Devoted Fathers

Some of the most devoted fathers are found in the animal kingdom. For instance, giant South African bullfrogs are so protective of their young they've been known to attack lions and elephants while defending their tadpoles. Strangely enough, an ocean catfish is a great example of a devoted father. He carries the eggs of his youth in his mouth until they're ready to be born, which might take several weeks.

During that time, he can't eat anything. Emperor penguins are another great example of paternal sacrifice. After leaving the sea, couples walk and skid for miles across the desolate waste of Antarctica. Then they stop on a frozen plane and the female lays one egg onto the male's feet. He quickly covers it with the folds his fat, feathery fur and keeps it warm.

The mother helps briefly, but soon she leaves him to feed in the ocean while the father cares for the egg alone. This will be done in the middle of winter near the South Pole with its perpetual, darkness and bitter cold and fierce windstorms. For 64 days he stands there living on his body blubber and eating nothing, while temperatures might reach 65 degrees below zero.

The male penguins huddle in clusters of about 100 for protection from the frigid wind. They incubate and hatch the eggs on their feet. Like the catfish, he can't eat for the entire duration of his care for the eggs.

You know friends, the Bible says, "As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him." [Psalm 103:13.] Stay with us friends. We're going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Doug: Welcome once again listening friends to a fresh installment of Bible Answers Live. If you are tuning in for the first time, this is a live, international, interactive Bible study. And we're glad that, either by choice or providence, you've found this station. We hope you stay tuned.

If you have any Bible questions, we invite you to give us a call. It's a toll-free number in North America. That's 1-800-GOD-SAYS. That translates into 1-800-463-7297. Now is a good time for you to pick up the phone and give us a call on this Father's Day because we still have some lines open; and you have a great chance of getting your Bible question on the air.

Once again, the number, 1-800-GOD-SAYS, that's 1-800-463-7297. Keep a pencil handy because we give out another resource number later in the program with several free offers that we always make available to help you in your Bible study. My name is Doug Batchelor, and as you know, Pastor Jëan Ross is still away.

He is doing some evangelistic meetings in Nigeria and we want to remember to pray for him and his team. Tonight we have a special guest in the studio. Since it's Father's Day, we are debuting a new co-host, at least for tonight. This is my son, Stephen Batchelor, who is 13 years old and is taking his first crack behind the microphone. He's going to man the telephone tonight. Good evening Stephen.

Stephen: Hi Dad, how are you?

Pastor Doug: I'm good. How are you doing?

Stephen: I'm nervous.

Pastor Doug: A little nervous, you'll be fine! Why don't we go ahead and we'll start with prayer as we always do, and we'll pray about that as well.

Loving Lord, we're so thankful for this opportunity again to study Your Word via the radio waves and to search for truth in the blessed Book. We pray You bless every aspect of this program. Be with Stephen and myself as we do our part at this end; and take charge of those who are calling in, that they might be edified and blessed as well. And all things, we pray, will bring glory to Your name; and it's in Christ's name we ask, amen.

Well tonight in our devotion we talked a little bit about the love of fathers, even in the animal kingdom, for their children. And I thought that was very interesting learning about the South African bullfrog and the catfish and the emperor penguin. I know, Stephen, we even looked on the nature channel one time and saw that male seahorses actually incubate their young. In some cases, they give birth to them. So that was very interesting.

You know, the Bible tells us that God is our Father in heaven. When Jesus said, "In this manner ye should pray," Matthew chapter 6, "Our Father...." He drew from one of the most tender, earthly relationships that we can identify with to give us some idea of how much God loves us.

The Bible tells us God so loved the world He gave His Son. And we think of the story when Abraham went up the mountain with his son, Isaac, and was willing to offer his son because of his love for God. You think how much, God, our Father, must love us; and yet, in the world, and it's also true sometimes in the church, there is division in the families where God wants there to be unity.

Maybe you'd like to know more how you can have this connection in your family. We have a free offer tonight that we'd like to make available to you. And it's called, Reconnecting the Family, written by Jim Hohnberger. If you would like to get a free copy of this book, Reconnecting the Family by Jim Hohnberger, call the resource number. It's 1-800-835-6747.

That's different from the number to the telephone lines. If you want to call in a question, that's 1-800-GOD-SAYS. But if you'd like our free resource, we've never offered this before, Reconnecting the Family, brand new book, then give us a call, 1-800-835-6747. Just ask for it and we'll send it to you.

We also begin each time with a couple of Internet questions. Before I do that, I want to remember to welcome a new station. I think we have over 150 stations right now. We would like to welcome a Radio 74 affiliate, KJIT 106.7 FM, from Bismarck, North Dakota. And we would love to have you call in if we have some new listeners listening on KJIT 106.7 FM.

Internet questions, the first one is asking, "If Satan knew that Jesus' death on the cross would bring him, Satan, the ultimate defeat, why did he work so hard through the religious leaders to have Jesus killed? It was tantamount to suicide."

Well, if the devil could have tempted Jesus to sin, to become discouraged, to curse His persecutors, or do anything wrong on the cross, then Satan would have gained the victory. And so while he didn't really want Jesus to die, he wanted to extract as much suffering as he could because the devil hates Jesus; and at the same time, hoping to lead Him to faithlessness and discouragement to do or say something that would cause Him to sin. Then Christ could no longer be our Sacrifice.

You notice Jesus was not killed by the devil. Jesus said, "No man takes My life. I lay it down." Even Pilate was surprised Christ died so soon. That's why he had the Roman soldier pierce His side. Jesus gave up His spirit to the Father. "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." The devil didn't ultimately kill Him. Jesus gave His life.

