Avoiding the Wrong Path

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Doug: Welcome, listening friends, to “Bible Answers Live,” and this is a live program. I want to welcome the stations listening across North America and many by satellite right now on Sirius XM 131. If you have a Bible question, this program’s for you. Call in with your Bible questions, it’s a toll-free number: 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297 to get your Bible question on tonight’s program. And stand by with a pencil or a pen, because we also have some websites and other information we’re going to give you on how you can get the free resources. If you have a question, again, for tonight’s program: 800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross. Good evening, listening friends and Pastor Doug. Let’s begin the program with prayer. Father, once again, we do want to invite your presence to be with us as we study Your Word. We ask your special blessing upon those who are listening, wherever they might be. And Father, may there be eternal results because of the program. For we ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Pastor Doug: Amen.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Pastor Doug, you opened the program by talking about somebody who got into an airplane and was planning to go – at least, said he was planning to go – to LA, but ended up landing in Ireland. How did that happen?

Pastor Doug: Yes, a very interesting character names Douglas Corrigan. He was born in 1907, a contemporary of Charles Lindbergh. Matter of fact, he was present and helped build Lindbergh’s plane. After Lindbergh made his record, Corrigan said, “I want to make a record.” Being Irish, he said, “I want to be the first pilot to fly from New York to Ireland.” Well, he eventually bought himself a little bit of a dilapidated plane, but he was a great mechanic, an excellent pilot. He fixed up his plane, looked like quilt. Added tanks to it and some kind of homemade gear, and just tried to get some permission from the equivalent of the FAA back then. It was this aeronautical government. They wouldn’t give him a permit to fly across the country, let alone across the Atlantic. It took him years to just get permission to go from LA to New York. He kept applying and applying. He wanted to break this record before anyone else of flying from New York to Ireland, and they kept saying, “No, it’s not safe.” So, after flying from LA to New York one time, he filled his plane with gasoline and said he was heading back to LA, but took off into the fog and in 1938, after being so tired of the red tape, 26 hours later, he claimed he came down from the fog and figured out he was over the ocean.

Flew a few more hours and landed in Dublin, Ireland. What a coincidence. He said, “Well, you know, it was an accident. I really meant to go to LA.” Because he knew he’d be in hot water if he admitted that he had just violated this government mandate. So, he got the nickname “Wrong Way Corrigan.” Very interesting character, lived a full life. Part of us sort of resonates with his rebellious spirit we kind of cheer for him that he was able to finally break the record and be the first person to fly. Barely survived the flight with his plane, I mean, he could hardly see out of the front window because he had gas tanks between his legs and on the hood and crouched up for 24 hours, staying awake. Gas started leaking in the plane he had to punch a hole in the bottom with a screwdriver to keep it from sloshing around by his feet. It’s just an incredible journey, but he made it, and we kind of think, “good for him.” But really, he just made up his mind, what he wanted to do and, regardless of what he was supposed to do, he got his way. So, that little streak of rebellion we all have inside resonates with Douglas Corrigan.

In fact, when a football player goes the wrong way down the field, they still use the phrase that he pulled a “wrong-way Corrigan.” It makes me think of that verse in the Bible, Pastor Ross, where it says in Isaiah 53, “all we, like sheep, have gone astray. We’ve turned everyone to his own way. We’re all prone to do our own thing, but our own thing is usually the wrong way. So, how do we know what God wants us to do? The biggest battle for a Christian is to say, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.” But sometimes, people might say, “Well, I’m not sure what is God’s will for me? How do I know what the right way is?” And we have a free offer today for anybody that would like to better understand the will of God, and the will of God for them, more specifically.

Pastor Jëan Ross: It is a book written by Pastor Doug entitled “Determining the Will of God.” If you would like to know what God would have you do, how you discover God’s will for your life, you want to read this book. To receive it absolutely free, call our resource line. The number is 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the book “Determining the Will of God.” That number again is 800-835-6747. Well, we’re going to go to the phone lines. We have Antoinette who is calling from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Antoinette, welcome to the program.

Antoinette: Thank you so much. Good evening, everyone. I have two questions and hopefully you can answer them. The first question: Are there present-day apostles? Are there any present-day apostles? And the second one: Can anyone be out of the grace of God?

Pastor Doug: Alright, two questions. Are there any present-day apostles? The original, of course, twelve apostles were unique in that they were personally trained under Jesus. But the fact that they replaced one of them after Jesus ascended to Heaven – that’s in Acts 1, I think it was that they cast lots and Matthias was chosen – leads us to believe that God never deleted the Office of Apostle. We would probably call it the church leadership of today. Most people are reluctant to refer to themselves as an Apostle today, even though it was a biblical office. So, you know, I can’t look on the landscape of the Christian World right now and say who would God deem an Apostle. But we do have pastors and leaders and presidents of congregations and elders and administrators. So, the Office of Apostle in leadership of the church is still there. But I think the word, people are a little bit intimidated by calling themselves an Apostle. But it is listed. Your second question, can a person be out of the grace of God, or—do you want to restate that?

