Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor, how about an amazing fact? Anna Jarvis deeply loved her mother. Following her mother’s death in 1905, Anna campaigned for years to have a national day dedicated to show appreciation to mothers. She thought it will be a wonderful time for sons and daughters to visit their moms or to write letters expressing their love. Finally, in 1914, Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May as Mother’s day. Strangely, years after she struggled to a establish Mother’s day, Anna Jarvis then fought to abolish it. Jarvis had soured because of the way she felt commercial interest had eclipsed her real meaning of the day. She wanted Mother’s day to be ‘A day of sentiment, not profit.’ Beginning around 1920, she urged people to stop buying flowers and other gifts for their mothers.
She referred to the florists, greeting card manufacturers, and candy makers as charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers, and termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest and noblest movements and celebrations. Jarvis became crushed and bitter believing that greed had destroyed Mother’s day, the holiday she helped create. Near the end of her life, Jarvis was seen going from door-to-door in Philadelphia trying to collect signatures on a petition to rescind Mother’s day. In 1948, Anna Jarvis died poor, blind and childless. Ironically, Jarvis would never know that during the closing days of her life, it was the florist companies that anonymously paid for her care. Friend, did you know the Bible also warns about the danger of something sacred, becoming over commercialized. Stay with us. We’re going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live.”
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome listening friends to Bible Answers Live and if you have a Bible-related question, please give us a call. Right now is a good time. We have lines open at numbers. Toll-free phone number: 1-800-GOD-SAYS. That translates to 800-463-7297. Have pencil or something to write with nearby because we’ll also be giving you out some e-mail addresses for additional study. We’ve got free resources that we make available during the program. If you like the streaming program tonight, we are streaming live from the studio. The address for that: live.amazingfacts.org. One more time for the streaming it’s live.amazingfacts.org. If you want to call in with your Bible question, phone number again: 1-800-463-7297 and my name is Doug Batchelor and we have a special guest tonight that’s been here before. I’m happy to welcome back Dr. David DeRose to help with both Bible questions and I understand if someone wants to ask a health question, you won’t turn them away
David DeRose: We won’t turn them away and we’ll trust the Lord will give us the right answer just for them.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Thank you. David, would you mind starting the program with a word of prayer?
David DeRose: I’d be happy to do that, Doug. Father in heaven, we just thank you for the privilege you give us of opening your word and Father, as individuals are tuning in to this program, please put on their hearts the very things that they should ask about and give us wisdom to speak from your word those life-changing truths that we need to hear. We thank you, in Jesus name, Amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen. Thank you. You know, friends, when we started with the amazing fact, we talked about Mother’s day. I was surprised to learn that Anna Jarvis, who was really the dynamo that helped it become an official law and official day, it’s recognized here in North America, later wanted to abolish it because she said it had been over commercialized. I don’t have anything against flowers and greeting cards and I think is wonderful that we have a day dedicated to appreciate our mothers. At the same, it did remind me of a story in the Bible where Jesus felt that something sacred had been set aside for the worship of God had become commercializes and we know that can happen with all kinds of things. The stories in Mark 11:15-17: One day when Jesus came to Jerusalem and He went into the temple. It says. “He began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple. Now, when people would come for the holidays, they often buy sacrifice as whether that was a lamb, or goat or dove. Then they bring him in and pretty soon a whole bizarre had developed.
It used to be outside the temple and migrated its way into the temple. People had to change money into the local temple currency and there was all of this arguing about the price of the exchange rate and people bartering and barking for the prices of the different sacrifices, not to mention the queen of the doves and the bleeding of the sheep and the flowing of the oxen. It just seem like more like a barnyard than a place to worship God and Jesus became indignant by that. It says that He went thru the temple and He overturned the tables of the money changers. I’m backing Mark 11: 15-17. The seats of those who sold doves and he would not allow anyone to carry wares or merchandise through the temple. Then He taught them saying “Is it not written? My house should be called a ‘house of prayer for all nations’ but you’ve made It a den of thieves.” You know what is important, friends, that we don’t allow money to become a distraction from worshipping God. Money, in itself, is not evil but the love of money can be the root of all evil and if you like to know more about this, we have a free book that, I don’t remember if we’ve offered this before but there’s a book called “Thieves in the Church” and you might be surprised what you learned here.
We’ll send it to you free by Joe Crews, the founder of Amazing Facts. “Thieves in the Church”, just call the resource number: 800-835-6747. We’ll send you a free copy of “Thieves in the Church”. It talks about how a Christian should relate to find the answers in those things that are sacred. You know, I think, with that, we’re going to go right to the phone and see how many calls we can get in for the first half and beginning with E. Frank who’s calling from Queens, New York. E. Frank, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
E. Frank: Yes, Pastor Batchelor. I just want to ask a question. Can a person who is a believer be married to another person who is also believer and be evenly yoked under scripture even though they’re from another faith?
