Announcer: It is the best-selling book in history. No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted and it's 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.
Doug Batchelor: Hello, listening friends, would you like to hear an amazing fact? James Michael Grimes, 28 says, "He's lucky to be alive after more than 20 hours treading water in the open sea. On November 23rd, 2020, during a family Thanksgiving vacation, he fell from a cruise ship in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Cruise ships are very tall, so it's amazing the fall itself did not kill him. He does not remember how he fell, just that he woke up in the ocean and there was no boat anywhere in sight." Grimes says, "The Lord was with me while I was out there because something was holding me up the whole time I was passed out." My worst fear is drowning, so I was dead set on making it out of there." Grimes says, God gave him the strength to stay afloat, and thinking about his nine year old daughter gave him determination. His family reported him missing the next morning, but it took hours for the cruise line to search the ship and confirm he was not on board. That's when they contacted the Coast Guard, who began searching over a 700-square-mile grid.
Now, finding a lone man without a life jacket in the ocean is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Grimes fought hard to survive swimming through two schools of jellyfish, and somehow evaded sharks that normally infest those waters. Eventually Grimes plucked off all his clothing to make swimming less strenuous. When the sun began to set the next day having no food or water in 20 hours, he was totally fatigued. When he saw the lights of a container ship approaching, he used his last remaining strength to swim towards the giant vessel. Miraculously, someone on the container ship spotted him, and a message was sent to the nearby Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter. Grimes told the Coast Guard, "You're like a guardian angel coming down for me." Other than dehydration, losing 20 pounds and spending four days in ICU, he received no wounds. He said, "The Lord was with me all the way." He told reporters, "In a way, it was like a 20 hour baptism that drew me closer to God. I know that God saved me for a reason, and now I have to abide by His plan.” You know, I'll tell you Pastor Carlos, that it's really something to think about spending that much time out there in the water, treading water, and the water was 70 degrees, which it's cool, it kind of saps your heat after a while.
Carlos Munoz: No, it's amazing and then to think that he would be in the sun, no clothes, anything, it's beyond anything I've ever heard before.
Doug: It helped probably that, you know, 28, you're sort of in your prime and he just used, when the Coast Guard picked him up, they said he probably wouldn't have lasted another 10 minutes. I mean, they got him, he was starting to go under and come up and go under and come up and so everyone says it really is a miracle that they even spotted him, that the fall did not kill him, that the sharks did not eat him, and that they were able to rescue him and he knows that God saved him for a reason. So I thought it was interesting he said that it was sort like a 20 hour baptism.
Carlos: Yeah, definitely a divine intervention with everything that was going on.
Doug: Yeah. Makes me think of that verse in the Bible in John chapter 3 verse 5, where Jesus said, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of the water and the Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven." And so it kind of describes, sometimes you go through a real trial but it's like a new birth, it's like when God brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea, they were, you might say, baptized in the water, and then they're later baptized by a pillar of fire, they needed both baptisms as they were born as a nation.
Carlos: Yeah.
Doug: And maybe our folks listening have thought about, "What is this baptism word I hear Christians talking about baptism and baptism in the Spirit and baptism in the water, what's that all about?" I think we got a free offer to about that.
Carlos: If you're interested in having the one of the Amazing Facts, lessons called "Power and Purity," "Power and Purity," you can call 1-800-835-6747 and ask for offer number 121 and you can also dial the # 250 on your mobile, dial it do not text it and say, "Bible Answers Live" or "Amazing facts" and you can ask for this free gift that is called "Power and Purity" and it's very about the very topic that we're talking about.
Doug: Yeah, we hope that all our listening friends will request that and don't forget we have lines open. If you want to call in with a Bible question, simply 1-800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297, we are streaming on the "Amazing Facts" Facebook page, we're streaming on the "Doug Bachelor" Facebook page, we want to thank our friends on "Better Life Television" and "Good News Network" that are broadcasting this, we are on pray.com during the week, I think they have reruns of the program on pray.com. And as well as Hope Channel and Amazing Facts TV.
Carlos: Amen.
Doug: So the Lord is blessing, it's becoming as much a TV program as a radio program but we're going to go to the phones. Before we do, we always start with prayer Pastor Carlos.
Carlos: Let's have a word of prayer. Father, thank you again for this privilege and this honor that you give us to come and open your word and share with those that are listening and watching and we just ask that it may be a blessing for them as it may be a blessing for us and we ask this in Jesus's name, amen.
Doug: Amen.
Carlos: All right, our first caller, Carlton from Oklahoma. Welcome Carlton to "Bible Answers Live" you're on the air.
Carlton: Hi, how are you doing today?
Doug: Good appreciate your calling.
Carlton: I am actually--now this is going to sound very strange to you, but I'm actually the stone from Flint that is mentioned in Scripture and I have been anointing for five years now. And when you anoint you learn, you learn through the process.
Doug: You got to turn this into a question.
Carlton: Yes, absolutely and I was wondering why the churches of today do not believe that you are supposed to anoint to remove Satan's reign?
Doug: All right, I think I understand where you're coming from. I believe the Bible does teach that there still is of course, anointing with the Holy Spirit, we just talked about being baptized in the Holy Spirit and I think not only does James talk about anointing, but I believe in the Gospel of Mark, it says the disciples they anointed many with oil, they healed the sick and they cast out devils and so we still believe, I mean, you know, some Pastors may not, but I still believe the Bible tells us Jesus heals physical sickness and He can heal spiritual sickness and spiritual harassment, possession of the devil and so yeah, I think it's a shame if people don't believe the devil. Now, when you say that you are the stone from Flint, this is stuff I don't quite understand and I'm not sure that I would support you in that, but we do believe what the Bible says in that the anointing of the Holy Spirit and casting out devils and breaking the power of the devil in a person through the power of Christ. Hey, thank you for calling Carlton, we appreciate it.
