Doug Bachelor: Hello friends! This is Doug Bachelor. How about an amazing fact? A Chinese company called Broad Sustainable Building has been granted permission to begin construction in the city of Chincha Guia Province on a behemoth of a building. This building is a colossal structure known as the Sky City will be the tallest building in the world with 220 floors and a total height of 2749 feet. According to the plan, the gigantic edifice will have a hotel accommodating 1000 guests, a hospital, 5 schools, offices and at least a dozen helipads. Of the total space available, nearly 83% will be used for housing up to 17,000 residents. There will be 104 high-speed elevators to transport the people to 56 courtyards that will be used for basketball, tennis, swimming, theaters, and 930,000 square feet of interior vertical organic farms. All together, the building will have a total floor space of 13 million square feet and cost an estimated 625 million dollars to build.
Incredibly, the construction plan calls for this vertical city to build only in 120 days. This is because large sections will be manufactured at the factory and transported to the site for construction. Did you know that this plan for pre-fab construction was first introduced in the Bible? Stay with this friends, you are going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Life.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Doug Bachelor: Welcome friends,we are live with Bible Answers live, and if you have a question, we have phone lines available pick up your phone and give us a call. That number could bring your Bible questions into the studio: 800- 463- 7267 or the acronym which is a little bit easier, 800 God Says. That’s 800- 463- 7267.
My name is Doug Bachelor and Pastor Ross is probably on an airplane somewhere in the Atlantic probably on his way to Germany to meet with our Amazing Facts Europe office and we will be happy to take your call and begin the programme as always with a word of prayer.
Father in heaven we are always thankful for the Word of God for giving us purpose and truth and you have promised us Lord that if we seek we will find. Together now we ask that you will send your spirit to the studio, those out there listening that we might discover that truth and the person behind it together. We pray for your blessing and thank you in Jesus name.
Well, listening friends I start with the facts that is going to be the biggest building in the world that is known as Sky City being built in China. I have been to Dubai, which is currently one of the biggest buildings in the world. Once known as the Burj Dubai and now it is called the Burj Khalifa. And that is a massive structure. I have grown up in New York City and went to the Empire State Building and the Sears Tower and went to the World Trade Center 3 times. I have seen some really tall buildings. But to imagine that they are building something even taller than the Birch Dubai is really phenomenal. What is really amazing is that the Birch Dubai took about 5 years, yet this taller building in China they believe they can build in 120 days. They are going to do it in all sections and in advance bring them to the site and assemble them into this colossal structure. But it made me think about a story in the Bible.
Did you know that when they were building the Temple of Solomon, keep in mind, Solomon was the wisest person ever lived? When they were building that temple, they didn’t do any construction carving the stone, I would say on location. But all the materials were cut and prepared at the quarry and then brought and silently assembled at the location. You can read that in 1 King 6:7 in the temple when it was being built, was built with stones and finished at the quarry that no hammer or chisel or iron tools were heard in the temple while it was being built. Now that is an amazing fact, but there is another amazing story that goes with it.
The Jewish tradition tells us that when they went to set the cornerstone for that building, it was an add shape because part of that shape set on the stones of Mount Moriah and part of that stone for the structure. And so it was cut with a very unique form. Maybe you have seen some of these very unique stones that have several different mentions from the Inca Buildings. Can you consider reasonable between it and consider how they did it? Well they cut the stone with the quarry and they brought it up to put it in place. When they brought it up to find the right stones for the cornerstones, the builders tried one stone after the other and they found it didn’t fit, it didn’t stand the test that they were applying to it and they kept tripping over this big old rock that was in the middle of the work area. And they became tired of it so they were instructed to push this big rock down the Kedron Valley.
Well, cross that rock it has been the cornerstone that they have been looking for. That’s where you get this quote in the Bible Jesus refers to it peter refers to it, about a stone that was rejected. For instance, 1 Peter 2:4, “Coming to Him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious.” The Bible talks about this cornerstone in the Bible that was rejected and that hearkens back to that time when they were building Solomon’s temple. And they had pushed away the most important stone that was prepared in the quarry. And that is what we might be doing to our lives. If we are trying to add purpose to our lives, we are wanting our lives to be built up with meaning and we are rejecting that foundation stone. Christ is that cornerstone holds everything else together.
When you are building a building out of masonry, if you don’t get that first stone set right your walls are crooked. Everything depends on the cornerstone. Do you have that as the foundation of your life? Do you want to know more about it? We have a special lesson that goes along with tonight’s question about an unique building. That building tells us about Christ. It tells us about His church and even the Old Testament sanctuary, and it is called God drew the plan. We will send you a copy of this color study free guide. If you want to understand the subject of the Bible sanctuary fascinated study, just call the toll free number: 800 – 835- 6747 that’s to get to our resource number. One more time, 800 – 835- 6747, we will send you free copies on God drew the plans. And with the Bible questions of course, that number is 800 – 863- 7297. It brings you into the studio. We are also streaming tonight on the internet. If you got an interesting watching on your computer, let’s go to live.amazingfacts.org for the studio webcam. And we got to go to our first caller. That is Ed calling from Carp Lake Michigan. Is that right?
