Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor, how about an amazing fact? In the jungles and rainforest of Central and South America can be found an unusual member of the Iguana family known as the Basilisk. From their crested head to their tails, these reptiles can grow up to two and a half feet long. They live most of the time up in the trees, but they’re never very far from a body of water. So in many ways they’re just typical big lizards in what they eat and where they live.
What makes them so amazing, however, is how they escape when threatened. They’re famous for dropping from the trees and running out across the water. They sometimes scamper forty or sixty feet across the surface of rivers or lakes in just a few seconds. To watch them perform this maneuver is an incredible sight. They actually run on top of the surface of the water. This is how the species earned the nicknamed the “Jesus Lizard.” So how do they do it?
To begin with, they’ve got powerful hind legs that give them an explosive running speed and enough momentum to get moving. Of course, the fastest runners in the world don’t move fast enough to walk on water. So what else is there? Well, their hind feet have fringes of skin that unfurl on the water increasing surface area, but there is more. As their feet slap the water, they trap a small air pocket or bubble. And that bubble briefly keeps them afloat step by step.
If they slow down or stop, they just sink like the rest of us. But that’s no real problem. With their long weeping tails, basilisk lizards are excellent swimmers and can remain underwater for up to thirty minutes to escape predators. Of course, the Bible teaches that Jesus walked across the water as well but He was not the only one. Stay with us friends we’re going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome, friends, welcome to Bible Answers Live. And if you’re tuning in for the first time, this is a live international Bible study and you’re invited to participate. You can listen. You can call in with a Bible question and we hope that everybody will pray for us as we search the word of God to discover the truth from the blessed book. If you’ve got a Bible question, we do have lines open. Now is a good time to pick up the phone, that toll free number is 800-GOD-SAYS, 1-800-463-7297. And you make that cAlright now, a good chance you’ll get your question on tonight’s program. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross. Good evening listening friends. And, Pastor Doug, let’s begin the program with prayer. Dear Father, we thank you once again for the opportunity that we have to study your word. We ask for your specially blessing to be with us today, be with the listeners wherever they might be and we ask Lord that as we search Scripture truth will come clear. For this we ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Pastor Doug, you’ve started the program by talking about a lizard that walks on water. I actually had an opportunity to see the lizard, the nicknamed the “Jesus Lizard” several times while in Costa Rica and it’s quite a sight to see the lizards just take off, and run right across the water. You know, in the Bible we have a number of instances where God parted the water and people were able to walk through on dry land. I think of at least three. Well, there’s not too many cases, just one that I can think of in the New Testament where individuals actually walked on the water.
Pastor Doug: A lot of people have made jokes or teased about walking on water and it’s sort of become a metaphor. And you find the story in the gospels. It’s in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but in particular here in Matthew chapter 14; verse 25, “And in the forth watch of the night, Jesus went to them walking on the sea.” And by the way, the Bible tells us they were out near the middle of the ocean so He wasn’t walking in just the shallow part. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled seeing it’s a spirit or ghost and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spoke to them and said, “Be of good cheer, it’s I, don’t be afraid.” And Peter answered and said to Him, “Lord, if it be thou bid me to come to you on the water.” And Jesus said, “Come.”
And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus, so here you have a human besides Jesus walking on water as well. But when he saw the wind was boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink. He cried out saying, “Lord, save me,” and immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him and said, “Oh, thou of little faith, wherefore did you doubt?” You know, Peter was walking on water doing the impossible as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, but when he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the storm, his faith began to sink and he thought, “Boy, I could get swallowed up in these dark waters. And when his faith began to sink and he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. And, you know, in this story, friends, is an allegory of salvation.
Living a Christian life and living a holy life in a sinful world really is a miracle, and the only way that that miracle happens is by keeping our eyes on Jesus. It’s like it says there on Hebrews chapter 12, “Looking unto Jesus is the only way we can run the race and lay aside the weight of sin.” And if you’ve wondered sometimes how could I ever be a new creation, with a new heart, and to live a different kinds of life, well, if you take your eyes off Jesus, you can’t. And sometimes it might seem as unlikely as walking on water, but through Christ, the Bible says, “All things are possible and you can live a new kind of life and be an over comer.” Now we’ve got a special book that talks about how do you live a new kind of life? And the title sometimes scares people, but it’s really a good book. Tell us about it, Pastor Ross.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The book is entitle, “Is it Possible to Live Without Sinning?” And that’s a question a lot of people have, how do I gain a victorious life, live a victorious Christian life? To receive this book, call our resource line 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the book, “Is it Possible to Live Without Sinning?” We’ll send it to you free of charge, and I know that you will receive a blessing as you read and study this book.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely. And, yeah, don’t let the title intimidate you, friends, you’ll be encourage as you read it. And that’s again free for anyone who asks. And that number one more time?
Pastor Jëan Ross: 1-800-835-6747, that is the resource line, call and asks for the book, “Is it Possible to Live Without Sin?” Well, we are going to go to the phone lines, now our first caller is Miguel and he is listening on internet calling from Kansas. Miguel, welcome to the program.
Miguel: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi, Miguel. You’re on the air. And your question?
Miguel: Can I change my question?
Pastor Doug: Well, let’s hear what the new question is.
Miguel: Like the Indians, how do they know how to speak that language, and how like the other person understand it?