The next question is, "If the flood," these are our Internet questions, "If the flood destroyed all life outside the ark, as it says in Genesis 7:21-23, how did we get such unusual species that don't exist in other parts of the earth, such as in Australia? And, of course, virtually every continent has species that are unique to that continent. Australia is especially unique."

Well, evidently right after the flood, as the animals began to multiply and man began to multiply and spread over the earth, there was still land bridges between the various continents. The Bible tells us that hundreds of years after the flood--it says in the days of Peleg--that the earth was divided.

And many scholars believe that there was a great continental shift. These tectonic plates that float on the surface, they move much quicker than evolutionist and some geologists would like to say. A lot of marsupials, for instance, made it to Australia. Well they became the dominant species there. That happened in the various continents.

So that's how that happened. I hope that is a satisfactory answer. Well Stephen, we're about ready to go to the phones. Would you like to go ahead and tell us who our first caller is?

Stephen: Okay. Our first caller is Michael from Avon Park, Florida. Welcome to the program Michael.

Michael: Hi, Happy Father's Day.

Pastor Doug: Thanks Mike. Thanks for calling in, and your question tonight?

Michael: Yeah, I was wondering, you know, what does the Bible say--I mean, is it a sin to take a shower on the Sabbath day? I was kind of worried about that.

Pastor Doug: Well that's a good question. For our friends, of course, one of the Ten Commandments is the Sabbath; and you might wonder what should you do and what shouldn't you do. The Bible specifies some things that shouldn't be done, such as our buying and selling, secular activities. It's a day that should be treated as holy.

What about washing, taking a bath? You know, Christians, a hundred years ago, would take their baths once a week. In much of the world they did not have running water; and I know it makes us kind of squeamish to think about this. But it is true that in Europe a lot of the dedicated Christians, whether they kept the Sabbath on Saturday or Sunday, they would take a weekly bath and they would do it before the Sabbath because it was so much work.

They used to have to heat the water and haul the water from a well. Sometimes that well was not right by the house. Then they'd heat it and pour it in a tub and dump it and get it ready for the next one. Sometimes the whole family would use the same bathtub, same water. So in cases like that where so much work was involved, well it would make sense to get it done before the Sabbath.

But in our culture today where you basically turn a knob, step in and step out, I bathe every single day. Some days, if I go to the gym, I might bathe twice in one day. I am not going to have the Sabbath be the one day in the week I'm dirty, you know what I'm saying? And, of course,- -

Michael: Yeah, you're right.

Pastor Doug: - - there is an example in the Bible. It says the priests were always suppose to wash on the Sabbath. When they went into the sanctuary, one of the pieces of furniture in the sanctuary was, of course, the big altar; then this big laver where there was water in two basins, one for the hand washing and one for the feet washing.

So the priest would wash, to some extent, every Sabbath when they went in before the Lord. So that's the principle. The principle is you don't want to do any unnecessary work that is laborious; and keep the day holy, avoiding that which is secular. And of course, you're regular work. Does that help a little bit?

Michael: Yeah. That helps a lot. Thank you Pastor.

Pastor Doug: Okay, good question. Stephen, we've got a caller on line one; we don't normally. So why don't you take that one next?

Stephen: Okay, our next caller is Jody from Sacramento, California. Welcome to the program Jody.

Jody: Thank you

Pastor Doug: And your question tonight?

Jody: Pastor Doug, I seem to remember, or think I do, many, many years ago I read a verse in the Bible that listed the seven deadly sins. But now I can't find it anywhere. Is there one in there?

Pastor Doug: Well, they're not called "seven deadly sins." Let me see here, one second. It's in Proverbs.

Jody: Okay I have that one, in 6:16?

Pastor Doug: Yeah.

Jody: Yes

Pastor Doug: Do you want to read that to us?

Jody: Oh sure.

Pastor Doug: I mean, I can look it up, but I thought if you had it in front of you I'll let you read it.

Jody: [Chuckles] Okay. It says, "These six things the LORD hates: yes, seven are an abomination to him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among the brethren."

Pastor Doug: Now that is the only place you're going to find in the Bible where seven, specific sins are mentioned like that.

Jody: Okay

Pastor Doug: But there's no place in the Bible that calls it the seven mortal or deadly sins. That's a doctrine that has been developed.

Jody: Oh I see.

Pastor Doug: One of the places they get that is the Bible says that Mary Magdalene had seven devils cast out of her.

Jody: Right

Pastor Doug: Again, it tells us that, "A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again."

Jody: Okay

Pastor Doug: And then you've got this verse. But there's really nothing specifically that states about seven deadly sins [cross talk].

Jody: Right, and we know, you know, that there's only one unforgivable sin.

Pastor Doug: That's right. Well there's one unpardonable sin.

Jody: Yes

Pastor Doug: Well I appreciate that. Hope that helps a little bit Jody.

Jody: Yes it does, thank you sir.

Pastor Doug: God bless.

Stephen: Okay, next we have Ezekiel from Lake Placid, Florida. Welcome to the program Ezekiel, your question please?

Ezekiel: Hey, how are you guys doing? And happy Father's Day.

Pastor Doug: Thank you Ezekiel. How can we help you tonight?

Ezekiel: Yes my question, Doug, is, is it okay for a church to be a member of the ecumenical movement?

Pastor Doug: Well whenever a church is connected with another group of churches in some confederacy, they need to make sure there is nothing in that group that is a conflict of their principles.

Ezekiel: Right

Pastor Doug: Let me give you an example. During World War I and II, many churches joined together to care for prisoners, to feed people, and that's great. It's good that they were able to join together from different denominations for Christlike, humanitarian work. But there are some ecumenical movements; and part and parcel of those movements might violate some church teaching.