Ed: Yes
Doug Bachelor: That’s right. Welcome to the program, Ed.
Ed: Hi, Pastor Doug.
Doug Bachelor I am going to be up in Michigan in a couple of weeks for Camp in Honor.
Ed: I know. I don’t know if I will be able to make it. I have got problems with my car.
Doug Bachelor: What are your questions tonight?
Ed: My ex-wife asked me today to ask you because she lives in California. She asked me: when did the animal sacrifice in when Jesus died on the cross and earthquake and drains open, things like that. When did the animal sacrificed? She wants to know……
Doug Bachelor: When it happened, yeah.
Ed: Where would I find that in my commentary?
Doug Bachelor: You know, just to say when the sacrifices ended in the Bible, what it does say is that when Jesus died on the cross and I am quoting from Mathew Chapter 7. It tells us that Christ was a loud voice. And this is from verse 15 of Mathew 27. And it tells us that the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom when he died. So that put an end symbolically towards the purpose of what those sacrifices were. They fixed that, I am sure, and they continued to do the sacrifices until the temple was actually destroyed in the 70s 80s. Now it is only a reference to the temple being destroyed in the Bible, because most of the New Testament is written before it happened. And then the only book that was probably written after that point would have been Revelation and John does not open the temple in heaven, but he makes no reference to the earthly temple. So you can be pretty sure and we know for real in the Jewish history about Caiaphas that they repair the earthly temple and continue to sacrifice the animals until the ruminants around the city ultimately destroyed the sanctuary. The Jews have not practiced that type of sacrifice from that time until the present.
Ed: Okay, the[inaudible 00:10:57 -11:00] and the son of God came down and, you know, save yourself and this and that. And you think that the sacrificing still continues but something….
Doug Bachelor: But it is interesting that two things that really were thorn around the time that Jesus died. One is the high priest towards garment, because now we are living with a new priesthood and secondly the veil in the temple was torn and that where you got a new temple. Christ says He will destroy this temple made with hands in 3 days and He will make one without hands. And we have a new priesthood because we became a royal priesthood. And so I will be happy to send you that lesson. I appreciate your questions. Once again the lesson is God drew the plans. Just call the resource number: 800- 835-6747 and we will send that to you. Next we will be talking to Michael who is listening online and calling from Memphis, Tennessee. Michael, you are on the air. Michael, are you there?
Michael: Yes, sir. Thank you for your sermon. I hope Pastor Ross all is well with him also.
Doug Bachelor: Yep. He is just travelling to Europe right now.
Michael: Travelling. Now what I expect from the Scripture between me making a judgment on someone and me making the truth on someone because I am still confused on that.
Doug Bachelor: Well, I mean, one thing in passing sentence. When you are pronouncing sentence on someone and you judging them and condemning them…. You know the Bible tells us that we passing judgment and condemning each other is that way… you know obviously if we are called to make judgment calls as a church body we go to the court. Christians are suing Christians and we want to get the Christian leadership together immediately and try to find reasonable answers. And so in cases like that, even Christians are asked to use judgment.
Did we even tell you? I don’t know if you had asked about our study guide on the judgment called Case Closed. It explains the different aspects of judgment.
Michael: Okay
Doug Bachelor: Would you like a free copy of that?
Michael: Absolutely, pastor.
Doug Bachelor: If you call the toll free number, and asked for the study. It is called Case Closed. It got to be a devil on the cover. Case Closed, and the number again is: 800- 835- 6747. We will be happy to send it to you Michael. And next we will be going to Golf breeze in Florida and to talk to Darrel. Darrel, you are on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Darrel: Hey, Pastor Doug, good evening. My question is kind of hard to put in the words but I will see what I can do here.I have studied your prophecy seminar and you spoke about the anti-Christ being the seat of the [inaudible 00:14:18]. And so I am wondering when Satan returns…. Or I would say when Satan impersonate Jesus, we would call him the anti-christ and then [inaudible 00:14:36] and they would be or the pope would be the anti-christ and will he be the false prophet then?
