Twins in the Bible

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Doug: Welcome friends to “Bible Answers Live”and if any of you are listening for the first time, this is for the next hour alive, international, interactive, Bible study and you’re invited to call in with your Bible questions. If you have Bible question, we have lines open and it’s a free phone call. Here’s the number one more time 1-800-GOD-SAYS that’s the acronym for 800-463-7297. If you have a Bible related question, then you are invited to give us a call. This program is being broadcast live right now all across North America and around the world via the internet. And you have a good chance of getting your Bible question on tonight’s program by calling now. 800-463-7297 and my name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Ross: And my name is Jean Ross. Good evening listening friends and Pastor Doug. Let’s begin the program with prayer. Father we thank you that we have this opportunity once again to study Your word and we ask for Your special blessing upon the program tonight. We recognize that the Bible is Your word and in order for us to correctly understand it we need the leading of the Holy Spirit. Please be with those who are listening wherever they might be and Father gives us wisdom as we search the Scriptures for answers. For we ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Doug: Amen.

Pastor Ross: Pastor Doug you opened the program by talking about two brothers who had a very interesting experience when it came to the time of their death. They died in a similar way, just a few hours apart.

Pastor Doug: You know I think we have all heard stories about twins. And how they might have been separated at birth and how they end up marrying the same kinds of people and getting the same kinds of jobs and not even knowing. There are just a lot of parallels in their lives. But, talk about a far-fetched coincidence. In March 2002, 70 year old twin brothers died within 2 hours of one another in separate accidents all on the same road in northern Finland. The first of the twins died when he was hit by a truck while riding his bike in Raphe 375 miles north of Helsinki. Two hours later his sibling completely unaware of his brothers accident, he crossed the same road on his bicycle and was also hit and killed by a truck. And they don’t have that many accidents on that road, but for two twin brothers, both riding bicycles to die within two hours on the same road and the same day is just pretty strange.

I think someone said one time, with God there are no mistakes or coincidences. You know often it seems like whatever happens to one twin is paralleled by the other. But, a person doesn’t have to be anchored to their genetics. There’s a story of at least a few different twins in the Bible. At least Jesus-- there are two different sets of twins are named in Christ’s family tree the children of Judah and then that famous set of twins, Jacob and Esau. And yet Jacob made a decision not to follow after the things of the flesh. He started out a deceiver, but he repented and prayed and God gave him that vision of the ladder to heaven. He of course later wrestled with God and he got a new name called Israel his new name. His name before Jacob meant deceiver and his destiny became very different from his brother Esau who really sold his birthright for satisfying an immediate carnal desire. Matter of fact I think you have that verse telling about that.

Pastor Ross: We read about it in Hebrews Chapter 12:16 where the writer talks about Esau who sold his birth right for a morsel of meat.

Pastor Doug: Just a bowl of beans and you know it also reminds us in the same way that Jacob, father of the twelve patriarchs, developed a new nation. Jesus through the twelve Apostles brought up a new Israel spiritual nation in the church. And while God has a great plan for literal Israel, He also has a plan for spiritual Israel and everybody who is saved under the new covenant really is a spiritual Jew because the covenant is made with the new covenant. It says I will make a new covenant after those days with the house of Israel. Some people don’t understand what is that a new covenant, what is the relationship between ancient Israel and the church today? How do we fit together? And how can we have that agreement that Jacob wrestled for and obtained? We have a book that we’d like to offer for free to anyone that asks if they have not received it before.

Pastor Ross: The book is simply titled “Spiritual Israel” and we’ll send it to you for free if you’d call our resource line. The number to call is 800-835-6747 and those numbers again is 800-835-6747 and ask for the book “Spiritual Israel” filled with Bible texts and clear guidance to what role spiritual Israel plays, what role literal Israel plays in God’s plan. Again that resource line 800- 835-6747.

Pastor Doug: You know I think it would be good to remind our friends that we have been doing a test for about a month now of streaming the video like we’re doing this very moment live and so people can not only hear the program—we know a lot of folks are in their cars driving somewhere listening on satellite radio. But, for those that are near a video screen if they want to see what the video show looks like we are streaming it and they can just go now to the Amazing Facts website and I think they will find it right there on the home page. And that’s just “Amazing Facts dot org”.

Pastor Ross: “Amazing Facts dot org” and if you go to the home page Pastor Doug and I are looking at that right now. But, there is a little scroll, a little cup that says watch Pastor Doug live just click on that it will take you to our website where you can view us live in the studio.

Pastor Doug: You can see Pastor Ross, too.

Pastor Ross: Yeah I’m here live in person.

Pastor Doug: Matter of fact why don’t we just take a moment here and watch ourselves on the internet?

[Laughter]

Pastor Doug: Now we better go to the phones.

Pastor Ross: Our first caller tonight is, Katy. And she is listening from L.A. Katy, welcome to the program. Katy are you there?

Pastor Doug: Katy in L.A. are you there? Have you got your question?

Katy: Yeah I wondered what the meaning of the verse in Proverbs 1:9? I believe there is better to live in a desert.

Pastor Doug: Okay. Better to live in a desert, than in a quarrelsome and ill tempered wife. Do you know what the version that you’re reading from?

Katy: This is NIV.

