Hello friends! This is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? You might be surprised to learn that the word "carnival" comes from the Latin word "carneae," which means "flesh." The story behind the word "carnival" dates back to about 400 A.D. when the great coliseum of Rome was often packed with wild spectators who had come to watch the violent games.
The bloody entertainment consisted of watching human beings and wild animals battle one another, until one or the other was killed. The assembled multitude reveled in such sport and they roared with delight when a person was slain.
On one such day when the vast crowd was watching the gladiatorial show in the Great arena, a Syrian monk by the name of Telemachus stood up. He was deeply grieved and outraged by the utter disregard for human life. And so he leaped into the area in the midst of the butchery and boldly cried out, "This thing is not right. This thing must stop!"
Because he was interfering with their entertainment, the emperor of Rome commanded that Telemachus be run through with the sword, which was done. Thus, he died, but through his death he kindled the flame in the hearts and minds of thinking people. History records that because of his courageous sacrifice, within a few months, the gladiatorial combats began to decline, and soon ceased altogether.
Why? Because one man dared to boldly speak out against the evil carnage. The Bible says that there is a battle in every person's heart between the carnal mind and the Spirit. Stay with us friends, and we're going to learn more about that as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: I hope that you can find a tool to write with friends, because we'd like you to take down a couple of phone numbers. We're going to be giving away some free resources during this broadcast that I would love for you to capitalize on. Welcome once again to Bible Answers Live.
For our listening friends, this is a live, interactive Bible study where you can call in from anywhere in the country or via the Internet anywhere in the world and ask a Bible question. If you have a question, we have lines open. Right now is a good time to pick up your phone and dial that number. It's a free phone call, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain 1-800-GOD-SAYS, 1-800-463-7297.
We'll be giving you another phone number in a few minutes that is the resource line, and we have some free offers and lessons that we'll be providing. Once again, lines are still open. If you would like to call with a Bible question, pick up your phone now, 1-800-GOD-SAYS, 1-800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor, and Dick Devitt is on vacation this evening at a ministerial meeting.
We like to begin this program with prayer. Father in heaven, we just would like to send a petition before Your throne, that You would take charge of this program. It is not ours, it is Yours, and only You can be omnipresent with everybody who is listening. Inspire them both in their hearing and their questions. I pray, Lord, that You'll do that right now. Be with me as I attempt to answer every question from Your Word. In Christ's name we pray, amen.
Well friends, we began with an amazing fact tonight that deals with the history of the word "carnival." We often think of sort of a small-town circus when we think of the word "carnival." But it's unnerving to consider that this word "carnival" is very closely connected with the word "carnage" and it has to do with the flesh.
This is what was happening in the entertainment of ancient Rome and many have connected the people's interest in being entertained by violence with the fall of the Roman empire. Can't help but make you wonder what's happening in North America and much of the world today when so much of the entertainment is also very violent in nature.
I think some of the average movies and TV programs you can find quite a bit of death and carnage there. But it also makes us realize there's something in our nature that is attracted to this carnal entertainment. Paul addresses in the book of Romans, where he talks about being fleshly, or carnally, minded. There's a war that goes on between the Spirit and the flesh, and that flesh is sometimes called the "carnal mind" in the Bible.
Romans chapter 8, verse 6, "For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God," it's adversity against God, "for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then those who are in the flesh," the carnal mind, "cannot please God. But you who are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man does not have the Spirit of God, he is not Christ's."
So friends, here the Bible is telling us that there's this war that rages between the Spirit and the flesh and there are a lot of carnal Christians out there, but you would think, "Well, that's a paradox. That's an oxymoron. You can't have a carnal Christian." But there are a lot of Christians who wear the name of "Christian," but they still live in the flesh. They do not walk in the Spirit.
We have a free offer we have never offered before. This is a very popular book. We only have a limited number of these but we're going to offer tonight. It's by the master wordsmith, Joe Crews. The book is called, Square Circles and Carnal Christians, and it deals with this battle between the Spirit and the flesh.
Maybe you have felt that battle friends and you'd like to know, "How can I have the victory in the battle between the carnal mind and the Spiritual mind?" Then call the resource number. I trust you have your pencil now. That is 1-800-835-6747. We don't want to call into the studio. For the resource you call this number, a free phone call, 1-800-835-6747.
Did I mention it's free? The book is free. The phone call is free. We want to put this in your hands and we trust that it will encourage you in your walk with Christ. As our custom, we also take a couple of Internet questions. I'm going to take a few short ones before we go to the phones.
First question, someone is inquiring, "Is it a sin, or is it wrong, to invest money in the stock market?" My initial answer to the question the way it's phrased would be no, it's not wrong to invest. It would depend on how you're doing it and what you're investing in. When you invest in the stock market, you're really not investing in the market. You're investing in companies that are represented.
The market is a vehicle to purchase value in various companies. There's no sin in investing in a company that is a company of integrity that stands for something good. I would not recommend investing in companies that are selling drugs, like tobacco or alcohol, or something that is immoral for a Christian to support.
But there are some very good, legitimate companies out there. When you buy stock, you're buying a small part of the value worth of that company, and you will share in its ups and downs. You want to do it prudently. It's a good idea to get some advice you can trust when you do that.
I don't recommend people speculating with the stock market, like betting at a race, buying one day and selling the next day. That's sort of like gambling. But every time you put your money in the bank, the way the bankers typically make the money grow is partially by investing it in the stock market.
So if you're not going to support that in some degree you shouldn't even take your money to the bank. Second question is, "How many days did the church tarry in Jerusalem before the Holy Ghost fell upon them in the upper room? I've heard a preacher say that they were to wait ten days. Where did he get this length of time?"
