Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hello, listening friends, would you like to hear an amazing fact? You heard the expression, feeling blue, well, there are some people who feel blue because they are blue. In the early 1960s, a nurse, named Ruth Pendergrass, got the shock of her life when a woman walked into her clinic in Hazard, Kentucky, asking for a blood test.
The woman skin allover her body was a deep indigo blue color.
Ruth thought she must be having a heart attack, but it turns out the lady was part of the Fugate Family from Troublesome Creek, a remote settlement in eastern Kentucky. It all begun in the 1800s, with the children of Martin and Elizabeth Fugate, who both carried a rare recessive gene. This defective gene caused four of their seven children to be born blue. Even their nails were blue and their lips were nearly purple.
This unique condition medically known as, okay, I’m going to try this, methemoglobinemia, is caused from a missing enzyme that help supply the blood with oxygen. In other respect, they're perfectly healthy, but as you can imagine the family was often embarrassed and experience some discrimination because of their odd skin color. This caused even greater social isolation, which was exacerbating the problem.
The Fugate children married close relatives creating more blue people. Eventually, Ruth Pendergrass contacted Dr. Madison Cawein from the University of Kentucky. Fascinated by their condition he performs some tests and realize there was a simple antidote for their blue skin problem. Ironically, the antidote was also blue. The first time he and Nurse Pendergrass injected it into two of the blue people, they changed to normal skin color in a matter of minutes, right before their eyes.
The family was astonished. Soon everybody struggling with this condition had access to the simple remedy and eventually, the rare blue people of Kentucky all but disappeared.
Did you know the Bible says that God has an antidote to change the color of our sins? Stay with us, friends, we’re going to learn more on this edition of Bible Answers Live.
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Voiceover: You’re listening to Bible Answers Live. Honest answers to your Bible questions. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this evening’s program call 800-835-6747. Once again, that’s 800-835-6747. Now, let’s join our host, Pastor Doug Batchelor.
Doug: Welcome, listening friends, to Bible Answers Live and this is a live international interactive Bible study. You’re invited to join in with your Bible questions and we have lines open if you want to call that number is 800-463-7297. That’s basically 800-GOD-SAYS, as the Bible is our source book for this program. 800-463-7297. We have several lines open if you want to call in with your Bible question.
My name is Pastor Doug Batchelor. Pastor Jean Ross is off for the night, but we’re going to start the program with a word of prayer. Father, in heaven, thank you so much again for your blessings and we pray, Lord, that you’ll be with this program. The Holy Spirit will take charge of those who might be calling in with questions and that the Holy Spirit will guide and answers coming from you word. We thank you and ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
I thought that was a fascinating story. I’d actually heard before people that were called the blue bloods of Europe and that was also partly caused from this intermarriage within some of the families of Europe that they had that missing gene that caused that problem. Let’s see if I can say it again. Methemoglobinemia, missing the enzyme that helps the blood to absorb enough oxygen to give it that red color and instead it was blue. They’re called the blue bloods.
There was antidote for that, an enzyme that was also blue. When they gave it to the people, they were healed from that condition. The Bible tells us that God can change the color of our sins. You read in Isaiah 1:18. “Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow, and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
I know it never make sense logically to think, how can you make something that is red, white by washing it in blood? How can the blood of Jesus, the Bible, says that the redeemed they made their robes white in the blood of the lamb. How does that work? I remember the famous evangelist, Billy Sunday, would say, “I don’t understand how the blood of Christ can wash away our sin, but I also don’t know how a black cow can eat green grass and make white milk and yellow butter, but it works.”
Friends, I can just tell you that the Gospel does work and that the blood of Jesus can wash away your sin. What can wash away my sin? Nothing, but the blood of Jesus, and there is power in the blood. Maybe, you’d like to know about that power and you’d like to have your sins washed away and be as the song says, "Whiter than snow." We have a special offer we’d like to send you about how you can take those steps to get a new beginning and have your life and your heart cleansed.
Be a new creature. It’s called Three Steps to Heaven is a free book. You can get it a couple of ways. One, you can call the number I’m going to give you. Now, this is a different number than the one that you would call in with the Bible question. This is our resource line, by the way, there are also chaplains that are at this number if you want someone to pray with. Here’s that number for the book or for prayer 800-835-6747. Of course, they’re free phone call. 800-835-6747 and ask for the book Three Steps to Heaven.
The other way you can get it is by simply going to the Amazing Facts website under the free book library. You can download it, read it, pass it on to a friend all for free. Help spread the word. With that we’re going to go to our first Bible question and I believe we’re going to be talking with Charles, who’s calling from New Port Richey. Florida. Charles, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Charles: Hey, Pastor Doug. I’m actually a big fan. I’ve been watching your Amazing Facts Seminars.
Doug: Yes, thank you for doing that.
Charles: You’re very welcome. I actually get a blessing.
