Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor, how about an amazing fact? I’m sure, if they were human, the child labour laws would never allow this practice. Wyvern ants in Northern Australia have discovered that babies make good glue guns. Through an amazing orchestra of organization, the green tree ants of Australia make their homes out of living leaves. To achieve this, several worker ants will form chains with their bodies to pull the leaves together. In the meantime, other ants climb up the tree trunk carrying their children in their mandibles.
These baby ants are actually, little grub like larva, which they borrow from another existing nest. Arriving at the construction site, these ants give their babies a gentle squeeze and then point them towards the leaves and out of the baby comes a blue like silk. Back and forth, they swing the babies across the junction, which basically spot wields the leaves together. It looks as if, a white silk and network is holding the leaves in place. When the building project is finished, the wyvern ants move from their new football sized nests into this home. In spite of working the babies right out of the cradle, the larva still manage to develop into healthy adult ants. Through total cooperation of young and old, the wyvern ants are able to build a network of sturdy homes. You know, the Bible teaches that in healthy homes, young and old will also work together. Stay with us friends, and 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 a fresh installment of Bible Answers Live. We’re very thankful that you have chosen to either design or providence to tune in to this frequency. And for the next 56 minutes or so, we’re going to be taking your live Bible questions regarding the most important book in the world, the book of God, the Holy Scriptures. So if you have a Bible question, we do still have a few lines opened. Pick up your phone now and dial that toll free number, it’s a free phone call. That number is 1-800-God-SAYS, that’s an easy acronym, or if you want the whole number, it’s 1-800-463-7297. And my name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jean Ross. Good evening friends and Pastor Doug, let’s begin the program with prayer. Dear Father we thank you for this opportunity to study your word and we ask your blessing upon our program, we do recognize that the Bible is your book we need the Holy Spirit in order to correctly understand it. So be with us and be with those who are listening, In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Pastor Doug you opened with a fact that… well I don’t know how evolution would ever explain the relationship between the ant and its baby building nest. I mean that’s something that God must have designed.
Pastor Doug: You know, I can’t imagine I don’t know how any evolutionist can imagine or to conjure up any scenario where an ant would all of a sudden say, “How do I glue these leaves together to make a nest?” And say, you know, one of the ants says, “Well darling, go get the baby and squeeze it and see if we can get some glue out of the baby and then lets weave the leaves together”. That would never happen. I mean, how many times would that have to happen to evolve? It’s absurd. And… but yet, you know, even from these ants we learn something. That though they don’t really have a king per say, that’s orchestrating events, they all work in this beautiful, harmonious orchestra to young and old, everyone’s got their different size worker ants and they all work together to make the hall, the babies are even working together so to speak, while their very young. And, you know, today, something go, you just can, you know, kids are just to be entertained. But I think it’s good to teach kids to work as soon as they can safely do it, to do something productive, to help around the house, and to teach them that good ethic. But even more important, I thought it was interesting how these wyvern ants, the adults will link together and form sort of like human chains to pull, they make these like living ladders to pull the leaves together so that the others can go in and wield with the babies, they glue the leaves together.
They’re all doing their job, they’re connected somehow, they cooperate. And it helps me think about how disconnected families are in our day and age, and you know, they got everyone broken up into different generations and people get a little older and they put grandma and grandpa in the nursing home or they drop the kids off at the daycare and we’re living in an age of, it’s really disconnected. And the last prophecy in the Old Testament, if you look in Malachi chapter 4, verse 5, these are the last 2 verses in the Old Testament, it says, “Behold I’ll send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers less thy come and smith the earth with a curse”. In other words, the Lord is saying, “He wants us to be connected”. I also think that there’s even a spiritual analogy in here that not only are we disconnected in our literal homes but there’s a disconnection sometimes in the church family, and the Lord wants us to be connected or there’s a curse that follows because of this. I think we’re seeing some of that in the world today. But we have a special offer, maybe you need your family to get a little more connected friends and it’s free. So anyone listening, if you like to have a few tips from the Bible, on how there can be more connectivity in your family. Pastor Ross, what is that offer?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our offer is, “Reconnecting the Family”. It’s a book that we’d like to send to anyone who has a family and would like to know how they can build a strong, healthy Christian family. The number is 1-800-835-6747, 1-800-835-6747, that’s our resource line and the book is entitled, “Reconnecting the Family”. Just call that number and ask for it and we’ll be happy to send it. Well Pastor Doug, let’s go to the phone lines. Sandy is calling from Illinois. Sandy, welcome to the program.
Sandy: Good evening pastors, could you please explain Micah 6:5?
Pastor Doug: Well let me read this for our friends out there. And I’ll start with verse 4, “For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeem thee out of the house of servants and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people…” This is verse 5, “O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him Shittim unto Gilgal that you might know the righteousness of the Lord”. Now this is referring back to that experience that you find in the book of Numbers, and that’ll be like, Numbers 21, the whole chapter there where… and it even goes to Numbers 25 a little bit, where Balaam was a prophet of the east, he was not a Jew but he may have been related to Abraham somehow and he believed in the true God. And when Balak, the king of the Moabites realized that the Israelites were just conquering one kingdom after another and that God was with them. He though, “I can’t fight them with physical armies” he said, “I needed to fight fire with fire”. And so he offered money to Balaam the prophet to come from Mesopotamia, to curse Israel”. And every time Balaam tried to open his mouth from the top of the mountain there to curse Israel, a blessing came out. Finally, Balaam said, “Look you’re not going to curse them that way because God’s protecting them. If you get them to disobey the commands of God, and then God will remove His hedge of protection from them and they’ll be weakened”. And so Balak then sent women in, Moabite women in among the Israelites to entice them to adultery and idolatry and the curse fell on the Israelites because of that. Now this is a prophecy in Micah that is warning them to look back on what happened in their past when they compromised their convictions and they started getting involved in idolatry and… but, if they serve the Lord, there was nothing any enemy could do to hurt them.
