Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? Hummingbirds are among the most fascinating of God’s incredible creatures. They are the only birds able to fly backwards. They can daily eat their own weight in food and hummingbirds can even drop their body temperature and become dormant during times of low food or cold weather in a process called, torpor. One of the most mysterious hummingbird feats is the way they migrate across the Gulf of Mexico to winter in Mexico, Central America, and Costa Rico.
For years the myth circulated that the tiny hummingbirds must hitch hike on the backs of migrating geese to make the long journey across the Gulf. But, bird branding stations have demonstrated they fly it alone. One of the many mysteries of this migration is how a young hummingbird on its first trip south knows not only the right time and route to take, but also the very destination point of its ancestor’s wintering ground. It is quite an event when they congregate. Imagine hummingbirds massing by the millions at the Gulf Coast of Texas. And waiting there until some divine signal tells them that the wind and weather are just right, and when they take off they must cross the open ocean unable to stop, drink, eat or rest until they reach the other side.
If they encounter a slight headwind it could mean their doom. Leaving off the continent at dusk they take advantage of the coolness of the night to begin the trip that will take them about 20 hours of constant flight and cover more than 500 risky miles. A hummingbird’s metabolism is so active they have to feed every five or ten minutes to keep up the energy they need to fly. A ruby throated hummingbird beats its wings seventy-five times per second when flying forward. So it has been estimated that the trip across the Gulf of Mexico requires 4 million wing beats. So how do they get the nutrition needed for the energy output to fly non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico?
Evidently it takes the world’s smallest birds about week to ten days of almost constant eating to store up the calories needed to fuel their trip across the sea. They can often double their body weight with such nectar gorging. You know friends in the Bible it tells us that there is a great tribulation coming and in the same way Christians need to store the word of God in our hearts to make it through. Stay with us friends as we learn more as “Amazing Facts” brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live”.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Friends welcome once again to another live edition of “Bible Answers Live.” And for those who may have just joined us for the first time, this is as you can tell from the title a live interactive, Bible study that is going across the ocean and around the world via the internet. And across North America with a toll free number and that number if you would like to call in any Bible questions the phones are open now so get your pencil. The number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS we do that to make the number easy but it really translates into 1-800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Dick: And my name is Dick Devitt. Good evening Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Good evening Pastor Dick.
Pastor Dick: We normally start with a word of prayer each week let’s do that shall we. Thank You Lord again as we come together Pastor Doug and I are really hopeful Lord that Your Holy Spirit will open hearts and minds tonight that we may hear from You. But, Lord there is nothing we can say without Your Holy Spirit so please be with us so and be in our hearts that we may know oh heavenly Father that you as our Lord and as our Saviour. That we may know that You are active in the lives of those that are listening tonight. We thank You and we praise You for Your love and Your grace and Your mercy. Speak to us tonight Lord in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Dick: Pastor Doug hummingbirds are fascinating little creatures I love to sit in my backyard and I have a little feeder that hangs in a patio and they will fly to that feeder and sit there for just a short time and feed and then they fly off somewhere, but it seems like they stop. Do you know what I mean they don’t move?
Pastor Doug: They frequently rest and if they are not eating they are resting or looking for food.
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: So to try to imagine them flying for 20 hours non-stop 500 miles is hard because they don’t swim like ducks. If they would go down in the ocean they probably are swallowed like a fly by a big mouth bass, pretty fast. But it is quite a miracle, as a matter of fact Christopher Columbus even referred to these miraculous and marvelous beautiful birds that the Americas are the only continents that have hummingbirds, they are nowhere in Asia, Europe or Africa. And so it is quite is a mystery and miracle.
Pastor Dick: Umm-hmm. Yes they are.
Pastor Doug: You know how they do what they do.
Pastor Dick: But, you have a spiritual application here.
Pastor Doug: It is something how they can only make that dangerous journey is they must really store away the sweetness of that nectar in surplus. They need a supply that will sustain them. And in the same way the Bible tells us that when Noah needed to survive the flood he not only built the boat, but he stored food. The Bible tells us in the last days a great time of trouble is coming. In Daniel Chapter 12:1 verse 1 and 2 “And at that time Michael will stand up, the great prince that stands for the children of Thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as there never was since there was a nation, even to that same time, and at that time Thy people will be delivered. Everyone that is found written in the book, Jesus refers to a great time of trouble such as there never has been. And how are God’s people going to make it through? Of course there are two views on the time of trouble, Some Christians believe that the rapture takes place after the tribulation.
Pastor Dick: Umm.
Pastor Doug: As our listeners know we are in that company some other dear Christians believe that the rapture takes place before the tribulation. I would respectfully disagree and that is why I think it is so important for us to not be caught off guard. Those who are thinking well the Lord is going to come and catch me away, I don’t need to worry about the tribulation may be surprised. That is why Peter says don’t be amazed at the fiery trial that tries your faith as though some strange thing is happening. He says be prepared and the way we prepare is by storing the word in our hearts. Thy word I have stored in my heart some promises like Psalms 91, and others that will sustain us. And some of our friends may have questions about both what the word says about the tribulation and how we can prepare spiritually? And these principles not only apply to the great time of trouble in history. We all have our times of trouble and some are going through tribulation right now.
Pastor Dick: That’s right.
Pastor Doug: And the word of God that nectar of God’s word, the Bible compare the word of God to sweeter than honeycomb. That’s what gets us through.