Doug: How can I help you tonight?
Charles: My question is when Jesus returns for the second coming. When the dead in Christ rise first, is he going to make two runs? Is he going around the earth one time and then gather all of those who remain?
Doug: You’re talking about the sequence of how it will happen.
Charles: Right.
Doug: If you look in 1st Thessalonian 4, Paul was writing there and he says-- I’ll go to verse 15. “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that you who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede,” that means go before those who are asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
There’s your sequence. “Then, we, who are still alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds.” Now, the way I understand this I don’t think he’s making two circles around the earth. I think what’s happening is as Lord comes he probably will sweep around the earth, at least, once as people are raised and as the people are raised, then moments afterward we are transformed.
It says in 1st Corinthians 15, “In the moment, in the twinkling of an eye those of us who are alive get this glorified bodies and we are caught up to meet them in the air.” First, resurrection, they’re raised, we are caught up and to meet them in the air as the Lord sweeps around the circle of the earth and, of course, behind him has left destruction.
Bible says that all the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see him coming, the lost, and then the cities are destroyed. You can read in Revelation 16, we go back to heaven with Him. I’ve actually got a free lesson that I can send you that talks about that if you’d like a copy of that.
Charles: Absolutely.
I’m sorry, it’s called, Rescue from Above. It’s the second coming of Jesus. Rescue from Above that talks about the resurrection and you would say the rapture of the saints. We just don’t believe it’s a secret rapture. Hey, I hope that helps a little bit. We really appreciate you’re calling, Charles. You can download those either at the website or call the resource number 800-835-6747, and we thank you for your call.
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Voiceover: Get Pastor Doug Batchelor’s 12 part sermon series on the 10 Commandments by calling 800-538-7275 or visit afbookstore.com.
Voiceover: Find out what the critics are raving about. Top scholars and theologians from around the country, come together to reveal the hidden history of the book of Revelation. With powerful reenactments and incredible visual effects, this 95-minute masterpiece brings to life the book of Revelation like never before. Revelation is no longer a mystery. Get your copy today. Visit iTunes or aafbookstore.com.
Doug: I also want to take a minute and welcome those who might be watching us on Facebook. You can go to the amazing facts, Facebook page, or the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, and you can watch it. For whatever it's worth, you can watch the radio program. That sounds like a contradiction. Jerry is calling from Medford, Oregon. Jerry you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Jerry: Hello, Pastor Doug. This is very coincidental. It's very similar to the previous question. I'm reading Revelation 1:7. It says, “Look, He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced Him and all peoples on the earth will mourn because of Him, so shall it be.” Now, my question is, why are the ones who pierced him, who would not be the, who would be the unjust and should be in the second resurrection, why are they there present at the first resurrection?
Doug: All right, well, that's a great question. I'm just going to put you I'm going to mute you so you don't hear the echo anymore and I'm going to do my best to answer that. If you read in the book of Matthew, when Jesus is being condemned, the High Priest challenges him and he says, “I adjure you by God, tell us whether you are the Christ or not.” Jesus said, “Hereafter, you will see the son of man coming to the clouds of heaven.”
When Jesus comes there as a special resurrection, where-- and by the way, that is in Matthew 26:64, Jesus said to the High Priest, “It is, as you say, nevertheless, I say to you here, after you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of power coming in the clouds of heaven.” Now, and it says, "They also that pierced Him." It may be some of the Roman soldiers that were involved in the crucifixion.
Of course, Jesus prayed for their forgiveness. The Roman Centurion, he may be converted because he said, “Truly, this was the son of God,” but probably not all of those engaged in crucifying Him. The people who were really in firsthand responsibility for crucifying him, they are going to be specially raised when he comes.
Let me give you one more verse. If you look in Daniel 12 and it tells you there in the first couple of verses of Daniel 12, speaking of the return of Jesus, says, “At that time, Michael will stand up the great Prince that stands watch over the sons of your people and there'll be a time of trouble.” It says, “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake.” This is verse two. “Some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
Those who are engaged in the crucifixion and condemnation of Jesus, like the high priests, and maybe some of those that involved in crucifying him, they're going to see him, there'll be raised and see him coming to the world. Then they'll die again and there'll be raised again for judgment at the end of the 1,000 years.
There are a few exceptions, the Bible says, "It's appointed unto man once to die." Well, you've got a few people that were like Enoch and Elijah that didn't die. There's a couple of exceptions. The general resurrection takes place when Jesus comes. When Christ died, the Bible says many of the graves in Jerusalem open. There was a few exceptions to that and it tells you about those exceptions. The Bible tells us Moses was resurrected in the book of Jude verse 9, I should say. Hopefully, I'm going to put you back on Jerry. Did that make sense?
Jerry: Well, yes. I have heard this explanation.
