Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor, how about an amazing fact? Bananas are a fruity miracle. They’re colorful and nutritious, not to mention the amusing shape is easy to hold, peel, and eat. Bananas also contain 3 natural sugars, sucrose, fructose, and glucose combined with a healthy dose of fiber. When a hungry person eats a banana, they receive an almost instant and sustained boost of vigor. Research has proven that just 2 bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90 minute workout. This is why bananas are the favorite fruit of Olympic athletes. In fact, compared to an apple, a banana has 4 times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, 3 times the phosphorus, 5 times the vitamin A and Iron, and twice the minerals. It also is rich in potassium and is one of the most affordable fruits around. So maybe it’s time to change that well known proverb to, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away”.
Studies have shown that bananas can also help overcome or prevent a substantial array of illnesses and conditions ranging from depression, heartburn, and anemia, to stroke and morning sickness. Around the world, different parts of the banana plant are used for clothing, paper, and table ware, and the skin of the banana is used to heal everything from insect bites to warts. Indeed, the banana appears almost perfectly designed for human consumption and distribution. It’s difficult to conceive of a more perfect blueprint for the ideal fruit. But have you ever noticed, the banana has no seeds? Amazingly, the banana is a mutant. It’s the result of the cross pollination of two almost inedible Asian fruits.
The banana is a freakish genetic amalgamation, one that has survived through the centuries due to the sustained intervention of diligent humans. These fragile fruits can only be cloned from the suckering shoots and cuttings taken from the underground stem of existing plants. Over time, Arab traders carried the new wonder fruit to Africa and Spanish Conquistadors brought them to the Americas. So if you’ve ever pictured Adam and Eve savoring bananas in the Garden of Eden, you better think again. Bananas only happen through men participating with God’s creation and this is also true, regarding the fruit of the Spirit. 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: And it is true, lines are wide open. Happy New Year friends, we’d like to welcome you to a fresh instalment of the New Year, new decade for Bible Answers Live. And if you have a Bible question, now is the great time to pick up the phone with your Bible question and call that toll free number it’s 1-800-GODSAYS. That’s an acronym for 1-800-463-7297, if you’d have some questions about the word of God you’d like to ask. Maybe New Year, you’re starting to read through the word of God. And you’ve got some questions you’ve encountered. We recommend a regular Bible reading program to everybody. Pick up the phone, give us a call, once again it’s 1-800-GODSAYS, that’s 1-800-463-7297 with your Bible questions. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jean Ross, good evening listening friends. Pastor Doug, happy New Year, and it’s good to be back here, “Bible Answers” for another year
Pastor Doug: Likewise.
Pastor Jëan Ross: as you mentioned. Let’s begin with a word of prayer. Dear Father we thank you again for the opportunity to study your word, and we ask your blessing upon our time together. We ask that you be with those who are listening wherever they might be. We also pray that you would give us wisdom as we search the pages of scripture. For this we ask in Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Pastor Doug, you spoke a little bit about bananas coming into the program here and, you know, you always picture a monkey eating a banana, but in reality, bananas are extremely beneficial for humans and it’s got an interesting history, it wasn’t discovered on some tropical island but it actually has man’s involvement in producing these wonderful fruit.
Pastor Doug: Growing up, one of the things I loved about bananas, was not only it’s comical shape but the idea of that it had no seeds, it’s not like you had to choke on the seeds with an apple or seeded grapes or something but… That’s because bananas really only can happen from this very unusual pollination that took place in Asia between 2 remotely related plants that produced this super fruit. And you know, one thing, it makes me think of, is God build all of this obviously in the creation, the idea of this miracle evolving just by happen stands over millions of years is absurd. You know, God intended Adam and Eve to dress and keep the garden, and probably, one of the things that Adam and Eve would do is to be experimenting and creating with the different fruits and crossing them and developing different varieties. But the banana requires the constant active engagement of man or, not only will they become extinct but no one gets the benefit from it.
Matter a fact, years ago, the most popular bananas, they almost are extinct now, they were big mike bananas that were shipped and a fungus came through Central and South America and just basically wiped them out, and so now we’re eating a different variety of banana that sprang from Vietnam, different hybrid. But in the same way, the fruits of the Spirit only happened through the cooperation of our, preparing our hearts, cultivating a place for the Spirit to live with God. It’s just not going to hit us one day that we’re going to be filled with the Holy Spirit the Spirit is something to be sought after. Jesus said in John 15:4 and 5, “Abide in me and I knew”, He’s inviting us to abide, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine. No more can you, except you abide in me. I’m the vine, you’re the braches, he that abides in me and I in him, the same will bring forth much fruit, without me you can do nothing”. So it’s through participating and surrendering, cooperation with Jesus, making our hearts and mind available, we can experience this filling of the Spirit. And there may be some out there that are thinking now, “Lord I don’t want to go into this New Year without you. I don’t want to live another day without the gift of the Holy Spirit. What can I do to cultivate that in my life?” And we have a free offer that will help answer that question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s a book entitled, “Life in the Spirit”, deals with the subject of the Holy Spirit and how one can receive the Holy Spirit and the fruit that comes along with the Holy Spirit. The number to call for the book, “Life in the Spirit” is 1-800-835-6747. The book is free, again our resource line is 1-800-835-6747, and if you have a Bible question, the number to call here to the studio is 1-800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 1-800-463-7297, 1-800-463-7297.