Antoinette: Can anyone fall out of His grace, or out of His will?

Pastor Doug: Well, you mean a Christian, I’m assuming.

Antoinette: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, because most of the world is lost. They are out of the will of God. But after a person accepts the Lord, they still have freedom. You can think of a number of people in the Bible, you know, Peter accepted Jesus and followed him, but he was intimidated when Jesus was tried and Peter denied the Lord. That wasn’t the will of God, and so at that point, he was certainly out of the will of God. David was called by the Lord and anointed with the Spirit, but when he got into his scrambled mess with Bathsheba, he was out of the will of God. When a follower of Christ turns and starts rebelling, that persistent rebellion can lead to eternal loss. Peter repented and we expect to see him in the Kingdom. Judas was one of the apostles and he did not repent. Or, his repentance was that he went out and hung himself. It was not the right kind of repentance. Hopefully that answers your question, Antoinette.

Antoinette: Thank you, it did.

Pastor Doug: Alright, God bless. I appreciate your call.

Pastor Jëan Ross: We’ve got Koka who is listening all the way from India. Koka, welcome to the program. […] Koka in India, can you hear us?

Koka: Yes.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, you’re on the air.

Koka: Yes.

Pastor Doug: And your question tonight, brother?

Koka: Yeah, see God asked Moses to remove his sandals at the burning bush. In India, we go to podium without sandals and preach the Word of God. But what about Americans? Everybody preaches with shoes on the podium.

Pastor Doug: Alright, good question. If Moses was asked to remove his shoes when he came to the burning bush, and—by the way, I’ve been to India a couple of times. I believe you have, too, Pastor Ross—

Pastor Jëan Ross: I have, that’s right.

Pastor Doug: —and we have entered many churches where you take off your shoes. I’ve also done that in South Pacific and many other places. But there’s a couple of examples in the Bible where someone was asked to remove their shoes: Moses in the presence of God at the burning bush, Joshua when he was talking to – well, some believe it was Michael the Archangel, others said it was a pre-incarnate image of Christ that he was visiting with. So, when a pastor stands in the pulpit to preach, would that be the same as being in the audible presence of God? I think some people feel like it’s not the same situation. Part of the reason for that is Moses, for the next forty years of his life, there’s no record that he took off his shoes when he addressed the people for God. He took off his shoes when God addressed him. I don’t see an example in the Bible where these leaders, and even the apostles, took of their shoes when they preached. They took off their shoes when God appeared to them because that ground then became holy. And it’s not in the Bible, but maybe Jacob took off his shoes when God gave him that vision at the rock there. So, when they felt like they were on holy ground, but I don’t believe they always took off their shoes when they went to preach. I think the Jews kept their shoes on when they went into the Temple. At least, there’s nothing I read that says they took them off.

Koka: Okay.

Pastor Doug: But good question! I’m always very respectful when people show that kind of reverence. I think it’s wonderful. There’s certainly nothing wrong with preaching with your shoes off, unless you get cold feet. Thank you for your question. Always happy to get a call from India, brother. God bless you.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, we’ve got Tammy, who is listening from Farmington, Michigan. Tammy, welcome to the program.

Tammy: Hi, Pastor Doug. My question is: If a Christian dies in an unrepentant state, are they still secure with their salvation from the work that was done on the cross?

Pastor Doug: Alright, good question. That verse, Pastor Ross, in Revelation, where Jesus said, “Except you repent, I will remove your candlestick out of its place.” It seems to indicate from what Jesus says when he addresses the churches in Revelation, that – matter of fact, Jesus said in Luke, also, “Except you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Do you have that?

Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s Revelation 2:5. It says, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works or else I will come unto you quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except you repent.”

Pastor Doug: Now, in that, He’s speaking to a church. And then Christ said, it talks about when the wall fell on the Galileans, and when Pilate executed some worshippers, they brought Jesus this news and Jesus said, “Unless you likewise repent, you will all perish.” So, if a person is a Christian and then they – we’re not talking about the wrong thought comes fleeting through their mind, we’re talking about a Christian who then turns from the known will of God and begins to act rebelliously. A final example would be the Mark of the Beast, Tammy. When those that know the will of God choose to worship the beast in his image, they’re going to receive the wrath of God.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The verse you’re referring to is in Luke 13:5, where Jesus says, “Except you repent, you shall also likewise perish.” He’s talking to the Jewish leaders, the Church of the day.