Pastor Doug: Well, now you’re talking about when somebody gets the gift...
Miguel: From the Tower of Babylon.
Pastor Doug: Okay. Alright. At the Tower of Babel, first of all, everybody used to speak the same language. And there are special professors that study languages, they’re called linguists. And it’s very interesting as you go around the world they can find links to virtually all of the languages of the world have certain common links. Matter of fact when I lived in New Mexico with the Native Americans there, there’s a tribe of Hopi that speak the same language. They’re very similar language to Eskimos, so they know that there’s a connection. But at the Tower of Babel, man was trying to basically work his way to heaven by building the tower.
They did not believe that God would not destroy the world with the flood. By the way, this is in Genesis chapter 11. And they were really developing a manmade religion. They said, “Let us make a name for ourselves.” And so at that time God was very displeased because they had doubted His word and He told them to go forth to fill the earth, to be fruitful and multiply, but they were all congregating in one city and so the Lord, in order to scattered them, He confused their languages so they couldn’t understand each other. And then they spread everywhere around the world and fulfilled what He had commanded.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Now it does appear that the people at the Tower of Babel, there were groups that did understand each other. In other words, they began to speak in a language and others wouldn’t understand it, but they would find people that understood what they were saying…
Pastor Doug: They (Unintelligible) them together.
Pastor Jëan Ross: …and they began to gather getting little groups. We don’t know how many languages were present at that time but it must have been quite a few.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, and even since then we can see how languages have evolved in the last couple of hundred years. You may detect that Pastor Ross talks a little funny. Well, he talks funny everywhere but South Africa and of course, there are people from Australia and New Zealand, and they can tell which is which. They speak English but they have different accents. And even here on the States, you know, you can spot someone from Maine or Kentucky or Alabama. Yeah, we’ve all got these different accents. Texas. And so languages are, you know, constantly evolving, but the main breakup was there at Babel. And by the way, that’s where we got the word, Miguel, for babbling came from Babylon, where they couldn’t understand. And that’s also, by the way, where you get the word baby because babies go ba-ba-ba-ba-ba. So I hope that answers your question?
Miguel: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: You’re welcome. And again, you’ll find that in Genesis chapter 11. Oh, by the way, friends, I don’t think I’ve mention this in a while. We’ve got an article. I don’t think we’ve offered this in probably a year because we don’t get that question too often. Article at the Amazing Facts website called “The Last Tower of Babel.” It’s under the Inside Report magazine articles, go to amazingfacts.org and look in the magazine archive. It talks about “The Last Tower of Babel” and it explains this story, Miguel.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, next caller is Shrikant and he’s listening on the internet calling from Virginia. Shrikant, welcome to the program.
Shrikant: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi. And your question tonight?
Shrikant: Yes, I would like to refer to Second Corinthians chapter 12; verse 7.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Shrikant: My question is, I know somewhere I heard that the thorn in Paul’s flesh was related to his eyesight.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Shrikant: But if you read the whole text there, it is “the messenger of God to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure,” so what...
Pastor Doug: Well, it doesn’t say “a messenger from God, it says “a messenger from Satan.”
Shrikant: I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
Pastor Doug: It’s okay.
Shrikant: Yeah, the “messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”
Pastor Doug: Right.
Shrikant: What is that in reality? I would like to know what is in the flesh really was.
Pastor Doug: Well, you’re right, that the theory--and we can’t prove it because he doesn’t tell us outright. And so all we can do is some detective work, the reason some people think he had epilepsy, you know, other people think that, you know, he may have had malaria. I mean, there’s all kinds of theories that you can’t prove. The only thing I have seen that has some validity is that he had very poor eyesight that became a handicapped. Paul always had to travel with somebody. You read it in the Bible that someone wrote the letters for Paul and then he would sign them. Even though he was very educated, other people would write his letters at his dictation and he would sign them and sometimes he’d say, “Notice with what large letters I am writing,” in other words, he wrote with his great big characters because that’s all he could see.
When Paul was being tried, he said something to the high priest and they struck Paul, and Paul said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was the high priest.” He couldn’t recognize people. And then, of course, when Paul first saw Jesus, he went totally blind, but his eyesight was at least partially restored through the prayer of Ananias. And so, you know, there’s evidence in the Bible that he had poor eyesight and he prayed that God would totally heal him, and he always for the rest of his life remembered physically his vision with Jesus. Now you remember when Jacob wrestled with the angel, he was crippled for the rest of his life after that experience. He never forgot that, he limped the rest of his life after that experience. And so in the same way it could be when Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, though his blindness was healed to some extent he still had a problem seeing for the rest of his life.
Shrikant: At this point he was probably old, so wasn’t that as a result of his old age? And what is the text that messenger of Satan to buffet me, what is that got to do with the Scripture here? And I’ll hang up with this.
Pastor Doug: Okay, well, I appreciate your question. Well, it’s often said in the Bible that the devil will come and he’ll, you know, harass us through--and the Lord allows sometimes--the devil will harass us through some physical infirmity, you know, the devil struck Joel with all kinds of physical infirmities with boils and his sickness. So that’s an expression that’s use for, you know, all sin and sickness ultimately comes from the devil. You know, Jesus really came to heal us but...