Pastor Doug: Yeah. NIV I thought it was a little different from the King James. I think there is another proverb and it says, “That it is better to dwell in the corner of a housetop.” Well you know when there’s contention in a marriage and of course Soloman is a man and he’s writing and he had a lot of wives. So I think he had experienced this through one of his 700 wives and 300 concubines. You know after you get past 3 or 4 it doesn’t matter. But, he probably experienced a little bit of contention and what he felt was some stressful relationship. He probably wanted to run for cover, but that works both ways.

Pastor Ross: With the wives you could probably imagine there was contention between the wives and they came to Soloman and he had to resolve something and he said boy this is hard work.

Pastor Doug: Well you look at what happened. We started the program talking about Jacob. Jacob had four wives and of course two of them were sisters. And they were contending with each other for his attention all the time. And probably why he stayed a Sheppard most of his life so he could get out in the field. But, it is really saying that there should be peace in a relationship. You know whether it is a husband or a wife, coming from a man’s perspective is helpful for the way we’re looking at it, but you know if you have contention in your relationship, sometimes you just feel like I want to take a break and go camp out in the wilderness as opposed to coming through the doors of the house and just having conflict. And so Soloman I think was venting that sometimes it is better to be alone.

You know a lot of people I’ve met especially young singles they say I don’t think I can bear being single anymore and I’ve reminded them being single is a lot better than being married to the wrong person. So no one likes to be lonely, but you can also just be coped up with – marriage is supposed to be holy wedlock and in some cases it turns into an unholy deadlock. And there’s contention.

We do have a book we can offer it talks about marriage and how to have peace in your relationship. It’s our study guide on how to have happiness in a marriage.

Pastor Ross: it’s called, “Keys for a Happy Marriage” and for anyone listening, we’d be happy to send that to you if you’d call our resource line at 800-835-6747 ask for the Amazing Facts study guide entitled,” Keys for a Happy Marriage” and we’d be happy to send that out to you.

Katy: Thank you.

Pastor Doug: You’re welcome.

Pastor Ross: You’re welcome. And our next caller is Jerry and he is listening in Bedford, Oregon, Jerry welcome to the program.

Jerry: Thank you very much Pastors. My question comes from Matthew Chapter 13. Jesus is asked why He speaks in parables. And in verse 11 He answered and said unto them, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” And then in verse 15 it says, “For his people’s heart is waxed cold and their eyes are dull appearing—excuse me their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have closed. Lest at anytime they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their hearts and they should be converted and I should heal them.”

Pastor Doug: Right and you’re wondering why Jesus would say it that way.

Jerry: Why would a certain key group of people why would they be receptive and others would not?

Pastor Doug: Well first of all, I think when Christ said unless they see and hear and be converted, He’s really saying that is what His desire would be. Christ is speaking with kind of an exasperation and irony basically He wants them to listen. He wants them to understand. But, then He says no but, their ears are dull. He says He is giving it to you in parables because parables help illustrate and help us to visualize a truth. And so you know He’d give these stories to help us visualize the truth and comprehend it. Now I think there are a couple of reasons for that because what a person seeks they’ll find. And so when Christ gave it in parables those that would seek to understand would find. But, the Lord doesn’t force the truth on people that don’t want it and there is a very important t reason for that. We are judged based on what we know. Christ said unto whom much is given, much is required. If people are not seeking the truth and they don’t know the truth, because they are not looking for it, they’re not as accountable as person who seeks and do discover what they are looking for and then ignores it. They are even guiltier so Christ is not trying to compound a person’s guilt by forcing the truth on somebody that isn’t interested in it.

Pastor Ross: You know there’s’ also a verse in John Chapter 7:17 where Jesus says, “If any man shall do His will, he shall know the doctrine.” So there needs to be a willingness to obey. The Scribes and the Pharisees and the Jewish leaders of His time they were not willing to do what Jesus was saying. Therefore they couldn’t quite understand what He was saying. They were only looking for what they could use against Him to try to condemn Him.

Pastor Doug: You know Jerry we have a book dealing with the will of God. And we’ll be happy to send you a free copy of that if you want and I think it may actually have some information in there that is related to your question.

Pastor Ross: The number to call Jerry or anyone is 800-835-6747 you can ask for the book, “Understanding or Knowing the Will of God” and we’d be happy to send that to you. That’s 800-835-6747 “Understanding or Knowing the Will of God” and if you have Bible question, we’d love to hear from you this evening. The number here t the studio is 800-463-7297 that’s 800-463-7297 we have few lines open.

Our next caller is Jayland and he is calling from Indiana. Jayland, welcome to the program.

Jayland: Can you hear me?

Pastor Ross: Yes we can hear you.

Jayland: Yes sir my question is on salvation. I want to know from the Bible if you can lose your salvation once you have been saved can you lose it? And how can you lose it if you can?

Pastor Doug: Alright when a person accepts Jesus they have a choice. Then after they accept Jesus do they lose their choice?

Jayland: No sir.

Pastor Doug: So if a person chooses to love and accept Jesus Jesus said all that come to me I will receive He’ll in no way turn away. And He will never let go of us.

Jayland: Right.