Pastor Doug: Well, you know, first of all, the ideal, of course, is not to be unequally yoked in your beliefs because it always creates tension. There are denominations that are much closer together theologically. I mean, just in the Baptist church, for instance. There’s probably, you know, 20 different divisions. And then, of course, there are some denominations, even among Christians, that are at different poles. A Protestant and a Catholic would have some real challenges. That’s why the Bible advices principally when it says “Do not be unequally yoked.” It’s talking about believers marrying unbelievers. But I think that same principle applies even among Christians when you have folks that just have vastly different theology and they get married. There’s going to be conflict and they can make it really difficult on the children. If you’re going to two different churches, then what church do you take the children to?
David DeRose: One of the other great scriptures that deals with this is in Amos 3:3 speaks and tells us “How can two walk together except they be agreed?” Like Pastor Doug is saying, if you’re really not in harmony when it comes to day-to-day walk of faith, which actually denominational issues do have a bearing on that, and that is quite to affect your marriage.
E. Frank: Right, because I have a Christian Methodist Episcopalian girlfriend who said that my baptism was canonically codified. We had differences even though we’re believers. We believe in Sola Scriptura. I was not an ex-cathedra believer of the Catholic faith. She said that there were problems with the canonical codification of my baptism.
Pastor Doug: Well, there are vast differences between – you say she was from Methodist background or – you still there? Did you say she was from a Methodist background or Episcopalian?
E. Frank: Yeah. She was from Christian Methodist Episcopalian.
Pastor Doug: Even there’s a difference between Methodist and Episcopalian. There are some Methodist branches that have merged with the Episcopalian. That’s interesting in itself. Best thing is if you meet with someone, if you date and you are in harmony. I’ve seen before where people from different faiths, they take an interest in each other and they say ‘Look, unless we’re together in our faiths, we really should’ve married’. They study together until they are united in their faiths. I like to make a suggestion. E. Frank, you and any future interest, go to the Amazing Facts website and you can study our study guides at BibleUniverse.com. We’ve got a series of study guide. That’s a great way for Christians to come together and better understand what the Bible says. It’s not really God’s will that Christians are so divided in their faith. I appreciate your call and your question. We’re going to go now to Damien, who’s calling from Chandler, Arizona. Damien, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Damien: Okay, I have a couple of good questions. Say someone you fell out with someone close they like to bother you somewhere. It was just problems I fell out. You’re trying to get close to him. He put the forgiveness and then you forgive him and told him you did and everything and he’s still denying you, and he’s coming year after year. You stopped doing it. You just let it be until you cannot do it no more. You let that person come to you and then accept his forgiveness. You just deny him too which I wouldn’t probably do. I just want to know that. First, I could have married without feeling. I mean like you’re not happy with your wife you’re supposed to stay with her forever. You know what I mean?
Pastor Doug: Well yeah. Let’s start with the second question first. There’s really only one Biblical grounds for divorce. I’m talking about when two Christian people get married. That is if one violates the vows through unfaithfulness. You’ll find that in Matthew 5 – Jesus said “What God has joined together, let not man put us under.” There are days when even the husband and a wife might feel animosity or even beyond happy with each other but they’ve made a commitment. There’s so many people that divorce these days. They say “Well, we grew apart” and I understand that does happen but it’s just so important for family, for culture, for our personal sanctification and development that we learn to maintain those love commitments and love is not always a feeling.
David DeRose: Then the other part of your question, Damien, when we’re trying to reconcile with people. I mean, the Bible basically is fascinating to me, Pastor Doug. When we recognize there’s a rift, whether I caused the rift, whether someone harmed me. The Bible is very clear that we should try to reconcile and yet it’s the same time God never takes anyone’s free will. So if you’ve reached out to someone. You’ve done all you could. You’ve told them you’re sorry and they haven’t accepted that. You do it some point you have to move one with your life. I mean, it’s not your burden to continue to grovel. The door’s open for them.
Pastor Doug: That’s right. Good point. Well, I appreciate that, Damien, and with that we’re going to go to line 5 and talk to Archie who’s calling from Lodi, California listening on KFIA. Archie, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Archie: Hello, Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Evening!
Archie: My question is about Genesis 11:9 about the power of Babel. I was wondering if you would agree that for the Lord to work a miracle like this. It takes years for people that learn languages, and for Him doing that suddenly. A hundred or whatever amount of different languages there were. And to have all the knowledge of a language to where they understood each other perfectly within groups. If this miracle would suggest that He can create the world in 6 letter all days.