The Bible doesn't say wait ten days, but you can learn that that's correct by deduction. We know that Jesus died during the Passover. We know that the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost. The word "penta," like pentagon, five sides, that was 50 days after the Passover and it says in Acts chapter 1, verse 3 Jesus was seen of them after His death 40 days.
All you have to do is add the ten days to the 40, you get the 50 days when Pentecost fell. We know that about ten days from His ascension until the Holy Spirit fell they were in the upper room praying. That's how we arrive at that figure. Well, I hope that helps a little bit.
And with that, I think it's time to go to the phones. Before we do, I will remind you there are still some lines open. That number again if you have a Bible question is 1-800-GOD-SAYS, that's 1-800-463-7297. We're going to begin by talking to Curtis who is calling from Menet, New York. Did I say that right Curtis?
Curtis: No, it's Nanuet, New York.
Pastor Doug: Nanuet, New York and listening on WMCA, and your question Curtis?
Curtis: Alright. My question deals with 1st Corinthians 11, verses 9 and 10.
Pastor Doug: Okay
Curtis: Alright. It basically says, "Neither was man made for woman but woman for man. For this cause power was put on her head because of the angels." My question is what is this power on the woman's head because of the angels?
Pastor Doug: Well you're notice some translations talk about the word "authority on her head" because of the angels.
Curtis: Okay
Pastor Doug: You'll find that even in Matthew chapter 28. Jesus says, "All power is given unto me," and other versions say, "All authority is given unto me." That word is interchangeable, but that doesn't really change the meaning.
Curtis: Okay
Pastor Doug: It's simply saying that a woman there is to recognize the authority of her husband, and it's a sign of submission, that when she goes into church to pray publicly--keep in mind, it's not talking about a woman always covering her head. It's talking about praying to God uncovered.
Curtis: Okay
Pastor Doug: Now, the argument is, was this a custom or was it a Bible command. There are some things that are traditional customs. If you go to the Middle East today, and in much of the world I've been to, the women and men do not sit together. It was that way when I was in India, when I was in the Middle East. And we don't find a Bible command anywhere that the men and women were not to sit together in church.
Curtis: Right
Pastor Doug: So we must assume it's a custom. Paul, towards the end of this, says that in verse 16, the same chapter, "If any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." In other words, let's not argue about this. The very fact he uses the word "custom" makes people wonder is this a Bible command.
Now you've probably heard the expression that you don't want to build a Bible argument on one Scripture. It's not a good idea to build a doctrine while standing on one leg. It's very easy to push it over. Jesus said, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses let everything be established." And that's also a real good idea with Bible doctrine.
Curtis: Okay
Pastor Doug: If someone has a conviction that a woman should cover her head when praying in public, then I would have no burden to change their mind. But I would also have a problem in preaching that as a Bible mandate, since it's only mentioned here by Paul.
Curtis: Okay
Pastor Doug: So, that's the position I take and it's one of those Scriptures we often get a question on it.
Curtis: Right, okay
Pastor Doug: Alright? Good question.
Curtis: Alright, thank you Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Appreciate that.
Curtis: Okay
Pastor Doug: Thank you Curtis. Next, we're going to talk to John who's calling on a cell phone from Spokane, Washington listening on KEEH. Welcome John.
John: Hi Doug, good evening. Say, I don't know where the Scripture is because I'm in the car right now, but it talks about when an unbeliever does not want to live with you. If she decides to stay, you can stay with her but if he or she wants to leave, they leave, and then you're no longer under obligation to that unbeliever. Does that mean you can get remarried after that? And I'll just hang up and let you talk to me.
Pastor Doug: Let me answer you real quick. I want to make sure you hear me.
John: Okay
Pastor Doug: I would say the answer is yes, but the circumstances are, Paul is talking to pagans, where one accepts Christianity and the spouse does not and the pagan spouse says, "I am going to abandon my Christian husband or wife." In a case like that, Paul says that that person is not under bondage anymore.
You asked the Scripture, and you can hang up now John if you'd like. I wanted you to hear that. 1st Corinthians 7, verse 15, "A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases." In the earlier part of the chapter he's talking about bound by the marriage covenant. So we must assume when he says "not under bondage"--let me give you the scenario that Paul is talking about.
We've got to keep this in its context. You've got a pagan couple, both pagans are worshiping pagan deities. The woman accepts Christianity, the husband does not. Paul says if by all means he's willing to stay with you, stay together, because it has a sanctifying influence on him and the children.
But if he says, "I married someone who worships Jupiter and I don't want a Christian and I'm leaving you," when she's abandoned, especially when there are children, Paul says you're not under bondage at that point to that marriage anymore. She would then be free to marry a Christian. And that's the way that most theologians have understood that verse but it's a different scenario than when two Christians have a disagreement.
So, that's the context for that. Hope that helps John, thank you for your question. That opens up a line if you'd like to call, 1-800-GOD-SAYS, 1-800-463-7297. Charles is calling from Terrell, Texas listening on KSKY. Welcome Charles.
Charles: Yes Doug, how are you doing?
Pastor Doug: Very good, and your question tonight?
Charles: My question is, you know when they captured Saddam Hussein in the spider hole - -
Pastor Doug: Yes
Charles: And they had the--Tigress River was south of where they used the boat, and on the north side, the Euphrates River. The Bible says in Revelation chapter 9:13 and 14 - -
Pastor Doug: Uh-huh
Charles: - - that there are four angels bound in the Euphrates River, and he said that He's going to loose those four angels and they're going to kill a third part of the world.
Pastor Doug: Are you wanting me to comment on that?
Charles: Yes, I just want your comment. I don't understand that.
