Todd Lincoln

Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, seem to have a life at the close calls. For starters, Todd was the only one of his 3 brothers to survive beyond the teenage years. Then, when Todd was about 20, he fell between a moving train in the station platform. A fast-thinking stranger seized Todd by the coat collar and pulled him back to the platform saving his life. Todd quickly recognized the good Samaritan as the famous actor, Edwin T. Booth. If that name sounds familiar it’s because Edwin’s infamous brother, John Wilkes Booth, assassinated Todd Lincoln’s father one year later. He was not at the Ford Theater when his father was shot but he was present at his bedside when he died.

Later, Todd carved out his own political career and was rewarded with the secretary of work post under the President James Garfield. In 1881, only 4 months into his new position, Garfield enlightened Lincoln to join him on a trip to New Jersey. Before either man could step onto the train, Garfield was gunned down. A few years later, Todd Lincoln was in Buffalo by invitation of President William McKinley. While at a speaking engagement, an assassin shot McKinley twice. Lincoln did not see the shooting but he was in the room and heard the gun shots. McKinley died 8 days later from his wounds. Knowing he seemed to be bad luck for his presidential pals, Lincoln turned down just about every presidential invitation that came his way, saying, “There seems to be certain fatality about the presidential functions when I’m present.”

With one exception, he did attend the dedication of the Lincoln memorial in 1922. You’ll be happy to know, President Warren G. Harding and former President William Howard Taft well survived the occasion. Few people have witnessed so many history-making events. But the Bible speaks of one or two. Stay with us friends, we’re going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Jëan Ross: Welcome to Bible Answers Live with author and evangelist Pastor Doug Batchelor. Is understanding God’s word a challenge? Are there passages of Scripture that are a mystery to you? Maybe it’s difficult to reconcile what you read in the Bible to what you’ve always believed. If you have Bible-related questions, stay tuned to get honest, practical answers straight from the Word of God on Bible Answers Live. Bible Answers Live is a production of Amazing Facts Ministries dedicated to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world. Our lines are open so call us now at 800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 800-463-7297. Now, here is your host, Pastor Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Doug: Welcome, friends, to a fresh installment of Bible Answers Live. And if you’re joining us for the first time, this is a live, international interactive Bible study and we’re delighted that you’ve tuned in. We’d like to think it’s by plan but if it’s just by God’s providence, then stay tuned because we’re going to take live Bible questions. It’s always an adventure; we don’t know exactly what question is coming in. And we invite you to call in with your Bible questions. That number is 800-GOD-SAYS; that’s 800-463-7297. And my name is Doug Batchelor and Pastor Jëan Ross is off for tonight. And so, if you have a question, give us a call now. As always, we like to start the program with a word of prayer. Loving Father in Heaven, we’re so thankful for Your Word that gives eternal life to those that are liberated by the truth. I pray Lord that You’ll take charge of every aspect of this broadcast this evening. Be with those who are listening, with the one who is speaking. And I also pray that you’ll bless in every other way so that ultimately, the truth of Christ will be heard and sensed, and lives will be transformed. And this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Well friends, in our opening talk, we were dealing with— I guess I would title it—the odd luck of Todd Lincoln, a very unusual life. It’s strange enough that he would be present when three Presidents died, only one in history I’m sure. And secondly, to be saved by the brother of the man who would ultimately kill his father. He began to wonder if he had bad luck but he witnessed an enormous amount of histories spanning from the time before the civil war all the way up into the last century. And you know, I think in the Bible about what it must’ve been like to witness so much history in one lifetime. And one name that comes to mind is the name of Joshua; we can add the name of Caleb. There were only two individuals that were part of the original group that left Egypt that saw all of the plagues and the amazing things the Lord did, that were over 20 years of age when they left, that survived and watched the other miracles entering into the Promised Land, and actually witnessed God’s people finally inheriting that land flowing with milk and honey. Joshua is one of those and so is Caleb.

Near the end of Joshua’s life before he died, he had heard all the promises from God’s word that Moses had written and spoken and he closed by saying this, in Joshua 23:14, “And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All has come to pass unto you; not one thing has failed.” That must have been something to just watch all of those terrible and amazing plagues that fell on the Egyptians, to see not only the Red Sea part, but to survive all of those miracles in the wilderness for 40 years. And then watch the Jordan River part, see all the victory, see the walls of Jericho fall— Joshua saw all of that.

You know I was thinking as I was talking about Todd Lincoln about a special book we’d like to share with you tonight. We very rarely give this away but tonight we’re going to. It’s actually written during the time of Abraham Lincoln. And it’s a true story that is very inspiring and simply a book we want to share with you. You want to be inspired? Request this book if you’ve not read it. It’s called “The Drummer Boy’s Prayer,” and I’m not going to tell you much about it but it’s a story and it’s a remarkable story, and it’s an inspiring story that took place during the time of the civil war and shortly after during the time of Todd Lincoln. And if you’d like a free copy of “The Drummer Boy’s Prayer,” call our toll-free number, operator is standing by right now. The number is 800-835-6747. I’ll do that one more time in case you didn’t have a utensil with you. Write this down, 800-835-6747. Call that resource number and ask for “The Drummer Boy’s Prayer.” It’s free, so be inspired.

You know, I think that I’ll reserve as much time as possible for your questions tonight. So with that introduction… oh, by the way, one more thing, a lot of what we offer and do is available at the Amazing Facts website. It’s easy to remember, it’s Amazing Facts (dot)… (dot) anything. Amazingfacts.org, ORG, amazingfacts.com, .net, .tv, and you’ll find a blizzard of resources there— Bible study resources, videos, radio programs, things to read, and a lot of it is free. And so, we want you to take advantage of that and use it in your personal study or maybe you’re doing Bible studies with others, amazingfacts.org.