Doug Bachelor: You know what I think will help you to understand, is the common misconception that there is one anti-christ. In the Bible, even in John’s day, he said there are even many anti-christ. The word anti-christ simply means that somebody who is teaching in oppose to the teaching of Jesus, anti-christ. When we typically think about the last days of Jesus, we think about the ultimate anti-christ is when Satan impersonate Christ. But the position where most [inaudible 00:15:20] started way back even from Martin Luther. Martin Luther said it, John Wesley said it. It is not very politically correct but the Methodists, the Baptists, the Lutherans, the Presbyterians, Spurgeon, I could go down the line, all believe that the office of the pope was an anti-christ position. For a man to be called the Vicar of God and he should be called the holy father, they really felt that was unbiblical. Matter of fact, the first person to be called…
Darrel: Go back to my question when Satan returns or impersonate Jesus, do you think he will decent on the Mountain of Olives and try to point to the Book of Zachariah and say this is what I am fulfilling. And they are the one who are going to have a seal in their forehead and say no this is not Jesus because he was supposed to rapture the church. And he would say no that has already happened. You listen to interpret Scriptures and now Zachariah is being fulfilled.
Doug Bachelor: Well, how Lucifer is going to make his threats?
Darrel: I can speculate.
Doug Bachelor: He can come in the clouds because Jesus can literally come. It will be something he can impersonate. It would be lightening shining form the East to West. But Satan is going to do something that people are going to just behold this in the dessert, behold this in secret places. That’s what Christ says going on forth because they are going to be many false Christ and false prophets. Whether he will create the illusion of descending on the Mountain of Olives, I don’t know. The one thing he is going to have a hard time imitating is when the Messiah feet touches the Mountain of Olives. It splits and form a great valley. You know if you continue reading in that verse. I don’t know how the devil is going to end up casing massive damage in the Middle East. I don’t know how he is going to impersonate that but he may first appear in the Middle East. He may first appear in Rome. I don’t know where he is going to first make his entrance. If you had asked me I would never guess the other pope was coming from Argentina. So I think the Lord has some surprises for us.
Darrel: Well, I think that it is very well possible that Satan would come to the Mountain of Olives because that where Jesus wept. And he said see and return.
Doug Bachelor: Yeah, and that’s logical.
Darrel: Yeah, and when He sent tornadoes on Job, if He can do that, He can make an earthquake happen.
Doug Bachelor: I think you are right. I think He can make an earthquake happens. And He makes them out of the Mountain of Olives. It supposed to be an expensive real estate for a cemetery in the world because it is every square centimeter practically that is used. Everyone want to dedicate it to be built on the Mountain of Olives because they believe that the Messiah is coming there.
I thank you and I appreciate your question and it is a very interesting one. We are going to move on and talk with Kim who is calling from Memphis, Tennessee. Kim, you are on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Kim: Hello Pastor Doug!
Doug Bachelor: Hi, how are you doing?
Kim: Hello, can you hear me okay?
Doug Bachelor: I can now.
Kim: Okay, I have 3 minutes. If I have time I am going to ask you another question. My question is, I am thinking about getting married. I am just getting out of denomination that I do by the way. I am just getting out of a relationship with a girl who is a member of my denomination. My question is, is it okay to date a girl who is not a member of my church and just and by the virtue, you know, dating this girl in some kind of way pray to give her Bible study and something like that kind of lead to the bed?
Doug Bachelor: You know if you are going to be giving Bible studies, it is hard to be objective if you are going to be in a dating relationship. So what I would say is be friends to start with. As soon as you are going to date with the idea of courtship, you are thinking marriage. You shouldn’t be thinking marriage until you are of the same faith or you are going to have problems. And you want to be united in your beliefs. Some causes problems. Sometimes love is blind, especially during courtship things get really foggy and you said how things are going to work out. When you get into the reality of life and you have two people who are going into the right directions, virtually it causes serious problems and so get that settled before you call that a courtship or a dating relationship. Otherwise, you will start getting emotionally wrapped up with each other and you start thinking all these spiritual differences will work it out. And it doesn’t always work it out. So I would say get that settled first and if you got that girl who you think is getting that possibility, let say, take it. You know, because of my religious convictions I think we ought to study first and just call it Bible study.
Kim: But you think it is best to stick with the denomination, you know…?
Doug Bachelor: Absolutely, especially there are varying differences between the denominations. But if you got denominations that are… one going to church on Saturday and one going to church on Sunday, you are going to have problems. You are going to have denominations where one church says we are the only ones being saved while some churches that teach that. And then you have another church says that God got many people in many different churches. There is going to be problems there. There are some churches that believe Jesus is the Son of God and He is the Creator. And some churches believe that Christ is a Creation. It is a big difference. It is the role of Christ. In theology you want to have the same church.
I appreciate your question, Kim. And I think we still have one or two more questions before I break to talk Emanuel who is calling from New Mexico. Emanuel, you are on the air.
Emanuel: Hello Pastor Doug!
Doug Bachelor: Hi, is that from Dem in New Mexico?
Emanuel: Yes sir.
Doug Bachelor: I have been there.
Emanuel: That’s cool. When are you going to come back again?