So in order for a church to say, "We'll be part of this movement, but we don't agree that this doctrine or that doctrine," I don't believe a church should join in any ecumenical movement that is violating, in their teachings or in their foundational principles, some of the principles of God.

Ezekiel: Right

Pastor Doug: You know what I mean? The Biblical principles.

Ezekiel: Right. I agree. I agree on that. Should I, then, just stop supporting them?

Pastor Doug: Well, you mean if your church is connected with an ecumenical movement?

Ezekiel: Yes

Pastor Doug: Well I wouldn't stop supporting your church. What I would do is voice what the concern is. Maybe you can do some good that way; but yeah, I wouldn't withdraw your support. Hope that helps a little bit Ezekiel. Appreciate your call. Who's next Stephen?

Stephen: Next we have Patrick from Louisiana. Welcome to the program Patrick. How are you?

Patrick: Yeah, I'm fine, and you?

Stephen: Okay. What's your question?

Patrick: My question is, I had a dream last night. And in my dream, I'm not going to explain the whole dream. I had several dreams; and in one of the dreams, it was a bunch of people and I was preaching to them. And I saw the book 1st Timothy, and I woke up. And all day long I've been wondering if the dream was from God or not. So my question is, how do I know if this dream is from God or not?

Pastor Doug: Well, if I were you, for one thing I'd pull out the book 1st Timothy and read it from cover to cover. It's only five chapters.

Patrick: First thing I did when I woke up.

Pastor Doug: Okay. Well, and then hopefully, if there's a message from the Lord--and sometimes God does give individuals dreams to impress them in some way- -

Patrick: Can I just interrupt you just for a second?

Pastor Doug: Sure

Patrick: I forgot to mention the fact that I am a backslidden Christian.

Pastor Doug: Well, it could be there's some specific Scripture there in 1st Timothy that God wants you to catch. Now if you read it through once and you didn't get it, I'd read it through again. For one thing, you know this, Patrick, there's certainly no harm in it, is there?

[Cross talking]

Patrick: No, it's just I - -

Pastor Doug: So in other words, there's no harm in reading the Word. So you might read 1st Timothy again and say, "Lord," pray before you read, "if there's some message in here You want me to know, then reveal that to me." And read it through. And the Holy Spirit may have something specific jump out at you.

Patrick: What I got from it was the fact that it explains so much about teaching and preaching and things like that. And I have a strong urgency to get the Word out. Uh, it's just- - [cross talk]

Pastor Doug: Well it could be the Lord is calling you to- -

Patrick: The way that I'm living- -

Pastor Doug: - -come back and get involved in ministry.

Patrick: - -the way that I'm living is just not working. Where I live, the church that I'm involved in is, where you preached, uh, I've never stepped foot in the church; but I've come to believe through your website, thank God for that. And I've changed my beliefs. Nobody in my family believes the way I do. I have no spiritual guidance here, and that's the main hindrance that I have. Because where I live in Louisiana, we do not have this church. So I have no spiritual guidance, no way to learn [cross talk].

Pastor Doug: I tell you what, you know what I'd like to do, Patrick, is, I'm going to put you on hold. When we go to the next call we'll have someone pick up. And, if you don't mind, give us your information. We'd like to send you some support material so at least you have some good things in hand. Would that be okay?

Patrick: That's fine.

Pastor Doug: Alright. We're going to put you on hold and go to the next call.

Stephen: Okay, our next caller is Liz from Spokane, Washington. Welcome to the program Liz. How are you?

Liz: Thank you, fine. Hi Pastor Doug. I have a question about Deuteronomy 14:23; and also Deuteronomy 12:17 and 18, where God tells the people to eat their tithes of their crops.

Pastor Doug: Yeah

Liz: And I'm wondering why are they eating their tithe instead of it--isn't it suppose to go to the Levites?

Pastor Doug: There were actually two tithes. I know this may sound strange, but they had a tithe that they brought to the feasts. And this tithe that they brought to the annual feast was treated separately from the tithe that went to the storehouse for the priests.

And the scholars I've talked to said that this was a separate tithe. It was resources that they could use to sustain them as they went to worship the Lord at some of these pilgrim feasts. They could even give it to the poor. Now that was not the case with the regular tithe that was used to support the priesthood in the sanctuary and its services.

And when I studied that out, this made sense to me too that you can't reconcile what he says here in Deuteronomy with what he says in Leviticus about the tithe because you can't have it going right and left at the same time. You know what I'm saying?

Liz: Yes

Pastor Doug: And so they said this was evidently a special tithe that they would bring with them of their resources for the feast; and they could use this for sustaining them, for helping the poor en route to these pilgrim feasts. These pilgrim feasts were times of great blessing. You'll find examples of this in the Bible when David had a special feast and Solomon had a special feast, and people came to Jerusalem, and the king fed everybody.

Liz: Oh

Pastor Doug: So, that's the way I've heard this explained.

Liz: Well great. Thanks, and I want to tell you, you said a long time ago that you listened to the Bible on CD as you're falling asleep?

Pastor Doug: Yes

Liz: And so I started doing that and it has been a huge blessing.

Pastor Doug: Oh praise the Lord! That's wonderful.

Liz: Thank you very much.

Pastor Doug: Matter of fact, just last week I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico at an outfit called Hosanna that produces the tape on--got 120 employees there--on audio tapes. And I've got a couple new versions. So I've just started listening to some new versions. I've got one on my laptop. I've got one on my desktop. I've got it on my hand-held palm so I can listen on the airplane. It's great.

Liz: Yeah, thank you.