We’re going to start by going to Richmond California, and talking with BC, listening on KFIA. Welcome to the program! BC, you’re on the air.

BC: Can you hear me?

Pastor Doug: Loud and clear.

BC: Can you hear me, Pastor Doug?

Pastor Doug: I hear you.

BC: Okay. I was wondering, you know, the kind of powers God has. Will He give us the same powers when we make it to Heaven?

Pastor Doug: The power that God has, will we have the same power when we get to Heaven? No, God— only God— is what they call Omnipotent. He is All-powerful. Will we have additional powers? I believe that’s yes. For instance, you can read in Isaiah where it tells us that we will run and not be weary, we will walk and not faint. And again, Isaiah says, “They will mount up with wings like eagles.” I believe we’ll have the power to fly. And now, when angels come to and fro from the earth, they don’t travel the speed of… well, they don’t travel the speed of the interstate, and they don’t travel the speed of sound, which is about 700 miles an hour. And they travel faster than the speed of light. So we’ll be able to travel through the cosmos, probably the speed of thought. I don’t know what measurement they use but angels go pretty quick. Because you can read in the book of Daniel chapter 9, Daniel starts praying and by the end of his prayer, Gabriel appears and Gabriel says, “At the beginning of your prayer, I was sent.” And by the end of Daniel’s prayer, he’s come all the way from Heaven to earth.

So yes, we will have enhanced powers. We’ll have an enhanced discernment. But… and we’ll have definitely enhanced enjoyment. But we will never have the power of God; God’s power is infinitely higher than any of His creatures because He made everything. Good question and I hope that helps you a little bit. Going to move on and talk with Robert, calling from Crawford, Idaho, I believe that is. Robert, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live!

Robert: Brother Doug, it’s Crawford of Indiana.

Pastor Doug: Oh, I’m sorry.

Robert: Yes sir.

Pastor Doug: And our question.

Robert: Yes. My question is an answer that you gave several years ago to this that brought me into the church. And I thought, “Well, maybe I’ll ask this question tonight and bring another soul into the church.”

Pastor Doug: Well, praise the Lord!

Robert: And it has to do with the three nights and three days in the tomb.

Pastor Doug: Yes, in Matthew chapter 12 is I think what you’re talking about?

Robert: Yes sir.

Pastor Doug: And probably verse 39. Jesus is saying that it was an evil and adulterous generation that seeks after sign and no sign will be given but the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth. And that’s actually Matthew 12:40— three days, three nights, heart of the earth. And people automatically read that and they naturally think “heart of the earth,” that must be the tomb. And Jesus will be in the tomb three days and three nights and that’s actually a false assumption. And they say, “Wait a second! If He died Friday,” you know, people know about Good Friday, “and if He rose Sunday morning, then that might be part of two nights but it’s certainly not three nights.” And they think, “Ah! Bible can’t be trusted,” or they say, “Well, maybe He was crucified on Wednesday or Thursday,” and they… and everything gets juggled and really they’re… it’s a tempest in a teapot because they’re misunderstanding the very simple phrase “heart of the earth.” They are assuming “heart of the earth” means the tomb. And in the original language, it’s talking about “in the midst of the world.”

Nowhere in the Bible does it call the “heart of the earth” a tomb. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer and say, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven,” “in earth” doesn’t mean “in the tomb” but means “in the world.” And so, what it’s really saying is from the time that Christ resigned Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane— that same night, Thursday night— He celebrated the Passover, which started before sundown. He sealed the New Testament covenant. Judas went out and got the crowd to betray Him, Christ went to the Garden to pray three times, “Not My will, Thy will be done.” At that moment, He said, “Now, it is the hour.” I think three or four times in the Gospel, Jesus says, “Now is the hour.” So you start measuring there. That’s when He started suffering for our sins. For three days and three nights, Jesus was in the heart of the earth, meaning in the clutches of the world. He was… the Lord God, the Father, withdrew His protection from Jesus. And Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, He was paying the penalty for sin. The penalty for sin is not just the death that He experienced. It was suffering and death. Christ began suffering when the mob came to arrest Him Thursday night. For three days and three nights, He kind of went wherever He was dragged by this demon-possessed mob.

Just like Jonah, wherever the sea monster took him, he was basically a captive. And Christ went through that same kind of darkness and captivity for three days and three nights. So, by the way, we have a book and maybe you’ve read this, Robert. You’re sharing the Good News with others, but we have a book we’ll give to people who ask that tells this whole story and explains this very important prophecy. Christ said, “No sign will be given but the sign of Jonah.” And we have a book called, “The Sign of Jonah.” We’ll send to anybody who asks for it. And that number, once again, 800-835-6747. Ask for the book, “The Sign of Jonah.” It will explain three days and three nights, and much more. Appreciate your call, Robert. We’re going to move on now and talk with Bruce who’s calling from Middletown, California, listening also in KFIA. Welcome, Bruce!

Bruce: Well, thank you for welcoming me and thanks for blessing us tonight with [laughing] discussions like these. You know, I have a question. It’s kind of complicated but I’ll be 60 in a couple of weeks and maybe that’s one of the reasons why I came up with this one tonight. But, now I’m talking about chapter 2 in Genesis verse 7 that’s where God made man out of the dust. Without a mother, probably without an umbilical cord. I take a lot for granted because it doesn’t really say that in the Bible. And then later, done a run, I guess verse 18 chapter 2 of Genesis. It’s talking about the woman because he was lonely. But now, at the same time in chapter 6 in the book of Genesis, you have these sons of God. Many people believed they’re fallen angels. Okay. And I just wonder now, do you think Adam was creating finally with Eve the same where the angels did with the other women? And there are also laws in the Bible in the book of, you know, the laws of Moses about no sex with the animals. Could the fallen angels actually, you know, do with women with… the same things they could do with animals and produce children with them?