Pastor Dick: Well we want to invite all of our listeners tonight if they have any Bible related question on any subject, to give us a call. And we also are making available a little booklet that we have given away in the past, but it has been some time and it is called “Anything But Secret.” It is talking about the rapture and helping to understand all of the intricate details of what is going to happen in the end times.
Pastor Doug: About half the book talks about also not only the rapture, but the timing of it in connection with the tribulation. Are we going around the tribulation or is God saving us through the tribulation?
Pastor Dick: Through the tribulation.
Pastor Doug: So they will enjoy that second half especially if they have questions about the tribulation.
Pastor Dick: “Anything But Secret” is the name of the book that we are offering tonight if you will call our resource operators that number 1-800-835-6747, 1-800-835-6747 and ask for “Anything But Secret”. Pastor Doug we have some new radio stations to mention.
Pastor Doug: We have.
Pastor Dick: I will do this very quickly there is a whole list of stations that are affiliates of live talk radio. They are located in Saint Almena, California Pueblo, Colorado Albany, Georgia Calhoun, Georgia Poplar Bluff, Missouri Heath, Ohio Akin, South Carolina Clear Lake, Wisconsin and Winnemucca, Nevada all low powered stations in each one of those cities have joined our network and we want to welcome you to it.
Pastor Doug: Welcome.
Pastor Dick: And also a fully powered station, and I just don’t know how to pronounce this city and I’ll just admit it. It is located just north of where we are and it is either Skeel or Skile, Oregon so if you are in Oregon and you can call us tonight and tell us how to pronounce that city please do and I apologize for that. But, we want to welcome everybody to the network.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Dick: Now we normally take a couple of internet questions quickly before we go to the phones. The first question comes from John who wants to know—he has got a couple of questions here Doug. He wants to know what the Bible says about hypnosis. And also what the Bible says about motivational speakers like Zig Ziglar and others who seem to be practicing some sort of cult or religion or something.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Well first of all dealing with the subject of hypnosis. I think that it is dangerous for a Christian to place their mind under the control of the will of another. I believe that one of the sacred things the Lord has given to us is the freedom of choice. And to surrender that freedom and especially to do it in a way to where you have lowered the guard of our conscious mind. And then to surrender your subconscious mind to another human being, I think it’s a very dangerous thing. We have heard stories about folks who have managed to get control of their weight, or stop smoking or various things, and they speak about the wonders of hypnosis and how great it was. Well I think that the dangers can outweigh the benefits. I would advise against it.
Now as far as motivational speaking well that would probably vary from speaker to speaker. I think a good pastor can be a motivational speaker.
Pastor Dick: Right. That’s right.
Pastor Doug: Because you want to inspire and motivate the people to follow the Lord, Peter at Pentecost was a motivational speaker. Zig Ziglar is a Christian and he weaves those principles into his motivational talks whether he is talking to a group of salesmen or others.
Pastor Dick: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: But, you know it would vary from speaker to speaker. Some of these motivational speakers are very new age and cultish. And they have people following them instead of the Lord, and I think a person just needs to evaluate them on a case by case basis.
Pastor Dick: Okay. Second question then comes to us it says a friend has suggested to me acupuncture to help heal my back. I know that it is Eastern religion in its origin. What does the Bible say?
Pastor Doug: Well of course there is not a verse in the Bible that says thou shall not use acupuncture. So you are not going to find a verse specifying the term acupuncture. The jury is still out on whether there is some medicinal value to acupuncture and if there is it may not be more than what aspirin does. In other words having these needles placed where there are nerves it is possible scientifically that in some way it can block pain transmission, and I do not know how that would work. But, you know from a practical standpoint--
Pastor Dick: We are not doctors.
Pastor Doug: Yeah you can short out an electrical current by…and that’s what nerve endings as it relates to communication with small electrical impulses. You have probably hit your funny bone before and you felt like an electrical shock went up your arm. So some people may feel some relief because of that aspect, but what people say, “I had cancer and it was healed by acupuncture,” I would seriously doubt that. There is another dynamic that we need to understand, Jesus explained in His ministry many times He healed someone and He said your faith has made you whole. Your faith…and people hear these stories that are hard to refute of someone who goes to a faith healer and they get better. Well just because a person gets better at a faith healer it doesn’t mean it was the power of the Lord. Sometimes our own faith and our own attitudes can make a difference.
Pastor Dick: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: And so a person’s faith, and we all know what the placebo effect is.
Pastor Dick: Yes.
Pastor Doug: It is a person’s faith combined with acupuncture could give some false readings. I have never done it before because I haven’t felt comfortable…or if it was real medicine, but seems like it is just blocking pain or something.
Pastor Dick: Let’s go to the phones on that note shall we?
Pastor Doug: I don’t like the idea of people sticking a needle in me.
Pastor Dick: The needles are so long, huh?
Pastor Doug: But, I just don’t for the sake of I think I will pass.
Pastor Dick: Let’s go to Dallas, Texas to start tonight with Ann who is listening on KSKY welcome Ann.
Ann: Hi. Yes and thanks for taking my call. I have a question regarding some backsliders in the Bible and I believe I’ll go back to the Old Testament Cain was one and then there was Esau and Solomon.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Ann: I was just wondering if these men might still make it to heaven? And I might even throw in King Saul.