Carlos: Next is Gary from Illinois. Gary, you are live on the air. Welcome, Gary.
Gary: 2 Thessalonians 2 says that, "An angel of light will perform signs, powers, and miracles and will deceive all those who love not the truth." And then 2 Corinthians 11 says, "Satan will appear as an angel of light." That sounds like the anti-Christ to me yet some people say that it's a human from Middle East or the Pope, I mean, could you clarify that for me?
Doug: Yeah, well, when in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul is saying that there are false shepherds out there and he says, don't be surprised that there are false shepherds because Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. So the devil can come across and he can create the illusion and appear as an angel of light. Now, not only do I think Satan will impersonate Christ in the last days, because Jesus said there'll be false Christ and false prophets. But beyond that, when the devil came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, I don't think that he showed up there in the desert and appeared to Jesus as some goblin with red leotards and bat wings and goat hooves and a goatee, you know, he didn't look like the modern medieval concept of a devil, he looked like an angel of light, and he pretended he had come from the Father and so he has done that in the past, and he's certainly going to do it again in the future. So hopefully Gary, is that answering what you're asking?
Gary: Well, no, Satan deceiving, you know, with signs, powers and miracles. So if Satan is deceiving people because of signs, powers and miracles, that should be the antichrist. Yet, some people say it's the Pope or somebody from the Middle East or some human?
Doug: Yeah, well, you can read in Revelation that tells us that in chapter 16, "That out of the mouth of the beast, dragon, false prophet come these three unclean spirits that go forth to the kings of the earth they are demons working miracles and so certainly Satan and his forces are going to be doing miracles to deceive in the last days."
Carlos: Yeah, in 2 Thessalonians it says that talking about the man of sin, "He sits on the throne of God, making himself to be God," so that's definitely an allusion to the to the anti-Christ power in the one in place of Christ and so, yes, we do believe that Satan is going to be using this power in the End to deceive. We have a lesson on that, "Who is the anti-Christ?"
Doug: But we ought to send that to you. Just call the number Carlos is going to give you Gary, ask for the lesson on "Who is The Anti-Christ?" And I think you and anyone listening, if you want to know, you'll be blessed by that.
Carlos: Yeah, the number is 1-800-835-6747. Ask for the study lesson, "Who is The Anti-Christ?" Or dial #250 and "Bible Answers Live" or "Amazing Facts." Yes very good--next we have Junith from Nevada. Sister Junith, you are live on the air. Yes, welcome.
Junith: Hello hello, good evening.
Doug: Evening.
Carlos: Evening.
Junith: Hi, this is Junith can you hear me?
Carlos: Yes. Junith: Yes, okay I hear you loud and clear. Thank you Pastor Doug you are calm right there for taking my call. I'll just say in Hebrew, [speaking Hebrew] which is God bless you both.
Doug: And happy Hanukkah to you. Today's the first day of Hanukkah.
Junith: Oh, and happy Hanukkah yeah, I'm from the Philippines with the Jewish ancestry and the Lord gave me a chance to socialize with Jews for Jesus way back in 1988.
Doug: Wonderful.
Junith: So I know Hebrew. Okay, well, my question is this: What could have happened in your biblical opinion, when Adam Eve were not tempted into sin by the devil?
Doug: What would've happened if Adam and Eve had never sinned with the devil? Well, what God is doing, God had an original plan when He made our world and He is going to fulfill that plan. The whole purpose of the plan is salvation, man was evicted from the Garden because of sin. God is going to restore the Garden, He's going to make the Earth new again and so God is going to accomplish, you know, the Lord's prayer, "Thy will be done on earth." God's going to complete His will. If Adam and Eve had never sinned, then He wouldn't have had to, you know die on the cross and redeem the world, it would've remained a paradise as with the other unfallen worlds. So, yeah, that would've been nice
Carlos: But I think it would've been beautiful but we're here.
Doug: Yeah, and you know, in a sense, when we get to glory, we're going to know more about the love of God having been redeemed than maybe had ever been known otherwise. But thank you Junith we appreciate your question and who do we have next?
Carlos: Next we have Colton from Ohio. Brother Colton, you are on the air.
Colton: Hi.
Doug: Hi, thanks for calling.
Colton: Where was Satan during the flood?
Doug: He was in the same place that Mr. Grimes was when he fell off the cruise ship, he was probably out swimming in the—
Carlos: Yeah.
Doug: You know, the Bible tells us Satan is a spirit and so, you know, I don't know if he gets wet when it rains, but he was in the world and I'm certain he feared for his existence because he considered himself, you know, sort of the master of this world when he kidnapped it from, or he hijacked the planet from Adam and Eve, dominion was originally given to Adam and Eve were to be like the leaders of this world and when they obeyed the devil, it says in Roman 6, "Whoever you obey, that's who slave you are." Adam and Eve kind of handed the keys of the world to the devil. Jesus even calls the devil "The Prince of this World." When the flood happened and the whole world was convulsed with water and earthquakes and volcanoes and I mean, it was the whole planet was going through a great disruption during that time, I think Satan feared for his existence, not to mention that his kingdom among men had come to an end. So yeah, he was here and his angels.
Carlos: He maybe thought that it was the end of his end.
Doug: Yeah
Colton: Okay, thank you for all you do.