Pastor Doug: Well, I certainly think that the intelligence required for God to suddenly have all these tribes develop where there were groups that understood each other and others that didn’t. Of course, you see it in Pentecost, something similar happened. At Babylon, because of the rebellion of building this tower is sort of against God’s will and they were developing like man-made worship. God cursed or confounded, confused the languages so they could not understand. They were forced to separate. At Pentecost, God really reversed that. God gave the apostles a supernatural ability to understand this understand these other languages to pull his church together and to spread the word around the world. Sure I’d say that the same power that can give man that supernatural ability is also evidence that he can speak the world into existence in 6 days, literal days.
David DeRose: I mean, these are clearly evidence of creative authority. I’ll give you one other from a physician’s standpoint. It’s in Mark 8. There’s this story of the man who was blind and Jesus actually gave him the gift of sight that he first says “Will I see man as trees walking?” and then Jesus completely heals his vision. Pastor Doug, I don’t know if you. Really interesting. Amazing fact from medical standpoint. Actually, we can give someone their vision back but if we don’t heal the brain, they can’t interpret what they’re seeing. So actually, there were two things that God healed. He healed both his eyes and his brain. What is this have to do with language? All of it points to this creative power that God has where he can do something in an instant that would normally take a lifetime if you will.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, like you buy a computer. All software’s pre-installed and Adam kind of came with pre-installed software. Does that help, Archie?
Archie: Yes. The other part of my question was in verse 7 of Genesis 11. It said “The Lord said let us go down as…” How do you?
Pastor Doug: Well, I believe that’s one of the early examples of the trinity. You also find it saying in Genesis 1 “Let us make man in our image” and so the word “Elohim” there is a plural. So from the very beginning when it says that there is one God. The word “one” there is like a man and woman become one flesh. God is 3 people and is one God. God the Father, Son and the Spirit. I think that’s further evidenced not only there in Genesis 1 and 2 but in Genesis 7 as well. I appreciate your call, Archie. I think that next we’re going to be talking to Meenus in line 7. Pastor Ross is not here so I’m offering in the phone. From Ontario, Canada, Meenus, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Meenus: Yes, good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening!
Meenus: On Paul 12:29, how about the consuming fire “Our God is a consuming fire”. Is that that if we are cheating, committing sins, when will it then become impossible to save our soul or if it’s the fact that the word of God is so rich that it cannot be ignored.
Pastor Doug: Well, when it says our God is a consuming fire, we read in, I think it’s 2 Thessalonians where it tells us that the Lord will devour the wicked with the brightness of his coming. The presence of God, the glory of God is so bright if we were brought to the presence of God without totally being sanctified and getting some kind of glorious protection from the Lord. We would be dis-devoured by – even the angels veiled their faces. Paul is saying here in Hebrews that we must be cleansed from sin. It’s sort of like on a dark night when you turn on a bright light, the cockroaches will run and the moths will come. So we’ve got to go through a metamorphous if we’re going to be able to live among the everlasting burnings that talks about who will dwell among everlasting burnings that means the glory of God.
David DeRose: I mean another wonderful illustration of this is Mount Sinai in the Old Testament. The people had to stay away from that mountain. God was going to minister them in His glory. So, this loving God is also a consuming fire.
Pastor Doug: That’s right, absolutely. I appreciate your question very much. We’re going to talk next to Marcy. By the way, that frees up a phone line if someone wants to call with a Bible question, we do have lines open – 800-463-7297. Better tell myself to slow down when I say the number because I use to race thru it. People are writing it down. 800-463-7297, we are talking next with Marcy, calling from Michigan. Marcy, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Marcy: Thank you Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Hi!
Marcy: Hi! Thank you so much for taking my call. I have been perplexed about 1 Peter 3: 18-19.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Marcy: - which talks about He went and preach to the spirits in prison. I have people tell me that means it proves there’s a purgatory and I know there isn’t such a place but I would like to have you shed some insight into that.
Pastor Doug: Yes, this is very often misunderstood and some people believe that when Jesus died that he did not really die, but he just went through sort of a transition, another dimension where he went and preached the people that were bound in some kind of limbo or purgatory to give them a second chance. In particular, people who died during the flood. Peter is referring to a statement in Genesis 6:3 where God says: “My spirit will not always strive with man yet as days old be a 120 years.” The wickedness of the earth had gotten so bad, the Lord said “I’m only going to give man another 120 years to repent. I will strive through the spirit.” Noah preached for 120 years why he built the ark to those people that lived before the flood. The same spirit that spoke through Noah was the same spirit that spoke through Christ. Now, with that in mind, you can read this again a little differently.
