Hello friends this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing Fact? Mary Mallon also known as Typhoid Mary was an Irish immigrant who the first who was known to be a healthy carrier of the typhoid fever in the United States. She was born in Ireland in 1869 and immigrated alone to the US in 1883 when she was only fifteen. She apparently contracted typhoid fever at some point, but only suffered a mild case resisting the bacteria enough to appear healthy, but still being very capable of spreading the disease to others.
Mary loved to cook. So she obtained employment between 1900 and 1907 at private homes around New York City as a household cook. While cooking in a house in Namenneck New York for less than two weeks, the residents came down with typhoid fever. She then worked in Manhattan in 1901 and members of that family developed typhoid and the laundress died. Next she went to work for a lawyer until seven of the eight household members developed typhoid. Mary even spent months helping to care for the sick people she was unwittingly making sick. And many of them might have worsened their illness because of her care. In 1904 she took another position on Long Island and within two weeks four of ten family members were hospitalized with typhoid. She changed employment and three more households were infected. Apparently the disease was frequently transmitted by Mary’s favorite recipe. A dessert of ice peaches.
After careful investigation a sanitary engineer, George Stoupper, identified Mary as a carrier and approached her with the news that she was apparently spreading typhoid fever. Mary stubbornly refused to believe that somebody not sick could spread the disease and rejected a test for checking with cursing and violence. The New York City Health Department tried to reason with Mary. But, she was convinced that the law was wantonly persecuting her because she was a working class Irish immigrant. It required several police officers to place her into custody.
The New York City Health Department tested her and confirmed that she was a rare case of a healthy carrier of typhoid fever. So they isolated her for three years at a hospital on North Brother Island. Reluctantly they released her on the condition that she did not work with food.
However, still angry, in 1915 she returned to cooking at a New York Hospital no less and infected 25 people; two of whom died. Public Health Officials again seized her and confined her in quarantine for the remaining 23 years of her life. When she died in 1938 of pneumonia the autopsy revealed that she was still actively carrying typhoid. Because Mary refused to accept the facts she infected at least 55 people with the disease; three of whom died. You know the Bible tells about another woman who is deliberately spreading a false teaching. Stay with us friends and we will learn more as “Amazing Facts” brings you “Bible Answers Live”.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome to “Bible Answers Live” for our listeners who might be tuning in for the first time. We are alive, International, interactive Bible study and you can participate. We hope you’ll listen and we invite you to call if you have a Bible question. It is a toll free number if you live in North America. The number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS that is 1-800-463-7297. As you know 800 is a toll free call. So if you have a Bible question we have lines that are open right now. And a good chance if you call in now you’ll get your question on the air. Again the number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297 to call in with your Bible related question. My name is Doug Batchelor and my counterpart Pastor Dick Debit is on vacation. So please pray for me as I do my best to wing the program with the help of our studio staff. We always start with a word of prayer and I invite you to join me as we bring this program before the Lord.
Loving Father in heaven we thank you again for the opportunity to direct our attention in a very specific way to the blessed book; the Bible. And now Lord we pray that you would take charge of this program. Everything technically and the hearts and minds of those who will be speaking and I pray Lord that You will speak through this broadcast for your glory and for your name sake we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.
Well listening friends perhaps you were as intrigued as I was when I first learned about the infamous Typhoid Mary. This woman was infected with a disease, but nobody looking at her could tell she had it, but it was in there. And many were made sick because of the food that she was cooking for them. She just refused to stop cooking for them because she said well I just feel fine and it is not bothering me. You know it made me think about a prophecy in the book of Revelation. Bear with me as I read the first few verses here. Revelation 17: 1 “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, come hither; I will shew thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters. 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.” That cup that she is carrying is full of spiritual typhoid if you will. 5 “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw this woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” And you know many have wondered just like the apostle John who is this woman? In Revelation Chapter 17 this mother of harlots and who are her daughters? It is a very important and controversial Bible study. We have a free offer tonight that is going to delve into this. It’s going to tell you about a religious system that has been contaminating many people with false teachings deliberately.
And if you would like to know more about the scarlet harlot that you find in Revelation Chapter 17 we will send you a free book that you really ought to order it is a free phone call “The Scarlet Woman”. Pick up the phone and dial the resource number which is 1-800-835-6747 and the sooner you call the sooner we can take your information and send this to you. And if you order the book I just want to let you know that nobody is going to knock on your door or bother you in any way. We just want to get the book in your hands and we trust that the truth will set you free. We have some internet questions and I am going to try to break a record tonight with calls so we will take one internet question and then in just a moment go to the phones.
Somebody is emailing with a question regarding the individual you find in Judges Chapter 11 by the name of Jephthah and it is said that he made a promise that whoever or whatever came through the gates of his ranch when he came back from his battle that he would offer it as a burnt offering to the Lord. Well it turns out his daughter was the first out of the gates so to speak and the Bible says that he did with her as he had vowed.