Pastor Doug: Alright, well, I won't pretend I understand it all but I'll give you some additional thoughts. I do think that it is interesting, some of the things that are transpiring twice in the last ten years in the land of Iraq. It's interesting that, of course, Abraham came from the area we would call Iraq. It's where Jacob got his wife.
The children of Israel were called out of Babylon, which was in Iraq. The Ninevite kingdom was in ancient Iraq and the Assyrians were bordered by that. There's a lot of biblical history in this country. But to give you the background, the Euphrates River used to run under the walls of Babylon. Now you know Revelation talks a lot about Babylon.
Charles: Right
Pastor Doug: The way that Babylon fell, the wicked king, Belshazzar was in Babylon having a feast, and he was mocking God. While he was feasting, the Medo-Persian army was outside the kingdom. Back then, they were the good guys because they left the Israelites go home and they dried up the Euphrates River where it went under the wall partition.
What they did was they diverted the river into an empty lake bed. The river level went down where the army could march under the walls and they conquered Babylon. So the drying up of the Euphrates, we're to look back at how Babylon fell back in the days of Daniel, - -
Charles: Right
Pastor Doug: - - and that tells us something about the spiritual application in the future. So, even more than knowing what the Euphrates is, matter of fact, the sixth plague is the Euphrates River drying up.
I was listening to the news a couple of days ago and they were talking about a series of dams under the Euphrates, and how volatile that is because if they build these dams up in Turkey on the Euphrates, it would virtually dry it up for awhile where it runs through Iraq, and that could cause another real political problem.
But all these things in the news make me wonder, but I think that this would be a very literal application. I think there's a more spiritual application in this prophecy about spiritual Babylon falling when the river dries up. A river is what keeps a city alive. Every major city that is inland, is built by a river, except Las Vegas, right?
Charles: Right [chuckles], right
Pastor Doug: [Chuckles] I mean, I'm in Sacramento. We're built on the American River and the Sacramento River and most major cities are built along rivers.
Charles: Right
Pastor Doug: And the river drying up means the power dies.
Charles: Right
Pastor Doug: And so, that's the application here.
Charles: But Doug, what I was wondering, he said a third of the whole world. That includes the United States, a third, when He looses those four angels, that's what Revelation says, a third of the world will die. So I'm thinking it's going to be in the future.
Pastor Doug: Well, there is something still in the future on that. You know, you sound like you would enjoy our advanced Bible study course, Charles, where we specifically have lessons that talk about Babylon. Matter of fact, we have a lesson that talks about the beast, the dragon and the woman because in Revelation chapter 17, the woman is called "Babylon."
If you'd like that free book, The Beast, The Dragon, and The Woman, I'll send it to you Charles. Just call 1-800-835-6747, that's the resource number, 1-800-835-6747, and ask for, The Beast, The Dragon, and The Woman. We'll send that to you. It's got a lot more information on that.
Now we're going to talk to Bernie calling on a cell phone in Southern California. Bernie, your question?
Bernie: Pastor Doug, how are you tonight?
Pastor Doug: Very well, how about you?
Bernie: Great. Hopefully you can help me. I just got back from the holidays with my family and we have this in-house debate going on regarding music as a Christian, worship music, and music that you just listen to in your own time, you know?
Pastor Doug: Uh-huh
Bernie: And I just want your opinion. I'm more from the contemporary slant, as far as the music I choose to listen to, whether it's worship music or just my own, personal listening pleasure.
Pastor Doug: Uh-huh
Bernie: And I can't find anywhere in the Bible that says what type of music is godly or Christian, whether it's the old time hymns of the faith, or something contemporary as Michael W. Smith, or D. C. Talk or Third Day. Can you help me with that?
Pastor Doug: I'll do my best. This is a very, very, hotly-contested subject with people on wide extremes. I've got a satellite dish with a program called Sky Angel where I'm able to draw from my satellite a bunch of Christian programs. The concept of music on this Christian program is everything from the organ and hymns, to people that are bouncing off the ceiling with what they call Christian Rap.
I mean, it's a pretty broad spectrum. They call it all Christian. The word "contemporary" really is a misnomer because "contemporary" just means something that is new and current. There is some very lovely conservative, contemporary music, you see what I'm saying?
And so, you named some artists, and I've heard them do some beautiful conservative songs and then I know that some of them also do some stuff that's pretty radical. The kind of points I think you want to evaluate in music is a principle that deals with different kinds of music appeal to different kinds of events.
An example would be, when an army is going out to battle, you don't sing a lullaby, right?
Bernie: Right
Pastor Doug: You'd want something soothing for a lullaby. When an army is going out you'd do a Sousa march tune, right? [Pastor sings a march tune example] and that makes the extremities march. Sensual music, if you take your wife out or you cook a romantic dinner for her when she comes home, you don't do the lullaby, and you don't do the marching band music. That wouldn't seem appropriate, right?
Then there's pagan music that is very diabolical that is hypnotic. It's designed to put people in a trance. Now that kind of trancial music is something you'll find connected with a lot of pagan religions. I hear people singing Christian words to pagan music and whoever the artist is that to me is when it becomes inappropriate.
Bernie: Okay. My question, then, the reason I'm concerned about this subject with the youth that I deal with, you know, I guarantee you can go to any church and, if they're honest, most of the youth, their CD collection is going to be a lot of these secular groups, - -
Pastor Doug: Right
Bernie: - - that their lyrics are not edifying actually, they're ungodly, yet, you know what kind of options--I mean, I've got kids that if you tell them, "Well listen to this Bill Gates or (unintelligible) band." They're going to say, "Get this out of here." But if I give them something like, I mean, something I listen to, like Third Day or Sonicflood, the type of music they like--but the lyrics uplift and glorify God in Spirit and truth. We've got to give them something. If we're going to take something away from them, the secular, which I think is junk, a lot of the lyrics out there, we've got to give them something, don't you think? I mean, they're not going to listen to stuff that grandma, grandpa and us old guys listen to. And I - -
Pastor Doug: Well you know, you're touching on a very important subject, Bernie, and I want to spend more time with this. I hear where you're coming from. Philosophically, I respect your position, but I would have to respectfully disagree. I think if something is right or wrong, you don't modify what's wrong in order to reach somebody.