Pastor Doug: Right. But you’ve got Ananias and Sapphira, that were church members, and when they lied, it wasn’t an accidental lie. It was a premeditated lie. They planned it. It seems like the Holy Spirit was withdrawn, and they dropped dead. And I wouldn’t want to be them in the resurrection. I have doubts about whether they’ll be saved or not.

Tammy: Okay, let me ask you this real quick. If a Christian is struggling with a drug addiction, and they die of overdose, they are no longer in the plan of the salvation of the Lord?

Pastor Doug: Well, I’ve got to be very careful, how I answer that. God knows what’s in a person’s heart, and I think there are some people that really long to serve the Lord, and they’re yearning to be God’s children, and they’re doing their best. But sometimes, they’re overcome with discouragement, and only the Lord knows exactly what’s happening in that person’s heart, so I wouldn’t want to make a sweeping statement. But typically, if a person is living in bondage to a sin and they die in that bondage, that’s not a good indicator for their future, because Jesus came to set us free.

Tammy: That is correct.

Pastor Doug: So, I think that nobody should be satisfied if we’re still in bondage to some addiction, that we can be in bondage to those things and be saved. Because Christ really came to cast out the devils and to set us free, so to speak. He can do it. There’s that man in Decapolis that was filled with a legion of demons, and Jesus cast out a whole legion from that man and he turned into an evangelist, so if He can do it for him, then He can do it for anybody. Friend, if you’re out there and you’re struggling with drugs or alcohol or cigarettes – whatever it is – He can give you the victory. I believe that. Thank you, Tammy, for your question. We’re going to try to get a few more here before the break.

Pastor Jëan Ross: We have Sandy who is listening from Southern Illinois. Sandy, welcome to the program.

Sandy: Good evening, pastors. I’m just wondering, within the context of Ephesians 2:1-10. The question was posed to me: What is the fate of being “dead in our trespasses?” And I wasn’t sure, is that talking about the second death or eternal separation?

Pastor Doug: No, I believe Paul here, when he’s talking about being “dead in trespasses and sins,” he’s really dealing with those that are in a totally bound, lost condition. In Ephesians 2:5…Well, I’ll read verse 4, too. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ…” In other words, while we were yet sinners, Christ Jesus died for us. So, the Lord loves everybody out there, and Jesus died for everybody out there to provide salvation if they receive it and receive Him. While they were even dead – spiritually dead, in their trespasses and sins. The Bible says, “He that has the Son has life He that has not the Son has not life.” So, people that don’t have Jesus are dead in their sins. That’s why Christ said, “Let the dead bury the dead.”

Tammy: So, it’s a matter of free choice, then?

Pastor Doug: Yes. “Whosoever let him…” It’s an invitation.

Tammy: Okay, thank you.

Pastor Doug: You’re welcome. You know, we should mention, Pastor Ross, at this time, that we are streaming again. We’ve been doing tests for a little more than eight weeks now of streaming Bible Answers Live on the internet, and if some people want to tune in and find out what it looks like here in the studio, it’s Live.AmazingFacts.org. You’ll see what it looks like. Not that exciting, but it’s there.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, we have Lisa, who’s listening from Buffalo, New York. Lisa, welcome to the program.

Lisa: Hello, sir, I’ve been listening to your program since it started. Welcome to DCX, out of Othglow. It’s nice to have something new and refreshing, and I just wanted to say thank you for all that you’re doing here.

Pastor Doug: We’re glad you called, because we know that when we came on that station, we were listening for some listeners, so we’re glad to have you, Lisa. Your question tonight?

Lisa: Well, sir, to make a long story short, there’s plenty of people out there. I was in church for several years, my daughter was three, and I was a single mother with three jobs. To make a long story short, we were in that church for several years, and my daughter was being molested by a deacon-slash-elder. I trusted them with my daughter, and my daughter held it in until she was seventeen. My mother called me in the middle of the night and said it had been going on for years. To be honest with you, my question is…I’m scared of church now. I still listen to the Word, I still believe, I still read, I still pray. God still answers my prayers. But my daughter says she doesn’t believe in God right now and she banned me from my granddaughter for teaching her the Lord’s Prayer. I said I didn’t take her to a sanctuary, I didn’t…and now I can’t have my granddaughter because, you know, we just prayed by the side of my bed.

Pastor Doug: I can understand, Lisa, why you would be concerned about that, because obviously that would be a terrible, painful experience. But, at the heart of the question, you’re really asking, “How can I go back to church?” And I can understand. You, of course, can’t make the decision for your daughter, and that is a terrible betrayal of trust. We know that, even amongst Christ’s followers, Judas, He betrayed Jesus. But that was still Christ’s church. The devil has his representatives in Jesus’s church.

Sandy: I believe that.