Doug: Well, Praise the Lord, we do have that lesson. I mentioned to the previous caller about the Lord's return. I think that you'd find that encouraging. It tells about the sequence that you find in the second coming and it's called Rescue From Above. You'll enjoy that. All right. Hey, God, bless you and thank you again for your call. Talking next with Chris, who's calling from Florida. Chris, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Chris: Yes. Yes, Pastor Doug.
Doug: Hi.
Chris: Can you hear me?
Doug: I can hear you loud and clear.
Chris: Yes. Thank you very much.
Doug: How can we help you tonight?
Chris: It's going to be a very general question about Zechariah and Amos prophecies. I don't know why I'm hearing the echo.
Doug: I don't know either. Anyway, go ahead and state your question.
Chris: Zechariah, when it talks about rebuilding Jerusalem in Chapter 14 and 13, all those things are going to happen before the second coming of Jesus, right?
Doug: No. Some of those things are going to happen. You're talking about when it says, "All the nations will gather against Jerusalem-
Chris: Yes, yes.
Doug: -and the city will be taken and the houses rifled. Zechariah, some of the prophecies in the Bible, and again, I'm going to put you on hold here just so that you don't hear the echo. Some of these prophecies that you find in the Bible have dual applications. For one thing, it is true that the Romans did come against Jerusalem and they destroyed the city. They mistreated the women and they went into captivity, but there was a reminisce. The church was saved that were not cut off.
When the Lord comes again at the end of the 1,000 years, it says that Gog and Magog, that's all nations. They gathered against Jerusalem. They try to destroy it, but it says the Lord will go forth and fight for them. That's verse three. All of these prophecies will be fulfilled, but please keep in mind when you're reading some of these prophecies, including Revelation, as well as the Old Testament prophecies, they are not written in a chronological, sequential, progressive order.
The prophecies are given some times in soundbites. We know that because of the way that Matthew and the other Gospel writers interpret the prophecies about Jesus. Like the prophecy that said, "A virgin will conceive and bear a son, and you'll call his name, Emmanuel." Those verses they're obviously talking about Jesus. You read the verse before, and it's talking about Isaiah making a prophecy to King Amos about the nation of Israel attacking from the North. In the midst of many of these prophecies, there were brief prophecies.
You read in Isaiah 14, it talks about a prophecy to the King of Tyre. The next thing you know, it's talking about the fall of Lucifer, and then it jumps back to the King of Tyre. Ezekiel does that with Babylon. You've got to be careful not to just read it all sequentially. Everything it says, not a word of the Lord is going to fall to the ground of everything that the prophets have said. Hopefully, that helps a little bit. Were you able to hear that Chris? I'm putting you back on.
Chris: One really quick question, in the book of Amos, it talks about the droughts for God's word.
Doug: Yes. Amos 8, "The days are coming where God says there'll be a famine in the land."
Chris: Is it going to happen this second coming of Jesus?
Doug: Yes. That's happening now. That prophecy is, I think being fulfilled now. You've got people all over the country that have Bibles. Some people have got five Bibles in their house and they never pick it up and read it. You can have Bibles and the other thing, a famine for the word of God is not talking about there being a shortage of Bibles. It's talking about a shortage of the word.
A lot of pastors are teaching some really strange things. You've probably heard pastors get up and tell everybody that God wants them all to be millionaires, and that's certainly not the message of Jesus. There's a famine for the word of God in the world. I see that happening in different countries right now.
Chris: Thank you. Thank you very much, pastor.
Doug: Absolutely. I appreciate your call, Chris. Thank you.
Announcer: You're listening to Bible Answers Live. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific Time. Call us at one 800-GOD-SAYS.
Doug: With that, we're going to talk to Bill next, calling from Chicago, Illinois. Bill you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Bill: Hi, Pastor Doug, how are you this evening?
Doug: Doing good. Are you hearing an echo also?
Bill: Slightly.
Doug: Okay. Your question tonight.
Bill: I'm hoping I don't get cut off because I don't have radio to hear the answer.
Doug: Oh, okay. Well, I'll keep you on do my best.
Bill: My question comes from 2nd Chronicles 18. It says that God asks who will go down and make Ahab fall at, I believe it is [unintelligible 00:20:33].
Doug: At Ramoth-Gilead
Bill: A spirit stands up and says, "I'll go down and make him fall." The Lord says--
Doug: "How will you do that?" "I'll be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets."
Bill: Yes. Now my question is, is the 10 Commandments for just mankind or for everyone in heaven too because it makes it sound like it's okay for this spirit to lie.
Doug: Yes, no, of course. The 10 commandments are, is the eternal principles of God, and the Bible says that God doesn't tempt any man. When it talks about a spirit going and causing Ahab to fall, keep in mind, Micaiah is sharing a parable. Micaiah the Prophet of God is standing before King Jehoshaphat and King Ahab, and all these false prophets of Baal are going and telling Ahab and Jehoshaphat, "Go fight against the Syrians at Ramoth-Gilead. You will win. Fight, fight, fight."