Pastor Doug: You know, I’d also like to just mention before we go to the phones, and we do still have lines open. I’m guessing folks are on their way back from the Christmas and New Year celebrations, they’re in their cars, and so you can even pick up your cellphone and call that toll free number. But we wanted to also remind people that “Amazingfacts.com” and the website, “Amazingfacts.org”, either one, we have a brand new array of materials, and sermons, and information, and articles, and so we try to keep a fresh fruit there at the internet site for you as well, so be sure to check that out. Alright, shall we see what happens on the phones here?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, we’ll go to Sandy, she is calling from Southern Illinois, listening on WDQN. Sandy, welcome to Bible Answers Live.
Sandy: Good evening pastors, could you please explain from scripture about spiritual warfare?
Pastor Doug: Well, there’s several verse Sandy that we can look at, one of course is in Ephesians chapter 6, where Paul talks about “putting on the whole armor of God”, and it’s because we are involved in a Titanic struggle. You can read in verse 12, Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. So when we talk about spiritual warfare, we really experience it every day. If anyone out there is attempting to do what’s right, to follow the word of God and the commandments of God, the devil is going to resist you. If anyone is trying to swim across the river, you’re going to have the current of, you know, the world and the selfishness in our natures dragging us down and that needs to be resisted. If a person we were talking about, fruit at the beginning of the broad cast, if a person wants to have a beautiful garden, you’ve got to pull weeds every day. As soon as you neglect your garden, things begin to lapidate back into branches and bushes and thorns. And so there’s a war that’s going on. Now an example Sandy of that war, you can find in Mark chapter 5, where Jesus encounters a man who’s filled with a whole legion of demons and he comes to Jesus just like he is and Jesus sets him free. So anybody who is being harassed by the devil, we all are tempted by the devil, Christ was tempted by the devil you come to Jesus just as you are. And in the same way, the Lord liberated that man, He can liberate each of us, and then we put on the armor of God and it lists what the implements of that armor are here in Ephesians chapter 6, “taking the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth”, it’s just talking about, “The different facets of God’s character and the provision He’s made to fight temptation”. Main one is the word of God, when Jesus was tempted He quoted scripture whenever temptation came. So claiming the promises of God and memorizing the word of God. King David said, “Thy word I have hidden my heart that I might not sin”. This is how we gain the victory in spiritual warfare. Now I’m just giving you a quick summary Sandy. We actually have a book on the armor of God, we’ll send you a free copy if you’d like it.
Sandy: Yes please.
Pastor Doug: And…
Pastor Jëan Ross: Let me give you the number to call Sandy. It’s 1-800-835-6747. I’ll repeat that, 1-800-835-6747, this is our resource line. If you’d call that number, just ask for the book, “The Armor of God”, and we’ll be happy to send that out to you.
Sandy: Thank you, good night.
Pastor Doug: Thank you, good evening.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is George and he is calling from New York, from the Bronx. George, welcome to the program.
George: How you doing? Can you hear me?
Pastor Doug: Loud and clear George, how are you?
George: How you doing pastor? Pastor, my question is about salvation right? I got to be honest with you I’ve been saved for probably 16 years right now right? I haven’t been in church for probably like 6 years but my question is, when you die right, are they looking for “how many time you went to church or how many times you pray or they just looking for your last name in the book of life?
Pastor Doug: Well let’s talk about that for a moment George. Why haven’t you been to church?
George: Because there was really (inaudible 12:43), you know, there’s fornication, adultery, the whole gambit, you know, the whole nine yards, you know, even abortion and sociality, so I had to leave it.
Pastor Doug: So now you live in the Bronx?
George: Yes.
Pastor Doug: How many churches do you have in the Bronx?
George: So it’s enumerable really.
Pastor Doug: So you’ve checked them all out?
George: Not all of them but hey, I’ve been there, done that, there’s no guarantee that next years, it’s going to be better or worst.
Pastor Doug: Well now, you know I’m giving you a hard time.
George: No that’s okay.
Pastor Doug: I’m just, because the Bible really tells us, “that when you are a Christian, you become part of the body of Christ”, and it’s hard for any part of the body to live by itself for very long. And so, whatever part of the body you are, if you are an ear, or an eye, or a nose, if you put an ear, eye, or nose on the floor separated from the body, it’s not going to last very long. You need fellowship you need regular tendency and worship. And so, it is going to make a difference, I would say that your spiritual health is not going to be great if you’re not involved in regular church worship.
George: Yeah, but I mean, I’m saying when an individual dies and they pray to get saved. I mean, the book of life, all they’re looking for is the name of your last name right? They’re not looking for how many times you went to church, or how many times you pray, or how many times you give to the church naturally.
Pastor Doug: Well let me put it this way because I hear what you’re saying. There will be people in heaven that did not attend church regularly, but one of the ways you can tell about the spiritual health of an individual, is that they yearn to fellowship with other believers, and if a lamb stays away from the flock very long, then the wolf is going to get him, and you don’t want to be out by yourself. Even though the people of the church have problems, that’s where you learn to love George, you need to be connected with people that need patience, they need love. And hey, this is a New Year I’d start church shopping if I were you. Matter a fact if you’d like a lesson on “how does a person pick a church”, we’ve got one we’ll send you for free, would you like that?
George: Won me a free booklet?
Pastor Doug: It’s a free study guide and it’s called, “Clothed with Light”.
George: “Clothed with Light”?
Pastor Doug: It tells about, “How to find the bride of Christ, how do you pick a church?” There’s so many churches out there, and sounds like you’ve run into a couple of challenging ones, but we’ll give you a free copy of, “Clothed with Light” George, just call this number.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number to call is 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the Amazing Facts study guide entitled, “The Bride of Christ”, talks about the church and we’ll be happy to send that out to you. Our next caller is Michelle, and she’s calling from Glendale, California. Michelle, welcome to the program.