Pastor Doug: Well that is the good question. We’ll take them case by case there are obviously going to be some back sliders in heaven. I am not the judge. But, based on what the Bible said Solomon he did slip away big time and he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. Probably after his repentance because he says I tried everything under the sun and it was vanity all vanity. He closes the book by saying :Fear God and keep His commands, this is the whole duty of man.
Ann: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: So Cain I would have serious doubts about he murdered Abel and went off and rebelled and there is no known record there was no remorse or repentance. Esau who was of course a son of Isaac he may have—you know he was very carnally minded and the Bible said that I loved Jacob and I hated Esau. Esau just wanted what he wanted right then. He was very carnally minded and so there is no record that he repented, but who knows? I mean Esau may be in the kingdom, and so I think again it is a case by case basis and only God know their hearts. Samson is an example of a big time back slider who will be in heaven because he is specifically mentioned in Hebrews 11 as one of the heroes of faith. And last act of his life was being spirit filled before he died. So there are obviously examples of that.
Ann: Oh.
Pastor Dick: And King Saul is a big time example of one who was saved selected by God, anointed by God to lead his own people and then fell away.
Pastor Doug: And he grieved away the Holy Spirit and took his own life.
Pastor Dick: Absolutely.
Pastor Doug: So I am not looking for him up in heaven.
Ann: Umm-hmm. Oh okay.
Pastor Doug: Alright? I hope that helps.
Ann: Oh okay well it does. Thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Thank you Ann.
Pastor Dick: Yes Ann thanks for the call. Let’s go next to Springfield Missouri where Alan is listening on the internet welcome Alan.
Alan: Hi.
Pastor Dick: Hi and your question please?
Alan: Can you hear me?
Pastor Dick: Yes we can. And your question for Pastor Doug?
Alan: Okay you were fading out on me can you hear me now?
Pastor Dick: We’re looking for your question Alan, you’re on the air.
Pastor Doug: Okay
Alan: I want to ask a question about the law It’s obvious that the ceremonial law was a shadow of Christ, and Christ as a reality. In the New Testament and obviously the Ten Commandments are still in effect contrary to popular belief but what about the rest of the moral laws? I am having a hard time finding anywhere in the Bible where it actually comes out and specifically says in the New Testament that the rest of the moral law was somehow shoved aside.
Pastor Doug: Well when you say the moral laws are you talking about the Ten Commandments? There are a number of laws.
Alan: Yes I am talking about the rest of the moral laws besides the Ten Commandments.
Pastor Doug: Okay because there were civil laws. They had civil laws where if your neighbor’s donkey wandered away you were to bring it back. There were health laws and there were the ceremonial laws which would encompass some of the feast days.
Alan: But, what about all the other moral laws besides the Ten Commandments? For example one that Jesus quoted when He was talking about the two greatest commandments and one was not even part of the Ten Commandments because it was love your neighbor as yourself. And that is actually not even among the Ten Commandments and then there are numerous other laws about…for example homosexuality and things like that which obviously are not right, but what my basic question is where you draw the line on it, because there are a lot of laws in Exodus and Leviticus that are obviously moral laws, but do we--
Pastor Doug: Okay well let’s pause for a second. First of all I think we should give it the priority that God gives it. When God gave the Ten Commandments let’s start here. When He gave the Ten Commandments He did something unique to show that it was foundational. He spoke it with His own voice which he did not do with the other laws, and He wrote them with His own finger in stone as a symbol of it’s unchanging nature. And of course I think that it is very sad that this whole issue they had with the Ten Commandments displayed at a courthouse back East. Now that would be back East for us friends, they’re right there, I’ve seen them. And they’ve got the Ten Commandments on the Supreme Court building, because they are foundational to all other law. Now the two great commandments of loving the Lord and loving your neighbor I am summarizing them, They are a summary of the Ten Commandments. The first…the Ten Commandments were on two tables of stone. The first four commandments are encompassed in loving God, and the last six are encompassed in our relationship with our fellow man. Then beyond that underneath those Ten Commandments you have got a whole spectrum of civil laws. And even some of the health laws have to do with thou shall not kill, and that would include yourself. And so you can find that most of the moral law falls under the Ten Commandments. Whereas the ceremonial laws were shadows and that is why it says in Colossians Chapter 2 certain laws that were shadows for instance, Passover. When they killed a lamb, that lamb and that whole ceremony and that feast was a shadow of when Jesus the Lamb of God would come. So once Jesus came, the Bible says He is our Passover. So it would sort of be going backwards now for us to observe the shadow and ignore the reality. So the health laws, and civil laws, and moral law they would all be practical even still. A lot of those laws are very practical in nature. Whereas the ceremonial laws centered around the Exodus and the sanctuary and the service to circumcision, these are all things that have spiritual meaning and it tells us now in the New Testament that these are all fulfilled through the Lamb which is now circumcision of the heart and so forth.
Alan: Right--
Pastor Doug: That is a big study to give to you in four minutes. But, go ahead I am sorry.
Alan: Okay. I have been listening to you for about four years and it has always been, and correct me if I am wrong, but it has always been my understanding that basically you taught that the Ten Commandments were still in effect which I believe that too, but I just I am having a problem with where you draw the line because I understand the ceremonial laws which are shadows of Christ, but if you look in Exodus and Leviticus there are many laws that would pertain to personal moral issues. And that is where I am actually trying to determine where you would actually draw the line?
Pastor Doug: Well you specifically mentioned a few minute ago about laws regarding sexual purity. Those I believe would still be in effect. But, then they had some laws that had to do with the sacrifices at the temple when you give birth to a baby boy or girl or boy well those were ceremonial because of the sacrifices in the temple.
