Hello friends this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? When Kim Peak was born in 1951 his parents knew he was different. He had an enlarged head and tests revealed that his left and right brain hemispheres were not separated like most people; forming a great, single data storage area. Kim’ motor skills and physical development proved slow. And he did not walk until age four. But, early on his parents noticed other remarkable abilities. By 20 months Kim was able to memorize every book that was read to him.
By age three Kim was reading the dictionary. Since that time Kim has read and can clearly recall over 8000 books. Today the 54 year old Peak is called a mega savant because his photographic memory makes him a virtual genius on about fifteen different subjects. He's known as Kim-puter to many of his friends. His vast knowledge includes world and American history, British Monarchs, Bible history, Geography and je is acquainted with all the main roads and highways in the U.S. and Canada. Professional sports statistics for baseball, basketball, football, Kentucky Derby, and all of the winners off the top of his head.
The Space program, movies, music and the complete works of Shakespeare are among the things he remembers. Telephone area codes, major zip codes, all the TV stations and their markets in North America; he identified most classical music compositions and could tell the date the music was written, the composer’s birth date, the place of birth and death. He especially enjoys calendar calculations. If you tell him you birth date; he will tell you the day of the week you were born and what will be the day of the week when you turn 65 so you can retire. Kim still struggles in other simple areas like shaving, dressing himself or finding the silverware drawer at home.
Still it was his encyclopedic memory that became the inspiration for the 1988 Oscar winning movie “Rain Man” portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. When Kim is home n Utah; he spends afternoons at the Salt Lake Public Library pouring over books and even memorizing phone books. It only takes him about 8 seconds to read an average page. And he can read twp pages at a time with his left eye on one page and the right eye on another. And what is amazing is that Kim can still remember most of what he has read in his life. When considering this someone might naturally ask; how much information can the human brain hold? Stay with us friends we will learn more as “Amazing Facts” brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live”.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome once again friends to a fresh live edition of “Bible Answers Live”. And if this is your first time tuning into the program we trust this is by God’s design. It’s a live, interactive, International Bible Study. And you can participate by listening, by praying for us, or by calling in a Bible question. It is a free phone call. The number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297. Right now lots of lines are open and if you have a question give us a call now. 1-800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Dick: And my name is Dick Debit .Good evening Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Good evening Pastor Dick.
Pastor Dick: We start each program with a word of prayer so why don’t we do that?
Pastor Doug: Please do.
Pastor Dick: Father in heaven it is a joy, it is a privilege for us to open the word of God and come together and listen to you and to share from the word of God. And Lord we are anticipating and expecting to hear from you this evening. So I pray that your Holy Spirit will be with Pastor Doug. That you will calm his mind and give him clarity of thought. And be with the callers tonight and help them m to express their questions clearly so that we can find out what it is that you want us to know about you Lord this s all about knowing you in a saving relationship. So please Lord speak clearly to us tonight and we thank you and praise you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Dick: What a mind, what a mind.
Pastor Doug: It is a fascinating fact and I actually saw something this week on Kim Peak on the Discovery channel. And I thought well I am going to dig into this a little bit and it was amazing. The vast amount of information that he remembers boggles our minds, but what neurologists tell us is the average person has the same thing within their mind, but our problem is in recalling it. The separation between the right and left hemisphere of Kim’s brain is what allows him to always have continuous access, but those handicaps him to other areas. So we should be thankful we don’t all have that ability to just absorb all of this information.
Pastor Dick: Well the Holy Spirit; the Bible says the Holy Spirit will bring to mind those things that we need to know when, when we need to know them.
Pastor Doug: Exactly. That was a good point. And it also raises a couple of questions. In spite of the fact that Kim continues to learn and recall fresh information daily and his father will say he is even better now than he was years ago at recalling and communicating facts which is amazing considering he is 54. And scientists tell us we only use a small fraction of maybe 6 % or 10 % of our brain in our entire life.
Pastor Dick: And you know that is right.
Pastor Doug: And that was first of all what derailed the teaching of evolution that we develop this mind as you need it and they have all of the big percentage that isn’t being used then why would it develop? Why would it evolve? And the other aspect is that through eternity and heaven won’t my brain get full and explode eventually? And we have no idea how much our minds really can absorb.
Pastor Dick: That’s true.
Pastor Doug: So that information sometimes people wonder is it for real and even the human mind is a great testimony of the reality of eternity and heaven.
Pastor Dick: So don’t you think it would be just fabulous to be able to spit out Nolan Ryan’s ERA anytime you want?
Pastor Doug: Well if I had total recall I’d have to have some other facts. I wish I could have a photographic memory for the word of God, but I know what you are talking about.
[Laughter]
Pastor Dick: Yes. Exactly. Well we have a book that we want to offer tonight about heaven “Heaven is it for Real?” is the title. And we would like to make it available to all of our listeners this evening or to anyone who would call our resource operators. 1-800-835-6747. We’ll send this book to you and I don’t think we have given this book away in a while.
Pastor Doug: Yes. It has been awhile.
Pastor Dick: “Heaven is it for Real?” Call our resource operators 1-800-835-6747 and ask for a copy of this and we’ll send it to you tonight. And any of the other resources of course that we mention throughout the program are available through the resource line. Or you can go to “Amazing Facts dot com” and get them there. There are lots and lots of resources and links that you can check out at that website “Amazing Facts dot com”.