A lot of paganism came into the Christian church because they thought, "In order to reach the pagans we need to meet them halfway." So a lot of Christians compromised certain principles. I think if something is right or wrong, that's got to be the measure. Bernie, we've got a book at Amazing Facts, and a lot of these books we give away.
This is not on the list, but there's a couple of books. One book is called, Notes on Music, and it's written by a friend, Louis Torres. I'd recommend that you go to our website. I think you can even read some of these things online for free, but its got some great principles on how do you describe what's appropriate and inappropriate.
I grew up in the world, Bernie you still there?
Bernie: Yeah, I'm listening, yeah.
Pastor Doug: I grew up in the world listening to all that radical music. But when I came to Christ, an inner voice told me, "This isn't right." You know, we started out talking about the carnal mind. I think that when we try to bridge young people into the church by saying, "We're going to use pagan music but Christian words, and that will somehow baptize the music," the bridge goes both ways.
You've got kids who've been raised in the church listening to good music and they start to develop an appetite for the music of the world, no matter what the words are, and you need to be honest. I think that you'd agree that some of this Christian rock, wild music, you can't hear the words anyway, [chuckles] the way they're rapping them out and stuff like that.
I don't know what in the world they're saying, and I've been there, I've heard it. Now, that's my opinion.
Bernie: Alright, and we can agree to disagree, correct?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, of course.
Bernie: I guess, before I end this call, I guess what I'm trying to get across, Pastor Doug, is I'm saying there are kids within the church, the church of Jesus Christ--I'm not Latter Day Saints, I'm sorry--the church, who listen to the secular--I'm telling you, most youth groups, and I challenge anyone, even you, to take a poll of the youth groups in your church. And most of them, I'm telling you, listen to this secular stuff out there and I just feel that, you know, I don't see a problem, and you don't have to agree with me, but we've got to give them something that edifies them while they're praising God in Spirit and truth. And to me, music is neutral like paper. Paper can have pornography or the Word of God. I think the music will take the words where mere words can't go, - -
Pastor Doug: Oh well, now that's - -
Bernie: - - whether it's rap, you know?
Pastor Doug: Pardon me Bernie, that's the point you mentioned where I must respectfully disagree. I do not believe that music is a neutral medium. I strongly believe that music does evoke physiological and mental reactions. And that's why I said a woman who plays rap music for a baby when she's rocking it to sleep, the kid is going to need therapy. The music does make a difference.
The melodies affect our bodies. That's why I agree, the kids are listening to that, not all of them, but a lot of them are.
Bernie: I'd say most of them are.
Pastor Doug: You have to ask, "Would Jesus be rapping?" The Jesus I know, I don't see Him doing that and so we want to introduce them to a different kind of peace, a different kind of satisfaction.
Bernie: Right
Pastor Doug: Hey, I've got to tie this call off, okay?
Bernie: Okay sir, thank you so much.
Pastor Doug: You call for that book, Notes on Music. Just go to the website and it's 1-800-835-6747. I'm not sure if I have enough time for another call here. Well tell you what, let's get started and see what happens. We'll talk to Nikki, Citrus Heights. We have about two minutes, Nikki, before our break, and your question?
Nikki: Hi Doug. I'm a Sabbath-keeper, and I was just curious. I was baptized by immersion about ten years ago. In that time, I just sort of fell away from the church. Now I'm back and I'm ready to turn my life over to Christ. I was wondering if I should be re-baptized, or was the first time good enough?
Pastor Doug: Well, there is Bible criteria for re-baptism. You have an example of it in Acts 19 where Paul re-baptized some people who were baptized by immersion. Baptism is like marriage. Now, if a husband and wife get in an argument they don't get remarried but if they divorce and they go separate ways, if they're going to reunite, they need to remarry.
So you have to ask yourself that question: Did you just have an argument with the Lord, or did you walk away? By your example, were you out there in the world? If you're coming back as a witness to others in the church that know you, re-baptism might be appropriate. Good question Nikki. I appreciate that.
We have some Bible studies you can get online on the subject of baptism.
Nikki: Okay, thank you
Pastor Doug: Just go to the website and take a look under our Free Library. Listening friends, we're going to take a break now. Pastor Dick is going to have some recorded announcements I trust will be of value to you. Keep in mind, this is a faith ministry. We'd love to hear from you.
Anything you can do that will help us, especially the beginning of a new year after people have done their year-end giving, we struggle to make ends meet and stay on all of our current stations. We'd love to hear from you if you've been blessed. Some of you have been listening for awhile.
You can even donate online by going to the Amazing Facts' website. That address is AmazingFacts.org. We'll be back in just a moment.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome again listening friends. For those who may have just tuned in, you've found your way to Bible Answers Live. As you can tell from the title it says it all. This is a live, interactive Bible program where you can dial a toll-free number. You can either call us on the Internet, your cell phone or from home and ask a Bible question.
We have a plethora of Bible resources here in the studio, a computer with a number of Bible versions and search programs, and Bible resources that we can send you, everything we can do to help you know the truth because the truth will set you free. We're going to go right back to the phones. I think we'll start by talking to Susanne on line 9. Susanne, welcome to the program. Thanks for waiting.
Susanne: Hello
Pastor Doug: Hi, and your question?
Susanne: My question is regarding the Sabbath.