Alan: In a nutshell you believe that all those laws that wouldn’t be classified as ceremonial are still binding on modern day Christians correct?
Pastor Doug: Yeah well let me make one little caveat to that. For instance it says that I a man and woman commit adultery they should be stoned. I think everyone listening agrees that adultery is still wrong. But, we do not live in a theocracy so I am hoping that church members don’t get together with a wheel barrow full of rocks and stone the adulterers.
Alan: Well yes. I wasn’t speaking so much as a penalty, but yes.
Pastor Doug: So the law and the principles of course are still in effect. How we would deal with it is different because we are now under a different government.
Alan: Would you approve the civil laws then as being still binding?
Pastor Doug: Yes as long as…like I say they are not the ones that are theocratic in nature.
Alan: Okay well thanks.
Pastor Doug: Well we could take more time, but we probably need to move on for the other callers, but thanks it is a good question.
Pastor Dick: Let’s go next to Lithonia, Georgia where Reggie is listening on the internet welcome Reggie.
Reggie: Hey how are you doing?
Pastor Doug: Very well.
Reggie: I sure appreciate your radio show on the internet, I really appreciate it, thank you. My question is…this is the second time I have called and it is regarding my marriage, in my marriage we believe differently, and Doctor Doug advised that I not attend another church. We did that and it has culminated into…we are in divorce almost right now. My question is now how to raise kids in that state. What…Biblically if she wants to do things like a birthday party on the Sabbath how it would seem because I wouldn’t show up?
Pastor Doug: Well if you want to love and support your children and of course you to seek first God in His kingdom you are going to need supernatural wisdom. Now the way that you would respond Reggie to conflicts in raising the children in a divorce situation would obviously have some different dynamics, than if you are under the same roof in your marriage. If you folks were together and your wife was respecting your spiritual leadership in the family you could do things differently than if she is an independent citizen. And when the kids are under her influence she calls the shots according to the law of the land. And when…if you are sharing custody, and they are under your influence you obviously want to influence them according to your convictions. Right?
Reggie: Right.
Pastor Doug: So you are just going to have to pray that as far as you possibly can that you can be a good example both while you are with them and even when you are separated. I’ll just be praying, would you say that there is hope for reconciliation at all in your marriage?
Reggie: Ah—
Pastor Doug: Remember with God all things are possible.
Reggie: Yes when God can get it –
Pastor Doug: How long have you been married?
Reggie: Ten years.
Pastor Doug: And how many children do you have?
Reggie: Two.
Pastor Doug: How old are they?
Reggie: One is ten and one is three.
Pastor Doug: Boy I tell you if there is anything you can do to keep it together.
Reggie: Well I think all the things that I understood to be done were done like seek counseling and also—
Pastor Doug: Is she at all open to reconciliation?
Reggie: Well we just started the divorce proceedings.
Pastor Doug: Well you can back that up. But, I just want—
Reggie: Understand don’t get me wrong. This is not my heart is not hard to the idea.
Pastor Doug: Have either of you…I mean she doesn’t have another boyfriend or man in her life?
Reggie: Well yeah that would be why I filed.
Pastor Doug: Well that complicates things a little. Yeah and even then still I wouldn’t rule it out, I would just put it in God’s hands.
Reggie: Yeah well the reason for filing wasn’t just the because it wouldn’t eliminate the boyfriend. One thing is a mistake and you won’t turn from it is a—
Pastor Doug: Yeah if it is ongoing I can understand. And that would be very difficult. Well you know Reggie we like to have a special prayer for you with this situation. Have you ever ordered our lesson on marriage?
Reggie: Yeah actually I contributed and you mailed me back something.
Pastor Doug: Well praise the Lord well we have that lesson on marriage and I wanted to know if you had read it and it’s called “The Holy Wedlock,” or the “Unholy Wedlock” and it has a bunch of principles that generally helps couples.
Reggie: I mean have read it, but you need to read it together and I have been seeing counseling, but you kind of have to do that together as well.
Pastor Doug: Yeah it doesn’t help near as much if she is not willing to do that with you. Well if you and your wife or soon to be x-wife if you can just be in harmony as much as possible to not run the other one down. Don’t ever say anything disparaging about your spouse or --
Pastor Dick: Especially to the kids.
Pastor Doug: --that is what I mean. And you want to support them because it is very hard on kids especially at that special age that they are at right now. Reggie you can hear the music and it is chasing us off the air for our break. But, let me say a prayer with you real quick would that be alright?
Reggie: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Father in heaven our hearts yearn as we listen to this story of Reggie, and the turmoil in his family. But I know he is represented by hundreds of others who are listening. Please be with him and be with his wife. And Lord we would pray that You work a miracle and bring reconciliation to that family and to that relationship, because we know all things are possible. And if that doesn’t happen Lord then I pray you will help by giving him grace to cope, and I know you will for we pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
Reggie: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: God bless. Listening friends we are just going to take a brief break before we go back to the phones. In the meantime if you have not written this down, I bet you can remember, you don’t even need a pencil check out “Amazingfacts.org,” and send us your amazing facts you might be running into along the way, and we might use them on the program.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back listening friends and if you have just tuned in you have found your way to “Bible Answers Live” a live, interactive Bible study that is going across the country and around the world. You can participate by listening, praying for us as we attempt to answer the questions because this Is a live program and we never know what is coming at us. And also you can call 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297 and my name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Dick: My name is Dick Devitt. And Jim is standing by in Ringgold, Georgia with a first time call welcome Jim to the program.