Pastor Doug: But, that doesn’t then mean that we lose our freedom to turn our back on Him. He will never fail us. But, if we resist we can fail Him. The Bible does give us promises that we can have assurance that He is the author and the finisher of our faith. But, then you have examples of people who were walking with the Lord and Judas started out he was ordained by Jesus along with the others. He went out teaching, preaching and performing miracles, but he clung to his greed and he finally resisted the Spirit in his life and he decided to betray the Lord. He then went out and hung himself and Christ said it would be better for him if he had never been born.

You’ve got people like King Saul who was chosen by the Lord, he even prophesied and the Lord gave him victory, then he became proud and resisted the Lord. And he turned to a witch. Saul ended up committing suicide he fell on his own sword, and I don’t think that he is going to be in the kingdom.

So you’ve got examples like the prophet Balaam. And you’ve got a number of people in the Bible who was with the Lord, who was filled with the Spirit, but then they resisted and they chose to turn away.

There are a number of verses that also bears that out.

Pastor Ross: I’m looking at one here in Revelation Chapter 3:5 Jesus says, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white raiment and I neither will nor blot his name out of the book of life. But, I will confess his name before my Father.” So here is someone who has their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and yet if they are unfaithful, their name will be blotted out. That indicates that one can indeed lose their salvation if they let go of Christ.

Pastor Doug: And I think one of the best examples is in Ezekiel 24, “But, when the righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and commits all of the abominations that wicked men does. Shall he live? All of his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned. In his trespass that he has trespassed and in his sin that he sinned he shall die.” And then the good news is that it goes on to say that if that wicked man turns away from his wickedness all of his wickedness shall be forgotten and he’ll live. So we get to choose and that’s why Jesus appeals to us to turn from our sinful ways and He said whoso ever will let him take the water of life freely. The Bible ends by inviting us if we will choose we can take that water of life.

Now that doesn’t mean if a person falls in sins that they’re saved lost saved lost, you know every few days. They can choose to come to the Lord and if they slip then they immediately repent and they haven’t lost their relationship with the Lord. And you’ve got an example in the Bible of a lot of Godly people who did make mistakes and will also be in the kingdom.

Now we’ve got a book, “Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost?” It has all of the Scriptures.

Pastor Ross: Jayland or anyone wanting to hear more about this cal our resource line. That’s 800-835-6747, 800-835-6747 and you can ask for the book “Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost?” and we’ll be happy to send that out to you. Again the title is “Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost?” And if you have a Bible question, we’d love to hear from you this evening. The number here to the studio is 800-463-7297. Again that’s 800-463-7297 and the acronym is GOD SAYS 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 463-7297.

We’ve got Helen who is listening from Ontario, Canada. Helen, welcome to the program.

Helen: yes. Thank you good evening. My question is who wrote the book of Job?

Pastor Doug: Well a good question. Probably Job was written by Moses. Based on the events in the book of Job it is pretty safe to guess that Job lived around the time of Abraham’s father, Terra. Job lived at about the same time and if you noticed after the flood the life spans started to get shorter. First they were living 500 years then 300 years and 200 years and then what Abraham 175 years. Isaac 180 and it just kept going down. Until we get to our three score and seven. Job lived about 200 years along with Terra. Another reason we think that Job is the first book in the Bible is that there is not a single reference in all of Job, to any written word of God. So when Job wrote the patriarchs were still passing on the word orally. And you look at the poetry and it’s just the majesties of way that they expressed the word of God. And Job is just so fantastic it simply is profound. Moses probably wrote that first book while he was in the wilderness. He taking with his father-in–law Jethro who was a patriarch in his own right those things were passé don and Moses wrote down the account under the inspiration of the Spirit and I believe he is the author.

Pastor Ross: You know it is also interesting in the book of Job you get a little bit of their description of creatures that were well known at least back in that point in time. That we don’t really know about.

Helen: Like the leviathan?

Pastor Doug: Right you do know the leviathans are mentioned.

Pastor Ross: You know so some suggest that that is may be a dinosaur of some kind because—

Helen: My husband and I have been doing our daily devotional every morning and like we’re going through the book of Job right now. And he turns to me and he said the other morning, well who wrote the book of Job? And I said, I don’t know and he Google’s it and no answer.

Pastor Doug: Really?

Helen: Yeah there was no answer.

Pastor Doug: Well because I didn’t think that we have any kind of inside information, but I thought that most scholars agree that it’s probably written by Moses. Another reason for that is because of the style. You know you sometimes you can spot authors by a certain little idiosyncrasies in their style. The style of Job mirrors the other books of Moses. And we believe it was probably his first book.

Helen: Well okay well thank you very much.

Pastor Doug: Well Helen we hope that helps a little, by the way we do have a book on the Bible we can send you it is called the “Ultimate Resource.”

Helen: It does.

Pastor Ross: “The Ultimate Resource” the number is 800-835-6747 and you can ask for the book, “The Ultimate Resource” and we’ll be happy to send that to anyone. If you would like to learn more about the Bible, to get your call in her to the studio the number is 800-463-7297 again that is 800-463-7297 and if you have a Bible related question, we’d love to hear from you this evening.

We’ve got Jennetta who is listening all the way in Guam on 91.9. Jennetta, welcome to the program.