Doug: Yeah, well, thanks so much and thank you for calling. You, take care.
Carlos: Next we have Joel from North Carolina. I'm assuming Joel, welcome to "Bible Answers Live," you're on the air.
Joel: Hi, Pastor Doug. Hey, Carlos.
Carlos: Hey.
Doug: Hi, Joel.
Joel: I have a question. I have some friends that are trying to get me to understand about the feast days but they can't answer just one simple question and that would be, when did it go from Feast of the Lord in the Old Testament to Feast of the Jews in the New Testament?
Doug: Yeah, that's a good question. I think that you'll find, yeah, in the Old Testament says, these are the Feasts of the Lord where is at Leviticus 23 and then you go to the New Testament like the Gospel of John, several places. He says, "The Feast of the Jews." Part of the reason for the change is when Jesus died on the cross several things came to an end. First of all, you notice the high priest tore his garments because now we have a new priesthood. You and I are a nation of kings and priests. Something else happened is that the veil in the temple was torn because now we have a new temple. The Bible says we are living stones in that temple, and the attention now goes to the temple of God in Heaven and the work that Jesus is doing as our High Priest there. And so the purpose for the sacrificial system, met a very dramatic completion there when Jesus died on the cross. Even some graves were torn open and some of the saints around Jerusalem rose simplifying that the of death now was assured or rather that the liberation from death would be assured. So the main reason John refers to it as the Feast of the Jews is most of John's readers, he wrote about 100AD, most of John's readers were not Jews. He was writing to the church in Antioch and the churches of Asia, and he was just explaining this was a feast for the Jews. When God is speaking in the Old Testament, He's talking to the Jewish nation, He doesn't need to say, "This is the Feast of the Jews" because He's talking to Jews. He says, "These are the feasts of the Lord." So—
Joel: Oh, okay, so this is not, this doesn't mean that because I mean, I think it's an Isaiah where God was saying, your feasts are an abomination to Me?
Doug: Yeah, well, you know, even the Sabbath day is an abomination to the Lord if a person is trying to keep it you know, as a means of salvation or if they're keeping it without a converted heart. Any of the ceremonies in the Bible eating--Paul says, "If you have the Lord's Supper," now obviously God still wants us to do this, but Paul says, "If you eat the Lord's Supper with the wrong attitude, you're eating and drinking damnation to yourself." So any of the spiritual ceremonies if we're doing it with the wrong attitude, God says it's not just the outward ceremony, it's the change of heart that he's interested in.
Carlos: Yeah, and from what I think Joel is saying also is that, they're trying to convince him to keep the Feast days. It's good to know, Joel, that the Feast Days were part of the figure and shadows and they were pointing to the ministry of Christ, it's like a prophetic calendar. So when you read through the seven feast days, you're looking at the Ministry of Christ as a lamb in the tomb, resurrection, the first fruits and everything for more so I think that's what probably he's also worth looking at.
Doug: Yeah, and you know, we, Joel, we have a book that talks about the feast days, that Christians need to keep the feasts. And if you just call "Amazing Facts" or do #250 and tell them you're interested in the book on "Feast Days," they'll send that to you free of charge.
Carlos: Yeah, 1-800-835-6747 and ask for that book, definitely, very good. Jimmy from Texas, welcome Jimmy to "Bible Answers Live."
Jimmy: Yes, sir thank you. How are you Pastors? Doug: Good evening. Jimmy: Yes, I have a question. It's kind of, I guess it's kind of in reference to Philippians 4 chapter 4 verse 8, and I've read that verse many times before but my question is, like I like to write things about supernatural things, and I also like to write supernatural on the romance novel. I'm not--I have no intention of publishing, just write it out, because I've always been fascinated in the things like supernatural because in the Bible it does say that God did create other worlds. So I'm pretty sure the possibility of other life forms must exist.
Doug: Yeah, I believe that that's true.
Jimmy: But what I do is just to pass the time writing out such books, is that considered sinful? Doug: Well, you might ask yourself, the use of your time and your imagination, if you were to direct that, you said, these are things you'll never publish and you know, they're not true, they're fictitious. Why don't you take your creative energy, you've got some creative energy, and ask the Lord to help you direct that to something you could write and publish that will, you can release that might be redemptive and someone would read it and say, "Wow, I've learned about the Lord."
Jimmy: Well, I've tried about them I try to publish one about. the "War in Heaven between Lucifer and God." And I couldn't write out two paragraphs because there's no way I can describe what Heaven really looks like or what actually took place on that day.
Doug: Yeah, well, that may not be the particular subject, but if you've got you know, God's given you a gift of creative writing, why don't you use it in a way that where you'll actually get some fruit out of it?
Carlos: Amen.
Doug: So that would be my thought. Hey, thank you Jimmy, hope that helps a little bit, and appreciate your call.
Carlos: Next we have Don from Oregon. Don, you are on the, the air. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," Don.
Don: Good evening, Pastor Doug.
Doug: Evening. And your question.
Don: My question is in Malachi 4:6, which if I remember correctly—
Doug: Yeah, well, let me read that for our friends listening, it says, speaking of when Elijah returns, it says, "He'll turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." Is that the one you're wondering about?
Don: That's the one I'm wondering about. What I'm wondering is, can I take that as a--I'm estranged from my daughters right now, and I'm wondering if I can claim that as a Bible promise?