For Christ, this is 1 Peter 3 “For Christ also has once suffered for sins that just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh quickened by the Spirit.” He’s talking now about the subject is the Spirit. “By which by the same Spirit, he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” That means in prison to sin where sometimes we’re disobedient when once the long suffering – 120 years – of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. The same spirit that raised Jesus is the spirit through which Noah preached to the people that had a final warning before the flood came and Peter is saying the same spirit is preaching to his nation, that they should repent.
David DeRose: Contextually too, one of the interesting things about that passage is why is he making this parallel with those Noah’s day. If you look at the very next verse – verse 21 speaks about baptism and how God uses that as this process of saving people from sin. This connection here is made complete where God is saying: I’m using this example, it’s not about Jesus what he did in his death but it’s looking at baptism and how they had fits in to the plan of salvation.
Pastor Doug: When Noah and his family went thru the flood, they were basically came out the other side into a new world. They were baptized. You have a number of analogies like this in the Bible. It even talks about when the children of Israel went through the Red Sea, they were baptized in the sea. It’s interesting, God said “Unless you’re born of the water and the Spirit you cannot enter the kingdom.” Our world was baptized in water back in the days of Noah. It will be baptized in fire when Jesus comes again and the God will make a new heaven. So, it’s a world you can have both of fire and a water baptism, you might say. I appreciate your call. Talking next to Matt, calling from Henderson, Tennessee. Matt, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Matt: That you, I appreciate taking my question. I’m not sure how well I’ve been able to phrase this question over the years but, essentially I’m trying to understand Jesus and his role. I mean, I understand that it’s very important when He dies on the cross. That seems to be the props of his importance, in at least in that regard. My concern is that the Bible says, the Ten Commandment say “Don’t put any body or anything between or before God” and Jesus kind of mandates that He is the intercessory between us and God. My concern is that when he dies on the cross, and takes all our sins. He can’t be God in that moment because God can’t be of the sin. So, the moment He becomes the most important to us is when He becomes separated in my mind from God and that’s when He’s asking to be between us and God and I’m just concerned about that and I understand that.
Pastor Doug: Well, that is something of a mystery. Jesus did not cease being God incarnate when he was bearing our sins because the Creator and you agreed that all things were made through Christ, right?
Matt: I’m also afraid that I’ve harden my own heart and I’m concerned about that as well.
Pastor Doug: That’s even the bigger question if you’re concerned about that, Matt. Just the real quick to deal with your first question, if all things are made by Christ, as it does say in the Gospel of John. If it says in the Bible, in the beginning, God made the heaven and the earth. Because we have sinned and broken God’s law, God is the only one who could pay the penalty for our sin. So, yes. Jesus was still God even as He was bearing our sin. Abraham told his son, God will provide Himself a sacrifice for our sin. He’s done that for you, Matt and don’t say “I’m afraid my heart’s getting hard.” Feel on the things of God and the Holy Spirit will be working on you.
David DeRose: Wonderful promise, Matt in John 6:37: “All that the Father gives me shall come to me and Him that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out.” So Jesus just invites you to come to Him just as you with all your questions, with all your concerns and He’s there for you.
Pastor Doug: Yup, even your doubts and as you come and say “Lord, I don’t want my heart to be hard.” By the way, all of us struggle with the danger and potential of having a heart hardened. The whole new covenant is about He’s taking about the stoning heart out of our flesh and giving us a heart of flesh. Matt, he can do that for you as well or anybody who is listening. You know, I like to recommend that if you’ve not done it before, visit the Amazing Facts website that’s called BibleUniverse.com and then roll in the Bible studies there. They will just change your life as you see the panorama of the plan of salvation. One more time, that’s BibleUniverse.com. We’re going to take a break here, we’ve got about 1 minute. Dr. DeRose, we don’t have a time for question before the break. We’ll come back in a moment with more Bible questions. Tell us about yourself. I’d just said you’re on the air and I assumed people have heard you before. Who are you?
David DeRose: One of the things that’s exciting to me is I’m just like you, someone that God preached down to and basically started revealing His word too. He’s showed me that He had plans for my life and has included medical work as well as ministering the people Biblically. So, that’s been the journey that I have been on. It’s always wonderful to share with people whether it’s over the radio or in person.
Pastor Doug: That’s right, you got an amazing testimony as well and sometime we might have to bring you on, just let to share you your testimony and you’re not only a medical doctor but you do pastoring.
David DeRose: That’s correct. So, we’ve had the best of both worlds here.