Pastor Doug: Just try and fortify yourself with the Word. Appreciate your call Liz. I think, Stephen, we can get one or two more calls before our break. Who's next?

Stephen: Okay. Next is Joseph from New York. You're on the air Joseph. How are you?

Joseph: Thank you Stephen, I'm very good, thank you. Pastor? Hello Pastor?

Pastor Doug: Yes, I'm here, and your question Joseph?

Joseph: My question is I understand that while Jesus was on earth, His real name was Yeshua. His last name was Barjoseph. "Bar" meaning "son of."

Pastor Doug: Right

Joseph: Joseph of course, being appropriate for Father's Day, being His father. Was that truly His name, Yeshua Barjoseph? Was there any middle name or anything else added to that?

Pastor Doug: Well the middle names or last names that we have today were often used to tell where someone was from and what their occupation was. So a person might be Jesus Carpenter Nazareth; and that's how we ended up getting two and three names. The name would sometimes tell what your mother's family was. Like in Spanish, in the child's name they also include the matriarchal name.

Jesus' name was Yeshua. That's the more correct pronunciation if you speak Hebrew. The Greek pronunciation is Jesus. It's Yeshua, and He was the son of Joseph of Nazareth; and so they called Him Jesus of Nazareth on the sign above His head when He was crucified. Some of His friends said, "Jesus the son of Joseph and Mary." So they used several identifiers: occupation, He was a carpenter; town, family.

Joseph: The word "Bar" wasn't used, b-a-r?

Pastor Doug: Well some people were called--Bartimaeus was the son of Timaeus. "Barnabas" means "son of consolation." Barabbas means "son of the father." "Abba" means "father." Jesus is never called "Barjesus." There is a Barjesus in the Bible, but it is not Jesus of Nazareth.

Joseph: I said Barjoseph, Pastor.

Pastor Doug: Oh, Barjoseph. I don't know that there is a Barjoseph in the Bible. I'm going to look real quick. Let me see here. This won't take me very long with my Bible software. There's a Barjona. There's no Barjoseph in the Bible.

Joseph: Thank you sir.

Pastor Doug: Alright, good question. Thanks Joseph. And who do we have next Stephen?

Stephen: Next we have Beverly from Brooklyn, New York. How are you Beverly? You're on the air.

Beverly: I'm fine. Okay. Good evening Pastor Doug.

Pastor Doug: Good evening. How can we help you tonight?

Beverly: Happy Father's Day. Is there any reference in the Bible to the effect that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity?

Pastor Doug: Well the word "Trinity" is not used in the Bible. It's a technical word that simply means the "Tri-" or three entities. Just like a tricycle has three wheels, Trinity is tri-entities. It's three Persons.

Now Jesus, at His baptism, you've got the Father in heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son"; Jesus is in the water; and then the Holy Spirit is coming down when Jesus is baptized. You've got the three Entities. When you have the great commission, Jesus says, "Go baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit", so you've got the three Entities.

But the Holy Spirit is never called the third Person of the Trinity.

Beverly: Okay

Pastor Doug: You know, I've got a book on this I'll send you for free, if you'd like it.

Beverly: Oh yes, I would.

Pastor Doug: Alright. You've got a pencil?

Beverly: Yes I do.

Pastor Doug: Our resource number, call them right now--and it's a free phone call on a free book--1-800-835-6747. That's for you, Beverly, and anyone else who wants it. It's a book that I've written on the subject of the Trinity that will give you a lot of these Biblical references and explain what is a beautiful, and sometimes difficult, teaching. Okay?

Beverly: Okay. Thank you very much.

Pastor Doug: Thank you, appreciate your call. Okay Stephen, we've got time for one more?

Stephen: Okay. Jeff from Queens, New York. Welcome Jeff.

Jeff: Yeah, hi, how are you? Good evening Pastor.

Pastor Doug: Good evening

Jeff: My question for you is on predestination. I have some friends that go to a church that believes in predestination. I want to know, have it explained, and where in the Bible it talks about that?

Pastor Doug: Well, the Bible is clear that everybody has a choice. Predestination is a teaching that basically makes it sound like once, well a couple of things. One is that you really don't have a choice in whether or not you're saved. It's God predetermining who is saved and who is lost. And I think they misapply a few Scriptures to come to that teaching.

There's too much in the Bible that tells us that we do have a choice. That's why the Bible invites us to repent.

Jeff: Right

Pastor Doug: It tells us in the Scriptures, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." "Choose you this day who ye will serve." "Turn ye, turn ye, why will you die?" [Eze. 33:11] I mean, God is inviting us to make decisions all through the Scriptures. Predestination teaches, really, that we don't have that freedom of will to choose.

Jeff: Oh I understand. What they say to me is because they said that God chose us before the beginning of the earth. That's - -

Pastor Doug: Well, it is true that God knows who is going to be saved and who is lost. That doesn't mean God is arbitrarily looking down on the human race and going, "Eenie, meenie, miney, moe, I'll save this one, not this one." God creates us all with a free will and man gets to choose.

Jeff: Right, okay.

Pastor Doug: Alright?

Jeff: Thank you Pastor.

Pastor Doug: Hey, we're getting ready, Jeff, to take a break here. And I appreciate your question, but I think we're going to have to stop just for these announcements. Listening friends, the program is not over. We catch our wind halfway through. We have lines open. I'm here with my son on this Father's Day and Stephen is helping take the calls.

If you have a Bible question on any Bible-related topic, we welcome that tonight. It's a free phone call. That's 1-800-GOD-SAYS. If you've got your telephone, dial 1-800-463-7297, and you've got a good chance of getting your question on tonight's broadcast. In the meantime, check out the Amazing Facts website.