Jim: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi how are you doing?
Jim: I am doing fine and hope you are doing fine, too.
Pastor Doug: Good and your question?
Jim: I have some friends who use the excuse that if they don’t know or do not have the knowledge they will not be held accountable for…and I’m not sure how…
Pastor Doug: That is a bad argument let me tell you. Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, (KJV) Now lack of knowledge and rejecting knowledge are two different things. Not knowing because you can’t know is different from not knowing because you reject the opportunity. Sounds to me like your friends are going to be destroyed if they don’t repent because they are rejecting knowledge.
Jim: That is what am afraid of.
Pastor Doug: You know if a person gets in a car and starts driving a brand new car there is an owner’s manual. And if they never do any maintenance and they say well I thought if I never looked at the manual I wouldn’t have to do any maintenance, and then the engine blows up they can’t say but I didn’t know, and that ignorance is not going to help them they had a manual right there.
Jim: Yeah, yeah.
Pastor Doug: And so if people have a map to heaven, and they don’t get on the right road they can’t say well I am not accountable because I didn’t have a map. Well they do, they know that the Bible is within reach.
Jim: Okay what was that verse you quoted?
Pastor Doug: Hosea 4:6
Jim: 4 verse 6 okay. That will hopefully help me put them on the right track. Okay and I appreciate it very much. Bye-bye.
Pastor Doug: Okay God bless.
Pastor Dick: Thank you Jim.
Jim: God bless you, too.
Pastor Dick: To Walla Walla, Washington and Jesse is listening on KGTS welcome Jesse.
Jesse: Hi and God bless you. My question is in the Gospel of John Chapter 11:3 it says, “Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. (KJV) Speaking of Lazarus and then it mentions him again in John 11:36 it says “Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!” (KJV) referring to Lazarus, but then Lazarus isn’t mentioned again in the book of John. But in John Chapter 13:23 mentions “Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” (KJV) and then that disciple was mentioned again in John Chapter 19:26 “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved. (KJV) My question is, did Jesus have two disciples, Lazarus being the one whom He loved, and John and being the disciple whom He loved?
Pastor Doug: It is universally believed by scholars Jesse that John wrote the Gospel of John and he referred to himself as the one whom Jesus loved. And he also referred to Lazarus as the one whom Jesus loved. Keep in mind that God is love. Jesus loves everybody. For God so loved the world and that would mean everybody in it. You know it is John who says in 1 John “Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us.” And so just because you find a place where it refers to Lazarus as the one whom Jesus loved, I think that John is called the apostle of love because he never even uses his own name in the gospel. He always refers to himself as the one that Jesus loved. But, the language is identical to the language and the sentence structure and vocabulary of what you find in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, John and Revelation where he does mention his name. So if you have read Revelations his name is only mentioned twice and I, John, saw the Holy City and I, John, your fellow servant and so most of those times he is so humble he doesn’t even say his name.
Jesse: Yeah I am looking for a Scripture that specifies that John would be the disciple whom Jesus loved. But, I am still looking.
Pastor Doug: There is not Scripture…and a matter of fact I know somebody who wrote a book who says the gospel of John was written by Lazarus, because of this verse.
Jesse: Oh wow.
Pastor Doug: Yeah in John Chapter 11, but you know I think they are taking one verse and trying to build an upside down pyramid that is pivoting on one verse. It kind of teetering, just because he refers to Lazarus as the one Jesus loves. I think it is dangerous to assume that they didn’t use that phrase for many in the Bible. If you will look in the book of Daniel now the angel comes and Daniel is called greatly beloved.
Jesse: Right.
Pastor Doug: It is a term that is used as a term of endearment. You know I call my wife dear. Dearly beloved, I mean you find that phrase many times. And I think the only reason they used the term the one whom Jesus loved with Lazarus was because they said you love him and he is sick. They would have said that about a lot of people, but Jesus also stayed in Lazarus home...friends of the family.
Jesse: Could the writer of the gospel of John have been somebody else rather than John.
Pastor Doug: Could have been. But, I think it is very unlikely. Okay?
Jesse: Okay thank you. God bless you.
Pastor Doug: I hope that helps.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call Jesse. To Shabers, New York Kelly is listening on WMCA welcome Kelly.
Kelly: Hi how are you?
Pastor Dick: Very good.
Kelly: I have a question regarding what happened after the flood with Noah and his family. Were they the only people on earth and if so is there any evidence in the Bible that would support that time period.
Pastor Doug: Well the evidence in the Bible of course is the record itself. That the only people that survived were Noah and his three sons and their wives. It is interesting that in the Chinese characters of ancient Chinese that the word for a boat is a picture of a boat with eight people on it. And the other thing if you look at the genealogies in the Bible Kelly and it itemizes how the major nations of the world were populated by the descendents of Noah. No other peoples are ever mentioned. And so the Bible traces virtually every single Nation, somehow directly back to Noah and his sons.
Kelly: Really?
Pastor Doug: So yeah if you just read from Genesis 11 on to the tower of Babel and the dispersion of the Nations. You will see a very thorough genealogy.
Kelly: Does it indicate also how long it took to populate the earth again?