Pastor Doug we want to welcome a couple of stations and then we will take our internet questions and then we’ll go to phones this evening. A couple of stations to welcome WMEQ 880 AM in Menominee, Wisconsin and WWIS 99.7 FM and 1260 AM in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. They have joined our radio network and we are delighted they are with us and if you are listening to WMEQ or WWIS in Wisconsin call us and let us know. We’d like to hear from you 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297.
Okay our internet questions. I think we have a couple of good ones tonight Doug.
Question: Is it true that the word unicorn appears in the King James Version of the Bible? And what in fact was this unicorn if in fact it does appear there?
Pastor Doug: Yes the word unicorn is found in the King James Bible about six times and it is believed it is referring to the rhinoceros. The word ‘Rhinoceros’ is the more modern zoological term that has been adopted, but it has a primary horn and some rhinoceroses have a secondary smaller horn. They are actually not true horns in the sense that it is a compressed hair, but it otherwise has all of the attributes of a horn and that’s what we believe the Bible verses were talking to. And their territory was much vaster today and they reached up into the Middle East at that time.
Pastor Dick: Okay. Very good; second please explain what is meant by Genesis 6 by the sons of God and is it true that maybe these angels and they were mating with women?
Pastor Doug: Yes we get that question frequently and sometimes I hear some Pastors who get it right and others who really get it wrong. They say either there were fallen angels mating or that there were aliens from other planets that were having intimate relations with humans. And it is very simple. It says the sons of God Genesis 6: 2 “Saw the daughters of men that they were fair.” The sons of God were the descendents of Seth from Adam and Eve after Cain left and he went and rebelled against God and built the city. They had another son Seth and they began—Adam and Eve had sons and daughters. Cain took one of his sisters and married her and they became—began to procreate and then the same thing happened with the descendents of Adam and Eve and Seth. They were called the sons of God and they were worshipping the way God had prescribed. Whereas the daughters of men the descendents of Cain were carnal and worldly and as long as they remained distinct they were faithful. When they began to intermarry then it says that men’s hearts were only full of evil continually. They became unequally yoked.
And then someone says well it tells us that because of these unions that their descendents were giants. Well that’s a very common fact in genetic understanding. Just last week on maybe the Animal Planet or one of the programs that there is an animal that you can cross a tiger and a lion and I don’t know if they call it a Tion or a Liger or something like that.
[Laughter]
Pastor Doug: Something like that, but it is one of the two and they are bigger than a tiger or a lion.
Pastor Dick: Oh I see.
Pastor Doug: It is called genetic vitality so these were just the descendents of Seth and the sons of God. The Bible says 1 John Chapter 3: 1 “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God.” So hopefully that helps a little.
Pastor Dick: Okay well praise God. Let’s go to the phone lines for our first caller of the evening. We want to go to Rocklin; California Bobby is listening on the internet. Welcome Bobby.
Bobby: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Bobby: Yes my question is it has to do with the fornication divorce and remarriage. And the Holy Spirit put this on my heart this weekend, just wanted to hear your insight on it. My question is how can fornication be the exception clause for divorce? And what the Holy Spirit brought to me was that when John the Baptist told Herod he was living in adultery in God’s eyes Herodias was still Philips wife right?
Pastor Doug: Well John said you shouldn’t have your brother’s wife so at least in his sentence it sounds that way.
Bobby: Well he was married to her right?
Pastor Doug: Right.
Bobby: Okay so my point is this. If fornication is a way out of a marriage it is almost like a catch 22 you’re saying like if my wife steps out and I can legally divorce her for marital unfaithfulness then I shouldn’t be able to be remarried because if anyone marries her they would be committing adultery.
Pastor Doug: Well that is not what I say. Let me read the words of Jesus. And of course the Lord says in Matthew 5: 32 and He almost says almost the same thing in Matthew 19.
Bobby: Exactly.
Pastor Doug: Matthew 5: 32 “Whoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication.” See they had a lot of other causes for divorce.
Bobby: I understand that, but my point is this though. If the fornication is just marital unfaithfulness, the point is that this is being done redundantly. So it is messing with God’s sanctity His marriage is sacred to Him. But, what I am saying is he couldn’t have been saying that because then you have people taking the loop hole and just taking advantage of it.
Pastor Doug: Bobby I am still not sure. What is your question?
Bobby: My question is how can fornication be the cause for divorce?
Pastor Doug: Well because when you get married you make vows of fidelity and you become one flesh. Fornication is the rending of the two individuals that are joined by marriage and it tears that oneness. The other thing is that through marriage and the promiscuity of sex a husband and wife become one flesh in their child and their child is the co-mingling of the chromosomes of two people. And so it is a rending of that. And the Lord hates that and even n the case of Abraham and Hagar. He had to ask Abraham to put away Hagar and I hope that helps a little bit Bobby and that we were able to get to the question.
Pastor Dick: Appreciate the call Bobby and let’s go to Brooklyn, New York. Elijah is a repeat caller and welcome to the program Elijah.
Elijah: Hello yes I was discussing the Sabbath with someone and how it is still binding on us as Christians today. And then I went to the Scriptures to prove it how at Christ’s death how the apostle’s kept it. And she told me it was because they were Jewish and so I am trying to know for my peace of mind was there any difference like did Paul or any of the apostle’s teach something different to the Gentiles that worship another way? What is it the same way as how they worship or the way the Gentiles worship?