Doug Bachelor: Well, I don’t know my schedule. I will be in New Mexico this year. Actually I am going in to Albuquerque. I am going to see some friends there. Are you still here? Your question.
Emanuel: My question is … I forgot in Mathew 8:26 talks about the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
Doug Bachelor: Yes
Emanuel: Would you elaborate more on that like how to keep the flesh from being weak?
Doug Bachelor: Well, you know, not only did Jesus say that. When Jesus does it, He is talking about when the disciples where praying with Him in the garden and they were so tired that they fell asleep while they were praying. They wanted to pray with Jesus but they were just tired. You ever fall asleep in class? You wanted to stay awake but you just kind of get overwhelmed. But it is really talking about the battle between the spirit and the flesh. And if you look for instance in Romans Chapter 8, it says, “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. For what the law cannot do for it was weak through the flesh, God by sending His son in the likeness of sinful flesh and force Him and condemn sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled as we walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.”
Now, all of us have a physical side. And sometimes when we are tempted, we are kind of overcome by the carnal side, the fleshy side. We want the spiritual side of our nature to be controlled. Are you still there?
Emanuel: Yes sir.
Doug Bachelor: So it is through prayer having a close relationship with the Lord that we can be led by the spirit and not be controlled by the flesh. One more point. If every time we have been tempted with so many kinds of temptations to kind of appeal to the flesh. I think from your appetite to a passion, but whenever you are tempted in that way, every time you say no to those temptations, you strengthen the spiritual side of your nature. Every time you give in to it, it sort of strengthens the physical side. It is almost like you have two dogs that are in your back yard that are trained up and you are going to fight them. And you feed one dog the best of food and give it lots of water and you starve the other dog. When it comes for those two dogs to fight, the one who is the healthiest and the strongest is going to win.
So the more we feed the spiritual side of our nature, through talking about Christ, reading His word, prayer, being a witness for Him, thinking about those things are good and pure and Nobel. And you starve the carnal side where people are watching violence and films on television and magazine, that just sort of drag you down into the carnal area. When temptation comes when you are feeding the spirit instead of the flesh, then you will have that side stronger. That is what I think is the big key. We have a study guide that talks about that. It is called Life in the Spirit. We will be happy to send you a free copy of that. With that, I think we are going to have time to take one more call before a break. Talk to Mary Ann who is calling from Union City in Maryland. Mary Ann, you are on the air.
Mary Ann: Hi
Doug Bachelor: Hi
Mary Ann: I have a little problem. My girlfriend is almost saved. Anyway, my question is: either I misread it or whatever. I don’t have a book mark in my Bible. Can a believer be pulled out of a man’s book of life?
Doug Bachelor: Can a believer be pulled out? If you look in the Book of Revelation 3:5, it tells us there that, he that overcomes the same will be the messages of seven churches so they must be believers. “He that overcomes, the same shall be called in white raiment and I will not block his name out of the book of life. But I will confess his name before my Father and before His Angels.” If it wasn’t possible for believers names to be blocked from the book of life, Jesus would never had said that. So just the way he worded it, makes it very clear that for persons who chooses to turn away from the word of Christ, He doesn’t prevented us from having that freedom. Jesus will never let go off you. You don’t have to worry about that. But He never takes away our freedom to choose another master. So if the person turns away, just like Judas, Judas was an apostle but he ultimately turned away from Christ and grieved the only way the only spirit took his own life. And let’s assume like when he was following Jesus like the other apostles and Jesus was out there preaching and teaching and casting out devils, but when he continued to give in to that temptation of then deception and being a thief, he ultimately betrayed Christ. He grieved Him with the Holy Spirit and he took his own life. His name will be stricken from the book of life. I will be very surprised to find Judas in the Kingdom. As a matter of fact, Peter pretty much tells us that he won’t be there. And even Jesus said that when he was talking to Pilot.
So I appreciate your question Mary Ann and then that freeze up another line. We will be coming back to our phones in just a minute. If you like to call in with a Bible question, that number one more time is 800 God Says. That’s 800 463- 7297 and my name is Doug Bachelor. Pastor Ross is right now gone to Europe but he will be back in a couple weeks listening to Bible Answer Live. You know, friends, we always like to highlight some of the different ways you can stay in touch with the ministry just during our break time here. And we are doing it once again. You maybe hear us mentioned before that there is a website that is really like a river that goes to just about every major fame of Bible prophecy. And that website is called Bible Prophecy Truth. A lot of strange, false, counterfeit teaching about prophecy that are out there, we want to put together a website that used real solid clear Bible interpretations these are not things our church thought of, these are the foundational truths of prophecy interpretations of the Bible prophecy. And you will find them at that website: Bible Prophecy Truth. And if you want to understand the subject of Angels and battling in Christ, Bible numbers a great tribulation, a second coming rapture, Israel, the temple and all of that is going to be there in bibleprophecytruth.com. Don’t go away, there is more Bible questions coming.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Doug Bachelor: And we are live once again. If you’ve tuned in long the way friends, you’re listening to Bible Answers Life and it’s a live international interactive Bible study on hundreds of stations across North America on satellite radio overseas via the internet. And if you have a Bible question we have a couple lines still open. That number is toll free: 800- 463- 7297. 800- 463- 7297. And if you want to watch in the internet, that’s live at amazingfacts.org. With that, we’re going to jump right back to the telephones and I think next in line is Erma. And we’re going to talk to Erma who’s calling from Bronx, New York. Erma you’re on the air.