Pastor Doug: Okay
Susanne: I've heard somewhere that in olden days past it was celebrated on Saturday. And then with the changing of the calendar, somehow it got switched to Sunday. So I was just wondering, because in the Bible it says keep the Sabbath holy the seventh day He rested, and everything like that.
Pastor Doug: Six days He worked, the seventh day He rested, correct.
Susanne: Yeah
Pastor Doug: The calendar change really had very little to do with the change of the day. Some people have been confused by the calendar. Very quickly, let me explain where that confusion comes from.
When you look at a typical wall calendar, you've got two cycles of time that are up there on the wall. You've got your months and your weeks. The week is a cycle that is never affected by the seasons. The week is simply one, two, three, four, five, six, seven one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. It just always does that.
Susanne: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: No change to the calendar ever affects the weekly cycle. That's why your birthday will be on a different day of the week every year.
Susanne: Okay
Pastor Doug: But what happened is, of course, the seventh day is biblically is what we commonly call Saturday today. Matter of fact, if you look in the encyclopedia or just get your dictionary, look up the word "seventh day" and it'll say, "Saturday, the seventh day of the week."
On most normal calendars it'll show Saturday is the seventh day and of course, Saturday is the day when God's people back in the days of Adam, and Noah, and Abraham and the Jews, because Jesus, who created all things, He created the Sabbath way back in the beginning. He said, "The Sabbath was made for man," not just for one race of people.
If you trace the history of it all the way up until, oh three hundred years after Christ, all the Christians and Jews still kept the seventh day as the day of rest. As the people in Rome began to convert to Christianity, the day of celebration for the Romans, the pagan Romans, was Sunday.
And when Constantine made Christianity a legal religion, they tried to accommodate a lot of the pagans and reach them. So they said, "Well, you know, we'll make Saturday and Sunday a day of rest," and that's where we get the American weekend right now.
Gradually, in order to separate their identity from the Jews, many Christians said, "We're not going to keep it on the seventh day anymore because we don't want to look like the Jews. We're going to just keep it on the first day."
Over a period of hundreds of years, Christians abandoned the seventh day of the week and began to keep the first day, and their argument was, "It's the day that Jesus rose." So, you've probably heard that before because the Lord did rise on the first day of the week, but there's no command in the Bible to keep the first day as the Sabbath.
Susanne: Okay
Pastor Doug: So that's a quick overview of the history.
Susanne: So it should be, then, on Saturday?
Pastor Doug: Yeah. I think most pastors will agree the Sabbath day is the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday. But some say it was changed. Some say it doesn't matter anymore because they say we're not under the law.
Susanne: So are we going to be condemned for keeping it on Sunday instead, or....?
Pastor Doug: Well, there will be a lot of people in heaven that went to church on Sunday but if a person knows what the will of the Lord is and they continue to do their own thing, that's dangerous for any area.
Susanne: Okay
Pastor Doug: In other words Susanne, there are going to be people in heaven, like King David, who had several wives, right?
Susanne: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: He had several wives at one time I mean, you know? He'll be there because they lived in a time when they just really didn't know better. It was the custom, and I guess he wasn't convicted. But in our day and age, if a Christian takes more than one wife, we know better.
Susanne: Yeah
Pastor Doug: See what I'm saying? And so when God reveals truth to you, He wants you to walk in the truth. Jesus said, "If you know these things, happy are ye if you do them." I am a Sabbath-keeping Christian and I encourage others to go by the Bible.
Susanne: Okay
Pastor Doug: So if you ask me, I am definitely biased for the Bible.
Susanne: Alright
Pastor Doug: Okay?
Susanne: Well thank you.
Pastor Doug: Hey you know what, I wouldn't want to say good bye without telling you that we'll send you a study guide for free that's on that subject. Would you like that?
Susanne: Sure
Pastor Doug: Pick up the phone call, the same way you just did, and call a different number. The number is 1-800-835-6747. Say you're listening to Amazing Facts and you'd like the Bible study guide on the Sabbath. I'll send it to you.
Susanne: Thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright, God bless. Thanks for your call. Next, we're going to talk to Mary who is calling from Boston, listening on WYDN. Welcome Mary.
Mary: Hi
Pastor Doug: Hi, how are you?
Mary: I love to hear your program. I hear it every week.
Pastor Doug: Well, we are glad you're listening. That makes six of us now.
Mary: [Chuckles] Well, I want to ask what is your view on Psalm 150, because I've heard something about it before, especially on the fourth verse that says, "Praise him with the timbrel and dance."
Pastor Doug: You know, do you want to hear something really amazing? There are thousands of chapters in the Bible. I've got my Bible open right now. You know where it's opened to? Psalm 150.
Mary: Yeah
Pastor Doug: Isn't that interesting?
Mary: Yeah
Pastor Doug: Are you wondering about praising God with the dance?
Mary: I don't know. I want to know, like, what different instruments are correct to praise God, and about the dance, because usually people don't talk about it and they don't explain it too well either.
Pastor Doug: Alright. We had a question about music a few minutes ago, and this will segway well into that. There were different kinds of instruments that were used by the Jewish people for different occasions.
Mary: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: They would use a ram's horn to announce certain holy festivals. When they had victory in battle, there was a great deal of instruments that were used to praise God in His sanctuary. For instance, Psalm 150 is a celebration for victory song.
Mary: Oh
Pastor Doug: That's why they're saying, "Praise the LORD in his sanctuary." That doesn't mean this is a song in church. It means the people out in the battlefield are praising God who's in His heavenly sanctuary.
Mary: Yeah
Pastor Doug: "Praise him in the firmament," the firmament means heaven, "of his power." Now here it says, "Praise him with the trumpet, praise him with the psaltery, praise him with the harp." You remember when the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea and the Egyptians tried to kill them?