Pastor Doug: Let me interrupt that thought and…

Bruce: Okay.

Pastor Doug: …because you’re making an assumption there, Bruce that I think I need to try and redirect you if you’ll let me. A lot of people…

Bruce: Yeah, I take some for granted… okay.

Pastor Doug: A lot of people believed when it says “sons of God,” they’re in Genesis 6 that these are some kind of either angels or fallen angels, or I’ve even heard people say that they’re aliens that were pro-creating with humans. That is a common misconception. I think there’s probably even a few paraphrase Bibles that contribute to the confusion. Though the “sons of God” here that you read about in Genesis 6:2, “The sons of God saw the daughters of men were fair.” Let me give you the picture. After Cain killed his brother, it says, “Cain took his wife,” and he went off in a different direction and started a city and he began to procreate with his wife and his offspring and the whole genealogy of Cain is given. And it’s before chapter 6. Seth and Adam and Eve and their other children, they stayed together and they were called the “sons of God.” Now, if you look at the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3, it traces it back to Adam and it says “who was the Son of God.”

In 1 John chapter 3:1, it says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called sons of God.” And so, when it’s talking about “sons of God” here, it’s not speaking about aliens. It’s talking about the descendants of Seth began to intermarry with the descendants of Cain. And that’s why the world was pretty much given up to wickedness. And so, with that background— and you’ll find that in a number of commentaries— Adam Clarke and Matthew Henry, they all agreed that, you know, the Bible is pretty clear angels don’t marry and they don’t procreate. So, does that make sense Bruce?

Bruce: Well, it does except for the mark of the beast. I mean, Goliath was a beast and that was 6 fingers and 6 toes. Somehow, they were inbred through the woman, I think…

Pastor Doug: Yeah. Well, you’re right.

Bruce: …into this creature like Goliath.

Pastor Doug: You’re right! Goliath probably… now, Goliath didn’t have 6 fingers and toes. His son did, but I know what you’re talking about. But you’re right. Goliath probably was doing some inbreeding and there may have been inbreeding early in the Garden because, you know, Cain probably married a sister. But… and that’s why you had genetic vitality. That’s why these offspring between the sons of God and the daughters of men were giants. They say if you cross a lion and a tiger, you got a liger, and they’re very big cats. They’re bigger than a lion or a tiger. So but they’re not aliens. And, anyway, I don’t know if I’m answering your question or if that’s helping.

Bruce: Well, you know, the one question I had was do you think Adam, you know, God… the Holy Spirit came upon Mary. And I imagine without sperm or any of the things that men are accustomed to use and to make children. He produced a son through Mary but at the same time, would Adam have that capability because he was created without a mother. Just like God was.

Pastor Doug: Would Adam have a capability…

Bruce: I mean, he was in the beginning, God was in the beginning I’m saying, but you see, he was made of dust, he had no mother, no umbilical cord, no belly button possibly, at the same time, maybe no sperm like God— immaculately conceived His own Son through the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Doug: Well, you know, in the Bible, it tells us that Adam knew his wife and she conceived. We’re assuming that Adam has plumbing just like every man since he was the first man and that, you know, every man since that has been designed similarly. I hope that helps a little. We’ll probably need to give some of the other folks a chance here and I appreciate your call, Bruce. Alright, going to talk next with Laureta, who doesn’t know, but she’s calling on line 7. Savannah Tennessee. Welcome, Laureta. You’re on the air!

Laureta: Yes. Good evening, Pastor Doug.

Pastor Doug: Evening!

Laureta: I’ve got a question for you. My question is about David numbering the people. Now, during the Nuremberg trial, they tried these soldiers and their response was, “Oh, I was just following orders.” Now, when Joab was given the instructions for orders to number the people, should he have not numbered the people and risk the wrath of David because he knew that God had told him not to number the people or was he right in numbering the people?

Pastor Doug: Well, he was, you know, I’m not going to even judge whether Joab was right or wrong. Joab made a lot of mistakes. You probably know Joab ended up being…

Laureta: Yes.

Pastor Doug: David said that Joab should be killed at the end of his life. And Solomon had him executed. Joab was quite a character, good and bad. But Joab was so disgusted by David’s command; he didn’t completely number them.

Laureta: He didn’t number them all, correct.

Pastor Doug: He didn’t… yeah. He just kind of threw his hands in the air and because the thing was he realized that David had gotten proud. David was not numbering Israel so he could make sure everybody was covered and fed and organized. He was basically saying, “Look how big my kingdom is.”

Laureta: Yes.

Pastor Doug: “I wonder how many I have.” And so, the motive of David’s heart and the nation had become proud; and David was proud right along with them about all their victories and pride. You know, someone once said, “You’re never more like the devil than when you’re proud.” And…

Laureta: Why was not just David alone punished but the people were punished?

Pastor Doug: Well, you know, it’s often true through history that bad decisions of leaders, people suffer because…

Laureta: Yes.

Pastor Doug: …you know, no man is an island. We’re to love each other and our decisions impact each other. The decisions of parents impact children and the decisions of kings and presidents impact people. I mean, look how many wars where innocent people have died because their leaders made the decisions. And so, yeah. The people often suffer at the hands of their leaders. And you know, another reason God did that is David even asked the Lord. He said, “Lord, what have these sheep done? Why are you letting them suffer…”

Laureta: Yes, yes.

