believers, but were really serving the devil. It's not that there was a church with a sign on the street somewhere. Jon is speaking there of an age in the church that they went through, where there is a lot of false Christians. They claim to be Christians but Jesus, they're really of the church of Satan.
Ronald: They say they are Jews. They don't say Christians, it says Jews.
Pastor Ross: Well you know, in the book of Revelation, just jumping you real quick. It is interesting, Revelation is a symbolic book, and you know-- talked about horses galloping in the sky in the light, but. In the book of Revelation you don't find Christian mentioned. There are two groups, there are Jews and there’re Gentile, but if you look at the description that makes up the Jew or what the Jew represents, it represents God's people. As it talks about coming from every nation, that God blessed every nation kingdom on people.
So, in the book of Revelation, being a symbolic book, you have the Gentile and you have the Jew. Now during this time period, as referred to in Revelation Chapter 3, it's talking about a time period in the Christian era. Symbolically the Christians are referred to as the Jews. And then you have those who are of the "Synagogue of Satan", those are those who claim to be Christians but were actually turning others over to persecuting powers of the day.
I know it is a little confusing when you deal with Revelation but, the book is filled with symbols. And you got to compare scripture with scripture as you begin to unfold these truths.
Pastor Doug: Yea, a 144,000 are all called "Jews", but we know that it is not only Jews that are saved, and then the Bible tells us that he that is Christ, he is Abraham's Seed. Paul said he is not a Jew which is one outwardly. So you could be a Jew and believe in Jesus and you're a real fulfilled Jew. If you say you are Jewish but you deny God, well being Jewish just becomes eraser a nation then, it's not-- no one to save by they're genetics that way. Thank you very much, Ronald we do have a book, we'll send you a free copy and it's called "Spiritual Israel".
Pastor Ross: I think you will enjoy reading that book, the number to call is 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7, you can ask for the book called "Spiritual Israel". Again that's 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7. And if you have a Bible question, our phone line here to the studio is 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7. We have Jeff who is listening from Minnesota. Jeff welcome to the program.
Jeff: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hey Jeff you're on the air.
Jeff: Yea, I had a question and it came up with a group of men, and it is about Salvation, and I was told that Repentance was not necessary for Salvation, but I believe it is.
Pastor Doug: Go ahead, I’m sorry.
Jeff: What they brought up was like the Greek word Metanoia which means "Change of Mind", and they said that-- I think they brought up Acts 16:31, and it says "Believe in the Lord Jesus" and they we're more focused on Believe and not Repentance, and then saying that there is nothing you can do of your own power. That repenting won't save you, but you must believe. And my understanding was "You should believe, repent of your sins, ask forgiveness and then believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Doug: I was just going to say. If someone takes one verse, and they don't read into the context of the other verses, the people who wrote Acts, Luke. He wrote the book of Acts, he also wrote the "Gospel of Luke" and he is extremely clear that one of the partnered important steps of Salvation is repentance. The very first words that came out of Jesus's mouth when he started preaching was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
John the Baptist, first words were “repent.” When after the Holy Spirit is poured out in Acts Chapter 2, and the people said "What must we do?" Peter said "Repent" and "Believe" and so. The believing and accepting all comes after the repentance, the sorrow for sin. Say Jesus died for his sins, until it's a goodness of God that leads us to repentance.
When we hear the gospel about the goodness of God and sacrifice and the cross of Christ, we are sorry for our sins, we repent, we have a change of mind and it grieves us that we've hurt God. But there must be repentance in confession. The Bible is very clear that if we confess and forsake our sins we'll have mercy, the idea of just believing and not having repentance well.
James tells us the Devil's believe in tremble, it's not that kind of belief that's just believe that God exists. It's the belief where you believe the whole gospel including the part of repentance. So any pastor that is trying to remove the step of repentance from conversion that is-- I think really it's wicked because you can’t have the change of heart without repentance.
Thank you very much Jeff I hope that helps a little bit, and I have a message on repentance at the Amazing facts website and simply Amazingfacts.org. Program is not over friends, we're just going to take a break for station identification and come back to you in a few moments. We do still have some lines open if you got a Bible question, give us a call now. You will be in the queue for the second half of the program 800 God Says 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: We're back listening friends. Welcome to Bible Answers Live, second part. If you got a question give us a call. 800-GOD-SAYS 800-4-6-3-7-2-9-7. We do have a couple of lines open. If you joined us along the way this is a live international interactive bible study. We invite people to call in. We just like to hear people tell us their Bible questions. We do not claim to have all the answers, but we'll search the word together. 800-GOD-SAYS. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Ross: My name is Jean Ross and we're going to go straight to the phone lines. We've got Eddie listening in Virginia. Eddie welcome to the program.