Erma: Thank you Doug. I listen to you very often. I have a very complicated question.
Doug Bachelor: Okay.
Erma: I’ve read in the Bible that in the Resurrection you go into Heaven, in your own Heaven there will be no marriages or giving in marriages. I don’t remember where I read it but I read this. My question is, also, and in another verse I read that there will be children laying alongside line.
Doug Bachelor: Yes.
Erma: Which line? So where is this children coming from if there is no marriages?
Doug Bachelor: Well first of all, when, and you’ll find that at Isaiah 11, you’ll also find that in Isaiah 65. I believe it talks about children and heaven and getting along with the animals. In the Resurrection, you have, you know if a child dies anytime during his life while they’re still classified as a child. They’re not resurrected as an adult they’re resurrected as a child. And they all grow up slowly. By the way, that verse is Matthew chapter 22:30, where it talks about the marriage and heaven. That there won’t be no marriage and heaven. But those children are raised and they eventually grow up but.
Erma: I thought that was going to happen because millions of the children have died.
Doug Bachelor: Oh yes.
Erma: Died until today and those children are innocent. So I don’t think they are going to be judged. They’re going to go into Heaven- that’s what I believe.
Doug Bachelor: Now you know, there’s an interesting verse in Isaiah. Where it says, the child will die at a hundred years. And the people go, “What? Children are going to die in heaven?” Well the hundred years got to be a clue. It really translate the child will cease at a hundred years. That means children in heaven will probably grow more slowly. And biblical proof for that would be, if you look at the Ages and Genesis, when the first patriarchs were getting married, some of them didn’t get married till they were over a hundred. I’m talking about even way before Abraham. So they were aging more slowly then and in heaven things are going to be perfected. Children will be in heaven but probably grow up much more slowly. So we’ll enjoy them much longer.
You know if puppies would stay puppies, they’d be cute. I might have a puppy. But they only stay cute for a little while and then they turn into dogs. So in heaven, kids are going to stay cute for a long time. And the go forth and grow up it says in Malachi Chapter 4.
So I appreciate your question Erma and we do have that study guide on Heaven, and it’s called Heaven Is It For Real. We’ll be happy to send you a free copy, Heaven Is It Real. And that number is: 800- 835- 6747. By the way friends, all these study guides we are mentioning, you can read it for free online. We have the study guide, you can download them read them right there at the Amazing Facts website, very simple, amazingfacts.org - amazingfacts.com, either one will get you there.
And I appreciate your question Erma. Talking next wit Tim - calling from Florida. Tim you’re on the air with Bible Answers Life.
Tim: Yes, thank you Pastor Doug.
Doug Bachelor: Yes?
Tim: I got a question in Leviticus chapter 10 verses 1 to 11. When they were doing the sacrifice to the Lord and then.
Doug Bachelor: Fire comes down and burns them up.
Tim: Yes.
Doug Bachelor: You’re talking about the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu.
Tim: Yes, I was trying to pronounce their name. When they got burned up, why was.
Doug Bachelor: Why did that happen? You’re wondering what did they do wrong just to fight such a severe punishment.
Tim: Yes.
Doug Bachelor: Well God had told the sons of Aaron, they were the priests. God did tell them that they were not to use what they called common fire. Now, you have to understand the story. When they first built the tabernacle and it was dedicated. The Lord rained fire down on that spot he kindled the first sacrifice and they always use the coals from the fires that God had started miraculously whenever they burned incense inside. Well evidently, the two sons of Aaron were drinking. That’s why you’ll notice that it says that in verse 9, “Do not drink wine or strong drink- you and your sons when you go into the tabernacle.” Only reason God said that to Aaron and his other sons is because very likely Nadab and Abihu were drinking. They just got some common fire from the camp, from their campfire or whatever they brought in. They just did not take God seriously. And being intoxicated there may have been other inappropriate behavior going on. And the Lord said, “Here you’re in the presence of a holy God. You’re not listening to my word.” And the God sort made an example of them for the rest of the priests that they were to take their ministry very seriously, and not to drink and be intoxicated when they’re serving in the sanctuary. So that’s the after kind of read between the lines but I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re telling us that happened there.