Doug: Yeah, there's several Bible promises I think, that you can claim and it you've got the Bible promises in Isaiah that says, "Your children that have been carried off will return to their land and train up a child in the way he is to go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." So three things you can do if you're trying to reach your loved ones, one is be a good example, pray for them is number two. I always say three things is really four. Pray for them, share information if they're open, and the fourth thing is, do the first three continually. In other words, be persistent, don't give up. If you continue to be a good example, to pray for them and to share information, if they're interested. You can't force information on someone if they don't want it, then God can win their hearts. So if you're estranged, sometimes they won't pick up the phone call, write a letter, and they, you know, they'll read the letter. Maybe they'll throw it away, but write another one. Say, "I love you, sorry, if I've done anything to offend you, I want to have a relationship with you." And it'll wear them down eventually.
Carlos: Yeah.
Don: Okay, thank You.
Doug: All right, thanks Don.
Carlos: Next we have Larry from Iowa. Larry, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Larry: Yeah, thank you for taking my call, I appreciate it. I just recently was able to watch this "Bible Answers Live" through the Dish satellite program and through ABN and so I'm kind of new at this, but it's very interesting and I thought that this is the first time I've ever done this, so I hope I don't screw it up. My question is referring to End Times. I don't, and if I'm wrong about this you can correct me, but in my years of listening to evangelists and ministers throughout the years and stuff, I know that we have to be prepared, we study the Bible, but what my concern is, and I'm talking about right now in the days that we live, what are some points? What are some events? What are things that we need to be prepared for or watching for, or listening for? For example, like if we're listening to the news or a report or something, what are things that we need to know? Because I'm confused on what's going to be happening so that if I hear something or see something, it would be time to leave the cities and I don't know if anybody's actually gave very specific information on what we need to be watching for, what we need to be listening for?
Doug: Okay, let me jump in here.
Larry: Okay.
Doug: I wrote a book on that that just came out and it's called "A Beginner's Guide to Country Living." And in the book, I talk specifically about when should you go to the cities? And, you know, what are some of the things that would be signed? When should you go to the country rather, if you're living in the city and who should go? I mean, you know, if a person is handicapped and they're in a nursing home, they need to try and buy a place in the country and head for the hills in a robotic wheelchair? You know, obviously that's not a good idea. So not everybody, but there's a time when Jesus says, "When you see these things come to pass, let those that are in the field not even turn back and let those that are in Judea flee into the mountains." What is He talking about when He says that? So rather than give you a lengthy answer, I'd say, take a look at the book, and it's called "A Beginner's Guide to Country Living," it's carried by Amazing Facts. We talk about that there, and I think you can actually see a video I did on "When to Leave the Cities." It's a YouTube video you can watch for free. Doug Bachelor, "When to Leave the Cities," I think it's got like a hundred thousand views because a lot of people are interested in that subject right now.
Carlos: Yeah, that is it.
Doug: Hey, thank you so much. We got what, two minutes left, Pastor, can we get one more call in?
Carlos: We can get one more in Anthony from Michigan, you're on the air and you have a minute and a half Anthony.
Anthony: Yeah, hi, how's your night?
Doug: Doing good. How are you?
Anthony: All right, do you think that we will see Cain in the New Jerusalem, brother of Abel?
Doug: Okay, I don't think you'll see him in the New Jerusalem, I think you'll see him from the New Jerusalem. What I mean is, there's going to be a time it says in Matthew 25, where Jesus, the Great Shepherd is going to separate the sheep from the goats and all the saved will be gathered in the city, all the lost are outside the city. It even says, Jesus and John the Baptist said to the Jews, said, you know, "You'll see some of the Gentiles sitting down in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and you yourselves on the outside." So there'll be a time where the saved and lost will see who made it and who didn't. So we will see Cain, I don't think Cain, there's anything in the Bible that tells us he was redeemed. He rebelled against God, his offspring rebelled against God, they were called the Sons of Men and they turned away. So unfortunately Cain I believe, is going to be on the outside and God placed a mark upon him. He became a symbol for all those who are marked in the last days, with the mark of the beast. Listening friends, we're going to take a brief break, we want to remind you that we have a lot of resources at AmazingFacts.org. You can look at the Facebook, YouTube page, but don't go away, coming back for more of the best Bible answers in just a few moments.
Announcer: Stay tuned, "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly.
Announcer: Would you like to know God's plan for our troubled world and solutions for your life's challenges? Beautifully redesigned and updated, "Amazing Facts 27 Bible Study Guides," provides straightforward Bible-based answers that are enlightening, encouraging, and easy to understand, giving you real relevant Bible answers to questions like: How can I have healthier relationships? When will Jesus come? And much more. Order yours today by visiting AFbookstore.com or by calling 800-538-7275.
Doug: Millions of people believe that planet Earth is on the verge of some apocalypse that will plunge the world cities into chaos. In response, thinking people everywhere are wondering if it might be a good time to locate their families outside of the congested metropolitan areas. In my new book, "Heading for the Hills: A Beginner's Guide to Country Living," I do my best to provide a biblical balance. I'd like to share with you some of the crucial things you'll need to know before you head up for the hills. I'd also like to identify some of the practical things you look for, in buying a piece of country land, how to develop water, power, and a garden, all while still seeking to save the lost. This book has some very valuable information for anybody, that's ever considering country living.
Announcer: Order your copy of "Heading For The Hills?" Call 800-538-7275 or visit AFbookstore.com.
Announcer: You are 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 p.m. and 8 p.m. 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 hosts for more "Bible Answers Live"
Doug: Welcome back listening friends to "Bible Answers Live." If you've tuned in along the way, this is a live international interactive Bible study, and we invite you to call in with your questions, we have a couple of lines open, and if the phone rings and they don't pick up right away, "He that endures to the end gets on the air." So the number 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-463-7297.