Pastor Doug: Well you know I have heard this before and it is almost comical if you will pardon me Elijah because the argument is so shallow. When God instituted the Sabbath do you remember where in the Bible that happens?
Elijah: Genesis.
Pastor Doug: Exactly Genesis seventh day of creation God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it and made it holy way back there. How many people were living in the world back then when that happened and God made the Sabbath?
Elijah: Two.
Pastor Doug: And what were their names?
Elijah: Adam and Eve.
Pastor Doug: Were they Jewish?
Elijah: No.
Pastor Doug: So when Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man. He could have said the Sabbath was made for Jews, but He doesn’t. He says the Sabbath was made for man. He used a very definite word for mankind when He had the option of many other words. Is it only the Jews that are supposed to keep all of the other commandments about not lying, or killing and so why would we take the fourth commandment and say well that is only for Jews. Do Jews only need a time of rest from labor? And even in the book of Acts which is written by a Gentile; Luke mentions about 50 different Sabbaths that are kept by Paul. And Luke says “We went out” and I think this is Acts Chapter 13: 16 “We went out of the city on the Sabbath to a river a place where we could have prayer.” Why would Luke even mention that and here you are 20 to 30 years after Christ has ascended to heaven yet he is a Gentile.
Elijah: Right.
Pastor Doug: So it is really an urban myth. But, it can’t be put down.
Elijah: Should I say that the way the apostles worshipped was the same way we should worship?
Pastor Doug: Absolutely.
Elijah: There is nothing different right?
Pastor Doug: No. Well when it comes to the basis of the law and the Ten Commandments there was certain things that the apostles did that probably were customs of the day, but keeping of the Ten Commandments was not a local custom. Do you know what I am saying? In other words we may not wear sandals and cloaks like they did, but you don’t want to say I want to be just like the apostles, but they come out of teachings, but and when it comes to the teachings…yeah.
Elijah: But when it comes to the worship part; the way they worshipped is the way we should worship.
Pastor Doug: The liturgy. Do you know what I mean when I say the liturgy of it Elijah?
Elijah: No I don’t.
Pastor Dick: The liturgy is the order of how they did things like the prayer in the service or whether they sang a song first or whether they took up a collection first; that sort of thing.
Elijah: Oh okay.
Pastor Dick: The order of the liturgy may change, some of the things that they so in a worship service may have changed, but the fact that they went to church on the Sabbath day is the same for the apostles as it is four us. In Acts—Pastor Doug mentioned in Acts—there is also a passage there in Acts that says for three Sabbath days the apostle Paul preached and taught to them on the Sabbath Day and it says that the entire town came to hear him o0n the Sabbath Day.
Pastor Doug: Yes Acts 17: 2 Paul as his custom was he went to them three Sabbath Days and he is talking to the Gentiles.
Pastor Dick: Yes and the next week the whole town that is the Gentiles as well as Jews gathered together on the Sabbath to worship.
Elijah: Okay great thank you fellows.
Pastor Dick: Alright. Hope that helps and thanks for the call Elijah. Let’s go next to Toronto, Canada. And talk with Audrey welcome Audrey to the program.
Audrey: Hello. Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Good evening Audrey welcome.
Audrey: Thank you. My question is I would like to know if it is alright with God to have a life insurance.
Pastor Doug: Well first of all for the sake of clarification life insurance is really not life insurance. Life insurance is a security investment for when you die. That is really the antithesis of life insurance. It is insurance after you die. The best life insurance is Jesus.
Audrey: Okay.
Pastor Doug: But, so to have a life insurance policy to provide for your loved ones when you are gone that is something that should be done on a case on a case basis. For some people if you owe a lot of money on a home for instance and your death would leave your family in serious debt because you are the principle income earner then it might be a prudent thing to have a life insurance policy. And there are policies you can buy temporarily until your circumstances change. And there are also policies that can be bought that are an investment. I don’t have a life insurance policy. And I think that is something you need to weigh out with your faith in the Lord and just see how He impresses you. Some employers a life insurance policy is part of their benefit.
Audrey: Yes.
Pastor Doug: So it is a very complex question and it used to be very cut and dry that it used to be not beneficial because they charge so much for it and the chances of your benefitting from it were very risky. Sometimes the companies would get all of this money and the go out of business.
Audrey: Okay.
Pastor Doug: So today it is a little more stable of a program and I would just ask people to pray and do it on a case by case basis.
Audrey: Well I don’t understand exactly when you say on a case by case.
Pastor Doug: Well a lot of it depends on your health history. There are statistics that the insurance companies look at to see whether or not your chances are of surviving and how long. If you are 85 years old and you’ve got heart problems insurance companies are not going to want to sell you a policy because you are a high risk. Do you see what I am saying?
Audrey: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And that is why I am saying there are so many factors to consider. Your health history and your family and whether or not you are in debt and one of the reasons for a life insurance policy is to care for your loved ones when you are gone. So that they will not be in debt. It is not to make them rich when you are gone, but to provide for their needs at the same level as you have now.