Tim: Is it going to be that way in the Heaven too? I mean.
Doug Bachelor: Oh well, we won’t be drinking in Heaven. Do you mean would God be severe? We’re not going to be offering lambs in Heaven.
Tim: No what I mean is, all of our action going to be.
Doug Bachelor: Scrutinized?
Tim: Yes.
Doug Bachelor: Well for one thing, everybody in heaven has a transformed heart. It’s pretty likely Nadab and Abihu didn’t really love the Lord with all their hearts. They were taken things for granted. And if we’re converted born again and we love Jesus, we’re not going to have to worry about being irreverent in Heaven. Course those who were irreverent here in this life, won’t make it to the Kingdom. So I don’t think that’s a problem in heaven. Everyone’s going to love the Lord and respect in reverence God and we’ll be surrounded by bliss there. There’ll be no temptation. Devil’s going to be gone for one thing.
Yes, I appreciate your question Tim. And I hope that helps a little bit. But we’re going to move along now and talk to Roberta. Who’s calling- listening, on WBAJ from Columbia South Carolina. Roberta, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Life.
Roberta: Hi Pastor Doug, good evening.
Doug Bachelor: Evening. And your question?
Roberta: My question this evening is on Roman chapter 4 verse 14. It’s just a guess that there’s some liberality in what we eat and what we drink and what we [inaudible 38:27] For example, in verse 3- 14 verse 3. [Inaudible 38:31-40]. And then in verse 5, one person will see one day above the other will eat peacefully convince in his own mind. So it seems to suggest that there’s a laxness in what God has been expecting of us and what I was wondering if you could elaborate on that.
Doug Bachelor: Yes, in Romans 14, first of all we’ve got to know the context what Paul is talking about. Is Paul saying eat whatever you want and go to church whenever you want? Well think about the ramifications of that. Or is Paul talking about a problem they had in his time where the Jewish converts to Christianity or telling the other Greek and Roman converts to Christianity all throughout the Roman Empire. You can’t eat anything that’s been offered in a temple or that’s been butchered to the different Gods. All through Rome any animal butchered was offered to a God. Paul said don’t judge them. If you’re afraid the meat you’re eating has been offered to a Pagan idol then just eat herbs. That’s why he did as weak eats herbs.
Let’s now talk about vegetarianism. I’ve been a vegetarian in for 37 years now. And I’m in pretty good shape. I’ve beat most of my friends at record ball that eat meat. So it has nothing to do with strength. It has to do with eating things that are offered to idols cause person’s faith was weak their soul are afraid that if they ate that chicken they offered to their idol. They were going to somehow going to ingest a polo or mercury of one of these Pagan Gods. So Paul said, “Look, if you don’t want to eat that then don’t eat it.” and then he said, “One man regards one day above another.” The word Sabbath is never mentioned in here but they did have these annual feast. Again, the Jewish Christians were telling the Gentile Christians, “You’ve got to keep the pass or you got to keep the day of the tongue. You got to keep this Jewish feast.” Paul said, “Look, if you want to keep, keep it to the Lord. If you don’t want to keep it then, Christ, He fulfilled these things.”
He’s not saying that there’s no longer one of the 10 Commandments. And it doesn’t matter whether or not we go to church together to worship God. Everyone picks their own day to go to church. That’s not what he’s talking about. He’s talking about these palms they were specifically having with the Jewish Christians putting in the ceremonial laws on the Gentile converts. Did that make sense?
Roberta: Yes. It makes a lot of sense because I know the Bible doesn’t contradict so but it just seem there were some liberality on that chapter.
Doug Bachelor: Yes, well it is providing liberality and we have that liberality now. Way that I would have applied this is, for instance, when I go to a Chinese restaurant. I have some restaurants that I go to and I know when I walk in the door there’s a Buddha on the counter there with little incense burning. Well I don’t worry that by eating in that restaurant that I somehow worship to being Buddha. But I might go with a friend who has a great sensitive conscience and say, “Doug I can’t eat in this restaurant because it’s run by Buddhism. And I might somehow been endorsing their God and” You know I’d say, “We’ll let’s go find another place to eat.” I think we have liberality in those things. You know what I’m saying? So some people are very hyper sensitive about things like that and I think you go crazy when your faith is weak.
For instance, I don’t want to take this too far but this is an important question Roberta. I know people that don’t want to put their money on the bank because it is a fact that the banks invests in stocks. And some of the stocks the banks invest in might be to back one alcohol. So people feel like, if I put my money in the bank and the banks are investing in these stocks that are Christian in support. I’m supporting indirectly the alcohol and tobacco industry. Well, you know, what do you do? Put the money in the mattress? So even Jesus talks about putting your money in the bank when he talks about the parable of the ten counts. So some people, they’re in bondage because they’re so sensitive to these things and that’s where I think God has given us some liberality. He wants us to use common sense. Does that make sense?