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, not only did Paul have physical challenges but he also said had those who were opposed to him and try to hinder the work that he was doing, so in that sense as well he did have face challenges both from his body and then from those who are opposed to him.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, he could even be referring to something else.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Well, hope that helps and appreciate your question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Next caller is Hector calling from Chicago, Illinois. Hector, welcome to the program.
Hector: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi. Hector, get real close to your phone we can barely hear you.
Hector: Okay. Good evening first of all.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Hector: The question I had was, is it a sin to not pay your debt and file for bankruptcy? Be it secured or unsecured that a sin to not pay debt and file for bankruptcy?
Pastor Doug: Well, let’s talk about it. You know, if you say, you know, “Brother Doug, if you could give me ten dollars I’ve got to, you know, buy this or that and I’ll pay you back,” and you’ve got the money or you’ve got a way to but it’s inconvenient and you say, you know, I really rather use it on my, you know, my music collection or something like that. You’re really stealing.
Hector: Okay.
Pastor Doug: If you borrow money with the best of intentions to pay it back and because of circumstances, you can’t. That’s not a sin. I mean, God evaluates sin based on the heart. And then the second thing is you’re asking about the law of bankruptcy laws. And, of course, when we say bankruptcy there are several different kinds of bankruptcy. Some bankruptcy is really buying you time to reorganize your business so you can pay your debts. It just holds your creditors back for a time. Then there’s a form of bankruptcy that basically, you know, wipes out those debts but then you’ve got, you know, it damages your record for years. And that’s basically saying, you know, I’m just never going to be able to pay those back. As a Christian, you know, if you make a promise to pay someone back, then you would want to do everything you can to pay it back. If people invest in a business and they know there’s risk and the business fails, that’s a different.
Everybody experience failure. You know, they got the profit if it succeeds. If the business fails and you did your best, then that’s a different. You know, people understand there’s a risk. So I’m just trying to create the context for the different kinds of debt that we, you know, acquire. We all know there’s dear people that have lost the spouse and they’ve been left with tremendous debt. And sometimes the only way they’re going to see the light of day is by taking advantage of the legal means to, you know, remove those debts. In the Bible, you’ve got a woman in Second Kings chapter 4, she went to Elisha the prophet, and said, you know, I’ve got this great debt, my husband died and I can’t pay his debts and they’re going to take away my sons and sell them or slaves. And Elisha didn’t say, “Don’t pay your debt.” He performed a miracle to make it possible for her to pay her debt.
So, I always think as a Christian, the best witness we can be is to, you know, honor our debts. But, you know, I am not going it a sin because of circumstances, a business fails or something and the economy turns upside down and people just can’t pay. So you see what I’m saying? Everyone has to know in their heart whether, you know, they’re going to be able to do this and I think for me, I would sleep very fitfully if I always knew that I owed somebody money that I was able to pay and didn’t pay. So, you know, the Bible basically tells us that Christians should swear to their own heart--what is that, Psalm 15 Pastor Ross--and changes not. I think it’s Psalm 15. It’s the last verse of whatever that Psalm is. Christian makes a vow or swears to his own heart and he does not change, meaning he honors that he keeps his word. Okay?
Hector: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Hey, appreciate your question. That’s a tough one. Especially a lot of our listeners I know are struggling with some of those issues.
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right. Our next caller is Montoya. She’s listening on the internet from Florida. Montoya, welcome to the program.
Montoya: Thank you, Pastors. Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Montoya: My question is, is there evidence in the Bible to support having a block party during Sabbath hours to benefit the community as like a precursor to evangelistic crusade?
Pastor Doug: Well, of course, the question is we’re dealing with the Sabbath day and God says that we should honor and keep it holy. Now, when I hear block party, I don’t know that might be a term that’s been used for something different. But when I grew up in New York City, and we had a block party, it was kind of we open the fire hydrant and had a barbeque on the street, we closed off the street. And it was kind of just break out the beers and it was dance, and kids were swimming in the fire hydrant, and that was a block party. In my mind, I conjure up those images of sort of a Fourth of July beer, barbecue and that’s not really a church function, but the word block party that you’re using they might be using that terminology for something very different. So it’s hard for me to judge that. I don’t know exactly what they’re doing.
Montoya: Well, what they did they barbequed, they gave out clothing. And yeah, they gave out clothing and they barbeque, they gave away food.
Pastor Doug: Well, I personally would be uncomfortable with that. I don’t know if Pastor Ross wants to weigh in. But that, to me, sounds like it could be something that would be done better, like a fair on another day of the week.
Pastor Jëan Ross: I mean, you can do a lot of good things and it’s good to do good things but not all good things are necessarily in the parameters of the Sabbath or fall into the category of acceptable activities.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. And, you know, sometime it’s hard to have a big community outreach without a lot of work and it’s a day of rest. So that’s’ one of the conflicts that I would see. Sometimes people come to us and they want to have a wedding on the Sabbath and while weddings are a marriage ceremony might be holy, I shy away from it because, boy, some weddings has a whole lot of preparation that goes into it and it can start turning into work, at least for some people. So I would personally not be comfortable, but I want to be careful not to condemn, you know, without knowing a lot more about it.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right.
Montoya: Okay, can I use First Samuel 15:22 as a reference?
Pastor Doug: Help me what’s that say.
Montoya: “To obey is better than sacrifice.”