Audrey: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And that is why your situation, your factors, and your health, your age, your employment, all that factors in into whether it is a smart move for you. You know what I recommend you do because it really is a financial question and I still have great confidence on crown ministries and you can go to crown ministries online Audrey and They have got some very good advice and Biblical advice on life insurance. And I think it is “Crown dot org” is their address.
Pastor Dick: Okay. Let’s go next—well let me first of all say that we have several lines open folks. So if you have a Bible related question and you would like to talk with Pastor Doug give us a call at 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297. We’ll go next to Hidden Lake, California and Bruce who is listening on KNDL. Good evening Bruce.
Bruce: Good evening to you. I have a question on Genesis Chapter 4: 14-17 something takes place here in these four verses that first of all like Revelation Chapter 19 verse 20 when Cain is given a mark from God I mean you know Revelation 19: 20 is the mark of the beast so is Cain representative of the beast as Judas was like who did Satan filled him?
Pastor Doug: Well let me state something here and see what you think. In the very beginning of the Bible you have two brothers who worships. One worships God’s way and one worships his own way. The one who worships his own way is not accepted by God and he kills his brother. Now you fast forward to the book of Revelation. You’ve got two groups; those who worship God and those who worship the beast. The ones worship the beast tries to kill those who worship God. Do you see a parallel?
Bruce: Oh sure.
Pastor Doug: And they both claim to worship the same Gods. So in that sense they are brothers and this is what is going to happen in the last days.
Bruce: When God put the mark on Cain is this supposed to be a prophecy about the last days?
Pastor Doug: Yes I think when you go to Ezekiel Chapter 9 and then to Revelation Chapter 13 the saved get a mark in Ezekiel 9 and the lost in Revelation 13. And they are all in the forehead. But, it doesn’t tell us where the mark was placed on Cain.
Bruce: Exactly, but if it was in a place where people could see it he was wearing clothing like Adam and Eve.
Pastor Doug: Well you know it—some scholars even wonder if it is a physical mark. For instance have you ever heard anyone use the expression ‘He’s a marked man’?
Bruce: Oh sure.
Pastor Doug: And it just means that he is set aside in some way and it doesn’t mean that someone put a big red check mark on his head. Charles Manson who is in prison has a swastika in his forehead. And nobody in prison will mess with him because they believe he belongs to the devil and he’ll make some curse on you if you mess with him. Some have wondered if it is that kind of mark where people are afraid to—because Cain said people are going to kill me. And God said no they won’t I will put a mark on you.
Bruce: Now Enoch is his son, but there is another Enoch seven generations from Adam.
Pastor Doug: Right there are obviously different people and it is just it was a common name.
Bruce: Now I heard the first pyramid was named after this Enoch that was a descendent of Cain? Have you heard that?
Pastor Doug: That is new to me I have not heard that.
Bruce: Okay I did hear it not from the Bible, but from another source. But, they did build a city and people wonder where those pyramids came from.
Pastor Doug: Yes I guess he built the city and named it after his son. Hey I hope that helps a little bit.
Bruce: Yes thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: You are welcome and God bless. Are we going to see if we can squeeze one more in Pastor Dick?
Pastor Dick: Yes let’s see what we can do and talk to Jeff in Toronto, Canada. Jeff we have about 2 and ½ minutes welcome to the program.
Pastor Doug: Before our break not before the end.
Jeff: Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Hi.
Jeff: Okay well I am sure you have probably heard this one before. But, I was just wondering why there is such a big difference between God in the Old Testament and such a vengeful God where He ordered people to be stoned and for it seemed like the littlest thing. And then between Jesus and the New Testament that was so compassionate and full of love telling you to forgive your enemies and love your enemies.
Pastor Doug: Okay I think I hear what you are asking. Let me try to squeeze in an answer I have 2 minutes here before the break. I think it is a misconception that the God in the Old Testament is wrath and vengeance and the God in the New Testament is love and mercy. In the New Testament you have Ananias and Sapphira dropping dead because they lied to God that is pretty severe. In the New Testament you have got Paul pronouncing a curse on a man going blind. In the New Testament you have the seven last plagues of Revelation and they come from Jesus and it is the Revelation of Jesus. In the Old Testament you have God declaring I am long suffering, compassionate, and merciful.
Jeff: Right.
Pastor Doug: So I think as you continue looking you will see both sides of God in both Testaments. You see the love of the God in the Old and the love of the God in the New and the God of vengeance and justice in the New Testament. You see Jesus making a cord of whips and chasing people out of the temple. Do you know what I am saying?
Jeff: Yes, but at the same time He says He is wrathful and but, when He says forgave your enemies it kind of was different.
Pastor Doug: Well in the Old Testament you have Moses saying if your enemy’s ox wanders away take it back and in the New Testament it talks about the wrath of Jesus; the wrath of the Lamb in Revelation. So I really do think it is a misconception when people think that they are really two different pictures of God. You see both in both instances. I am sorry Jeff I don’t mean to cut you short that is a good question. But, we are going to take a break and we need to do this friend halfway through the program and in just a few moments we will be back. In the meantime before we go to the announcements we wanted to remind you to check out the “Amazing Facts dot org” website. You can type in ‘dot net’ ‘dot com’ or ‘dot org’ and it will take you there. It is like a tree of life with many branches; check it out. There are things you can listen to for free and download lessons for free and you can go to Bible studies for free. “Amazing Facts dot com” we’ll be back in a moment.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: We’re back friends and this is “Bible Answers Live”. If you have tuned in we are half way through the program and it is a live, International, interactive Bible Study where people call in from all across the country and they call in via the internet on the world wide web with their Bible questions. If you have Bible question in North America dial a toll free number; it’s a free phone call 1-800-God-Says or 1-800-463-7297 and I am still Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Dick: And I am still Dick Debit. And we still have volume one and now volume two is available. Tell us about the “Amazing Facts Book”.