Jennetta: Thank you. I have two questions. The first one is my church practices open communion and I am wondering at what age my children should participate in that?

Pastor Doug: Good question. For those who are listening, you might be wondering what is open communion. Some churches practice closed communion meaning only the baptized members of that church can participate. Or at least baptized members, they may not be members of that congregation. You’ve got to be a member of that denomination to participate. So if you go visit that church and you’re not a member of that denomination, they ask everybody to please exclude yourself. You know some churches at our church and many others practice open communion and part of the reason for that is even though Jesus knew that Judas was about to betray Him He said so right at the Last Supper, He didn’t forbid him, from participating in the communion. And Paul tells us, let everyone examine themselves.

So people should be very careful not to participate in communion if their hearts aren’t surrendered to the Lord, it’s sort of a mockery if you think well I don’t really want to be a Christian. You know, I’m not going to follow Jesus then you go through the ritual, of accepting His blood and His body it is sort of sacrilegious, is what it is.

So then the second part of that is how old—if you are in a church practicing—how old should a child be? Well for one thing they need to be old enough to understand what symbols mean and, too, to have accepted the Lord. And some parents say the children should still wait until they are baptized. But, I think at a minimal they need to understand what the symbols mean. It is sacred and it is what they can look forward to it.

Pastor Ross: You know I think as a guide, if the child is at the age where they are seriously considering baptism or maybe they are just baptized, but it is something that they are thinking about that they are praying about it would seem as though that type of an attitude is necessary in order for a child to really appreciate and understand what the communion service really means.

Jennetta: I think what was confusing to me I have a six year old and if I ask her what the symbols mean, she knows, she can tell me because we have explained to her what we are doing. And at our church some families allow their kids to participate and others don’t and I think it is confusing. First for that reason and the Pastor have said well if you have young children we don’t want them to participate. But, we don’t know the age and so that’s what was difficult to figure out.

Pastor Doug: You know it is interesting just on the way to the program I was listening to an old Billy Graham sermon and he was talking about the age for baptism. And he actually was saying anywhere between 8 and 11 and nobody really exactly knows and you know our belief is that the Lord looks on the heart, some young people comprehend the plan of salvation and they understand the main pillars of salvation. And they need to know and Jesus said they should be taught. And at different ages they mature. So it may vary from child to child, but if they want to be committed to Christ and they’re going to receive those emblems.

Jennetta: Okay. Thank you.

Pastor Ross: I think the parents also need to have some freedom because the parents know their kids better than A Pastor would.

Pastor Ross: Umm-hmm.

Pastor Doug: And I think parents also need to have also the freedom to say well you know I want to wait until they are baptized or I think they made a commitment to Christ and they aren’t baptized yet, but we’re going to let them have communion. So there is a passage that says let the little children come to me and I heard one pastor say if they are old enough to be lost, they are old enough to be saved. So you can ask are they old enough to be lost? Well, then they are probably old enough to accept communion if they have accepted Jesus.

Jennetta: Umm-hmm. Yes.

Pastor Ross: You know we don’t have a book specifically on communion. But, we do have a book on baptism. The two are closely related. “Baptizism is it Really Necessary?” That’s the title of the book. For anyone wanting to know more about baptizism give us a call on our resource line that’s 800-835-6747 and you can ask for the book, “Baptizing is it Really Necessary?”

Call our resource line.

Jennetta: Now may I run the second question by you?

Pastor Doug: Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t know there are two. Go ahead.

Jennetta: The other one is I am living on Guam and with the time zone difference in the United States, a lot of times for example we’ll call Saturday night and it is still Sabbath in the States. So I try to take that into account if I’m speaking to a person, but if I’m ordering something over the internet, should I be concerned if it is Sabbath where I am?

Pastor Doug: Probably not. And I’ll tell you why. You know Amazing Facts has the website where we have sales and we had to grapple with this because you know we don’t want people working on Sabbath. We don’t have anyone checking our orders o the Sabbath, but there are people all over the world and the world is round and it is Sabbath at different times at different places. That’s all stored in the computer and nothing is processed until the Sabbath is over. Do you know what I mean?

Jennetta: Umm-hmm. Yeah.

Pastor Doug: Yeah I was just a t the hot house and they had the sprinklers set to come on even on Sabbath or things would have dried up. Well, nobody had to go out there and water. It was all a computer. So no labor was involved and that’s the principle. You want to be able to rest. So if you can get a computer to do it, you’re still resting.

[Laughter]

Jennetta: Yes. Okay thank you so much! I appreciate your ministry it’s a blessing to many out here and many have testified of how they have come into knowing more of God’s truth because of your ministry so we appreciate it!

Pastor Doug: Well thank you so much.

Jennetta: Bye-Bye.

Pastor Doug: You are listening to “Bible Answers Live”.

Pastor Ross: You know Pastor Doug before we come up on our break there is a website that Amazing Facts has just opened and it’s “Bible Universe dot com” .