Pastor Doug: Oh, yeah, “To obey is better than sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” Yeah. Yeah, that’s certainly obedience is better than a sacrifice. Anyway, yeah, I hope that helps a little bit and pray the Lord gives you wisdom and how to grapple with that. You follow your conscience in that one and, you know, if the Lord convicts you, I talk to your church family about it.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Bruce. And Bruce is calling from New Jersey listening on WMCA. Bruce, welcome to the program.
Bruce: Hi, guys. Thank you for your ministry. I’m wondering in salvation do we choose God or does God choose us?
Pastor Doug: Well, that is one of the great questions. I believe ultimately God has chosen everybody. And what I mean by that--you know, of course Christ says, “Many are called, a few are chosen,” and some say, “No, God only chose a few.” That verse there is really saying many whosoever, that’s everybody, is invited, few chose to respond to God’s invitation. But the fact that God says, “He’s not willing that anybody should be lost.” You know, we don’t want to make it sound like God’s in the sky going eeny, meeny, miny, moe, who will I save. Now, having said that, God does choose or call or appoint people for special work, you know, He chose David to be king. He chose Jonah to go to Nineveh. But the Lord is not willing that any should be lost. So what...
Bruce: Is that’s in Second Peter?
Pastor Doug: Yes, Second Peter chapter 3.
Bruce: Isn’t that referring to people who will be believers in that particular reference?
Pastor Doug: No, I think it’s pretty universal. It’s like the end of Revelation where He said, “Whosoever would take the water of life, let him come freely.”
Bruce: Okay.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we also just say--add a point to that--God wants, you know, He wants us to respond to the gospel invitation. When we do, He then chooses those who respond to be conform the image of His son. I like Romans chapter 8; verse 29, He seems to make it very clear where it says, “Those whom he did foreknow, he also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
Bruce: Alright. Amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: So people respond to the gospel, Christ then chooses them to be conformed to the image of Jesus.
Pastor Doug: You know, the reason...
Bruce: Does God love everyone equally?
Pastor Doug: Well, that’s another loaded question. You know, for instance God says to Daniel--and I’m not saying you hit me with loaded questions, you’re asking the big questions--in Daniel chapter 9, the angel comes and calls Daniel, “greatly beloved” and then, you know, we read in the gospel of John. John refers himself “the one whom Jesus loved.” That makes it sound like He loved him more than the other eleven. And so when you say, doesn’t God love everybody? He does love everyone. Does He love them all equally? I don’t know that we can say that. I think there are characters, the Lord loves everybody. There are characters that some people have by both endowment and development that the Lord really loves that character.
Bruce: Did He love Esau?
Pastor Doug: Well...
Bruce: According to Scripture?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, according to Scripture He does love Esau. When you read in Romans where He says, “I love Jacob and I hated Esau,” Paul is quoting from Malachi, I believe, where he’s talking about Esau the nation of the Edomites. It’s not that individual of Esau. Paul is quoting where he says, “I love Jacob,” meaning Israel and “I hated Esau,” the Edomites because...
Bruce: Does He condemn the Edomites throughout Scripture though?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, because of what they did. In other words, He didn’t just arbitrarily say, “I’m going to hate these people.” He hated them because they ended up like their ancestor being very canal. I want to go back to your original question I was going to say something and...
Bruce: Sure.
Pastor Doug: ...we sort of have been going this circuitous route. God providentially stirs people to try to save them. And then sometimes we respond to the providence that God puts in our path. You know, when God got Paul’s attention--we talked about that earlier on the road to Damascus--Paul did not have to repent and accept Jesus, he could have hearten his heart, then lost like (Unintelligible). But when God confronted him, he did respond.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yep. You know, John 3:16, “God so loves the world and Jesus died for everyone.” So the gospel invitation is to all nations, kindreds, tongue and people who got to take the good news. People who respond to that good news those are the ones that Christ chooses to be conformed to His image. So there is a choosing that we do and then as we choose Christ, Christ chooses us.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, and Paul, of course, says, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” And of course, that’s a letter he was writing to the church, but if God is love, if the single word that we have to describe God is love, then I think it’s safe to say He loves everybody. And, you know, He doesn’t want to see anyone get lost or be lost. We got two minutes. I don’t know that’s the time to start a question here for our break.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Should we hold off and talk a little bit about some of the things happening in Amazing Facts?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, I tell you what, we don’t want to insult somebody by starting a question and not finishing it. So just stay with us those of you who are on the line. By the way, we do still have a couple of lines open and that number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 1-800-463-7297, brings you into the studio. We just wanted to remind our friends that while this program is on typically once a week, some of you may hear reruns through the week. It’s live right now. Live Sunday evenings, Pacific Time. We have a TV program, Amazing Facts Television that can be seen across North America, Canada, Central America. It’s on Galaxy 19. Right up there next to 3ABN, Hope Channel, Trinity, Daystar and if you like information on how you can get this programming, once you buy the little dish the programming is free.
Twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year you could be watching Amazing Facts and a lot of good evangelistic programming. Go to the Amazing Facts website and there you’ll find some more information on how you can get. Matter of fact you can go to AFTV, just go to the Amazing Facts website aftv.org and you’ll find it there, as well as amazingfacts.org. You hear the background music that’s not because the program is over. Don’t go anywhere friends we’re coming back with more Bible questions and by God’s grace we’re going to have Bible answers. You could even now pick up a pencil and jot down some of the other websites. We’re going to give you in just a moment for your future Bible study. Stay right there we’ll be back in just a minute.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: I’d like to believe that you’ve been listening from before the program even started, but chances are a number of you joined us along the way. This is Bible Answers Live and if you have a Bible question, you can make a toll free phone call in North America and ask your question. And Pastor Ross and I have a plethora of Bible study resources by computer at our fingertips and we’ll search the word together and try and find answers. If you have a question, that number one more time is 1-800-GOD-SAYS--got a few lines open--1-800-GOD-SAYS 463-7297. And as I mentioned, I’m Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross. Pastor Doug, one of the common questions that we get here on Bible Answers Live has to do with Bible prophecy. We see so many things happening in the world today. We’re all in the stream of time, how, you know, closer we to the coming of Jesus. Amazing Facts has some great resources dealing with Bible prophecy.
Pastor Doug: You know, people see the climatic things that are happening in the world. Everything from this catastrophic oil spill to the two hundred and eighty thousand people that died in the Haiti earthquake and then Chile and in China and just, you know, they are having right now fires in Russia that...
Pastor Jëan Ross: Floods in Pakistan.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. And all of this is going and people are saying, “What in the world is going on?” And does the Bible say anything about the last days and what it will look like. You know, before a baby is born the woman might have an occasional contraction but as that delivery day gets near, the contractions get closer and they intensify, and we seemed to see these labor contractions in the world going on right now. Maybe you like to know more about what Bible prophecy teaches regarding the times in which we’re living. We have probably the most exhaustive--you don’t like that word exhaustive, it makes it sound like it wears you out--the most comprehensive of Bible prophecy website out there today, it’s been very popular, it’s called Bible Prophecy Truth. Take a look, bibleprophecytruth.com, and you’re going to find videos or studies or prophecy studies, there’s audio programs, all kinds of charts, information, graphics about Bible prophecy. You can understand it. Yes, you can. Let me see, back to the phones.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Back to the phones. Next caller is Cliff calling from New Jersey listening on WMCA. Cliff, welcome to the program.
Cliff: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi, thanks for your call. And your question?
Cliff: If you’re a believer and you die, is your name going to be written in the Book of Life and the Book of Judgment?
Pastor Doug: Well, if you’re a believer and you die, you’ve passed from death to life, eternal life begins in this world. You know, Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” And so when a believer dies, they really go to sleep, their next conscious thought is the resurrection and being with Christ. And they will be part of what they call the great--there’s a great judgment at the end of the one thousand years. But they’re saved at that point. So when the Lord descends from heaven--and this is First Thessalonians chapter 4--when He comes back, it says, “The dead in Christ rise.” Well, how does the Lord know who is rising when He comes and going back to glory with Him?
Obviously their judgments happened. It’s at the end of the one thousand years--and you read this in Revelation 20--“The rest of the death, the wicked come forth in.” So even at the resurrection, there’s a resurrection of life, the resurrection of damnation. God knows by the resurrection who is saved and who is lost. So, there’s some judgment that’s taken place at that point. The final executive white throne judgment happens at the end of the one thousand years when, it says, “All the deaths, small and great stand before the Lord and they’re judged out of those things written in the book.” Well, if you’re saved, next to your name is written forgiven because of the blood of Christ. And you are in the Book of Life.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, in the Bible we see at least three sets of books. You’ve got the Book of Life, Revelation speaks of that quite a bit, to have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, to have your name remain in the Lamb’s Book of Life means salvation, means, eternal life. There is also Book of Remembrance. And David speaks about this Book of Remembrance which contains the good deeds that have been done by those who love the Lord. And then there is a Book of Iniquity or a Record of Sin, every man will be judged according to what he has done. So we have these three groups of books or reckons, some way of reckoning. We want to have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that’s the most important.
Pastor Doug: You know, actually Moses wrote way back in Exodus 32:32, and he said, “Yet Lord now, if you will forgive their sin--and if not, blot me, I pray out of thy book which you’ve written way back there.” Moses knew that God had a book with the names of the saved written in it. And now are we answering your question, Cliff?
Cliff: Yes, so I don’t have to be worry about anything, right?
Pastor Doug: Well, I don’t know what you’re--if you’re walking with the Lord, you don’t have anything to worry about. I mean, I certainly don’t want to judge you via telephone. You know what I’m saying?
Cliff: But I’m still going to be judge though?
Pastor Doug: Well, yeah, everybody is judged. Paul said, “We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” But the saved experience that. Christ has judged in their place, so there’s a judgment that happens for all, the Bible says. But Christ is our advocate with the Father. When we pray He stands before the Father, He pleads his blood in that heavenly court scene. But yeah, Paul is pretty clear that, you know, everyone is judged. Now we’re either judged based on our commitment to Christ and His taking our place or we’re going to be judged based on our works or rather our sins and rewarded based on that.
Cliff: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Hey, you know, we have a lesson that really will make this clear and it’s dealing with the subject of the judgment. If you call Amazing Facts and ask for our Bible lesson on the judgment, it talks about the Book of Life, it talks about the judgment and talks about the assurance that you can have because of faith. If you just don’t mind calling, Cliff, call and ask for that.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number to call is 1-800-835-6747. And you can ask for the study guide entitled, “Case Closed,” deals with the judgment, and we’ll be happy to send that out to you. Again call 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the Amazing Facts study guide entitled, “Case Closed.”