Pastor Doug: Friends, don’t forget that tonight’s program is also streaming on the internet. So, is you’d like to tune in to that. It’s live.amazingfacts.org, if you want to see the streaming. You’re listening to Bible Answers Live. You know, also during the program, we like to highlight the Amazing Facts website. We’re trying to budget about 3 minutes for these Bible questions to bring as many as we can on the air. By the way, we do have lines open. One more time: 800-GOD-SAYS or 800-4637-297 but if we don’t get your Bible question, the amazing facts website is really easy to remember: Amazing Facts. Someone once thought it was F-A-X like facsimile. How do you say that on the radio? You got to spell it. AmazingFacts.com.net.TV.org will take you to website. We’ve got more Bible questions and answers there plus all the video sermons, studies, resources galore is the kaleidoscope if blizzard of Bible truth and we’re going to have more Bible questions in just a moment. We do have lines open so give us a call. Stay tuned!
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back, friends to Bible Answers Live. Yes, we are live and if you have a Bible question, the phone number to call, toll free: 800-GOD-SAYS or 800-4637-297. The Bible is the foundation source book for the answers we give and here on the studio, we’ve got a few different Bible resources and computer programs open so we can search the word together and do our best to answer your questions. Pastor Ross is on vacation, well-deserved. Tonight, I’m in the studio with Dr. David DeRose who has been here before who’s both a physician and a pastor. So, maybe you have a medical question. He can help you with that tonight as well. What do you think, David? Go back to the phones now, huh?
David DeRose: Sound like a good idea, Doug.
Pastor Doug: Alright, who’s been waiting the longest? The last will be first. We’re going to talk next to Robert who’s calling from New York, New York with his question? Robert, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live. Actually, Bloomfield, New York. Sorry.
Robert: Bloomfield, New Jersey.
Pastor Doug: Oh, alright. I apologize twice. And your question?
Robert: Okay. We know that Noah cursed his son, Ham. Noah was a righteous man. Now, my question is: Is there any other example in the Bible, Old or New Testament?
Pastor Doug: Well, that talks about Jesus pronouncing a curse not only in the Fig tree but he wept over Jerusalem and said that all of the innocent blood from Abel to Zachariah, the son of Berechiah who died between the porch and the altar, would come on that generation. Now, that’s a pretty frightful curse. He wept when he said it. He didn’t want to say it but He saw the destruction of Jerusalem. Then Christ went out of Jerusalem and said “Your house is left to desolate.” So the nation suffered. Not just Jesus but a number of the Bible prophets from Jeremiah to Isaiah have pronounced not only promises and blessings but some of them were frightful prophecies or you might call them curses.
David DeRose: Well, the first curse in the Bible is the curse on the serpent. Basically, a curse is not designed to do something bad. It’s an evidence of God’s justice or someone representing God, showing that there is justice. So if someone has done something wrong, they’re not going to get away with that and God says to have justice, there is cause and effect. Although, this may sound harsh and cruel, this is what gives us confidence that is an orderly universe that the righteous will be blessed. Jesus will save and if we don’t repent, there are consequences.
Pastor Doug: There are even a couple of examples on the Bible where judgments and curses were pronounced but because the subjects of those judgments repented and humbled themselves, God extended them mercy all the way from Nineveh to Ahab. So, God is merciful. I appreciate your question, Robert. Thank you very much. We’re talking next with Aaron, calling from Carmichael, California. Aaron, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live. Hi! Aaron, are you there!
Erin: Yeah, I’m right here. Can you hear me? Alright. My question is about a test of a few prophet. I had a discussion with members of an organization who have any prophet whenever there ____. President/prophet died and I asked them a very simple question: If one of their former president who has deceased as one thing and another one says the complete opposite, wouldn’t that make your organization, you’re part of a false organization of false religion and I was just curious because all these modern-day prophets especially from the 1800’s to today. People claim to be prophet.
Pastor Doug: Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 speaking of the last days, He said that be careful. First thing he said is “Take he that no man deceive you.” And then he go later in that chapter. He said “There will be many false Christs and false prophets. Now, he didn’t say there will be no more true prophets. The gift of prophecy has not left the church but I think, everybody’s naturally suspicious if someone says “I am a prophet” because of so many false prophets that would be the average. But there are still true prophets, how do you know the difference? There are Bible tests that you can apply and I’ll just tell you a few of them and then I’ll offer you or anyone that want’s it, a free study guide that has those different tests for a true prophet. First, the study guide.
Call Amazing Facts and the study guide is called “Does God Inspire Astrologists and Psychics?” and it really goes into true and false prophets in there. “Does God Inspire Astrologists and Psychics?” Just ask for our study guide dealing with prophets. That number one more time, the resource number is 800-835-6747. A couple of quick examples, a true prophet, of course, their life is going to be in harmony with the Bible. There prophecies will come true. They’ll not exalt themselves or exalt Christ and I’m automatically suspicious when someone says they’re true prophet and they start to ask for your credit card. So, you know, not every church does that but some of these dial up prophets, first thing they want to know is your credit card number and they’ll bill you for their prophecy. No Bible prophet ever said that “Give me a donation and I’ll give you a prophecy.” So, that also make something suspect.