Question: Now does this mean that Jephthah one of God’s judges who had just come from a battle fighting for the Lord offered his own daughter as a burnt sacrifice?
Pastor Doug: No this is often misunderstood friends. In the Bible it was already written that the first born; every first born was to be dedicated to the Lord, but the Lord did not take humans as sacrifice. Animals were offered in the place of first born. Jesus of course was the first born of Mary and they made an offering at the temple in place of the first born. You can read in the Bible in 1 Samuel where Hannah dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord. This is what Jephthah did; he dedicated his daughter to the Lord. That is why the book of Judges 11 says that Jephthah said that he would dedicate his daughter to the Lord and that she would have no children and it says she went onto the mountains to bewail her virginity. And the daughters of Israel went up yearly to mourn for Jephthah’s daughter the same way Samuel’s mother went every year to the temple to bring him a fresh coat. The New Testament tells us of Anna the prophetess who worked in the temple of the Lord and she had ministered there 80 years. She was dedicated to the temple serving at the temple. Jephthah did not offer his daughter as an offering. For one thing humans are unclean animals and no Israelite would ever offer an unclean animal. So it simply meant that he was going to offer his daughter to minister for the Lord and she could never marry. And that is where some of the churches get the idea of nuns remaining celibate.
Well we are going to the phones and friends be patient with me because usually we have Pastor Dick who operates the part of the program and navigates the phones. Let’s see we’re going to go to line 3 and talk with Brett who has been waiting patiently calling from Columbia, South Carolina listening on WDAJ welcome Brett. You are on the air. Brett are you there?
Brett: I am here buddy.
Pastor Doug: You are here. Oh. I hear you now and your question tonight?
Brett: Alright my question tonight is in Chapter 17 of Revelations in verses 9-11 Doug.
Pastor Doug: Isn’t that interesting that is where I started tonight and you and I weren’t consulting so that was a God thing. And your question?
Brett: My question is it a dual meaning or is it just one meaning and can you explain it?
Pastor Doug: Alright for our friends who are listening in the prophecy connected with the scarlet harlot that we just read about. Here is verse 9 “And here is to the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth.” Well first of all Rome is called the city of the seven hills so I think that narrows down the playing field quite a bit. A woman is a symbol for a church. And it says the church among seven hills. But, then beyond that the angel says it represents seven kings. There are seven kings in verse ten.
Brett: Right.
Pastor Doug: 10 “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other has not yet come; …” My interpretation of this is that there are seven principle powers that have persecuted God’s people from the history of when He called Abraham and that is when the church was really called out so to speak. So when he called Abraham to come out to the end of the world. Those kingdoms are Egypt, Syria, Babylon, Medo Persia and Greece. And notice it says here in Chapter 10 that one is fallen and then he says that one is. That’s the Roman Empire ruled by Caesar’s and there is one yet to come. That is the one ruled by priests or popes and it says 10 “…and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Brett: Right.
Pastor Doug: 11 “And the beast that was and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” And it says he is even the eighth; why? Because he has a deadly wound and comes back. So that is my interpretation and I have some very close friends and even some at “Amazing Facts” evangelists that take another spin on this. And I think we need to be careful about getting too many interpretations on it because the truth is what it is.
Brett: Well they; I want to thank you for that. For explaining that to me because I often wondered if it had another meaning, but now I know it doesn’t so that’s really good and I really appreciate it.
Pastor Doug: Well alright and praise the Lord because of it Brett.
Brett: One thing before I let you go. I met you in Columbia, South Carolina. I just briefly got to talk to you. And I am from Palm Springs, California and I spent a lot of time and talked with Tanya and I sort of have the same background that you do. I came from the same place that you do.
Pastor Doug: So you know roughly where my cave is up there huh?
Brett: Pretty much buddy I have spent plenty of time up there and did meet you and I never really did get to see you because you were just so busy talking to other people. But, it has been a real pleasure to talk with you tonight. And I want you to know that you have really, really been inspiring to me with my Christian walk. And I have just been a Christian for two years and man it is a pleasure to just listen to you and it is just I get so much out of listening to you and you really have been a blessing to me.
Pastor Doug: Well thank you Brett. You better cut it out or the Lord won’t be able to use me for the rest of the program.
[Laughter]
Pastor Doug: Well God bless and you can call for that free offer tonight on the scarlet woman because that is right up the alley of what you are asking okay?
Brett: Alright thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright God bless and you take care. Now we are going to line 2. We are going to talk to Miriam who is calling on KSKY in Fort Worth welcome Miriam. You’re on the air.
Miriam: Yes I want to speak with you Pastor Doug about Revelation 19: 15.