We're also broadcasting on television. You can watch what's happening here in the studio on AFTV and that you can either go to AFTV.org or AFTV.tv and you can also--it's a satellite TV station, it's also airing now in Europe I understand 24 hours a day, as well as rebroadcast on the Hope Channel and it's on Facebook, YouTube.
Carlos: 3ABN.
Doug: 3ABN, pray.com. So back to the phones, my name's Doug Batchelor, what's your name?
Carlos: My name is Carlos Munoz.
Doug: Filling in and, he's doing his Jēan Ross impersonation tonight, Carlos has been with us before, who's next?
Carlos: We have Anna from Oregon. Anna, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Anna: Good evening Pastors. How are you?
Doug: Good evening, doing great.
Anna: My question is 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 9 through 11, and how it applies to the age we live in today?
Doug: All right, let's read that for our friends. "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they might all be condemned who did not believe the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." So what specifically, it's a lot of material there. What did you want to know about that verse?
Anna: Particularly about God will send them a strong delusion that they should believe the lie.
Doug: Yes, you know, there's a story that I think Paul is alluding to here in the Old Testament where King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat were going to go to battle, and King Jehoshaphat he believed in the Lord, Ahab kind of had these prophets of Baal and Jehoshaphat said, "We should ask the Lord." So Ahab had all of his prophets say, "Yeah, go to battle, you'll win and Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there a prophet of God here? These are all prophets of Baal." He said, "Oh yeah, there's one guy, his name Micah but he never says anything nice about me." And Jehoshaphat said, "Well, let's hear what he has to say." So they bring Micah and Micah says, "I saw a vision, and God was saying, who will persuade Ahab to go to battle against Caesarians that he might be destroyed?" And one gave this idea and another gave that idea and finally his spirit said, "I know if you're a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets, you will persuade him." God said, "You will be successful." And someone was thinking, "Well, does God send lying spirits? I mean, isn't God about the truth?"
The Bible says, "God cannot be tempted with evil, God is just and good and true." Basically what Paul is saying here, it says, "Because they do not receive a love of the truth, God will send them strong delusion." It's simply meaning that when God withdraws His light, because they're rejecting the light, then darkness automatically rushes in, and God allows it sometimes. God has angels holding back the winds of strife right now, but He'll give them the word and they will, they're going to release those winds. Satan's going to just have full sway. And even when the devil came to tempt Job, God had to basically loosen the leash of the devil to do that. So that's all He's saying here. It's the devil that does the tempting in the lying. God sometimes needs to just back up and stop preventing it.
Carlos: Yep, and that's 1 Kings Chapter 22.
Doug: Thank you, yes.
Carlos: All right, very Good.
Doug: Good question, Anna.
Carlos: Next we have Eric from New Mexico. Eric, welcome to '"Bible Answers Live," you're on the air.
Eric: Hi Pastors. My question is, what does the Bible say on how to deal with evil spirits, and what I should do when they try to have conversations with me?
Doug: Yeah, if the devil's trying to tempt you, the Bible says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." And I think everybody's heard the devil try to whisper to them suggestions and temptations and you know, I found when I was a baby Christian, the harder I tried not to think about the devil, the more I thought about it and it just got to where I thought, "Oh' he's putting these thoughts in my mind, I don't want to think." And finally, I found great peace in just saying, well, admit that, you know, the devil's going to keep tempting you ignore it and it's the kind of thing where you get good at doing it just by practice. When the devil comes, if you just ignore his suggestions and say through the Holy Spirit, say, "You know, I rebuke that, I don't want to think about that."
Carlos: Yeah.
Doug: Then you know, you'll find peace. One way to get a bad song out of your heads, you know, sometimes I know all the old songs of the world from when I was in the world, and you know, all you got to do is walk in the market today or go get a burrito at Chipotle and you're going to hear these old songs and they don't always have the best message and some of them, it's like a worm you get in your head and you just keep, you know, I'll get in the car and Karen hears me humming this song, I'm going to "Ah, I'm sorry." And the way you overcome it is you start singing a good song. And it's hard to do two songs at one time. Have you ever tried and sing two songs at once?
Carlos: Nope.
Doug: Yeah, so same thing when the devil's putting temptation in your mind Eric, pray, talk to the Lord, sing a positive song and you know, even Paul says, "Making melody in your heart, you can drive away those spirits."
Carlos: You know, when the devil was harassing Jesus-- What did He do? He quoted scripture.
Doug: Yeah. Carlos: So memorize passages. That's one of the things that I do. I memorize some chapters and when I have a evil thought or something weird, I just start reciting it in my brain.
Doug: Quote back the scripture to the devil.
Carlos: Yeah, amen.
Doug: The Promises of God. Good suggestion.
Carlos: Amen.
Doug: Thank you, Eric.
Carlos: All right, next we have Molina from Canada. Welcome Molina—
Doug: Pardon me one second. Eric, if you're still listening, there's a book called "How to Resist" or "Tips for Resisting Temptation," and we'll send that to you for free.
Carlos: 1-800-835-6747. All right, next we have Molina from Canada. Welcome, Molina, you're on the air.
Doug: You there Molina?
Molina: Hello?
Doug: Hi.
Molina: Yes, I'm here. Thank you to receive my call and thank you Pastor Doug Batchelor. Well, my question is, according to the Bible in 1 John chapter 4 and verse 8, we know that God is love, right?
Doug: Yes.
Molina: So, "From him doesn't come nothing bad, only good things." And according to Bible too, the murderer since the beginning has been Satan. So my question is: Can God destroy His own creation and finish with the life of His creation? Or only is Satan who can kill the creation of God?
