- [Male] It is the best selling book in history. No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted. And its words sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious should always be studied carefully. It is the Bible. The Word of God. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," providing accurate and practical answers to all your Bible questions. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this broadcast, call 800-835-6747. Once again, that's 800-835-6747. Now, here's your host from Amazing Facts International, Pastor Doug Batchelor.
- Hello friends, would you like to hear an amazing fact? Bugs normally do not live a very long time, but there are some exceptions. Typically, a house fly lives for about 28 days. Female mosquitoes live about 50 days. The males only live about 10. A typical house spider can last for about a year, whereas a tarantula can live up to 25 years. A queen aunt can live up to 15 years. Cicadas live underground for 17 years, but about five weeks after they emerge, they make a lot of noise, procreate, and die. The award for the longest living bug belongs to the queen of the Eastern Subterranean Termites, which are found in the United States. The queen can live up to 50 years, and incredibly during this time, she can lay as many as 20,000 eggs per day in her peak time. That's why if you see one or two termites around your house, you better search and destroy them right away. They can multiply very quickly.
- Well, Pastor Doug, talking about, first of all, something that can multiply as much as this termite, but living for 50 years, that is amazing. You don't think of bugs living that long.
- I know, and when you look at them, the queen is, you know, 50 times bigger than all the others, her abdomen. It's got a little head like the rest of them. Great big abdomen, and I guess Vicky, she can't move. They just feed her, and feed her, and she just lays the eggs, and must be something in what she's eating makes her last a long time.
- That's amazing, 50 years. Yeah, exactly. You don't want one of those hanging around your house for 50 years causing problems to your house.
- Yeah, that's why colonies can grow so quickly. And I dunno if you've ever had termite problems before, but sometimes by the time you realize you've got a problem... I saw one or two termites. I thought, oh, they must be swarming. I wonder where they're coming from. Well, they were coming from inside our wall.
- Yeah.
- It's a lot easier to take care of these little things while they're still little. And that's how it is with sin. You know, if we start giving into a little temptation. You know, I was addicted to smoking for years. It started with one cigarette and then it just multiplies from there. And in many things in life, it's so much easier to deal with a weed when it's little before it turns into a tree in your yard. So some people might be wondering, well, do little things really matter? They do. Even if you have become entrenched in some habits that are destructive, you know, God's power is available to help you get the victory over those things, even if you do have a whole colony of termite, so to speak. Someone said once, what's that quote about...
- Yeah, your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become habits. Your habits form your character. And your character determines your destiny.
- And it starts with a thought.
- That's right.
- That's right.
- So if you see any termites around your house, take care of 'em, and if you see little temptations or indiscretions in your life, you want to deal with those right away. And we have a free book we'd like to make available that deals with one of the most practical questions that every Christian has is, how do I deal with temptation? The Devil's there every day, and how do I resist?
- We have a book. It's entitled, "Tips for Resisting Temptation." It's practical. It tells you how you can claim the promises of the Bible. We'll be happy to send this to anyone free. All you have to do is call the number 800-835-6747 and ask for the book. It's, "Tips to Resist Temptation." It's offer number 708 and we'll be happy to get that in the mail and send it to anyone in North America. Now, if you're outside of North America, you can still read the book simply by going to the Amazing Facts website. That's just amazing fax.com or.org. And we have a free library there and you can actually read the book right there online, "Tips for Resisting Temptation."
- Now, if they wanna do a question tonight, we are streaming live on Facebook. It's simply the Amazing Facts Facebook page or the Doug Batchelor Facebook page. You can watch the program there. You can watch it on Amazing Facts Television, AFTV. And we are inviting you to call in with your questions as well. The number, if you have a Bible question is 800-GOD-SAYS. That's 800-463-7297, and maybe we should pray and get to those questions.
- Let's do so. Dear Father in Heaven, we thank You once again for the opportunity to open up Your Word and study together, in order to be with those who are listening, not only here in North America, but around the world. Lord, let me just ask that You'd lead all of us into a clearer and a full understanding of what the Bible teaches. For we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
- Amen.
- Okay, Pastor Doug, we're gonna go to our first caller this evening. We've got Peyton in Virginia listening. Peyton, welcome to the program.
- [Peyton] Hey Pastors, thanks so much for being there.
- Ah, thank you for calling.
- [Peyton] Ah, yes sir, yes sir. My question actually comes from Genesis, chapter three, verse 24, where it refers to a flaming sword, which turned every way. And my Bible refers me to two places in Psalms and Hebrews, which talks about ministers being a flame of fire and angels turning into spirits. Could you guys help me unpack this?
- Yeah, well, we'll do our best. That is a good question. You know, it talks about an angel with this sword, this weapon. There are a few other places in the Bible where it talks about angels having swords. You've got the story in Ezekiel where these angels of God are given these, He calls them destroying weapons, to punish those that do not have this mark of God. You have the story where a destroying angel, maybe where they get the idea of an Angel of Death, going through the land of Israel. There was a plague and David sees an angel with a drawn sword above Jerusalem. But this is different. You make a good point here, Peyton. It talks about a flaming sword. And these are Shekinah. These are not Shekinah, I'm sorry. These are Seraphim that are guarding the way to the gates. And I think it's a unique verse.