Pastor Doug: Well when you use some of the exponential statistics and you figure that even after the flood they were living one hundred and fifty years. It was not uncommon. And how many children could you have when they tried to have big families? I mean the Bible tells us that Noah was 600 hundred years old when the flood came on the earth. He lived another 350 years after that. And his sons lived 500 years as an average and when you didn’t limit your families and keep in mind because they lived longer they were…keep this in mind. When Abraham took Sarah to Egypt she was seventy years old. She was so beautiful that he thought the Pharoah was going to kill him and take her for a wife. Seventy years old who would do that today? Well they lived longer back then and they maintained their youth longer and they bore children longer. After all Sarah had one at ninety.
Kelly: Right.
Pastor Doug: So when you start figuring how many children they could have had it would have been very easy to populate the world with the six billion that you have in the word today. Just think about it. I remember when there were 3 billion people in the world. And now there are 6 billion.
Kelly: Right.
Pastor Doug: And that is just in my lifetime.
Kelly: Right well thank you so much. Have a nice evening.
Pastor Doug: Alright God bless.
Pastor Dick: Thank you Kelly bye-bye. To Hattiesburg, Mississippi Derrick is listening on WSJC welcome Derrick.
Derrick: Hi I appreciate you guys program it has been a help to me and anyway I will get to the question. It is found in Psalms 8 and 5. And it says for thou have made him a little lower than the angels and has crowned him. Well actually it starts at 4, who is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visited him? Now that son of man is lower case. Is he talking about man or is he talking about Jesus?
Pastor Doug: This is what you call…it is a dual prophecy. First of all David was a prophet, and in a number of the Messianic prophecies in the Bible it sounds like David is talking about himself. He even talks about his enemies surrounding him and piercing his hands, feet and gambling for his clothing. But, you might think that he is just speaking in metaphors if you look back in the days of David, but after Jesus died…and that was a prophecy. And when it talks about the son of man being made a little lower than the angels if you go to Hebrews Chapter 2 he quotes that verse and applies it to Jesus. I was turning to my Bible program here on the computer. And I went right past it. Ah where is it?
Derrick: Is man created above or below the angels?
Pastor Doug: Hebrews 2:7 well man is made below the angels as far as power and ability. We are made just below the angels, angels are the ministering spirits of God that are in the presence of God according to Jesus. And man was made a little lower than the angels. Christ who is the creator of all things including the angels the Son of man, Jesus, made himself lower than the angels for the purpose of saving man.
Derrick: Okay so when he says the son of man, in that 4th verse there, again you are saying He is Son of man meaning Jesus or David is talking about himself?
Pastor Doug: Well the prophecy I think even in Psalms 8 is a Messianic prophecy of Jesus. The Son of man and one of the names He refers to Himself as the Son of man that became lower than the angels for the suffering of death to save us.
Derrick: Okay I just—
Pastor Doug: Alright here I found what I am looking for. Hebrews 2:9 “But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death.” Now He is quoting that prophecy in Psalms.
Derrick: Umm-hmm. Okay.
Pastor Doug: See Jesus was made Jesus the son of man He called himself the son of man, made lower than the angels for the suffering of death. He couldn’t have died like a man died as an angel now could he? He had to be a man to die for a man to be our example.
Derrick: Right it just had me by it being lower case in the 8th Chapter of Psalms.
Pastor Doug: Now don’t put too much into that and keep in mind in the original Hebrew and Greek…some of these languages they didn’t punctuate the way we do.
Derrick: Okay.
Pastor Doug: They didn’t always have the capital and the lower case.
Derrick: Alright I appreciate it.
Pastor Doug: Alright thank you and good question Derrick.
Derrick: Thank you.
Pastor Dick: Let’s go next to Streamwood, Illinois and Doran is a first time caller. Welcome to the program.
Doran: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi thanks for calling.
Doran: Yes my question is what was God’s original food in the Garden of Eden?
Pastor Doug: Well if you look in the book of Genesis it tells us in chapter 2 that God gave man to eat from the ground. Basically a diet of fruits, grains, nuts and that would include legumes. After sin God said that man was also to eat the herb of the field which is the King James way of saying vegetables as the beast do. So the original diet before sin was the fruits, grains, and nuts and after sin it was not only the fruit of the plant, but the plant itself, which would be the roots, the leaves, the stalk, which would be vegetables. So the original diet was a vegetarian diet.
Doran: And what about milk? Did God allow people to drink milk or eat eggs?
Pastor Doug: Well obviously as babies, all mammals drank milk, humans drink their mother’s milk. But, as time went on and man became nomadic he began to use the dairy products of the clean animal the goats and sheep for milk. And the Bible says butter and honey shall he eat and God is taking us to a land filled with milk and honey. So there is certainly no sin Biblically in drinking the milk of clean animals. I mean I wouldn’t want to drink camel milk. If you live with the Mongols they drink mare’s milk and make a wine out of it. But for people the bottom line for health Doran is that the fewer animal products, even the clean animals…the fewer animal products in your diet the less chance that you will probably have a disease.
Doran: Can I ask you something, because people say that if you don’t drink enough milk you won’t get enough calcium.
Pastor Doug: That is a fable and a myth.
Doran: Oh really?
Pastor Doug: Yeah there is more calcium in broccoli than there is in milk. The people who put that out are the American Dairy Association. That is not true and you do need calcium in your diet, but the idea that you have to drink cow’s milk to get it...do you think God made humans to where if they don’t drink cow’s milk they won’t be healthy? I mean why would he wire any creature like that? Even evolution couldn’t explain that one. So I hope that helps okay?