Pastor Doug: Revelation 19: 15 let me go there very quickly I won’t promise I can explain it, but we will look at it together. Revelation 19: 15 “And out of His mouth goes sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he should rule over them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
First of all the sword that comes out of His mouth the Bible tells us in Hebrews Chapter 4 “The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword. And again you read in Ephesians Chapter 6 that the word of God is the sword. The word in the mouth of Christ is the word of God in His mouth. And Christ says I did not come to send peace, but a sword. And so this is the sword that He judges the nations by. That’s why it says that He should smite the Nations with it and rule them with a rod of iron. And a rod of iron does not break. It is not a rod of wood. And He treads the wine press with the fierceness of His wrath. And this is talking about the harvest at the end of the world when the wicked are judged and you have probably heard that song before of “Mine Eyes Have seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord”. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stores. That is where it comes from is this verse here. So I hope that helps a little bit Miriam.
Miriam: Yes it does.
Pastor Doug: Oaky well we are going to keep moving here. Let’s go to Gill listening from Queens, New York and listening on WMCA. Welcome Gill.
Gill: Hey Doug Batchelor. It is a pleasure to finally speak to you again. I love you very much! And I quote you a lot by the grace of God and I try to get people to listen to you and I am also blind and hearing impaired. I don’t know if you remember me. You prayed for me with a problem I had my ear?
Pastor Doug: Yes that was—get closer to your phone because we can’t hear you very loudly.
Gill: Absolutely.
Pastor Doug: And your question tonight?
Gill: My question has to do because I want to encourage someone to get out of the whole smoking thing. I feel they are not going to be as blessed and I was wondering if you can explain from the Scriptures and I know that the Scriptures do not say you know thou shall not smoke, but basically there are principles that are Scriptures that show they want us to deny all ungodliness and all things that are bad for the flesh and plus it is harmful as well.
Pastor Doug: So are you wondering what the Scriptures say or how a Christian should respond to the popular habit of smoking? It is interesting and there are many Christians some sincere and some not.
Gill: Well I don’t know if they are a Christian, but I asked them to listen tonight and they said they would.
Pastor Doug: It is interesting that you would ask this because just today I stopped at the drugstore to buy some flowers and a man came up to me while I was outside because sometimes they put them on the outside of the store. And I was outside and the store when he came up and he asked me for a light. And I said well I don’t smoke and he looked at em and asked well are you Pastor Batchelor? And was surprised he recognized me because I had just come from playing racket ball. And I said yes and he was embarrassed that he had asked me for a light. He said he had been watching the TV program. Well the very fact that a person feels convicted when they ask you for a light for their cigarette.
It tells you if the Holy Spirit did that and on every cigarette pack it says warning this stuff will kill you then if the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and if the commandments are thou shall not kill and that would include; don’t kill yourself. And if we are to be faithful stewards of our money and it costs three or four dollars for a pack of cigarettes; then you are basically selling fire. I mean you could talk about a thousand good reasons to quit and not one good reason to keep smoking, but I’m thinking obviously God would want Christians to quit and they are destroying their health.
Gill: Yes.
Pastor Doug: It is a poison and they have established that cigarette smoking is not the most it is one of the most deadly, avoidable health nuisance in North America. It costs everybody billions of dollars a year in both first and second hand health problems. So should a Christian smoke? Absolutely not. Can God give you grace to quit? He did for me.
Gill: Great.
Pastor Doug: And I know He can for many others. So I hope that helps a little Gill and appreciate your call tonight. Alright we are moving on and Clark is calling from Atlanta, Georgia has a question. Clark you are on the air.
Clark: Hi yes I am here.
Pastor Doug: And you are tuning up on the internet.
Clark: Yes the only way I can get you down here.
Pastor Doug: Alright and your question.
Clark: Well recently I have been considering moving into the marriage phase of a relationship I have been in for awhile. I have been praying about it. And we are both Christians and neither of us wear any sort of jewelry because the Bible talks about in Isaiah the Bible says don’t draw attention to yourself with adornments and stuff, but I had never really considered an engagement ring before and I didn’t know; I know it was not a custom during the Bible. But, based on Biblical principles what you feel the stance is from the Bible regarding an engagement ring?
Pastor Doug: Alright I appreciate your question and before I even answer I have written a booklet that deals with this subject. More specifically on jewelry, but here is a little section I there on wedding bands. I don’t even know if I mentioned engagement rings. The book is called “Jewelry: How Much is Too Much?”
Clark: Okay.
Pastor Doug: But, now let me get to your question. It sounds as though you already know that there is no verse in the Bible for wearing a wedding ring or for that matter an engagement ring. Obviously there are a lot of Christians that do that and you will hear some beautiful clichés that are quoted at wedding services. They are about the circle of gold and the never ending love and, but the fact is that the wedding ring is a pagan tradition that has come into the Christian church. There is no Bible support for it and it goes back to the time when there is one of two stories that it can be traced to.