Pastor Doug: By the way, we also have a book that anyone can read right now called “Facing the Judge,” that’s at our website and that’s just at amazingfacts.org. You can read it right there on-line.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Sandra is listening on the internet from Kansas City, Missouri. Sandra, welcome to the program.
Sandra: Good evening, Pastors. I was wondering it’s in the context to the story of salvation, if you could explain more clearly when Jesus made the comments somewhere in the New Testament about when He returns to earth will He find faith and how does forgiveness that end with all of that?
Pastor Doug: Well, you know, so often in Christ ministry--and, Pastor Ross, it’s in Luke I’m pretty sure--“When the Son of man returns will He find faith in the earth?”
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s Luke 18:8.
Pastor Doug: Luke 18:8. Maybe you should go ahead and read it just the way it’s worded.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay. It says, “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
Pastor Doug: Now several times Christ even said to the disciples, now these are the saved, His Apostles, “O ye of little faith?” So even among the saved, you know, the faith seemed so miniscule. And Christ speaking of the last days, He said, “The deception will be so powerful that if it were possible even very elect would be deceived.” So I think Christ emphasize that, you know, simple child like faith, saving faith is such a rare thing in this world and that it will be especially rare in the last days. He says, “When the Son of man comes, will he find faith?” Because, you know, like in the days of Noah there was only eight people in the world that believed and He said, “It’s going to be a minority that will believe in the last days.” So I think He’s emphasizing that.
Pastor Jëan Ross: There is good news to that though, in Revelation chapter 14:12, it does describe a group of people just prior to the coming of Christ and describes them--this is Revelation 14; verse 12, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” So there will be a group of people that will have faith when Jesus comes.
Pastor Doug: Hope that help a little, Sandra. Does that cover your question?
Sandra: Yes, thank you.
Pastor Doug: You’re welcome. Thank you for your question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Next caller is Ed. And Ed is calling from New York listening on WMCA. Ed, welcome to the program.
Ed: Yes, good evening, gentlemen.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Ed: My question is about Second Corinthians 6:14, about being unequally yoked. And we had a marriage in the State yesterday and it was a marriage between two faiths and it cost five million dollars.
Pastor Doug: Oh, well. You know, I’m pretty sure we all know what marriage that was. And I think it was somebody from a Christian persuasion and someone from a Jewish persuasion.
Ed: That’s correct.
Pastor Doug: You know, my wife and I were watching the news tonight and we commented on that. And, you know, some people say, “Well, we’re just going to, you know, work it out and respect each other’s differences.” But in my opinion, and according to the Bible, your faith ought to be the most important thing. Your love for God ought to trump your love for a human. And so to marry someone that does not share your basic convictions about God and the truth, now if I’m a Christian--and I should tell everybody that I’m a Jewish Christians, so I think I can say this objectively--but if I’m a Christian and I’m going to marry a Jewish person who does not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, I mean, that’s a compounded conflict of being unequally yoke. So that is unusual. But I even think that it crosses all kinds of promise if a Protestant and a Catholics get married.
Ed: Yes.
Pastor Doug: By the way, a good Catholic priest will not marry one of their members to a Protestant. And they Baptist pastor, according to the old Baptist manual, will not marry a Baptist to a Catholic. They say there’s too many conflicts, it will make you unequally yoke that you can’t reconcile the teachings and that the family ends up becoming divided.
Ed: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And if you’d bring children and then where do you take them? And so it just causes all kinds of complications and problems. And what typically happens is when a believer, you know, they fall in love with all kinds of characteristics of an unbeliever, there’s a lot of really good people out there, nice people, might have even be nice looking but they may not have accepted Christ. And they think, well you know what, I’ll convert him, I’ll convert her. And they say I’ll marry him and then I’ll be able to work on them 24/7, but what typically happens is the unbeliever does a little converting of their own. And, you know, sometimes those things end well because God is gracious, but a lot of times it becomes very nasty and that ends in divorcee.
Ed: Right.
Pastor Doug: So we need to follow the Lord’s counsel and, you know, if we’re going to unite our lives, even in business, we need to do our best to stick with people of like faith.
Ed: Now also along these lines I have one other quick question. I believe that this chapter in Corinthians, First Corinthians 15:39, absolutely comes down against evolution. So you can’t marry two different species, if you read that.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, He makes each one after its kind. That’s true. First Corinthians 15:39, “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of man, another kind of flesh of beasts, another fish and another birds.” Exactly.
Ed: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, there’s no cross-pollinating between man and animals, and even between dogs and cats, I mean…
Ed: That’s right.
Pastor Doug: …each one after their kind. Well, it sounds like we’re on the same track, Ed. And I hope that helps a little. I appreciate your question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Chris and he is calling from Bakersfield, California. Chris, welcome to the program.
Pastor Doug: Chris, you’re on the air.
Chris: How are you doing?
Pastor Doug: Good.
Chris: Thanks for the ministry, I really enjoy it. My question is referring to the very back of the book, Revelation 22:18...
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Chris: ...and 19, and I’ll just read the first part, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of the book, if any man shall add unto these things, how God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” And my question is, I just wanted to get your interpretation of that and maybe the implications for believers who might be involved in it, you know, just like, is this the point and comment to not change what the Bible says or interpret certain things in the Bible in certain way?