Doran: Okay and can I ask one more question?
Pastor Doug: Go ahead if it’s real quick because we have people waiting.
Doran: Are there going to be two prophets in the last time?
Pastor Doug: Joel Chapter 2 says I will pour out my spirit in the last days and your sons and you daughters will prophesy. So yes there should be prophets they are the gift of the church.
Pastor Dick: Amen. To Columbia, South Carolina, John is listening on WBAJ good evening John.
John: Good evening gentlemen. My question is with Mathew Chapter 1:17 dealing with the genecology of Jesus Christ. I was concerned about the significance of the fact that there are 14 generations from Abraham to David. Then 14 more from David to the Babylonian captivity, and then 14 more from the captivity until Christ and I am wondering what the significance is?
Pastor Doug: Oh you’re wondering what the significance is?
John: Yes the three 14s yes sir.
Pastor Doug: Well 14 of course are 2 times 7. Seven is a perfect number for a cycle of time. And here you have 6 sets of 7s, and then Jesus comes, and Jesus is our rest. He is the last generation so to speak. See in the Bible you have a lot of 7s that represent cycles of time. In Revelation you have the 7 churches, 7 trumpets, 7 seals and even 7 plagues, and they all happen over a period of time. So I think that Matthew is making a point of that for the Jewish readers. Matthews’ gospel was largely focused to the Jews who would be reading it. And he refers to a number of Old Testament prophecies. So he made a point of the generations.
John: Alright that takes care of my question and thanks.
Pastor Doug: Alright thanks and a good question.
Pastor Dick: Thank you for the call John. Let’s go next to Detroit, Michigan where Evelyn is listening on WLQV welcome Evelyn.
Evelyn: Hi how are you?
Pastor Doug: You need to turn your radio off in the background, or I am going to hear myself twice.
Evelyn: The radio is off I am on a cell phone.
Pastor Doug: Oh go ahead I hear a little echo, but I can hear you.
Evelyn: My question is in regards to tattoos. You know you see so many people with tattoos these days. I do remember but…I can’t remember which book it is in the Bible that the Lord says for us not to put any tattoos on our body.
Pastor Doug: Leviticus 19.
Evelyn: Okay now I wondered how is that going to affect those persons that are doing it in getting into the kingdom of heaven?
Pastor Doug: Well there are a lot of people who have come to the Lord after they got tattooed and of course even people who while they were Christians made the mistake…by backsliding of getting tattoos. Obviously it is something you can repent of in your heart, but you can’t easily take it off your body. But, what did I say Leviticus 19:28 says, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh or marks on you: I am the Lord.” (KJV) Some versions render that tattoos so everyone out there will have that verse. Yes because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. And it says if anyone defiles the temple of God him will God destroy, for the temple of God is Holy I am the Lords’. That doesn’t mean that a person who got tattoo can’t repent and won’t be forgiven. Nowhere does it say that a tattoo is an unpardonable sin. So is that what you are wondering?
Evelyn: That is exactly what I was wondering. I wondered if it would affect them getting into the kingdom of heaven.
Pastor Doug: Well it can hurt their witness. Let me give you an example I led a person to the Lord that was in prison, and he was part of the Aryan group in prison, and you know what they are?
Evelyn: Right.
Pastor Doug: They hate the Jews and the Blacks and they believe in Nazism and he had like a swastika tattooed on him. And after he gave his heart to the Lord that sure didn’t help his influence and I know another young man he had half of his face tattooed. Then you repent and give your heart to the Lord, but people are still going to judge you by your appearance for years to come.
Evelyn: That is true, that is very true... that makes sense. Thank you so much I appreciate your program so much.
Pastor Doug: Thank you. Keep us in your prayers.
Evelyn: Okay thank you and bye-bye.
Pastor Dick: From Detroit, Michigan to Sonora, California. Dan is listening on KADE welcome Dan.
Dan: Hi how is it going?
Pastor Doug: Very well.
Dan: Well I imagine you may have some idea what I am calling about, so do you want me to repeat it?
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Dan: I heard a few callers back at least that said that God loves everybody and was referencing John 3:16
Pastor Doug: Umm-hmm.
Dan: And I was just curious as to what your thoughts might be, when you deal with, like Romans 9:13 I believe, where God speaks of hating someone instead of love.
Pastor Doug: Yes, as it is written Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. Well I don’t think God hated Esau from a baby, first of all God is love. The Bible tells us that He loves everybody. So when it says, Esau I have hated—I remember my mother one time and I might be embarrassed to say this, but she took me by the throat I was a teenager and I was really misbehaving, she took me by the throat and she said Doug I love you, but sometimes I don’t like you very much.
Pastor Dick: Laughter.
Pastor Doug: And it was just me misbehaving obviously. God loves sinners He hates sin. God loved Esau, but there were things that Esau did, and the carnal behavior of Esau He hated. I mean God gave Esau a spiritual birthright, and the Bible said he hated it and sold it for a pot of beans. That’s what God hated the carnality of Esau.
Dan: Yeah, but they are obviously connected I mean you can’t separate…I mean that’s who Esau was. Because if he did something bad that was a part of him is what comes to my mind anyway.
Pastor Doug: Well I think you can make a separation.
Dan: How can you hold somebody accountable when they do something wrong? If you are going to exempt them from a situation?