One is when a woman, a concubine or a slave or maybe even a wife, when she lost her virginity she would put a ring on her finger and there is kind of a visual connotation that we won’t go into. And you know it comes from pagan origins. And the other was ownership. Slave ownership. Now that goes way back and it found its’ way from Babylon to Egypt and from Egypt to Rome. And then from the Romans to the Roman church and it from there made its’ way into Protestant churches. If you go back a couple of hundred years; Christians, Protestants didn’t even wear wedding rings.
Clark: Right I studied that.
Pastor Doug: It was popularized. Did you know that in Japan they never wore wedding rings forty years ago? Now all weddings in Japan have wedding rings. The reason for this being is that the jewelry manufacturers through advertising enticed the Japanese people to think that it is not a real complete wedding unless there is a diamond wedding ring that are given. And basically they have sol d this whole culture on a tradition and it was done through and for the purpose of merchandise.
Because of my view on jewelry and because there is no Bible command for wedding rings let alone engagement rings and it is an expenditure; my wife and I don’t participate in the tradition and I almost never get questioned on it. If a person is married they act married and you know.
Clark: So you don’t participate in the wedding band or the engagement ring itself?
Pastor Doug: Yes neither.
Clark: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And to be honest if people want a wedding and say I want a ring service I say I am not going to do one for you. I know that may sound a little fanatical, but that is how I feel and I will tell you why.
Clark: Okay.
Pastor Doug: I think jewelry and if the history of it is studied a lot of it has pagan trappings.
Clark: Yes.
Pastor Doug: The idea of cutting and piercing yourself goes right to paganism. They used to hang pieces of jewels all over your body to protect you from the spirits and that has found its’ way into a Christian church and you just look at the culture today. With all of the piercings and tattoos that is blatantly pagan. As soon as Christians start wearing any jewelry; it is like a hole in the dam the whole dam breaks. Then pretty soon they are wearing everything. So I don’t want to be a stumbling block and there is no Bible command and I don’t wear any jewelry and I recommend that for Bible Christians if they are married; act married. I know it is a tradition and I won’t condemn anybody if they do, but that’s my opinion.
Clark: Very good. Thank you very much Pastor.
Pastor Doug: Alright? God bless. I probably gave you more than you expected. And let’s see here who has been waiting? We are going to talk now to Larry. Let’s see if we can get a question before the break. Larry is calling from Long Island, New York and listening on WMCA. You are on the air Larry are you with us?
Larry: Yes. I am here.
Pastor Doug: Get real close to the phone. New York is a long way from Sacramento.
[Laughter]
Larry: Can you hear me? My question is about Matthew 24: 34.
Pastor Doug: Matthew 24: 34 and your question more specifically?
Larry: Well Jesus says “Verily I say unto you this generation shall not pass until all of these things have been fulfilled.” And He’s talking about the end.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Larry: Is He talking about Judgment day.
Pastor Doug: Well alright in the beginning of Matthew 24: Jesus is asked three questions. When will these things be and He said the temple will be destroyed and they asked; what is the sign of your coming and the end of the world? And He told them by grouping all three answers into one. Now a generation in the bible is 40 years. Christ is speaking here in about 30 A.D. And he died in 31 A.D. He was crucified and when He said this generation will not pass away until these things be fulfilled in 40 years exactly from when He made this prediction the temple was destroyed. So the first part of His prophecy dealing with the temple of not one stone being left upon another.
Larry: Right.
Pastor Doug: That came true exactly one generation from His statement so there’s a very literal fulfillment here. Some have also tried to take this prophecy and apply it to the end of time. Hal Lindsay who you may have heard of in his book “Late Great Planet Earth” he says since Israel was reestablished as a Nation in 1948 that 40 years from then the secret rapture would take place. Well it didn’t happen and if it did very few were ready because no one has missed them. Do you know what I am saying?
Larry: Yes I do.
Pastor Doug: So these last day applications many have been made and I think we need to be careful. It might be that when we get to heaven there was another last day rapture application. But, then you start to slip in the date of the setting. And Christians should be careful to remember that Christ said that no man knows the day or the hour.
He did tell us we could know when the temple would be destroyed and it happened one generation after His Prophecy.
Larry: When He said that about the temple being destroyed was He talking about Judaism or what exactly does that mean?
Pastor Doug: Well remember at the beginning of this Chapter they are showing Him the beginning of the temple and He says don’t you see all of these things I am telling you? There won’t be one stone left upon another. And they said Lord when will this be? And they thought the destruction of the Jewish temple would be the end of the world, but it wasn’t. In 70 A.D. Titus and his soldiers destroyed Jerusalem and burnt the temple. And they did not leave one stone upon another because there was gold that was melted in the fire and was in the cracks and so they overturned every single stone to get it out.
Larry: Right. That there will not be one stone left upon another you don’t think that has any kind of meaning as far as an end of the world or church age?