Sandy: Okay thank you. Can I just ask one follow up quick question
Pastor Doug: Sure.
Sandy: Back in Numbers, it was talking, because I’m still not straight, I guess like Balaam (inaudible 9:31) just said “he told them I can’t do this because this is what God’s told me”. Did he do wrong when he asked them to (inaudible 9:39) with them because then I think it was the 3rd time that the Lord came to him the 2nd time and said, you know “Go with…
Pastor Doug: He said go ahead…
Sandy: the Lord was angered at him”.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, good question. The scripture seems to indicate Balaam wanted to go because they were offering him all these honor and rewards and he was coveting that. And basically, the servants came back twice
Sandy: Right.
Pastor Doug: and he could have told them right from the beginning, “Don’t even bother coming again and just shut the door” but he kept leaving the door open because he really wanted to go. I just did a 2 part series on Balaam. Matter a fact, I think if you go to our internet site, “Amazingfacts” under the sermons that are recorded, there’s a part 1 and 2 on Balaam and might even be 3 parts, I don’t remember. But I think you’ll find that at the “Amazingfacts.org” website and hopefully that’ll help a little Sandy. Appreciate your question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Next caller is Danna and Danna is calling from Mississippi. Danna, you’re on the air.
Danna: Hello!
Pastor Doug: Hi.
Danna: I have a question in 1st Corinthians
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Danna: Chapter 15, it starts in 29. And my question was, he was actually explaining the resurrection to them but it seems like they had some form of, they were baptizing for the dead and you know, you don’t see it anywhere else, was Paul condoning that or what is that about?
Pastor Doug: No, this is one of those places in the Bible… and for our friends listening, the original manuscripts of the Bible as they were written. Greek has no punctuation, I mean, we often know when there’s a coma, that you’re kind of closing off or interjecting something in a thought
Danna: Right.
Pastor Doug: and or period, that’s the end of our sentence or beginning of another sentence. Reading ancient Greek, sometimes they struggled with deciphering and translating things into English or other languages because they didn’t have that punctuation. The translators would have to make an educated guess at how to punctuate it. Now a lot of scholars have looked at this verse and said, “This is an example of poor punctuation in the King James translation”. Let me read the same verse to you
Danna: Right.
Pastor Doug: but just punctuated differently and it makes sense.
Danna: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And for our friends, this is 1st Corinthians chapter 15:29. Paul is talking to the 1st Corinthians… you read the whole chapter, 1st Corinthians 15 and they’re doubting the resurrection. The whole context of that
Danna: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: is talking about the resurrection. They’re thinking, “either the resurrection already happened or it never will happen or it’s just a spiritual idea”. And so Paul says, “Else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead rise not at all, why then are they baptized for the dead?” Now let me read it to you re-punctuated.
Danna: Okay.
Pastor Doug: “Else what shall they do,” I’m sorry, “What shall they do which are baptized? For the dead, if the dead rise not at all why then are they baptized, for the dead?” In other words, Paul is saying, “Why are they baptized, for the dead?
Danna: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: So he’s saying, “If there’s no resurrection, why are they getting baptized?”
Danna: Right!
Pastor Doug: So if the dead don’t rise at all…
Danna: That makes all the difference.
Pastor Doug: Yeah! So just the punctuating there changes everything.
Danna: Yes it does.
Pastor Doug: You know, there are some churches that believe that you can get baptized and behalf of somebody that is already dead. 1st of all, never build a doctrine out of 1 verse, the Bible says,
Danna: No. (Laughing)
Pastor Doug: “In 2 or 3 witnesses (inaudible 13:10-13:12) witnesses.
Danna: (Inaudible 13:13) there was just like, “Wow! Wait a minute”.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, and then the idea that, you know “I could get baptized and be half of all of my ancestors”
Danna: (inaudible)
Pastor Doug: Well that just takes all their accountability away. Yeah, the only thing I’d have to be sure of, is I just tell my kids, “Look, I’m going to go live for the devil but you get baptized for me after I’m gone”
Danna: Right.
Pastor Doug: I mean it’s a crazy,
Danna: (Laughing)
Pastor Doug: It’s a crazy doctrine. So hey I appreciate that question. By the way, we do have a book that deals with “Is Baptism Necessary?” And I think it actually answers this question. We’ll send you a free copy Danna.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Again the number is 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the resource, “Baptism is it Necessary?” and we’ll be happy to send that out. Anthony is calling from New York, New York, listening on WMCA. Anthony, welcome to the program.
Anthony: Thank you, thank you for taking my call, appreciate it.
Pastor Doug: And your question?
Anthony: Yeah. I had a Sabbath question. I was discussing the Sabbath for somebody on how it’s still in effect. And one of the reasons was, “Christ’s example”, He kept it, we should do the same. And he said, “Well Christ took the Nazarene vows so what, are we supposed to grow our beards and let our hair grow?” So I was wondering, is that true or?