Pastor Doug: Well loving somebody and hating their behavior are two different things. A lot of parents out there I am sure can relate. You love your children desperately, then they do things that are 100% opposite of your belief system, or what you approve of…your philosophy and they may embrace the thing you loathe, but you still love them. And it is something deeper than what they do we are not all just what we do, thank God. You know the Lord looks on the inside.
Dan: Well I won’t drag it out on you. I just ah well you know anyway…
Pastor Doug: Yeah and you know, in Matthew 18 Jesus says, “If He’s going to forgive our trespasses, we should forgive one another. He’s talking about, while you may not approve of what someone does, you can still love and forgive them. Okay? Good question.
Dan: Yeah thanks Pastor.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call Dan. We are going from Sonora, California to Brooklyn, New York and Ricky is listening on WMCA. Hi Ricky.
Ricky: Hi how are you? God bless and thank you for taking my call.
Pastor Dick: Yes sir and your question please?
Ricky: My question is our Lord Jesus Christ our Savior is He God and the Holy Spirit one and the same?
Pastor Doug: No…the reason I say that is, obviously when Jesus was praying at His baptism to His Father in heaven, He is not praying to Himself, or He would be schizophrenic. And when the Holy Spirit comes down upon Him you have three separate personalities doing three separate things. By any definition they would be different.
Ricky: So Jesus Christ is the Son of God He’s not God Himself?
Pastor Doug: Well when you say the word God you have got God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The characteristics of God…Jesus had them all. But, yet He separates Himself from the Father. For instance you can see even in the Old Testament God said let Us make man in Our image. You have got one entity comprised of three persons. You know what confuses people sometimes Ricky?
Ricky: What is that?
Pastor Doug It is the Hebrew concept of one. A husband and wife get married and the Bible says they become one.
Ricky: They become one.
Pastor Doug: One flesh. But, yet they are two people still right? So God the Father is distinct from Jesus, who is God the Son, who is distinct from God the Spirit.
Ricky: Oh okay. Can I ask one more question? I know you have other calls, but what is the difference between a born again Christian which I am, and a Jehovah witness because they read from the same Bible?
Pastor Doug: Well I would respectfully disagree. My friends who are Jehovah witnesses read from a different translation of the Bible called New World translation. And it does not go along with the Divinity of Christ and I can tell your first question and your second question are related. Matter of fact Ricky the main reason that the Jehovah witnesses retranslated the Bible was because they could not prove their beliefs about the Divinity of Christ from the regular Bible. They had to rewrite it to get it to say what they wanted.
Ricky: So they rewrote the Bible?
Pastor Doug: They have got their whole version of the Bible. Now I don’t know, they may have sat down with you and grabbed the King James Version. They are learning to do that, but the Jehovah witnesses have a whole other translation called the New World translation that was translated by the Watch Tower Society. Hey we have to keep going Ricky. People are waiting and we are almost out of time.
Ricky: Thank you. Thank you. God bless.
Pastor Doug: You are welcome.
Pastor Dick: To Habena, Mississippi and Dartanyan is listening on the internet. Welcome Dartanyan.
Dartanyan: Thank you Pastor Doug and Pastor Dick. My question is on Acts the 15th Chapter and it is about circumsion. I want to know…I was reading today about Abraham and circumcision…when God made a covenant with Abraham. So I am wondering what happened here in the 15th Chapte of Acts? What’s going on in this chapter where it says that some men came down today out of Judea into Antioch and were teaching.
Pastor Doug: Well alright. In Acts 15 the council in Jerusalem gives some summary advice to the Gentiles that were turning to Christianity on a few specific questions they had. They had questions about eating things that had been sacrificed to idols and questions about living with someone that you were not married to was that fornication? And about eating animals that had been killed by strangling rather than the throat being cut, because the Jews have laws about all these.
Dartanyan: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And the Ten Commandments did not specifically address a couple of these things, so they sent them back a letter and they said we are writing to them that they sustain from the pollution of idols from fornication. Now it’s not talking about when two people who are married, and they break the marriage by sleeping with others. They just live together without getting married. And they said is this okay and the Bible says no it is fornication, and from things strangled and from blood. They were not to eat the blood of animals which people still do and Christians do today and they shouldn’t.
Dartanyan: Okay so is circumsion—
Pastor Doug: Circumcision is not mentioned here, but later Paul said un-circumsion is nothing, un-circumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
Dartanyan: Okay. So I guess my question is where they are talking about circumcision when the argument comes up about it…and I hear the music.
Pastor Doug: Yeah go ahead.
Dartanyan: Is it a problem that some Jewish believers were trying to get Gentiles to be circumcised?
Pastor Doug: Yes and that is what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:19. “Circumcision is nothing un-circumsion is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God.” So they were trying to impose circumcision on the Christians and it was part of the ceremonial law that God gave Abraham. I am sorry we are out of time as you can tell. Listening friends if you did not get on this week then give us another chance, and God willing we will be back for another ongoing saga of “Bible Answers Live.”
Pastor Dick: Amen.
Pastor Doug: Keep in mind we are a faith based ministry and we’d like to hear from you. Unless you will write us a letter or get through on the phones during the course of the program only 15 to 20 people get through…we don’t know you are there. So drop us a line the address will be given by Pastor Dick in just a moment and make sure and tune in to “Amazing Facts” once again at our website and you can listen to former shows and go through our archives. Jesus is the truth that sets you free.
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