Micaiah the prophet gets up and he kind of tells this parable, he says, "Oh, there's a lying spirit in the mouth of your prophets." He creates this picture of God in heaven and God is saying, "I'm going to punish Ahab." God had already said through the prophets that Ahab was going to fall because of his sins. Elijah said that when Ahab killed Naboth, then it shows how this is going to happen. It says there'll be a lying spirit. Now, do you remember the story of Job, where the devil came before the Lord? The devil went forth from the Lord and began to afflict Job. You know that story?
Bill: Yes.
Doug: God did not want to afflict Job, but sometimes the Lord allows certain things. The Bible says in the New Testament, "If you receive not a love of the truth, then God will allow strong delusion that you should believe a lie." Paul, when he says that, he's saying, "Look, when Ahab rejected the prophets of God, he said, "Alright, I'm going to let false prophets deceive him." Micaiah says, "There's a lying spirit." See, God's trying to save Ahab. He's giving him one last chance.
He said, "These prophets are lying to you, you're going to go to battle and die." Ahab still would not listen. He thought, "Well, I'll just hide on the outskirts of the battle. I'll put on armor and pretend that I'm a soldier." The Bible says a stray arrow struck him in the joints of the armor, hit a vital artery and he bled to death. No, God doesn't approve of lying. Micaiah the Prophet is just saying evil spirits were allowed to deceive Ahab because Ahab did not listen to God's Spirit.
Bill: I got it now.
Doug: It's a good question, though. I appreciate your asking that. Thank you, Bill. I'm going to sign off.
Bill: I knew I had to be missing something.
Doug: Well, I'm still learning too, so don't feel bad. You take care. All right, talking to Peter in New Jersey. Peter, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Peter: Hello, Pastor Doug.
Doug: Hi.
Peter: Thank you for the [inaudible 00:23:33] fabulous in facts. It was great.
Doug: Well, thank you, and your question?
Peter: I wanted to ask about election. There are certain verses in the Bible that [inaudible 00:23:47] contradict each other. Like in the book of Acts versus let's say those who are appointed, eternal life, is there anything that says, "We were dead, as [unintelligible 00:24:01] and sins and God made us alive. I harmonize those with whosoever will and those other verses.
Doug: Yes, so you want to know what does the Bible mean by election? Part of the Bible, it seems like God is predestined and the other part of the Bible, it seems like we get to choose, right?
Peter: Yes, sir. Exactly.
Doug: Well, you're asking one of the biggest questions that theologians have grappled with for about 2,000 years. Actually, going back to the beginning is, how much freedom does man have? We know God is all-powerful, but does God make things happen? You look in the Bible, and God says to Jeremiah, "I've appointed you to be a prophet from your mother's womb. John the Baptist, appointed a prophet from his mother's womb. Yet, then the Bible says, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life."
Joshua says, "Who is on the Lord's side?" There's a lot of places in the Bible that makes it clear that God's will is not always done. In fact, in the Lord's Prayer, when you say, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The reason we say that is because God's will is not always done. If God's will is always done, we don't need to pray it. People do have a free choice because if everybody is predestined to be saved or lost based on their choice of their own, then why would God punish the lost if they have no choice?
See what I'm saying? Otherwise, he becomes an accessory to the sin. Basically, that would be like saying, "All right, God made some people to be holy, and He's going save them. He made some other people, and no matter what he's not going to allow them to be saved because he's pre-elected them to be sinners." It's like, God's created them defective, and then he's going punish them for being defective. You see what I'm saying?
Peter: Pastor.
Doug: Yes.
Peter: I once asked the theologian that questioned. He said, "It's just a blessing that any one person becomes saved. God shouldn't be obligated to save--"
Doug: Well, that's true. What I mean by that is, it is the mercy of God, we've all sinned, we all deserve destruction. We praise the Lord that He has intervened in our lives to save us, but God is not wanting to just save a few, and here's some verses. The Bible says, "God is not willing that any should perish." Second Peter: 3, He doesn't want any to perish. If some are perishing, it must be because they're making a choice.
Then again, the Bible says, "Whoever if you're willing and obedient," Isaiah: 1, "You will eat the good of the land." If we're willing. The reason we can love God is because we have free will. If we are pre-programmed to love God, it stops being love. We're just an automated robot. I saw an interesting special today on artificial intelligence and how some people are falling in love with their computers. I thought, "How can you do that? A computer is just programmed to say what it says. It's not thinking on its own volition."
Hey, I thank you very much for your question. We're going to need to take a break here in just a moment, Peter, and I hope we got some resolution there. I do have a book you can look at online, it's Can A Saved Man Be Lost? Go to the Amazing Facts website. Anyone out there, if you want to understand the subject of free will, predestination election, go to Amazing Facts and look at Can A Saved Man Be Lost? Don't go away. We're coming back in just a moment.