Mary: Yeah
Pastor Doug: And when the Lord swallowed up the Egyptians, it says the children of Israel praised Him with timbrel and dance. Miriam lead them with tambourines and dancing to rejoice over the victory. That's what you're finding in Psalm 150, verse 6.
There are all kinds of different instruments that God can use, but different instruments, they, like I said earlier, they evoke different responses. You don't use drums when you're putting the baby to sleep.
Mary: No
Pastor Doug: You'd use a very soothing song. I've rocked my children and sung lullabies to them before. So the different instruments are appropriate, and some instruments compliment each other better than others. A beautiful combination are strings and flute.
Mary: Yeah
Pastor Doug: You know what I'm saying?
Mary: Right. I just wondered in church, in the service, what is correct and what appropriate and what is not?
Pastor Doug: Well, I don't think you'd want war music in the church, you know what I'm saying?
Mary: Yeah
Pastor Doug: The kind of music that you would sing on the battlefield I've got a boy in the Marines, and there's nothing wrong with their marching to a march song. If you do that in church people are going to want to get up and march all over the place.
Mary: Yeah
Pastor Doug: So that's my point, is you want stuff that will be music to worship, adore, revere God. Even though I came completely out of the world, I'm a recovering hippie. I was as far in the world as anyone could be, listening to every kind of music out there.
I'm of the opinion that when the Lord gives you a new mind and a new heart, that the bedlam that you see in some of the churches now, some of these church services, it is an absolute hootenanny and I just don't think that's appropriate to worship God in a holy place.
Mary: Yeah
Pastor Doug: You know, the Scriptures say, "The Lord is in His temple, let all the earth keep silent, be reverent before Him." The concept of reverence, you know when people are falling down and bouncing off the walls, that's not my concept of reverent music.
Mary: Yeah
Pastor Doug: You know what I'm saying?
Mary: Yeah, I understand.
Pastor Doug: But I know people out there will disagree with me, but I've got to tell you the truth. This is what I believe the Bible teaches.
Mary: Okay
Pastor Doug: Okay?
Mary: Thank you
Pastor Doug: Alright, thanks a lot Mary. Let's see, where are we going now, we're going to talk to Fay who is--without Pastor Dick here I have to search for the buttons. Welcome Fay, - -
Fay: Hello
Pastor Doug: - - calling from Corona, New York on WMCA.
Fay: Yes
Pastor Doug: You're on the air.
Fay: I want to ask my question, and then I want to hang up so I could hear your answer.
Pastor Doug: Okay
Fay: Saul, before he became Paul, - -
Pastor Doug: Yes
Fay: - - who ended up writing half of the New Testament.
Pastor Doug: Yes
Fay: He used to persecute the Christians.
Pastor Doug: Yes
Fay: On one of his missions, God met him on the road to Damascus - -
Pastor Doug: Yes
Fay: - - and from that process he got converted. Now, Jesus Christ said He would not come back until salvation has reached the four corners of the earth, and that would include the Middle East, right? Now do you think that the reason why Saddam Hussein did not die during that invasion of Iraq, that God could use him, despite his background, to also bring salvation to that region, like he did for Paul? I'm going to hang up now so I can hear your answer.
Pastor Doug: Okay, let me answer that. I think, Fay, that your question is being asked with a misunderstanding. The Scripture in Matthew 24 tells us the Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, then the end will come, and I think that's 24:14.
In that passage it doesn't say everyone will believe, but everyone will have an opportunity. Even in the Middle East now, they have satellite. But I'm not holding my breath based on his past behavior and expecting Saddam Hussein to have an apostle Paul conversion. I have no idea why God spared his life. I have no idea why Osama bin Laden is still out there running amok, or maybe he's hiding in a rabbit hole or spider hole, I don't know.
But, I would just be speculating on how God's providence is operating to answer that question. It would be wonderful to see a number of the Arab countries come to a knowledge of Christ. There are some things that Christians and the Islamic religion have in common. But, you know, God is going to have to work that out.
Alright, now we're going to talk to Yvette, who is listening on WMCA, calling from Brooklyn, New York. Welcome Yvette, you're on the air.
Yvette: Hello, I just wanted to find out some information on some verses on how to worship God properly?
Pastor Doug: We're having a lot of questions on worship tonight. You know, let me give you one. You've got your Bible handy?
Yvette: I do, but open it up real quick. I'm just going to - -
Pastor Doug: Alright, I'll give you some. Ecclesiastes chapter 5, verse 1, this pops into mind because I think I quoted some of it a minute ago. "Keep your foot when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and you are on the earth: therefore let your words be few."
So one thing is when we come, are you talking about worship in church or worship in your private devotions, or....?
Yvette: Worshiping in your private devotions.
Pastor Doug: Oh, that's a question I like even more.
Yvette: I mean, because they always tell you to worship God, but you don't know the whole definition so I'd rather have some verses to show me how to worship God properly.
Pastor Doug: Well, Jesus said in John chapter 4 to the woman at the well, "Those that worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in truth." Jesus spent a lot of time condemning hypocrisy. Hypocrisy, Yvette, and that's Matthew chapters 5 and 6, hypocrisy is when people outwardly are praying, or giving, or fasting, but they're not worshiping God in their hearts.
The woman who gave to God and didn't want anyone to know about it, Jesus commended her. Mary, who worshiped Jesus with her offering at His feet, Jesus commended her. Judas kissed Jesus on the face and betrayed Him. Mary kissed his feet, and He honored her because she humbled herself with the honor of being the first one to see Him after the resurrection.
So worshiping God in Spirit, in the heart, in truth, that's what God wants. He wants us to do it from our soul. And prayer is a powerful form of worship.