Pastor Doug: And friends this website and a matter of fact you’re driving down the road there’s a good chance you’re going to see a bumper sticker somewhere, and you will see it says “Bible Universe dot com” not only—and we also have registered Bible University will lead you here. It gives you an opportunity to enroll in a Bible school, you can do the classes online, there’s a graduation certificate. We make all of this available for free. The website gets thousands of visits. There are devotionals. It has a Bible search. It has hymns and featured articles and of course it will also link into the mother ship of the Amazing Facts website with all of the video and information. Don’t go away we’ve got some announcements. We’ll be back in just a moment.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Doug: Welcome back friends and we’re listening to “Bible Answers Live”, we are an international, interactive, Bible study and you can call us with your Bible questions. That number is 800-GOD-SAYS that’s 800-463-7297.

Pastor Ross: Our first caller for the second half of the program is going to be Marlene and she’s calling from Norco, California listening on KTIE. Marlene, welcome to the program.

Marlene: Thank you. My question is we were having discussion between the 144, 000 that—is that a literal or is that a symbolic of the 144,000? It has been a controversy we’ve been talking about.

Pastor Doug: Well no I don’t think anybody should split a church over it. My belief is that it is a literal number. But, they’re not the only ones saved and I don’t think there will be anyone in the last days going around with a number or anything on their forehead or anything saying which number of the 144, 000 are they. But, in the same way as Jesus had twelve apostles that went o the lost sheep of the house of Israel, during His first coming. Before His second coming, He’s going to have twelve times 12 thousand that will go to the world to prepare the world for His second coming. So I think it is a real number.

But, they’re not the only ones saved there’s a great multitude that no man can number. Just like on the day of Pentecost, you had the twelve in the upper room, but there were really 120 that were filled with the Spirit that began preaching.

So your 144,000 are like your last day Apostles or Elijah’s that are getting the world ready for the second coming of Christ. So I don’t have a problem with it being a literal number. I don’t believe like some churches that when you get to that number all of a sudden the end happens. And I think God knows who they are and we have a book on that subject.

Pastor Ross: The book is simply entitled, “Who Will Sing the Song of the 144,000?” or who are the 144,000? Just call our resource line that’s 800-835-6747 and you can ask for the book on the 144,000. Who are the 144,000? That’s 800-835-6747.

We’ve got Curtis who is calling from Sacramento, California. Curtis, welcome to the program.

Curtis: Hello. Thank you for having me. I was listening to a radio station awhile back and I heard a scenario play out and I was curious if you could explain it? It’s kind of say you’re driving down the road and you have your heart in the right place, and you’re on your good walk with the Lord, but somebody does something to you and makes you really angry. And they cause you to sin, but in the next moment while you are driving you get killed is that one sin holding you from heaven?

Pastor Doug: Well that’s one of those hypothetical questions. Such as what if Eve ate the forbidden fruit and she went and offered it to Adam and he didn’t eat it? Would God have disposed of Eve and given Adam a new wife or would Adam have had to suffer through sin in this entire world? The problem with that question is that it kind of comes from the perspective that God is going to allow someone to die moments after the one time they have sinned. Now if they’ve got a pattern of losing their temper and yelling at people or cursing and cutting then off when they are offended while driving, well they’ve got issues and they’ve got to deal with it. And they need to repent and be converted.

But, if they’re walking with the Lord and then all of a sudden in just a moment of weakness that happens and God say okay now I’m going to take them out while they’re down. It almost makes it sound like that God is going to allow a person to die a second before they have a chance to repent. And I don’t think that life happens that way. And I don’t think--we shouldn’t linger with our repentance, but I think if you are really trying to follow the Lord, you don’t have to worry about God trying to wipe you out at the moment you fall. You shouldn’t tempt Him or provoke him, but God is trying to save us.

Moses was walking with the Lord for 40 years and he lost his temper. Well, he didn’t die right after he lost his temper and he repented and God gave him some time and so does that make sense?

Curtis: Yes sir.

Pastor Doug: Yeah so I think that God is trying to save us. He’s not trying to catch us off-guard and take us down. And we shouldn’t be living in fear of what if I make a mistake and is lightening going to hit me a moment afterward before I can even have a chance to repent? At the same time we shouldn’t presume, that we can keep on sinning because God is so merciful because then we probably will die in a lost condition.

Pastor Ross: You know it depends on the attitude of the heart. Men look at the outward, God looks at the heart. If we have a sincere heart to do God’s will that’s what God is looking for? It is not the occasional good deed or the occasional bad deed, but it is the direction of the life where is our focus? Or where is our heart?

Pastor Doug: I don’t want to belabor you, but I knew this lady, who everyone who knew her knew she was just a saint. Her husband knew she was a saint. And then she was struck with Alzheimer’s. And for some reason in her mind before she was a Christian she knew all of these dirty words and she just began to curse and shock everybody and they wondered what is going on and they found out later that she had serious dementia. Her whole attitude changed because the part of her brain that helped her to control her actions, was dying. And will she be judged on her unpleasant behavior? You know the final months of her life or will she be judged on who she was when she still had all of her wits? And so, I feel confident that we’ll be seeing her I the kingdom. Do you know what I am saying?

Craig: Yes sir. That makes more sense.

Pastor Doug: Okay. Thank you and we appreciate your question and who do we have lined up?

Pastor Ross: Okay we have Maria who is listening in Oakland, California Maria, welcome to the program

Maria: Good evening sir, how are you today? I have this mind-boggling question.