Roberta: That’s a wonderful answer. Thank you so much Pastor Doug.
Doug Bachelor: Alright. Thanks for your call Roberta. I sure appreciate it. Next we’re going to talk to Richard who’s calling from Jamaica- New York. Richard you’re on the air.
Richard: Hey Pastor Doug how are you doing? This is my first time calling.
Doug Bachelor: I’m glad you called. And your question.
Richard: My question is what does the bible say about reconciliation and marriage?
Doug Bachelor: Well the ideal, is that God is very merciful. The church is the brighter Christ, look at how many times the church has been unfaithful to Christ and how patiently he takes her back. All the way through the Old Testament this is real, and even in the New Testament times. So that’s an allegory from marriage. Marriage is really, unless some people have this make-believe marriage, but most marriage is there’s conflict and people have to continually reconcile. And you’ve got to talk about things and work things out and apologize and sometimes the disagreements can become pretty severe and there’s nothing wrong with good Christian marriage counseling either. So you know the Bible supports that and in many ways. Husbands love your wives as Christ love the church and gave himself for her in [inaudible 44:19] Now, are you still there Richard?
Richard: I’m listening. I’m here.
Doug Bachelor: So I’m assuming you may have something personal where this applies. We have a study guide, we’ll send you a free copy of Amazing Facts and it talks about the Keys to a Happy Marriage. Talks about some of these principles of how you reconcile and how you get along, and we’ll be happy to send you a free copy. If you don’t mind just make one more phone call and it’s 800- 835- 6747 and ask for the study guide, Happiness for Husbands and Wives. If you don’t want to wait to mail them to you, you can read it for free online. It’s a color illustrated study guide on bible, scriptures and keys for a happy marriage and reconciliation. And just go to amazingfacts.org. I appreciate your call Richard.
And that of course open another line if you like to call 800- 463- 7297. Then we’re going to go now to Jerry who’s calling from Medford, Oregon. Jerry you’re on the air with Bible Answers Life.
Jerry: Yes, good afternoon Pastor Doug.
Doug Bachelor: Evening.
Jerry: My question pertains to forgiving those who have harmed you. Now in my predictor case those who have harmed me are thousands of miles away. I’m retired and most likely I’ll never see him again as long as I live. Should I be approaching them or just forgive them in my mind and they haven’t asked for forgiveness by the way.
Doug Bachelor: Do they know that there was a wrong that they committed?
Jerry: Well yes. I mean, they delivered a false witness in a formal hearing which is very damaging.
Doug Bachelor: Well what you may do and this is just tough to use your judgment because I don’t know and probably not appropriate for you to tell me all the details but two things you can do. One is if you feel like you need to let them know that you hold no one animosity you can try and contact them through a letter, email or whatever. And just say, “You know I’m a Christian and I know a lot happened and I just made a conscience decision not to hold a grudge. I’m going to free.” That doesn’t mean you need to have a continuing relationship with people that have abused you somehow. But for your sake, sometimes it helps to just say- I forgive, and let it go. Because you know cherishing and chewing on bitterness and the hurts, I’ve been hurt, I'm sure everyone listening out there has felt betrayal and you just got to let it go. It’s like acid, it just starts to eat away at you. And the Lord gives us a grace. You might think, “How could I ever forgive with this person did?” But the Lord gives you grace to let it go. And it helps to remember that sinners which would cover most people do things that are selfish and simple. And everybody’s got the sinful and selfish disease and that’s why they act the way they do.
So you have of course read that parable in Matthew 18 about the unmerciful letter. The man that owned 10,000 talents and he won’t forgive his brother. To get the lesson there, when we think about how much God has forgiven us, nothing any human has ever done to us is really as bad as what we have done to Jesus with our sins. And He’s willing to forgive us. And so we need to just pray for grace to let it go. And sometimes, friends listening, you might have to do it more than once. It doesn’t always happen the first time and but God sometimes give you a gift. Miraculously he’ll take all away the bitterness. Sometimes it happens in degrees, but He can take it away and they give you peace. Hope you experience that Jerry. And thank you for your phone call. I do have a message at the Amazing Facts website that’s titled Forgiveness. And if you just go to Amazing Facts and look under the media tab you’ll see our media library, it’s free. You can listen to the sermon audio or DVD on my message on forgiveness. Appreciate your question, going to talk next to Sonia. Who’s calling from Silver Springs, Maryland, I assume. And line 8, Sonia you’re on the air with Bible Answers Life.
Sonia: Yes, good evening Pastor Doug. How are you?
Doug Bachelor: Doing great.