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Doug: We know we're here, but we're not here for very long. The most important thing would be if we could learn during this life, how to live forever. This is the central focus of Amazing Facts. I think it's very important for us to build churches, but if the churches lose the message of salvation, they just become buildings and shells. I think it's important to have a medical ministry and build hospitals, but if they separate that from the message of salvation, you just prolong a sinner's life for a little while.
That's why for years Amazing Facts has made it our focus to present the saving truth that sets people free. Friends, we want to thank you for your support and your gifts. We'll do our very best to convert those resources into the currency of heaven. May God bless you and keep Amazing Facts in your prayers.
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Announcer: Every Bible question you have answered moves you one step closer to the fullness of God's will for your life. What are you waiting for? Get the answers you need for a fuller, richer, more confident life. You're listening to Bible Answers Live this broadcast is a previously recorded episode. If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific Time. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. Once again, that's 800-835-6747. Now let's join Pastor Doug Batchelor for more Bible Answers Live.
Doug: Welcome back listening friends to Bible Answers Live. This is an international interactive bible study. People can listen around the world. We sometimes get calls from different parts of the planet. If you want to call in in North America, it's a free phone call. It's 800-463-7297 with your bible questions. That's 800-GOD-SAYS. My name is Doug Bachelor. Pastor John Ross is off for the night. With the help of our studio volunteers, we're going to do our best to get right back to your phone calls. Going next to talk to Marco calling from Bakersfield, California. Marco, you're on the air with Bible Answers live.
Marco: Yes. Hi, Pastor Doug.
Doug: Hi. Thank you for calling.
Marco: You're welcome. My question is more of a church history question more than a Bible question. Every time I've asked a question, I'm not satisfied with the answers so maybe you could help me.
Doug: I'll do my best.
Marco: My question is what happened to the Christians, the Christian Church, the one that the book of Acts talks about that they were first called Christians in Antioch. What happened to them after the prosecution after they were dispersed and all the way up to after the reformation? Because the answers I've been getting even in a church history class that I've taken is that the Catholic Church is the Christian church.
Doug: I think everybody knows. It's hard for me in three minutes. We try to budget about three minutes for our questions and answers for each person. Hard to cover 1,700 years in three minutes but I'll give you a quick overview of what happened. With the conversion of Constantine, up until the time of Constantine, Christians were persecuted. They were very faithful, they were very godly. About the time of the conversion of Constantine, a lot of compromise came into the church.
That's evolved where the church now, instead of being underground in Rome and being persecuted, they became the dominant power in Rome. Christianity became the main religion. Constantine's mother claimed to be a Christian. Gradually, the Romans comingled Christianity, some of them, with the Roman religion and he ended up with some of the rights and ceremonies you find in the Roman Catholic Church.
True Christianity never did stop existing during that time. Some of it went underground. You can read in revelation chapter 12. It says, "The woman fled into the wilderness, in a place where God has prepared for her that she should be nourished there for three and a half prophetic years." He calls it 42 months or a times and the dividing of time. That adds up to 1,260 days. A day in prophecy is a year.
It's 1,260 years from about 538 to 1798 when Napoleon took the pope, basically captive, and the church lost its political sway or it was badly wounded over Europe. Same time as the reformation, it's that the beast perceived a deadly wound from the sword. It's the word of God. The Church never stopped existing. It went underground. Bible says, "It fled into the wilderness and was fed there. That it prophesied through sackcloth."
That means the work of the church was hindered and obscured, but it was still there. We do have a study guide that talks about it and it talks about this time period that you're talking about. I really hope you look at it. It's called Clothe With Light. If you go to the amazing facts website, you can either call our resource number and get a free copy of that, or you can download and read it right there online.
Actually, I gave you the wrong name. We updated some of our lessons. It's called the Bride of Christ. It's got the new artwork. The Bride of Christ, an illustrated lesson talks about the history of the church during the dark ages, and I hope that helps a little Marco. Thank you for your question. I'm going to talk next to Karen in Largo, Florida. Karen, you're on the air.
Karen: Hi.
Doug: Hi.
Karen: Hi, Pastor Doug. I have always had a hard time with empathy. I have struggled all my life and I feel I will be lost because of it.
Doug: Do you feel like you just don't love people enough or you're not able to feel what they feel and just have that kind of compassion?
Karen: Yes. I don't feel what they feel. I do with animals, but not humans.
Doug: I'm not very good at doing psychology.
Karen: I know.
Doug: My guess would be that you've a couple of times growing up in your life, with your family, you've been let down a few times. You can cloist yourself in a shell a little bit.
Karen: I have a mother that was Godly, but a dad that wasn't.