Pastor Doug: Well it is probably going to boggle us, too.

Maria: Who and what created God? And how was everything created then?

Pastor Doug: Alright well the first part of the question is the tough one, if God made everything then who made God? Well let’s just imagine for a moment that I can tell you who made God and God was made by a bigger God out there. Well the next question is well who made Him? And so what we’re really asking is not who made God-- what we’re really asking is-- where did intelligence, first come from to make everything we’ve got?

Maria: Yes. Well where did intelligence come from also?

Pastor Doug: There has to be something that was always there. Now let’s just suppose you don’t believe in God for a moment. People who believe in evolution say the entire world was made by evolutionary processes and our universe was formed when an explosion sent all of that flying off into the spiral in space. And the galaxy was formed when the nebulous gases combined and they exploded and eventually you’ll ask these evolutionary scientists where did the gas particles come from? And they’ll end up saying something always existed because something does not come from nothing. We can believe that. God—if you want to believe—anyone can choose to believe—all of the universe came from a lot of nothing that existed—or you can believe that there’s a God that has always existed.

So it makes more sense for me to say there are some things I can’t answer. I don’t know where God came from. I can’t understand eternity—how God has existed eternity in the past, but that’s what the Bible says from everlasting to everlasting, He is God and I accept that. So that’s the big question.

Pastor Ross: You know the Bible doesn’t explain that because we probably couldn’t grasp it anyway. The Bible just says I am God. I always have been. I have no beginning and I have no end. And that’s the fullness of the explanation that God gives us.

Pastor Doug: He gives us a couple of analogies. Where He says that the heavens are high above the earth so are my ways above your ways. And I think it is in Job where he says God is past finding out. He’s past finding out—that means – don’t even try –you can’t figure out God. So He’s is so much bigger. Look at the immensity of the infinite universe. And so you did-- that is a mind-boggling question Maria and we appreciate your calling in. And I’m trying to think—you know she would maybe appreciate the Amazing Facts study course.

Pastor Ross: Yeah if you would go to the Amazing Facts website and enroll online—it is completely free. It is the Amazing Facts Bible Study Course and we have a series of lessons that you can go through that speaks about the Bible and talks about where did evil come from and it really helps you to understand these important Biblical truths. It is www.AmazingFacts.org “www dot Amazing Facts dot org”.

Pastor Doug: You know Pastor Ross we were going to mention something earlier and I don’t think that we ever did it that this week Amazing facts released—well for the last two weeks—I think we did it we released the one is the “Bible Universe” website that we been recommending for what fifteen years on this program. It has been completely upgraded “Bible Universe dot com” and this week there has been a complete remake of another website “Hell truth dot com” and there is a video that is starting to go viral on the internet and you can go there and look at it. It is only 90 seconds, but you’ll enjoy it, but just go to the help-–there are two videos you have to click to see them both. Two short videos and that’s at “Hell Truth dot com”. And if you like it you can send a link to your friends.

Pastor Ross: We’ve got Ann who is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ann, welcome to the program.

Ann: Yes I am a first time listener and I am enjoying your show. And I had a question about that mark of the beast. In Revelation it states that you’ll neither be able to buy nor sell and I’m going to get your “Mark of the Beast” book, but could you please explain what theta means that you will not be able to buy nor sell?

Pastor Doug: Well I think there are two things that are being dealt with here in Revelation. It is dealing with kingdoms and religious powers. And all of the world is going to be compelled to worship a certain way. The history of the Bible is ending something like it started. When Abel did not worship—I am sorry—when Cain did not worship the way that God said he got upset with his brother Abel who did and killed his brother.

When Daniel would not worship the way that the king commanded he then went into a lion’s den and Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego went into a fiery furnace because they would worship God’s way instead of the government way.

The Bible tells us that in the last days that there’s going to be a law about how to worship. And I believe that the government will issue economic sanctions against the countries. Right now we’re in a global economy so there will no doubt be economic sanctions against the countries that do not comply with this uniform worship that’s going to be promoted. But, also it will be on a more personal level if those governments are going to be issuing sanctions on one another then the governments will most certainly be doing it on their people and then buying and selling will be controlled. Which is very easy to understand today when so much buying and selling is done and controlled digitally I mean, whether you are getting gas for a car out of a card at a pump or you’re getting groceries at the store it seems like a card is what . It’s like a jungle.

Ann: Yeah I was at—

Pastor Doug: I was at a jungle in Central America and they asked for my credit card. I couldn’t believe it so they have this satellite link. Yeah. The I Phones and everything, they’ll be controlling and scanning. Everything has got a bar code on it and if you’re not worshipping and maybe when you go to church and in the way and day they tell you they’ll swipe your card. Who knows for regular attendance?

Ann: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: But, they can actually if you weren’t part of the communist party or the Nazi party the governments have done this before where you didn’t get the food coupons.

Ann: So I guess we just have to stand strong in our faith.

Pastor Doug: Absolutely and you know I don’t think we need to stock pile food. It’s probably not a bad idea to have a few weeks’ worth of food in our world today you know just to be smart, but I don’t think our confidence should be on having food squirreled away.

Ann: Right. Right.

Pastor Doug: I think it ought to be on trusting the Lord to take care of us.