Pastor Doug: Well it’s possible that Jesus lived as a Nazarene until He began His ministry. And we don’t know, this is just possible. You know, typically we see the pictures of Jesus painted with long hair and the Nazarenes would not cut their hair. A person could take the vow of a Nazarite and it didn’t need to be their whole life, they could take it for 1 year. Samson was a Nazarite from his birth and he was never supposed to cut his hair. Now a Nazarite was not supposed to ever eat or drink anything from the vine. Well obviously, Jesus drink grape juice. So by that right there, you know, matter a fact Jesus said, “John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking and he didn’t believe him, he said “he has a devil and the Son of man has come eating and drinking and you call Him a glutton and a wine bibber”. And so Jesus, during His ministry, obviously was not practicing the vow of a Nazarite and most Jews had beards. So you know, the teachings of Jesus, because Jesus kept the Sabbath, well, I mean, are we going to say, “because Jesus also kept the other commandments about idolatry, that we’re not supposed to keep them”? He said, “I kept my Fathers commandments”, He kept those commandments as an example to us. Keeping the Sabbath is not a weird practice, like eating grasshoppers or never cutting your hair.
Anthony: Right. So He wasn’t, so He never took the Nazarene vow?
Pastor Doug: Well the only thing in the Bible that you can find, is when it mentions in Matthew that, “Jesus came from Nazareth”. Matthew then inserts a commentary that says, “As it is prophesied, He would be a Nazarene”. And that’s the only thing it says.
Anthony: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: So some have believed that He not only came from Nazareth, but His parents, like, you know, the parents of John the Baptist, He may have been, for at least part of His life, under the vow of a Nazarite. But that’s the only thing you have in the Bible on that. But I don’t see where that’s a valid argument not to keep the Sabbath.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, also as some has suggest that others live in Christ began His public ministry, and He had the disciples in His preaching and teaching. He wasn’t following the vow that had been made by those who took the Nazarene vow so perhaps early on? But the verse that you referred to Pastor Doug is Matthew chapter 2:23.
Pastor Doug: Thank you. And yeah, the vow of the Nazarite is found in Numbers 6:13. It has nothing to do with the Sabbath so I’m surprise that they’re making a connection there.
Anthony: Alright, thank you.
Pastor Doug: Hey, but that’s a good question, appreciate it, thank you Anthony.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Robert is listening on the internet, calling from or listening and calling from Indiana. Robert welcome to the program.
Robert: Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Robert: Yes, my questions from Revelation 10.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Robert: And Revelation 10:2, it talks about a little book that’s opened, and then later on in Revelation 10, it talks about the little book again. Is this little book referring to the book of Daniel? This is actually the book of Daniel that’s opened.
Pastor Doug: I believe it’s the understanding of the book of Daniel. In other words, Daniel, you read about Daniel being a sealed book up to at least a point. I don’t know if you have that reference Pastor Ross, where is it chapter 12? “Bind up the whole division or seal it to the time of the end, many…” That’s Daniel 12, “Many will run to enthrow and knowledge will increase”. But I forget the verse.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Daniel 12:4.
Pastor Doug: Yes. And, but you’ll also find…
Pastor Jëan Ross: As well as verse 9, Daniel 12:9.
Pastor Doug: Right. You’ll also find in Ezekiel 2 verse 9, where he talks about, “a scroll that he was told to eat”. And so, the idea of a prophet eating a scroll meant “it was to be within them and create this burning, and then come out of their mouth, they were to share it, they were to preach it, it was to be proclaimed”. And so a lot of Bible scholars believe that in Revelation chapter 10, “That little book was the unfolding of the book of Daniel that really started going around the world in the 1840’s”.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoice of my heart”. So
Pastor Doug: That’s a good point.
Pastor Jëan Ross: you know, to eat the word, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that presides out of the mouth of God”. So when this little book is eaten, symbolizes that the book’s been studied, it’s been understood, it’s been proclaimed, and preached, and it does have a remarkable similarity as far as the prophecy goes with the early revival of the 1800’s.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, and an unfolding of the prophecies of Daniel really came to light during that time. So, but Revelation kind of covers the history of the church, from the 1st coming to the 2nd coming, you still there Robert?
Robert: Yes sir
Pastor Doug: And this would be that aspect of the proclamation. It was also during this time, missionaries just began to pour in Bible societies all over the world, in the end of the 1700’s, the beginning of the 1800’s.
Robert: Well my question follow up, in Daniel 12:7 it says, “It’s the time, time, times and a half”, which we know as the 1260 years. So it was unfolded after 1798, is that correct?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, a big understanding regarding that time period came during that time. By the way friends, that’s 1 time period that you’re going to find several time in the Bible. That time, that was 1 year. A times meant “A pair or a couple”, that was 2 years. And the dividing of a time meant, “Half or 1, 1 that’s cloved in half or cut in half”, and that would be half a year, 3 and a half years. You find that time period in not only Daniel chapter 12, you find it in Revelation chapter 12 two times. And you find it in Esther, “In the 3rd year of the reign of Ahasuerus, he has a feast lasting a 180 days”, that’s 3 and a half. So it’s 1260 days, time, time, and half a time. That’s how long Jesus taught for one thing, He taught 3 and a half years. That’s how long the famine was in the days of Elijah, 3 years and 6 months and it is a prophetic period of time. Now we’ve got some study guides that talk about that. And if you go to the Amazing Facts website, you’ll find that we’ve got a study guide where it talks about, “Right on time”, and that explains that prophecy.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You can also call our resource line, 1-800-835-6747, you can ask for the study guide, “Right on Time”.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. And Robert, I’m guessing that he has that, you are welcomed to ask for that study “Right on Time”.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Let me just mention one of the verse for Robert if Robert, you’re listening still. We have in Revelation chapter 10:7, it says, “But in the days of the voice of the 7th angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished as, as declared unto his servants the prophets”. So something significant about this little book had a mysterious element, it was a prophetic book, it was something that God reveled to the prophets, and then helps to link that little book to the book of Daniel.
Pastor Doug: That’s right. Thanks for your question, appreciate that Robert.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is calling from Brooklyn, New York. Chery welcome to the program.
Chery: Hi Pastor Doug and Pastor Jean Ross.