Pastor Doug: Obviously, He is concerned. You want to be part of Jesus’s body. So, you can’t let this bitterness keep you away from Christ if you’re going to be a Christian, if you’re going to be part of the body of Christ.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You may want to be careful, even in church, especially if you have children. You don’t know the backgrounds of everyone that might be there. Nevertheless, with proper supervision and going to church, you can still receive a blessing when you fellowship with other believers. That’s where God wants you to be.

Pastor Doug: We do have a study guide that talks about the subject of the Church, and how important is that, and is it necessary, and do you need to be a part of an organized church. Whenever you’re in any group of people, whether it’s a church or whether it’s a company picnic, there are predators in the world, so I would not – there are people in schools, in church, all kinds of places, that are predators and they’re going to be looking for people or children to take advantage of in a thousand ways, and that’s because there’s evil in the world. We know that sometimes children are abducted from the store we don’t stop going to the store. People might be afraid of that. Sometimes people have car accidents we don’t stop driving. Fear can’t control your life. If you read in the Bible that church is part of God’s plan, then don’t rob yourself of the fellowship you need. I’d obviously go somewhere that you’d feel safe, but I’d give it another chance. We have a study guide that talks about the Bride of Christ, and clothed with light, we’d be happy to send that to you.

Pastor Jëan Ross: To receive that study guide, give us a call on our resource line. The number is 800-835-6747. Lisa, or anyone listening, you can ask for the study guide entitled “The Bride of Christ.” That’s 800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide, “The Bride of Christ.” We’ve got Steven listening from San Diego, California, on KPRZ. Steven, welcome to the program.

Steven: Yes, good evening, pastors. Thank you for taking my call. What I’m asking tonight is, I’d like to know: Is the original Ark of the Covenant, as some modern TV shows have said, still present with us, for example, in modern-day Ethiopia or in Jerusalem and Israel under heavy security or protection? Some various shows have asserted that, and I’d like to know what your gentlemen’s opinion is regarding the Ark of the Covenant.

Pastor Doug: Well, there are a lot of fanciful things out there. I’ll tell you what the Bible says. I do believe the Ark of the Covenant is still somewhere on the planet. I don’t know of anyone who really knows exactly where it is, but I’ll tell you what the most likely scenario is, biblically. The last time the Ark is mentioned is during the time of King Hezekiah, that it’s specifically mentioned. It probably was still in the Temple during the reign of Hezekiah’s grandsons when the Babylonians surrounded Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet told the King very plainly that the Babylonian ruler, Nebuchadnezzar, was going to destroy the Temple, that the city would be burnt with fire, if the King did not surrender. Zedekiah said he wasn’t going to surrender. Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city. I’ve read where one commentator said Jeremiah and some of the priests very likely took the Ark knowing what was going to become of the Temple, and they secreted it, they hid it in one of the many caves. Jerusalem has a honeycomb of caves around the city. It’s a heavy object, it’s be hard to transport.

Those who say it was taken down to Ethiopia, that’s just total fable, because they claim that Solomon had a son with the Queen of Sheba and that he sent it down to his son. Biblically, the state of the Ark is still in the Temple as far down the line as Hezekiah hundreds of years later. So, it’s not in Ethiopia. Some have said, you know, the movie says it was in Egypt. There’s nothing in the Bible that leads us to think it’s in Egypt. When the Temple articles are carried off to Babylon, it mentions many of them by name, but it never mentions the Ark. So, the highest probability is it’s hidden somewhere in the vicinity of Jerusalem and it’s still there today, buried or in a cave or wherever Jeremiah and the priests hid it to save it from their enemies. It was captured once by the Philistines and they had vowed never to let their enemies capture the Ark again. So, I don’t know of any credible story where it’s been found. It is interesting – in Revelation, is it chapter 11, Pastor Ross, where it says, “I saw the temple of God open in Heaven and the Ark”?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes, Revelation 11.

Pastor Doug: Yes, Revelation 11:19, “And the temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament.” That doesn’t mean that the one on Earth was somehow assumed to Heaven. I think there’s a lot of symbolism there. Anyway, I don’t think it’s been found yet, and yes, I do believe it’s on the world now. Thank you very much for your call, Steven, and we appreciate that.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, we’ve got Phillip, listening from Pennsylvania. Phillip, we have about two minutes before our break.

Phillip: Thank you for taking my call. I have a question here. It seems like I’m not satisfied with all the answers I have found. My question has to do with the death of Jesus. We know that Jesus died for our sins, and because the wages of sin is death. It seems to me, logical, that Jesus is supposed to suffer the consequences of sins for eternity, as the second death is eternal. But Jesus knew that He would be resurrected in three days. Can you please clarify this important issue for me? I tried to read the chapter.