Pastor Doug: That’s right you reminded me about it. I mentioned it a minute ago and I have forgotten already. Talk about short term memory problems.
[Laughter]
Pastor Doug: You know friends we have been collecting the Amazing Facts that launched this program for the last ten years and in Volume One we have some of the best Amazing Facts. There are hundreds of them and a lot of trivia and facts that you haven’t heard on the program. Well we have a whole library of them we liked them so much that it warranted making Volume Two. And it is out now “Amazing Facts Volume Two” it is a wonderful collection of interesting facts and amazing facts and fascinating trivia. Great for you are teachers especially of young children and preachers for sermon illustrations and I’ll tell you what we are going to do. If you send a donation of any size to “Amazing Facts” just to show your support for what we are doing we’ll send you a free copy. Let the Holy Spirit tell you what to send. But, I haven’t told the office this yet so I am going to catch it when I get in there tomorrow. You send a gift to “Amazing Facts” and we will send you a free copy of Volume Two and hopefully you have already got Volume One.
Pastor Dick: Alright and praise the Lord. Let’s take our first caller for the second half do the program Pastor Doug. We want to go to Yonkers, New York and talk with Gartner who is listening on WMCA. Hi Gartner.
Gartner: Hi Pastor Doug I attended a church service today and I would like to quote the preacher. The preacher said if you give me a $1000 dollars that god told me He will give you more money than you ever had. And he said that there were ten people in the church that should give this kind of money. My specific question is to you Pastor Doug and in your pastoral position has God ever told you to ask for large amounts of money from a congregation? And if they give they would in turn be blessed so to speak and if you had any material or any Scripture regarding this it would be appreciated.
Pastor Doug: Well there is a principle that is abused Gartner. The Bible tells us that if we are faithful to return to the Lord our tithes and offerings that if we prove Him that He will open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing. Now God doesn’t tell us that, that blessing will come in the form of money. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that if we give money to God that God will give money back to us. And there are prosperity preachers that abuse some of these principles. The Bible says that if we give to the Lord pressed down running over and shaken together that as we give God will give to us. Men are to give unto their bosom and to give cheerfully. But, it is an abuse to make it sound like that God is some kind of a slot machine and if you put money in more money will come out. And that reason for giving is a selfish reason. God wants us to trust Him.
Gartner: Thank you Pastor you know people feel that you are a man of integrity. But, physically I want to know has God ever told you in you pastoral position to ask the congregation for large sums of money?
Pastor Doug: Well yeah right now our church is in a building project and has some pretty lofty goals, but I haven’t made any promises to anybody that if they make a donation God is going to make them rich. I think that would be dishonest and the Pastor would be putting himself in the place of God and saying I can make this guarantee to you. Unless you’ve got some prophetic word that I have never had on that. We have a book to send you on that subject and we actually have two books. One you can ask for is called “Embezzlers in the Church” no I am sorry “Thieves in the Church” and if you call the resource number and matter of fact that is the best one. Call the resource number. And ask for that book and we will send it to you free “Thieves in the Church” And I think you’ll get a lot of interesting information and Bible back up for what I am saying.
Pastor Dick: Gartner 1-800-835-6747 is the number and ask for “Thieves in the Church” and we will send it out to you tonight. Let’s take our next caller Pastor Doug going to Ron in Quartz Hill, California and welcome Ron.
Ron: Yes good to talk to you guys again. Hey before I ask my question I want to take you back to the question about life insurance. I have something better than that and do you know what that is?
Pastor Doug: Eternal life insurance?
Ron: Eternal life insurance under written in the blood of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Dick: Amen there you go.
Pastor Doug: And you’ve got out of this world benefits huh?
Ron: Amen. Hey real quick I have a Sabbath question for you. About three months ago I talked to your Frosty Code on 3ABN and you made a challenge that kind of caught my attention. I don’t know if I am going to quote this verbatim, but you said something to the effect that you had a challenge for anyone to show in the New Testament where it shows us to worship on Sunday versus Saturday.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Ron: Do you remember that?
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Ron: Now I have a question. Is there anywhere in the New Testament that forbids the believer from worship on Sunday and is there anywhere in the New Testament that says if you continue to worship on Sunday that you will receive the mark of the beast?
Pastor Doug: Well first of all let’s clarify that there is nothing wrong with worshipping God. As a matter of fact we should be worshipping God seven days a week. There is nothing wrong with worshipping God on Wednesday or Sunday or Sabbath. The context of the statement that I made was produce in the bible a command where the first day of the week is substituted as the Sabbath and I may have used the word worship there where the first day of the week is substituted as the Sabbath for the seventh day. And there is not any Scripture.
Ron: It doesn’t’ forbid you to.