Michelle: Hi, good evening pastors.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Michelle: My question is about “baptism”, and see, yesterday we went to church, the pastor baptized a 7 year old girl and during the whole ceremony, there were people like arguing why, not to do it, she was too young and it was just kind of like a sad, instead of being a happy moment for baptism, it was just kind of like a little sad because people were arguing back and forth and my question is basically the right age to, biblically to baptize…
Pastor Doug: That’s a good question.
Michelle: A 7 year old is kind of, kind of young.
Pastor Doug: That’s a good question. And so, let me just restate that a little bit Michelle. In the Bible, Jesus was dedicated as a baby. Now dedication is different from baptism, Christ wasn’t baptized till He was 30. And so a lot of people baptize their babies but that’s really inaccurate because a baby is not old enough to, you know the criteria for baptism is you’re “taught the gospel, you accept the teachings, you repent of your sins, and you believe with all your heart”. A baby’s not capable of any of the criteria of baptism. And so, really, parents should dedicate their babies but baptism is a choice a person makes when they’re old enough to understand the claims of the gospel. Now Jesus, when He was 12 years old, He went to the temple. That’s typically when Jewish boys would 1st go, even today Jewish boys are bar mitzvah at 12 or 13 and likewise for girls, it’s bah mitzvah. But no one knows the exact age of accountability because that’s the age at which a child really understands the consequences of their decisions, the eternal consequences of their decisions it varies from one child to the next. Kid’s do not wake up on their 12th birthday and suddenly have great enlightenment spiritually, for some it happens at different ages. Sometimes, girls typically mature spiritually quicker than boys, just the way there brains are wire they sometimes are thinking those spiritual thoughts when boys are still pushing their dozers through the sand. So what is that age?
Michelle: It was…
Pastor Doug: I like to rephrase, I know you said there was a 7 year old girl.
Michelle: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: I’d like to rephrase the question and say, “How old is a child when they’re old enough to be lost?” Probably, when they are old enough to be lost and they’ve passed that age of accountability, they’re old enough to be saved. What is that age? It varies from child to child. For me? I typically feel better if they’re in the ball park of 12 when Christ went to the temple, but there are certainly exceptions for that. So, you know, I’m not the Holy Spirit but I start getting nervous when they get real young as you’ve described.
Michelle: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Pastor Ross? Oh and go ahead, another though came to me but I’ll let you go ahead.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, you mentioned, and then you’re going to be old enough to understand what baptism is all about and experience repentance. But you spoke a little bit about fruit at the beginning of the program there should be manifest in the life of the child a realization of a need to dedicate themselves to the Lord, and a part of that fruit, that manifestation would be regular prayer and Bible study…
Pastor Doug: That’s exactly what I was going to say.
Pastor Jëan Ross: There is conversion, yeah.
Pastor Doug: But I wanted to get the credit for saying it. (Laughing)
Pastor Jëan Ross: (Laughing)
Michelle: But the little girl had Bible studies and you know, and I guess the parents felt like they were ready but just, you know, the mothers were concerned, specially…
Pastor Doug: It’s different if the pastor or somebody’s giving the child Bible studies. I think what Pastor Ross and I are talking about, “Do they have their own personal, devotional life” where they are reading the Bible on their own and because if they’ve got their own, you know, it’s one thing when you spoon feed a baby, but at some point, you hand them the spoon and you need to know, “can they feed themselves”.
Michelle: Yes.
Pastor Doug: That’s the same way it is, spiritually is, you don’t want to baptize someone before they’re capable of nourishing their own soul through seeking and prayer and study. And so you want a young person to be old enough to do that. Now there, like I said there are exceptions where I’ve seen some young remarkable young people that mature very quickly, but not too many people like Mozart, start playing the piano at 4 years of age, you know what I mean?
Michelle: Yes.
Pastor Doug: So a ball park, I don’t know, Pastor Ross what do you think? Sometimes, if you’re looking for just a, if you’re to pick arbitrarily a number out of the sky, I just look up, you know, Jesus was around 12 and I know some countries, they make you wait till you’re 18.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yeah, but you know, on the other hand we also need to recognize, that you don’t have to rush into something, it’s not as if, well, the child was not baptized when it should have been baptized, it was 6 month late or something and they weren’t covered by the blood of Christ during that time period. It needs to be given sufficient time where the child can make this decision and realize the gravity of it.
Pastor Doug: I hope that helps a little Michelle.
Michelle: Yes it does, thank you very much and have a good night.
Pastor Doug: Alright God bless. And by the way, we have a book called, “Baptism, is it Necessary?” And we’ll send you a copy of that. I think Joe Cruz addresses this in that book.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747, you can ask for the book, “Baptism, is it Necessary?” The number to the studio here, if you have a Bible question is 1-800-463-7297. It’s 1-800-GOD-SAYS, 463-7297. Our next caller is Judy and she is calling from California, listening on KFIA. Judy, welcome to the program. Judy, you there?
Pastor Doug: Judy in Martinez, California?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Might have lost her. Let’s go ahead and try our next caller. We have John who is calling from Ontario. John, welcome to the program.
John: Thank you. I have a question about death. And my wife and I have a little bit of confusion here. I believe that, basically when you die, you go into almost a state of sleep. And I forget which book it is, but it says, “The dead will be raised in Christ 1st upon the 2nd coming”. My wife believes that, “The soul will immediately be taken to heaven upon death once you are a Christian”.
Pastor Doug: Alright, let me tell you where a lot of confusion comes from. It has to do with the word, “Time, T.I.M.E”. If we keep in mind that God is, He lives inside and outside of all time, He doesn’t live in the same dimension of time that we do and this is what confuses people. As far as the time in our world, the time in which we live, the resurrection and the judgment don’t happen till the future. If a believer dies, there next conscious thought is the resurrection. So it’s like a dreamless sleep.