- You know, sometimes angels are described as being dazzling bright, glorious. It gives you the idea of almost a flame or a fire associated with... You have a description of the sanctuary in the very presence of God there and the Ark of the Covenant talks about the Shekinah glory shining forth, the visible presence of God. And there were these two covering Cherubs, these angels right there in the presence of God. So you get the idea of God's glory, and even the glory that is manifest through angels as being bright, dazzling. And here we have an angel with the flaming sword guarding the way to the Tree of Life.
- Yeah, you know, I remember we did a video. If you ever wanna see it, friends, Amazing Facts did a video called, "Cosmic Conflict," talking about the war in Heaven and how Lucifer fell. And we struggled when... What do angels use in weapons? And we ended up giving them something that looked like flaming swords. When we got done, it looked like star wars a little bit. So it's hard for us to sometimes imagine what that was. But the idea was it was warning that there would be judgment on Adam, Eve, or any other posterity that tried to go back in the Garden. After the flood, the Garden was, we assume called up to Heaven. And it certainly wasn't there anymore. But up until that time, it guarded the way to the Tree of Life.
- Okay, thanks for your call, Peyton. We've got Samuel listening in Wisconsin. Samuel, welcome to the program.
- [Samuel] Jesus, Pastors.
- Evening, Samuel, thanks for calling.
- [Samuel] Second Corinthians, chapter nine, verse eight.
- Okay.
- [Samuel] Saying we can't make it to Heaven by good works, but on faith and grace alone. That God has blessed us in all things. All things, Pastors. In that verse that says we cannot make it to Heaven by works alone, is through faith and grace.
- So are you wondering what that means? Of course, we're saved entirely by faith. And you always have the story of the thief on the cross, who in the final moments, he said, "Lord, remember me." And Jesus said, "You'll be with Me in the Kingdom." That's exhibit A of a person who's saved just because they turned to Jesus and asked. He did not come down from the cross and do great works of charity, or philanthropy, or... But when a person is saved by grace, we're born again. We love the Lord. We want to do good works. So after a person is saved, if there are no works, you question if the heart's been transformed and they believe.
- It's something we refer to as works of faith. It's the demonstration of faith. And of course, James gets into this. If you read the book of James, and he uses Abraham as an example. He was saved by faith. He was accounted righteous because of his faith. And yet, his faith was what led to obedience, even to the point where God said, you know, you need to offer your son as a sacrifice. He was willing to do so because he believed. He had faith. And then, of course, James makes the point, faith without works is dead, but let me show you my faith by my works. So it's not the works that saves us, but there should be a demonstration of our faith, if it's real faith.
- Yep, amen. Does that help address what you were thinking there, Samuel?
- [Samuel] Yes, Pastors, with great clarity. And thank you for your great work that you continue to do for all of us.
- Well, thanks so much. Appreciate your call.
- Next one that we have is Efrank in New York. Efrank, welcome to the program.
- [Efrank] Alright, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. I have a question in regards to the Book of Revelation. I have a feeling that maybe I might be incorrect in regards to what I'm going to ask, but is it credible to believe that prophetic events in our point in time are correctly defined by Revelation 14? In other words, is Revelation 14 relevant to the point in time that we are in prophecy, according to the Book of Revelation?
- Yeah, that's a great question. And in a word, I'd say yes. The reason is if you look in Revelation 14, and so we're wanting to know, how relevant is Revelation 14 to what's happening in the world today? You look in revelation 14 and when you get to... What verse is it where he said... Yeah, verse 14, Revelation 14:14. I looked and behold a white cloud. And on the cloud, one sat like the Son of Man having on His head, a golden crown and a sharp sickle, and He's coming to reap. This is talking about the return of Christ. And so if Jesus is coming, whatever's happening in Revelation 14, verses one through six, these are things that happen immediately prior to the Second Coming of the Lord. So that's very relevant for today.
- Yeah, if you look at the whole chapter, it's really divided into three sections, as pastor Doug said. Starting in verse 14 through to the end of the chapter, you have this symbolic, prophetic picture of the Second Coming of Christ. It's kind of reap the harvest. There's two harvests, the Harvest of the Wheat, representing the righteous, the Harvest of the Grapes, representing the wicked. And then just before you find that starting in verse six of Revelation 14 through to verse 13, you have something called the three angels' message. And these three angels' messages have to go to every nation, kindred tongue, and people. And they really prepare the world for the harvest, for the second coming of Christ. And then the first few verses of Revelation, chapter 14 from verse one to five is a description of a group that we read about called the 144,000. And they're the ones taking this three angels' message to every nation, kindred tongue, and people. So it's all connected.
- [Doug] Yeah.
- And it's very relevant for our time, especially the three angels' messages.
- And it contrasts in chapter 14, one group's got the mark of the beast and it pronounces plagues on that group that stays in Babylon. And the other group, 144,000, they're among those who have the seal of God. Not the only ones, but they have the seal of God. So 14 sort of it gives a a picture. It's sort of crystallizes the big issues in the last days. And we have a lesson on that, don't we?
- We do, we absolutely. Does that help, Efrank?
- [Efrank] Yes.
- You know, we do have a study guide that I think you'll really enjoy. It's called, "Angel Messages from Space," and it gets right into the three angels' message of Revelation chapter 14. We'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. All you have to do is just call the number 800-835-6747 and ask for, "Angel Messages from Space". It's all about the three angels' messages, Revelation 14. It's one of our Amazing Facts Study Guide Series. And if you'd like to ask for the whole... It's free, we'll send you the whole series. You can sign up and it will be a blessing. Okay, next caller that we have is Joy listening in Missouri. Joy, welcome to the program.