Pastor Doug: No there is nothing wrong with people to keep any day or to worship God any day, but there’s only one day in the Bible that god sets aside as Sabbath and that is the seventh day of the week and it is the fourth commandment and God never changed it. And that is all I am saying is that there is not any place in the New Testament where you are going to find that commandment changed.
Ron: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And most Sunday keeping preachers acknowledge that.
Ron: So what is the major problem with keeping Sunday as the Sabbath then?
Pastor Doug: Can you pick which day is a Sabbath and bless it or did God bless it?
Ron: God did.
Pastor Doug: Alright then are we going to keep the day He tells us to keep?
Ron: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Well when you read in the Bible and God said to Moses speak to the rock and Moses struck the rock twice and God said you can’t enter the Promised Land because I didn’t tell you to do that. And when God said to Joshua march around the city seven times and you’ll get the victory. Or when God says to Naaman wash in the Jordon seven times does God is He specific and does He mean what He says?
Ron: Right and I understand that and I guess that my question on the second half of the question is does it say anywhere in the Bible that if you…
Pastor Doug: Oops pressed the button.
Pastor Dick: Are you still there Ron?
Ron: Yes I am still here. My question is does it say in the Bible anywhere that for those of us who do keep Sunday as the first day of the week and a holy day; does it say anywhere that because we do Sunday worship we will receive the mark of the beast?
Pastor Doug: No not the way you stated it.
Ron: It is semantic I am just trying to get that across. Where does it say that in the Bible?
Pastor Doug: Let me say what the Bible does say and for me to compress in the three minutes we budget for a call. The whole presentation on the mark of the beast is pretty difficult to do. But, what the Bible does teach is that when people worship the laws of the beast in place of the laws of God they receive the mark. I believe that the commandment that is going to be the issue in the last days is the Sabbath commandment. You have a law in the Bible where the second commandment has to break and pray to an idol or be killed and Daniel and his friends Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego said we’re not going to break that commandment, we’d rather die. There are a few Chapters later a king makes a law that says everybody has to pray to the king or honor the first commandment of God and in the last days the issue is going to revolve around the fourth commandment which happens to be the Sabbath. So if people are going to keep after they know the truth on something well we’re going to keep the laws of the beast and instead of the laws of God then they get the mark of the beast. Nobody has the mark of the beast now because a lot of people that go to church on Sunday that don’t know that it is not the Bible Sabbath. Now I am saying a lot more than you are asking, but it is hard to do this whole study in just a few minutes.
Ron: Well can you give me a Scripture that I can study that is saying what you’re saying in that by keeping Sunday as the holy day that you will receive the mark of the beast? I can’t find that in Scripture.
Pastor Doug: No I told you are not going to find that.
Ron: Well then it is not Biblical!
Pastor Doug: Well the principle I just gave you is Biblical and you are asking me am I saying that if people are obeying the laws of the beast instead of God’s laws; yes. Have you ever read a lesson that we offer on this?
Ron: Yes I just got it about three weeks ago.
Pastor Doug: Have you studied it?
Ron: Yes I have. It is the problem that where Scripture interprets Scripture I cannot find where it says that.
Pastor Doug: How many lessons do you have? Do you have just the one on the “Mark of the Beast”?
Ron: Yes just that one.
Pastor Doug: Well then you need to also get the one on the Anti-Christ because it is just part of that lesson. Please send on that and get the lesson “The Anti-Christ is Alive” and then the other lesson you kind of read part two before you read part one. And then I think it will make more sense. Hey Ron we’re going to try to get in another call for a couple of more questions; there are people that are standing in line. I hope you understand.
Pastor Dick: Let’s go next to—and thanks for the call Ron. Let’s go next to Atlanta, Georgia and we have Clark who is listening on the internet. Clark welcome.
Clark: Hi Brother Doug and Brother Dick. Thanks for taking my call.
Pastor Dick: Yes sir.
Clark: The question I have is in reference to fasting and I believe Jesus is coming soon. And there are some people I really care about whose state of salvation I am unsure about. When I talked to you a couple of weeks ago about this and you said fast and pray. Well I have fasted before and I am not really sure how or why I am doing it. I need for you to talk about that a little bit.
Pastor Doug: Yes fasting in the Bible is a means through self denial and sort of cleansing ourselves before the Lord. Jesus when He was focusing on His life’s ministry He spent forty days fasting and He also did it on our behalf. When Christ cast out a devil in Mark Chapter 9 his disciples said they couldn’t cast it out He said this kind does not come forth except by prayer and fasting. And when Ester wanted to intervene to have God save her people from destruction she asked all of the Jews to fast and pray for three days and they did a very severe fast because some fasting is not just any food, but no food or water. When Paul found out they were killing Christians he did a severe fast; no food or water for three days and in the Bible those fast never went beyond three days because you could die in a desert climate very long like that. Jesus did one without food, but the purpose really is to focus on the Spirit and to deny the flesh. And it is a fact that a good part of your body’s energy goes to digestion and when you fast for even a couple of days eating very simple food or juice that your mind clears up and especially in the book of Daniel. The book of Daniel he said that he just ate simple food. And sometimes we eat a lot of foods that are filled with sugar and stimulants and it clouds your mind and by eating a simple diet—many of the Bible translators they would fast as they were copying Scripture to keep their minds clear and their hands steady.