Pastor Doug: No I think I know where you are coming from. Absolutely not I would very strongly, but respectfully disagree with my counterpart who is teaching that the church age has ended. The church is the body of Christ and the idea that the body of Christ and the need for it has ended is absurd and it is dangerous teaching in my opinion. Good question Larry and I am glad you asked that. If you will excuse me we are going to take a break and for our friends who are calling in we have some lines that are open now. It is a toll free call 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297 you have probably noticed we have a growing number of people who are calling in on the internet. You can go to listen to this program anywhere in the world and we get mail from just about every corner of the world. If you would like to know more about “Amazing Facts” whether it is the TV, the program or the radio or the live evangelism just go to “Amazing Facts dot org” and the book we are offering tonight is called the “Scarlet Woman”. You can call our resource number 1-800-835-6747 and we will do our best to send it to you. At “Amazing Facts dot org” you can even read it online. We’ll be right back.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back friends. And if you have just joined us this is “Bible Answers Live” it is a live, International and interactive Bible study. It is going around the world via the internet and it can of course be brought in North America and Canada on 150 radio stations. If you would like to call in with a Bible question it is a free phone call and the number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor and our co-host Pastor Dick Debit is not in tonight he is on vacation. And we are going to go right back to the phones. We are starting this segment of our program by talking to Julie who is listening on line 7 and speaking to her from Decatur, Alabama. Welcome Julie.
Julie: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi and your question tonight?
Julie: First of all I would like to say that I truly enjoy your book from the TV programs. My question tonight is my preacher he preached a sermon, but talking about the deceased it is like he condemns them to hell. Now I don’t know exactly which Scripture it is, but it says judge not that you be not judged.
Pastor Doug: Yes Matthew Chapter 7.
Julie: Okay and it upset the young members of the church.
Pastor Doug: Now let me see if I understand you. The preacher was speaking at a funeral of an individual he believed was lost and he made that clear.
Julie: Yes.
Pastor Doug: That is a first for me because usually the preacher puts them in heaven no matter how they lived. But, I think it is very poor taste for a Pastor when a person died and their salvation is in serious question. Don’t talk about their salvation try to give hope to the people who are there. And so I question the judgment of a minister who is going to determine whether or not somebody is saved. That really is in the hands of the Lord.
Julie: Thanks for answering my question and it is in the hands of the Lord because when He was speaking from the cross He said.
Pastor Doug: Yes Matthew 7: 1 “Judge not that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge you will be judged and with what measure you meet it will be measured to you.”
Julie: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Alright well I am surprised to hear that it is very interesting. But, we’ll have to pray for that family okay?
Julie: Okay thank you.
Pastor Doug: Thank you Julie for your question. Going now to talk with Mike who is in Huntington, Tennessee listening on WDNX welcome Mike you are on the air.
Mike: Hi Doug this is Mike.
Pastor Doug: Get real close to your phone I can barely hear you.
Mike: Can you hear me now?
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Mike: Yes Doug who is this in Daniel Chapter 11: 41?
Pastor Doug: In Daniel Chapter 11: 41 let’s go there. It talks about the glorious land. And some have wondered is it talking about Israel? Well Israel right now isn’t that glorious is it?
Mike: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And as matter of fact I understand that tourism industry is really struggling there right now. It says he will enter all—and this I speaking of the king of the north. “He will enter also into the glorious land and many countries will be overthrown, but these will escape out of his hand even Edom and Moab and the chief of the children of Ammon.” In Israel there were three Nations that were relevant; the Edomites, the Moabites and the Amities. They represent a threefold union and you know all through Revelation it talks about the enemies of God—this false trinity so to speak--a threefold union—the beast, the dragon, the false prophet. In the book of Gideon when the enemies came against god’s people it was the Amalachites, the Medionites and the people of the East. When the enemies came against Johasiphat it was Egypt, Moab, and Ammon. I was preaching yesterday on Nehemiah and again it was leaders from the Edomites and Moabites and Ammonites that were attacking God’s people and were causing so much mischief. So this threefold union is speaking about those that are partially Christians and the glorious land is God’s church. And he is going to try to invade God’s church. It refers in I believe it is 2 Thessalonians about the beast power sitting in temple of God showing himself he is god. Well where is God’s temple today? I Am not talking about the literal temple the Bible says don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?
Mike: Yes we are.
Pastor Doug: And Paul said to the church that ye are the temple of God and Jesus is the cornerstone. Ephesians tells us we are living stones—I am sorry it was Peter tells us we are living stones. We are a royal priesthood and so there is a spiritual temple and the beast is trying to get into the church and do his mischief from inside the church. And that is the glorious land that this king of the north is going to invade.
Mike: I see. Okay thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Okay. God bless and thanks for your question. We are talking next to Mark who is calling from Shreveport, Louisiana. He is listening on KSKY welcome Mark you are on the air.
Mark: Thank you first time caller. Can you hear me okay?
Pastor Doug: I can and hear you loud and clear.