- [Joy] Hello, thank you very much. I've been trying to get ahold of you for a few weeks and I'm always off time, but tonight, I got in. I just wanna know do pets, our puppies, our kitties, have salvation?
- Well, we're so thankful that your call got through tonight. And so, I guess I could summarize by saying, will our pets be in Heaven? You know, we get that question a lot. Our friend, Steve Wohlberg wrote a book on that because it's such a common question. You know, all of us have animals. How long have you had your parrot? It's not a parrot, is it?
- We did have a parrot, yeah, an African Gray. He actually died a little while ago. But man, we had him for 30, 40 years. They live a long time.
- Yeah, that's amazing.
- Yeah.
- But you get attached.
- You do get attached.
- Even if it's a little loud.
- You do get... Well, your cats, and your dogs, and... I don't know if you can get attached to a 50 year old termite, but I mean, you do get attached to a lot of animals that live a long time.
- Yeah, and you develop relationships, and you think, you know, is there any hope that we'll see them in the Kingdom? Yeah, we can't... We gotta be honest to the Word. We can't show you a scripture that says you're gonna see your animal in Heaven. It is interesting that, you know, God spoke through a donkey, as a donkey that was spirit-filled. And God delivered bread through ravens to Elijah. And you know, another donkey rode Jesus, or Jesus rode this donkey into Jerusalem. So you've got animals with some special roles in the Bible. You don't wanna be that serpent that was possessed by the devil. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. And where is it where Paul says, "The eye has not seen. The ear has not heard. Neither is entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those that love Him." So it's entirely possible God would surprise us and say, "For you, it's not a universal resurrection of all animals. But for you, I resurrected your pet, your dog or your cat that was your friend for years." He can do that. I mean, almost no one will be disappointed when they get to Heaven.
- We also know they will be animals in Heaven. The Bible speaks of animals in the... Well, in the Garden of Eden, there were animals. There's gonna be animals in Heaven and the New Earth speaks about animals. So yeah, if it's not, you know your exact dog, I'm sure God's gonna give you a dog that's very similar, if that's what is gonna make you happy and you'll be delighted.
- Amen.
- So the verse you're referring to is 1 Corinthians, chapter two, verse nine. It says, "Eye is not seen, nor ear heard. Neither even entered into the heart of man the things that God is preparing for those that love Him."
- Amen.
- There's the promise.
- Thanks for your call, Joy. We got Richard listening in Arizona. Richard, welcome to the program.
- [Richard] Good evening.
- Evening, how you doing?
- [Richard] Doing wonderful. Hey, last night you guys were talking about the 144,000. And then you mentioned King David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher and bones is with us unto this day. I was wondering where you got the bones at, 'cause my Bible doesn't say that?
- Well, you know, what? If we said bones, I probably was quoting the scripture from memory and inserted that. And I apologize, you're right. It doesn't say bones. it does say that his tomb is with us to this day. Let me read the verse. It's Acts, chapter two, verse 29, "Men and Brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the Patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried." His tomb, "is with us to this day." So the tomb, it says, David is with us. His body was in the tomb. I assume his skeleton was in there. That was a common practice for Jews. When someone died, they'd often... The body would be reduced to a skeleton, and then they'd put it in an ossuary. And that was the bones is what they put in there. Now, an example of that real quick would be when Elijah died, they put him in a grave. And it says, "They lowered a man down onto his bones." So that was a common practice for the Jews. So I probably inserted that word, quoting it from memory, and I apologize.
- Does that help Richard?
- [Richard] Yeah, well, it doesn't really fulfill the answer about the whole 144,000 though. 'Cause my Bible says they're redeemed. That means that's past tense. That's not of looking forward tense.
- Now I'm just wondering about the 144,000. I think the group that we were talking about at the time was, or at least one group that's being mentioned, is what we call the special resurrection. Those are the ones who were resurrected at Christ's resurrection. And we have that recorded for us in Matthew. We have no record of them actually... It does say that they appeared in Jerusalem in the Holy City, but then there's no further reference of them in the book of Acts. We believe that they ascended to Heaven with Jesus as first fruits of the resurrection. But with the reference to the 144,000, no. That group is described Revelation, chapter seven, and it's really referring to a group of people at the end of time, sort of God's last day Apostles taking the three angels' message to the world. So I'm not sure. I don't think we mentioned 144,000. It might have been-
- I think I briefly said that David was probably not one of those who was resurrected in Matthew, chapter 27.
- [Jean] Right.
- So that might be what you're referring to. And my reasoning being that after that resurrection, Peter says he's still dead and buried and his tomb is with us. So then he goes on and says, if you read on in Acts a little further, it says David is not ascended into Heaven.
- Right.
- So that I think-
- So he wasn't with that group that was resurrect... But that's not the 144,000, right? So that is a different group.
- Yeah, we probably got the wires crossed there.
- Alright, well, thanks call Richard, for calling clarifying that. We've got Christopher listening in California. Christopher, welcome to the program.
- [Christopher] Hello, great evening, Pastors.
- Evening!
- [Christopher] Yeah, I have a question regarding music.
- Okay.
- [Christopher] I know that Christian rap is bad because of the beats, that it comes from voodoo and all that. But my question is what if about a Christian acoustic style?