John: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Jesus is very clear, when Lazarus died in John chapter 11, He said, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep”, and then He said, “Lazarus is dead but I’m going to wake him up”.
John: That’s right.
Pastor Doug: And after 4 days of death, that’s when He raised Lazarus, Lazarus made no comment on, “Well you know, my soul was up in heaven and you brought me back, or I was in hell burning and you brought me back”. Matter a fact, I think there’s a about, I got to count again, but I think there’s about 12 resurrections in the Bible, none of those resurrections ever, ever comment on what they experienced in death. As far as they know, they died and then they woke up they were resurrected again. So the Bible doesn’t teach “that the soul experiences heaven before the body does”. It says in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 that may be the verse you were referring to, “When the Lord descends from heaven with a shout” and you can read about this in verse 13-16, “Then the dead in Christ rise”. Now there’s that passage in the Bible in 1st Corinthians, where it says, “To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord”. And that’s true, because if a believer dies and their physical body dies, their next conscious thought is the presence of the Lord. A thousand years might go by but they don’t know it,
John: Okay.
Pastor Doug: and an example of that would be, Acts chapter 2, Peter is preaching and he talks about, “King David”. David died about 3000 years ago. David’s going to be in heaven. But here, a thousand years later, when Peter is preaching about King David, he says, “David is dead and buried and not ascended to heaven”. So even after the resurrection of Christ, he’s saying, “Good King David is still dead and buried and not in heaven”. Well David is going to be there. And, you know, when David died 3000 years ago, it doesn’t seem like 3000 years to him when Jesus comes. It’s going to seem like a moment to him, a twinkling of the eye.
John: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Now we’ve got a lesson on this we’ll be happy to send you a copy, it’s got all these verses and a lot more, if you’d like that David.
John: Yes, it’ll be good…
Pastor Doug: It’s called, “Are the Dead Really Dead?”
John: “Are the Dead Really Dead?” okay.
Pastor Doug: Just ask for that, we’ll give you the number.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747. And again, the study guide is, “Are the Dead Really Dead?” 1-800-835-6747. we’re going to go to our next caller. And this is Jose, calling from Pontiac, Michigan. Jose, welcome to the program.
Jose: Thank you for having me.
Pastor Doug: Yes sir!
Jose: I just have a question… I got saved in actually 1988 I’ve been saved about 16 years now. My 1st year that I walked with the Lord after I had been saved, it was the most awesome time of my life, as far as being in that peace and having faith, and literally walking and seeing things that God is doing, giving me revelation. And then after that year, I (inaudible 25:25-25:26). I’ve always come back to the church here and there but I fell away. I mean, I fell into a lot of things that’s not good. I mean, I’ve been to prison 3 times, I’m finally out, I’m finally finished parole, I’m done with everything, I have a wife, I have 2 new kids. But I was reading in Hebrews, I’m thinking it’s Hebrews chapter 6 where it says, I think it’s impossible…
Pastor Doug: Verse 4, yeah.
Jose: Verse 4, “It is impossible for those who have, you know…”
Pastor Doug: Once been enlightened?
Jose: Yeah…
Pastor Doug: Taste of the heavenly gift, yeah, “To renew them to repentance”.
Jose: Right.
Pastor Doug: This… you’re wondering if maybe, you know, since you had this great enlightenment and you fell away, that how are you ever going to be saved? Does, are you wondering, does
Jose: Yes.
Pastor Doug: this mean it’s too late for you?
Jose: I mean, I know that I was saved, but that verse right there has been troubling to me because when it was brought to my attention, it really troubled me because I found myself being stuck in the world now and not having, you know, the salvation I’d have in my access to God through Christ. You know, I felt that I messed that up because I was enlightened, God revealed a lot to me through that time, and when I fell away, it’s like I spit it, you know, I turned my back on Him…
Pastor Doug: Yeah, don’t get discouraged Jose. 1st of all, the verse here that we’re talking about, let me read this, Hebrews 6:4, “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 crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame”. Paul is really talking about, “People who after God has given them the best that He has, to bring them to Him, to serve Him”. If they reject that, what more will He offer them. He’s not saying that, “If a person has that and they forget it or they lose it, that they can never get it back again” because there’s too many examples in the Bible of people who did fall away and they were renewed to repentance. You look at Samson, he fell away big time and yet God filled him with the Holy Spirit at the very end there, and you’ve got King David who fell away big time with his affair with Bathsheba and Peter
Jose: Yes.
Pastor Doug: who denied Christ 3 times, but Peter went out and he wept bitterly and God forgave. And so, the Bible is filled with stories of hope, of people who had an experience with God… Jonah was a prophet, ran from God and yet God forgave him and he came back. And so don’t get discouraged, there is hope for you too Jose. Matter a fact, I’d like to encourage you to sign up for the Amazing Facts Bible Study Course, we’ll let you do that for free, if you simply go to our website, which is… I think we’re going to recommend the “Bibleprophecytruth” website they can sign up there now. “Bibleprophecytruth.org”, and sing up for the Amazing Facts study guides. Hey friends, the program is not over, we’re just going to take an important break right now. We have some announcements for you don’t go away, we’ll have more Bible question in a moment.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back listening friends. And if you’ve joined us, Happy New Year, you found you’re way to Bible Answer Live, this is a live broadcast where we take your Bible questions. And I’m sitting here in the studio with Pastor Jean Ross, and we do our best to search out laptops, where we got about 20 different Bibles between us in Greek, and Hebrew, and all the Bible resource and concordances to find answers to your Bible questions. And so if you’ve got a Bible question, still have 1 or 2 lines open. That number, toll free, 1-800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 463-7297. And as I mentioned, I’m Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jean Ross. And Pastor Doug, you mentioned just before the break, “Bibleprophecytruth”, a fairly new website that Amazing Facts had dedicated to the subject of Bible prophecy. You folks have a lot of questions about, “What is the mark of the beast, the anti-Christ, Armageddon, and so on, and so forth”. So this is a great resource for people.