Yvette: Okay great. So that's the thing, I want to know what does it mean to worship? What is your definition of worship?
Pastor Doug: Well the word "worship" comes from the English root, "worth-ship." It's sort of a tongue-twister for us to say "worth-ship."
Yvette: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: So it was shortened to "worship." But it means recognizing His worth, His value, His authority. The Lord's Prayer begins by, "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." It's telling us that He's way above us, and He is holy. And so, coming before Him recognizing His holiness, but also that He loves you as a father, "Our Father," we learn a lot about worship from looking at the Lord's Prayer.
Okay? I hope that helps a little bit.
Yvette: Kind of, but I appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright and, of course, Bible study, because when you pray, you're talking to God. When you read His Word, He's talking to you. I like to get on my knees as I'm studying in the morning and say, "Lord, speak to me through Your Word."
Yvette: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: When I prepare a sermon, I say, "Lord, please don't let it be me speaking. Help me know what to say." So, you talk to Him. See, a love relationship is how we're saved. You love somebody through communication, are you with me?
Yvette: Yes I am.
Pastor Doug: You talk to them, they talk to do. We talk to God through prayer. He talks to us through His word, primarily through providence, hopefully through ministers periodically.
Yvette: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: Okay?
Yvette: Okay, thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright, God bless. Thank you very much. Where do we go now, we're going to talk to Cory who is calling from--are you there Cory?
Cory: Yes sir
Pastor Doug: And your question?
Cory: My question is, I was wondering are you saved? Do you know--are you going to go to heaven?
Pastor Doug: I believe that the Lord has come into my heart and He is changing my life, and I have that hope of everlasting life, the blessed hope the Bible talks about.
Cory: Okay, so you're saved, like, if something happens to you right now, you know you'll go to heaven?
Pastor Doug: I believe I would. In other words, I have faith in that, yes.
Cory: Okay, so you did at one point of time in your life?
Pastor Doug: You mean did I make a decision to accept Christ?
Cory: Right, as your Savior.
Pastor Doug: Yes
Cory: Oh okay, okay, because I believe in King James, and I was just wondering if you were saved or not, so....
Pastor Doug: Well, I have surrendered my life to the Lord. You can listen to my testimony online Cory. I've got a book out that has been very popular called, The Richest Caveman. It explains how I came from way out in the world and God got my attention up in a cave, and I gave my heart to Him up there.
Went through, on my knees, asking Him into my life's experience. I think that's what you're referring to. Thank you very much. Now we're going to talk to Bea, who has been waiting patiently for 20 minutes now. Bea, you're on the air. Thanks for your call, - -
Bea: How are you doing Pastor Doug?
Pastor Doug: - - listening on WOTC, you're question?
Bea: Basically, my question deals with is it wrong for women to put extensions in their hair, like braids? Because I'm thinking of the Bible text where Paul talks about not putting broided hair, and I wanted to understand that verse a little better.
Pastor Doug: Okay. Well there are a couple of references in the King James Bible to broided hair, one, I believe, is in 1st Timothy. We've got, of course, 1st Peter chapter 3, verse 3. I think that's what you're referring to 1st Timothy 2, verse 9. I don't believe there's a prohibition against braiding your hair because for one thing, braiding of the hair is a practical thing sometimes.
If a woman has long hair, to keep it from flying all over the place, a braid actually keeps it in position, keeps it clean.
Bea: Um-hm
Pastor Doug: Paul and Peter were talking about, I think, elaborate hairdos for the purpose of getting attention and you have to ask yourself is someone doing this for the sake of vanity?
My opinion is that Christian women should be neat, clean, and not ostentatious or flamboyant for the purpose of attracting attention.
This is what he's talking about because he uses the phrase "modesty." So not too many people think of a woman who has her hair in a braid as being immodest, but you can get carried away. Some people have got--it looks like a beehive on their head.
Bea: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: You know what I'm talking about?
Bea: Um-Hmm
Pastor Doug: So you just have to evaluate your heart. Is it for the purpose of attracting attention? You know what Medusa is?
Bea: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: Medusa was that Greek god that had all the snakes coming out of their head.
Bea: Yeah
Pastor Doug: It may be a personal preference, but when I see people that are wearing their hair like Medusa, or these men that never--what are they? They never comb their hair, they never do anything with it, Restafarian? Yeah.
Bea: Rastafarian.
Pastor Doug: Rastafarian. Yeah, I can't even say it but, I tell you, that to me doesn't look healthy. So Christians should be neat. They should be clean, and they shouldn't be flamboyant. That's the principle.
Bea: So the reason for him to say that was, um, what was the context? What was going on at that time?
Pastor Doug: Well, Peter is talking about modesty. Let's go here real quick to 1st Peter chapter 3, and he's talking about women, I believe, who are witnessing to their husbands. "Whose adorning do not let it be the outward adorning, the plaiting of the hair, the wearing of gold, or putting on of apparel." They used to weave gold chains in their hair. That's why they call it the plaiting of the hair.
That's ostentatious. You'd agree that's a little bit extreme, right?
Bea: Yes
Pastor Doug: But putting on of apparel he said let it be not the outward adorning, but the inward adorning, something that makes you beautiful, what's on the inside, a Christian character is what makes a person of beauty to God.
Bea: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: Okay?
Bea: Oh, and Pastor Doug?
Pastor Doug: Yes?
Bea: I'm a young person in college. I really wanted to say I appreciate what you said about music, because it has been an issue with me and friends who talk about gospel rap. And I'm just so happy that the Lord used you to speak out on that because that was something that [cross talk]
Pastor Doug: Well, I appreciate that. It's not very popular, but it's really my conviction.