- Alright, you're asking one of the biggest questions. I just wrote a book, and I'm not saying this to promote a book. It just I've been thinking a lot about it ' cause I just finished a book. It's just now printed talking about the Christian and music. And I'm not an expert on music. I did grow up in a home where my mother was a professional songwriter and I was exposed to a lot of very talented musicians. Music is extremely powerful. It's not required that Christians only sing Christian songs. In other words, there's nothing wrong with a Christian singing, "My Country 'Tis of Thee". It's a patriotic song. The idea of music, or if you're you singing your baby a lullaby and putting your baby to sleep, around the world, there's different kinds of music that evoke different behaviors. They're related with different events. If an Army's going off battle, you don't do romantic songs. You don't do lullabies. They usually do a march. There are march songs in the Bible. We got 150 songs in the book of Psalms, and some are prayers, some are... What would you say, they're ballads? And some are very sad and melancholy. David talks about he's feeling forsaken and he'd like to fly away like a bird. All different kinds, but music is very powerful. And I would agree that rap music is something of a contradiction. And I said that once before and I got some angry phone calls. But yeah, music's very powerful and knowing where do you draw the line between what is right and wrong music? There's several things. You got the occasion. You've got the style of music. What is the music doing to you physiologically? I used to go to rock concerts as a kid and it just sends you into a frenzy. And everything about it was diabolical. So that doesn't help us draw closer to God.
- So in other words, you're saying, Pastor, it's not just the words. I mean, you can have good words, but if it's the wrong kind of music, it sort of counteracts the words 'cause it creates the wrong feeling, the wrong environment. And that's why we want words and music to harmonize.
- And I've heard some outstanding music, but the words were just terrible, yeah. Matter of fact, I've taken some music I've heard in the world and I thought, that's a great song and they don't have Christian words for it. And I rewrote the song for my own entertainment with Christian words. So matter of fact, I'm not sure, but I heard that, "A Mighty Fortress", the melody that Luther chose was one that every German knew, but there were some other words in there. He put Christian words to what he thought was a powerful melody.
- And of course, that's what it's probably known for now, is that great hymn. Alright, well, thank you for calling, Christopher. We got Cornelia listening in Kentucky. Cornelia, welcome to the program.
- [Cornelia] Hello. I have a question in regards to your first Amazing Facts Study Guide. Is that okay?
- Sure.
- [Cornelia] Okay, question eight asked a question about evolution. And it said that evolution has a strong tenant of Communism.
- Yes, now, I don't have the studying guide in front of me, but I think I recall what you're talking about. Are you wondering why we said that?
- [Cornelia] Please, 'cause I don't understand.
- No, no problem. If the Communist governments, both in China and in Russia, and I've preached in both countries, one of the foundational teachings is evolution. They don't believe in God. They kind of resist freedom of religion. And the whole thing is based about that government is really the God that you're supposed to worship, and everyone's supposed to put in a common pot for the government.
- Well, I think also, it's almost logical that as a child goes to school and you begin to wonder, why am I here? Where am I going? How did I get here? What's the meaning of life? And if you're growing up in a Christian environment, well, the Bible can answer those questions for you and they give you good answers. But if you're trying to remove the Bible from society and you're trying to have everyone be controlled by a centralized government or a philosophy, you need something else to answer those questions of why are we here? Where are we going? Where do we come from? And of course, evolution then is used to answer that. So if you go to a government school in China, for example, the only option that's given is the reason you hear is because of evolution. And unfortunately, even in a lot of Christian countries today, we've got the same thing.
- Yeah, absolutely. So I hope that helps a little bit, Cornelia, with your question. Yeah, if foundational to evolution is... Or foundational Communism, I should say, is evolution. You hear the music. We're just taking a break friends. We'll be back with more Bible questions in a moment.
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- [Female] Amazing Facts offers some of the best Christian resources for all ages. We help our products will enrich your life and your walk with the Lord. Life requires daily wisdom. And now you can expand your understanding in "Wisdom for Life," Pastor Doug's new 31 day devotional based on the 31 chapters from the book of Proverbs written by king Solomon.
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- [Male] Have you always wanted to be a Bible expert, but never knew where to start? Are you searching for answers that will bring you joy, peace, and fulfillment? Then you'll love the, "Amazing Facts Storacles of Prophecy" Bible study experience, now available in 18 languages. Featuring 24, easy-to-read lessons. The Storacles are packed with scripture and step-by-step guidance that will give you absolute confidence about what the Bible actually says about the second coming, the rapture, the antichrist, and the mark of the beast. You'll also get the truth about hell and the afterlife, and practical insight about grace, salvation, and how to truly live like Jesus, even better. It's absolutely free at storacles.org. So don't miss out. Get started on your Bible study adventure today at storacles.org. Are you wondering what lies ahead in human history? "Landmarks of Prophecy" offers clear answers to your most pressing questions. Presented by pastor Doug Batchelor, "Landmarks of Prophecy" is a video Bible study adventure designed for today's audiences, presenting the landmark themes of the Bible in a compelling way. Giving you knowledge to face the future with confidence. Start your epic Bible study adventure with "Landmarks of Prophecy" today by calling 800-538-7275 or by visiting afbookstore.com.
- [Male] You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," where every question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His plan to save you. So what are you waiting for? Get practical answers about the Good Book for a better life today. 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 rejoin our host for more "Bible Answer Live".