Mark: Okay very good. Recently I was—I heard a sermon and it was during the sermon the Pastor said God does not give you any less grace than you need or any more grace than you need. I was alarmed by that statement and I wanted to bounce it off you and see if you are alarmed like I was? I think of passages in Romans where God’s grace is more abundant you know where sin abounded grace abounded more.
Pastor Doug: I would respectfully agree with the first part of his statement that He doesn’t give us less than we need, but I would have to respectfully disagree that He doesn’t give us more than we need. We neglect moist of the grace He proffers and so He certainly gives much more than we need.
Mark: Yeah I was taken aback by this sermon. I was thinking in my mind how blessed we are here in America. It is so much more than people in Africa and various other places. But, there are like many things that we just take for granted and don’t even think about.
Pastor Doug: Yes and I don’t want to judge the Pastor—it may be that he is just trying to say that God gives sufficient grace foe everybody to make a decision and I don’t know. That may be what he meant to communicate and he used some colorful language that went a little too far.
[Laughter]
Pastor Doug: But, no I think God’s grace goes way beyond the way that we utilize it. God’s grace is like an ocean and all we do is take a little bucket. Do you hear what I am saying?
Mark: Yes. Amen very good. Okay I just wanted to call and a first time caller and first time listener and really am enjoying your program so far.
Pastor Doug: Appreciate that and thanks a lot for your call. Talking next to Chris calling from Dublin, California which is not too far from Sacramento and listening on the internet; welcome Chris.
Chris: Hi Pastor Doug. I was trying to find the best references for Jesus’ birth, His baptism and when He was on the cross and the stoning of Steven.
Pastor Doug: Okay well you are asking several questions that will take you different places.
Chris: Oh okay.
Pastor Doug: If you want to ask questions about Jesus’ birth and death it says in Luke Chapter 3: 1 “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Phillip tetrarch Ituraea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene.” There is only one year when the reign of all of these rulers coincided and this is when John the Baptist began his ministry and so we know when Christ was baptized based on this verse in Luke chapter 3: 1. But, obviously you are going to have to go to Roman history and confirm it. There is a book by Edward Gibbon called “The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire” it is a classic and you have probably heard of the title.
Chris: Okay.
Pastor Doug: He helps line these dates up and then you asked about the stoning of Steven?
Chris: Yes.
Pastor Doug: That happened about 34 A.D. and the reason we know that is it was the beginning of a persecution and you will notice in Chapter 8 of Acts. It says “At that time a great persecution began and the Christians were scattered everywhere. History and I don’t remember if it was Josephus or some other writing that tells about a great persecution against the church seven years after the death of Jesus. That would be if Christ died in 31—oh come on let me see here I am getting this wrong—it was 3 and ½ years after the death of Jesus in 34 A.D.
Chris: Okay.
Pastor Doug: It was 7 years after he began His ministry in 27 A.D.
Chris: Okay.
Pastor Doug: So you have to set the history books next to the Bible to confirm it and some of these dates because the Bible doesn’t A.D. B.C.E. dating method anywhere. That was developed three hundred years after Christ by a Monk.
Chris: That is great thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright thank you Chris. God bless. Alright let me see where we are going now. We’re going to go to Greg who has been waiting a long time. Welcome to the program Greg calling from Turlock, California. He is listening on KADV.
Greg: Hello Pastor Doug Always a pleasure listening to you I have a question. I heard something you said a while back about Jacob and his twelve sons and how they made a song and all of this and it seems like when I listen to you that you always are always able to figure out what all these Bible things mean and so I am reading Joshua 12 and it lists out all of these different kings and after the battles. Each king is listed out individually. They have quite a bit of ink spent on that and I wonder if it means anything or why they do that? What do you have to say about that?
Pastor Doug: Well I am sure it means something I mean you are talking about in verse 9 where it says that the king of Jericho won the king of Ai? Which is the one beside the Jerusalem one?
Greg: Right and they are all listed out.
Pastor Doug: Well you know what all you have done now is to make me curious and what I like to do with a passage like this is get my good Bible commentaries and I look up the words and what they mean. Sometimes there is actually a message in there in the way that it states it. One thing I do know is there are seven Nations that they had to displace which is an interesting Bible number of the Hittites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Parasites and the Hiptites and the Jebusites and I would have to do a study on that to see some deeper meaning to a list of kings and their battles. I don’t know off hand. You’ve stumped me Greg I am going to have to close the door and turnoff the volume now.
Greg: I am meek, but I didn’t stump you and I appreciate your insight thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright I appreciate the question and now you just made me curious. God bless.
Greg: Goodbye.
Pastor Doug: Now we’re going to talk to Daniel line 4 calling from Queens, New York. Welcome Daniel listening on WMCA and your question?
Daniel: Hi Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Get real close to your phone.