Ann: Yes that’s where I put my trust and faith. Okay well I appreciate that answer, and I will be getting that book and looking forward to future programs. Thank you.

Pastor Doug: Thank you and tell your friends. We appreciate your calling.

Ann: Yes I will. Absolutely and have a good evening.

Pastor Doug: Goodnight Ann.

Pastor Ross: Alright we have Spencer who is listening in Berkley, California. Spencer, welcome to the program.

Spencer: Thank you very much. I hear a lot of controversy on the end times and stations that tell you it started in 1960, but I wanted to know what your view on it is? The end times because I believe that the Holy Spirit shared with me when the end times began. So I was wondering do you have any idea of when you believe it began or do you know what the Bible says?

Pastor Doug: Well when you talk about the end times you need to divide it into two segments. You’ve got the end of time and you’ve got the time of the end. Do you have something on in the background?

Spencer: No, I’ll turn my speaker off.

Pastor Doug: Well maybe that was just some static. The age of the church started in about 1844 the church age of Laodicea. But, the end of time is when Jesus comes and time shall be no more. And so Christ hasn’t come yet, but we’re living in the last age of the world’s history. Now when probation closes, and the 7 last plagues begin, that’s the end of time for salvation because when probation closes hose that are saved are saved and they can’t be lost. Those who are lost cannot be saved that’s what Jesus declare sin what—Revelation 22? Let him that is just be just still and him that is holy be holy still. And there are no changing teams so –

Spencer: It’s interesting that you say that—not the end times, but something about when Christ comes that will be the end of time. But, I believe what you said that it was 18 something when the time of the end began or the end of time. I believe this because it all began when Jesus Christ had left the Holy Spirit with the disciple sand He vanished. I believe that the second He left the earth was the time that the end of the time had begun.

Pastor Doug: Or the time of the end, right.

Spencer: Yes. And it begun right then when He left and left that Holy Spirit it began right then at that very moment.

Pastor Doug: I know people who believe that because you’ve got the apostles who even say that now we are in the last days. John says that and that’s the reason I believe that. And there’s an interesting story that I heard a preacher tell one time about a turkey that was getting ready for Thanksgiving. And when the people took the turkey they put it in the chicken coop to fatten it up and the turkey never had it so good, but he didn’t realize that he was living in the time of the end. But, just a day or two before the Thanksgiving Day they took the turkey out of the pen and they brought down the ax and that was the end of time. And so there’s a difference between the two and I appreciate that Spencer and you’d enjoy our Amazing Facts study guides. We’ll be happy to send that to you.

Spencer: Okay. Thank you so much.

Pastor Doug: You’re welcome.

Pastor Ross: Spencer thank you for your call. Our next caller is Bonita and she is calling from Huntsville, Alabama. Bonita, welcome to the program.

Bonita: Hi. This is my first time calling in. I just wanted to give you guys a compliment because I really appreciate your doing this program. It’s the second time I’ve heard it and it’s very aspiring and uplifting and spiritual because you help a lot of people in answering their questions and everything. I just heard about the Bible Universe and I want to check that out because I really am interested in that.

Pastor Doug: Good.

Bonita: But, I just wanted to say that I hope God will bless your program and you will be on the air for years to come.

Pastor Doug: Well thank you very much for that and continue to tell your friends and keep us in your prayers.

Bonita: Oh absolutely.

Pastor Doug: Thank you. God bless you.

Bonita: You, too. Bye-Bye.

Pastor Ross: Okay we’ve got Mary who is listening from San Diego, Mary, you’re on the air.

Mary: Yes hello and good evening.

Pastor Doug: Good evening.

Mary: My question is what does it mean that the meek shall inherit the earth?

Pastor Doug: Do you know what the word meek means?

Mary: To me it does, but to someone else it might mean something different.

Pastor Doug: Well meek is not weak, and for instance you have several verses where Jesus said that the meek will inherit the earth. He’s really quoting from Psalms 37:11 about the meek will inherit the earth and delight themselves sin the abundance of peace. The Bible says that Moses was one of the meekest men in the entire world. He was a very humble man. He did not try to grand stand for attention. A meek person can be a very strong person. And Jesus was very meek. Jesus said come unto me for I am very meek and lowly. And you know if someone honked their horn because they were trying to pass, well Jesus would pull over and let them pass. Now how would you define it Pastor Ross? I always feel like when I’m driving is when I have to practice meekness and it is not always easy.

Pastor Ross: Meekness is putting others ahead of yourself.

Pastor Doug: That is a good definition

Mary: I see.

Pastor Doug: Yeah people who have a gentle spirit. They’re not proud. They’re not trying to get the best for themselves. And they’ll yeah, give preference to other people.

Pastor Ross: Now you had a question about the meek inheriting the earth?

Mary: Yes it says the meek shall inherit the earth. I couldn’t think of how to define that.

Pastor Doug: Well you know Christ tells us in Matthew 11 in this great invitation come to me all of you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly and you will find rest unto your souls for his burden is light. Those who have accepted Jesus who have followed Christ that have His meek spirit they are going to be the ones who are ultimately going to inherit the new earth.

Mary: I see so it’s an individually, it’s not everybody together--- that’s what I was thinking. I was thinking of everybody together on earth and I couldn’t figure out how that could be because we’re all so different.