And also, don't forget to go to marytruth.com if you want to find out a little more about that book on Mary to witness during the Da Vinci code. In just a moment, we'll be back with more Bible questions and Bible answers; and I want to wish everybody Happy Father's Day.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Doug: Good evening friends. This is Bible Answers Live. If you have just joined us, this is a live, international, interactive Bible study. We are answering your Bible questions. If you have a question, call 1-800-GOD-SAYS, 1-800-463-7297. Get a pencil handy. We've got some website addresses and free resources, and the number you'll need to call to get them. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Stephen: And I'm Stephen Batchelor.

Pastor Doug: My son, 13-year old boy, is making his debut as a co-host tonight for Father's Day; and so I'm just delighted and proud that he's here with us. Who's next Stephen?

Stephen: Next is Bob from Forest Grove, Oregon. Welcome Bob, you're on the air.

Bob: Hi, thank you for my call to you [sic]. I'm interested in who is the antichrist?

Pastor Doug: Alright, that's a big question [cross talk]. Go ahead, I'm listening.

Bob: Is the antichrist on earth now in any way or manner? And what is to come if it's hidden here on earth; and more to come?

Pastor Doug: Well first of all, many people are shocked, Bob, to learn the word "antichrist" does not even appear in the book of Revelation. It is in the first and second letters of John. For instance, in 1st John 2:18, let me read this to you. "Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists."

So, that ought to tell you volumes right there Bob. John, who introduces the subject of the antichrist, he says there are now many antichrists. So if there were many antichrists in the days of the Apostle John, there probably are antichrists in the world today. Does that make sense?

Bob: Yes. The beast, then, is that the same?

Pastor Doug: No, it's not exactly the same. The ultimate antichrist is the devil.

Bob: Okay

Pastor Doug: He [Satan] is the ultimate power behind the antichrist. But the Bible tells us that in the last days, there would be this antichrist power, this beast power, that would cause a lot of persecution for God's people in the last days.

You know, there's, boy, there's just chapters in the Bible that deal with this. Would you like a book on "Who is the Antichrist?" I'll send you a free copy?

Jeff: Sure, um, yes. I'm just wondering if the beast is--if there's any evidence, um, through Scripture that shows that, um, prophecy has shown, um, who the antichrist or who the beast is, from the beginning, or where in the Bible.

Pastor Doug: Alright, well let me tell you, in Revelation, very quickly, I wondered how deep to get into this because it takes awhile. Revelation 12, you've got a beast with seven heads and 10 horns. This is the beast that compels everyone to worship or they'll be killed, or they can't buy and sell.

Then you go to Revelation 17 and there is a woman sitting on a beast with seven heads and 10 horns. Now, at the end of chapter 17 in Revelation, where this woman and this beast appears, it says, "The woman that you saw is that great city that reigns over the kings of the earth." [Rev. 17:18]. The angel in chapter 17 tells us the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. Rome is known as the City of Seven Hills - -

Jeff: Rome?

Pastor Doug: Rome. Rome is the city that was reigning over the kings of the earth when John was in prison and wrote the book of Revelation. And so it tells us there is a woman sitting among those seven hills. There's only one church that has its headquarters in Rome that is considered--calls herself the mother church. And many of the Protestant leaders, such as, of course, Luther, Wesley, Zwingli and Huss, they believed that was an antichrist power.

As I said, through history, there have been many antichrists, but some of the teachings are pagan. I know that you're lower lip [cross talk by caller] might be on the floor right now, but I recommend you read the book--huh?

Jeff: Is the Papacy part of it?

Pastor Doug: Yup. You asked me a straight question. I had to give you a straight answer. Can I send you a book? It's called, The Beast, The Dragon & The Woman. It's a free book. And if you or anybody else who wants a free copy of that book Bob, we'll send it to you. The Beast, The Dragon & The Woman. Just call 1-800-835-6747 and we'll send that to you for free. Okay Stephen, who is next in line?

Stephen: Next is Melva from Columbus, Oregon. Welcome Melva, you're on the air.

Melva: Hi, Columbus, Ohio Stephen, - -

Stephen: Okay

Melva: - -and you're doing a great job!

Pastor Doug: That's okay. And your question?

Melva: Do we tithe gifts, such as monetary graduation gifts, etc., or do we just give a thank offering for such--I don't know if you would call that income or not?

Pastor Doug: Well that's a good question. And that shows the Holy Spirit is working in a person's heart. Usually it's only faithful tithers that will even ask, "Do I pay tithe on a gift?" And so I would suspect that you are a tither.

Melva: Yes

Pastor Doug: Sometimes it may be difficult. For instance, someone in your family gives you a piano. Well a piano could be worth $16,000, but you don't have 10 percent of $16,000 in cash to give. Sometimes the gift might be worth more than your cash, and so how do you pay tithe on that? So I think the Lord understands that.

And in situations like that, you give a thank offering as God lays on your heart. The day may come where you sell the piano, and then you'd pay tithe on it. See what I'm saying?

Melva: Okay

Pastor Doug: And some things, you know, I just praise the Lord. Every now and then, some of the members of my church will give me produce from their garden. And they'll give me 10 zucchinis; and I want to give at least a couple of them away. I can't eat all 10 anyway, you know what I mean?

And so, you just try and give some away if you can, if it's something like that. But if someone gives you a piano, you can't give them, you know, eight out of eighty-eight keys.

Melva: So if you receive, oh, say as a student may have received $500.00 for graduation, then they should tithe the monetary gift, or they should give a thank offering?