Pastor Doug: You know, probably the most convincing thing I can say is that Amazing Facts has well over a hundred registered website domains. We have websites that cover all broad plethoras of Bible subjects. After launching “Bibleprophecytruth”, within a week it was the number 2 website and so it’s been very popular, a lot of resources there. Number 1 is still the Amazing Facts website, the main website but “Bibleprophecytruth” was number 2. Matter a fact, it’s got tentacles that run into all of the other, you know, web domains that we have with Bible resources, so it’s made easy to negotiate, format, it’s attractive, and cutting edged. Take a look at it if you’ve not been there, if you like it, send the link on to your friends and spread the good news in this New Year. Are we ready for the phones?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, we’ll go to our next caller. Marsha is calling from Dear Born, Michigan. Marsha, welcome to the program.
Pastor Doug: Marsha, you’re on the air.
Marsha: Yeah, hi Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross, how you guys doing tonight?
Pastor Doug: Doing well, how about you?
Marsha: I’m doing fine, and my question is, “What are the 7 deadly sins”?
Pastor Doug: Well now, you don’t find that word per say “7 deadly sins” in the Bible. I think the Bible does say… Paul talks, rather… Where is it Pastor Ross? Solomon says, “6 things doth a Lord hate: yea 7 are an abomination unto Him”. And then he itemizes some but typically, the Catholic Church talks about the “7 deadly sins”, which are the “capital vices”, and this is a little different from what Solomon said. Pastor Ross has that verse.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Proverbs 6:16, says, “These 6 things doth the Lord hate: yea, 7 are an abomination unto Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren”.
Pastor Doug: Gossip is right there in the top. Now if you look at the 7 deadly sins that the Catholic Church has, what they call there, “Capital vices or Cardinal sins”, their list is, “Raft, greed, slough, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony”. It’s a little different then Solomon’s list. So I wanted to just make that distinction. The verse one more time Pastor Ross.
Pastor Jëan Ross: it’s Proverbs chapter 6:16.
Pastor Doug: That’s where I get my authority Marsha.
Marsha: okay.
Pastor Doug: Alright, hope that helps, and thank for your call, and Happy New Year.
Marsha: Thank you, Happy New Year to you to, both of you.
Pastor Doug: God bless.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Judy, and Judy is calling from California, listening on KFIA. Judy, welcome to the program.
Judy: Thank you. My question is regarding Marriage. Could you please tell me exactly what God expects when it comes to marriage?
Pastor Doug: You mean, in choosing a person or once you are married?
Judy: That means, “You are married”. In other words, for instance, in a church you’ll have 2 people living together and when it’s being discussed, I’m hearing them say, “Well they’re really married”. In other words, the piece of paper isn’t important, and I don’t know what is or isn’t important. What does God require to put 2 people into a covenant marriage?
Pastor Doug: Well you sort of gave the answer there. There needs to be a covenant that is recognized by the culture that you’re living in because marriage is also a testimony to those in the society. For one thing, this man and this woman have now made a covenant together, that they are not available for courting, they have an exclusive holy relationship that is the right to restricted to those 2 people that needs to be advertised and understood in their society, that “hey, they’ve made this covenant”. That’s why marriages are, they should be public events, and it’s an announcement, it’s something you’re happy about. And it’s become a little sloppy in our culture now, where people, you know, pre marital sex is like shaking hands, the way that T.V would communicate it, and that’s not at all, the way the Bible talks about it, the Bible talks about it “as something, sex is to be restricted exclusively for this relationship of love and a commitment”, and it should be, the Bible says, “Christians obey the laws of the land”. So there are some states that recognize common law marriage, and I suppose, people, after awhile, they could claim common law marriage. But my question would be for Christians, why don’t they do it legally?
Judy: The question is within a church itself.
Pastor Doug: oh the church?
Judy: let me, I just want to ask you. Then what is the responsibility of the people who know that person is, there’s a couple of persons that’s living together. If an individual has a position in church such an elder or some kind of an over seer, a responsible position, and who says something… I know I should go to my brother, I think it’s, is it Matthew 18? I’m supposed to go and say, you know, “Are you living together?” or do I pass it on to the pastor…
Pastor Doug: Well ultimately, the pastor who shepherds the flock, if you’ve got a concern, you might 1st bring it to his attention and get some council. But, you know there’s no “sort of married”. If someone says, “I’m sort of married”, it’s suspect, there either legally married or they’re not.
Judy: Right, okay.
Pastor Doug: And you know, what are they telling people? Do they have evidence that they are legally married and it’s recognized, or they kind of just shrug in their shoulders and say, “Well we’ve been together for a few months so is guess we’re going to call it marriage”.
Judy: Yeah, nobodies saying anything, and we don’t want to…
Pastor Doug: No, if there’s gracious ways of approaching it, you can just ask folks, “How long have you been married or what’s your anniversary?”
Judy: Right.
Pastor Doug: That’s 1 way to pin it down. What was your wedding date? (Laughing)
Judy: Yeah, well they’re not claiming they’re married.
Pastor Doug: Oh I see.