Pastor Doug: …for my sin?” And David, as a shepherd, was thinking like a shepherd. The sheep haven’t done anything, why are they suffering?

Laureta: Yes.

Pastor Doug: And, probably, the Lord was looking in the heart of every individual and the whole nation. A lot of them were also sinning in their hearts and in their lives. Not everyone died. The Lord picked who those people were and there were probably other things going on in their lives. You know what I’m saying?

Laureta: Oh, okay.

Pastor Doug: So, you know, God… His time is perfect. When a plane goes down, we could say, “Why did that happen?” I mean, does that mean everyone on the plane was lost? No! Does that mean everyone who died in this plague was lost? No! But it was a judgment that came and some people died early.

Laureta: Okay. Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that. That gives a lot of insight.

Pastor Doug: Alright, thank you. Appreciate your question.

Laureta: Okay, thank you.

Pastor Doug: Alright. And with that, we’re going to talk to Jessica. Jessica is calling from New Jersey. Welcome! No, you’re calling from Lake Placid, Florida.

Jessica: Hi, Pastor Doug.

Pastor Doug: Jessica, you’re on the air. Hi, how are you doing?

Jessica: Good evening.

Pastor Doug: Evening!

Jessica: How are you doing?

Pastor Doug: Oh! It’s a great day in Sacramento.

Jessica: It was raining here, a while ago.

Pastor Doug: Well, hoaw’s your question tonight?

Jessica: Yes, I have a question tonight. Why and how the plan of salvation before sin? And He knows everything’s going to happen. It’s about like kind of made up plan. Like I said…

Pastor Doug: How did God know to make… to create the plan of salvation before sin?

Jessica: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Jessica: [Inaudible, caller’s end 00:23:07).

Pastor Doug: Alright. Because God is All-knowing… let me see if I could put it this way. Because God sees everything and He can anticipate, He made preparation in advance. I’ve got several children and when they were young, I’d watch how they climbed and ran and played. I didn’t wait for them to cut their knee before I got bandage. I bought bandage before they cut their knee because I knew, growing up, that that happens. And God, knowing that He gave this freedom to all His creatures to make choices— to choose to love Him, to choose not to— He understood that someday, someone would abuse that freedom and love themselves supremely. And that’s what the devil did. And the devil tempted our first parents not to trust God’s Word and to put self-love ahead of love for God and for their fellow men.

So God made a provision in advance. And that’s why it talks there in Revelation about, you know, God who prepared this Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world. God knew in advance what was going to happen. The plan was not activated until, you know, until man had fallen. You don’t take a band aid out of a sterilized wrapper until you actually need it but you got it there. And that’s how the Lord had prepared for the plan of salvation. Does that help, Jessica?

Jessica: Yeah, but that is mind-boggling to me although I know that God [inaudible, caller’s end 00:24:34:09] and I know that. I’m so glad also and happy to know that He created me to be a part of His…

Pastor Doug: That’s right and you know…

Jessica: …creation and I know that I’m an apple of His eye and it’s really… sometimes, yeah, I [inaudible, caller’s end 00:24:50:07] sinning and questioning like that, you know.

Pastor Doug: Yeah. Well, you know what, you don’t need to worry. God, He knows everything and you can just trust Him that He’s made preparation. And we are also free to choose Him. Hey, you know, I’d like to send you book if you’d like, Jessica. It’s called, “Man’s Flicker or God’s Flame.” That’s our free book we’ll send you if you like, “Man’s Flicker or God’s Flame.” And now, let me see. We got time, I think, for one more before our break. We’re going to talk to Demetrius who is calling from New Jersey, listening on WMCA. Demetrius, you are on the air.

Demetrius: Hi, my question is about Deuteronomy 22, start at 23 but going to 28, but more in particularly about 25 where it talks about a betrothed virgin being raped in a field and then it goes on to talk about a non-betrothed virgin getting raped in a field. It seems a little disturbing to me that they’re two different… one person could pay for his sins and another one would die, you know, in regards to his action.

Pastor Doug: Well, there’s a reason for that and I think even certain modern laws are patterned after this.

Demetrius: Okay.

Pastor Doug: If, first of all, if this young man, you know, sensibly… let’s take a scenario here that you’ve got a young man and young lady and they get into trouble and they’re out in the fields somewhere. And that used to happen, I guess pretty commonly. You can read in the book of Ruth that when Ruth was out gleaning, you know, the young ladies were out there and they’re kind of vulnerable. And Boaz said, “Make sure that no young man troubles her.” And so it was, it’d be hard to know whether she was flirting and participating and a willing participant or if she was forced. If she was betrothed to somebody else, it was more likely that it was the young man’s fault. And he would be punished that way. If they were young people that just got into trouble together, then he had the opportunity to pay and maybe even marry her.

Demetrius: Okay.

Pastor Doug: And you know, that’s a law that’s followed around the world where, you know, if young people go too far, sometimes, the parents used to call it a “shotgun wedding.” You heard that expression before?

Demetrius: Shotgun wedding, yeah.

Pastor Doug: But if she was already engaged to someone else and some other man forced her, there’s no atoning for that. Then he couldn’t pay a price and say, “Look, I’ll marry her,” or “I’ll pay to the father because her dowry is going to be lost now.” They used to have dowries that were paid to men for their daughters because, you know, the sons usually would be the earners that would take care of the families and daughters would go away. And so, their only income was this dowry.