Doug: Well, everything God does is love and even that way that God deals with the wicked, he calls it, "His strange act." And God says, "Turn ye. Why will you die?" in Ezekiel, I think its Ezekiel 18, "'For I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked,' says the Lord." And so the Lord wants to save everyone, but it's not the devil that's, you know, in the flood, it wasn't the devil that caused the flood and destroyed all those people, God sent a judgment. And it isn't the devil that jumps into the Lake of Fire, it says, "He is cast and his angels into the Lake of Fire. So God is actively doing something to destroy the devil out of love and I know this might be hard to imagine. Not only is it out of love for the universe to save them from the wickedness and temptation, it's even out of love for the devil because sinners are not happy and he's basically putting them out of their ultimate misery. So everything God does is love. There's no debate about that, but does God ever do anything proactively to destroy His own creation? Yeah, it says in Genesis, God said, "It repents Me that I have made man, I will destroy man that I have made from the earth."
Carlos: And it's an act of love because for those that are saved, it would be to continue to have sin and pain and suffering, so it's out of love that God even puts them out of their misery too, because they're miserable.
Doug: Yeah, exactly for the loss as well. Hey, thank you I appreciate your question, Molina.
Carlos: All right, next we have, we have Tayvion from Illinois.
Doug: Tayvion.
Carlos: Oh, Tayvion.
Tayvion: Yep, there, it's. My question is, when it comes to homosexuality, I understand that the Bible calls it an abomination, but my question is like, why? Because I've had people-- because I've had people more specifically homosexuals, they'll ask me you know, like that you know like if God loves them, like why would He hate it? And I even lost a friendship over that. So I was just curious because that's something that even I truly don't understand.
Doug: Yeah, that's a good question. Well, but God hates sin and whenever we do anything to corrupt or pervert God's original plan, He calls it sin. Now, I know that some people will be outraged, but I think it is a fair analogy to your question to say, "Why does God also say it's wrong for people to have sex with animals?" It's called bestiality. He says that's a sin and a person might say, "Why?" Well, because it's a perversion from what His plan is and homosexuality is clearly a perversion. I mean, there's no question when you read the Bible, and there's really no question in science that men and women are designed to pair up together. It's not men and men or women and women, that's not the natural order of creation and so you know, there's nothing wrong with two men or two women loving each other. David and Jonathan loved each other, but loving people and having sex with them are two different things. And so yeah, one of them is being controlled by the lower nature to do something that is wrong. So, and I know this is very out of order with the, what's politically correct to say today, but it's very clear if you go by the Bible and folks are troubled by that, they're going to have to take that up with God and Jesus. So I hope that makes some sense.
Carlos: Yeah, I think anything that is, that we do contrary to the will of God, whether it be sexual, whether it be socially, whatever it be, is going to bring some type of pain and suffering and so God is avoiding that or trying to protect us from those things and I think this falls into that category also.
Doug: Yep, thank you for your question.
Carlos: Thank you, Tayvion. Next, we have Starr from Michigan. Welcome Starr, you're on the air.
Starr: Hi, thank you for all you do.
Doug: Thanks so much.
Starr: You're welcome. I have a question about angels. What does the Bible say about guardian angels among us?
Doug: Yeah, they're there. You can read in Psalm 91, it says, "He'll give His angels charge over them to keep them in all their ways." And then you can also read where the Bible tells us, "The Angel of the Lord encamped," and I forget that verse again. "The Angel of the Lord encamps, roundabout those that fear Him and delivers them."
Carlos: Psalms 91.
Doug: Is that also Psalm 91? Then you can read where Jesus said, "There angels do always behold the face of My Father, which is in Heaven. Beware that you do not offend one of these little ones." So there's several references in the Bible that God has angels even the devil said to God, "You have set a hedge about Job." Well, that hedge is a hedge of angels that were protecting Him. So yeah, God I believe has one or multiple angels that watch over His children and I think God will send--you know, Jesus said at one point when Peter thought, "I'm going to save Jesus with my sword from the Romans." Jesus said, "Don't you know that I could call the Father and He'd send 12 legions of angels?" That's like 72,000 angels.
Carlos: Amen.
Doug: For one person.
Carlos: Amen.
Doug: So God will send angels to guard us.
Carlos: Yeah and Psalms 91 talking about the plagues, it says, "The angels will protect you and be around you."
Doug: Yeah, and I love that story where Elisha tells his servant, he prays and says, "Lord, open his eyes." And they see that Elisha and his servant in the town is protected by chariots and horses of fire.
Carlos: Amen, beautiful.
Doug: Thanks so much, I appreciate your questions, Starr.
Starr: Thank you. Doug: Uh-huh, God bless.
Carlos: Next we have Luke from Minnesota. Welcome Luke to "Bible Answers Live"
Luke: Good evening, gentlemen, how are you?
Doug: Doing good, thanks for calling.
Luke: Good, hey just a quick question. I believe in post tribulation rapture, I also believe that Revelation was written in chiastic structure.
Doug: Yes.
Luke: But Revelations 15 verse 2, it seems to talk about those who have victory over the beast, over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name standing in Heaven having harps of God, but then in verse--or the same chapter, verse 8, it says, "The temple is filled with smoke from his power and no one's able to enter the temple of seven plagues and seven angels were completed," so therefore, that kind of to me seems like probation is closed. So, I'm trying to understand how that works.