Pastor Doug: Let me see if I can try and address that quickly, Phillip, before we run out of time. If the penalty of sin is the second death, eternal death, and Jesus knew, going into it, that He would rise after three days, and since He didn’t die eternally, then how can He have paid the penalty of eternal death and separation from God? My answer would be that because He is God, He was able to experience, in those times of suffering before His death and at His death, what the lost will experience. When God withdrew Himself from Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ was facing total eternal separation from the Father. He experienced the second death for the lost. I hope that helps a little bit. Listening friends, don’t go anywhere. This is Bible Answers Live. We’ll be right back.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Doug: Hello, friends, if you’ve joined us just along the way, you’re listening to “Bible Answers Live.” This is a live international, interactive Bible Study. We want to welcome you back. My name is Pastor Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross, and Pastor Doug, we’re going to go straight to the phone lines. Our next call is Brenda. She is listening from Oregon. Brenda, welcome to the program. You’re on the air.

Brenda: Hello. I’d like to know if you can explain the difference between “justified” and “righteous.” Is there a difference, and what is it?

Pastor Doug: That’s a good question. I’ve had people ask me about the difference between justification, sanctification, glorification. You’re saying justified and righteous. There is a difference in that you can have somebody that is righteous that has never been justified. I can think of one person that would be God. At least on Earth. You might have an angel that’s righteous that’s never been justified. Justified means that you were unjust, it implies that you were unjust, but you’ve gone through a procedure of atonement where you’ve been declared just or righteous. So, those that are righteous, like un-fallen angels and God or un-fallen worlds, they are righteous by nature. But humans can be justified and righteous because of the atonement of God. So there is a distinction there. But basically, justification is where you are declared righteous because you’ve had faith in the sacrifice and the provision that God has made.

Pastor Jëan Ross: And usually, when you think about righteousness, there are two parts to righteousness. There is something referred to as the imputed righteousness, that is the righteousness of Christ that we receive by faith when we’re justified. And then there’s something called the imparted righteousness, and that’s where Christ reshapes us and molds us and makes us into the kind of people He wants us to be. The theological term there is sanctification. So you have the imputed righteousness that happens when a person asks for forgiveness and the imparted righteousness that comes as we surrender continually to Christ.

Brenda: Okay.

Pastor Doug: Hope that makes sense and helps a little bit. It’s a deep subject. I appreciate your call, Brenda.

Pastor Jëan Ross: We’ve got Bill listening from San Antonio, Texas. Bill, you’re on the air!

Bill: Thank you. My question for you all is, there are many versions of the Bible. What one would you say is the best one to understand that would be closest to the original text?

Pastor Doug: Well, do you speak Greek and Hebrew?

Bill: No, I don’t.

Pastor Doug: So, I guess we’re talking about the English.

Bill: Yes, English.

Pastor Doug: Sorry, that wasn’t very nice.

Bill: That’s okay.

Pastor Doug: You said, “What would be the best?” I’d say the original, probably. But if we’re talking about English, now I’ll be dealing a little bit with my opinion. I’m very comfortable with the King James, but some of the language, I know, is archaic. So, when I’m preaching, I use the New King James, which is translated from the same manuscripts, but they basically modernized some of the words. We don’t say “shew” or “thee” or “thou” as much, so it’s modernized some of the words from the old English. Even the King James that you read has been modernized a couple of times between now and 1611. I was in England and I saw an old copy of the King James and it’s hard to read. Those would be a couple of my favorites. I like the New American Standard. I don’t know, Pastor Ross?

Pastor Jëan Ross: When it comes to different Bible translations or versions, you need to recognize there are direct translations from the original languages, but then there’s also something that’s referred to as paraphrase. Paraphrase is a Bible, usually somebody will take the English and then they will rewrite what is in that passage of scripture, maybe expound upon that a little bit. It’s more of a devotional-type reading. It’s not a direct translation from the original. It’s more a paraphrase from the English. So, that might be fine for reading, but if one was to really study deep, you want to make sure you have a reliable translation. King James, New King James, these are good versions.

Bill: Alright, well thank you all very much.

Pastor Doug: You’re welcome, and we do have a book that we’ll be happy to send you that deals with the Bible, and it’s called “The Ultimate Resource.” We’ll be happy to send you a free copy of that if you’ll just call the number.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. That’s 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the book “The Ultimate Resource” talking about the Bible. We have Tim, who is listening from Colorado on XM Radio. Tim, Welcome to the program.

Tim: Hey, how are you guys doing today?

Pastor Doug: Doing well, Tim. Your question?

Tim: I’m sure you guys get this question quite often, but I was wondering. I have a friend who got divorced, and he’s looking towards the idea of remarriage, but he read in the Old Testament where it talks about how you can’t remarry unless there’s an infidelity or it’s considered adultery.

Pastor Doug: Right.

Tim: I was wondering, do you believe that the law has changed somewhat since the Old Testament, or is there…

Pastor Doug: How would you deal with that? I think I understand, how would a person respond if…Can they ever biblically remarry—

Tim: He’s afraid to get remarried because of the infidelity thing.