Demetrius: Well, my issue with that whole thing is, why isn’t there any law pertaining to a woman who is not betrothed? Like for instance, David’s daughter was raped by David’s son.

Pastor Doug: Yeah. In that story there, you know, obviously, what happened with Tamar and Amnon, David really missed responding to that appropriately. Demetrius, I apologize. This background music is sort of relentless for us. But, once again, we have a phone number if you want to call for our free resources that we’ve been talking about. Tonight it’s “The Drummer Boy’s Prayer,” and that number again, 800-835-6747. And in just a moment, we’re going to be back with more Bible questions, friends. Don’t go anywhere. And also, just remember, amazingfacts.org. We have a new website— I know people that are just… their lives have been changed by it. It’s called Bible Prophecy Truth; bibleprophecytruth.com. You got to take a look at that. Once you look at it, link it to everyone else. We’ll be right back, friends, after this.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Jëan Ross: Welcome back to Bible Answers Live with Pastor Doug Batchelor. This broadcast is pre-recorded. If you have a Bible-related question, you can call us from 7 to 8 P.M. Pacific Standard Time on Sundays and receive clear, honest answers directly from Scripture. Call 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. Now, please join us as we look to God’s word for more Bible answers live with author and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Doug: Welcome back, friends! And if some of you joined us enroute, this is Bible Answers Live and we’re glad you’re on board. It’s a live, international interactive Bible study. We’re on hundreds of stations across North America and around the world via the Internet. And if you have a Bible question, we still have… oh, got one line open. Let’s see who gets it. That number is 800-GOD-SAYS; 800-463-7297. And I’m going to go back to the phones. I hope I’d tied off Demetrius question. And we’re going to go on and talk with Philip now who is calling from Cleveland, Ohio, on the Internet. Welcome, Philip! You’re on the air.

Philip: How are you?

Pastor Doug: Pretty good. How are you doing?

Philip: Not too bad. And my question concerns Matthew 24:36, where it talks about the Second Coming and states that nobody knows the day or the hour; not the angels in Heaven or the Son but only the Father.

Pastor Doug: Yes.

Philip: Why doesn’t the Son know?

Pastor Doug: Well, I think it’s more accurate to say why “didn’t” the Son know? When Jesus was on earth, the Bible tells us in Colossians and in Philippians that He basically laid aside a dimension of His divinity. Think about this for a moment, when Jesus came to earth as a baby and He was in the manger, He was in His basinet in Nazareth, He did not have all the knowledge of the cosmos swirling around in His head and He probably wasn’t thinking to Himself, “I don’t dare start talking yet because it’s going to scare Mary and Joseph. So I’ll wait until I’m at least ten or two or one before I start talking.” Jesus matured, He became a Man. He matured and grew as a boy and He had spiritual enlightment because, you know, when He went to the temple, the Holy Spirit revealed things to Him but He wasn’t just teaching. He was asking questions.

And so, Christ had available to Him what the Father revealed to Him. Sometimes, Jesus would even find out what was in a person’s heart. He knew what they were thinking but for Him to have all the knowledge of the future, Jesus did not have, you know, necessarily all the rocket ships that were going to be developed in all the countries and their new names. And He didn’t have all that encyclopedia of histories swirling around in His head all the time. And so, while He was on earth as a Man, He said, “I don’t know the day and the hour.” But certainly now, as He’s glorified back in Heaven, I believe He does know. I mean, I can’t think of any reason why the Father would say, you know, “Jesus, I can’t trust you with this information so I’m not going to tell you exactly when you’re supposed to come back.” You know, of course, He knows now. But on earth, He didn’t know. And so, He basically was telling the disciples, “Don’t prod me for a date because I don’t even know that now.” He wanted them to be ready.

Philip: Okay, thanks a lot.

Pastor Doug: Alright. You have a good question, appreciate that.

Philip: Bye now.

Pastor Doug: Bye-bye. Alright, going to talk now with… let’s see. Who’s been waiting a long time? Paul has. Talk to Paul, calling from Sacramento, California, on KFIA. Welcome, Paul!

Paul: Good morning, I mean, good afternoon.

Pastor Doug: How are you doing?

Philip: How are you? My question is according to Ephesians chapter 6, the Bible says how we are supposed to respect our parents. But if you’ve been physically, mentally, sexually, emotionally, and fully abused by your parents, how do you sit there and look them in the face and show them that same respect?

Pastor Doug: Alright. Well, the verse that I think that Paul might be referring to, it says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.” That’s very important that it says “in the Lord,” because, Paul, if your parents, for instance, told you, “I want you to go rob this bank.” Well, you do need to honor your parents but you don’t need to rob the bank because you should put your honor for God and His law first. And so, when it tells you in the commandments to honor your father and mother, it could be very hard to feel love. I mean, you can choose to be loving though you may not feel it. You might need to choose to forgive your parents and show them respect. I mean, we respect strangers on the street when we meet them for the first time. And so, we should at least show the kind of respect that we would show any human being. That doesn’t mean you need to submit to their abusive behavior anymore. That’s why it says honor them “in the Lord.” There are limitations to that “honor” where the Lord has to come first. And I think God understands that, you know, if you’ve had extremely dysfunctional parents, God is not expecting you to fond to their ungodly desires.

Philip: Well, would it be still wrong if I disassociated myself from them because of, I want to say, well, the hate that I have in my heart even though the Lord says not supposed to hate anybody because your prayers won’t be answered. But when you get around to parents who did this and your stomach crunches, will it be so wrong if I just disassociated myself with them?

Pastor Doug: It’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate but it is not a sin if, obviously, man or woman, if you have parents that are constantly being… and you’re an adult now, obviously.