Pastor Doug: Hi.
Chery: I know that the main purpose of a Christian’s life is to minister to the world of Christ and his 2nd coming. I have a friend, I have a quick question. I know a person who knows the Bible really well but he always gets extremely nervous (inaudible 22:09) his point, when he does share it with others, so he chose to give contributions to his church often, to help in further in the ministry. Is that good enough in regards to spreading the ministry? I’m sorry, in regards to spreading the gospel?
Pastor Doug: Well you know, god gives different people gifts. And you can read in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 and chapter 14 that, “Some are prophets, some are pastors, some are evangelists, some are teachers”, and the way he words that is, “Some are”, and it’s understood “Some are not”. Some people have the gift of hospitality, some people have the gift of administration, some people have the gift of business and they know how to earn money, and, but their gift may not be teaching. And so they are, you know, they’re willing to freely disperse and to give because they’re got this gift to accumulate. Some people are just very gifted. Who was it? John Rockefeller told his wife when they 1st got married, he says, “You know, I fear because making money is so easy for me, I think I’ll end up being the richest man in the world”, and he did! I mean, he just knew he had that gift, but he wasn’t a preacher, but he ended up giving a lot away to religious causes. So I wouldn’t tell your friend that he should feel guilty, you know, I think God wants us to stand up for our fate, but not everybody can verbally articulate what they believe, you know, clearly not all have the gift of communication and teaching, and so this person shouldn’t beat himself up. But when an opportunity to share their faith comes, they should pray God will give them to know what to say.
Chery: Thank you…
Pastor Doug: Everybody can do a little bit of everything. I don’t have the gift John D. Rockefeller had but I sure want to be frugal and faithful in my work. So everybody can do a little bit of everything.
Chery: Okay, thank you so much.
Pastor Doug: Thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Next caller is Anthony, Anthony’s calling from Pennsylvania. Anthony, you’re on the air.
Anthony: Hi Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross, how you guys doing?
Pastor Doug: Good.
Anthony: Good. Quick question for you. In the book of Esther, in the Bible it says, Saul, well Samuel and Saul, they killed all of the Agagites.
Pastor Doug: The Agagites, yeah.
Anthony: And my question is, is how did Haman come about if he was an Agagite?
Pastor Doug: Yeah well, Haman, Agag was the King of the Amalekites
Anthony: Right.
Pastor Doug: And evidently, when Saul went, he was given a charge by Samuel to absolutely annihilate the Amalekites, because the Amalekites were very war like people that continued to attack Israel and were going to continue. And so, they were always at war, they were raiding their borders and finally, God said, “Enough is enough, their time for mercy is over”, and He sent Saul in there, and his command was to basically annihilate them. Well Saul didn’t obey the command, not only did he spare some of the people but he spared some of their sheep, the cattle, and the king. Some of the king’s family evidently escaped and maybe went into Moab because years later you find out that Haman is a descendent of Agag, the king of the Amalekites, an old enemy of the descendants of Saul. And it’s interesting that Mordechai was from the family of Kish, he came from the same tribe Benjamin that Saul came from. So here you’ve got this old feud that plays itself out again. And because Saul did not obey the commandment of the Lord, you’ve got this problem in the book of Esther.
Anthony: right.
Pastor Doug: it comes up hundreds of years later.
Anthony: I understand all of that and I agree with you. My question is do we know who it was that spawned Haman?
Pastor Doug: A descendant of Agag is all we know, the Bible doesn’t list the chronology of the Amalekites that survived. So
Anthony: Okay.
Pastor Doug: no there’s no record in the Bible but we can just surmise that evidently, some of Agag’s family survived and Haman cur… he went to Persia because you don’t find him where the Amalekites lived, you find him in Persia.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yeah.
Anthony: Right.
Pastor Jëan Ross: according to Josephus, he believes that, you know, in his writings, that was Haman’s hatred for the Jews, was because of what happened to the Amalekites during the reign
Pastor Doug: His people.
Pastor Jëan Ross: of Saul.
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And so he was wanting to take revenge upon the Jews and wipe all of the Jews out in the same way that God had given the command to Saul to wipe out all the Amalekites.
Pastor Doug: That’s right, there was vengeance. Hope that helps a little bit, good question Anthony.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Next caller is George and he is calling from the Bronx, New York. George welcome to the program.
George: How you doing?
Pastor Doug: Good, how are you?
George: Yeah, my question is about women pastors, the (inaudible 26:59-27:02). So I was wondering can you expound on that.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, you know, I’ll only have 2 minutes so I can’t expound as long as I want, we got a break coming up that is one of those heart breaks you can’t fudge with. There is no example in the Bible of a woman being ordained as a pastor or a priest. You do have women in the Bible that are serving in the capacity of prophets. And so when Paul is talking about women teaching, women were not to a lord authority over men in the same way that a man should be the servant leader in his family, it doesn’t mean the husband can’t learn from his wife any more than men in a church can’t learn from a women. But the authority of the church was to rest with a pastor. And God establishes this biblically as a patriarchal system. And if you go by the Bible, there’s really no getting away from that. Hey George, to try and make up for cutting short, we will send you a free book, it’s called, “Women in ministry”, it’s one I wrote, it’s a concise study on the subject, and I think it’s a pretty fair treatment. If you call, we’ll send you a free copy.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747 and again ask for the book, “Women in ministry”.