Pastor Doug: Alright.

Tim: You see, in the Old Testament, he goes, “I would be considered...”

Pastor Doug: He’s wondering if he’s being unfaithful by getting married or remarried without biblical grounds. Is that the question?

Tim: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Okay. Well, we’re going to bring your volume down a little bit. It sounds like you’re going down the road there. First, let me say, there’s a book that we recently released and it’s called “Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage,” and if you can remember that and you get an opportunity to call in, we’ll send you a copy of that that can be used or you can look it over and share it with your friend. But, a simple answer would be that Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 and in Matthew 19 that there’s really only one biblical grounds for divorce and remarriage and that would be if your spouse has been unfaithful. Now, a couple little grey areas. Suppose that you’ve got two unbelievers that are married to each other. Neither of them are Christians. This example is in 1 Corinthians 7. One of them becomes a Christian. The unbeliever says, “Look, I didn’t sign up for this.

I don’t want to be married to a Christian, I’m out of here.” And they basically abandon their spouse. Is their spouse ever free to remarry again? The one who’s been abandoned? Are they ever free to remarry again? Well, Paul seems to imply that they’re not under bondage to their original marriage anymore. And then you’ve got a case where two people might get divorced because of incompatibility, and then one partner remarries. Technically, they’ve committed adultery according to Jesus’s definition, and the other party now would be able to say, “Look, we’re not going to be reconciled. They have somebody else,” and then they have biblical grounds for remarriage. So, it gets a little messy sometimes, but the best thing is for people to stay faithful.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Again, if you’d like to receive that book on marriage entitled “Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage,” call our resource line. That’s 800-835-6747. Pastor Doug, I believe that book has just recently been written. Just came out not too long ago. The number again is 800-835-6747. We have Theo who is listening from San Mateo in California. Theo, welcome to the program.

Theo: Hello, pastors.

Pastor Doug: Evening.

Theo: My question is, I participated in a lifestyle where I put my kids in certain hula classes just for fun. We’ve participated in trick-or-treating. We’ve gone to birthdays and baby showers and weddings on a certain day. And after certain study, I’ve learned that the roots of hula and Halloween, where it comes from. So, I’ve kind of wanted to pull my kids out, and also these events that happen on this day, which is the Sabbath, I’ve stopped going to these places because it’s the Sabbath. But my wife, she says that “it’s okay, it’s just for fun, don’t get the kids out of hula class, just going to crab candy just because it’s what they do on this day.” But after knowing where the roots come from and trying to keep this day sacred by not going to these baby showers and birthdays because of the surrounding…How do I answer my spouse, regarding, “It’s okay, we’re just going there to eat” and “we’re just going to the birthday just to show face” and stuff like that?

Pastor Doug: Alright. Well, I think you’re asking a couple of questions. One is, Halloween, and that’s coming up on us now. It’s amazing, before you even get to October, they’ve got all the decorations and the candy out. It is tough sometimes, for kids, especially if your kids are in public school and all their friends are having holiday Halloween parties and they’re talking about what they’re going to dress up like and they’re talking about the candy they’re gonna get. Some Christian kids might feel like, “I’m being left out. How come I don’t get to participate in this?” Of course, the challenge is compounded if Halloween is falling on the Sabbath, and it’s really a slam dunk. That is certainly not a holy day. I think it’s important to sit down with your kids and say, “Let’s talk about this.” In the Bible, where it tells us in Ephesians, “Have no part with the evil works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” There are some things we don’t want to be getting involved in or associating with, and explaining the roots and the foundations of Halloween, how it just does have its beginnings in sorcery, that you want to please the Lord, and sometimes it means you’ve got to say no to these things.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The verse you’re referring to is Ephesians 5:11, which says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

Pastor Doug: Yes. And secondly, what about baby showers and some of these other events that may fall on Sabbath? Well, you know that it’s a challenge sometimes when we are Christians. Sometimes there are events that are not gonna be holy in their environment that really wouldn’t be appropriate on Sabbath. We need to just write a nice letter to the people and say, “I’d love to come, but because of my convictions about the seventh day still being the Sabbath of the Lord, this would not fit in with those convictions and with our values.” You can send them a gift and a card ahead of time, and serve the Lord, put God first. He’ll bless you for it.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we do have a study guide, Pastor Doug, dealing with the subject of the Sabbath. Somebody listening might be wondering, “What about the Sabbath? What does the Bible say about it?” We have a study guide entitled “The Lost Day of History,” and we’ll send that to you for free. Call our resource line, that’s 800-835-6747. You can as for the study guide on the Sabbath entitled “The Lost Day of History.” We have Doug who is listening from Michigan. Doug, welcome to “Bible Answers Live.”