Sonia: Thank you. My question is about the tribulation. I’m also here to say that doing the tribulation there will be a small time of trouble and then a big time of trouble. And I do understand that I think this is correct that the big time of trouble will be when the seven last plagues are beginning to be pulled out.
Doug Bachelor: Yes.
Sonia: Okay. But what would be the small time of trouble that starts the tribulation and how do we know it’s starting?
Doug Bachelor: Alright, well if you read in Revelation 13, it tells us that there’s a period of time where people cannot buy or sell if they don’t receive the mark of the beast. Well that’s going to be difficult. But ultimately it says that there’s a death penalty. Whoever doesn’t worship the beast should be killed. During the time where there’s just you know, there’s some kind of economic constraints. And countries are not allowed to buy and sell, or individuals are not allowed to buy and sell. We call them sanctions now for one it’s between countries but I was just at the store not long ago and I went to use my credit card and it was denied. And I felt so embarrassed when that happens and I came to find out that our particular credit card got hacked by a supermarket and they cancel everybody’s cards. But it makes you feel so helpless because we’re so dependent on them right now.
And same thing can happen if we don’t worship the government dictates what we’re supposed to worship in the future. This religious political power that Revelation foretells, there’ll be a period of time that they’d try to get us to compromise. Now that’s not the great trouble but it certainly is a time of trouble. And if we don’t compromise our convictions during that time, try and buy something or sell something and everything is going to be electronic- money that has lock you down after you go to the barter system or be on the hills where you can grow your own food.
So that’s the small time of trouble. Some have speculated just based on past example on the Bible that might have been 3 and half years- we don’t know that. But it’s going to be a short period and then you’ve got the seven last plagues that’s going to happen pretty quickly but it’s extremely intense. Bible seems to indicate all those plague come within a year and it’s hard to imagine how the world will even last that long when think about the water being turned to blood and the men being scorched with great heat and all those things.
Hey I do have a study guide that talks about the tribulations. I’ll send you free copy or if you call in and ask us to send you one, it’s 800- 835- 6747. And it’s called Anything But Secret. It talks about the second coming and the tribulation, anything but secret. And if you want to read it online, same title- Anything But Secret, just go to amazingfacts.org. I appreciate your call. Talking next with Glen, calling from New York City, New York. Welcome Glen you’re on the air.
Glen: Good evening, Pastor. Pastor, I don part two on Amazing Facts I thought I was pretty clear on what the unpardonable sin is. But just recently I heard the late Pastor [inaudible 52:31] God Bless his soul or God rest his soul. In the game that trying to reach out to that relative, trying to speak to them beyond the grave is also unpardonable sin. Now that’s something I’ve never done. I’ve pondered it and I’m sure maybe a lot of people have and I know it was popular a number of years ago with that Hollywood movie about the, forget the actors names but.
Doug Bachelor: That’s probably several movies to talk about mediums and contact in a day everything from kids cartoons to adult movies. But I think and you know, I’ve got a great respect for [inaudible 53:16] as well and run across his program. I’d respectfully disagree. He’s probably talking about a story where King Saul consulted a witch and he ended up grieving away the spirit and he killed himself. But in that story, remember, the Bible says God will not speak to him that he had grieved away the spirit before he ever went to the witch. So Saul had committed the unpardonable sin before he got to the witch. And it is a sin to consult a medium. The Bible says we shouldn’t try to get our information from familiar spirits and consulting the dead. Cause typically you’re going to conjure up a devil. You’re not going to talk to dead relatives. But it’s not the unpardonable sin or I’d be doomed. Because when I was a kid we used Ouija boards to talk to dead people and we gather around and have these answers. And I’m sure we don’t know what we’re doing but we should try. But all that spiritualism, it’s forbidden by the bible. There are thousands of people listening to my voice right now, that double than that and I’m thankful that would not be the unpardonable sin. That was the final straw for Saul. He had grieved away God so God wouldn’t speak to him. “So if God you’re not going to speak to me then I’ll just get a witch someone’s going to tell me something. I need some information.” And that just one more example of how Saul was, he was a rebel. Yes, that story is in First Samuel chapter 15 where it talks about King Saul talking to the Witch of Indoor.
By the way, we have a study guide Glen. And we’ll be happy to send you a free copy of that. If you go to the amazing facts website and you look for our historical lessons and in a matter of fact you can even go to bible prophecy truth and click on the section where it talks about the lessons there. You’ll see historical lessons, one of the lessons is called The Witch of Indoor and it talks all about this experience of King Saul consulting the witch. You want to know what the bible says about that? We recommend that you look that up. Well we have that study guide. That God inspires astrologers and psychics and we’ll send that to you for free as well.
Hey friends! We’re out of time. We would love to hear from you. Talk to us at amazingfacts.org. We’ll be together again, God-willing next week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ END ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~