Pastor Doug: Now friends, we’re going to obviously take a break right now. And in the meantime, if you’ve not jotted it down before, you could probably just remember 2 words, “Amazing Facts”, you type that into Google or Yahoo, or some search engine and I think we’re on the top of the list. Have a plethora of Bible study resources, videos, audios, publications, programs, training, and you’ll find out about the international work of Amazing Facts in educating people about the gospel. We’ll be right back with your questions.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back listening friends, I know some of you have tuned in perhaps along the way. You’ve probably gathered, you’re listening to a live call in Bible study, and that’s exactly right. This is Amazing Facts, Bible Answers Live and it is a live program, and I think we should just pause here and recognize that the world right now is directing prayers towards those dear people in Haiti that are absolutely railing under what some are calling, “An apocalyptic disaster”. And there’s just, it’s just been very sobering. And Pastor Ross and I were talking before the broadcast that it’s emotionally, just I can’t imagine what it would be like to be there but it’s emotionally exhausting to even think about how the crisis and the suffering there. So, you know, we wanted to take a moment and just have a prayer right now and invite all of our friends who are listening. We’re going to get back to your phones and your questions in just a moment. We just wanted to have a prayer for those people and for the suffering that’s going on right there. And we wanted to take a middle of our program to direct our attention that way. Loving Lord you told us that there is a responds that is compounded when your people pray together, and we would ask right now Lord, that as we join together and we direct our attentions in Jesus name, to the dear people that are struggling in Haiti, that your spirit and your grace will just settle down on that country. And I pray that you’ll bring comfort to the people, I pray that they will, through this terrible trial, see some good. You’ve told us, you can work things together for good and help those who are wondering why, understand that you are a loving God and that there is a war in this world between good and evil, and that none of this is your desire, that people suffer, that innocence suffer, you came to save and to heal. So please bless Lord, we pray that many will find you, and even those who are not there in Haiti will just observe what’s happening in the world and realize we’re near the end of time. And so we place these few people in your hands Lord and be with those who are also bringing relief, and we pray that you will help them to find those in need. And we place this in your hands and pray, in Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Amen. Well Pastor Doug, that is indeed a sad situation, but on the other hand, we also see that this is part of the signs that Jesus said would take place just before He comes. He speaks about an increase of earthquakes.
Pastor Doug: Matthew 24, Jesus said, “There will be earthquakes in diverse places”. Matter a fact, 3 days before the earthquake in Haiti, there was a 6.5 earthquake here in Northern California. Unfortunately, though it was like 10 miles deep, and I think of the coast a little bit, it just, it rattled everything. But also the construction is a lot better in Northern California. And just 3 days later, then you have this 7.0 earthquake but it was a direct hit under port of prince and some of the adjoining towns, and then in Venezuela 2 days later another major earthquake. It just is a sign of the times. There is an earthquake coming friends, the Bible foretells there is a big earthquake coming, and the only ones who will survive that earthquake are the redeemed. Tells us, it’s going to be the biggest earthquake in the history of the world and we want to be ready for that. And there is no construction on earth that will help you survive that earthquake, the only way to survive is to know that your life is hidden in God’s hands. And then there are others who are asking questions, “If God is love and if God is good, why do you have all these innocent people suffering?” Children and dear people and some of course being absurd and casting blame at this and that. At the foundation of some of these questions Pastor Ross, people do not understand the devils role in this world and how the devil, Satan, Lucifer, he rebelled, a very, the most powerful created being, and next to God he was the greatest in power. How he rebelled against the government of God basically set up his office down here and this planet was sort of kidnapped. And because our parents here chose to listen to the devil instead of God, that Jesus even called the devil the prince of this world. And so when we see all these suffering friends, know that it is not God’s desire that people are lost, He is not willing that any should perish, but we need to pray to the Lord to come and to invade His grace into our world, He won’t force Himself on a planet rebellion. And so if you want to know more about this, we just finished a DVD that explains this cosmic conflict, and that’s what it’s called, “Cosmic Conflict”, and if you type that in, “Cosmicconflict.org or Cosmicconflict.com”, you can find out about… you’ll see that trailer, find out about that DVD, why is there suffering in the world, why do bad things happen to good people, and if God is more powerful than the devil, why don’t He just come down here and whoop him?
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we have a study guide dealing with this subject as well Pastor Doug, entitled, “Did God Create a Devil?”
Pastor Doug: That’s right.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And if you’d like to call our resource line, you can ask for that, 1-800-835-6747, ask for the study guide, “Did God Create a Devil?” It explains the origin of evil and why there is so much suffering in our world today. But there is good news God’s finally going to put an end to it when He comes again
Pastor Doug: That’s right.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Michelle is calling from Glendale, California. Michelle welcome to the program.
Michelle: Hi, thank you, good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Michelle: Praise the Lord for that video we saw…
Pastor Doug: You saw the Cosmic Conflict?
Michelle: Yeah, because my son called last week and he said, “Ma we got to get the video”. (Inaudible 36:16) and he saw it so he loved it…
Pastor Doug: Praise the lord, children really enjoy it.
Michelle: My question is, I understand that as a Christian, there should be a difference in the way we dress
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Michelle: of that of the world. And I was looking at Deuteronomy 22:5 when it says, “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man”. Does that mean that women can’t wear pants?
Pastor Doug: And it goes on to say, “A man shall not wear that which pertains to a woman”.
Michelle: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And I often get the question, “Does that mean, just what you’re saying
Michelle: Yes.