Aaron: The person that they’re seeking has additional stuff and addition to the Bible so that just make them more suspicious.
David DeRose: I think one of the other key principles is that if you look at one of those foundational texts dealing with inspiration is 2Peter 1:21. It tells us basically the source of prophetic truth is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is consistent with Himself. The other fascinating thing about, if you look at the God had the Holy Spirit, the Father, the Son – they’re always exalting someone else. So when someone is calling attention to themselves like Pastor Doug mentioned, when they’re seeking to open up your pocketbook and enrich them. Usually this is not manifesting the Holy Spirit and when they’re not consistent with what has been revealed already and inspired counsel, then we know this is an ironclad evidence that’s not the Holy Spirit but another spirit that is behind those messages.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely. So if anybody would like a copy on that lesson on true prophets, then call the resource number: 800-835-6747 will be happy to send that to you. We’re talking next with Mary and Mary is calling from New Jersey, is that correct? Hi, welcome to the program.
Mary: Thank you. This is useful quite a while and then I’ve heard you’ve speak about the issue of vegetarianism and I’ve also read the book “God’s Free Health Plan”, I believe it’s the title. It seems to me that the more we read the Bible, what the Bible says about vegetarianism, it just seems that it’s just not at all Biblical, you know. For example, I’ve looked at Roman 14: 1-4 which says that some people always eat vegetables but those who eat only vegetable shouldn’t condemn those who eat everything and vice versa. In Deuteronomy 12: 15-23, God told the Israelites eat as much meat as you want, anytime you want, whether or not it’s being sacrificed, that doesn’t matter on whether or not you’re unclean or clean. Just eat whatever you want. In 1Timothy 4: 1-5 also says that we shouldn’t tell people to have sin to stop to not to marry or to abstain from certain foods so, you know, I just wanted to get a view on those scriptures because it seems that none of them support the view that vegetarianism is the way we should be living.
Pastor Doug: You’ve named 3 scriptures and I don’t know we have enough time to answer them all well. One issue you need to understand is in the New Testament, there is a great debate over whether or not they could eat things that had been offered to idols. Some people said “We don’t know if these pagans have offered their sheep or their goat or their cattle to an idol before it was butchered and sold in the market place.” Paul said don’t ask any questions for conscience if your conscience bothers you then don’t eat meat, just eat vegetables. That had really nothing to do with the benefits of vegetables over vegetarianism. That really had to do with things offered to idols or not offered to idols. That’s also what it’s talking about there in Timothy. Now, when you’re talking about the statement in Deuteronomy, you know, God is the one who makes a distinction between clean and unclean animals. You know, I probably shouldn’t go too far with this answer. We got a doctor in the house. David?
David DeRose: You know, I think, Pastor Doug, you’re really getting at the answer and the answer is simply this: There’s a difference in the Bible when we’re speaking about moral issues and health issues. The challenge is God often mingles the two together. If you want to seek God’s original intention, his original order, you look at the creation. At the beginning, He gave mankind a total vegetarian diet. He gave one man, one wife - that was his order as for as the family. But in God’s will, He allowed David to have multiple wives. I mean, at least he didn’t intervene. There was Bathsheba that he, of course, didn’t approve of but throughout history, we see this that God sometimes allows things. The most important thing, of course, is salvation so in the New Testament, a lot of these health things God mixed up in the Jews’ minds with being moral things that were required for salvation. We would never say you have to be a vegetarian to be saved but I could tell people, as physician, that’s the optimal diet. When I read Genesis 1:29, I say, “Well, it should no surprise that was the original diet that God gave to humankind.”
Pastor Doug: It’ll be the diet when we get to the kingdom. We’re not obviously going to be butchering and killing animals there. Are you a vegetarian?
David DeRose: I actually am. I wasn’t raised one but the Lord made the light very clear to me. It has been a blessing to my health.
Pastor Doug: Do you mind me asking how long?
David DeRose: It’s been at least 25 years.
Pastor Doug: Wow, pretty good. That wonderful. Do you feel pretty good? Feel healthy?
David DeRose: I’m blessed.
Pastor Doug: What about this mess that you have to eat a certain amount of meat to get your B12.
David DeRose: I have but do you to know an interesting statistic? The majority of people who have B12 deficiency are meat eaters. It’s the largest number of people.