Eddie: Hi, Pastor Doug, so my question is, was the Sabbath described in Colossians 2:16 which say that it was a shadow of things to come. Was it talking about the year of jubilee in Leviticus 25 and if so could you give me verses that differentiate the ceremonial Sabbath from the Sunday Sabbath?
Pastor Doug: All right. I'll have Pastor Ross look some of those up and just for our friends that are listening not everyone's got a Bible open let me read that to you. If you go for instance to-- I'll read Colossians 2:13, I'll start with "And you, being dead in your sins and the un- circumcision of your flesh, hath he quicken together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.
Lighting up the handwriting, notice that, handwriting the ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way they nail it to the cross. Having spoiled principalities and powers he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holiday or new moon or Sabbath days which are shadows of things to come but the bodies of Christ.
Some people read this verse and it says, let no one judge you regarding Sabbath day is that are our shadow. Well the Sabbath days, he's talking about the annual Sabbath days that were shadows of Christ coming. There's two very distinct kinds of Sabbaths in the Bible. You get the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments that goes all the way back to creation, before there was sin, before there was a man, there was a man, Adam and Eve, but before there was sin. At the very beginning and it was part of the Ten Commandments.
Years after the Ten Commandments, God gave them annual Sabbath days. There were seven Jewish feasts. The New Testament Christians that were mostly Jews, some of them were telling Gentile converts, "You need to keep the Law of Moses and the annual Sabbaths." Paul says, "Don't let anyone judge you regarding these ordinances that were written by hand."
Now, the Ten Commandments were written on a stone by God's finger. He's not talking about that. But it says that the ordinances were placed in a pocket outside the Ark as a witness against them. And that's why Paul says, "These were the ones that were against us," in Colossians. So, maybe Pastor Ross has some of those verses.
Pastor Ross: Yes. We’ve a few. We got Leviticus Chapter 23. The entire chapter is a description of these various ceremonial feasts that occurred on certain days of the calendar. In addition to the seventh day Sabbath which occurred on every seventh day of the week. These ceremonial Sabbaths were sometimes referred to as the Sabbath. For example, I'm looking at Leviticus 23:39, it says, "Also on the 15th day of the seventh month." So that could move throughout the days of the week.
When you gather the first fruit of your land you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days. On the first day there shall be a Sabbath rest and on the eighth day a Sabbath rest. This type of Sabbath rest refer to you in the feast will come on a Monday, Tuesday, Wed-- any day of the week because it was attached to the 15th day of the seventh month.
Pastor Doug: Calendar, yes.
Pastor Ross: That's in addition to the seventh day Sabbath that never changed.
Pastor Doug: Yes, so, one of these laws is written on the Ten Commandments on stone that's the seventh day Sabbath, it's part of everyone's weekly cycle, that the others were part of the ordinances. Now, you asked for another verse, Eddie. Let me give you Deuteronomy 4 and I will start with verse 13. He declared unto you His covenant which He commanded you to perform even Ten Commandments.
Okay, so, there is a Ten Commandments, everyone knows about that, spoken by God's voice, written by God's finger. And then Moses says, "And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments." That's what the ordinances are, "That you may do them in the lands." You got two separate laws here, the Ten Commandments and the Statutes and Judgments.
One written on stone, one written on paper, one spoken by God, one spoken by Moses, one put in the Ark, one put outside the Ark. God made a real clear distinction between the two. So, Colossians, Paul is talking about the ceremonial Sabbath.
Pastor Ross: We have a book called Feast Days the Sabbath. It goes in some more detail. A lot of the scripture deals with the subject. We're happy to send this to you, Eddie, or anybody who just calls and ask. The number is 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7. You can ask for the book called Feast Days the Sabbath. Again, the number is 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7. Ask for the book on Feast Days the Sabbath and we'll be happy to send it to anybody who calls and asks. Or, you can go to the amazing facts website. amazingfacts.org. You are able to read the book for free right there online.
All right, thanks for calling Eddie. Our next caller is Jeff and he is listening from New Mexico. Jeff you're on Bible Answers Live.
Jeff: Good evening Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug. Nice to talk to you again, sir. I was sleeping in my bed early this morning and I was thinking about God and I wanted to reason out to Him. That brought a verse into my mind about when it was saying, "Come let us reason together."
Pastor Doug: In Isaiah, yes.