Judy: So they’re not even doing that, and that’s why… and then I’m hearing people say, “Well I want you”, now people just woke up to a window and say, “we want to get married”, and they go, “Well I guess you’re who you say you are”, give me 5 dollars and here’s your piece of paper, I mean this is very….
Pastor Doug: Well, you know what? If they’re legally married, the church needs to recognize it, because there’s some people that get married, you know, they run off to a lope, and they go to a court house, and they get legally married.
Judy: Right.
Pastor Doug: And then they come to the Lord and they church can’t challenge that they’re not married if the state
Judy: Exactly.
Pastor Doug: recognizes it.
Judy: yes, thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright.
Judy: Happy New Year.
Pastor Doug: Happy New Year. And we also do have our study called, “Keys to a Happy Marriage”. Some might have questions on that, we’ll be happy to send them.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747. Study guide is entitled, “Keys to a Happy Marriage”. Mark is calling from Knoxville, Tennessee. Mark, welcome to the program.
Mark: Yeah, a little bit ago, you mentioned about, “God living in a different dimension of time then we do”, and 2nd Peter 3:8 came in to mind.
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Mark: Now here’s the question now.
Pastor Doug: A day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is a day”. Is that the verse you’re talking about?
Mark: Yeah, and then if you divide 24 into 1000, you come up with 41 years. Would this mean that God thinks that like (38:42) these took place only like 2 hours ago?
Pastor Doug: No. I don’t know if I would contextualize that statement that way. What I was saying is that God can take a prophet and show him the future because God sees the future as perfectly because He knows all things. He sees the future as perfectly as He sees the present. So God, He’s all knowing. Now, that doesn’t mean, “There is no time in God’s universe, I believe there is, time is a very interesting thing, and Einstein, you know, the idea of time bending is, you know, all of that to me is extremely interesting and probably way over my head. But I think that that’s what also causes confusion on what happens when you die, do you go right to be with the Lord? But compared to eternity, 2000 years ago is 2 days for God.
Mark: That’s right. Now does God realize, like if we have to wait for something, that the time seem slow for us?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, of course… well does God realize it? That’s sort of a question you can answer yourself. Does God know everything? And if Jesus became a man, does He know how we feel? Does Christ know what it feels like when dinner is 2 hours late, how hungry He got? Sure!
Mark: And this makes me wonder, you know, like the question, you know, does God think that (Inaudible 39:57) is a existed 2 hours ago rather that 80 something years ago?
Pastor Doug: No. God knows how long ago it was for us and He knows it is in His prospective, and yeah, that He knows all things He’s not surprised He hasn’t lost, you know, when, like I said, “if we go a few days without drinking, we get very thirsty and we start praying for water” and God’s not going to say, “Well, you know, for me, it seems like you drank 10 years ago, that should be soon enough”. God knows what are existing needs are in time, and that’s not a problem for Him. Hope that helps a little bit Mark, with your question. You’re getting out into quantum physics now. So we better see who’s lined up Pastor Ross?
Pastor Jëan Ross: We’ve got Hector who is calling from Chicago Illinois. Hector, welcome to the program.
Hector: Hello, how are you?
Pastor Doug: Very well, how can we help you tonight?
Hector: I just want to add a, can’t really understand, you know, well let me just throw it out there. The question is, how does a person know if they’ve been called to be a minister or a preacher and how can they be confirmed and knowing that, that was the right thing that God had choose them to do?
Pastor Doug: Well 1st of all, in my opinion, and Pastor Ross and I are both engaged in full time ministry. So, you know, he can also share his personal experience. But if you’re willing, if a person is willing to do God’s will and they’re feeling impressed that they are being called to this, God then will begin opening doors, He’ll confirm the call, not only by providence, but generally, people will come, people that you respect that have good Christian council, and they will say, “Brother Doug, Brother Hector, you know, I think, maybe the Lord is calling you to full time ministry, or to evangelism, or pasturing, whatever mission work, whatever it might be”. And you know, so you’ll have the confirmation of the word, as you’re studying, you’ll keep finding that the Lord keeps leading you to those passage that say, you know, “Why Tyros fell arise, and God said to Jonah you’re going to wrong way”, and, I mean, you just keep running into this overwhelming conviction of the Spirit, that He’s calling you to preach. So it’ll be confirmed by providence, by the word, by the Spirit, by Christian council. And you also will probably think, “There’s nothing else I can do”, you’ll just be bursting to do it and you won’t be able to contain yourself.
Hector: Because I was told that, you know, if you are called, that if you try to run away from it, God will keep just pushing you, and He’ll keep, you know, basically getting you back into that same point where He wants you to be… in order to be a minister…
Pastor Doug: Not always.
Hector: True, and… if you denied it or you aren’t really sure and God just kept directing you back to that same point where He told you to “be a minister”.
Pastor Doug: Well, you know, the Lord did impress me but I was willing. I mean, I went through the doors. But it’s dangerous for someone to thing, that like Jonah, God’s going to keep, you know, burping you back up on shore and giving you another chance because there is that young, there was that rich young ruler in Mark chapter 10, I believe it is, where Jesus said, “Still all, you haven’t followed me”, and He said the same thing to him, that he said to Peter, John, Matthew, James, they left their nets, they left their tax booth and they followed Him. This man didn’t, and there’s no evidence he ever changed his mind. Jesus did not go tackle him and say, “You better come with me”. So it is a very dangerous thing to turn away from the call of God, and, you know, there are some people like, God had a big plan for Samson, but Samson just, he sort of abused his gift and misused his time until… then he lost everything at the end. And
Hector: I guess…
Pastor Doug: Sorry, go ahead.