Bea: Yes
Pastor Doug: So I really appreciate it, especially as a young person. No one seems to agree with me but it's good to know that the Holy Spirit just works in so many different ways.
Pastor Doug: Well thank you very much. Keep us in your prayers Bea.
Bea: Sure will, bye
Pastor Doug: God bless you and thanks for your call. Okay, now we're going to be talking with Steven calling on his cell phone listening on WMCA. Welcome to the program.
Steven: God bless you Doug.
Pastor Doug: Hi
Steven: It's going to be a great shift in your faith in the future.
Pastor Doug: [Laughs]
Steven: I want you to know that.
Pastor Doug: Alright
Steven: My name is Steven Baldwin, Doug. I'm a film actor. I don't know if you've ever heard of my family?
Pastor Doug: Well, I don't know, I may have. I can't recall right now.
Steven: Okay, well - -
Pastor Doug: And your question?
Steven: My question is quite the opposite of your last caller actually. So your quote before three or four calls back was that you said, quote, "That you didn't think that Jesus was somebody who would agree with rap music." Is that right?
Pastor Doug: Yes I did. I said that.
Steven: Interesting. Would you say that in Christ Jesus, that anything is possible?
Pastor Doug: No. The Bible doesn't say that. The Bible says all things are possible with Christ and Jesus means that He can give us all power to be what He wants us to be. It doesn't mean you can do anything in Jesus' name.
Steven: I didn't say that.
Pastor Doug: Okay. I wanted to make sure you weren't putting that spin on it.
Steven: So, wouldn't you say that it would be possible in some forms of music that currently, within this worldly realm, that are perceived to be one thing, wouldn't you say that it would be possible that somebody could come to salvation, perhaps, through rap music?
Pastor Doug: Well, I have to answer that question by saying that God can talk through a donkey if He wants to. I mean, I don't want to be unkind, but if you remember, back during the era when a number of evangelists fell, and we found out that their personal lives were totally out of control, there were people who found the Lord through their ministries because they would quote from the Bible, and there's inherent power in the Word of God.
Somebody could be quoting Scripture in a rap song, and there's power in that. Using that argument, you could say what about some Scripture that might be in a pornographic magazine? Could Jesus use that? Well, Jesus could, but I sure wouldn't want to endorse Christians using pornography.
Steven: There's a difference though. The publisher of the pornographic magazine obviously isn't born again. The point is, if a hip hop group of born-again Christians, who proclaim to be born-again Christians, like a group, for instance, called the Cross Movement. They're an amazingly beautiful hip hop group who preach nothing but the gospel in their music. And I just want to share with you the fact that there may be millions of inner-city kids who would never normally get a chance to receive that message, unless they could relate to something like hip hop, which they are through the Cross Movement.
Pastor Doug: Well I think I hear what you're saying, but I would have to respectfully disagree, Steven. The arguments that I'm hearing tonight are, "In order to reach certain people, we must lower the standard to make it possible to reach them." That's saying that God can't
reach them with the pure truth. We've got to compromise the music to the music of the world in order to reach people in the world. I don't believe that.
Like I said, I respect that people might disagree with me out there, but for me, the word "rap music" is what you'd call an oxymoron. I just don't think the two go together. Rap, first of all, doesn't sound like music to me. It sounds like syncopated gibberish a lot of the time. But I know that some people think it's a great art.
We've only got time for maybe one more call, and so let's see who has been waiting here. We're going to talk to Dennis listening on line 3. Dennis, welcome to the program. We just have a few minutes.
Dennis: Okay. How are you doing? I just got in there, bless God. I just wanted to know, I've been a rededicated, born-again Christian. I didn't feel it was necessary when I reflect back when I was 19, I'm 53 now, to be re-baptized through immersion. I felt I did it with a true and contrite, repentant heart when I did it at 19. And some Christians today, when you, like, ask them, try to find out where they're at, - -
Pastor Doug: Uh-huh
Dennis: - - if they're saved or unsaved, I mean, only God knows for sure, but - -
Pastor Doug: Now we've only got a minute for your question, so you better - -
Dennis: Yeah, so like if a Christian says, "I'm a Christian," but they don't use the word "born-again," I'm kind of hung up on that word now, "born-again," because I truly know how important and essential it is. But if other people of the world say they're Christians, but they don't emphasize "born-again," how would you evaluate those people?
Pastor Doug: Well, I wouldn't be too tied up on some of the semantics of that Dennis. Some people will say, "I'm a Christian." Others say, "I'm born again." Jesus said unless you are born again, you can't enter the kingdom of heaven, so every genuine Christian must be born again. But, you know, one thing you can do is you evaluate by their fruit, by the actions.
Jesus said you'll know them by their fruits. So not everyone that says, "Lord, Lord" is going to be in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said it will be those that do the will of My Father in heaven. There are quite a few parables. Jesus said about not just being hearers, but being doers of the Word.
"The wise man is he that hears these words of mine and does them." He's building on the rock and his house will make it through the storm. Listening friends, you can tell from the music that the clock is starting to chase us off the air. We want to thank you for tuning in.
I want to remind you, we love hearing from you. Some of you had some great amazing facts that you sent me. I've even used a few of them on the program. If you've got an amazing fact
you'd like to email to Pastor Doug, you can send that to Amazing Facts. You'll see my address at our website, AmazingFacts.org. We've also got a new, animated video of heaven at our website. We've got Hubble video footage of heaven. You don't want to miss this. [chuckles]
Just kidding, but we do have a video of heaven. Take a look at it. Is heaven for real? Go to the AmazingFacts.org website. Also keep in mind friends that we do this program to introduce you to Jesus. We believe that He is the Truth that will set you free. God bless you. We look forward to being together next week.
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