Jeff: "And though your sins are red as crimson it can be white as snow." And then I asked myself, how can I reason to God? I can't see Him. Usually when you reason to somebody you wait for somebody to respond to you. How can we get the response from God if you reason out to Him, since you can't see Him?
Pastor Doug: Well, we do talk to God of course in prayer. We could ask God questions and ask for answers and sometimes you have to wait for the answer. You do have occasions in the Bible where people like Moses and Abraham, they actually were in conversations with God and reasoning with God. We got Abraham arguing with God when God is on His way to destroy Sodom and say, "Now, will you destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
And you have Moses reasoning with God and saying things like, "Look, take my name out of the book but what about your people, what will the Egyptians say if you wipe them out." You can actually hear a dialogue. God has no problem of our communing with Him in prayer. You may not hear an audible voice but you keep reading the word and God will speak to you and you say, "Ah, that's what He's telling me." God will speak to you through your spirit, through providence, through other people, through His word, and, not in that order, but, you can still reason with God.
Jeff: My question is-- mine is not about the Bible question, it's about personal, sir. I've been having a hard time falling asleep, since I was young. I know that if I've been having enough sleep I could have been a lot better,. I could have accomplished a lot of things. I could have been much better than I’m right now. But, it's probably about health. I can't sleep. I'm having a hard time getting sleep. But I just don't want to ask a doctor for some sleeping pills because I don't want to get addicted to it.
Pastor Doug: Well, I'll tell you what. Let me share something with you, Jeff. Now, this is a Bible program but there are actually some Bible principles and I'm not an expert, but, you know, in the Bible-- Pastor Ross and I travel a lot, especially when you're in another country and at times it's hard to go to sleep. We understand. But in the Bible there are some tips. One is, if you exercise it makes it easier to sleep.
The Bible says the sleep of the working man or laboring man is sweet. That's one thing. The other thing is, if you have a clear conscience, David says, "I lay me down and rest even though there's a war going on, because you’ll keep me and You do not slumber or sleep."
So, having peace in your heart, getting the good word, having a good diet, if you're eating good food, a lot of people in America struggle with insomnia because of caffeine, I don't know if that's part of your life. That has lingering effects. There's a lot of people that are struggling and take sleep aids because of the caffeine addiction.
Pastor Ross: We know there is nothing we can do. Sometimes when I have a hard time sleeping I have the Bible in audio and I just turn that on, actually I have it on my phone. You just listen to the Bible and as you're listening to the words and the stories you doze off.
Now, I have to set a timer on that otherwise I end up going through like three books of the bible by the time I wake up in the morning it's just keep going. So you can set a timer, but it's kind of nice to fall asleep listening to the word and I know these people that do that quite some works really-
Pastor Doug: Well Jeff, if you get one of my sermon people tell me that they can't go to sleep they listen to my sermon and it puts them to sleep all the time.
[laughter].
Jeff: Thank you sir, thank you that, God sent you.
Doug: Thank you Jeff, appreciate your call. Bye, bye.
Ross: The next caller is Chris listening from Florida. Chris welcome to the program. Chris you there?
Pastor Doug: Pembroke Park, Florida.
Chris: Thank you.
Doug: Hi.
Chris: Can you hear me?
Doug: We can now and your question tonight.
Jeff: Yes sir. It’s Hebrew 6: 4 and 5.
Doug: Yes, this is a difficult verse let me read this for people who are listening. He says, “hear for it is impossible for those who are once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come. If they fall away to renew them again to repentance seeing they crucified to themselves as son of God of fresh and put him to an open shame. So is your question what is that mean? Or does it mean it impossible for a person that was once a believer when they backslide to be converted?
Chris: My question is who do you considered those that were enlightened? Who are those people that were touch by the Holy Spirit or what?
Doug: Well, I'll give you a couple of examples in the bible. You've got Balaam who was a prophet of God. He tasted the spirit of God, he was enlightened. He even says in some of his prophesies about the relationship and the glory that he experienced with God. That's in the book of Numbers, but he turned away because of covetousness and because he would not repent. It was impossible to renew him to repentance and save him. Then you have Judas.
Chris: Can you give me again is it Number what?
Doug: Where do you find Balaam? Pastor Ross is looking to that right up now. Balaam was mentioned in several chapters like main stories in Numbers I think he mentioned briefly in Deuteronomy.
Pastor Ross: Numbers 22.
Doug: Okay, Numbers 22 you can read that then you can read about Judas of course. Who walked with Jesus, he saw the miracles. Jesus poured the spirit on the apostles and Judas would not give up his greed. So if a person has received all these blessings of God and the communication form heaven and they cling to their sin, it's impossible to renew them to repentance. They got to humble themselves and turned from their sin.