Clark: Hmm. So the act of fasting is to clear my mind to make more action when I am praying?
Pastor Doug: Yes. Well it demonstrates to God that a sincerity that you are searching for Him with all your heart.
Clark: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Now there is not virtue –you know Jesus talked about the fast. He said if you are fasting to be seen of men don’t bother because that is the only reward you will get. But, if you are fasting because you know God is watching Jesus said wash your face and don’t appear unto men to fast, but fast so that God know that you are fasting. That is where you get credit so to speak; with the Lord.
Clark: Okay. Very good and thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Okay. Alright thanks.
Pastor Dick: Good call Clark we appreciate it. Let’s go next to Dallas, Texas we want to talk with Sam who is listening on KSKY welcome Sam!
Sam: Good evening Pastor Doug and thank you for your courageous presentation of the prophetic code. Thank you very, very much you know.
Pastor Doug: Thank you. And your question?
Sam: My question is Daniel 10: 13 where it says a phrase that I do not understand is Michael one of the chief princes. Does it mean there are many chief princes that are the same as Jesus or what?
Pastor Doug: Well the word one in the original Hebrew language there-- and in Daniel there I am not sure if it is Hebrew or Aramaic—I think it is Aramaic. In any case I have studied this before because I have a book I have written called “Michael the Arch Angel”. And the word one there means first or highest. You know sometimes you can say a person is in first place. You can say they are number one and when a basketball team wins the championship every one runs around holding up the number one. And that means first place or highest so this can easily be translated as Chief Michael Chief or highest of the Chief Princes came to help me.
Sam: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And so it is like in one language when you translate from one to another first in the Bible does not always mean numerical quantity it can mean position.
Sam: Okay.
Pastor Doug: You know if you like we will send you a copy of the book that we are talking about and it is called “Michael the Arch Angel”. Or anyone out there because a lot of people wonder who is Michael the Arch Angel? And it will give you some good Biblical support so Sam just call the resource number and we will send you a free copy.
Pastor Dick: That number 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the book “Michael the Arch Angel” we’ll send it to you tonight. Let’s go next to Carlos in Citrus Heights, California listening on KFIA hello Carlos.
Carlos: How are you doing Pastor Doug?
Pastor Doug: Good and how can we help you?
Carlos: Well I have a question and first I think someone named Ron who called about the Sabbath said he couldn’t find a Scripture. I know in Daniel 7: 25 it says…
Pastor Doug: That the beast power would think to change times and laws.
Carlos: And laws exactly and that gives it to him right there.
Pastor Doug: That is a good point. It is the only one of the Ten Commandments that is both a law and a time. So what is your question?
Carlos: My question is on the 144,000 I want to get to study this more on Revelation 14 where it says “And I looked and behold a lamb standing on Mount Sion and with him 144,000, having his Father’s name written on their foreheads.” My understanding is this that when the dead in Christ rise first and the living are the 144,000 getting raptured up to the clouds and it tells how He transforms them. They are the only ones that stand the seven plagues is that correct?
Pastor Doug: No because if you read in Revelation Chapter 7 further down it tells us that here is a great multitude that no man can number. It is way beyond 144,000.
Carlos: Then what is the significance of the 144,000?
Pastor Doug: Well I’ll tell you here in a second, but John asked who are these in the white robes? And he said these are the ones who came out of great tribulation. And so it is possible he is referring to the great tribulation at the end of time you know that no man can imagine. But, the secret to understanding the 144,000 is very simple in the number. In the same way as Jesus called and disciple and filled with the Spirit twelve apostles to reach the lost sheep of the house of Israel during His first coming.
But, at His second coming Christ is going to anoint and fill twelve times twelve thousand. These represent the leadership of the church around the world that will be proclaiming the last message of the gospel. They are not the only ones saved any more than the twelve apostles were the only ones saved. The key is the number twelve.
Carlos: Okay 12 times 12 is 144, 000.
Pastor Doug: Yes and so I have a book I have written on this, too. You’ve got a lot of questions on that and it is called “Who Will Sing the Song of the 144,000?” by Doug Batchelor. And that is the entire book is about would you like to have a free copy?
Carlos: Sure I sure would!
Pastor Doug: All you have to do is call and ask for it and the phone call is free.
Carlos: Thank you so much I think it will add some clarity for that.
Pastor Doug: Praise the Lord.
Pastor Dick: You are welcome Carlos and I hope you will call this number 1-800-835-6747 and ask for “Who Will Sing the Song?” It is all about the 144,000. Okay?
We want to go next to Clayton who is in Grande, Oregon. Clayton welcome to the program.
Clayton: Hello.
Pastor Dick: Yes. Good evening you are on the air.
Clayton: Thank you sir. I have a question in regards to Genesis 1: 26. And it says, “God said let us make man in our image after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air.” I mean I don’t need to go any further. My question is who is ‘our’?
Pastor Doug: Well God that created man is composed of three persons. You have God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. And the Bible tells us that when you get to the tower of Babel and in Chapter 11 in Genesis God says, “Man has become like us.” No actually that is in Genesis Chapter 3. In Genesis Chapter 11 it says God said, “Let us go down and confound their language.” So you find God referring to Himself in the plural. Think of God as being one the same way a husband and wife are one except it is God Father, Son and Spirit. That is why Jesus said baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And that is Matthew 28 and that’s the baptism of Jesus in name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And God is speaking and He is saying this is my son in whom I am well pleased. And comes down like a dove. In the beginning when God said let us make man in our image; it’s talking about the Trinity the three persons of the Godhead.