Philip: Yes.

Pastor Doug: If you’ve got parents that are constantly being abusive or you’ve got these, it’s an obstacle to your relationship with the Lord and having peace. There’s a place in the Bible where one king, he had a mother that started turning to idols and he removed her from the palace and removed her from being queen because God came first. And so, you know, there are times when while you may say, “Look, I respect that you are my mother and father, and anything good I may have learned from you. But you know, for me to be healthy with God, we need to have our space.” And I think the Lord understands that and it’s possible for a Christian to do that.

Philip: Alright.

Pastor Doug: Alright.

Philip: Thank you. Alright, thank you.

Pastor Doug: Hey, by the way, we do have a study guide that talks about specifically the commandments and how you relate them, and it’s called “Written in Stone.” And you might enjoy a free copy of that. That number is 800-835-6747. And it’s called, “Written in Stone.” Appreciate your call, Paul. Talking next to Donna, calling from Detroit, Michigan. Donna, you’re on the air, listening on WMUZ.

Donna: Hello, Pastors and everybody out there and the…

Pastor Doug: Radio world.

Donna: Hello, how are you doing?

Pastor Doug: Good! And you question tonight?

Donna: My question was almost basically just like the gentleman prior but I… it says in the Bible that we should abstain from all appearances of evil such as negativity whether it’s in the radio, TV, friends, and family. I’m trying to find out from someone because I really don’t know how to ask this question. I might be asking amiss, please forgive me. How do you, and yet we are supposed to, administer the Word of God to people who are lost.

Pastor Doug: Right.

Donna: My question is this. If they have gone through some experiences— negative experiences— and they are, shall we say, they have made them evil or made them negative, how are you supposed to administer the Word of God to people’s family and also on TV? Are you supposed to be selective with your TV watching and you radio? For example, on the radio, I like to listen to gospel and classical, and jazz. Am I to be selective in my radio listening and in my TV watching?

Pastor Doug: Alright. Well, you’ve asked several questions there. And first of all, how do you administer the Word to people that, you know, sometimes are challenging? Well, it’s true. Based on the experience, the upbringing, the education, it is easier in some cases in others. Some people’s hearts are more prepared like the parable Jesus gave of the soil. You have those 4 different kinds of soil that received the seed differently. And sometimes, a person will embrace the Word but they don’t go anywhere with it. And other times, it just bounces off the ground and the birds eat it. And of course, then you have times where their hearts are fertile, they’ve been cultivated by the Spirit or experience, and they receive it and they’re fruitful.

On your second question about, you know, how do I ration what I take into my mind whether it’s music or TV watching or videos? You know, there’s a litmus test that’s given in Philippians where it tells us “whatsoever things are good, whatsoever things are holy, whatsoever things are noble and just,” we should meditate of those things. Now, I’m just giving you a paraphrase of the verse. So, measure things by, you know, what would Jesus do? Is this something Jesus would listen to? Is it something Jesus would watch? And we want to ask ourselves, are we feeding the right side of our nature? Everybody has the carnal nature in their bodies that are at war with the spiritual side. And we want to feed the side of the nature that’s going to survive.

Now, I have a study guide. I’ll be happy to send you a copy, Donna. And it’s called “No Turning Back.” It talks about some of the standards of Christian living and how do you apply these things. And if you’d like a free copy of that, just call the toll-free number and ask for “No Turning Back.” That number one more time is 800-835-6747. I said one more time, I’d probably give it again before the program is over. Thanks for your call, Donna. Hope that helps a little bit. Talking next with Martin, calling from Brooklyn, New York. Welcome, Martin! You’re on the air.

Martin: Hello?

Pastor Doug: Yes sir! Your question tonight.

Martin: Can you hear me?

Pastor Doug: Loud and clear.

Martin: Oh, great. Yes, this is Martin from Brooklyn. I want to find out, Pastor Doug, is it true that Christians do not drink?

Pastor Doug: Well, I believe that Bible Christians will abstain from alcohol.

Martin: What that means?

Pastor Doug: What does that mean?

Martin: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Well, it means that I don’t think Bible Christians should drink any alcohol because alcohol is probably the most destructive, addictive drug in North America more than cocaine or LSD or heroin. There are more people that die every day from alcohol than all of the other drugs combined. And so, I just don’t see any way that a Christian should support that. You know, the Bible tells us that wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whoever is deceived by this is not wise. So, I actually have a book I can send you on this if you’d like a copy, Martin. It’s called “The Christian and Alcohol.” I’ll send you a free copy if you’d like.

Martin: That’d be a good idea.

Pastor Doug: You just call this number, tell them your name and address, and they’ll send this to you. The number is 800-835-6747. Tell them you’d like to get the book, and it’s called, “The Christian and Alcohol,” written by yours truly. And it goes to the Bible, looks at all the verses in Bible and the principles about wine, when Jesus turned the water into wine, what does this all mean? Should Christians drink? And take a look at that. Anybody who is wondering about this Bible question, you can call that same number and ask for that offer, “The Christian and Alcohol,” and it’ll summarize those verses for you. 800-835-6747. Appreciate your call, Martin. Talking next with Gayle, calling from Falls Church, Virginia. Is that right, Gayle?

Gayle: It is, thank you.

Pastor Doug: And your question.

Gayle: My question concerns tithing of 10% of your income and I’ve never heard this part of the question addressed before. To clarify what is income, I’m a baby boomer, as probably millions of us are.

Pastor Doug: I am, too.