- Welcome back, listening friends to "Bible Answers Live". If you've tuned in somewhere along the way, this is a live international interactive Bible study and we are not gonna hesitate. We'll be going back to the phones here with no further ado. Who's lined up?
- Alright, we've got John. John is listening in Washington. John, welcome to the program.
- [John] Hi, good evening, gentlemen. Thank you so very much. It's been quite a long time since I've had a chance to speak with you, and I'm blessed. Hope you are too.
- Well, thank you. Appreciate your call and your question.
- [John] Okay, so my question is I have been keeping the Sabbath for quite a long time. And I speak with a lot of my friends who is still attend church on Sunday. And the thing that they always hit me with, I start talking about the Sabbath, they always say, "Well, Paul never said anything about obeying the law. Paul always talks about having faith." And so, you look in Romans chapter four and, you know, verse 11, 12, 13, and 14, and Paul just emphasized faith. In fact, even later on in Romans, he says the Jews were cut off because of unbelief. So Paul's keeps hammering believe, faith, believe, faith. Where does Paul ever say obedience? Because that's the one thing that I'm trying to get by Sunday friends to understand is it's not just faith, it's obedience. You gotta obey in order to be saved. But Paul doesn't say it anywhere.
- Well, let's look here at Romans, chapter two, verse 13. Now, tell me if this sounds clear. "For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified."
- [Jean] Now, which verse are you looking at, Pastor?
- [Doug] I'm Romans chapter two, verse 13.
- [Jean] Romans two, verse 13.
- [Doug] Yeah, I'm just going back a couple of chapters. And then Paul says in Romans chapter... Is it seven, where he says, "Do we then make void the law through faith?" God forbid.
- [Jean] We establish the law.
- We establish the law. What shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. And sin is the transgression of the law.
- Now of course, the confusion that we need to clarify here in the verse is that when Paul used the word law, the law is not always referring to the 10 Commandments. There is the Law of Moses. And of course, that was the issue that Paul was facing in his day. There were Jewish Christians that were encouraging the Gentile believers or telling them that in order for them to be saved, they had to follow the laws given by Moses, which had to do with circumcision, which had to do with sacrifices, various feast, feast days. And Paul is saying, no, you don't have to follow that law, but he's not saying you don't wanna follow the 10 Commandment law because the 10 Commandment law defines what right and wrong is. So there's a difference in laws that we read about in the New Testament.
- And my question would always be, is Paul saying that it's okay to kill? Of course not. Is Paul saying it's okay to worship idols? No, he says idolaters will be in the lake of fire. Is Paul saying that it's okay to commit adultery? No, he says adulterers will not be saved. He says, do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, or adulterers, or.. And he goes through this whole litany of sins. People that break the law, he says will not inherit eternal life. He's very clear about that. So if you point these verses these people to these verses... Now, let me give you something else to think about before we move past this. You look in 2 Peter, chapter three. Peter says... I think it starts with verse 15. He said that as our beloved... I'm gonna tell you what. Instead of my trying to quote it and risk misquoting it, I'm gonna read it to you directly. Go to Second Peter, chapter three. Let me see what verses is here. Yeah, verse 14, verse 15. And consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation, as also our beloved brother, Paul, according to the wisdom, given to him, has written you. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand. Few people say that James, or Mark, or Peter are hard to understand, but Paul was very educated and he went deep because he was trying to reach the Romans and the Greeks with their philosophy. He said some things are hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction as they do it with the rest of the scriptures. You, therefore, beloved, Since you know this beforehand be aware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness and be let away with the error of the lawless. So the issue was, they said some people take Paul's writings and try and make it sound like it's okay to be lawless. Don't make that error. Paul is not saying that. He's just... He was prioritizing salvation by faith for the Jews who were trying to tell the Gentiles, now you've gotta keep the Law of Moses. And this is a big battle in Acts, chapter 15. They had a whole Jerusalem Council saying, Alright, let's spell it out. What is it that the Gentiles need to observe?
- Absolutely. You know, Pastor, we got a book it's called, "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" And it deals with the very subject. It's not a book that we offer very often, but it's a great book. And we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. Again, the number for that is 800-835-6747 and just ask for the book. It's called, "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" and we'll be happy to send it to anyone in north America. If you're listening outside of north America, make sure you go to the Amazing Facts website. You'll be able to read it for free right there online. Thanks for your call, John. We're gonna see if we can get a few more in. We've got Susie listening in Colorado. Susie, Welcome to the program.
- [Susie] Hi, thanks for taking my call. I have always believed that from creation, the Holy Spirit has been with us, and He convicts us and draws us. But when I go to Acts 8:16, I don't understand because it says the Holy Spirit had fallen upon none of them. They had only been Baptized in the name of the Lord, Jesus. So do we need to have a special laying on of hands to get the Holy Spirit?
- Great question. I'm so glad you asked that question 'cause people often get confused. I've heard people say, well, the Holy Spirit didn't come till Pentecost. Well, that's silly because you can read where King David praised in Psalm 51, "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." And you read where the Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson. And God's Spirit hovered on the face of the water right there, at creation in Genesis, chapter one. And the last words you read in the Bible, "The Spirit and the bride say come." The Spirit of God has been working in people's hearts all through human history. There was a special filling. The Spirit of God comes in different degrees. There was a special filling of the Holy Spirit that happened at Pentecost because of Christ's sacrifice and his victory against the devil that basically permission was provided to fill people with a fuller measure of the Spirit than I think humanity had ever seen as in a group. There is actually a story in the Old Testament where the 70 Elders went before the Lord, and God took His Spirit from Moses, and He put it upon them. And Elijah prayed for a double portion of Elijah spirit. So the Spirit of God in power has been working all through history. But a special measure... And that's what they're referring to this Baptism, that means an immersion in the Holy Spirit, had not happened yet.