Doug: Yeah, well the Book of Revelation--and Carlos feel free to jump in at any time, but the Book of Revelation is written where these different chapters and visions overlap. Where it says, "No man can enter the temple." The temple is a symbol for where redemption is taking place, sacrifices and forgiveness are being obtained. There comes a time, and you read about this also in Revelation 22, when Michael stands up, that there is Daniel chapter 12, but in Revelation 22, Michael stands up and he basically says, "Let him that his just be just still, let him that his holy be holy still, let him that his filthy be filthy still," meaning there's nobody else changing sides from that point on. So that passage there in Revelation 15 at the end is referring to that. So you had a question about the earlier verses and so I don't know, I didn't see a conflict between the two.
Carlos: Yeah.
Luke: How could someone have victory over the image over his mark and be in Heaven with a harp of God previous to the Rapture in verse 2?
Doug: Oh, okay, I see what you're saying. Well, I think it's telling us that, those that are, they're in Heaven, are there because they had that victory. In other words, it's looking back on the trials that they went through. There's a lot of fast forward and fast reverse happening all through Revelation, it's not written in chronological order.
Carlos: Yeah, and also in 15 and 16 is talking about the seven plagues and what it does in a number of the visions when it's talking about the Judgment of the Wicked God gives a little glimpse or a parenthesis verses 2 through 4, about those that will not have to suffer because they have had victory. So it's making a--it's pointing to the victorious life of those that did remain faithful to God and they will not go, they will not suffer the plagues, they'll be protected and so it's making an allusion to them and their destiny at the end after all this is over.
Doug: Hey Luke, are you listening just on the radio or are you watching on television?
Luke: I'm just on the phone.
Doug: Okay, go back and watch the Facebook broadcast later. I want Carlos to hold up his Bible. Hold up your Bible, show them Book of Revelation. See what Carlos has done with his Bible in the Book of Revelation? He's underlining it. You'll have to take a look at that, it's something to behold. I don't know how you can still read it with all the notes in there.
Luke: No, I appreciate it, thank you.
Doug: All right, hey, thanks so much, Luke.
Carlos: Thank you Luke.
Doug: God bless.
Carlos: All right, next we have Kim from Michigan. Welcome, Kim, you're on the air.
Kim: Hi.
Doug: Hey, thank you for calling.
Kim: Oh, thank you. I'm so glad I got through. So I have a question. I was reading in Matthew 27 and the resurrection when Jesus had given up, had cried out and 52 and 53 it says, "And the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the graves after His Resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many."
Doug: Yes.
Kim: So, and so, you know, in Revelation it talks about when the dead in Christ shall rise, so if this is a prelude, obviously to the dead in Christ rising in Revelations?
Doug: Yeah, you notice it doesn't say everybody or all the righteous rise, because that happens 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 when the Lord descends. Yeah, so there was a trophy Jesus led captivity captive and gave some demand. He took a trophy with Him to Heaven and they didn't come out of their graves, there was an earthquake that opened the graves at His death, but they didn't come out of this grave until after He rose victorious and He led—
Kim: Right, because it says after His Resurrection.
Doug: Correct, so, you know, maybe some of the prophets like Isaiah, some of the others that died in and around Jerusalem wasn't all of them because in Acts chapter 2, Peter says, "David is dead and buried, his tomb is still with us to this day." So David hadn't raised yet, but some of them a small group. One reason we think it was also a small group, is because none of the other gospel writers mentioned this.
Kim: Right.
Doug: You know, I think if 10,000 people came out of their graves around Jerusalem, it would've been mentioned by every gospel writer. But just Matthew mentions it because there was a testimony of some people that saw many of the ancient saints that had appeared. They probably only appeared to believers just like Jesus after His Resurrection.
Kim: Were they resurrected like, with Jesus like meaning were like, were they resurrected to Heaven?
Doug: Yeah, He took them to Heaven with Him, they didn't have to die again. So they ascended when Christ ascended.
Carlos: Yeah, that's why they're in the feast days, the third feast was the feast of the first fruits. Yeah, and that is the first fruits that Christ, when He ascended to Heaven, showed to, brought with them to Heaven and said, "Look, these, they're the shape and type and shadows of those that will be resurrected all at the end."
Doug: Yep, thank you, Kim, good question.
Kim: Okay, all right.
Doug: You have a good evening.
Carlos: Next we have Mike from Illinois. Welcome, Mike, you're on the air.
Mike: Yes, hi.
Doug: Hi.
Mike: Good evening, Pastors.
Carlos: Hello.
Doug: Yes, you're there?
Mike: Yeah, can you hear me?
Doug: Yes.
Mike: I have a question. I'm a disabled person and I'm a sinner. I can't go to church, get baptized. How can I be saved?
Doug: Well, you can be saved without being baptized. You've got the thief on the cross who turned to Jesus in the last hours of his life, and Jesus promised he would be with Him in paradise. Well, that man could not be baptized because of a handicap you might say. He was nailed to a cross and Pastor Carlos and myself, we visit people in the hospital sometimes during their final illness, and they'll say, I want to go to Heaven, I want to be saved but they're there hooked up to a lot of hospital apparatus and you can't facilitate a baptism. It's just not practical and I believe Jesus then gives them credit for His baptism. They're willing to be baptized, so it's not like they don't believe the Bible, they just practically can't do it. So I don't think baptism in cases like that is an obstacle for their being saved.
You know, salvation is by faith alone, it's not by works including the works of baptism. If we are saved and we believe in Jesus, we'll want to be baptized and following His Word if we can be, but if a person, you know, sometimes a person is in the prison, they're on death row, they come to the Lord, they won't accommodate a baptism; can they still be saved? Yes, God is a merciful God and He understands those circumstances, so—
Mike: I have another quick question.