Gayle: Okay, there you go! Approaching retirement, and so I’ll be receiving social security check as my income. And a friend of mine who’s totally disabled receives a disability check as her income. I just got an insurance settlement from a car accident. Is that an income? And even lottery numbers, not me… I mean, winners, but not me.

Pastor Doug: You’re asking good questions and you’re asking too many of them.

Gayle: But what is tithing?

Pastor Doug: Alright.

Gayle: And what does that classify income?

Pastor Doug: Alright. The tithe is to be paid on your increase. That’s talking about your profits. So let’s suppose… let’s take social security, one thing at a time here. They’re good questions. When you receive social security at your retirement, you have… it’s presumed that over the course of your work in life, you have paid in to a fund when you get your paycheck. And that some of that is held back so that in, you know, later years of your life or if there’s some emergency, that social security will help you with those things. Well, if when you get your check and you pay tithe on your gross check that you get— the gross amount— you’ve already theoretically paid tithe on that social security money you’re getting later. You see what I’m saying?

Gayle: Yes.

Pastor Doug: It’s just instead of it being kept in your bank account, it’s kept in Uncle Sam’s bank account. And with your insurance, same thing. If you get an insurance settlement… well, you bought a car, you paid for insurance. You paid tithe when you get your regular check that pays these bills and now, your car needs to be replaced because there’s an accident. Well, you already paid tithe on the money that bought the car and that bought the insurance. You see what I’m saying?

Gayle: Yes.

Pastor Doug: So you’re just being… you’re just trading the car that was drive in for the money that now needs to use… to be used to buy and replace the car. So that’s not increase, that’s really a transfer. Increase is when you earn and you receive a profit for your work; that’s your increase. So, let me give you one more, all confusing even further here. You’re selling t-shirts at a concession, that’s how you make money— you sell t-shirts. And these are crazy numbers but I’m going to just make it up. I’m making up some numbers to illustrate a point. You buy the t-shirts for $9 but you only sell them for $10. What’s your profit? $1. So do you pay tithe on $10? Then you have no profit. See what I’m saying?

Gayle: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Yeah. You may have sold the t-shirt for $10 but it cost you $9 to get the t-shirt. If you paid tithe on all $10, you never have any increase. That’s not what God was talking about. It’s you have to pay tithe on your profit, on your increase. See what I’m saying?

Gayle: You’re saying, as I understand what you’re saying, retirees don’t tithe?

Pastor Doug: Well, not necessarily. You tithe on your income if… if your only income is social security, and if you have paid into that social security from your check over your working life, and you’re paying tithe on your… the gross of your check, now if you’re only paying tithe on what you net and take home, then you’ve never really paid tithe on that social security money, then you should. Does that make sense?

Gayle: I see what you’re saying. Yes.

Pastor Doug: Alright. So, you know God is asking us to pay tithe on our income, on our increase. Now, I’ve got a free book I’ll be happy to send you on this, Gayle. It’s actually a study guide. You know, I wish if people order these, and they look at them and they see how attractive they are, they’re beautiful full color, all the way through, there’s color. There’s amazing facts scattered and questions and answers in Scriptures, and it just really is a great teaching device. And these are the Amazing Facts study guides. We have one called “In God We Trust.” And it talks about faithfulness with our money and what the Bible says about tithe and offerings and it’s really clear when you go through it. Anybody that has questions on that subject, call that toll-free number, 800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide, “In God We Trust,” and we’ll send it to you. Thank you for your call, Gayle. We’re going to jump over and talk to Robert, calling from Bloomfield, New Jersey, on line 6. Robert, are you on the air?

Robert: Good evening Pastor.

Pastor Doug: Are you there? Evening!

Robert: Hi! My question is concerning Abraham where he was, at that time, called Abram and it’s in Genesis 12 from 10 to 30. And there’s 2 things that bothered me about that passage. And… but when Abram enters Egypt with Sarah, he’s telling her to say that he’s… that she’s his sister not his wife, or were rather his sister.

Pastor Doug: Right.

Robert: Now, he does present her as it. Now, he is her… that is his half-sister so when they said that he’s lying, a lot of times they say he lied and said that was his sister. Now but she is… she is his half-sister and also, when he was presented to Pharaoh, Pharaoh had no knowledge of who she was. Why did God punish Pharaoh for not… when he had no idea who she was?

Pastor Doug: Alright. Good, good questions. Let me take a stab at that.

Robert: Yes.

Pastor Doug: First of all, when Abraham said Sarah was his sister… well, look, your relationship with your wife is very intimate and different from your relationship with your sister. And Abraham was sleeping with Sarah and trying to have a baby with Sarah. So, if you are to say, “What is she, my wife or my sister?” He didn’t want them to know that she was his wife and so he was hiding that relationship. That was dishonest. He left the wrong impression and someone once said, “A half-truth is a whole lie when you’re deliberately trying to mislead someone.”

Well, Abraham, you know, God records the good and the bad of His servants and Abraham fell… he fell down on this one. And later on, his son did the same thing. Isaac then lied about Rebecca when he stayed with the Philistines that, “She’s my sister,” because these women, I guess, were so beautiful that they knew that they’d spoil the Philistines and Egyptians who were going to be coveting them for their harems. And so, they were afraid for their lives. They must have been good-looking. It says Jacob kissed Rachel and cried. But, anyway, that was supposed to be a joke. But of course, I’m not going to have anyone laughing; I’m on the radio. Anyway, so then the second part of that question is dealing with, you know, was it wrong for him to do this? And yes, it was. He mislead. And so, this was a sin. Why did God… second part you’re really asking, why did God plague Pharaoh when this happened?