So what God, God is not saying in this verse is that when the person backslides they can't come back, because the whole story of the prodigal son is about a son who was in the father's house but he comes to his senses, he returns home and he's fully adopted back into the family. So God is not saying that once you're Christian if you backslide you can't ever comeback. There's too many other stories in the bible that say the opposite.
But if a person is filled with the Holy Spirit and then turned to their sin and they won't turned from that sin, there's nothing more can give him. If they're rejecting the best of God has what else he's going to do?
Chris: My question is what is left for those who fall away, they didn't come for repentance what is left for them?
Doug: Well if a person knows that their fallen away and they want to repent they can even ask God to soften their hearts and help them repent and God will do that. Sometimes we need to pray to God to make us willing to be made willing. I mean even Peter denied the Lord, but he repented and he was restored. So I've got a book that I'll send you a free copy Chris. It's called Beyond Mercy and it deals with what it is the unpardonable sin, cause that's what really what we talking about here. If you call the number Pastor Ross is going to give we'll send you a free copy and this is a real book called beyond mercy, but it also got a lot of encouragement thoughts in there about repentance.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747 you can ask for the book called Beyond Mercy we send it to anybody who calls and asks. Again, that number is 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7. We have Scott listening from Wisconsin. Scott, welcome to the program.
Scott: Good evening gentlemen, happy Easter to you.
Doug: Likewise.
Scott: Thank you so much. My question is out of 1 Timothy, when Paul wrote the listings of an elder and a deacon okay. They both speak of having of their of one wife. Personally, I was married and divorced before I was saved. I was married after I became saved and my wife had infidelity and I want to to work out the marriage, she decided not to. So I'm single now, but because of my marriages am I disqualified of being a deacon?
Doug: All right. I'll tell you what I believe the verse is talking about you're as far as qualifications to be a deacon or an elder, you know there's several qualification given in not as Pastor Ross where is it Titus also beside 1 Timothy? Two others, there's a couple of places for Paul goes to this criteria. When he says husband of one wife, Paul was not saying that a person had to be married to be an elder because Paul was not married.
Paul was not saying that a person could not have been remarried and been an elder because if you are remarried with biblical grounds Abraham was remarried, he would not qualify as an elder and that's kind of crazy to think that according to that standard even Abraham would not be qualified nor would David be qualified to be an elder for David had too many wives [chuckle] he broke all the rule.
They did have polygamy though it wasn't as prominent during the Roman time there was polygamy. He's basically saying you can't have more than one wife. A number of the Romans had a wife and then a concubine. She did not have the status of a full wife and the Greeks also had that. Paul was saying you can't have a concubine. You can't have multiple wives. You have to have one wife.
So he's dealing with the God's original design in Genesis one man, one woman he's not saying that if your wife dies and you remarried you can't be an elder cause technically you had two wives now. He's not saying that if you get divorced for biblical reasons you can't be an elder. He's just talking against polygamy in those verses in my opinion.
Ross: Now, the chapters you're referring to is 1 Timothy chapter 3, talks about the requirements to be an elder and then also Titus chapter 1 verse 6.
Doug: There you have it. By the way Scott I have a book I wrote that addresses some of these and it's called marriage divorce and remarriage. I think based on what you're sharing you would be blessed by reading this and we will send a free copy if you call the resource line.
Ross: The number to call is 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7 you can just ask for the book called Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage will be happy to send that to anybody who calls then asks. Our next caller is Carol and she's listening in Ohio. Carol welcome to the program.
Carol: Hello.
Host 1: Hi, how are you doing?
Carol: I'm doing good. There was a caller earlier that talked about the Holy Spirit and from what you said I have a question concerning when I was just maybe seven or eight years old I had an experience where for the first time I saw a figure a popular figure that had a lot of people assemble right near them and this was like around Easter or something. I knew that it was wrong. Even though I had never heard of this person and never knew anything about a religious figure. I didn't know anything about it that age.
Doug: Some kind of false teacher?
Carol: Yes I felt that it was wrong. I just, it was like, I had this dreaded feeling that something was terribly wrong.
Doug: How do you want to frame this in a question then?
Carol: Does God give us something when we're born, I mean he creates us and are we born with that instinct to know this things?
Doug: That's a good question.
Carol: Is it through the Holy Spirit?
Doug: That's a good question. I think there are some people that God has blessed with a gift of, we sometimes calls intuition, spiritual sensitivity. I just met people, we have different guess of the spirit and when we're concentrated to God those gifts becomes more vivid. Joseph had a gift for interpreting dreams. Joseph said the credit goes to God, but Joseph always managed to interpret every dream that was told to him.