Hector: I guess my big concern is, I mean, you see all these preaches out here, and you kind of wonder, “did God really call them, and how did they know?” Did they just say like, “I want to preach one day”, and they just went with it. But then, you can tell that they’re not really in a sense called, that they don’t have the spirit of God with them, and I just want to, you know, just be certain if God is calling me to do it, to really understand and know that it was for me. That, I mean…
Pastor Doug: That’s a good question. You know, you’re right. Obviously, God has called some people to ministry and the evidence is there. And obviously there are some people that think they’re called or they’re just looking for a career change, I don’t know what they’re doing, and you look at their ministry and there’s no fruit, and you think, you know, “why in the world did they make this choice?” Well they’re doing it for the wrong reason. They like the power they think they can abuse the gospel for money. So there’s some people who have, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing, they’re not really called in ministry. But, you know, the Lord will lay it on your heart. And I heard one minster say one time, “If you can do anything else, then do it”. If you’re called to ministry, you can’t do anything else, because you’ve just got it burning in your bones and you’ve got to go. And so, if you’re thinking, “Well, shall I be a stock broker, or shall I be a pastor”, well you better be a stock broker then because if you have to ask that question, then, you know, the Lord hasn’t really laid His mantle upon you.
Hector: Alright. Okay, I guess I’ll just go into more prayer about it…
Pastor Doug: Yeah, continue to pray. And, you know, the other thing is say, “Lord I’m willing, you open the doors if you want me to do this”, and the strangest things will happen. I was getting invitations that I never would have expected, when I surrendered to the Lord, to preach. Alright!
Hector: Thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Thank you Hector, we’ll be praying for you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller in Mike and he is calling from British, Colombia. Mike, welcome to the program.
Mike: Hello, hi Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Hi Mike, what’s your question tonight?
Mike: My question is, can you explain Revelation 5 for me? I’m wondering, if when the lamb comes, if that is the parable of Jesus returning to Father being wounded, and is the person, or the being on the throne, is that the Father, and is He the one that has the scroll, and He gives it to Jesus? That’s my question.
Pastor Doug: Yes, well I think you’re right about… Christ is obviously the Lamb He is the Lamb that was slain, and the Father’s on the throne. You’ll see that picture in Daniel chapter7, where you got the ancient of days sitting on a throne and one like the Son of Man comes before him. Jesus, God’s Son was the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. And so, it is a picture of when Christ came before the Father, you know, as a sacrifice, but He’s still that way, He is our Lamb, Christ was really the Lamb all through history that everyone has looked for. People in the Old Testament are saved by faith looking forward to the slain Lamb, and that’s why Abraham said to Isaac, “God will provide Himself a Lamb and we’re saved by faith looking back to the slain Lamb”, but everybody slain, everybody saved by faith in this slain Lamb that you see in Revelation 5.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Some have also described what you see in Revelation chapter4 and 5, as being after Christ death, resurrection, and then his ascension up into heaven where He takes over the role of being the High Priest, mediating on mans behalf. And the seen described there in those 2 chapters are as resembling that event.
Mike: Alright, thanks a lot. And just want to say, I think all you guys, doing this stuff is great and I really, keeps me awake…
Pastor Doug: Well bust your heart Mike, I wish we could say, “We kept everybody awake”. You have a good Happy New Year
Mike: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: God bless you, we hope that you’ll take advantage of some of the resources on the website.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Jenifer and she is calling from Michigan. Jenifer, welcome to the program
Pastor Doug: Pardon me 1 second. We have that book, “Blood on the Throne”, that talks about the Lamb.
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.
Pastor Doug: And so we’d like to send that to Mike, if you’re still listening.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Mike, let me give you that number, it’s a resource line, 1-800-835-6747, and the book is, “Blood on the Throne”. Jenifer are you there?
Jenifer: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Thanks for waiting, and you’re question?
Jenifer: I just had about death. The caller who asked about, “What happens when you die”
Pastor Doug: Yes?
Jenifer: And you said, “(inaudible 18:49) go to sleep almost until, you know, the Lord comes back”
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Jenifer: I was just wondering, what about the rich man and the poor man?
Pastor Doug: I think you’re talking about, “the parable of the rich man in Lazarus”?
Jenifer: Is that what it was? Okay.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, and that’s in Luke chapter 16:19. And 1st of all, the key is in the phrase, “that it’s a parable”. You know, when Jesus talks about Abraham talking to this man in torment, I don’t think anyone believes that the people in heaven are going to be in an ongoing conversation with people in hell. And he also talks about, “How would a drop of water, send Lazarus with a drop of water to cool my tongue”. The whole parable here, of the rich man in Lazarus, is really talking to the Jewish nation and Jesus was saying to them, “You are rich, you’ve got the truth, and you’re feasting on it, and you’ve got the Gentiles around you that are starving for the crumbs that fall from your table, you’re not going to be saved just because you are Jewish, God is not a racist that way. If you don’t love your brother, you might find they’re in the kingdom because they love the truth, they’re hungry for the truth and you don’t care about your fellow man. Now that’s also something that could be said to Christians today. Just because you go to church and you know what the Bible says, if you don’t love your brother, and if you’re not sharing the bread of life with those who are hungry, then maybe you get to the kingdom, you find out, they’re on the inside, you’re on the outside. “There’s a great goal fixed”, it says in the parable. It really has, the parable has nothing to do with the state of man in death, because if you take that part of the parable literally, you run into all kinds of problems.
Jenifer: Wait, because I always though, that I was always taught that, there was “Abraham’s bosom” it was called
Pastor Doug: Right.