Clayton: Okay.
Pastor Dick: Earlier in Genesis in the creation story it says that the Holy Spirit was hovering over the void. Over the waters yes and that the Son was with the Father so all three of them were active in the creation story.
Pastor Doug: Yes good point. Well I’ve got a book on that, too and it is called “The Trinity is it Biblical?” Would you like one of those?
Clayton: Yes sir and they are free?
Pastor Doug: Yes and a free phone call.
Pastor Dick: Clayton call our resource line at 1-800-835-6747 it is an 800 number and it is free and 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the book on the Trinity and we’ll send that to you tonight.
Clayton: Okay thank you very much.
Pastor Dick: And thanks for the call. Let’s go next to Phyllis in New Haven, Connecticut who is listening on WMCA welcome Phyllis.
Phyllis: Hello Pastors. Yes I listen to your show every night and it is very, very enlightening and God bless you both.
Pastor Doug: Thank you. And your question tonight?
Phyllis: Yes I just had a quick question; I’ve gotten contradictory stories about when people and what happens to the soul after a person dies. I mean one preacher I listened to said that when a person dies their spirit goes in the grave and it doesn’t go to heaven. Their spirit is waiting on the Lord like His second coming. And then it will be raptured up. And I have had other ones to say in quoting the Scripture to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So it means that immediately they would go before the throne of God you know and they would be judged.
Pastor Doug: Well let me help you real quick I don’t want to run out of time before I can answer it for you.
Phyllis: Okay. I appreciate it.
Pastor Doug: Let me ask you a couple of questions and I bet you know the answers. When does the Bible say the resurrection takes place? When a person dies or when Jesus comes?
Phyllis: When Jesus comes.
Pastor Doug: That’s right. I knew you’d get that right.
[Laughter]
Pastor Doug: Alright so if the resurrection takes place when Jesus comes then do people go to heaven immediately at the point of death or are they sleeping an unconscious sleep?
Phyllis: Well that’s what I was confused about.
Pastor Doug: Alright and then the other point is have you heard of the great judgment day?
Phyllis: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Has that happened already or is that in the future?
Phyllis: It is in the future.
Pastor Doug: Alright if that great judgment day that determines people’s eternal destiny is in the future then how can God take people to heaven or hell right when they die before the resurrection and before the judgment?
Phyllis: Hmm.
Pastor Doug: Now on the Scripture that says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord it is still perfectly accurate because if you are in a saved condition Phyllis and if you should die tonight; your next conscious thought is—ten years might go by before the Lord returns, but your next conscious thought is when there is the resurrection right?
Phyllis: Yes.
Pastor Doug: So for you there’s no—your next conscious thought is of the Lord.
Phyllis: That is what I thought yes.
Pastor Doug: But, life as far as where we live here on earth is of time. The people who died in the Lord are not in heaven yet that is why Paul says “When the Lord descends from heaven…” 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4 “… then the dead in Christ will rise.” It is as plain as it can be and so they haven’t risen yet so it is when the Lord descends.
Phyllis: So that means-- really quick-- that means that right now the way this Pastor was talking there is no one in heaven yet? Except God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, maybe angels?
Pastor Doug: Well there are a few exceptions the Bible tells us that Elijah went to heaven in a fiery chariot and Enoch was taken by the Lord and Moses was caught up to the Lord, but for the most part people die and the Bible says many that sleep in the death shall awake in Daniel Chapter 12 well when do they awake? When the Lord comes back.
Phyllis: And the Lord comes back.
Pastor Doug: You know there is a lesson book we’ll send you on this. If you would like a copy for free.
Phyllis: Oh I’d love it!
Pastor Doug: A lot of people listening are confused about the subject of death and we actually have a couple of things and one is it’s a study guide “Are the Dead Really Dead?” I mean that can’t be any plainer. And it just explains what does the Bible say happens when you die. And there is another booklet b Joe Crews you can take your pick called “Spirits of the Dead” and some people think that people who have gone on go around haunting or they go right to heaven to Abraham’s bosom or to hell and people want to know where does the spirit go? There is a lot of confusion about that and it comes from paganism.
Pastor Dick: Phyllis I hope you have copied down the phone number we have been giving. It is 1-800-835-6747. Call that number and ask for those books and we’ll send it out to you tonight okay?
Phyllis: Thank you. You cleared that up for me a lot.
Pastor Doug: Well God bless we’re glad to have another happy customer. Pastor Dick that is the music makes it the fastest hour in the week. Hey friends don’t change the dial just yet if you have been blessed by the program.
Pastor Dick: Amen.
Pastor Doug: If you have been listening for awhile it is because others like you listening have said I would like to keep this program on the air or even help them to add new stations. We’d love to hear from you—just drop us a note. It is so easy. You can even make a donation online. Just go to “Amazing Facts dot org” and it is a very simple process you can click your way through. And if nothing else drop us a line and tell us if you are being blessed by the program. Check out the website at “Bible Universe dot com” and you can enroll in an ongoing Bible Study. Most of all remember this is really all about Jesus who is the truth that will set you free.
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