- And this special outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we read about in Acts seems to be connected with the proclamation of the gospel. Jesus had told His disciples that they were to take the gospel to the whole world. Well, how are they gonna do that? Well, the Holy Spirit came with power, and miracles took place, and the gospel was preached, and people could hear the gospel preached in their own language. So all kinds of wonderful things happened. And the church was growing and more converts were coming to the church. And they were being filled with the Spirit. And they also would go out and share the gospel. And I think that's what's been referred to here. Of course, the Bible says, no, your not. That it's the goodness of God that leads you to repentance. Well, if you don't have the Holy Spirit leading you to repentance, how you gonna come to a point of repenting of your sins? So we need the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is working on the hearts of people even now.
- Even the lost, it says the Holy Spirit convicts them of their sin . As long as you haven't grieved away the Holy Spirit and committed the unpardonable sin, then yeah, God's Spirit's gonna work. Now, we have a book that-
- [Susie] That I'd like to have that extra power .
- Yeah, amen. We're with you.
- [Susie] I just love it. Alright, well, thank you so much.
- Sure, now we have a book that talks about our need of the Holy Spirit. And we'll send you a free copy.
- I was just looking at it, Pastor. It was a great book. It's called, "Holy Spirit, the Need". And we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. The number, again, is 800 and it's 835-6747 You can ask for the book It's called, "The Holy Spirit, the Need". We'll send it to anyone in North America. We've got Andrea listening in Arizona. Andrea, welcome to the program.
- [Andrea] Hi. I've experienced what I think is maybe visions, and I know for sure dreams. My family's a bit concerned about them though, as I was telling them and letting people know, 'cause I felt that in my heart that I should let them know, and really, just anybody. But my question is, how do you know it's from God? Like in other words, like I do see scriptures and He brings me to scriptures. And that's what makes me believe in even more that it is God that's telling me these things. But how would you... I don't know how to explain it to people.
- No, that's a good question.
- [Andrea] I just don't know the answer .
- How do you know if a dream or vision does... You know, the Bible does tell us that God does use dreams and visions. And where is it, Pastor Ross, in Joel two? And it's repeated in Acts, chapter two. So I'll pour out My Spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. I'm just paraphrasing.
- Yeah, it's Joel 2:28. It says, "Should come to pass afterwards. I'll pour out of My Spirit on all flesh, your sons and your daughter shall prophecy. Your old men shall dream dreams. And your young men shall see visions." And then it even says and on your maidens, He'll pour out the Spirit as well.
- Yeah, so the idea that God has stopped speaking to people through dreams and visions, that's one of the ways He's communicated all through history. You have dreams in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and you know, God can communicate that way now. That doesn't mean it's... You know, it never replaces scripture. And a dream, if a dream ever is telling you to do something that's contrary to scripture, then it's suspect. But sometimes God will give you dreams, and He's really just trying to tell the individual... You know, God gave me a dream that was really just between me and the Lord. He didn't want me to go tell the world that just impressed me that He's coming soon. It's like I saw Jesus coming in my dream. And I woke up and I just felt like the Lord was trying to say that you need to be ready. Some people have had dreams, and they weren't sure if it was a vision that they lost, and they were in fire burning . And I don't know, everybody's probably had a dream once that they were falling and they woke up. You ever have that dream?
- Sure did .
- [Doug] Yeah.
- So I remember when I was trying to stop smoking, I had gone a few weeks without smoking. I was feeling really good that I got it behind me, and then dreamed that I was tempted to smoke and I smoked. And I woke up and realized it was a dream. I felt so bad in my dream that I started smoking again. I woke up and I was so thankful it was a dream and I've never smoked again. But the feeling of... The terrible feeling that I had gone back to it again after several failed attempts really helped me. And so, God may speak to you individually, Andrea. You know, if the Lord is... He has something that maybe you want to share with other people, He'll let you know that plain enough.
- And of course, we always want to test everything by the Word of God. We also need to recognize that dreams are not always from God. As we have dreams sort of out of the multitude of the day's activities. We often have dreams, and so...
- [Doug] Yeah, Ecclesiastes.
- Yeah, just because we have a powerful dream, it doesn't necessarily mean it comes from God. But that's where we got to test it with scripture. Alright, well thank you for your call. We got Ali listening in Lincoln, Nebraska. Ali, welcome to the program.
- [Ali] Hi Pastors, I had this question. Like when people go to Heaven, will they have wings like the angels? And I also got the other question that you know how we are made in the image of God? Does the Holy Spirit also have like the image like God?
- Alright, two questions, first about the wings. There is a verse in Isaiah 40, verse 31. It says, "But those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They'll run and not be weary. They'll walk and not faint." Now, you do have a story in the Bible where Elijah ran before the King's chariot and he was not weary. God gave him some supernatural strength. Some have wondered, is this a poetic term, Isaiah uses a lot of poetry, or will we literally have wings? I'm inclined to think that they may not be wings like a stork, or an eagle, or a bird, but God is gonna give us some kind of wings or some ability to fly when needed. Is there other verses you can think of?