Pastor Doug: a woman is forbidden to wear pants”. Well, the principle that god gives in his word regarding clothing for men and women, is there should be a distinction in the clothing where you can tell right away that they are men’s clothing or women’s clothing, it doesn’t say that, “Women have to wear robes and dresses and men wear pants”. The style of clothing may change from country to country and the style of clothing may change based on the work you do. Women have worn pants in Burma for hundreds of years because it was just very practical for what they do but there was a different kind of clothing between the men and the women. So the principles of clothing are, “It should be modest, Christian clothing should not be ostentatious or flamboyant where you’re trying to attract attention to yourself”, but there’s nothing wrong with buying good durable clothing or clothed clothing that’s going to last and that there should be a distinction between the clothing of men and women. And in the same way, you know, it just doesn’t look right. If a man was walking around in a woman’s dress, but if you go to Scotland, some of the men would wear kilts. So, you know, the cultures are different. In the Bible, the men wear robes, it doesn’t really say “they wore pants”, I guess the priest would wear these trousers they were sort of like pants, that’s what it calls them. So obviously, you know, I think that women… because God designed women a little differently, they’re curved differently than men, and God wired men where they are attracted to those curves, I suppose that’s probably why they’d call it, “Guitar sexy”, you don’t ever call a box sexy, it’s always the curves, that women should not dress in such a way as to accentuate that so that it’s a distraction. And so I would think that with women’s pants, that they should be modest, you know what I’m saying?
Michelle: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And there should be a distinction in the clothing, and also, I mean, everyone sort of takes a second look if a man is walking around in women’s clothes, it doesn’t’ look right.
Michelle: Yeah, because that’s what I thought, I thought it was more like more of the issue of modesty, if a woman should look modest and not be wearing like, really tight pants that kind of like, you said outline the curves and things like that. But then I was like, “No, you can’t, not even that, because even with pants…” you know…
Pastor Doug: Well I think it’s more respectful, you know, and then there’s formal clothing, when, you know, if you’re going to worship the Lord, then if ever a dress is appropriate, it’s appropriate then. In our culture, it’s understood that that’s more respectful. And I know some people right now are snickering at what I’m saying, but I still believe it with all my heart, that there really is a campaign in our culture to eliminate the distinction between the sexes. I mean, even right now, these days, during this broadcast, they’re fighting it out in court in California whether or not marriage should be between a man and a woman. It’s sort of pathetic that we’ve come to that, where people don’t know that. And so there is… we’re being bombarded by our culture and through the media to eliminate and erase the distinction between the sexes. And so I think the more Christians can do to preserve that men are to act like, dress like, walk like men, and ladies likewise. So now I interjected a little bit of my personal opinion with the scripture there, sorry, but I felt a… I don’t know if sometimes its inspiration, sometimes hallucination
Pastor Jëan Ross: (Laughing)
Pastor Doug: but I felt like saying it. Anyway, hey I appreciate that Michelle, and I don’t if we got a book on that. Oh we have that, we have a book that talks about kind of Christian standards, our last study guide that talks about, “Above the Crown”.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes. And it’s free if you’d call our resource line, it’s called, “No Turning Back”.
Pastor Doug: That’s the name, thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747, you can ask for the study guide, “No Turning back”, and we’ll be happy to send that out. Jason is calling from San Jose, California. Jason welcome to the program.
Jason: Good evening pastors, thank you for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: Evening, how can we help you?
Jason: Well 1st of all, in a personal note, Pastor Doug, I just wanted to thank you because my neighbor actually turned me on to you and even since I’ve heard you spoke during your new revelation series, you did in 93, I’ve really been trying to turn my life around and I wanted to thank you for that. Now being that said, I’m what you would refer to as
Pastor Doug: Well praise the lord, so you watched the series we did in Redding in 93?
Jason: I was completely blown away by… I have all of them they’re on a VHS tape.
Pastor Doug: I think I still had hair back then.
Pastor Jëan Ross: (Laughing)
Jason: (Laughing)
Pastor Doug: a little.
Jason: But, you know, I’ve listened to a lot of pastors in my life, I’m 41 years old and you hit me out of left field and ever since I saw you speak trough those tapes, I’m really trying very hard to turn my life around. And I’m going to be calling in periodically but I know I can only get one question in this evening. So I’m what you would refer to as a baby, baby, baby, baby Christian, and I’m finding myself getting into trouble whenever I’ve learned something exiting about the Bible, and I want to talk to it about my friends, I’m finding myself in corners where I cannot answer their questions such as you’re doing for us now, and the latest episode I have was a discussion on Noah and the Arc, and the person I was having the discussion with asked me where the black people come from, and I couldn’t answer him, and I felt really embossed, and I was ashamed because I wanted to talk to him about the story of Noah and such and kind of blew it. So I’m calling to ask you if you can point me in the direction, so that way I can answer this question for him.
Pastor Doug: I’ll do my best. And I don’t know why he would specifically say, you know, “Where the black people come from”? Why not say, “Where does any distinction in the races come from?”
Jason: Exactly.
Pastor Doug: You know, and I hope that nobody misunderstands where I’m coming from here. Why are there such a broad diversity of dogs in the world, when all of the geneticist agree that all of the different dogs in the world come from 2… and they do this in DNA studies… all the different dogs in the world come from 2 original wolf like dogs? And yet look at the incredible diversity. You get some dogs, little docsins, and then you got great Danes, and then you got dogs that just folds and folds of skin, and then you got dogs with no hair. And yeah, you know what I’m saying? I mean there, it’s just, you get some dogs that are polka dotted, and you get some dogs that are just one big hairball. And it’s through just, and the, all of those genetic traits were in the original dogs. Now if you had looked at those 2 dogs that came of the arc, and you could have never dreamed there would have been such variety that God build into the genes, you see what I’m saying?
Jason: Yes.
Pastor Doug: So it’s shouldn’t surprise us at all, that God has every strip and type of people around the planet.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, it reminds me of a verse in Acts chapter 17:26, it says, “Speaking of God and He has made of one blood all nations of men”. So the Bible tells us that, “the variety and different nationalities, different races”. It all comes from one source, and that’s God, God created man
Pastor Doug: That’s a good point.