Pastor Doug: Well if somebody gives you cash, if you get cash income, I would pay tithe on any cash income, or cash increase. That's very easy to do.

Melva: Because the Bible, when it's referring to one-tenth of the income, it wasn't necessarily just talking about earnings, per se; because someone else was saying well that was speaking specifically to earnings, as opposed to--I was looking at income as all that comes in.

Pastor Doug: Well some people look at it you know, they were in an agricultural society and they would give a tithe of their harvest.

Melva: Right

Pastor Doug: If someone gave them a special wedding gift, they didn't necessarily pay a tithe on that. They might give a thank you offering. You know, if a person's conscience is clear, they may look upon it--it might be a graduation or a wedding gift--and they may feel that just a thank you offering is appropriate. In my heart, because the Bible says pay a tenth of your increase, increase is increase, and I would- -

Melva: And where is that stated?

Pastor Doug: Oh, let me see here.

Melva: Because--

Pastor Doug: I'll try and find that for you real quick.

Melva: Okay, thank you.

Pastor Doug: Leviticus 19:25, um, oh let me see here. Well I typed in the word "increase." I should have typed in the word "tithe" here. But it talks about a tithe of your increase in Leviticus; and I can't find the reference right now. If I type in the word "tithe," I'll get too many different references. But I know that's there, so--

Melva: I'll look that up.

Pastor Doug: You know, there's a book--I'll tell you what--I've got a study guide on that.

Melva: Okay

Pastor Doug: You want me to send it to you?

Melva: Yes, I'd appreciate that.

Pastor Doug: It's called, "In God We Trust?"

Melva: Okay

Pastor Doug: If you call the resource number, all you've got to do is make one more phone call so you can give them your address. They'll send that to you free; and nobody's going to knock at your door and try and sell you a vacuum cleaner or anything.

Melva: Okay

Pastor Doug: Alright?

Melva: Thank you so much.

Pastor Doug: Alright, God bless.

Melva: Thank you

Pastor Doug: Okay Stephen, who's that put up to bat?

Stephen: Jason from Alabama. Welcome Jason.

Pastor Doug: Hi Jason, you're on the air.

Jason: Thank you. I really appreciate your ministry.

Pastor Doug: And your question?

Jason: My question is what does the Bible say a man should do when his wife leaves him, and it seems as though she doesn't want to reconcile differences?

Pastor Doug: Well, has she filed for divorce? Or maybe it's not talking about a real case. Maybe you're talking hypothetically?

Jason: No, she has not filed--

Pastor Doug: Just separated.

Jason: Right

Pastor Doug: Well, you can't make somebody, even though you're married to them, you can't make them stay with you, whether it's a husband or wife. You read in 1st Corinthians chapter 7, it says, "If a husband or wife is determined to depart, let them depart." You can't make somebody stay.

I would say that if you don't have Biblical grounds for divorce, if the wife or the husband has not been unfaithful and broken the marriage vows through adultery, then you don't really have grounds for divorce. But unfortunately, you might be living in a separated situation, which, especially if there are children involved, it's a very sad state of affairs.

But you would want to do--are you speaking of a situation you are in or?

Jason: Uh, yes sir.

Pastor Doug: I hope you don't mind my asking that. Well, would you like to reconcile with your wife?

Jason: Yes

Pastor Doug: Then your job, Jason, is to do everything you can do to make yourself as attractive as you possibly can. And what I mean by that is, not only, talking about personal grooming, but I'm talking about in your attitudes. In any changes you know you could make that your wife would appreciate, you want to do everything you can to make yourself as irresistible and attractive as you can.

You cannot force this person to come back by nagging them, or manipulating. You've got to just be as winsome and kind and loving as you can; and hope that she will want to give it another chance. That's all you can do. And pray. I don't want to underestimate, or understate, the importance of prayer.

Pray for a change in your heart and a change in her heart that reconciliation will be possible. Do you have a church that you attend?

Jason: Yes sir.

Pastor Doug: Have you talked to your Pastor?

Jason: Yes. I'm talking to him tomorrow too.

Pastor Doug: Okay. Well counsel with a good Pastor; because, you know, in situations like this you need to get some good local support. And hopefully, your Pastor will provide that. I hope that that would be some encouragement for you. You know, there's a book that we can send you. It's called, How to Revitalize Your Marriage. Would you like to get this booklet Jason? It's free.

Jason: Sure

Pastor Doug: You call that phone number that I'm about to give and ask for the book, How to Revitalize Your Marriage, by Jim Hohnberger; and that number is 1-800-835-6747 and we'll send it to you okay? Hopefully read through that, it might help. Thanks for your call Jason.

Stephen: Okay, next is Sion.

Pastor Doug: Sion, you're on the air.

Sion: Hello, good night.

Pastor Doug: Good evening, how are you?

Sion: How are you Pastor Doug Batchelor?

Pastor Doug: I'm fine, appreciate your call.

Sion: Happy Father's Day.

Pastor Doug: Thank you, and your question?

Sion: Does God understand when a person babbles?

Pastor Doug: Does the Lord understand when a person babbles?

Sion: Yes

Pastor Doug: Well the purpose for the gift of speech is to communicate thought. And if a person is babbling in no language.... Now I could start speaking in some different languages now and it might sound like babbling to most people. I've traveled to scores of countries and I've learned a few words in virtually every country. I try to learn to say good evening or good night to everybody.

And if I was in Ponape--I'm picking the capitol of Micronesia because very few people have been there--I could say, " [speaks in Micronesian]." Well that might sound like babbling to everyone, but God knows what I'm saying because it is a real language. But some of the babbling that people do in church, Sion, is nothing more than babbling. They don't know what their saying.