Daniel: Okay. Basically at my church we had a guest speaker and he said to the congregation on the pulpit that if we continue to eat clean meat that we won’t be translated. And I felt discouraged and have not attended church since and I felt bad because I continue to eat beef and chicken and other things.
Pastor Doug: Well I can tell you right now that you will have a problem with translation if you stop going to church. So we have made progress. There are going to be obviously millions of people that ate meat, but even what the Bible calls unclean meat. Most of them didn’t know and can eating meat affect your salvation? Well the Bible says whether you eat or drink do it all to the glory of God. Whatever it is; do it to the glory of God. And it is possible to eat and drink to God’s glory and it is possible to not eat God’s glory. If a person is drinking alcohol, that is an extreme example. It can affect their salvation because what is going in the mouth affects what is coming out in their health and their perceptions. And if God reveals to us through His word and modern science ways of eating and drinking to preserve our health and we ignore that we’re not sinning so much because of what we’re eating, but we are going against our knowledge. Do you see what I am saying?
Daniel: Well.
Pastor Doug: I want to say this one more time to try to make it clear. Sin is knowing to do good—and I am quoting the Bible—and not doing it. The question is not meat or cigarettes. There are people like John Monroe who smoked who are in heaven that died and the sin was in their attitude because back then they recommended it.
Daniel: It is just like the church is telling you I need to stop that because it is wrong, but the Bible doesn’t tell us that. The Bible says different where the Bible says God allowed this stuff.
Pastor Doug: Well let me give you some just friendly advice. Are you willing to do what God asks you to do?
Daniel: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Okay there is no problem then. What you should do is say Lord then I want to study and find out what your word is and discover the truth about the best way to eat and drink for your glory. You study that because right now you don’t know or have a conviction. So study that and get something you do know and then find what the Lord reveals. But, go back to church. Was this a guest speaker?
Daniel: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Ah don’t ever stop going to church because of a guest speaker because some of them go through churches and say some crazy things. Don’t quit going to church because of a guest speaker.
Daniel: Well it is just that everyone around me was like Amen and Amen like this is so right. But, then I also know for a fact that they also eat chicken and beef and they were like saying Amen and I was the only one sitting there going like what to do?
Pastor Doug: Well you know what? There are hypocrites in every church. You have got to go back.
Daniel: Am I evil?
Pastor Doug: You have got to go back don’t let that discourage you. We all need each other and let me ask you a question. Are you going to go back to church?
Daniel: Yes I am going to start.
Pastor Doug: Well bless your heart. We made progress. You just study the issue and you can go by what the Bible says. Okay?
Daniel: Okay thank you Pastor.
Pastor Doug: Alright God bless. Let me see who has been the most patient. We are going to go next to line 7 and talk to somebody named Max from Austin, Texas. Welcome Max listening on the internet.
Max: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi how are you doing?
Max: Fine and you?
Pastor Doug: Good.
Max: Well my question is about the Da Vinci Code my nephew is scaring me starting to get into that and I don’t think there is anything in the Bible that proves any of that.
[Laughter]
Max: So I got into a conversation with him and I just want to know because I am not the Bible scholar that I should be. I want to know if there is any text I can give him that will refute that?
Pastor Doug: Alright so let me tell you what I do know and what I don’t know Max. I know the Bible fairly well and I don’t know the Da Vinci Code because I haven’t read it. I did watch a program about it on the history channel. And I was able to get an idea of what the Da Vinci Code is about. And let me tell you from what I do know that it is pure fiction. And I think it suggests that Jesus had a baby with Mary Magdalene.
Max: Yes pretty scary.
Pastor Doug: Now that is a story of a rumor that has surfaced in history by those who want to scandalize Jesus. It is so hard for people to believe that a man could know and have a pure relationship with a woman. They keep trying to bring Jesus down to their level.
Max: Yes that is right.
Pastor Doug: If they think that it is impossible for Him to live a Holy life and really if people believe the Da Vinci Code they don’t believe the Bible. The Bible says that Christ was sinless and obviously adultery with Mary Magdalene is going to disqualify Him as our savior wouldn’t it?
Max: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And so it is pure fantasy and I am not sure, but at the beginning of the book it says that this is fiction.
Max: Yes. Really.
Pastor Doug: And so if anybody s trying to make more out of it, it is because their minds are fevered with fantasy and they are unable to separate truth from fiction. The Da Vinci Code is fiction friends it is not Biblical at all. It uses some Bible language to build the story and then it just takes off on its own. It completely jumps the track. So don’t get wrapped up in Hollywood’s version of Christianity. I am glad you asked that Max.
Max: Well thank you.
Pastor Doug: Thank you good question. Talking next to Frank who is calling on line 8. Frank welcome to the program.