Pastor Doug: Yeah all of those who are saved and have the Spirit of God will also have a Spirit of Meekness. Meekness I think is also one of the fruits of the Spirit.

Mary: I get it now. Yes. It’s individually.

Pastor Ross: And that happens of course when the earth is made new. It’s not this earth that the meek inherit, but the new earth.

Mary: Okay. Well, thank you so much!

Pastor Doug: Alright. Thank you, Mary.

Pastor Ross: We have Eric who is in Delaware. Eric, welcome to the program.

Eric: Hi Pastor Doug. Hi Pastor Ross.

Pastor Doug: Evening.

Pastor Ross: Evening.

Eric: I just wanted to say I thank you for the Amazing Facts Ministry. Which my family, my brother is actually at AF Co now. So I do want to thank you for that.

Pastor Doug: Well good.

Eric: I have a question on Malachi Chapter 4:5-6 you can read it if you like.

Pastor Doug: 5 “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he will turn the hearts of the father to the children and heart of the children to the father. Lest I come and smite the earth with the curse.”

Eric: Now I understand that as being fulfilled in John the Baptist, when Christ came the first time. Will that be a second time before God comes again and will that be a person or will that be a movement?

Pastor Doug: Well I believe there is a dual fulfillment to this because Jesus basically tells the people that Elijah will come first if you read in Matthew 17 where Jesus is talking about John the Baptist. And they say why is it that the Scribes and Pharisees say that Elijah must come first? And Jesus answered, this is Matthew 17: 10-12—11… “Elijah truly shall come first, and restore all things.” So “he shall” is future tense. And then he also says that I allow that Elijah has already come. So Here Christ says Elijah will come and Elijah has already come. And then it says that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the one who came to prepare the world for Christ’s first coming he had the Elijah revival message. But, there will be other Elias or Elijah’s in the last days. And of course keep in mind that I think the key to understanding that John the Baptist coming in the spirit and the power of Elijah is looked at back in the Old Testament as the spirit who came in the spirit of Elijah was not John the Baptist it was Elisha. Elisha asked to have Elijah’s spirit. And carry on the work of Elijah. John the Baptist the angel said would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. So it’s a spirit of power and revival that we should also see in the last days before Christ returns. And whether that will be one prominent Elijah like preacher or John the Baptist like preacher, or whether it will be a movement – like an ensemble of people around the world doing it—I don’t know.

Any thought s on that Pastor Ross?

Pastor Ross: Well you know you’re right. We don’t know if it is an individual or a group, but what we do know is they will have that same spirit that John the Baptist had, that Elijah had of calling people to repentance and preaching the gospel of warning people of coming judgment. That’s what John the Baptist did and that’s what Elijah did. These characteristics will be seen among God’s people of the last days.

Pastor Doug: Probably all the graduates of our AF Co program. Thank you very much for your call Eric.

Eric: Thank you.

Pastor Doug: God Bless.

Pastor Ross: We’ve got Ned listening and may be watching from Anaheim, California Ned welcome to the program.

Ned: Oh thank you very much and I always listen to you on internet so I’m very grateful and blessed.

Pastor Doug: Are you able to watch now, too, or are you just listening on the radio?

Ned: I just listen on the radio.

Pastor Doug: We’re doing a test where we’re streaming the video right now. We’re just getting feedback from people and trying to see because we got an invitation to put it on TV so we’re just kind of testing it. Anyway, your question.

Ned: I know when Christ comes the second time He will give us a new name and a new character. I mean a new body, but my question is will He give us a new character or a new personality? If He does, then why do we need to work on our character while we are still on this earth?

Pastor Doug: Well I think you are answering your question with your question. We need a new body because this one’s falling apart. We can develop our Christ like characters now that we take with us. If we have un- Christ like characters now they’re probably not safe to take to heaven. And I think that once we do get to heaven that those that are saved will continue to grow in becoming like Christ and their characters will continue to grow and develop, but we at least need to have the spirit and be born again and have that transformation now and take that with us.

Pastor Ross: Yeah if you think about whom we are it’s really our character, that’s what makes a person who he or she is. It’s not so much the body, but it is the character and that’s what we can have throughout all eternity is a Christ-like character and it’s Christ that works within us molding us and shaping that character.

Ned: I know and understand that. Does that mean what you are saying is when we go to heaven we continuously work on our character?

Pastor Doug: Well when we’re in heaven working on our character is not like we’re going to be resisting temptation because the devil is gone. But, working on our character there, we will just be spending more time with Christ. We’ll learn more about Him. I think that we’ll grow in knowledge, but we should have, a faith converted character before we ever get to heaven. And I think we’ll always have that character throughout eternity.

Ned: Okay. Thank you very much for your answer. Thank you very much.

Pastor Doug: Thank you. I hope it made sense. God Bless.

Pastor Ross: Well, Pastor Doug I think that’s getting a little close to the end of our program. We did mention earlier a website. This would be good for people to take a look at it’s “Hell Truth dot com”.

Pastor Doug: “Hell Truth dot com” And thank you again friends for calling in Bible questions for “Bible Answers Live.” God Bless you and we look forward to hearing from you again next week.

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