Sion: Oh

Pastor Doug: It's just gibberish that has not cognitive meaning.

Sion: Okay

Pastor Doug: And the purpose for a tongue--the word "tongue" means a "language"--

Sion: Yes

Pastor Doug: --is to, through diction and articulation, to communicate sounds that have meaning and thoughts. Some people get into churches, and I don't mean to be disrespectful or unkind, but they just start to [makes unintelligible babbling noises]

Sion: Exactly, understand.

Pastor Doug: It doesn't mean a thing. It's just gibberish. It's babbling. It is not the Holy Spirit that is telling them to babble incoherently.

Sion: Right

Pastor Doug: When the Holy Spirit gives the gift of tongues, there is meaning behind the sounds. So hopefully, that is of some use. Thank you for your question Sion. Oh, by the way--I think you need to press your button one more time Stephen. She got disconnected. Press line 6. Stephen, my son, is with me for Father's Day and he's learning how to man the phones.

Sion: [Chuckles]

Pastor Doug: I have a booklet I'll send you if you'd like. It's on the gift of tongues. Would you like that booklet?

Sion: Okay then.

Pastor Doug: Alright. You call the resource number and ask for the book, Captured by Tongues.

Sion: Okay

Pastor Doug: Captured by Tongues, and that's 1-800-835-6747. We'll send that to you.

Sion: Okay, thank you.

Pastor Doug: Thank you. Okay Stephen, who's next?

Stephen: Next is Alice from Kokomo, Louisiana. Welcome Alice, you're on the air. What's your question?

Alice: Okay, thank you. The Scripture in Corinthians that talks about the cutting of the hair and the covering of the hair?

Pastor Doug: Yes

Alice: Does that actually mean that women should not cut their hair?

Pastor Doug: Well you know, some interpret it that way. And I've gotten to the place where I would never... If someone is saying the Holy Spirit is urging them to not cut their hair because

of that verse, I don't have a burden to change their mind. When I read that, I remember that the Bible says, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses let everything be established."

Most Bible doctrines have two or three places in the Bible where you find support for the doctrine. Unfortunately, this is the only reference to the length of a woman's hair and whether or not it should be covered in the Bible. So I'm reluctant to make a hard and fast rule, because in the same passage, Paul also indicates, he uses the word "tradition." And some have wondered, "Well if this is a local tradition, then is it a Bible principle that all cultures must abide by?"

So, you know, in some respects, the jury may be out on this. In fairness, you will find many churches, the Amish, Mennonite, Russian Orthodox, and many of the orthodox churches, you'll find the ladies always cover their heads. You've probably seen that Alice.

Alice: Uh-huh

Pastor Doug: And then in a lot of Western cultures, while they may have very modest hairdos, they don't cover their hair, and the women do cut their hair. So, the question is, is it a style issue or is there a Biblical principle? There's not enough evidence in the Bible to build a doctrine.

Alice: So if you were to stay in a church where the women did not cut their hair and they preached against cutting the hair, would that be considered light for me, the light that I should walk in? Or should that be a Scripture in the Bible where the Lord, the Holy Spirit, would have told me personally, "Do not cut your hair"?

Pastor Doug: Well, you know, when you're in doubt about something, do the safe thing. You don't want to be doing anything Biblically that might cause somebody to stumble. And if you're fellowshipping with a body of believers who feels this is important, if it's not a hardship for you, or if the Holy Spirit is not impressing you, "This is a false teaching that you don't need to abide by," then do the safe thing.

The Bible says anything that is not of faith is sin. If you feel like that it is a form of legalism, then don't worry about it.

Alice: Uh-huh

Pastor Doug: This is a place where you want to just really pray the Holy Spirit guides you; and apply those principles I've given you. If it's not an issue for you and it won't make other people stumble if you don't abide by this, then cover your head and let it grow.

Certainly, nobody is going to stand before the Lord in the Judgment day--God is not going to say, "I can't let you in." "Why not, Lord?" "Well because you cut your hair" or, "You didn't cut your hair." You know what I'm saying?

Alice: Uh-huh

Pastor Doug: In my opinion, I see that as a small issue.

Alice: Okay. Well thank you so much. I appreciate it very much.

Pastor Doug: Thank you Alice, good question. Okay Stephen?

Stephen: Okay, next we have Eddie from San Diego, California. Welcome Eddie, you're on the air. What's your question?

Eddie: Hi, thanks for taking my call. I have a question, you might not know the answer. But in the beginning, God created Adam and Eve; and He also created the tree of good and evil, and the tree of life.

Pastor Doug: Right

Eddie: And the tree of life, was it possible God made the tree of life, if he ate from that, that he would have lived forever? Because later on, after he ate from the tree of--from the good and bad--He protected the tree of life, that man could not eat from it anymore. And my question is, because Adam and Eve sinned, the Bible came in existence, and Jesus Christ had to come into mankind to, for sin. And my question is, was it possible, in God's mind, that He might have made the tree of life, if He, man, if Adam chose the tree of life, it would have been a different story for mankind? And I'll hang up with that question and thank you very much. [Transcribed verbatim.]

Pastor Doug: Alright Eddie, good question. I appreciate that. The Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 3 that God said in verse 22, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil." God never intended for man to experience evil, even if it was mingled with good. "And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken."

"And the LORD drove the man out; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cheribums, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way to the tree of life." [Genesis 3:22-24.]

The tree of life and the garden of Eden were in the world up until Noah's flood. The Bible tells us, Eddie, that the tree of life will also be in the New Earth. In Revelation chapter 22, it talks about the tree of life being there. So evidently, there was some enzyme or some essence in this fruit of that tree that perpetuated life and prevented the effects of aging.