Pastor Doug: That is interesting. Well, I hope that helps a little bit, Mary. You say that you’ve read the study guide that we have on “God’s Free Health Plan.” We’ve got another one who may have not read, it’s called “Hogs and Other Hazards.” I’d like to send that you for free if you’d just call and ask for it. It’s 800-835-6747. We’ll send you that book and anyone who wants it. “Hogs and Other Hazards.” What are some of the Bible principles for healthful eating? You know, the Bible does not command that you have to be a vegetarian to be saved but there are principles in the Bible where there are obvious benefits. The closer you get to the diet of Adam and Eve, better-off you’re going to be and feel. Thank you, Mary. I hope the helps a little bit and next we’re going to talk to Joshua, who has been waiting the longest. Okay, it takes all my brain to do this. Joshua, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live from Michigan.
Joshua: Thank you for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: Yes, Sir. What’s your question?
Joshua: My question was what your take on Colossians 2: 9?
Pastor Doug: Colossians 2: 9, going there right now. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the God had bodily.” Well, that, of course, is speaking of Christ. I think that Jesus is the sum total of what God could be. Jesus said “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” It’s when the life of Christ, God was reflected.
Joshua: I know there’s many Trinitirian believers out there but the Bible proves that there’s only one God.
Pastor Doug: Don’t disagree with that. That’s Deuteronomy 6:4, I believe. “Hear O Israel, the Lord God is one.” But now, just keep in mind, when Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17, that the apostles might be one. Did the mean that the 12 apostles were supposed to merge into 1 person or they were to be united. So, when God says that our God is one, remember Moses is coming out of Egypt where they have all this different gods fighting with each other and they had a god of the bushes and a different god had a territory of the trees or the river, whatever it was. In paganism, they had all these different gods like Greek mythology that they were stealing each other’s wives. Moses said “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one.” He wasn’t talking about numerically because God is us. Moses also said “Let us make man in our image.” He was saying that our God, the Father, Son and the Spirit, is a one God. It’s perfectly united.
Joshua: For that, I got a question though. You said he wasn’t talking about it numerically. Are you sure?
Pastor Doug: Well, I think that the emphasis there is talking about that God is united. Why are you asking it at that way?
Joshua: Because in Isiah 9: 6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders.” Who’s that? Who was that person come out Jesus?
Pastor Doug: Do you think Jesus is God?
Joshua: Yes, He is God.
Pastor Doug: Do you think the Father is God?
Joshua: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Do think that you support people or you think that they’re the same?
Joshua: We all know that God is a spirit, right? We can’t see God. So the only form that we all received God is Jesus. Because in 2Timothy 3: 16 “God was manifest in the flesh.”
Pastor Doug: He was. God was manifested in Christ. When Jesus was baptized, and it says that the Holy Spirit came down to Christ who is in the water and the voice of the Father spoke from heaven. You got 3 different individuals in 3 different places unless you believe Jesus was a ventriloquist.
Joshua: My question is the fact is that God is omnipresent, He can be anywhere at any time.
Pastor Doug: So, He was talking to Himself.
Joshua: Yeah if you want to look at it that way. Is it his own Daddy?
Pastor Doug: Can I said, well, that was a little schizophrenic. Can I send you a free book please, Joshua. We wrote a book on this and I understand where you’re coming from. I address some of these questions in the book, quite a few of them. It’s a book on the Trinity. I know you studied this a little bit but if you’ve not read this book, it’s free. I hope that you’ll send for anybody that has some questions about the teaching of the Trinity. We invite you to send for it. It’s called “The Trinity”. Call the resource number: 800-835-6747. We’ve got people standing by right now just to take your address and send it to you for free. No postage or anything.
David DeRose: You know, one other thing, Pastor Doug, just because Satan has brought certain things into Pagan religions doesn’t mean we throw them out from Christianity. I mean, Pagan religions believes in the virgin birth and other things that are Biblically true so we have to be careful that we don’t say will the Trinity couldn’t be true because they are Pagan beliefs that looked at the trinity.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely, yeah. Lot of Pagans get on their knees when they pray. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to get in your knees when you pray so I appreciate your call, Joshua. I hope you can take my respectful disagreement in the right spirit. Next, we’re talking with James. James is calling from Virginia, listening on the internet. James, you’re in the air with Bible Answers Live.
James: Hey Pastor. How are you?
Pastor Doug: Doing well. I’m good.
James: Yes, I wanted to know if Satan was going to actually be in human form during the Battle of Armageddon.
Pastor Doug: When you talk about the Battle of Armageddon, the kind of the first phase of the Battle of Armageddon is Revelation 12: 17, when the dragon makes war with the woman. The ultimate conclusion of Armageddon is that the end of the 1000 years when He rallies Gog and Magog to attack the city of God. I understand that Satan is going to somehow be visible. I don’t know if it’s not an incarnation, I don’t think as we would think. Maybe someone who will be spirit-possessed but Satan is going to impersonate Christ and somehow rallied the people in the world to worship the beast in his image. So, there might be something you’ll see. I think that the devil is saying that God is not fair and that God came into the world in the form of a man to teach us the truth and Satan is saying “I want to be able to appear in one way or another.” So what happens before the millennium may be different from what happens after the 1000 years and all the wicked of resurrected. The devil tries to marshal all of the wicked against the City of God. I don’t know if you have any thoughts on that?