Frank: If I get my balance wrong it is because I am a first time caller. My question is about tithes okay I know about all the Scriptures about tithes. Especially Malachi 8, 9 and 10, but I want to make sure I am doing the divine way not my way of tithing. I don’t give it to storehouses and I don’t give it to the churches what I do with that 10 percent is the first thing when I get paid put that on the side to God 10 percent. And I give it to the poor outside whom I mean the homeless people that are really sick and they can’t move and they can’t even get off the floor. Then the first thing I tell them is that the Lord loves you and I love and may He bless you. Are you hungry? And then that’s what I do with my tithes.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Let me say I think the Lord is going to bless your sincerity. But, there are two kinds of tithes believe it or not. The children of Israel had a tithe they brought every three years it was an agricultural tithe that they would bring to the feast. They were allowed to give some of that tithe to the poor. Let me read that to you. That is in Deuteronomy 14: 27 & 28 at the end. “And at the end of three years you shall bring forth all the tithes of your increase the same year and you shall lay it up within your gates and the Levite because he has no part in the inheritance with the ends or the stranger or the fatherless and the widow that are in my gates.” The fatherless and the widow are the poor that you are talking about and they were able to give some of that special tithe to them. But, the primary use of the tithe Frank is to support the gospel preaching. And so tithing should be going to help support missionaries and ministers that are preaching the gospel so that they don’t have to work. You know I’ve got friends in other denominations and they are doing full time work. And they are trying to Pastor a church and they are all worn out by the times they go t church.
Frank: Okay. I was just going to be cautious because I am honest, but I was giving the whole 10 percent to the churches at first, but then I said wait a minute, I need to do it this way. I don’t know I did not really know what was in my mind to do it with the money.
Pastor Doug: Well let me give you something else that may help. There is a distinction in the Bible between tithe and offering. In Malachi Chapter 8 it says tithe and offerings and what you are talking about is pretty much offerings. Tithes should go for the ministry and for mission work.
Frank: Okay so I am offering.
Pastor Doug: Yes what you are doing is offering. I recommend Frank that we have a booklet on this subject. If you ask for our study guide on Tithes. It will give you the entire Scriptures on that. Call 1-800-835-6747. And take a look at that and let me know what you think. We are going to talk next to Jeannie listening from New York, New York on WMCA. Thank you for waiting Jeannie your question?
Jeannie: Hi. God bless you and good evening. My question is I have been very depressed lately and I have suffered with depression my whole life. And I have been thinking a lot about just ending it unfortunately. And I read at another Christian website that if one commits suicide you don’t go to hell because once you are saved you are saved. So I wondered is there any Biblical text that supports that or refutes that?
Pastor Doug: Well if the last act of a person’s life is murder then it is really hard to justify their salvation. And suicide is self-murder am I right?
Jeannie: Yes. I guess.
Pastor Doug: Well I am glad you called me and first of all I am sorry to hear you are depressed. I wish I could take more time to deal with you about that, but let me deal with you on a Biblical and rational level. Some people consider suicide because they have life so difficult that they believe it will somehow be an escape and leave their problems. That it will usher them into some other existence that must be better than this one. But, the fact is Jeannie that for a person who commits suicide and deliberately taking their life. In most cases it is a sign of hopelessness and faithlessness. And the two criteria of salvation are faith and hope. Without faith it is impossible to please God and so if the last act of someone’s life is hopelessness and faithlessness that is not a good sign. Now I am not saying that may not be some exceptions where a suicide may be saved I do not know that. Technically Samuel was a suicide. But, speaking on the side of the Lord suicide is not an option. Okay. Hang in there.
Jeannie: Okay thank you so much.
Pastor Doug: Now go to our website we have something would like you to read. It is free and called “When Days are Dark”. Go to “Amazing Facts dot com”.
Jeannie: Okay I will check that out thank you so much.
Pastor Doug: God bless Jeannie and we may have time for one more call. Let’s talk to line 2 Evan has been waiting a long time. Evan are you there?
Evan: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Thanks for your patience. And your question we need to do this as quickly as we can.
Evan: My question is on Revelation 1: 7. Now I know the Bible is clear that Christ’s second coming only the righteous will be resurrected to see Him, but it says “Behold He cometh in the clouds and every eye shall see Him. And they also which pierced Him.” And that is my question.
Pastor Doug: Alright good, good question. First if all keep in mind that the Bible tells us the resurrection takes place when the Lord returns with a shout. 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, but here are exceptions Christ raised some people at His death and took them to heaven and evidently He is going to raise those who participated in betraying and condemning and executing Him at His return so they get to see Him come as a conquering king and catch up His believers. And so there is going to be a special resurrection. Oh friends we are out of time. The music is chasing me away. But, before I let go of the mic I want to thank you again for keeping us on the air. And those listening who have been blessed and you have never done anything we’d love to hear from you. Just go to the website and drop us a note there or Pastor Dick will give you the address in just a minute. At “Amazing Facts dot org” just remember we do this program and it is not so much the details as knowing Jesus is the truth who sets you free.
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