Doug: Sometimes people are afraid to invest emotionally in other because you're risking getting hurt. I pray that prayer. Don't feel bad. I look at how much Jesus love people and I'd say, "Lord, I don't love people very much compared to you." You look at how the disciples laid their lives down. I said, "Lord, I must not love people like they did." The answer is I say, "Lord, give me more love for people." He is. He does that. Pray that. Say, "Lord, give me your spirit."
Karen: I will do that.
Doug: As the Lord gives you a new heart, the bible says he takes her stony heart away and he gives us a heart of flesh. That's basically saying that he'll help us to love people more, and God can definitely do that. He can take us. We're a little bit hardhearted and we don't have the love for others. When you get the new heart, you start feeling more compassion, more love for other.
There's a book that we can give you, for free, and it's called Riches Of His Grace. It talks about the love of God and I think you'll find it encouraging. You can just call 800-835-6747. Ask for the book Riches of His Grace or you can read it at the Amazing Facts website. Brand new website friends.
By the way, you know I've been meaning to tell everybody. Not only does amazing facts have a brand new updated its fancy-schmancy website. It looks really good now. We have a new app that's out. Whether you've got the Android or the Google, brand new app, state of the art, Amazing Facts. If you want to get the app, you go to the Apple store, the Google store and type in Amazing Facts Ministry, and you can download our new app there. Thank you for your call Karen.
Announcer: You're listening to Bible Answers live. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. If you'd like answers to your bible related questions on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific Time. Call us at 1-800-GOD-SAYS.
Doug: Talking next to James in Vero Beach Florida. I wonder if the waves came up in Very Beach from Florence, the hurricane. You there James?
James: Hey, Pastor Doug. Thanks for having me on your show again.
Doug: Hi, how are you doing?
James: Doing just fine. No effects from the Hurricane down here, but we're blessed.
Doug: Didn't know if your waves got bigger.
James: I didn't really notice.
Doug: Your question?
James: My question is a general question pertaining to prayer in general. Specifically, when it comes to a person praying for something versus a group of people praying for the same thing. The bible talks plenty about anybody being able to come to the Lord in prayer in their secret place and speak to the Lord and he'll hear your prayer. To use an example, you can take somebody that's having a serious problem, and they can pray about it and maybe answer it.
On the other hand, you can have someone that had the same problem and they go around to all their friends and family as best as they can, and they ask for a lot of people to pray for it as if the more people that pray for it, the more likely it's going to be listened to by God. My question is does it really matter that much to God the more people that pray for something? Because I can't imagine God being like, "Okay, my minimum quota, 50 people have been praying on this, so I will decide to go ahead and grant it." You know what I mean?
Doug: That's a great question. First of all, you can read in the book of James, "The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man veils much." One person, when they're praying effectively and fervently, the prayer of one person, look at Elijah. He prays and fire comes down from heaven. He prays again and rain comes down after three-and-a-half years of famine. There's no doubt that one person's prayer can move heaven.
At the same time, you do read a lot of places in the bible where it talks about collective prayer. Is there more value in collective prayer? I think that God is more inclined sometimes to move when his people come together and unite. Jesus said, "If any two of you agree concerning anything on earth--" Then, 2nd Chronicles 7:14, "If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray."
It seems like when people join together and collectively pray and collectively repent if there is a problem that is coming on a group, then God is more inclined to hear it seems. When someone is sick, James doesn't say-- This is James 5, "Call for an elder." It says to call for the elders to come and to pray over them. It does seem that when people unite in prayer, that It amplifies it somehow, but that doesn't diminish that one person's prayer is valuable. Now, I hesitate to say this. I believe it's biblical what I just shared with you, but I know that there's one sister, anything she wants, she doesn't tell just the Lord. She tells 12 people to pray for that. She always believes that there's more power in many people, and so she's giving everybody her personal prayer list all the time.
I don't think that's what God wants us to do because she figures, "Because there seems to be more value in multiple prayers, I'm going to have everybody praying for my list." You see what I'm saying? I can't deny the scriptures that seem to say, it seems to be some amplification or additional value in many praying.
James: I can think of another example in a lot of the epistles, where Paul specifically is writing to these churches and he's telling them that he keeps them in his prayers. When I read something like that, I think it sounds like these people are really maybe praying so well for themselves, so it's like, "Well, someone has to." That's when Paul mentioned that he keeps them in his prayers.
Doug: Yes. Well, every person's prayer is a great value to God, but I do think there's additional value. When churches come together for a prayer meeting, God, when two or three come together in a special way, I think that he's there in, like I said, in some increase way. Now, I have a book, I'll send you a free copy that I wrote on the subject of prayer, and it's called ‘’Teach us to Pray.’’
The disciples went to Jesus, said, "Lord, teach us the praise," as John told his disciples and I go into that principle. I'll send you a free copy of that. You can call 800-835-6747. Also anyone, if you need prayer, we have chaplains standing by, 800-835-6747 for the book, Teach us to Pray, or you can download it at amazingfacts.org. Thank you very much for your call, James.