- You know, I'm thinking of that song. We shall soar to world's unknown.
- Yeah, Rock of Ages.
- Yeah, Rock of Ages. So it's pretty clear that when Jesus comes, the Bible tells us that the righteous are called up to meet the Lord in the air. So there's gonna be some flying taking place there. But I don't think we'll necessarily need to rely upon wings, in the sense of these wings keeping us flying or aloft. Otherwise, we're gonna fault to the ground.
- We're not gonna start sprouting feathers.
- Yeah, I don't think so . But we will be able to travel. Obviously, go to Heaven. Travel to other worlds.
- And that's the word that, you know, the only word they could use in the Bible to explain the ability to fly.
- The second part of the question, Pastor Doug, is what about the Holy Spirit? Does the Holy Spirit have a form like the Father or the Son?
- You know, the Holy Spirit sometimes will take on a form as just a metaphor. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, it came with tongues of fire. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as wind in John chapter three. The Holy Spirit, I think Christ referred to it in John, chapter four, more like water with the woman at the well. So it's a refreshing, when you go into the temple, there was a fire on the altar. There was water in the laver. These were symbols., and then there's incense that kind of is smoke, is something sort of ethereal that it could be a symbol of the Spirit.
- And then the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at he's Baptism in the form of a dove.
- I forgot that one, that's right, yeah.
- So of course in Revelation, you have the seven burning lamps of God before the throne, which is a symbol, again, of the Holy Spirit. So we don't have a description of the Holy Spirit in the form of the Father or the Son. But definitely, the Holy Spirit is real and He is everywhere. He is in the hearts and the minds of believers all the time guiding. So it's one of those aspects of the Godhead that's kind of difficult for us to comprehend.
- [Doug] Mysterious.
- Yes, absolutely. Alright, well, thanks your call. We have Yvonne listening from Mexico. Yvonne, welcome to the program.
- [Yvonne] Hi, hello. My question is I eat a bread that they make. My question is that they make a bread in the day of the death, so they can eat and they offer to the dead people. And once I tried to eat it to curiosity, I was trying to try to eat it. I definitely eat it because I wanted to try to know what it taste like, curiosity.
- Yeah.
- [Yvonne] And something tells me don't eat that bread because it's offered for the dead people, for the deceased people. You know, Day of the Dead?
- Yeah, Dia de Muertos.
- [Yvonne] Should I eat that?
- Well, you know, the very fact you're asking that question I think is an indicator that the Holy Spirit might be saying, you know, if this bread is specifically for something that's made as an offering to the dead and you're not starving, I wouldn't eat it. They talk about this in the Bible where they had meat that was offered to idols, but it was sold to everybody. And it wasn't necessarily associated with worshiping an idol. It's just every animal that was sacrificed, they did it in front of an idol. I wouldn't... I dunno what you think, Pastor Ross. It just seems like it... The Day of the Dead is like communicating with the dead ancestors and it's filled with skeleton, something like Halloween. And I don't think that Christians should support that. And yeah, I don't even need Halloween candy.
- Yeah . No, I think we wanna make sure that we're following Christ. The Bible's about hope, it's about life. It's not about death and we wanna focus on the hope and the life that we have in Christ.
- Yeah.
- Alright, well, thanks for your call.
- Thanks, Yvonne, good to talk with you and call again sometime.
- We got Ricky listening in New York. Ricky, welcome to the program.
- [Ricky] How you doing?
- Good, and your question tonight?
- [Ricky] So my question is, God told Adam and Eve do not eat from the tree, or you'll surely died. That was a warning. And the question is, if He can warn 'em about the tree, how come He didn't warn 'em about Satan or the snake?
- Well, I don't think that they knew that the devil was going to inhabit or possess a serpent. I think God had warned them that there was evil in the universe. He wanted to spare them that evil. And he said, you will be safe as long as you don't eat from that tree. The one place where the devil could tempt them was around that tree. And God said, stay away from it. I've given you all kinds of good trees to eat. So what you read there in Genesis is probably not the only thing that God said to Adam and Eve. I'm sure there were long conversations. That's why the God walked with them in the cool of the day, you read later in chapter three. So I think they had been warned that there was a war and there's a fallen angel that was out roaming around causing problems, and as long as they stayed away from that tree... But God did give the devil one opportunity to campaign for his government at that tree. And you know, Adam and Eve were given the freedom to make a choice.
- Alright, well, thanks your call. You know, we do have a study guide. It's called, "Did God Create a Devil?" It talks about the fall of Lucifer and explains a little bit about that first temptation that took place in the Garden of Eden.
- He can also watch the "Cosmic Conflict" DVD for free at probably YouTube, it's been up for a few years now, the whole thing.
- Yeah.
- "Cosmic Conflict".
- If you'd like to get that study guide, it's called, "Did God Create a Devil?" And the number to call is 800-835-6747. And we'll be happy to send that to anyone in North America. We've got Grace listening in New Jersey. Grace, welcome to the program.
- [Grace] Hi, Pastor Ross, and hi, Pastor Doug.
- Hi, thank you for calling. And your question?
- [Grace] I'm glad that... I'm excited that I can speak to you. Okay, I have a question regarding, it's on Genesis, chapter three, verse 16. There's where it says your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you. So my husband always say that he says, where it says your desire shall be for your husband, he thinks that it means that the woman is desiring to overthrow the husband.