Doug: Hello, it’s Doug Finch from Traverse City, Michigan. I’m also a chaplain. First, may I say, I want to congratulate both of you guys. You’re heroes of mine. Especially Pastor Doug. You’ve straightened out things like speaking in tongues I was tormented with for years. I believe in your teachings, and I’m traveling outside, visiting church and they started doing that. I was so confused that I just had to leave. I, of course, didn’t criticize them, but—

Pastor Doug: That can get out of hand sometimes.

Doug: Yeah, they should have never used that word ‘tongues’ when they translated that Bible into English.

Pastor Doug: What’s your question tonight?

Doug: Is there a scripture that assures – because I’m between a rock and a hard place about death and hell and all of this, this is where I’m not totally convinced. I totally believe what you’re teaching, but is there scripture that verifies that the unsaved are not going to be tormented forever? I’ll tell you why, it’s because before I became a Christian – I wouldn’t be a Christian if this hadn’t happened – I know I died in my sleep. It was in the summer. I was sleeping with my girlfriend, before I was saved and everything, and I was having seizures and I also had a blown out heart valve at 21 years old. I descended into hell, and this was not a dream, it’s 1000%, God verified that this was real. I saw Jesus, just like with Stephen. He got up off the throne, and Jesus was looking down at me, but He was way off in the distance. But I saw what I could have had, and I knew I was in hell, and it was so bad, I tell my friends that if you stepped out on the highway and let a semi run over you for eternity, that would be a piece of cake to what I went through in just 15 seconds. I don’t know how you can explain it, because I was dead. As a matter of fact, when I came to, I was screaming so bad I almost scared Laurie out of the house. She felt me and she screamed. She said, “You feel like a cold, dead corpse.”

Pastor Doug: Doug, we’re going to have to try and answer this so that we can go to another caller. I don’t question that you had your experience, and I don’t question that God may have allowed you to have this experience to bring about your conversion. The Lord can show people a broad spectrum of things in vision for them, and it’ll be as real as anything if God shows it to you. I don’t have a question if there’s a lake of fire. I don’t have a question – I mean, the Bible is very clear that the wicked and the lost are cast into a lake of fire. Revelation is very clear on this.

Doug: This was utter darkness. It was so cold I couldn’t stand it, and it was so dark. You go in the darkest room with zero light and it is still light compared to this.

Pastor Doug: So, you felt like you experienced this second death, this separation from God, and it was terrifying, correct?

Doug: It was terrifying. It was beyond words. There are not words on this planet that can explain it.

Pastor Doug: Alright. Well, I don’t question what you’re experienced. But, when we decide what is true biblically, whatever experience God may give a person – you know, I once had a dream that Jesus came for me, and it was very real and very inspiring and I woke up just disappointed that it was just a dream. But in my dream, when Jesus came down from the heavens to pick me up, He was driving one of those old carnival bumper cars, and I could probably go all over the world and say I know Jesus is coming in a bumper car. But, I don’t see it in the Bible. I know that, for me, a bumper car was the most fun you could ever have when I was a kid, and so the Lord did that for me for whatever reason. But I’m not going to build my theology based on my dream. I’m going to build my theology based on what does the Word say? So, the Lord may have used this experience, no question that He did, to get your attention. But what does the Bible say about hell and the reality of hell? Before we go any farther, Doug, we do have a website. I don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, and it’s just been revised. Matter of fact, there’s a new video there that we just released.

Doug: What’s it called again?

Pastor Doug: It’s called HellTruth.com. It’s become very popular. People who are wanting to understand the punishment of the wicked go there. It’s filled with Bible information. But, the wicked are punished in the lake of fire. They do experience eternal separation from God. The question is: How long is that and is anyone there now? How long is it? Well, it says that every man is punished according to what he deserves, so it may vary from person to person. But they don’t burn for eternity, because the Bible says they perish, they are consumed, they are devoured, they are destroyed, never are they anymore. From cover to cover in the Bible, it’s clear that the wicked do not get eternal life.

They get eternal death, and it is absence of consciousness after they’re destroyed. So, the idea that a zillion years from now, the wicked are still awake and conscious and being punished for the sins of thirty years, it’s kind of repugnant to our reason that God would do something so unjust and then a zillion years from now times a zillion, figure out that number. Only the government would know what that number is. A zillion times a zillion, it’s nearing our national debt. Figure out that number and say, “You’ve only just begun to burn after that period of time.” Can people really comprehend what it would be like to burn forever and ever and ever? Some fourteen-year-old who’s reached the age of accountability that was just a disobedient kid is going to burn as long as Adolf Hitler, according to what some churches teach. And then God is going to say it’s a loving, just thing to do. The Bible says eternal life or perish, John 3:16. Two choices. So please look at HellTruth.com, anybody. You need to see the new video there. Matter of fact, the video on YouTube is starting to become very popular.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You can also call our resource line, which is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide entitled “Is The Devil In Charge of Hell?” That’s 800-835-6747. You can also go to the website HellTruth.com. We’ve got Lee calling from North Carolina. Lee, you’re on the program.