Adam, as it was, lived 900 years because he probably ate from the tree of life; but he couldn't continue eating from it. And so that was the problem. In any event, I hope that answers your question. If man had never eaten from the tree of good and evil, God would have removed it because it was there as a test and he never would have been tempted with that again. Hope that helps Eddie. And Stephen, I think we can take our next caller.

Stephen: Okay next, we have Hillary from Redlands, California. You're on Hillary.

Hillary: Hi. Okay, my question is from Revelation 6, um, verse--oh Genesis 6, sorry, verse 3--

Pastor Doug: Uh-huh

Hillary: --when God says that man's days shall be 120 years.

Pastor Doug: Yes

Hillary: And I've heard of somebody living past that and I was wondering if it was a literal thing that was, you know, set in stone or if it was more, like, generations...or?

Pastor Doug: Good question. A lot of people have misunderstood this. God is not saying the lifespan of man would be 120 years. From the time that the sons of God, the children of Seth, began to intermarry with the daughters of Cain, they're called the "children of men"--their distinct identity--believers were not suppose to intermarry with unbelievers. And when the sons of God began to intermarry with the daughters of Cain, the "daughters of men," their holiness was lost.

The wickedness became great in the earth and God said Alright, I'm giving mankind 120 years until the flood. That's why the scholars believe Noah spent 120 years building the ark, because right after this it says in verse 8, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." So it was 120 years for mankind until everyone was destroyed, except Noah and his family.

Now it's also interesting, Hillary, to remember, Moses lived 120 years. Three sets of 40. He lived 40 in Egypt; 40 in the wilderness; and then 40 leading people from Egypt through the wilderness. And so 120 in the Bible sort of becomes--it represents three generations.

Hillary: Okay

Pastor Doug: It had nothing to do with the lifespan of any man; because before the flood there, men were living 900 years. After the flood, Shem, Noah and his sons, they were living 500 years, 400 years, and it gradually--or I should say, very quickly--declined down to, well, Abraham was 175, Isaac 180, Jacob 130, Joseph 110, you can see what happened to the lifespan.

Hillary: Okay

Pastor Doug: By the time you get to the book of Psalms, it says that man's life is threescore and 10. That's about 70 years. That is an average right now in the world with good health.

Hillary: Okay, thank you.

Pastor Doug: Alright, good question. Alright Stephen.

Stephen: Next is Blake from Somers, New York. Welcome Blake, you're on the air.

Blake: Hi. I just have a quick question.

Pastor Doug: Okay

Blake: When someone dies, whether it's a believer or an unbeliever, do they immediately either go to heaven or hell, or is there some kind of soul sleep where they wait until the Judgment day?

Pastor Doug: Well let's listen to what Jesus said. When Lazarus died, Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus is sleeping," this is John chapter 11, "but I'm going that I might wake him." And then it tells us in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 that when Jesus comes, "the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout,...the dead in Christ will rise." And Paul says just before that verse we don't need to be sorrowing regarding those who are asleep.

And so all through the Bible, it refers to death as a sleep. Now what confuses people, Blake, is if a Christian dies, their next conscious thought is the resurrection and being with the Lord. There's no sense of time for them. So when we think of a loved one dying, you could put yourself in their shoes and say, "Well bless the Lord. The next thing they know they're going to be with the Lord."

But we live in a dimension of time here on earth where it hasn't happened yet. Because if people go right to heaven as soon as they die, before the resurrection and before the Judgment, that wouldn't make any sense, would it?

Blake: No. That was why I was kind of curious about that.

Pastor Doug: If you're interested, we have a study I'll send you for free. It's a study guide called, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" [Cross talk] And it's a really good study--what's that?

Blake: I said I absolutely would be interested.

Pastor Doug: Alright. Call this number when you hang up with me, and it's, if you've got a pencil, it's 1-800-835-6747; and tell them you'd like a copy of "Are the Dead Really Dead?" and they'll send it to you. Good question Blake. I appreciate your call. Let's see if we can get a couple more in this broadcast Stephen.

Stephen: Okay, next is Roberto from San Diego, California. Your question Roberto, and welcome.

Roberto: Hello Pastor Doug

Pastor Doug: Hi Roberto, welcome.

Roberto: Oh thank you, and thanks for being there.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, we've got a father-son operation tonight.

Roberto: All right! Okay Pastor Doug, Matthew 7:6. I have a question with that verse because I don't quite understand why this verse, when it says, "Do not give what is holy...," and then all of a sudden, then,--"and then they turn and tear me in pieces." I'm reading the New King James version. Would you elaborate on that Pastor Doug?

Pastor Doug: Yes, Roberto. I'll be happy to try. Jesus is quoting Proverbs 26:11. And He's quoting, I should say, it's similar to what 2nd Peter 2:22, "The dog has returned to his vomit; and the pig to wallowing in the mire." Jesus is saying, "Do not force the truth on those who do not appreciate it because you're giving your pearls to swine; and you're giving what is holy to the dogs."

The Bible is holy. The truth is holy. And if you're teaching and preaching to someone that says, "I don't want to hear it," don't waste your time. It just makes them mad. They return to wallowing in the mire and they'll turn on you, and they'll rend you again; they'll bite you. And so it doesn't do any good.

You know, I'm sorry if we didn't get to your question tonight. We apologize. We hope you'll give us another chance. God willing, we'll be back for more Bible answers next week. And again, check out the Amazing Facts website. You can find out how to get that book, The Truth About Mary Magdalene, and we'll be happy to send that to you at marytruth.com.

God bless until next week.

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