Jenifer: And it was a (inaudible 50:45) between there and how, and when Jesus died on the cross He ascended to Abraham’s bosom and took the things that had died, you know, before Him up to heaven, and then (inaudible 51:01). That’s what I was always taught.
Pastor Doug: You know, I’ve acquainted, there are a couple of denominations that embrace that interpretation. The bulk of Christians through history have not believed that Abraham’s bosom was a literal place, because if you think about it, if everybody that dies goes to a place called, “Abraham’s bosom, I mean, you know, it’s talking about Abraham’s breast.
Jenifer: Right.
Pastor Doug: The reason Jesus used that verbiage, is because…
Jenifer: Or paradise.
Pastor Doug: Right. Yeah but, it tells us in the Bible, that the time that we’re resurrected and we experience all this is when Christ comes. In 1st Corinthians chapter 15, it says, “Like a seed is buried, it dies, and then it comes back to life”, it says, “We’re going to do this in order”, and it says, “1st, Christ is the 1st fruit afterward, those that are Christ, they’ll rise at His coming”. And so it’s at the coming of Christ that the trumpet sounds, the dead rise. We are not floating around disembodied souls, the Bible doesn’t teach that. It teaches that “The body and the soul experience when they’re combined” (inaudible 52:13) we’ll have new bodies at that point. Would you like a copy of that study guide we offer to an earlier caller?
Jenifer: Sure, because that’s another thing I was confused about also, is that I was taught that when you die, when Christ does come back, that that’s talking about, “He, the dead in Christ rise 1st, that you’re body is going to go, your soul and your body will, you know, be brought back together”. And that’s what it’s talking about when it says, “The dead in Christ shall rise 1st”.
Pastor Doug: Well when Jesus, as I said, when Jesus raised people, He never made any distinction that their souls have somehow been separated from their bodies. We do get new bodies when Christ comes back. But why would the Lord come back for a new body, why not just give it to us when we die? Since we’re not using the old body, I mean, you know, if people get there, if they’re floating around disembodied souls, why is the Lord doing it that way? When He made Adam, He breathes into His nostrils and he became a living soul. God intended for the soul and the body to be joined. And there’s 2 books I’d like to offer you. We got one book called, “The Rich Man in Lazarus”, that deals specifically with the parable you asked about. And the other study guide is called, “Are the Dead Really Dead?” And by the way, these are free, anybody that wants to know that truth, we’ll send it to you for free, we just do this by faith.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Again, the number is 1-800-835-6747, that’s the resource line. And the 2 books again Jenifer are, “The Rich Man in Lazarus”, and you can ask for the study guide, “Are the Dead Really Dead”, and we’ll be happy to send that out to you. Let’s see Pastor Doug, we probably have time for a few more callers. Let’s go to Frank, who is calling from New York. Frank, welcome to the program.
Frank: how are you Pastor Ross and Batchelor?
Pastor Doug: Very well, and your question?
Frank: My question is, why so many denominations?
Pastor Doug: A quick answer?
Frank: Why so many denominations if we’re one body in Christ? Because Christ didn’t focus on that.
Pastor Doug: Alright, exactly right. I’ll tell you why there’s so many, is because the devil knows that all people will know we’re Christians by are love for one another and he has done all he could to fragment the Christian church by dividing them us. And so, the best way to hide a diamond is in a pile of broken glass. And so the devil has fractured and fragmented the church by having, you know, different leaders have gone and run after various pet doctrines, and so churches have split over, sometimes it’s a doctrine, sometimes they split over the color of the carpet, but it’s very sad. I believe that, when God pours out his spirit in the last days, there’s going to be a great unifying of the church, and they’ll only be 2 groups left. One group will have the seal of God Frank and they’re going to be God’s bride, the other group is going to worship the beast and his image and have the mark of the beast. So, I think we’re going to see a great unity happen in the church, just before Jesus comes back. Does that make any sense?
Frank: Yes it does, but I’m just, I’m so confused about that denomination situation, who’s to say who’s right?
Pastor Doug: Well you know?
Frank: Who’s denomination is right? That’s what I’m saying, you know, and it just confuses me, and I sometimes get even angered by it when I… I don’t focus on denomination, I don’t care about denominations, I don’t care what denomination says this that. I just focus on what the Bible says, and what Christ…
Pastor Doug: Alright, so you’re interested in a denomination or a church that focuses on what the Bible really teaches? And so that bottom line is going to be, what does the Bible teach? And that’s where God wants people to go, to a Bible based church. And once again, that’d be that lesson that we offered earlier.
Pastor Jëan Ross: We do, the lesson is entitled, “The Bride of Christ”. And Frank, I’d encourage you to give this resource line a call and ask for that study guide, it gives you a lot of scripture dealing with the subject. The number again is 1-800-835-6747, 1-800-835-6747. And the study guide again is called, “The Bride of Christ”.
Pastor Doug: Sorry, didn’t mean to cut you short Frank, and if anybody was standing in line, we sure apologize, if you did not get your question on tonight’s broadcast. Hey, praise the Lord, we got a New Year spread before us, so give us another chance, God willing we’ll be back again for more Bible Answer Live, in how many hours a week?
Pastor Jëan Ross: 7 days, 24 times 7.
Pastor Doug: (Laughing)
Pastor Jëan Ross: (Laughing)
Pastor Doug: you and I shouldn’t be doing this kind of math,
Pastor Jëan Ross: You do the math.
Pastor Doug: get your computer out. In a week, what is that? 72 hours. So listening friends, we want you to keep Amazing Facts in your prayer, we hope you’ll go to the website, take advantage of all the resources there. And we’d love to hear from you, drop us a line. God bless you friends and have a Happy New Year, take care.
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