Voiceover: Did you know Amazing Facts has a free Bible school that you can do from the comfort of your own home. It includes 27 beautifully illustrated study lessons to aid in your study of God's word. Sign up today for this free Bible study course by calling 1-844-215-7000. That's 1-844-215-7000.
Doug: I’m going to move on, talk with Sharon, calling from Kentucky. Sharon, are you there?
Sharon: Yes.
Doug: Hi. I was talking about Kentucky in my Amazing Fact tonight. Now you may have your radio on, in the background because I'm hearing myself.
Sharon: I'm going to turn it off right now. There we go.
Doug: Your question tonight.
Sharon: Mine refers to sinning. I've heard people in the church-- I'm going to turn this on speaker. I've heard people in the church say, "If you sin at all, you're going to go to hell." Well, my concern is there's not a day that doesn't go by that I don't have a thought come in my mind that I should not have. I know Satan will put thoughts in there. He put thoughts and he tried to put thoughts in Jesus' mind, but Jesus was without sin.
I just feel like every day I have sinned. According to what I understand then just like, that you're perfectly not too mean, you will not go to heaven. Now that concerns me for me and for anyone else who might be within earshot inside the church or outside the church. It's like, "Well, what's the hope?"
Doug: You're wondering about, do I have to be perfect?
Sharon: Yes.
Doug: Is that the question?
Sharon: Which I know the Bible says, "There's none perfect." No, not one.
Doug: Well, there’s two things the Bible is talking about when it talks about sin, first of all, everybody has sin. That's past tense, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all agree that Jesus, the angel said to Mary, "You'll call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins." The first thing Jesus says is, "Repent," and for the Kingdom of Heaven, repent what? Of sin.
That's a sorrow for sin and turning away from it. As you mentioned, we have fallen natures. There's just all kinds of sinful things that go through our minds, and we get tempted all the time in low areas. In the Bible, Paul tells us in Romans, "Sin shall not have dominion over you. Before you come to Jesus, we're just dominated by sin."
We are enslaved by sin. There's habits and behaviors that are just dragging us down. Jesus breaks those chains, so sin no longer has dominion. It doesn't mean you're never going to sin because the Bible says in many things we often offend. John says, "If any man says I do not sin, then the truth does not abide in him."
We all struggle with the lower nature, but for the Christian, whenever you realize that you've got the wrong kind of thoughts in your mind, the Holy Spirit convicts you of that and you immediately turn from it. If a Christian is still captive to a life of sin, that's different. You see what I'm saying? Are you still there? Sharon may have turned her volume down. Sharon, I've got a book. Let me just see here, Sharon, are you still able to hear me?
Sharon: Yes.
Doug: Okay. Did you hear my answer?
Sharon: Yes, I did.
Doug: Okay. I've got a book and it talks about, Is It Possible to Live Without Sinning? It really answers your question. I've got a sermon that I do. That's called the Perfect Christian and it helps explain this balance. I'll send you a free copy that book, Is it Possible to Live Without Sinning? You're going to find encouragement in that. The number is 800-835-6747. You call that number and give them your address, they'll send you the book or go to the amazing facts website. You can download it, read it right there online. Or you can download the PDF and read it on your device whenever you're inclined.
Sharon: Thank you very much.
Doug: You're absolutely welcomed. That's a very important question. People often wonder about. Talking next to Chris calling from Wilmington, Delaware. Chris you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Chris: Hi.
Doug: Hi.
Chris: I had a question about drinking alcohol. I believe that drinking alcohol is a sin. I'm very familiar with the different the scriptures that talk about that. The one scripture I'm not really able to get a handle on is the Numbers 28:7, where it talks about strong wine being poured into the Lord for a drink offering. My question is, if alcoholic beverages are used in an offering to God, is alcohol always a sin or is it just drunk enough?
Doug: Well, I believe that a Christian should not drink any alcohol. Just for one second does look at it this way. Alcohol is a drug. It is the most deadly drug in the world. The only thing that kills more people than alcohol is mosquitoes with malaria. Most of the car accidents on the road, you just ask any highway patrolman, most of the calls police get for family abuse, alcohols involved.
Most of the people in prison are there because of alcohol. Birth defects accidents in the hospital, it is amazing how much misery in our society is called by caused by it's a drug. Alcohol is a drug. Even though they may illegalize it and they tax it, it is an addictive drug, a very addictive drug. One out of five or six people that drink becomes a problem drinker an alcoholic.
When the Bible says wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging. We know that's talking about alcoholic. They had two kinds of strong drink in the Bible. One strong drink wasn't alcoholic at all. The word strong means concentrated. They used to dehydrate their grape juice and make it into a paste, so they could transport large amounts. It was much lighter. They then add the water, rehydrated and they drink it.