Pastor Jëan Ross: with different abilities to, have different races.
Pastor Doug: And it doesn’t matter whether you’re American Indian or Chinese, if you need a blood transfusion, you can find somebody from any race that’s going to have your blood type. And they might have B, they might have O positive, you know what I’m saying? And if we all came from different planets, the how is it that we can all exchange blood between the races?
Jason: That’s a good point, thank you so much Pastor Doug, I appreciate it. Pastor Ross, thank you so much for your wonderful work as well, you gentlemen have a wonderful week and hopefully I’ll call in soon with another good question.
Pastor Doug: Alright, Hey Jason, you go all the way.
Jason: Alright, thank you sir, God blesses you.
Pastor Doug: God bless.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Next caller is Robert he’s also calling from California, from Palm Springs. Robert, welcome to the program.
Robert: Hi, how are you guys?
Pastor Doug: Doing well.
Robert: Good, I guess tonight’s the night about women in the proper customs or whatever. I had a question, me and my fiancée worked, discussed about 1st Corinthians 11:3, I think it was where Paul mentions that, “In church, it’s the Lords command that they cover their head as proper, you know, worship attire”, why is all the churches around the world pretty much, except for a few I guess, abandoning this custom when it’s… Paul specifically says, “It’s the Lords command”?
Pastor Doug: Well there are still churches as you mentioned that do still observe that when a women, and it’s not saying, “A women has to cover her head at all time”, Paul specifically talk about, when she is praying or prophesying in public. And so a lot of women and churches have taken this verse to mean that, “When women go to church, if they’re going to worship publically, that they should keep cover their heads as a sign of submission”. The question is, was Paul telling the people there that they ought to observe that custom so as to not be disrespectful, was it a local custom? Because there’s no other command anywhere in the Bible that we can find… you go through the Old Testament, there’s no Levitical Law or Mosaic Law that says, “When the women pray, they need to cover their heads”. But there was a tradition in the Middle East and even among the Romans, that when a woman was married and she wanted to show reverence and respect for her husband, that when they came into worship, they cover their head and the reason being a woman’s hair was her glory, and that in order to show humility before God instead of attracting attention to herself, that they would cover their glory. And that’s why you see this reference to the relationship between men and women, and the women hair and men’s hair, and you can even see where he says in 1st Corinthians 11:14, “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it’s a shame to him”. So, you know, I know a lot of men that have long hair but Paul seem to think that a man with long hair, that that was a shame.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, just to add to that, if you keep going, 1st Corinthians 11, eventually Paul after talking about these different things, and women having long hair, men having short hair, he almost anticipates some who would want to make a big issue about this in the church, it saying in verse 16, Paul says, “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God”. In other words, Paul is saying, “This is what, you know, my recommendation is, but if there is contention over the issue, he says, don’t make a big deal about this”.
Pastor Doug: And the very fact he uses the word custom or tradition, he never really says “It is a commandment”, the only part of the commandment he seems to site in this verse, is that he says, “The man was made 1st, not the woman, and that the woman was somehow to show deference to the men in public worship”. And I guess Paul ran into a lot of problems with that because you don’t hear the other apostles addressing it a lot.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And of course, it’s to the church of Corinth, which was a melting pot of different cultures and different languages and that was probably part of the challenge that he face in that area with the church.
Pastor Doug: Hope that helps a little bit Robert.
Robert: Yeah, I guess so. In other words, there’s pretty much, if a woman goes to church and doesn’t wear anything over her head, that’s acceptable.
Pastor Doug: Well, you know what? I always like to conclude this… when I answer this question, I say, “You do whatever the Holy Spirit tells you to do because, you know, there’s only one verse on this subject and I wouldn’t want to stand before the Lord in the judgment to find out that I was the one who stood up and told everybody, ignore this if they feel conviction about it”. I know nobody’s going to be kept out of heaven because they did cover their heads. It’s kind of interesting if you’re a Jew and you go in to church, you’re supposed to, the men wear yamakas, they cover their heads. If I’d go into church and I got my baseball cap on, it’s considered disrespectful. So you got different customs for reverence. The idea’s, when I go to church in some countries, I take off my shoes when I walk in. Well if I walk in to my church barefoot, people are going to think there’s really something wrong with you, you know what I’m saying?
Robert: Right.
Pastor Doug: So you have to observe customs of respect, and I think that might be at the foundation here.
Robert: Right, got yeah. Okay, well thanks a lot.
Pastor Doug: Thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Next caller is Crisida and the caller is calling from Brooklyn, New York. Crisida, welcome to the program.
Crisida: Well thank you. My question is, “And Enoch walked with God and God took him”. How is it that we do not hear anything about Enoch but we hear about Moses and Elijah?
Pastor Doug: Well that’s a good point. We do hear a little bit about Enoch. If you read in Hebrews, it says, “Enoch was faithful” and then you can read about Enoch in the book of Jude, says, “Enoch, the 7th of Adam prophesied of these”. And, but you’re right, you don’t have Enoch appearing on the Mount of Transfiguration to Jesus,
Crisida: Right.
Pastor Doug: because Moses and Elijah specifically represented the law and the prophets, the last 2 names that are mentioned in the Old Testament, Malachi chapter 4, it says, “Remember the law of Moses”, a few verses later, “Behold I send you Elijah the prophet”. Moses was the law, Elijah was the prophet. So all through the Bible, you hear reference to the law and the prophets, the law and the prophets. So when Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus on that Mount of Transfiguration, they’re like the 2 witnesses that represent the word of God. In the Old Testament, they call it “The Law and the Prophets”, today we call it, “The New and the Old Testament”. The word of God is represented sort of, like a double edged sword, 2 sides to it. And Enoch…
Crisida: So who did Enoch represent?