Lee: Hi. Thank you for taking my call, and I am enjoying watching you guys live on the Internet. I have kind of a sticky question, I guess. I’m wondering, masturbation, is that sin?

Pastor Doug: Well, it’s kind of a delicate subject, I understand, but let’s just look at what Jesus said. He says, “If a man looks on a woman to lust after her in his heart, he’s committing adultery in his heart.” And that would be true either way. If a man or woman is thinking those things in their heart, and it’s hard to comprehend a person doing that without thinking those things in their heart, then it’s sin. I probably ought to say something right there because once I answered this and someone misunderstood and they said, “Well, if I’m thinking it in my heart, I may as well just go commit adultery.” And I would say, no. There are varying degrees of sin, and masturbation would not be as bad as adultery, if for no other reason, adultery involves another person and you’re compounding the evil. But, sin is sin. The Lord says, “Blessed are the pure in heart they will see God.” God wants us to be pure in our heart. And I know it’s a struggle. There’s a lot of single people out there and they’re lonely and they’re thinking, “God’s placed all these desires within my body.” Eating is different than sex, and some people are workaholics and the challenge is, “I can’t just stop working.” I admit I’m a workaholic. I can’t just stop working. I’ve got to ration how much I work so I’m not overdoing it. Food is that way. I can’t just stop eating: I’ll die. You’ve got to ration how much you eat. But in spite of what people might think, you will not die without sex.

Lee: Right.

Pastor Doug: You may think so, but it’s been proven that you probably won’t die. So, it can be controlled. You can be pure in heart. Hey, thank you for your question, Lee. I hope that helps a little bit, and we do have a book. We have a lesson called “Power in Purity” that we’ll be happy to send you. “Power in Purity.”

Pastor Jëan Ross: That number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide “Power in Purity.” We’ve got Don, who is listening from College Place, Washington. Don, you’re on the air.

Don: Thank you very much. I have read your book, “Understanding Tongues.” I have listened to all your presentations on lying. And, how I understand it is that, when there is a need and the Holy Spirit comes upon a person and they can speak another dialect or language that they haven’t known before for the purpose of sharing the gospel. I understand that. But, I have a friend that was in India and they were talking with a woman that spoke nothing but Toledo. And my friend was with a woman from New York. They were on an Evangelistic team and they were trying to talk to her, and the evidence came back when they were speaking in English, she heard it in Toledo. And she understood exactly what they were saying.

Pastor Doug: So, can this be a gift of tongues or something related to it? Is that the question?

Don: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, I don’t question – I believe that, obviously, if God can supernaturally give the apostles the ability to speak and preach and teach in languages they did not know or study, just a miraculous ability, that He can also give someone the ability – you know, if you’ve got the gift of tongues, someone might have the gift of hearing, where all of a sudden, things that might have been non-understandable are understandable. One reason I say that is, what language do angels speak? When someone goes into vision and angels are speaking to them, are angels speaking German and Spanish and English? Or is the person being given the ability to understand the tongue of angels? So God can miraculously give a person, I think, supernaturally, that ability to understand. We do have a study – you said you’ve read our books, Don – and if you haven’t received it, anybody out there can ask for it.

We do have a book that we’d like to share with you. It’s called “Understanding Tongues.” A lot of confusion on the gift of tongues, it came up in a prior question tonight. But I do believe. I’ve heard stories of missionaries that all of a sudden, someone listening was able to understand another language they’ve never heard before. The person wasn’t speaking a different language, but the listener suddenly had the ability to understand this new tongue. Yeah, there’s nothing too hard for the Lord. There’s all kinds of miracles that God performs in the Bible, and I have no reason to think that the Lord would be unable to perform that one.

Pastor Jëan Ross: If you’d like to receive that book, give us a call on our resource line. The number is 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the book “Understanding Tongues” and we’ll be happy to send that out.

Pastor Doug: You know, listening friends, we’re just starting to reach the final touchdown for this program. I want to take a moment and thank you for listening. Encourage your friends to tune in. And we hope you go to the Amazing Facts website. There’s so many resources there, and you can listen to archives of these programs and see the TV programs. That’s simply AmazingFacts.org, and please keep in mind, Amazing Facts does not get any support from an organization, corporation, denomination. We are entirely supported by you, the listeners. And if you’ve been blessed by these programs, please help us stay on the air. These are tough times for our ministry along with many others. If you want to help us keep the Word going out and changing hearts, just go to AmazingFacts.org. You can donate online. God bless you until we get together again in our next study.

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