It wasn't new wine. It wasn't fresh. It wasn't the best, but it's like concentrated orange juice, is never as good as, as fresh orange juice. When it says in Numbers and there's another verse in Deuteronomy 14, is a strong drink, it doesn't mean always alcoholic. It means that they would have this paste that they would reconstitute. They've actually discovered a number of shipwrecks and archeological work where they found these cisterns and these urns that were filled with this great juice paste or concentrate.
Sometimes it was dehydrated, so it was very sweet. It's like raisins. Raisins keep a long time because they're dehydrated grapes. They don't ferment. They have this strong grape juice that was concentrated and then there's also strong drink. That was alcoholic. You just read the context when it says that Noah drank wine and walked around naked while he was drunk. It's pretty clear there.
Jesus, speaking of the sacrifice, He says concerning the Lord's supper, He says, "I will not drink this wine until I drink it with you again, new in the Father's Kingdom." The grape juice for religious purposes was to be new wine, unfermented. All right, hope that helps a little bit, Chris. You've seen my book, I'm assuming on wine, alcohol and the Christian? You there, Chris.
Chris: Yes, I've seen it.
Doug: For anyone out there, there's questions on that. You can download the book Alcohol and the Christian. We'll send you a free copy, you can download it. It sounds like you've read that Chris. I hope that makes sense and that helps a little bit.
Chris: It does, thank you.
Doug: You're welcome. Appreciate your call.
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Doug: Talking to, is it Lenella, in Texas. Lenella, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Lenella: Yes, hi. My question is on the subject of tithing.
Doug: Okay.
Lenella: For example, if my 10% came out to $100 biweekly and so that would total up to $200 a month. Would I be allowed to pay that all at once in the beginning or the ending of the month, or am I supposed to do that every Sabbath on the week I get paid? What's the proper--
Doug: I don't think God is a cruel taskmaster. It's a good principle that while you're thinking about it you do it. The Bible talks about giving the first fruits to the Lord, not your last fruits. I know some people, they say, "Well, I pay my tithe once a year at the end of the year." Bless their hearts, but what if they die before that year is over? [chuckles] You don't want to have the Lord last on your list.
It's not a bad idea to do it whenever you get your check, your paycheck. Just take it off the top so you're not tempted and you're just saying, "Lord, you're first in my life." I know Pastor Ross shares an amazing story about a lady in Africa. Whenever they took up the offering, she always put in brand new bills and they said, "Why are you always putting in brand new bills?"
She says, "Well, when I get paid I go to the bank and ask for new bills because I am not going to give old bills to the Lord. I want to give the best to him." [chuckles] I don't think God is asking us to all do that, but it was a sweet story. If you say, "All right, Lord, I'm going to do it once a month," God is going to bless you, but since there's a blessing in paying tithe, do you want to postpone that blessing or do you want to get it soon? You see what I'm saying? You there, Lenella?
Lenella: Yes.
Doug: I have a study guide that we can send you on that subject-
Lenella: Okay.
Doug: -that talks about tithe and it's free or you can read it online. It's called, In God We Trust. Of course, that's printed on all the money, "In God We Trust." Call the resource line 800-835-6747, and we'll send you a free copy or you can go to the website, amazingfacts.org, and do it that way. All right, Mark, calling from Eau Claire, Michigan. Mark, I've got one minute for your question. Do you have time to ask it quickly?
Mark: Sure. I know your testimony and it's very inspiring. I know you've learned to know God and love Him, and eventually to baptized by the Holy Spirit without being necessarily ordained initially by a religious organization. Now, my question is can anyone who believes in the Lord need to be baptized by another believer who has been baptized by the Holy Spirit, but not necessarily ordained by a religious organization, but maybe part of a simple church or house church, kind of like the early church?
Doug: That's a good question. I do think you're going to find in the Bible that when the Holy Spirit was poured out and when the Holy Spirit came on the people of Sumeria, they sent for Peter and John to come up and to lay hands on the people and baptize them. They evidently thought that there was some authority in Peter where Phillip didn't do it right then. Now, later Phillip baptizes. There's situations like Phillip is alone in the desert with the Ethiopian eunuch, and he says, "There's no one here. Here's water. I'll baptize you."
I think there are situations where if that's the only way it can be done, but everybody who says, "I'm a Christian," starts baptizing, it's like if everyone starts performing marriages sometimes the couples don't get marriage counseling. They're not carefully discipled before they're baptized, so most churches, including our church, believe that it should be the ordained ministers that do the baptizing that have been cleared and trained to make sure the folks are thoroughly discipled.
Great question. Free study on, Is Baptism Necessary? We'll send you. Call 800-835-6747 and you can ask for that study guide, "Is Baptism Really Necessary?" You know listening friends, it wouldn't be fair to someone else to take a call. If we did not get to your call this week, then hope you give us another chance. Want to remind you once, again, we have a brand new website amazingfacts.org.
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