Doug: Yes.
Mike: I asked for forgiveness from Jesus Christ, and I keep getting sinful thoughts. Is there something I can say, I can take it away?
Doug: Yeah, well, you say that you still struggle sometimes with old thoughts, even though you've asked for forgiveness?
Mike: Yes.
Doug: Well, join the club.
Mike: And I cry for forgiveness, but I can't, I still get sinful thoughts.
Doug: Yeah, don't--it's okay, don't get discouraged because as long as you're a Christian in this world, the devil is going to try to put unholy thoughts in your mind; reject them when they come. If you find yourself dwelling on something you shouldn't, having a thought go through your mind doesn't make it a sin, but dwelling on it makes it a sin. It's like someone said, "Having the birds fly over your head, you can't prevent that, but you can prevent them from making a nest in your hair." So don't let those thoughts dwell. The Bible does say, "Blessed are the pure in heart, they will see God." Ask God to give you that purity of heart and you know, David says, "Cleanse me from sin and I'll be whiter than snow." Thank you so much, Mike.
Carlos: All right, next we have Donna from Florida. Donna, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Donna: Good evening, I have two questions.
Doug: I'll take them one at a time.
Donna: The first question is: What happens to those who are left behind when Jesus carries up, when Jesus carries up some of us and for the 10 years?
Doug: Okay, so for those who are left behind, when we are caught up to Heaven, you know it's not going to be good at all. You read in 2 Peter chapter 3, the Day of the Lord. I think this starts at verse 10, "Will come as a thief in the night in which the Heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." And Peter goes on to say, "Seeing then that all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking forward to the coming of the Day of God in which the Heavens being on fire will be dissolved and the elements will melt with fervent heat." So when God's people are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, Bible tells us that one of the part of the last plague is a great hailstones, an earthquake such as there never has been before, and there's going to be fire and smoke. It's going to--the earth is going to be consumed. So life does not go on, on earth when Jesus comes to catch up the saints. So I hope that helps a little bit.
Donna, I don't think we can take your second question, we've got about a minute and half left. It probably would have to cut you off. I want to remind our listening friends that we sort of phase off of "Bible Answers Live" in two stages. We have satellite listeners and viewers that are around the country and they're on one time schedule and then we've got our land-based radio stations. They're on another schedule and so when we do sign off, we sign off, we'll say goodbye to those listening on satellite, but the rest of you, when you think you're hearing the closing music, hang in there. We come back and we're going to be doing some rapid fire Bible answers.
Now, if you have Internet questions, some people say, "I don't want to call in, I'm afraid, I get nervous. Can I email my question?" What's the address Pastor Carlos if someone wants to email a question?
Carlos: BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. It's the acronym for "Bible Answers Live" BALquestions@amazingfacts.org.
Doug: Yeah, and so we invite you to send in your Bible questions, gives you a little more time to think about it, and we'll do our best to answer them in the rapid fire Bible questions that we do at the very end of the broadcast. For the rest of you, God bless, we'll study His word together again with you next week.
Announcer: 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.
Carlos: All right, we want to welcome everybody back to our special segment, that our questions that come from the email and so we have three questions. First one for you, Pastor Doug, is Charlene is asking: "Hypnotherapy, is it biblically, is it a biblically allowed method to help with traumas or psychological problems?"
Doug: Yeah, no, that term Biblical, not biblical.
Carlos: Hypnotherapy.
Doug: Hypnotherapy, sorry, I got my Bible in my hypno mixed up. You know, I'm not a doctor, I need to make that clear, but I am suspicious of therapy where a person delves into your subconscious and they start to rearrange the furniture without you being supposedly conscious of what's happening. And so that to me is I think a science that I would be very dubious about getting involved in. If you're asking for a Bible answer on it, I don't see a case of where that happens in the Bible other than the devil possessing people and manipulating their thoughts and actions.
Carlos: Yeah, exactly.
Doug: So, you know, you look at what happens at a magician show, when someone puts a person in a trance and they start to make them do things that they would never normally do, it's almost like surrendering your wealth to someone else. So even though they're saying, "Oh, I'm going to help you lose weight or quit smoking." That sounds good, but I'd be very apprehensive about that.
Carlos: Amen, next we have Nelly from Kenya, ask: Why did God send Ishmael away? Does this mean that God does not accept or love stepchildren?
Doug: Well, we know that God loved Ishmael and Hagar because when Ishmael was crying and dying of thirst, the Lord heard his crying answered his prayer. God told both Abraham and later Hagar, that Ishmael would become a great nation. It's kind of interesting that you know most of the Muslims descend from Ishmael and the Arabs, that Jacob had 12 sons and Ishmael had 12 sons and he became a whole nation and there's still millions of them around the world today. So it wasn't a question of God not loving stepchildren, it was a question really of Abraham was out of God's will when he took a second wife, a surrogate wife. It was just going to bring division into the family, and it would frustrate God's plan for the Messiah to come through Jacob.
Carlos: Amen, last, if our prayers will still be heard once the Holy Spirit begins to withdraw from the Earth.
Doug: Well, there's never a time when God doesn't hear prayer because God knows all things. The Bible says "He knows what we need before we even pray." So of course, God will always hear prayers and the Holy Spirit, I believe is always interceding, He's always watching over, even when Jacob was wrestling with the Angel during that time of darkness and God was silent, God was there.
God bless friends, out of time, support the ministry. We thank you, we'll be studying again together next week.
Announcer: "Bible Answers Live" honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. ...