David DeRose: Well, I think it’s very clear in the Book of Revelation. I mean, Satan is going to counterfeit everything possible – Trinity, Messiah and the whole picture. You mentioned earlier in the show Matthew 24, Jesus is continually saying “Let no one deceive you.”
Pastor Doug: So, hope that helps, James. Did you ever get our free study on the millennium?
James: Yes, I did.
Pastor Doug: I know that that doesn’t address how he’s going to look when he appears but he’s going to somehow be visible because he’s going to be communicating with people, one way or the other. I want to be surprised but the Devil is going to use the media in the last days. I think he’d probably going to have a Facebook account. I’m not sure but I think so. Hey, we’re going to go on now, talking to someone listening across the country on Sirius XM Radio, Tory. You didn’t know you’re online 6,Troy but you were. Calling from Tupelo, Mississippi or Louisiana. Hi!
Tory: Well, I have a question about Revelation 21:8 where it lists all of the different kinds of sin that talks about liars and all of those other types of people in the bible. I would like to know if we’re not under the law why is that often used as fire in brimstone to bring condemnation upon Christ’s.
Pastor Doug: Well, when the Bible tells us we’re not under the law, and you’re talking about where Paul makes that statement. Paul does not mean that believers are under no obligation to obey the law. He means that, through Christ, we are saved from the penalty of the law which is death. Being safe from the penalty doesn’t mean we obey less. It means we’ll obey more because we’re so grateful for God’s mercy we want to obey. So, those were saved by grace now obey because of love. All of the law is still intact. Those who reject Christ says “I’ll be judge by the law.” So, yes, of course, and you’re quoting about Revelation 21: 8 where it says “But the fearful and the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the rumormungers, sorcerers, idolaters will have their part in the lake that burns with fire. Talking about all those people who have not repented and confessed and forsaken their sins.
David Rose: I mean, of course, we’ve all sinned and some of these sins could be named on any of us. Some of us may be all of them but when we repent, Jesus’ blood is sufficient.
Tory: Absolutely, but so often I hear that it’s taught in the churches and it brought up fear upon the congregation like different times the same as. What do you think about that? Is having something that we’re supposed to be doing as to leaves us all over not under the law? Isn’t it true that all of the law has been done away with because you know that Christ overcame the law?
Pastor Doug: Well, Christ did not obey the law to give us a license to break it. So, in other words, once a person accepts Jesus, they’re not now free to murder and lie and kill or commit adultery. When we accept Jesus, we are obedient. Let me read another verse for you that’s similar to what we looked at in Revelation. 1 Corinthian 6: 9: “No ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, no effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” So, when we come to Christ, he says you were these things, meaning you’re not anymore. The last part of your question and we’re almost out of time, Tory, you asked about tithing. You know, tithing is given, is a principle in the Old Testament and it goes all the way back before Moses, you can find it with Abraham and with Jacob. Since, there’s nothing in the New Testament that says that Christians are no longer to support the work of God, then we’re to assume it’s still intact.
Jesus in Matthew 23:23 says “These things you ought to do and not leave the other undone,” speaking of tithing. We’ll send you a free lesson on that subject. First of all, we got a lesson about the law of God. Does God’s law allow us to – if we’re not under the law, what does that mean? Are we free to sin? It’s called “Written in Stone”. It’ll help you understand the relationship between law and grace. “Written in Stone” – we’ll send you a free copy, Tory. Call the number: 800-835-6747 and we’ll send that to you at the same study guide, I mean, at the same website. We’ve got a study guide dealing with in God we trust. It talks about how a Christian relates to tie according to the Bible in New Testament times. How do we understand and relate to the subject of tithing. Now it’s called “Trust in God”. We’ll send it to you free. Call that same number. Listening friends, we sure appreciate you’re tuning in tonight, to Bible Answers Live. I want to thank Dr. David DeRose for joining us and I’d like to welcome you back whenever we’ve got room. We’d love to have you come and join us.
David DeRose: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Friends, you know we don’t do it very often. I want to do it from time to time and remind you. We wouldn’t be able to stay on this program if it wasn’t for people like you who thank. You know, I appreciate what I’m learning I want to keep this program on the air. Amazing Facts does not have any under writers or denomination supporting this. Its’ all coming from the listeners like you. Drop us a line at the website: AmazingFacts.org. God bless.
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