- Ah, okay. Well, for one thing, this is a difficult verse. I was part of a theological committee that went into great depth studying this verse. And it does seem to say that there would be, you know, because of sin, here it's talking about some of the curses connected with sin. Childbirth would be more difficult. Plowing and farming the ground would be more difficult. And there was gonna be even tension between the husband and the wife. And God said, look, the man should be the spiritual leader of the husband. That doesn't mean a dictator, but he was to provide spiritual leadership, Christlike leadership in the home. And it does seem to indicate from the original, it says your desire shall be to be over your husband, but he should rule over you. And again, these words rule, you think about a king. Not the best coming from Hebrew to English. It just means that he should have the leadership. God made men to be protectors of their wives. You know, traditionally, they're bigger and stronger.
- Yep, their role is to provide safety for the home. You know, the word husband is sort of the house band to hold the home together, provide for the home. Unfortunately, some husbands or some men don't live up to that high calling.
- [Doug] Yeah.
- But that's the original design that God created there at the very beginning.
- Yeah, and God never intended... There are some churches that use this verse and a few others to make it sound like, you know, women are to be slaves to their husbands. But in our home, I make the bed and I wash dishes. And this week, I did laundry . So I mean, we should... It's really to be servant leaders is the best description, husbands. And we believe in something that's called complementarianism, meaning that the gifts that God give men and women are to complement each other, but they're certainly distinct. Men are not designed mentally or physically as well as women to nurture children. But there are things that men are designed for that are better in some areas, in other words. So we have our strengths and God outlines that in His Word.
- Okay. Well, thank you for your call. We've got Matthew listening in Canada, Toronto, Canada. Matthew, ww have just a few minutes left. You're on the air.
- [Matthew] Hi, Pastor Ross and Doug. Good evening.
- Evening.
- [Matthew] Yeah, my question is about this, Last Supper with the disciples. Oftentimes, over the years, you know, it's been taught that when you're taking communion, you shouldn't go unworthily. So I want to ask, was Judas worthy when he took the Lord's supper? after.
- [Doug] That's right.
- Good, good question.
- [Matthew] Could you explain for me please?
- Yeah, we'll do our best. We we've only got it about a minute to do it. But Christ does say in First Corinthian... Is said First Corinthians, where he says, "If you eat it in an unworthy manner, then you're eating..." Maybe Second Corinthians. "You're eating condemnation unto yourself." Judas certainly did not have the right spirit, even though Jesus washed his feet. One thing we learned from this is that even though Jesus knew that Judas' heart wasn't right, he allowed him to participate.
- That's First Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 27.
- 11:27, yeah. And he that eats her drinks in an unworthy manner, drinks destruction to themselves. It's a dangerous thing. What does that mean? No one feels worthy. It really means that if you come to the communion table, you ought to be willing to forgive, and to love others, and to have a humble attitude. And if you're asking for Christ's mercy, you should be willing to extend that to others as well. But yeah, come with a... And really be genuinely accepting of the grace of the Lord. You know, Pastor Ross, I don't think we have time in this broadcast for another question right now, but we're gonna take a break in a moment. We're gonna come back for some rapid fire questions. These are bonus questions that people have sent in via the internet. And so, don't go away. We have to sign off for our satellite station right now. But everyone else that's listening, You're gonna hear us come back in just a moment or two. We're gonna rapid fire, go through a number of internet question. So we'll be right back.
- [Male] Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California.
- Well, Pastor Doug, we are gonna take some of our internet questions that have come in. And for those of you who stayed by to be a part of this program, if you would like to send a Bible question through the internet, you can just email to BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. Just BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. Alright, Pastor Doug, here we go. We're gonna start with a tough question. A coworker is gay and has invited me to his wedding. Is attending the wedding, showing the love of God?
- You know, in a situation like that, I think the way you show the love of God is by putting God first. And by your appearance, it might appear that you are endorsing something that the Bible speaks of as a sin and an abomination. And I know it's politically incorrect to say that, but I can't change the Bible. If people have a problem, they're gonna have to take it up with God, and I didn't write the Bible. So yeah, I think you wanna show love and support for people, but by attending a wedding, you are basically endorsing a covenant that they're making to get married. And if you believe the Bible teaches that marriage should be between a man and a woman and not between two women and two men, your attendance could send the wrong message.
- Okay, next question. If the Bible is supposed to be easy to understand, why is it so hard to read?
- You know, there are parts of the Bible that are very easy to read. And you might be running into some hard parts, but you know where Jesus said, love your enemies. It's simple. There's a lot of real simple statements that are in the Bible. And I would say, that's why the Bible is such a best seller, is it appeals to people of all different intellects and all different ages. There are stories in the Bible that kids understand. So the more you read it, the better you understand it. And you'll just get deeper and deeper all the time.
- Okay, another question that we have, what do prayers do? If God is gonna act anyway, why do we pray?
- Well, Jesus already knows what our sins are, but the Bible says confess them, why? Well, because we confess our sins, we're acknowledging something happens in us, that it's wrong, and we're giving God permission to change us. Now, that that would just be prayers of confession. But whenever we ask for something, God can do for us things when we ask that otherwise will not happen. The Devil claims this world as his own. We need to invite God to intervene and to answer our prayers.
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