Pastor Doug: Well Enoch really, in a sense he represents Christ because he was the 1st one to ascend to heaven, he was the 1st man to ascend. Jesus ascended up to heaven so he was sort of a type of that in one sense.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, some have also suggested that you have Elijah who was a Jew that was translated without seeing death. You have Enoch that was taken to heaven prior to their being a Jew. Some have suggested that Elijah can represent those who are taken to heaven at the 2nd coming of Christ, and Enoch can also represent those who are taken to heaven…
Pastor Doug: Moses represents those who died and are resurrected.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Moses represents those who die and resurrected. And you’ve got those within the church who have had an understanding of truth symbolized by Elijah who was the Jew, but then those who hear the gospel and join in with God’s people like some have said that, could be represented by Enoch.
Pastor Doug: Hey, we do have a book we’ll send you on this subject, it’s called, “The Two Witnesses”. So if you call the number, we’ll send you a free copy of that.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747, and ask for the book, “The Two Witnesses”. Let’s see, our next caller is calling from North Carolina. Lenora, welcome to the program.
Lenora: Hi, thank you, thank you very much. My question tonight is when Adam and Eve sinned. Why weren’t they just punished and kind of like the generations after that did not have to also go under the same punishment that they did?
Pastor Doug: In other words, why didn’t God just exterminate them right then?
Lenora: No, why wasn’t they… How come they weren’t just dealt with and that was it? I mean
Pastor Doug: Well they…
Lenora: They did not exterminate them but they just, you know, were punished and then life continue after that without the curse or a punishment?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, you know, you’re asking one of the big questions, of course, it’s also a hypothetical question. When the children of Israel… I’m answering your question with a question and it might help. When the children of Israel went down to Egypt, they actually went down to Egypt and everything was great because Joseph began to feed them, but then they had a Pharaoh show up that didn’t know Joseph and the next thing you knew, they were slaves, and the generations that were later born in Egypt, they said, “Why are we born slaves because of a decision our ancestors made, why is it happening that way?” Well it’s true that because the devil has sort of kidnapped this planet, there is cause to effect, and God made Adam and Eve to procreate. And so the descendant of Adam and Eve are suffering the results of the parents’ choice. That’s why it even says in the Bible, “Until the 3rd and 4th generation, children suffer because of bad decisions that parents make”. You know, we’ve all met kids that are maybe born with birth defects because their parents drank, or because they were some drug abuse or something like that. Adam and Eve, God made them to procreate and then they chose to sin, he showed them mercy, we’re all suffering those results.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Genesis chapter 1:27, it says, “God made man in His own image”, and then in Genesis 5:3, it says, “And Adam a 130 years and he begot a son in his own likeness after his image”. And so, being created in the image of God, Adam and Eve will procreate in their image, and that selfishness that came as a result of their disobedience was carried on and for that reason, all need a savior.
Pastor Doug: And you know, one of the other important points here, is we all need to remember that when we sin, it doesn’t just affect us, it often affects
Pastor Jëan Ross: The family.
Pastor Doug: the children and others around us, and that was the case, and now the whole world is suffering because of a decision that just a couple made. I hope that helps a little Lenora, we don’t really have a study on that we can offer you but sure you’ll find something at Amazingfacts.com. Do we have time for 1 more Pastor Ross?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Let’s try we have Donald calling from San Francisco. Donald, welcome to the program.
Donald: Hi, how are you guys tonight?
Pastor Doug: Doing well, how can we help you?
Donald: Alright, yeah I just have a basic question really fast, in regards of the conversation you had with one of the gentlemen that called earlier. It was about the, what salvation was established that can be taken away (inaudible 52:31)?
Pastor Doug: You say, “Once salvation is established, it can’t be taken away?”
Donald: Yeah, and then there was like 2 different beliefs that you had explained. The 1st one was basically the belief (inaudible 52:45) and the 2nd one was you have about several instances in the Bible where salvation was taken away, the Spirit of Christ and God had left a certain individual,
Pastor Doug: Right, i…
Donald: the pride and greed. Now right before you hung up, you said, “Yes, something about a prayer”, what you said the prayer, salvation can’t be taken away, what was the prayer you were referring to?
Pastor Doug: Well there’s a prayer that you’ll find a lot of different variations of it on the internet, it’s a very elementary prayer that begins your journey of accepting Jesus. The, you know, thorough repentance and confession of sin is usually not summarized in 90 seconds.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Usually referred to as “The sinner’s prayer”.
Pastor Doug: Right. And the little variations of it, but it basically, a person says, “I’ve accepted Jesus, I repent of my sins, I’d like to make Him Lord of my life”. And it summarizes what the essence of coming to Christ is, that you are going to trust Him as your savior for your sins. But you know, a person needs to make that decision and then nurture and cultivate that through their lives. Once they say that prayer, that doesn’t mean, then they can go live for the world and salvation is guaranteed. Oh Donald, I wish we had more time for that question, it’s my favorite subject. We do have a lesson that deals with, how you can accept Christ and what it means to be saved, Pastor Ross? That’s “The Ultimate Deliverance”.
Pastor Jëan Ross: “The Ultimate Deliverance” and I think it’s “Rescue From Above”?
Pastor Doug: Oh I’m sorry, “Rescue From Above”, correct!
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number 1-800-835-6747, you can ask for the study guide, “Rescue From Above”.
Pastor Doug: Talks about the plan of salvation, and we’d like for everybody to say that prayer, to accept Jesus, and to understand what the Bible teaches about how to have eternal life. Listening friends, you can tell our time is about up for tonight’s program we’d love to hear from you, you can just go to our website, “Amazingfacts.org”. And God bless you, till next week.
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