Daniel had that gift of spiritual sensitivity of being able to interpret dreams which he did on two or three occasions. I do think there are some people that are more sensitive that way that have some of those spiritual gifts of discernment is what I think it's called. God speaks to us in different ways and it could be you've been given a gift of discernment in that category.
So that's entirely possible Carol and yes we appreciate-- we've got a book that I think you'd appreciate called Life in the Spirit. That's pretty much up the alley of your question. Life in the Spirit if you like we'll send you a free copy.
Pastor Ross: The number to call there is 800-8-3-5-6-7-4-7 you can ask for the book called Life in the Spirit and we'll be happy to send that to you Carol or anybody wanting to learn more about living in the spirit being guided by the spirit through the word. Our next caller is Isaac listening from Virginia, Isaac welcome to the program. Wait a minute I think Isaac is getting ready to take the call there, at least our screen isn't working on that. We're going to go to let's see Connie in Atlanta, Georgia. Connie welcome to the program.
Connie: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi and your question?
Connie: My question is, I just started reading the Bible I said I was going to read it I've always read about but I'm just started from the beginning. In Genesis I know when God created Adam and Eve and then they had Cain and Able and then Cain killed Abel. Then it says in Genesis that God after He let Cain know if anyone come to kill you they will be punished seven times, but this is my question. How did Cain have a wife? How did all of this begin if there was only Adam and Eve?
Pastor Doug: Good question. We get this periodically just rational people start reading through the Bible it says that God had Adam, rather Adam and Eve had Cain and then they had Able. Cain kills Able and then says Cain took his wife and where did she come from? If you read on and you get to Genesis Five, the Bible sometimes backs up and gives the answers. Then Genesis Five it says Adam and Eve lived a long time and many other sons and daughters besides Cain and Able. Back in the beginning it was not considered forbidden to marry a sister or a cousin. Abraham-.
Connie: I thought so.
Pastor Doug: -Abraham married his half-sister Sarah and Abraham had the same father. Jacob married his first cousin. So, Cain took one of his sisters you have to think about it. Adam and Eve had the same mother and father too. God made Adam and Eve but you could call them brother and sister if you wanted to. There's nothing wrong when man's genes were perfectly vital and pure. There were no genetic defects from a brother and a sister marrying.
Connie: Like it is now.
Pastor Doug: Yes, but now you'll have weakened DNA from that and sounds like we have a beeper happening. Connie hopefully that helped a little bit, we appreciate your question. Thank you.
Pastor Ross: We've got Jerry listening in Oregon, Jerry welcome to the program.
Jerry: Yes, good evening Pastors Ross and Batchelor. I'm looking at Deuteronomy Chapter 2, which says no person of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of God even down the tenth generation. Now, quite frankly I don't know much about anybody past my third generation. How do they keep track of this? From our perspective doesn't seem quite fair either. Then while I was waiting I also thought about the Scripture which says God does not hold the son responsible for the sins of the father or something like that. Could you comment on this?
Pastor Doug: Yes, that's a really good question. First of all-first part of your question how did they keep track? When you read in the book chronicles Matthew Chapter 1, Luke Chapter 3. The Jews were very fastidious about keeping genealogical records. And they got the records in chronicles that go all the way back to Adam. They've got all the fathers and many that are not mentioned in the story are mentioned there.
Secondly, God felt marriage was so sacred that nobody was going to hold office in the congregation of the Lord. If they were illegitimate he wanted them to have families. He did not want like we've got today where all these kids growing up without mothers or fathers. Then, you do find examples where though that was the law God was very merciful with that law, because there was a judge in Israel by the name of Jephthah, pretty sure it was Jephthah, who was illegitimate.
In spite of that, God allowed him to be a judge of Israel and he was filled with the Holy Spirit and God used him to get a victory. Sometimes God gave the ideal standard-- there's also a law that said Moabite in the next verse. Deuteronomy 23:3 an Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter the congregation of the Lord even to the tenth generation.
Well, you look at King David's grandmother, there was a great grandmother-- Ruth was a Moabite. She certainly did become adopted into the nation of Israel and basically she forsook her Moabite Gods and worshiped the God of Israel. She was embraced and David's only three generations later he becomes King.
You can see that God gave the ideal there through Moses but He was very merciful. I hope that helps a little bit Jerry they are giving us the signal in the studio that we're running short of time. Pastor Ross I don't think we'll be able to do people justice if we took another question right now with about a minute left.
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