Pharaoh took her into his harem. He hadn’t slept with her yet but there was a danger that he was about to take Abraham’s wife, and all of the Messiah’s seed was going to come through Sarah. God’s whole plan for this nation and the whole Hebrew people where it’s going to come through is Sarah. And now, the king of Egypt was about to take her as his wife. So God stopped it. The plague that He sent was his women— his wives and his harems— suddenly, there was barrenness. And this is exactly what happened with Abraham’s posterity years later. When the children of Israel were carried off into Egypt or they went to Egypt and they were slaves there. Israel was the bride of God. The Pharaoh took Israel like his wife and said they’re mine. God plagued Pharaoh and said let my bride go, my people go. So everything that happened to Abraham during this time sort of was repeated in history through his descendants. It’s an amazing story when you think about it. So, hopefully that helps a little bit, Robert. I don’t specifically have an offer I can send you on that question, but I appreciate your call and I hope that helps a little bit. Turning now to talk to Lee, calling from Knoxville, Tennessee, listening on WITA. Welcome, Lee! You’re on the air.

Lee: Hello. Hello, Pastors and God bless. I have a question that I have heard, you know, other people referenced in another kind of way. But I’m going to try to word this question as best I can. Why— if you put in a room a whole bunch of different theologians and pastors from the main denominations and also from the Venice— why would you most theologians say it is biblical and Scriptural that there’s no such thing as annihilation that the Lake of Fire is the eternal contest torment, and…

Pastor Doug: Okay. I think I understand that. And before I even get to the question, I just want to tell you, you may know this but others listening, we have a study guide we’ll send you on the subject of the punishment of the wicked. It’s called, “Is the Devil In charge of Hell?” “Is the Devil In charge of Hell?” Most Christian theologians believe, the Bible’s very clear, that there is punishment for the wicked. Most believe that there is a Lake of Fire, that’s very clearly given in Revelation and Jesus said they’ll be destroyed with fire. The question is, are they conscious and awake forever? In other words, you’ve got a 15-year-old boy that commits suicide, is he now going to, in the resurrection, be tossed into burning sulfur and brimstones through billions of years feeling the raving agony of a burn?

You know, if I burn my hand for a second, it’ miserable. Just the idea of your whole body in one continual rising and falling blister for billions of years, and after billion years go by, you haven’t even started. It’s the justice of that and the character of God is impinged by that teaching that really comes from Greek mythology. And the church sort of adopted that because they found they’re able to manipulate people with fear. The verses… there’s a few verses in the Bible that are misunderstood, like for instance, when it talks about the wicked being destroyed without everlasting fire, it doesn’t mean the fire last forever. It means the result of the fire is everlasting because then, it says, “As Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with the same kind of eternal fire,” well, Sodom and Gomorrah were burned but they’re not still burning today. They were burned up but the result of that fire was eternal. And in the same way, Jesus is very clear. He said, “Don’t fear those that destroy the body but can’t destroy the soul. Rather, fear Him who will destroy soul and body in hell.” And then again, the famous verse, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish,” perish means cease to exist, “but have everlasting life.”

Some have turned that verse around to mean they shall not burn forever in hell but they’ll live forever in Heaven. And that’s not what it says. We’ve just 2 choices— life and death. We either have eternal life or eternal death. And so, the last thought of the lost is a thought of punishment and separation from God. So, in that sense, it’s frozen in time eternally; that’s their last thought. But a billion years from now, to have them still suffering, the Bible can’t be true if that’s true because it says in Revelation, “There is no more pain. All tears are wiped away, all things are made new.” If sinners are immortalized, that can’t be. So please, anyone who’s got a question on this, if you want to find out what the Bible says about the subject of hell and the Lake of Fire. We’re hoping no one experiences this firsthand but, you know, you might want to understand it. Ask for the study guide, “Is the Devil In charge of Hell?” That’s 800… call that number, 800-835-6747. Study guide is free and the phone call in free.

Oh, do I have time for one more question? Let me see here. Real quick, I’m going to try and talk to Eric who’s calling from Norwalk, California. Eric, we’ve got 2 minutes. Nope, I didn’t get Eric. One more time, Eric? I’m on with whom? You can tell Pastor Ross is in here. Eric?

Eric: Yes.

Pastor Doug: I’ve got about 90 seconds so you got a quick question?

Eric: Yeah, it’s a simple question. I just want to know the difference between King James Version and the New King James Version and which one would be more accurate?

Pastor Doug: I picked the right question. That’s not that hard and I appreciate it. They’re both very accurate. The main difference is the New King James, the Thomas Nelson Bible Translators went through and they tried to update in more modern terms some of the archaic English that was in the 1611 edition. As a matter of fact, the King James Bible that we read today has already been updated a couple of times. I read a 1611 Bible and it’s very hard for us to understand some of the original words in the 1611 version. King James is really just a modernized language. They haven’t changed any of the words. If you’ve memorized the King James Version, you’ll really recognize the New King James. It’s what I used to preach and they’re almost always the words lined up. There’s a few little differences. Anyway, I recommend it and hope that helps a little bit. By the way, we do have a study guide that deals with understanding the Bible translations. It’s called, “The Faithful Witness,” and we’ll send that to you for free. Call 800-835-6747.

Can you tell I’m rushing? I’m almost out of time. We’d like to hear from you, friends. Go to the website; click where it says Contact Us. Help us keep the program on the air. That website is amazingfacts.org; amazingfacts.org. You’ll find all kinds of Bible resources, Bible studies; there’ll be videos and sermons, and books and a lot of free material. Send the link on to your friends. You might be passing on eternal life to them. And remember, ‘til next week, Jesus is the truth that sets us free. God bless.

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