Pastor Doug: Well, first and foremost, if we’re going to, you know, do an honest hermeneutical study of that verse, the Book of Revelation is a unique book, and that it specifically begins and ends pronouncing a blessing on anyone who reads it. And it adds a curse to anyone who changes it. Now also look at the way Revelation has given. It begins by Jesus appearing in person to John and He gives these messages. So it’s not like Luke who interviewed the Apostles when he wrote his gospel. Jesus directly is speaking to John and He does, you know, much of it through his angel but in the first chapter it’s in person. So this is a very sacred book, it’s the only prophetic book in the New Testament. But it is also true, you know, the Bible tells us not to add unto His words or lest we’d be found liars. And that’s by the way Proverbs 30; verse 6, “Add thou not to His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” So I don’t think that, you know, man should be altering with any of the word of God, it’s all holy. But Revelation does seem to be sort of a golden capstone of Scripture in a unique sense.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, the principal--go ahead.
Pastor Doug: Pardon Pastor Ross, one more thing in that verse. He talks about adding the plagues that are found in the book. Well, they had just talked about the seven last plagues and so, you know, it is sort of speaking of the contents of Revelation and those plagues being directed to anybody that should alter the words of the prophecy.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And, you know, the Book of Revelation in particular in order to understand it, you need to let the Bible interpret itself. The tendency is for somebody to see or read a symbol and then come up with their own ideas to what that might mean, but the admonition here is don’t add to it, let the Bible interpret itself.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, one more thought, you may not be asking this, Chris, but I know others out there have. Some have wondered, does this verse in Revelation mean that God never speaks again in any other way because otherwise you’re adding to the book. Well I believe that the Lord speaks through a number of inspired people. You know, one of the gifts of the church, you find in First Corinthians 12 and 14 is prophecy. And so the Lord does inspire people, but that’s not the Bible. The Bible is unique cannon of Holy Scripture, divinely protected and written by God. So it should not be tampered with. There’s, I think, a very severe penalty for those who do all for the words of God. So have we answered really what’s you’re digging for?
Chris: Yeah, I think so. I was just kind of wondering about like, people doing it in the last days, is that what it’s kind of pointing to, or is it kind of like all along the way?
Pastor Doug: Well, when Revelation was written, it says, “For the time is at hand,” and so the relevance of Revelation began right when it was written. And so, you know, we’re admonished not to protect the sacredness of the book and every word in the book all through time. And so there’s a lot more of it in the last days because there’s been more interest in prophecy. So I see more people also abusing Revelation. Matter of fact, just yesterday I was preaching on Revelation and someone once commented that Revelation either makes people crazy or they have to be crazy to study it. And so some people have that view, but in reality Revelation is one of the most sublime books in the Bible. It is a quilter, kaleidoscope of every other book. And I guess it’s been estimated of the four hundred and four verses in Revelation, two hundred and seventy eight to three hundred and fifty of those can be found almost word for word other places in the Bible. The book is the mathematic masterpiece. Anyway, I hope that helps a little bit, Chris, and we appreciate your question.
Chris: Okay, thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: We’ve got John calling from New York listening on WMCA. John, welcome to the program.
John: Yes, hi. How are you doing?
Pastor Doug: Very well. How are you doing?
John: Good. Not bad. Well, my question--and I looked in the Bible I couldn’t find an answer--but anyways, our church is changing its music. The music ministry has been transforming itself to a more modern rock music type of thing from the hymns, slowly, but now it seems to be going, you know, full speed ahead. I guess to attract a younger crowd or whatever the reason maybe, but I don’t know. Is there something not good about that or--I mean, the words are fine, but it’s just the music itself. Now, maybe I’m just being too particular, but I just wanted your views and thoughts on that.
Pastor Doug: Well, you’re probably describing a trend that’s happening in many churches across the country and around the world. There’s nothing wrong with singing new songs. Matter of fact it were commanded in the Bible, in Psalms, in the Book of Psalms, it says, “Sing a new song to the Lord.” I write songs. I’ve had a few songs recorded on the radio. And so I believe in new songs. But there are principles in Christian music that are different from just worldly music. And the fear is that what’s happening is a lot of the music of the world is--they’re, you know, throwing in some Christian words and really dummying down the music to imitate secular music, which may not be the appropriate music for worship. And let me see if I can illustrate it this way. You know, you can go to 7-Eleven and you could probably get a bottle of orange juice and a loaf of bread, but most people don’t go to 7-Eleven to do their regular grocery shopping because it’s going to cost you a lot of money and you’re going to have a very small selection.
They’re known for just quickie convenience, if you forgot one item, you go you get that one item because it’s nearby or you’re on the road. The real music, the hymns of the church had theology in them. They taught Scripture. There’s a song in the Bible that’s got a hundred and seventy-six verses in it. It’s Psalm 1:19, it’s a song. Talk about memorizing all the words to a song. And they’re all different. It’s not like just repeating the same thing a hundred times. A lot of the songs today are not like a grocery store that gives you all the nutrition, they’re more like 7-Eleven fast-food where you get the same seven words sung eleven times, the same eleven words sung seven times. You know what I’m saying? It’s a lot of very shallow feel good kind of, oh, we love you Lord and aren’t you wonderful, everything is wonderful.
John: Right.
Pastor Doug: But the deep theology that you would find in some of the hymn seems lacking. And I’m looking for generation of song writers. Now there are some out there. I’ve heard some good song writers that have written some very profound songs that are teaching the great truce of God and putting them to music. But I just feel like that a lot of the music is sort of, you know, digressed into the kind of cotton candy stuff that it doesn’t really teach--and a little bit--you know, I’m not condemning people, I like a pretty song every now and then. But I’d hate to do all my shopping at 7-Eleven.
John: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: You know, you just kind of get fat and cavities after a while.
John: Yeah, yeah.
Pastor Doug: You know, that’s what happening to the church in my opinion. I don’t know, Pastor Ross, you may feel the same way or differently.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Well, you know, not only we’re talking about the words in the song or in the music, but you got to talk about the music itself. There is the grandeur of, for example, older hymns or hymns that’s been sung in church, there is that element of awe and reverence.
Pastor Doug: Anthems. Yeah, they just lift your spirit.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The power. That’s right. But when you take the music of the world and you just change the words, the influence of the world can sometimes be pretty strong even in the music.
Pastor Doug: And just one more thing and I don’t want to overdo this, but I think there’s a lot of people sort of leaning towards their radio right now because they’re facing this in their churches. There are actually different rhythms that appeal to different parts of your body. I mean, our heart has got a beat to it.
John: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: But, you know, like in marching song or war song that really appeals to the extremities, the arms and the legs, you know, marching off and you’re probably seeing these, you know, soldiers marching to upbeat. And then you’ve got the syncopated rhythms that are a little more sensual and, you know, your jazz and blues that appeals to the torso. And it’s a sexually suggestive music. Obviously the music that you play to a baby to put it to sleep is going to be very different from the music you play before you go to war. And the music that you play before you go to war should be different from the music you play for a candle light dinner with your wife.
John: Right.
Pastor Doug: You know what I’m saying?
John: Yes, yes.
Pastor Doug: So what’s happened though is a lot of the music that in every culture of the world has very easily discernable, sexual suggestions to it, is finding its way into the church with Christian words and it just seems like a contradiction. That’s, to me, the most blatant example of where it’s just inappropriate. Well, I’ve said enough. Hey, you know, we’ve got a book. We’ve got a couple books at Amazing Facts, but they’re not books we can typically give away. One is called “Notes on Music” and other one is called “Drums and Worship.” And if you go to the Amazing Facts website, Lawrence, you’ll see that we’ve got a couple of books that deal with these issues of music and worship, and it takes a little study, it’s not an easy line that you can draw without knowing the background.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Let’s see if we can get one or two more calls before we finish the program. Our next caller is Lawrence, and he’s calling from Queens, New York. Lawrence, welcome to the program.
Lawrence: Yes, good afternoon, Pastor Doug. Thanks for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: Evening. And your question?
Lawrence: I was calling about Revelation 21; verse 2, where John saw the New Jerusalem, the Holy City came down from heaven. I want to know if there’s a place after it came down it has been back up for a short time. If there’s another Scripture.
Pastor Doug: Yes, if you look in the Book of Zechariah chapter 14, it talks about the New Jerusalem coming down and it sets in the place where the Mount of Olives is. Christ ascended from the Mount of Olives, when He comes back at the end of the one thousand years the New Jerusalem will settle down on the Mount of Olives and a great valley is formed there. It doesn’t go back up and hover again, the lake of fire rains down on the wicked, outside of the city, according to Revelation chapter 20. Now we do have a lesson that deals with the Celestial City. We’ll send you a free copy of that, Lawrence. And in addition, the lesson that deals with the one thousand years also talks about the New Jerusalem coming down and where it’s going to land.
Pastor Jëan Ross: If you call our resource line 1-800-835-6747, you can ask for the study guide, “A Celestial City in Space.” “A Celestial City in Space.”
Pastor Doug: And the millennium.
Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s all about the New Jerusalem.
Pastor Doug: The millennium study guide is call...
Pastor Jëan Ross: “1000 Years of Peace.”
Pastor Doug: There you go. Those two studies. Do we have time for one more? Two minutes, let’s see what we can do.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Let’s go to Janis. And Janis is calling from Brooklyn, New York. Janis, welcome to the program.
Janis: Hello, good night. A caller called a while ago about Esau and Jacob?
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Janis: Esau, he hate and Jacob, he loved.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Janis: But then you said that Esau was not that Esau, but when you (inaudible 56:11) trials, he said that Esau sought repentance and didn’t get it.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Janis: Why should someone repent and it was refused and…
Pastor Doug: Well, the Bible also says that Judas repented, and he went out and hung himself. Pharaoh repented when the plagues came. There is the kind of repentance where they’re sorry for the consequences of their sin. But they’re not sorry that they sinned against God. Esau was sorry he lost the birthright. Judas was sorry of impending judgment. The Pharaoh was sorry about the plagues. But they were not sorry about the sin. The kind of repentance that the Lord wants is where Peter went out and he repented, he wept and then God forgave him. And he became a mighty apostle. So God will always hear and forgive that kind of repentance.
Friends, we’re out of time for today’s broadcast, but if you want to keep studying go to amazingfacts.org, a lot more there. We love to hear from you, send us a note. God bless until next week.
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